Chapter 9: Won't You Save Yourself?
Qinniang was Lan Qin, one of the four maids Yue Tang had taken from the Prince Duan’s residence to the imperial villa. She was also the only one left behind that night to handle the aftermath of the incident at the villa.
After returning to the capital, they settled in the northern part of the city. When Yue Tang and Hua Lin entered the He household, Lan Qin was entrusted with managing the remaining affairs. Worried that Yue Tang might not be accustomed to the local tea, she specially packed some lotus-flower tea for her to take along.
After nightfall, Xiao Huo tracked down the exact whereabouts of Lady Liu and came over to inform, “Aunt Qin has been helping out at the clinic these past few days. She’s likely gathered some information and plans to visit you tomorrow.”
Yue Tang nodded. As usual, she brewed a calming decoction for Madam He to lull her to sleep, then left the He residence with Xiao Huo through the back courtyard.
Lady Liu never expected that after He Xu and Madam Zhang, she would be the next to fall into trouble.
How could Nurse Li have killed He Xu? Impossible!
Someone must be framing her, and the one framing Nurse Li was targeting her!
He Xu was skilled in martial arts, and the main household had plenty of servants. How could Nurse Li possibly succeed?
She was the Second Madam; even if she didn’t oversee the inner household, she still had ample opportunities to interact with the kitchen staff!
More importantly, since the incident in the main household, the biggest beneficiary was none other than Lady Liu herself! That proud remark she made before Lady Lin had now become her own shackles.
Sitting in the cold, dark prison cell, beads of cold sweat continually formed on Lady Liu’s forehead.
But now, her cries to heaven and earth went unanswered.
Even if the Liu family arrived in time, they could not prevent the He and Zhang families from joining forces to imprison her.
To prevent collusion, she and Nurse Li were held separately.
She did not want to die. Her family had earned merits; she was meant to stand above all in the household, enjoying the blessings of the head mistress. She did not want to die!
She could not die!
Just as despair was about to consume her, a faint light gradually approached.
“Second Madam?”
Huddled on the floor, Lady Liu immediately came to the prison bars upon hearing the voice.
“Is that you?”
She was surprised—it was that young widow who had come.
Through the iron bars, Yue Tang spoke softly, “Madam has treated me kindly. I bribed the warden to get in.”
Lady Liu was both shocked and doubtful. “You? You bribed the warden?”
With the combined pressure from the He and Zhang families, even her own father might not manage that.
“Indeed,” Yue Tang touched her face, “Didn’t Madam think I could do anything with this face? Turns out the warden couldn’t resist me either.”
Lady Liu was speechless.
That sounded reasonable, yet somehow absurd.
Yue Tang said, “The warden only gave me fifteen minutes. Everyone now believes Madam is the culprit. Do you have anything you want me to convey? I can act on your behalf.”
Lady Liu gritted her teeth, “What good would that do? You can’t get me out anyway!”
Yue Tang sighed, “I can’t. This trip may well be in vain. But the He family is ruthless, and you are strong-willed. Now that it’s come to this, why not try to save yourself?”
Lady Liu frowned. “Save myself?”
Yue Tang’s expression grew serious. “I heard that a few generations ago, the Zhang and He families were low-ranking officers. Three years ago, they suddenly rose to prominence. Could there be something fishy behind it?
“Madam, you’re already cornered, your life hanging by a thread. Why not use the leverage you have over the He or Zhang family to strike back from desperation?”
Lady Liu was stunned. “Leverage?”
A shiver ran through her.
Of course!
They assassinated Princess Yongjia!
Wasn’t that leverage?
The princess was the cherished niece of the late emperor and empress, the only blood relative they treasured, and the paternal cousin of the current emperor, born on the same day.
They had committed treason by killing a royal family member!
If the emperor learned that the princess’s death was not an accident but a conspiracy involving court officials, the He family wouldn’t have enough heads to chop off, even if there were ten more of them!
Not to mention the He family, the Zhang family was implicated as well!
None of them could escape!
The sudden surge of hope made her fingers curl tightly.
Yue Tang’s voice deepened, “Even ants try to survive, let alone Madam, who has parents above and children below. If anything happens to you, I don’t believe the Second Young Master will treat your children kindly.
“Don’t you care about those little ones?”
A fierce light flickered in Lady Liu’s eyes. That scoundrel He Hui had thrown all the dirt on her today. He had betrayed their marital duties and kicked her when she was down. How could he ever treat her children well?
She gripped the bars tightly. “What can you do to help me?”
Yue Tang pressed a small cloth bundle through the bars. “I have no other way. I thought perhaps you might want to pass some words along, so I brought some paper and ink. Do you need them?”
At the mention of paper and ink, Lady Liu’s posture instantly straightened!
The young widow was right. If there was a way out, why just sit and wait for death?
With paper and pen, she could send messages out!
She would threaten the He family to withdraw their accusations! Regardless of whether they found the real culprit, they must immediately take her back!
She must continue to live as the Second Madam properly!
Otherwise, she would go all out, exposing everything the He and Zhang families had done to the authorities!
Since she was already on the brink of death, she didn’t believe the two families could withstand the Marquis of Guangling’s wrath!
She clenched the bundle firmly. “I’ll write a letter. You deliver it to Master! If this is done, I will reward you handsomely. Now, turn around and leave!”
Yue Tang obeyed and turned away.
Soon, the sound of paper scratching filled the air.
She narrowed her eyes, gazing darkly down the prison corridor.
...
When Yue Tang emerged with the letter, Xiao Huo stepped out from the shadows.
He handed her a leather pouch tightly held against his chest. “Mr. Hua instructed this—it’s medicine for restoring muscles and bones. It must be taken on time.”
Yue Tang took the medicine and handed him the letter. “The prefect of the city is crooked and close to the Marquis’s household. Change the envelope and present it as a formal complaint on his desk.
“Once it’s done, make sure to leak some news to the prison guards.”
Xiao Huo took the letter and vanished into the night.
Yue Tang looked up at the vast sky, tilted her head back and drank the medicine, then slipped back into the He residence from another direction.
The He household, shaken by a series of incidents, was deathly silent that night, exhausted by constant turmoil over just two days, leaving He Jianzhong’s mind numb.
After Lady Liu was imprisoned, he was also on the verge of collapse.
Madam He was making a fuss in the main chamber, so he lazily leaned back in his study chair and dozed off.
Just as he closed his eyes, someone shook him awake. Standing in the morning light was the flustered steward. “Master! Something terrible has happened!”
He Jianzhong’s heart surged with blood, a metallic taste spilling at his mouth’s corner. “What now?”
“Last night, the Second Madam wrote a formal complaint in the prison accusing the He and Zhang families of conspiring unlawfully!
“She shouted so loudly the guards all know!
“Fortunately, the prefect of Shuntian recognized both families serve under the Marquis of Guangling. After receiving the complaint, he immediately suppressed its release and hurriedly sent it to the Marquis. But the Marquis was furious—Master?! Hey, Master!”
Before the steward finished, He Jianzhong collapsed forward.
The steward quickly supported him, but He Jianzhong’s hands gripped his arm like iron claws. “Conspiring unlawfully? Conspiring to do what?”
The steward shook his head. “I don’t know! But even the messengers sent to summon you to the Marquis’s residence wore grim expressions!
“Master, you’d better go quickly. I’ve never seen the Marquis’s servants so disrespectful to us…”
He Jianzhong looked at him, feeling his legs grow light, as if his soul had already scattered.