Chapter 131: Crisis, Mutual Exploitation! (First Snippet)

Cheng Cheng was slightly puzzled, looking at her suspiciously, unsure whether to let her in.

Hearing this, Wu Tan poked her head out from the inner room again.

She gave a subtle signal.

Only then did Cheng Cheng step aside, allowing Huo Yunhao to re-enter the room.

Wu Tan came out from within and didn't waste any breath, cutting straight to the point: "What's the problem?"

As she spoke, she pulled back Huo Yunhao's sleeve to inspect the stain on it.

Huo Yunhao was somewhat unsettled, but without hesitation, she stated bluntly: "The scent is rather strange; it seems a sleeping potion has been mixed into it."

"What?" Cheng Cheng was startled, instinctively holding her breath.

She subconsciously turned to look at Wu Tan.

Wu Tan merely pressed her lips tightly together, staring in silence at the stain on Huo Yunhao's sleeve.

Knowing that Wu Tan might find it hard to trust her just like that, Huo Yunhao quickly explained: "My mother is in frail health and has to take various medicinal decoctions year-round to recuperate. I frequently help her brew medicine and occasionally read herb-related pictorials. If my judgment is correct, this lamp oil has indeed been mixed with a potent sleeping potion."

Every household had its own private struggles. Although her explanation was general, Wu Tan understood.

Huo Wenshan favored his eldest daughter, Huo Yunhaohua, who was both beautiful and skilled at flattering him. This left his legal wife and the children born of her in an awkward position. Perhaps there was conflict between the couple, or perhaps Huo Yunhaohua simply could not bear the thought of legitimate daughters and sisters outranking her in status. No matter the reason, if someone wanted to take complete control of the household by plotting against the severely ill Madam Huo, it was entirely plausible.

After all—

Given the minds and dispositions of that pair, there was truly nothing they would not dare to do.

It was entirely reasonable for Huo Yunhao to learn to identify herbs for self-defense.

Wu Tan raised her eyes to look at her, the corners of her lips curving into a slight smile as she uttered three resolute words: "I believe you!"

Hearing this, Huo Yunhao was taken aback, momentarily stunned.

Panicked, Cheng Cheng rushed over, grabbed Huo Yunhao's sleeve, and asked, "How could this happen? Why would someone send us lamp oil mixed with a sleeping potion? What are they trying to do?"

Her mind hadn't fully caught up, and she initially suspected the monks of the temple.

Wu Tan, however, immediately thought of Madam Meng's abnormal behavior when she had had her monitored some time ago.

Lately, everyone had been busy with the marriage preparations of Wu Qingyu and Lin Yanyao, leading them to temporarily lower their guard—

Madam Meng must have been plotting something back then, and if her guess was correct, this matter was undoubtedly related to her. The Xiangguo Temple was a centuries-old sacred Buddhist site with imperial patronage, making it unlikely to be involved in such sordid affairs.

And if it truly was Madam Meng, they absolutely could not stay the night on the mountain.

Lowering her gaze in brief contemplation, Wu Tan gritted her teeth, looked back up at Huo Yunhao, and said, "I'm sorry! I might need to ask you for a favor!"

Huo Yunhao frowned, keeping her lips sealed with a guarded expression.

In truth, her mindset was much like Wu Tan's—both sought only to protect themselves and had no desire to meddle in other people's affairs.

She had only offered a warning earlier because she happened to run into them and felt that Wu Tan bore her no ill will.

But now—

If Wu Tan wanted to drag her into this murky water, she was disinclined to agree, knowing nothing of how deep the trouble went.

Wu Tan was not surprised—

After all, they were neither kin nor close acquaintances; who would willingly risk entanglement in someone else's mess?

However, since Madam Meng had already extended her reach here, this place was no longer safe, and she needed to devise a countermeasure immediately.

Therefore, she did not pressure Huo Yunhao any further. Instead, after a moment's thought, she turned and stepped into the inner room, emerging a moment later to gesture at Huo Yunhao: "Come with me!"

With that, she pushed open the door and walked out first.

Uncertain of what was happening and remaining guarded, Huo Yunhao hesitated for a second before following her out.

Wu Tan went straight to the courtyard directly across from them—Huo Yunhao's dwelling.

Nanzhi was already inside the main room packing Huo Yunhao's personal belongings. Hearing footsteps, she assumed it was Huo Yunhao returning, but upon turning her head, she saw the uninvited Wu Tan. Her face instantly chilled as she sarcastically remarked, "Second Miss Wu must have come to the wrong place! You are not welcome here!"

Unfazed by the hostility in Nanzhi's tone, Wu Tan smiled faintly. "I don't need your welcome!"

With that, she pulled over a chair and seated herself.

Before Nanzhi could flare up, Wu Tan gestured with her chin. "Never mind me for now. Attend to your mistress and help her change her clothes."

Following the direction of Wu Tan's chin, Nanzhi saw Huo Yunhao entering from outside, her skirt and sleeves stained with large blotches. Forgetting about Wu Tan for the moment, she hurried forward, exclaiming, "Mistress, what happened to you?"

"It's nothing! I accidentally bumped into a little novice monk in the temple and spilled something," Huo Yunhao replied casually.

She glanced again at Wu Tan, who sat there unceremoniously, taking over the place as if she owned it. Unable to fathom what the other girl was plotting, she decided to ignore her for the time being. The stench on her clothes was truly unbearable, so she urged Nanzhi to hurry inside and find her a clean outfit.

Just as Nanzhi finished helping her change, the maidservant acting as an errand runner outside hurried back with a beaming smile: "Second Miss, this servant has already passed on your message for them to prepare the carriage. Let me help you pack up here first, and it will be here shortly."

Not paying close attention initially and assuming the person sitting in the room was her own mistress, the servant crossed the threshold and looked up, only to find the young lady of the Wu family seated imposingly inside.

Her first reaction was that she had been too nervous and entered the wrong courtyard. Just as she suspiciously thought to back out and check her bearings, Wu Tan smiled and said, "You haven't come to the wrong place. Come in!"

Her face was wreathed in smiles.

She was merely a twelve-year-old girl, delicate and pretty, smiling like a blossoming flower.

The maidservant truly let down her guard and, hearing this, stepped inside hesitantly.

Wu Tan then gave a signal, and Cheng Cheng, standing by the door, pulled it shut.

The moment the door behind her closed, the maidservant realized something was amiss and shivered involuntarily.

At that moment, Huo Yunhao and her maid also emerged from the inner room.

"Second Miss—" the maidservant called out to her.

Before Huo Yunhao could speak, Wu Tan interrupted directly: "Have you already sent someone down the mountain to contact your eldest sister and have her make preparations?"

Including Huo Yunhao, the three members of the Huo family in the room froze simultaneously.

The maidservant reacted relatively quickly. Without attempting to conceal anything, she shivered and instinctively tried to turn and bolt out the door.

However, Wu Tan was faster. Decisive as lightning, she sprang up, closed the distance in a single bound, and produced a dagger from her sleeve, reversing it to press the sharp blade against the woman's neck. "Don't move! Take one more step, and I'll slit your throat! Your eldest sister hasn't been stingy with rewards, I suppose, but if you take her money and lose your life before you can spend it, that would be too tragic!"

This Second Miss Wu was nothing short of an unruly and tyrannical madwoman!

With the blade pressed against her skin, seemingly already drawing a bead of blood, the maidservant stiffened all over, frozen in place. Her hand, which had reached out to grab the door latch, hung suspended in mid-air, her fingers paralyzed by fear and too terrified to twitch.

Not wanting to waste time, Wu Tan issued a direct command in that position: "I heard everything you said to that man in the back mountains earlier, as well as what good deeds you just went off to do... Repeat it all for your mistress to hear!"

Terrified out of her wits, the maidservant began to break out in a cold sweat.

Pressed for time, Wu Tan had no patience for intimidation games. She used her free left hand to pull a handkerchief from her robes and shoved it directly into the woman's mouth.

Before the maidservant could react, Wu Tan withdrew the dagger from her neck and plunged it downward with ruthless force.

"Mmph—" The maidservant's eyes bulged, and she prepared to let out a miserable screech.

The silk handkerchief was light and thin, normally insufficient to fully gag someone, but as the woman gasped in shock, the fabric was sucked inward, pressing tightly against her windpipe. Choking, she nearly lost her breath.

Consequently, that agonizing scream never managed to escape her lips.

Wu Tan had driven the blade straight into her thigh.

Then, pulling the knife back out, fresh blood splattered onto the door as the plump-figured maidservant collapsed like a toppling mountain.

Huo Yunhao's face turned slightly pale.

Cheng Cheng and Nanzhi, horrified, hurriedly covered their mouths to suppress any urge to shriek.

Crouched on the floor, the maidservant curled inward, clutching her bleeding leg while sweating profusely and crying in muffled agony.

Squatting down beside her, Wu Tan pressed the blood-stained dagger back against the woman's neck. "I'm in a rush today and have no time to waste with you. If you delay me any further, I'll drive this blade straight into your heart!"

As she spoke, the cold edge of the blade brushed back and forth against the woman's neck.

Horrified beyond measure, the maidservant clawed the handkerchief out of her mouth and tearfully confessed, "The Eldest Miss only ordered this servant to keep watch! This servant didn't do anything evil, it was all the Eldest Miss forcing me! These past few days... these past few days she arranged for people at the foot of the mountain, telling me to find a way to trick the Second Miss down the mountain. Back at the manor—she seemed to want to use that to threaten Madam into doing something!"

This maidservant had actually been bought off by Huo Yunhao's eldest sister, Huo Yunhaohua?

Thinking that this woman had been sharing a courtyard with her and her mistress all this time, Nanzhi felt a chill run down her spine and broke out in a cold sweat.

Hearing this, Huo Yunhao staggered. After steadying herself, she let out an angry, mirthless laugh. "She really thinks of everything. A cornered beast is truly capable of anything."

Ultimately furious and feeling a suffocating tightness in her chest, she hurried over to the table, poured a cup of cold water, and gulped it down.

Terrified of the ruthless young lady of the Wu family, the maidservant wept and pleaded for her life: "Second Miss, this servant truly didn't do anything! Back then the Eldest Miss forced me, and you know what kind of methods the Eldest Miss has—this servant had no choice!"

Taking a couple of deep breaths to steady her emotions, Huo Yunhao turned back and instructed Nanzhi, "Tie her up first."

"Oh!" Recovering her wits, Nanzhi began rummaging frantically through the chests for rope.

Finding no rope in the room, she simply grabbed two spare skirts. Cheng Cheng came over to help, and together they used scissors to cut the skirts into strips. After a flurry of panicked fumbling, they managed to bind the maidservant tightly with all their strength and gagged her once more.

Using a torn strip of fabric to wipe the blood from her dagger, Wu Tan slid it back into its sheath and tucked it into her sleeve before standing up and walking over to Huo Yunhao.

Gathering her composure, Huo Yunhao expressed her gratitude: "Kindness is hard to repay with mere words, but I still must thank you for warning me about this. There may be trouble at my home, and I must rush back immediately."

Wu Tan remarked, "I didn't intend to help you in the first place. But now that this servant has already sent word of your departure down the mountain, leaving right now would play right into their hands and walk you straight into a trap."

Having been momentarily blinded by anger earlier, Huo Yunhao hadn't thought things through completely. Now realizing the gravity of the situation, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Wu Tan grew slightly curious. "That eldest sister of yours... is she still refusing to behave?"

Huo Yunhao glanced at her and could only offer a bitter smile. "She knows that although her marriage has been finalized, it's hanging by a thread and cannot withstand the slightest flaw. Recently she hasn't been going out, keeping herself locked at home to cultivate her character. However—your family's Third Miss and Miss Jiang both outrank her in family background and status, so she's already plotting for the future. She took all my father's private savings, and though we couldn't be bothered to argue with her over it, my father isn't good at scheming and actually doesn't have much money on hand. Recently they've set their sights on my mother's dowry and private assets. When my mother refused, they must have reached the end of their wits—to think they'd dare resort to such vile schemes."

With Huo Wenshan's fall from grace, Huo Yunhaohua had essentially lost all support from her paternal family.

If she wanted leeway to maneuver after entering the Eastern Palace in the future, she would have to rely entirely on money to buy people's loyalty. Wanting to sweep away all the Huo family's wealth at a time like this—

That was entirely something she was capable of doing.

Furthermore—

That good-for-nothing father of hers was cut from the same cloth; to help this daughter ascend, he was truly willing to sacrifice anything.

Wu Tan was not a particularly compassionate person, yet at this moment, she felt a tinge of sympathy for Huo Wenshan's legal wife and this Huo Yunhao.

For Madam Huo to be burdened with illness while being jointly plotted against and pressured by her own husband and concubine-born daughter... how miserable life must be!

Finding these matters too disgusting and humiliating to air to outsiders, Huo Yunhao had initially intended to keep them secret. But seeing the pity in Wu Tan's eyes, she felt even more ashamed and hastily changed the subject: "Well, I need to pack and head down the mountain. If I don't make it back today, there's no telling what methods they might use against my mother."

Stepping forward, Nanzhi looked anxious. "But didn't Second Miss Wu say they are waiting at the bottom of the mountain?"

Glancing back at the bound maidservant huddled in the corner, Huo Yunhao had completely regained her calm. "As Second Miss Wu suggested, we'll pack our things, stuff her into the carriage, and send her down the mountain first, while we follow behind on foot."

Hearing this, the maidservant's eyes widened in terror once more, and unable to make a sound, she let out frantic, muffled cries—

The eldest sister had arranged for people to wait at the bottom! If they found out she had failed her task and caught her, would they ever let her off lightly?

Addressing Wu Tan, Huo Yunhao said, "I'm sorry, Second Miss Wu. We can discuss this in detail another day if we have the chance, but right now I..." Mid-sentence, she remembered what Wu Tan had told her earlier and her expression turned solemn once more. "You mentioned needing my help earlier? What is it?"

Although she was pressed for time and anxious to leave, she was fundamentally a person who repaid kindness. Since Wu Tan had generously bestowed such a massive favor upon her, she could not simply pretend it never happened.

After a brief pause, Wu Tan did not beat around the bush: "As you can see, I've run into some trouble myself, and I certainly can't stay the night on this mountain. Since you wouldn't dare ride in your own carriage... could you lend it to me?"

Huo Yunhao was sharp and caught on instantly—

Someone had spiked their lamp oil with sleeping potion, clearly intending to render them unconscious by nightfall and carry out some ulterior motive.

And yet, despite having their own family carriages, Wu Tan dared not use them...

Huo Yunhao felt a wave of worry. "But my eldest sister..."

"It doesn't matter!" Wu Tan interrupted. "Whatever scheme your eldest sister is pulling, she doesn't dare let word leak out for the sake of her own future. Even if she intercepts you, she'll surely only use people from her own household. The four guards I brought up the mountain all followed my eldest brother from the battlefield; dealing with them will be a breeze. Besides, their target is you. Even if you're intercepted halfway, once they see that the carriage belongs to the Marquis of Dingyuan's estate, they'll simply let you pass expediently and won't dare to cause trouble."

Huo Yunhaohua relied on her father to act tyrannically within the household precisely because she never dared let word get out to outsiders; otherwise, her marriage prospect would likely be ruined.

Thinking this made sense, Huo Yunhao nodded without much hesitation. "Alright!"

Grateful, Wu Tan gave a slight nod. "Then I'll trouble you to make the arrangements. I must go back and report this to my grandmother." Then, glancing back at the bound maidservant, she added, "Since this servant is of no further use to you, leave her behind and I'll dispose of her for you."

Given the state of the Huo family, with Huo Wenshan and Huo Yunhaohua colluding as partners in crime, even if this maidservant served as a witness, would she bring her back to testify against Huo Wenshan? There were no senior elders left in the Huo family to appeal to; bringing this witness back truly served little purpose.

"Alright!" Realizing that Wu Tan had other arrangements in mind without pressing for details, Huo Yunhao agreed readily.

Instead of dealing with the maidservant immediately, Wu Tan turned to Nanzhi. "Nanzhi, please fetch a set of your mistress's clothes and a set of this servant's clothes for me."

Nanzhi instinctively looked over at her mistress.

Understanding Wu Tan's intention—she wanted to disguise herself for fear that watchers in the dark might pierce the ruse of them borrowing the Huo family's carriage—Huo Yunhao nodded. "Go get them for Second Miss Wu."

"Yes!" Nanzhi retrieved a set of Huo Yunhao's clothes from the inner room and a servant's outfit from the courtyard annex.

With the clothes in hand, Wu Tan returned straight to her own quarters.

Instead of going into her own room, she took the borrowed garments directly to the old Dowager's quarters. The Dowager had just lain down but had not yet fallen asleep. Without preamble, Wu Tan said solemnly, "Grandmother, something seems amiss on this mountain today. To be safe, we cannot stay here for the night. Forgive me, but please change into these clothes. I've borrowed a carriage from the Huo family—we must head down the mountain immediately!"

Stunned, both the Dowager and Mama Zhou turned pale. "What has happened?"

Without hiding anything, Wu Tan explained, "Earlier, I discovered a sleeping potion mixed into the lamp oil delivered by the temple. We don't know who did it or whether it targeted us or the entire temple, so we must leave!"

Xiangguo Temple was a massive complex housing over three hundred monks.

With just the two female relatives of the marquis's estate here, and with no clear understanding of the situation, they could not afford to blindly investigate. The most prudent course of action was to evacuate first.

Always trusting her granddaughter's judgment, the Dowager did not hesitate and immediately sat up on the bed.

Mama Zhou swiftly brought the garments over to help her change.

Stepping forward, Cheng Cheng offered to help Wu Tan change her clothes as well, but Wu Tan handed the garments directly to her instead. "Change into these, and for a while, pose as the Second Miss of the Huo family, accompanying Grandmother in the Huo family's carriage."

Hearing this, the Dowager immediately objected: "How can that be? You aren't coming with me?"

With a smile that was half-true and half-false, Wu Tan explained, "Actually, there's another matter. I happened to overhear that Huo Yunhaohua arranged to intercept her sister's carriage and is plotting some mischief. Grandmother, didn't you say you quite liked the Second Miss of the Huo family? We're heading down the mountain anyway, so you can help shield her along the way. I'll bring her down later in our own family's carriage."

"Who said I liked the Huo family's girl?" the Dowager protested with displeasure.

"But I just want to ruin Huo Yunhaohua's little scheme!" Wu Tan cajoled her with a mix of truth and fabrication.

Her deception was so masterfully executed that even Cheng Cheng failed to catch any flaws in her story.

Knowing that her granddaughter possessed a lively disposition and a penchant for avenging wrongs, and seeing her so enthusiastic, the Dowager truly suspected nothing further.

Leaving them to change, Wu Tan went out first to the servants' quarters to find the guards she had brought along.

Wu Qinglin had indeed provided four battlefield-hardened guards led by Chen Gang. The servants' quarters were modest, with everyone sleeping on shared brick beds, and the Huo family's retainers were housed in this same courtyard.

When Wu Tan briefed Chen Gang, he was startled and instinctively wanted to refuse, but Wu Tan cut him off: "I'm not discussing strategy with you. Just follow my orders. The sooner you get away, the faster you can bring reinforcements back. I'm unsure of the situation on the road, but no matter what, you must ensure Grandmother's safe arrival down the mountain."

As she spoke, Huo Yunhao finished packing and, accompanied by her own maidservants carrying luggage chests, arrived. Seeing Wu Tan still standing there un-costumed, a sudden realization struck her: "You—aren't you leaving with Madam Dowager?"

Would they leave together? If their courtyard was left empty, it would surely be discovered in no time!

By now, Wu Tan was nearly certain that Madam Meng was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Although the Dowager's monthly visits to offer incense were not kept strictly secret, keeping track of their itinerary with such precision was something only someone within their own household could accomplish.

That also explained why Madam Meng had raised no objections to rushing Wu Qingyu's wedding forward to the end of the month—she must have calculated the timing precisely—

Only by expediting Wu Qingyu's wedding could the Dowager make her customary trip to Xiangguo Temple this month!

Within the inner quarters of the Wu residence, the Dowager had plenty of loyal confidants, alongside the people belonging to her and Wu Qinglin, making it impossible for Madam Meng to manipulate things single-handedly. Hence, she had been forced to wait for an opportunity outside.

Though Wu Tan remained uncertain whether Madam Meng's ultimate target was her or the Dowager, or what their exact objective was... since Madam Meng had endured such prolonged forbearance before finally making a move, she would surely be fully prepared!

Lacking a foolproof plan for the moment, her only recourse was to use herself as bait to stall Madam Meng's people while sending the Dowager safely down the mountain!