"Judging from Mother's reaction, she must have seen it. But you still want to execute her, and even torture an innocent maid to death," Song Yinghuai said.
Concubine Yao felt guilty and her face turned extremely embarrassed. "Huai'er, she's just a maid. Do you have to be so critical of Mother?"
Song Yinghuai replied, "Buddha is merciful, and all sentient beings are equal. Maids are also human beings, and they have parents who love them... If she has done nothing to harm others, why should she be doomed to suffer in the Abyss of Hell?"
"Moreover—" Song Yinghuai paused, his eyebrows showing a sharp edge. "If she dies, there will be no one in this world to prove that your son has not broken his vow."
"If the news has reached the capital and the Crown Prince blames me, how can I prove my innocence?"
Concubine Yao's face suddenly changed drastically. She staggered and slumped into the armchair.
She had actually forgotten! She had almost, out of a moment's anger, put her own son in danger!
All of this was because that stupid Tao Yao had been blabbering everywhere, making her lose her composure in a hurry and almost make a big mistake!
"It was Mother who was negligent for a moment..." Concubine Yao said with a trembling voice. She looked at Caiyu, who was still unconscious on the long bench, and urged, "Quickly call the doctor!"
"No need." Song Yinghuai turned around, walked towards Caiyu, bent down to pick her up in his arms, and then turned to leave. "I'll handle this matter, but please, Mother, take care of the culprit."
Tao Yao was struck like a thunderbolt. Her legs went weak and she slumped to the ground.
Suddenly, she crawled towards Concubine Yao like a madwoman. "Old Princess, Old Princess... This servant is innocent. I've always been loyal and would never harm the Prince..."
Concubine Yao was both angry and furious. She kicked Tao Yao away and sternly ordered Nanny Li, "Dispose of her for me!"
Nanny Li responded and waved for the servants to drag Tao Yao away.
There were ready - made torture tools here. Nanny Li ordered the servants to tie Tao Yao to the bench forcefully. One piece of mulberry bark paper after another was placed on Tao Yao's face, and water was continuously sprayed on it.
Tao Yao's muffled voice came from under the paper. In a short while, there was no more sound.
Bailu stood aside, her calves trembling, and her face as pale as paper.
It was Bailu who had relayed Tao Yao's report, and she had even exaggerated it a lot, inciting Concubine Yao to execute Caiyu.
Looking at Tao Yao's tragic death, fear suddenly overwhelmed her.
Fortunately, Concubine Yao also felt extremely tired and didn't pursue the matter further. After disposing of Tao Yao, she said to another senior maid, Shuangjiang, "Help me go down and rest!"
Bailu's heart sank to the bottom.
Concubine Yao's reaction said it all. She had lost her mistress's trust.
...
In her dream, Caiyu vaguely returned to the heavy snow three years ago.
On the way from Yanmen Pass to the capital, a cruel official lusted after her beauty. Seeing her chastity, he even threw her and several women from the Lan family into a pit to bury them alive as a threat for fun.
Her aunt, cousin, and second sister were all crowded together in the pit dug by the cruel official. The narrow space made it impossible to turn around.
Above their heads, flying sand and soil were constantly being poured down on them.
The dust was getting thicker and thicker. The women were crying and wailing, while the cruel officials' harsh and lewd laughter resounded above their heads.
The cold night wind mixed with dirt and flying sand hit her face. Through the dust, she saw the cruel officials' ferocious and distorted smiling faces.
Her second sister's fingers had scratched the edge of the pit until they bled down to her wrists, but the cruel official kicked her back with one foot.
Her aunt had a bloody hole on her head. She was sitting against the pit, with her eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.
The wailing and gasping were all right next to her ears.
Caiyu was breathing rapidly and trembling all over in bed. In her dream, she was out of control, grabbing a piece of wood in the pit.
With all her strength, her nails dug into the wood...
"Your Highness, she's scratched your arm!" Han Fen hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to pull Caiyu's hand away as she was having a nightmare.
Song Yinghuai gave him a cold look. "No need."
He picked up a pillow from the side and replaced his arm with it.
As soon as Caiyu got the new object, her sharp nails instantly pierced into the pillow, and a wisp of new cotton showed through the plain autumn - scented brocade of the pillow.
Han Fen felt a pain in his flesh just looking at it.
Looking at Song Yinghuai's arm again, there were five or six nail - sized holes on his small wrist, and blood was constantly oozing out.
Han Fen gasped. Was this maid Caiyu a white - bone demon in disguise? How could she scratch so hard!
"Your Highness, put some medicine on it." Han Fen took out a bottle of golden sore medicine from his bosom and poured out some powder.
Song Yinghuai rolled up his sleeve and let him do as he pleased. Looking at Caiyu struggling on the bed, a hint of suspicion and coldness flashed in his eyes.
This girl was calling for her second sister in her dream.
Wasn't she the only daughter of the Lan - surname escort?
Master Guangzhi walked in with Zhu Xiao. Han Fen quickly saluted the master.
Master Guangzhi didn't say much. He walked directly to the bedside, lifted Caiyu's eyelids to check, and felt her pulse.
Then, the master said, "She has too many worries and is trapped in a nightmare. I'll prescribe some soothing and qi - strengthening decoctions for her to take for a few days, and she'll be fine."
Zhu Xiao asked, "I've seen many people in the torture chamber who survived the 'paper - plastering' torture. Even if they woke up, many of them went crazy. Will she also become a silly girl?"
Master Guangzhi said, "People who suffer from the 'paper - plastering' torture may damage their brains due to suffocation. We'll have to wait until she wakes up to be sure."
"Master, please prescribe the medicine first." Song Yinghuai rolled down his sleeve, changed to a secluded room with Master Guangzhi and the others, and had a confidential discussion about the latest news.
Caiyu woke up three days later.
When she suddenly opened her eyes, the sunlight from outside the window shone in, making her eyes dizzy. Tears flowed down the corners of her eyes.
"Awake?" Song Yinghuai's cold and aloof voice rang in her ears.
Caiyu stared blankly at him, momentarily unable to tell if it was a dream or reality.
Song Yinghuai was impatient. "Speak! Have you gone mute or have you damaged your brain?"
"Your Highness..." Caiyu's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. She felt as if she had passed through a long time.
On the verge of death, she had thought of many people and things.
She had thought of her younger brother, her parents, her elder brother, her elder sister and second sister...
She had thought of her master and the mammy who had raised her in Yangzhou.
Even Song Yinghuai's face had flashed through her mind.
At that time, she had thought that she was about to die.
When she was still the daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang, she had never imagined that with great power, it was so easy to take someone's life.
If Song Yinghuai had wanted to save her, it would have been a piece of cake.
But she had waited until she fell into a coma and still hadn't waited for him to save her.
In Song Yinghuai's eyes, her life was no different from that in Concubine Yao's eyes. It was like grass.
But what was going on now? How was she alive again?
Song Yinghuai's tense face finally softened a little when he heard that "Your Highness". "Good. You're not stupid."
After the initial confusion, Caiyu quickly regained her composure. She immediately understood what Song Yinghuai meant, and a sneer involuntarily appeared on the corner of her lips:
"This servant doesn't dare to be stupid. If I were stupid, there would be no one to prove Your Highness's innocence."
Song Yinghuai reached out and gently traced her face, which had become thinner.
After a moment, he averted his cold gaze. "True wisdom appears as stupidity. It's not a good thing for a woman to be too smart."
In the next few days, Song Yinghuai seemed to have disappeared. Caiyu didn't know where he had gone.
She had made many enemies, and no one came to visit her.
Caiyu didn't mind. Without anyone disturbing her, she actually had some free time to think and plan her next move.
Autumn came and went. Outside the window, the fallen petals were fluttering, and the maple leaves on the autumn mountains were falling red, scattering a pool of emotions.
"Brother Liu, this is the chrysanthemum wine I brewed. Everyone, have a taste." Caiyu carried a jar of chrysanthemum wine to the west side of the back - row room and greeted everyone with a smiling face.
Liu Huashan was the leader of the bodyguards in the outer courtyard of Lianyin Pavilion. There were seventeen bodyguards in Lianyin Pavilion, and in these days, Caiyu had won their hearts with all kinds of snacks and desserts.