Qi Jinxuan glanced at Mrs. Wu and asked casually, "Why is Green Button kneeling here to see you, Auntie? You should be careful. This maid in my yard is prone to lying."
Hearing this, Red Sleeve covered her mouth and chuckled. Green Button's face turned even uglier.
Mrs. Wu smiled and said respectfully to Qi Jinxuan, "The eldest miss manages the inner courtyard in an orderly manner. Naturally, there's no need for Auntie to inquire. We really didn't catch what this maid said just now. Auntie is still busy categorizing the birthday gifts. I won't delay the eldest miss from disciplining her servants. I'll take my leave." With that, Mrs. Wu and Qi Jinlan curtsied and left.
Qi Jinxuan glanced at the departing figures of Mrs. Wu and her daughter but said nothing. She was skeptical about Mrs. Wu's answer, but what did it matter?
She had asked Red Sleeve to put a sleeping drug in Wei Dongling's bowl of bird's nest. Originally, she planned to hand Wei Dongling over to the Crown Prince under the pretext of taking her to rest after she drank it. Unfortunately, Wei Dongling was alert and didn't drink the bird's nest. Fortunately, the Crown Prince came in time and caught her before she could escape to relieve herself.
Qi Jinxuan looked at Green Button kneeling on the ground, smiling complacently. She said to Red Sleeve, "Come to think of it, servants like her who aren't honest give me the biggest headache."
Red Sleeve glanced at Green Button and coldly echoed, "In my opinion, such disloyal servants should just be dragged out and beaten to death."
Qi Jinxuan covered her mouth and laughed. "Oh, wouldn't my silver just go to waste? Spare her life for now. Just take her down and give her ten lashes."
Hearing this, Green Button trembled with fear and couldn't even utter a word of plea. Red Sleeve called the servants over and dragged her out.
Mrs. Wu stepped into her yard in silence. Then she whispered to Qi Jinlan, "Find an excuse and quietly go to your father. Ask Zhang Sheng beside him to find a way to inform the Wei family."
Qi Jinlan's face turned a little pale. She asked, "She's not even my cousin. Why do you want to meddle in her business, Mother?"
Mrs. Wu sighed. "That child is an orphan. It's quite pitiful. She's never been malicious to us. Whether what Green Button said is true or not, it won't hurt to go."
Qi Jinlan nodded and left.
In the heavily - guarded attic of the Crown Prince's Mansion, the bound Wei Dongling and Jingzhe were dragged and thrown into a large iron cage.
Wei Dongling was in great pain all over. Qiao had applied hemostatic medicine to her abdomen and bandaged it roughly. Jingzhe beside her seemed to have been drugged and was lying on the ground, unconscious.
The Crown Prince pushed the door open and came in. He stared at the two disheveled people in the cage fiercely, with a sinister smile on his lips.
Wei Dongling glanced at the Crown Prince, snorted, and turned her head away.
The Crown Prince ordered the servant to open the cage and walked step by step towards Wei Dongling. He looked down at her, then squatted down and used the tip of his sword to examine Wei Dongling's injuries.
Wei Dongling said coldly, "You, the heir apparent of the country, actually collude with a young lady to frame me. You're really shameless."
The Crown Prince sneered. "Save your breath. Do you think you can still walk out of this mansion alive this time?" With that, he quickly cut off a blood - stained piece of cloth from the corner of Wei Dongling's skirt and turned to leave.
The servant closed the iron cage door and locked it tightly.
Seeing the Crown Prince cut off a corner of her clothes and take it out, Wei Dongling knew something was wrong. She shouted angrily at him, "If you have the guts, come at me directly. What kind of hero are you to threaten my family?"
The Crown Prince ignored her and didn't even bother to reply.
Qiao glared at Wei Dongling fiercely and said hatefully, "Your Highness, could you hand her over to me for disposal?"
The Crown Prince waved his hand. "I still have use for her. When she's no longer useful, you can do whatever you want."
Qiao bowed. "Thank you, Your Highness!"
The Crown Prince nodded and ordered, "It's going to be quite a lively day today. We need to send more people to guard carefully."
"Yes! Everything has been properly arranged. Please rest assured, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince nodded upon hearing this and strode away.
Wei Dongling's hands were tied behind her back. She was lying on her side on the ground, and her face was getting paler and paler. She saw Qiao sitting upright on the chair beside her, playing with the small crossbow and meteor blade on the table, as well as Jingzhe's soft sword.
Wei Dongling sighed silently in her heart. This time, it seemed that she was in great danger.
It was all her fault. She knew that Qi Jinxuan had other ideas, but she still trusted her out of old feelings. She had even dragged Jingzhe into this.
In the Listening Wind Tower, Uncle Li's face changed when he received the message from Master Qi's man. He quickly asked A Cheng to inform Luo Xunlong and the others, and then rushed to the Crown Prince's Mansion with Ruan Niang and Old Qin.
The carriage soon stopped near the Crown Prince's Mansion. Uncle Li lifted the curtain and stared outside for a while. He said to Ruan Niang seriously, "There are so many soldiers patrolling secretly around the Crown Prince's Mansion. If we break in now, we'll only be walking into a trap."
Ruan Niang said anxiously, "It seems that the Crown Prince came prepared. Miss Wei might really be locked up inside. What should we do?"
Uncle Li sighed. "Let's wait for Xunlong and the others to come and then discuss it!"
It seemed that this was the only option.
In the Yu Mansion, Yu Zixi was lying obediently on the couch while two concubines applied medicine to him. After being beaten up by his master He Jingyao yesterday, his back was covered with criss - cross whip marks.
After all, such a thing had happened, so the Yu and He families had to quickly discuss the marriage. Although He Yao refused desperately and tried to kill herself, she was forced by her parents and had no choice but to marry Yu Xingze.
There was a rush of footsteps outside the door. The servant beside Yu Zixi pushed the door open and hurriedly shouted, "Master, someone sent a letter and said it must be opened by you personally."
Yu Zixi raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who sent the letter?"
The servant replied, "The man claimed to be from the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince?
The two concubines looked at each other upon hearing this.
Yu Zixi frowned, took the letter, opened the envelope, and took out a piece of paper with a blood - stained purple cloth strip in it.
When Yu Zixi saw the cloth strip, he was shocked. He jumped up, his hands trembling involuntarily. He quickly unfolded the letter and read: Please come to the Crown Prince's Mansion alone at the Shen hour.
Come alone at the Shen hour? Yu Zixi held the cloth strip in his hand, shocked and angry. The Crown Prince was clearly blackmailing him!
He had just promised Wei Dongling last night to let go of all grudges, but today the Crown Prince came out to cause trouble. This was forcing him to kill!
There was full of hostility in Yu Zixi's eyes. He tore the note into pieces.
He mustn't let his master know about this. Otherwise, Master He would never let him go and take risks.
Seeing that the Shen hour was approaching, Yu Zixi got up, put on his clothes, and planned to go to the Listening Wind Tower to discuss with Uncle Li for a while.
As soon as he stepped out of the door, the two concubines exchanged a look and quietly slipped out of the room.
Master Yu was busy choosing the betrothal gifts. The servant beside him relayed Concubine Xu Yan's words. Master Yu nodded calmly, wondering in his heart what the Crown Prince wanted with Yu Zixi.
The servant whispered, "Sir, should we arrest the eldest young master?"
Master Yu waved his hand. "The mansion is so busy. Don't bother with him."