Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

Xia Changfeng laughed and said, "Third Brother has more than a dozen concubines and maids in his mansion. Teach me how to manage the inner quarters so well and how everyone gets along so harmoniously."

Xia Ziru laughed and said, "This isn't my doing; it's all thanks to your third sister-in-law for managing the backyard so well."

Xia Mosang leaned closer and said, "Third Brother means that Princess Linglong hasn't managed Changfeng's backyard well."

Xia Yunqian glared at him. "Where did this 'Princess Linglong' come from? She's the Seventh Prince's Consort."

Xia Mosang then realized that she had misspoke. There was no longer any Chu princess; the Chu Kingdom no longer existed.

Xia Mosang glanced around, thankfully no one seemed to care about what he had just said.

Drinking, admiring the moon, watching songs and dances—a typical Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

Ruan Wan noticed that Consort Ruan looked unwell and extremely haggard, a stark contrast to her appearance when they last met. What had happened?

But now she is a saintess, no longer Ruan Wan, and has no reason to care about a concubine she doesn't know well.

Ruan Wan could only wait until the banquet ended and then ask Xia Changfeng.

Halfway through the banquet, everyone was toasting each other and getting a little tipsy. However, everyone automatically ignored Ruan Wan, as they didn't want to make a fool of themselves.

At this moment, Eunuch Zhang hurried over to the emperor's ear and whispered a few words.

The emperor's expression changed. He put down his wine cup and looked at Ruan Wan below the stage.

The entire banquet hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone tacitly dared not make a sound.

After a while, the emperor sighed, "A report just came in that the Grand Master of Ceremonies suffered a ruptured liver and gallbladder from shock and is now dead."

Linglong stared wide-eyed at Ruan Wan. Her two maids, A Qing and A Zi, were safely behind her. How did she manage that?

The crowd below began to whisper among themselves. At that moment, Ruan Wan suddenly burst out laughing, a laugh that seemed incredibly abrupt.

The emperor asked, "Why is the Holy Maiden laughing?"

Everyone held their breath and looked at Ruan Wan, who was laughing uncontrollably.

After a long while, Ruan Wan finally stopped laughing, clutching her stomach. She looked at the emperor and said, "A true cultivator actually died of fright? It's truly laughable. Your Majesty, please forgive me."

The emperor smiled, placed his hand on the table, tilted his head to look at Ruan Wan, and asked, "You wise and insightful sage, do you know what frightened Sun Shishi to death?"

Unfazed, Ruan Wan looked directly into the emperor's eyes and said, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Perhaps it's the ghost of that woman named Ruan Wan and the Lou family who has returned home that has frightened this Miss Sun."

Ruan Wan frowned and said, "That's not right. This Miss Sun isn't a relative of the Lou family. She was only appointed as the Grand Master of Ceremonies by His Majesty to guard the tomb of the Duke of Zhenguo. Why would she be afraid of the ghosts of her own family?"

Consort Zhang, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, "This Holy Maiden never leaves her residence, yet how does she know so much about what's happening in the capital?"

Everyone realized what was happening and looked at Ruan Wan. At this moment, Xia Changfeng stood up and said, "Your subject mentioned this matter while chatting with the Holy Maiden."

Ruan Wan smiled and looked at Consort Zhang. "The people of Great Xia always say how much I look like that Ruan Wan. I was just curious and inquired about it out of boredom. Your Highness, is that not allowed?"

Consort Zhang chuckled and said, "Of course, I'm just a little curious. Please don't take offense, Your Highness."

The emperor then raised his wine cup, smiling, and said, "On this Mid-Autumn Festival, let's not discuss such trivial matters."

Everyone raised their glasses, and Ruan Wan thought to herself, "Wasn't it her who brought this up?"

Throughout the entire banquet, Linglong's mind remained in turmoil. Could it be that the Holy Maiden had more than just Azi and Aqing by her side?

Why was Sun Shishi scared to death? What tricks did the Miao holy maiden play?

The whole thing was strange. The Miao saintess, who never attended any royal gatherings, unusually attended the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet today.

It just so happens that Sun Shishi was frightened to death today; it's too much of a coincidence.

If it really was Yaotai Academy that did it, then they really underestimated the people of Miao territory; they are not so easy to deal with.

At the palace gate, Linglong couldn't help but smile and walk up to Ruan Wan, "Why did you agree to attend this palace banquet today, sister?"

Xia Changfeng frowned slightly, but Linglong pretended not to notice and smiled at Ruan Wan.

Ruan Wan looked at the sleeping little Yuan Yuan in the wet nurse's arms with loving eyes. "My little Yuan Yuan is, after all, a princess of the Great Xia Dynasty. As her mother, I must consider my daughter's feelings. Parents always have the same heart. Even if she is a princess..."

Linglong smiled and nodded, then, with Yujie's help, got into the carriage. "Send someone to investigate how Sun Shishi died."

Xia Changfeng climbed directly into Ruan Wan's carriage, his mind filled with many questions.

Only after the carriage had left the sacred path did Xia Changfeng look at Ruan Wan and ask, "Did you kill Sun Shishi?"

The man had been successfully killed, and Ruan Wan no longer concealed anything, simply nodding.

Xia Changfeng looked helpless. "Why do you have to kill someone during the Mid-Autumn Festival? Everyone will become suspicious."

Ruan Wan laughed and said, "What is there to suspect about me? I'm in the palace, and my servants Aqing and Azi are also in the palace. How she died has nothing to do with me."

Xia Changfeng then realized that Aqing and Azi had been brought into the palace by Ruan Wan. He looked at Ruan Wan with curiosity and asked, "How did you manage to do that?"

Ruan Wan didn't answer his question, but instead asked, "Didn't you say you were going to give me a gift and surprise me? Where is the gift?"

Xia Changfeng smiled and said, "The gift is waiting for you in your yard."

Ruan Wan successfully changed the subject.

Back in the courtyard, Xia Changfeng walked to the front, stood at the gate, and looked at Ruan Wan with a look of delight.

As Ruan Wan approached, she saw a person kneeling in the courtyard with a black hood over their head.

Ruan Wan frowned as she looked at Xia Changfeng. What kind of surprise gift was this?

Xia Changfeng raised an eyebrow at Ruan Wan, signaling her to remove the hood.

Ruan Wan walked up to the man in a few steps and directly lifted the black hood off his head.

The person was still alive, but seemed to be blind, and his head was moving frantically.

Amu lit the tinderbox, and Ruan Wan finally saw the man's face clearly. She looked at Xia Changfeng with a look of surprise and delight.

Xia Changfeng was extremely pleased with Ruan Wan's reaction.

This person was actually Zhu You. Although he was already skin and bones and his eyes were blind, leaving only two bloody holes, Ruan Wan still recognized him at a glance.

Ruan Wan circled him, examining him closely. His tongue had been pulled out, and his tendons in his hands and feet had been severed. Ruan Wan smiled at Xia Changfeng and said, "How did you find him? I've been searching for ages and couldn't find any trace of him."

Xia Changfeng laughed and said, "I ordered people to search for him in Chu several months ago, but I didn't expect that he had been hiding in Xia territory all along. It really took a lot of effort."

Ruan Wan looked at Xia Changfeng solemnly, "I really like this gift."

Before Xia Changfeng could even rejoice, Ruan Wan immediately instructed Aqing, "Lock the person in the woodshed for now."

Inside Qingfang Courtyard, Linglong was still reeling from the news of Sun Shishi's death. She couldn't understand how the Miao Holy Maiden had managed to do all that.

Could it be that Sun Shishi was really scared to death by herself because she did something wrong?

Yu Jie walked in, while Linglong rested her head with her hand on her hand, her eyes closed, as she had a headache.

Hearing Yu Jie's footsteps, Linglong raised her eyelids and asked, "Well, how is it? Did you find out how Sun Shishi died? Are you sure she died of fright?"

Yu Jie replied, "The body was taken away by the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the cause of death will probably not be determined until tomorrow or the day after. Everyone in the prefecture says he was scared to death."

Linglong sighed, closed her eyes, and continued rubbing her temples.

Yu Jie took a step forward and said, "Today, Amu and several servants carried a large wooden box into Yaotai Courtyard."

Linglong opened her eyes and looked at Yujie, who continued, "This servant inquired, but His Highness's men are very tight-lipped; we couldn't get anything out of them."

Linglong frowned. "The more you ask, the more suspicious it seems."

Linglong pondered for a moment and said, "We definitely can't get into Yaotai Courtyard. Go check the four city gates to see if any large items were brought in today, and find out which direction they came from."

Inside Hengzhi Courtyard, Yao Churong kept talking to Liang Qiaoyi, she had been holding back all the way and had so much to say.

"Sister, look, not all the princes are exceptional individuals. Our Highness is handsome and extraordinary, the Third Prince is also exceptional, while the Second and Fourth Princes are no different from ordinary people."

Liang Qiaoyi said coldly, "How dare you speak of princes so casually? Be careful someone hears you, or you'll be charged with a grave offense of disrespect."

Yao Churong laughed and said, "I'm only saying this in our courtyard, who can hear me?"

Yao Churong then tugged at Liang Qiaoyi's arm, "Sister, that Consort Ruan isn't that beautiful. She's far less beautiful than the Holy Maiden, and even the other concubines here are prettier than her. Why does the Emperor favor her so much?"

"That's because she and her aunt look seven or eight parts alike. When the Emperor was young, he doted on Consort Ruan."

Yao Churong looked at Liang Qiaoyi and asked, "Isn't Consort Ruan alive and well? She's not dead. Why is she favoring Consort Ruan, who looks like her? And Consort Ruan, who was once highly favored, didn't become a Consort, but Ruan Yuanyan did. Isn't that strange?"

Liang Qiaoyi sighed, "Beauty fades in the blink of an eye, and love wanes with fading looks."

Yao Churong sighed, "The princess has only been married into the family for two years, and His Highness has already devoted himself to the Holy Maiden. Her beauty hasn't faded yet, but his favor has already waned. The princess is very beautiful, much more beautiful than the princesses of the princes."

Yao Churong glanced outside the door, then leaned close to Liang Qiaoyi's ear and whispered, "Sister, you don't know, I go to play with Xiaomingyue every day, while the Princess Consort always sits at the door in a daze, gazing into the distance. His Highness rarely goes to her either."

Liang Qiaoyi glanced at Hengzhi Courtyard and sighed, "The original owner of this place was of far higher status than us, yet their entire family was wiped out."

Yao Churong suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, goosebumps rising all over her body. She immediately hugged Liang Qiaoyi, saying, "Could Miss Rong's ghost be here? Wasn't Miss Sun from the Lou family scared to death by a ghost?"

Liang Qiaoyi suddenly felt a little scared, but she still tried to remain calm and composed, saying, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits; where do ghosts come from?"

Yao Churong hugged Liang Qiaoyi tightly, refusing to let go. "But the Holy Maiden said yes, sister, I'll sleep with you tonight. I'm scared."

Liang Qiaoyi gently hugged Yao Churong, her gaze fixed on the darkness.

What Liang Qiaoyi was truly afraid of was not ghosts, but the Holy Maiden of Yaotai Courtyard, who neither knelt before the Emperor nor bowed to the Empress, yet everyone tolerated her behavior.

When they returned, His Highness rode in the same carriage with her, leaving the Princess alone.

A woman who is powerful, cunning, and beautiful is the most frightening.

Although her father forbade her to compete for the emperor's favor, now that she had married into the royal family, how could she not try to compete?

In the current situation, even the princess cannot achieve a fair share, so how could these small fry possibly get a piece of the pie?

And then there's Yao Churong in my arms. She seems harmless and innocent, but who knows what kind of scheming lies beneath her skin?

Inside the Yaotai courtyard, Aqing covered her nose. "Little Yuanyuan has pooped again. Why does she poop so many times a day?"

Azi hurriedly helped Xiaoyuan wash up, while Xia Changfeng's expression was also not good, but he was trying his best to hold it in.

Seeing that he seemed to be holding it in, Ruan Wan laughed and said, "Go stay in their courtyard. You'll find them fragrant and beautiful, and you won't have to smell this stench."

Xia Changfeng struggled to maintain his composure and said, "I am, after all, Yuanyuan's cousin and her father in name only. How could I possibly dislike my own daughter?"

Ruan Wan had no choice but to instruct A Qing to "light the incense."

Since Xiao Yuanyuan was born, Ruan Wan's room has been filled with incense. The baby poops a lot, and the smell in the room is really strong.

As midnight approached, Ruan Wan heard Xia Changfeng's even breathing and got up to extinguish the burning incense in the incense burner.

This specially made incense will definitely make Xia Changfeng sleep soundly until dawn.

Ruan Wan opened the door, and A Qing was already waiting outside. The two walked to the wall, and A Qing put one arm around Ruan Wan's waist and kicked off the wall with her foot, and the two easily climbed over the wall.

A carriage, prepared by Aqing, was already waiting outside. It was late at night, and the moon had begun to set in the east. The autumn night was still a bit chilly.

Under the cold moonlight, the sound of the carriage was particularly clear, but at this moment, Ruan Wan and her companions were the safest.

The carriage traveled all the way to the back gate of the Lou residence. As usual, Aqing knocked twice long and twice short. When the door opened, it was not Cuimo who opened it, but Cuilu.

Ruan Wan and A Qing went inside, and Cui Lu immediately closed the door. Only then did Ruan Wan ask, "Where is Cui Mo? Why are you the one who opened the door?"

Cuilu frowned and sighed, "Madam, Cuimo is not feeling well."

Cuilu hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Madam, you should go and see for yourself. I don't know how to describe it."

Led by Cuilu, Ruan Wan arrived at Cuimo's room and saw Cuimo sitting on the floor. Only then did Ruan Wan understand why Cuilu couldn't describe her.

Cui Mo was completely out of control, trembling all over, her eyes wide open and bloodshot.

She was crying one minute and laughing the next, her facial expressions completely distorted.

Cuilu's face was full of sorrow. "Ever since I watched helplessly as Miss Biao was terrified and collapsed to her death, Cuimo has become like this. We're afraid of being exposed, so we dare not call a doctor."

Ruan Wan knelt down, hugged Cui Mo, and gently patted her back to comfort her, "It's alright, Cui Mo, it's alright."

Cui Mo trembled uncontrollably. "Madam, I killed someone. Miss Biao is dead. I should be happy, but I... I don't know why I'm so scared."

Ruan Wan cradled Cui Mo's head, forcing her to look into her eyes. "She killed A Qiao, A Rui, and Steward Li, and then squandered your lives like this. She deserved it. You are a hero; you saved everyone in the manor."

Cuilu also squatted down, tears streaming down her face. "Yes, Cuimo, if we don't kill Miss Biao, none of us will survive the winter. Lanyu is already too sick to get out of bed. Miss Biao must die."

Seeing the determined looks in Ruan Wan and Cui Lu's eyes, Cui Mo slowly stopped trembling.

Ruan Wan still held Cui Mo in her arms. The once bright, confident, and composed Cui Mo was now skin and bones. Ruan Wan regretted not killing Sun Shishi sooner.

Once Cui Mo had fully recovered, Ruan Wan gave instructions for what to do next: "In a couple of days, when Sun Shishi's body is brought back, we'll probably have to hold a grand funeral. After all, she was appointed Taichang Zhenren by the Emperor himself. Just hold a normal funeral. After Sun Shishi's funeral, I'll have the Seventh Prince request the Emperor's decree to return your indentures to you. You can make the arrangements then, Cui Mo and Cui Lu."

Cui Mo and Cui Lu nodded, and Ruan Wan continued, "At that time, some people will definitely stay to guard the mansion. A Jin will definitely stay. The rest are on a voluntary basis. Those who want to go home can go home, and those who want to go to the manor can go to the manor. The money in the warehouse will be distributed to everyone as resettlement expenses."

Cuilu said, "Lanyu and Tingqin are not leaving; they want to stay here forever. Cuimo and I want to go to the estate. The others don't know about this. We plan to ask their opinions after Miss Biao's funeral is over."

Ruan Wan nodded. "It's getting late, I have to go back. In the next few days, someone will definitely come to investigate Sun Shishi's death. Tell them everything I said."

Cuilu nodded. "Everyone in the manor saw Miss Biao's madness. No wonder Cuimo was so frightened; the scene was truly terrifying."