In a quiet private room on the third floor of Pengcheng Restaurant, Lord Rong was sipping tea with a rather displeased look on his face.
Lord Yu was sitting on a grand master's chair beside him. He raised his eyes, glanced at the trembling Crown Prince kneeling on the ground, and coughed gently. "Such a beautiful view on the Mid - Autumn Festival. It's a good day for family reunions. We're just out for some tea and moon - gazing. Father and son should not fall out."
Hearing this, Lord Rong's face darkened even more. He said coldly, "Look at him! The Crown Prince of a nation, with disheveled appearance and an arrogant attitude! What kind of propriety is this? And he even brought so many people to make a ruckus in the streets, shouting about fighting and killing! What will outsiders think? Is he trying to stage a rebellion?"
The Crown Prince knelt on the ground, shivering. He cried out aggrievedly, "Father..."
Lord Rong threw a teacup at him and roared, "Who's your father?"
The teacup flew past the Crown Prince's face and shattered into pieces on the ground. Tea leaves were splashed everywhere.
Lord Yu fetched a new teacup, poured a cup of tea, and handed it over. He whispered soothingly, "Your Majesty, calm down. We can teach him slowly."
The Crown Prince was terrified. He bowed his head and kowtowed repeatedly, crying pitifully, "Your son knows his mistake! Your son dare not do it again!"
The emperor, who was Lord Rong, was now livid with anger. He roared at the Crown Prince, "You dare not? Do you think I know nothing about what you did in Xingshan?"
The Crown Prince's face instantly turned deathly pale, and his body trembled like a sieve. He kowtowed repeatedly, crying out, "Your son deserves to die! Your son deserves to die!" The Crown Prince's forehead hit the floor with a thud. Soon, a large, red bump swelled up on his head.
His appearance was so pitiful that even Lord Yu, who was standing by, felt a bit sorry for him.
"General Fang!" the emperor summoned his personal guard waiting outside the door. He glared angrily and said, "Pass on my imperial edict. The Crown Prince is domineering, arrogant, and has repeatedly caused trouble despite being taught. Punish him with three months of house arrest and deduct his salary for a year. Take him away and let him reflect in the Crown Prince's Mansion!"
"Yes!"
The Crown Prince's back was already drenched in cold sweat. He quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude and then followed General Fang out.
Lord Yu watched the Crown Prince's departing back, lowered his eyes, and sighed. "Your Majesty, calm your anger. There's no need for such harshness between father and son."
The emperor fished out a round mooncake from his wide - sleeved robe. He held it in front of his eyes and looked at it carefully. Frowning, he said in a low voice, "Such a rebellious son is really annoying! Enough of this. Lord Yu, accompany me to taste this mooncake!" With that, he split the mooncake in half and handed one piece over.
Lord Yu stared blankly at the rough - made civilian mooncake in front of him for a moment. He took it with both hands and smiled. "Your Majesty usually doesn't like these things. Why are you in such a good mood today?" Then he took a bite and nodded. "It actually tastes quite good!"
The emperor took a bite of his own mooncake and lowered his eyes. "Lord Yu, you don't understand. Raising a daughter is better than raising a son."
Lord Yu was so shocked that he coughed repeatedly. He forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty is clearly making fun of your subject. Your subject is not blessed enough. I've only raised two unfilial sons, and they're both extremely naughty!"
Only then did the emperor's expression calm down. There was a faint look of mockery in his eyes as he continued to lower his head and drink tea.
It was not until the middle of the night that Wei Dongling and the others finally recovered. Then they stepped on the bright moonlight and returned to the Su Mansion.
Sitting in the carriage, Cui Huan recalled how everyone had been poisoned and fallen down. She felt a chill run down her spine. She sighed softly, "If Lord Yu hadn't stepped in and stopped those black - clothed men, there might have been heavy casualties tonight."
The female assassin in the Crown Prince's hands was slightly more skilled. Fortunately, Xiao Wu had called Senior Sister Ruochen, who had timely resolved the crisis for Cui Huan.
Ruan Niang was also depressed for a while. She only thought the wine tasted a bit special and didn't notice that it had been tampered with at all. If that imperial doctor hadn't come in time and given everyone the antidote pills, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Wei Dongling nodded. "Fortunately, we met some kind people tonight. Tomorrow, let's send more gifts to Lord Rong's and Lord Yu's mansions. And we should also go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to express our gratitude properly!"
Cui Huan nodded. "That's right."
All night long, Wei Dongling had diarrhea and ran back and forth to the toilet several times. It was only when dawn was approaching that she finally felt a bit better and fell asleep in a daze.
All the uncles were in the same situation and were in a complete mess all night.
Cui Huan had to go to Tingfeng Tower to hang up the sign of suspension of business and then rushed to send gifts of thanks to Lord Yu.
When she came back, Wei Dongling and Ruan Niang were drinking congee. They had big dark circles under their eyes and looked pitiful.
Old Master Su saw Cui Huan come back and served her a bowl of congee too.
Cui Huan took the bowl and thanked Old Master Su. Then she urgently asked Wei Dongling, "Where does Lord Rong live? The steward of Lord Yu's Mansion said he wasn't very sure."
Wei Dongling blinked her innocent eyes. "I forgot to ask!"
Cui Huan said speechlessly, "Then what should we do?"
Wei Dongling waved her hand. "We'll ask Lord Shen when we're free some other day."
Cui Huan thought it made sense and then lowered her head to drink congee in silence.
After two days of recuperation, everyone's mental state had improved a lot. One group of people went back to Tingfeng Tower to sell milk tea, while the rest stayed in the Su Mansion to renovate the courtyard and replenish some pots, bowls, firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
Ruan Niang somehow got some herb seedlings and planted all kinds of herbs in the area of the yard where flowers used to be planted. It was quite pleasing to the eye.
Wei Dongling's flesh wound on her arm was not serious. She joined everyone to clean up the fishpond in the mansion. They dug out the old and clogged silt, changed the water, and then went to the market to buy some koi and put them in. The green water in the pond sparkled in the sunlight, making the mansion shine.
Wei Dongling's face was flushed from the sun. Looking at the brand - new yard, she felt very satisfied.
Although they had fallen into the Crown Prince's trap and suffered a lot, they finally had a place to live. Looking around, all the people she wanted to see were by her side.
It was really good!
Everything made her feel very satisfied, except that the scumbag Yu Zixi hadn't sent a single letter for half a month.
How was that scumbag doing recently? Should he have already infiltrated the Northwest Army?
Was he eating well and dressed warmly?
With Tian Qi by his side, he should be okay, right?
Why was that fool so slow in sending a letter to report his safety?
Cui Huan watched Wei Dongling's ever - changing face and couldn't help calling out to her. "Miss, what are you thinking about?"
Only then did Wei Dongling come back to her senses. She sighed softly, "I'm worried that the dog is lost."
Cui Huan was stunned. When did they raise a dog? Why didn't she know?
At night, Wei Dongling tossed and turned in bed and couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
When they returned from Xingshan, the Crown Prince had sent the chief of the secret guards, Lord Xu, to assassinate her in person. Fortunately, they had set up some traps in advance and managed to kill Lord Xu instead.
Now that they had moved to the Su Mansion, Uncle Li had also carefully prepared a room full of hidden weapons for her, fearing that something might go wrong and he would regret it.