The Princess of Jiahe dragged her feet slowly on her way back.
The early autumn wind carried a touch of coolness. She had been sweating profusely just now because of her nervousness about Yu Huiyan's "heart ailment". As the wind blew, her sweaty body was chilled to the bone.
Not long ago, Liang Yuzhou had vaguely conveyed a message to her that Yu Huiyan was most likely involved in the rumor that Song Wanchu had an affair with Du Yong.
She firmly refused to believe it.
The old lady had said that she only believed what Huiyan said.
That was indeed the case.
Huiyan had lost her mother at a young age. She pitied this niece and had raised her like a daughter by her side.
In her eyes, Huiyan had always been a kind, pure, innocent, and guileless girl, as white as a snowfield untouched by pollution.
Naturally, she believed every word Huiyan said.
But even Granny Gao, who had served her for nearly thirty years, had begun to suspect that Huiyan was lying...
The "catching the adulterers" incident had made her lose face. All her glory and dignity had been stripped away by the old duke.
Now she only held the title of the old duke's legitimate wife in name. In fact, she couldn't even order a servant around in the ducal mansion.
If this incident had really been masterminded by Huiyan, then wasn't the root cause of her losing everything and being in such an embarrassing situation the niece she had always protected and doted on?
The Princess of Jiahe didn't dare to think further. She would rather believe that everyone was lying and that everyone was a fool than believe that Huiyan had been deceiving her and making her take the blame!
...
Yu Huiyan ran to the lotus pond and leaned against the pillar of the pavilion, gasping for breath. The panic in her body spread like a poison. Her legs trembled, and she could hardly stand.
Liang Yuzhou had already suspected that it wasn't her who had offered the heart - blood.
He was about to come back. If he found out that a cup of tea laced with the Soul - Frightening Powder had proved that she didn't have a heart ailment at all...
Liang Yuzhou hated liars the most.
Three years ago, he had pointed his sword at his father, forcing him to tell where the grain and grass at Pingsha Pass had gone. Dressed in a red robe, his face was cold and full of hostility, like a demon from hell!
The kindness of saving his life was the only reason Liang Yuzhou still showed some concern for her. If Liang Yuzhou found out that it wasn't her but Song Wanchu who had offered the heart - blood back then, she would have nothing to hold Liang Yuzhou back anymore.
Yu Huiyan was sweating cold sweat.
Caidie was also panicking. "Miss, no matter how angry you are, you shouldn't have shouted at the princess. She's the only one who's still willing to believe you now. We'd better go back and come up with an excuse to deceive the princess!"
Having been by Yu Huiyan's side, she could see clearly.
Although the second master had promised to marry Yu Huiyan as his wife, he didn't love her much anymore.
The old lady didn't like Yu Huiyan, and the old duke despised the Yu family. If she lost the trust of the Princess of Jiahe...
Even if she married the second master Liang and became his legitimate wife, her life in this mansion might not be easy!
"Miss, you have to think this through. The old lady always favors Song Wanchu. If the princess doesn't help you, we'll be suppressed by Song Wanchu!"
"Song Wanchu!"
Yu Huiyan seemed to chew these three words in her mouth. Her fingernails dug hard into the stone pillar, turning white at the tips, and the nail beds were torn and bleeding.
Her mind was wrapped in hatred, and she didn't feel the pain at all!
...
In the Hall of Peace and Blessing, Doctor Zhou had left, and the servants had all been dismissed by the old lady.
The room was very quiet. Incense that could calm the mind was burning in the incense burner.
Song Wanchu knelt in front of the old lady. "Wanchu was being smart - alecky and made the old lady worry about me. Wanchu requests punishment on her own initiative."
The old lady was indeed a bit annoyed. She let out a cold snort, turned her head away, and silently fingered the sandalwood prayer beads in her hand.
Song Wanchu didn't defend herself or give too many explanations. She knew that the old lady had a clear understanding in her heart.
A wise old woman who had managed the inner courtyard for nearly fifty years could see through her little tricks at a glance.
Her methods were nothing in front of the old lady.
She knew that the old lady hated the scheming and strife in the inner courtyard the most. In the past, she had never used any means to harm others.
But her fate in this life was already doomed. Since she was going to be trapped in the inner courtyard, she had to fight back.
She wasn't a soft - persimmon, nor a little white rabbit that could be bullied at will.
Once she showed her thorns, those who tried to hurt her would end up badly!
"This incense is supposed to calm the mind. It's all nonsense."
The old lady impatiently put down the sandalwood prayer beads.
In the end, she couldn't bear to be too harsh on Song Wanchu. She reached out a hand to her and said with a straight face, "You're still sick. How can you kneel like this? Get up!"
Song Wanchu playfully blinked her eyes and held the old lady's hand. "I knew the old lady still cared about me."
"You silly girl!"
The old lady gently tapped her forehead. She didn't know whether to scold her or feel sorry for her. "What you did was like gambling with your life, wasn't it?"
Song Wanchu's nose twitched, and her eyes felt swollen. Tears couldn't help but slide down.
She had played tricks in front of the old lady and violated the old lady's taboo, but the old lady didn't blame her. Instead, she was worried about her health...
"I'm sorry, old lady."
Apart from saying sorry, Song Wanchu didn't know how else to express her apology.
"You calculated that Yu Huiyan would be eager to come and curry favor with me on the first day I came back. You also calculated that the Princess of Jiahe would support Yu Huiyan and suppress you, and would use the pretext of offering tea to teach you a lesson. Moreover, you calculated that Yu Huiyan wouldn't expect you to poison yourself, right?"
Song Wanchu's little cleverness was completely exposed in front of the old lady.
"You used your own body as a price just to make the Princess of Jiahe and Yu Huiyan turn against each other? Silly child, it's not worth it!"
Since the old lady had guessed most of her thoughts, Song Wanchu didn't hide it anymore. "Once the seed of doubt is planted, it's hard to eliminate. It will keep taking root and growing. Even if the Princess of Jiahe believes Yu Huiyan, she will still have the impulse to know the truth.
Even if Yu Huiyan can temporarily dispel the princess's doubt with lies, a lie is a lie. Repeating it a thousand times won't make it true. Yu Huiyan can't completely eliminate the princess's doubt. She will have to make up more lies. I want her to live in fear for the rest of her life, always worried that her lies will be exposed."
The old lady was deeply shocked.
All along, Wanchu had shown a gentle and weak personality. She didn't expect that she could also turn into the sharpest blade and stab the enemy right in the heart.
This move of hers to kill with a single blow to the heart was much more brilliant than Yu Huiyan's insidious and vicious means!
"Old lady, no one can stop the second master from marrying Yu Huiyan. I don't want to feel sorry for myself anymore, and I don't want to live under Yu Huiyan's tyranny for the rest of my life. I will keep fighting against her. It's either her death or mine!"
She would avenge all the humiliation she had suffered in the past!