Chapter 11: Prince Xuan, Ye Chenxuan

Tang Mi was not the least bit surprised, as if she had expected this all along, and quietly knelt down.

“Tell me, was it you who pushed Tang Rong into that room?” Grandmother Tang looked at Tang Mi with deep sorrow.

“Yes!” Tang Mi didn’t lie. Her grandmother was too clever to be deceived, and she didn’t want to lie to her.

“You…” Grandmother Tang was furious. She raised her dragon-headed cane and brought it down on Tang Mi.

Smack! Smack! Smack! One blow after another landed on Tang Mi’s back, but she did not dodge. Her spine remained straight and firm.

After ten strikes, Grandmother Tang finally stopped, panting slightly as she looked at Tang Mi. “Do you know why I hit you?”

“I do.” Tang Mi glanced at her. “Sisters should love one another and get along in harmony. We should not scheme against each other.”

Seeing her so clear-headed and sincere, Grandmother Tang’s stern expression softened slightly. “Grandmother knows they were the first to try to harm you. But you still shouldn’t have retaliated that way. She is, after all, a daughter of the Tang family. I’ve always taught you: when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer. By hurting her, you’ve damaged your own reputation too.”

Even though it was Tang Rong who had lost her virtue, Tang Mi, as the eldest daughter of the Tang family, would not emerge unscathed. She was about to come of age, and this scandal could jeopardize any good marriage prospects.

Tang Mi understood everything Grandmother said. In her past life, precisely because of Grandmother’s teachings, she had never harmed them, not even once. And yet, what had that earned her?

In this life, she would never again be soft-hearted. Kindness only invited abuse. She had lived as a kind woman long enough; this time, she refused to be bullied.

“Do you admit your mistake?” Grandmother Tang’s tone softened, hoping for a sign of repentance.

“I did nothing wrong,” Tang Mi said firmly, her chin raised.

“What did you say?” Grandmother Tang could hardly believe her ears.

Her obedient granddaughter had always been the most well-behaved. What had gotten into her today?

“I said, I did nothing wrong,” Tang Mi repeated, staring straight into her grandmother’s eyes, word by word.

“You…” Grandmother Tang was once again enraged. She raised her cane, but this time, she couldn’t bring herself to strike.

“You’ll kneel here and reflect consider carefully whether you were wrong or not.”

With that, she leaned on her cane and left the ancestral hall.

Tang Mi remained upright, her back straight and her gaze resolute.

She had done nothing wrong. If Tang Rong dared to harm her, she would make her suffer the consequences. If she wanted to humiliate her in front of all the nobility of the capital, then Tang Mi would let her truly feel what it was like to be considered filthy by the entire world.

As for Tang Ying and Qin Shi whatever harm they had caused in her past life, she would make them pay in blood in this one.

Prince Xuan’s Residence

“Your Highness, yesterday Prince Yu went to Qingma Temple. I investigated and discovered he’s up to something,” reported Yan Shu, who had been tailing Ye Junyu for two days and now thought he had a juicy scoop.

“I already know,” Ye Chenxuan replied distractedly.

“You do?” Yan Shu was surprised. “What exactly do you know?”

“Speak!” Ye Chenxuan was in no mood for games.

Ordered to continue, Yan Shu obediently explained, “Prince Yu went to Qingma Temple to secretly meet with the second daughter of the General’s Mansion. Do you know why?”

Ye Chenxuan didn’t answer, only shot him a cold glare.

Yan Shu pouted and continued, answering himself, “Because Prince Yu wants to marry the eldest daughter of the General’s Mansion. Maybe he hinted at it before, but they didn’t agree. So he and the second daughter plotted to ruin the eldest daughter’s virtue. Later, Prince Yu would gallantly ‘forgive’ her and offer marriage, then she’d have no choice but to marry him.”

Ye Chenxuan’s brow furrowed. He clearly didn’t want to hear this part.

Sensing the mood, Yan Shu hurried to the point he thought most important: “My guess is that Prince Yu wants to marry her to gain control of the Duke of Rong’s military power.”

Ye Chenxuan gave him a look like he was staring at a fool. “Isn’t that obvious?”

What other motive could there possibly be?

Yan Shu blinked innocently. Why did he feel like he was being looked down on?

“Your Highness,” Hong Fei entered just then, “we’ve confirmed it. It was Lady Zhiqing of the Princess Royal’s mansion who drugged you. She’s been getting close to Prince Yu’s side consort lately.”

“Drugged me? What kind of drug?” Yan Shu was bewildered.

Ye Chenxuan’s frown deepened. “Hand all the evidence over to the Princess Royal.”

If it involved Ye Zhiqing, he had no choice but to inform her mother.

“Yes,” Hong Fei replied. “Also, the General’s Mansion has punished their eldest daughter. She’s been made to kneel in the ancestral hall.”

Ye Chenxuan’s frown tightened.

Yan Shu frowned too. “That’s strange. All the records say the old madam of the General’s Mansion dotes on the eldest daughter the most. Why would she punish her?”

Suddenly a thought hit him, and he was stunned. “Wait, why were you watching the General’s eldest daughter anyway? And what does her punishment have to do with our prince?”

Just as he finished speaking, Ye Chenxuan flew out of the room.

Yan Shu stood there dumbfounded, turning to Hong Fei. “Did I just miss a really good show?”

Hong Fei gave him a chilly look and left without a word.

Yan Shu stomped his foot in frustration. He must’ve missed their prince’s fateful encounter with the General’s eldest daughter. If he’d known, he would have traded shifts with that blockhead Hong Fei!

After all, the General’s eldest daughter was a rare beauty. In the whole capital, the only one worthy of their prince was her.

Late that night, Ye Chenxuan quietly entered the Tang family’s ancestral hall.