Chapter 300: Asking Su Wan to Treat the Illness

Old Madam Zhao had made up her mind. She arranged for two guards to tie up Liu Baocheng and deliver him to the Guangyuan Marquis’s carriage. At the same time, she instructed the butler to go to the banquet hall and inform the Earl of Qinghe about the matter.

Princess Yongfu supported County Princess Lin’an as they left the Penglai Pavilion. When they passed by Tang Haoyue, her steps paused almost imperceptibly. However, she suppressed her emotions without revealing anything unusual and quickly walked away.

The moment Princess Yongfu approached, Tang Haoyue held her breath. Only after the other had left did her heartbeat slowly resume, as if she had come back to life.

As long as Liu Baocheng refused to confess, this matter would not be traced back to her.

Tang Haoyue clenched her teeth, never expecting that the one who came was not Su Wan.

She suspected that Su Wan had seen through the entire scheme and had deliberately dropped the note in front of County Princess Lin’an, luring her into the trap!

A sudden chill ran through Tang Haoyue, jolting her back to her senses. Just then, she saw Old Madam Zhao’s sharp gaze sweep over her. Her heart pounded nervously as she tried to force a smile, but before she could do so, Old Madam Zhao had already left with her people.

Her unease grew stronger—was Old Madam Zhao beginning to suspect her?

“Where is he? Where is Baocheng?”

The Earl of Qinghe walked over, reeking of strong alcohol. He was already somewhat drunk.

Old Madam Zhao said, “Princess Yongfu has taken him away.”

The Earl of Qinghe was stunned. The shock instantly sobered him up somewhat, and he turned around, rushing toward the residence gates.

Just as the Guangyuan Marquis’s carriage was about to set off, he ran forward and spread his arms wide, blocking its path.

“Stop! Stop at once!” the Earl of Qinghe shouted hoarsely. The carriage came to a halt, and he lifted the curtain. The sight before him made his heart nearly give out—Liu Baocheng was bound tightly with ropes, his face and head covered in blood, with a large portion of his clothing stained red.

“Dear in-laws! Let’s talk this through!” the Earl of Qinghe pleaded. “What’s done is done. Even if you beat this unfilial son to death, it won’t change anything. Whether it was a destined match or an ill-fated entanglement, the fact remains that the two have been involved. Why not resolve this by becoming in-laws and have this unfilial son take responsibility for the County Princess?”

The Marquis of Guangyuan’s face darkened, turning almost ashen. No matter how well-mannered he usually was, he couldn’t suppress his anger after hearing the Earl of Qinghe’s words.

“Your son has already committed a grave mistake. If he does not come clean about the truth, there is no need for him to take responsibility. The Guangyuan Marquis Residence is fully capable of providing for her. All that is required is for your son to sever the root of his misdeeds himself, bringing an end to this grievance.”

Liu Baocheng felt a chilling breeze between his legs. The words “I don’t want to marry that shrew!” stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

“Father! Save me! I’m going to die! If I lose my manhood, our Earl Residence will have no heir!”

“Then tell me—what exactly happened?!” The Earl of Qinghe roared in fury. “If you don’t confess honestly, your old man can still father another son! Don’t think I won’t be able to have another!”

When Liu Baocheng heard those words, how could he dare to hide anything any longer? “Cousin! It was my cousin!”

“Which cousin?”

“Tang Haoyue!” Liu Baocheng blurted out, trembling. “She was the one who ordered me to do it!”

He still had a bit of cunning left and deliberately did not mention Su Wan, fearing that he had already offended the Guangyuan Marquis and did not want to make another enemy for no reason.

“Tang Haoyue told me to wait at the Penglai Pavilion. As soon as a woman entered, I was to take advantage of her. She would handle the aftermath. Lately, I’ve been short on money, and she promised me five hundred taels in silver notes. In a moment of rashness, I agreed!”

Liu Baocheng clutched his head, pretending to be in pain, and pleaded weakly with the Earl of Qinghe, “Father, I know I was wrong. I won’t dare to act recklessly again.”

The Earl of Qinghe was utterly stunned—his son had committed a grave mistake, and now his niece was implicated as well!

“You—you—you…! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?!” The Earl of Qinghe berated Liu Baocheng harshly before turning to the Marquis of Guangyuan and Princess Yongfu, bowing deeply in apology. “He has already repented. Please, in-laws, calm your anger. Tomorrow, I will send someone to formally propose marriage.”

The Marquis of Guangyuan was stunned—he had never expected Tang Haoyue to be the mastermind behind it all.

Princess Yongfu’s eyes flashed with venom—she truly wished she could skin Tang Haoyue alive!

That wretched woman had hidden so well. If she hadn’t carelessly involved Liu Baocheng, no one would have suspected her!

With a fierce effort, Princess Yongfu dragged Liu Baocheng and threw him off the carriage. “Return to the Residence.”

The carriage moved forward.

The Earl of Qinghe scrambled in a panic to drag Liu Baocheng away, barely managing to prevent him from being run over.

Inside the carriage, County Princess Lin’an was in an uproar. “Father, Mother, I will not marry Liu Baocheng! I would rather die than marry him!”

Princess Yongfu couldn’t bear to see Lin’an marry a reckless scoundrel, knowing it would ruin her entire life.

Marquis Guangyuan spoke firmly, “At this point, you have only two choices—marry Liu Baocheng or go to a convent, shave your head, and become a nun.”

“Father—!” County Princess Lin’an looked at him in disbelief, then turned to Princess Yongfu for help.

Princess Yongfu was also taken aback—she hadn’t expected Marquis Guangyuan to be so adamant. “My lord, you’re forcing An’an to her death. We can send her away from the capital and find a noble match for her elsewhere.”

Marquis Guangyuan let out a cold laugh. “If she hadn’t harbored ulterior motives, how would she have fallen into this trap?”

County Princess Lin’an was struck at her sorest point. She shrank into a corner, her empty eyes staring blankly ahead as tears streamed down her face in heavy drops. Her hands clutched her head tightly, as if only by doing so could she keep the searing hatred from tearing her apart.

Tang Haoyue! Tang Haoyue!

She would make sure Tang Haoyue suffered a fate worse than death!

——

The incident of County Princess Lin’an being involved with someone at the Zhao Residence was greatly exaggerated and distorted as it spread, quickly becoming the talk of the entire capital.

Tang Haoyue grew increasingly uneasy and wanted to take Tang Nuan along to the Guangyuan Marquis Residence, hoping to divert some of the attention.

However, the Zhao family claimed that Tang Nuan was about to marry into their household. Since the Guangyuan Marquis Residence’s first madam had passed away early, Tang Nuan lacked proper guidance and did not know how to manage household affairs. Thus, they decided to send her to the palace to learn proper etiquette and household management under the Empress.

Tang Haoyue felt both envious and jealous—how could she not realize that the Zhao family was doing this as a way to protect Tang Nuan?

She fervently prayed that the incident at Penglai Pavilion had not been exposed as she rode the carriage back to the Guangyuan Marquis Residence.

The moment she stepped through the gates, two rough-handed servant women seized her.

“What do you think you’re doing? Let go of me! I am the eldest young lady of the Marquis Residence!”

Tang Haoyue felt her blood turn ice-cold. They knew. They knew she was the mastermind behind it all!

The rough-handed servant women sneered. “The eldest young lady should know very well what she has done. Karma always comes full circle!”

Tang Haoyue’s hands and feet turned ice-cold. When she saw that the servant women were leading her away—not in the direction of Princess Yongfu’s courtyard—she immediately understood that they had no intention of listening to her explanations. They had already decided to deal with her in secret.

Terror gripped her heart. She wanted to cry out her innocence, but before she could, another maid forcibly poured a bowl of medicine into her mouth, forcing her to swallow it down.

Tang Haoyue struggled desperately against their grip, trying to spit out the medicine, but she couldn’t. No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t come up. The unbearable discomfort made tears well up in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but to her horror, she found that she could no longer speak.

The servant women watched her coldly, as if she were already dead, then dragged her away.

——

Su Wan returned to the Gu Residence to receive the imperial decree conferring her the title of Commandery Princess, along with various rewards. She handed a sachet to the eunuch who delivered the decree and saw him out of the residence.

Only then did Qi Sixteenth relay to her the general events that had unfolded at the Zhao Residence.

A cold smile appeared on Su Wan’s lips. “She brought this upon herself.”

She and Zhao Wei were innocent and aboveboard—why would she ever agree to meet him in private?

It was obviously a trap.

Qi Sixteenth spoke worriedly, “Young lady, aren’t you afraid that Princess Yongfu will come after you for slapping County Princess Lin’an’s mouth crooked?”

“She won’t.” Su Wan’s tone was filled with meaning. “Just wait and see, she’ll send someone to beg me soon enough.”

Qi Sixteenth scratched his head, unable to understand what Su Wan was getting at.

Princess Yongfu would have to be mad to beg her.

That evening, as soon as Gu Huaizhi returned to the residence, Princess Yongfu immediately sent someone over to request Su Wan’s presence.

Qi Sixteenth came to report the news, looking utterly astonished. “Princess Yongfu’s envoy is waiting at the gate, asking you to treat County Princess Lin’an.”