The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

"Okay, Mingzhu, I understand. But why did you come so early this morning? Is there something you want to tell me?" Liu Qiqi's eyes darted away as she quickly changed the subject...

Oriental Pearl sighed helplessly and had no choice but to tell Liu Qiqi everything that had happened last night.

After hearing this, Liu Qiqi's expression instantly turned serious: "There's such a thing?"

"Yes, Auntie, so you'd better hurry and find a Taoist priest to come to our house and take a look, and also help us exorcise the evil spirits," Dongfang Mingzhu said anxiously. Her face was full of fear and worry, as if these strange phenomena had brought her enormous psychological pressure.

"Okay, I understand. Don't worry, I'll handle this as soon as possible." After saying that, Liu Qiqi hurriedly went out to find the Taoist priest. Her steps seemed a little flustered, clearly showing that she was very uneasy about what Dongfang Mingzhu had said.

Not long after, Liu Qiqi returned home with a Taoist priest dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk. The priest looked dignified and solemn, inspiring a sense of awe in everyone.

Just then, Dongfang Zheng was returning home from his official duties at the court. He immediately noticed the Taoist priest beside Liu Qiqi and a sense of unease welled up within him. He quickly walked up to Liu Qiqi and asked curiously, "Qiqi, what's going on? Why is there suddenly a Taoist priest in our house?"

"My lord, you're finally back." Liu Qiqi hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, her eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness. She tightly grasped Dongfang Zheng's hand and told him in detail about the strange things that had happened to Dongfang Mingzhu.

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Zheng frowned slightly, his expression becoming serious. He remained silent for a moment, pondering Liu Qiqi's words, before saying, "In that case, I will also go and see for myself." He decided to personally go to Dongfang Mingzhu's courtyard to verify if it was true.

So, the group marched in a grand procession towards the courtyard of the Oriental Pearl Tower. Dongfang Zheng walked at the front, followed closely by Liu Qiqi, while the Taoist priest followed behind them with a calm expression. Their steps were heavy, as if they were all filled with worry about what was about to happen.

"Mingzhu, come out quickly, your aunt has brought someone..."

As the voice faded, Dongfang Mingzhu dragged her weary body out of the room. Her face was pale and her expression haggard, which made people feel sorry for her.

"Mingzhu, how did you get like this..." Dongfang Zheng originally didn't believe in these superstitious things; he just wanted to see his daughter and tell her about the Crown Prince's injury. However, when he saw Dongfang Mingzhu's haggard appearance, his heart tightened.

"As expected, there are demons causing trouble." The Taoist priest beside him began to ramble on, looking at the Oriental Pearl Tower.

"Please, Taoist priest, exorcise this demon..." Liu Qiqi said anxiously.

"Don't worry, Madam," the Taoist priest said confidently. Then he set up all sorts of strange things in the courtyard of the Oriental Pearl Tower, muttering incantations, but no one could understand what he was saying.

"Aba Aba..."

The Taoist priest was jumping and singing in the courtyard, looking quite comical. Although the crowd found it somewhat amusing, they still watched his performance quietly, hoping he could really find the so-called demon.

After a while, the Taoist priest suddenly stopped what he was doing, his eyes lighting up: "Found it, this is it!" He casually picked up a blade of grass from the corner of the wall and exclaimed excitedly.

"This is the thing causing the trouble!" the Taoist priest said loudly, pointing at the plant.

"This plant is called 'Itchy Grass,' and its sap causes intense itching when it comes into contact with the human body. Moreover, it has become a spirit..." the Taoist priest explained solemnly.

Oriental Pearl believed this without a doubt, because she did indeed feel itchy all over.

"It's fortunate you invited this Taoist priest, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable! Now, let me use my special magic to remove this 'itchy grass'! In just a few days, this young lady will recover her health." After saying this, the Taoist priest began to jump and sing around the Oriental Pearl Tower, chanting incantations, saying that he was going to perform a ritual to exorcise evil.

After a while, the Taoist priest finally stopped what he was doing, closed his eyes, and stretched out his hand toward Liu Qiqi: "Alright, I have successfully expelled the evil aura of the 'Itchy Grass'."

Liu Qiqi quickly took out a thousand taels of silver from her bosom and handed it to the Taoist priest.

After receiving the money, the Taoist priest turned and ran away without saying a word, as if afraid of being caught.

Watching the Taoist priest's departing figure, Dongfang Zheng frowned and asked Liu Qiqi in confusion, "Qiqi, where did you get the money? Our Marquis's mansion is almost starving, yet you still managed to come up with so much money to exorcise evil spirits for Mingzhu. That Taoist priest was obviously a fraud."

Faced with Dongfang Zheng's questioning, Liu Qiqi seemed a little guilty. She lowered her head and said softly, "I...I borrowed it from my family."

Dongfang Zheng shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Don't believe these charlatans anymore. Mingzhu too, she's so old and still so naive." His tone was tinged with reproach and disappointment.

Dongfang Mingzhu felt very wronged after hearing her father's words. She pouted and said, "But, Father, I really feel itchy!"

Seeing his daughter's aggrieved expression, Dongfang felt a pang of pity, but he also felt he couldn't let her continue to be deceived. He comforted her, "Alright, Mingzhu, go back to your room and rest. I'll have the kitchen prepare some herbal medicine to relieve your itching later. Remember, never trust these charlatans again."

Dongfang Mingzhu nodded, tears still glistening in her eyes. She turned and left the room, leaving Dongfang Zheng and Liu Qiqi alone.

After Dongfang Mingzhu left, Dongfang Zheng's expression turned serious. He looked at Liu Qiqi and said in a low voice, "You know the situation in the manor. We still need a lot of money to bribe the First Prince. Although a thousand taels of silver is not much, it is still a considerable sum for us."

Liu Qiqi lowered her head, her face full of shame. She said softly, "I'm sorry, my lord. I was just in a hurry, that's why I went to that Taoist priest. I will find a way to pay back the money, please forgive me."

Dongfang Zheng sighed, waved his hand, and said, "Forget it, what's done is done, there's no use blaming you. Let's think about how to solve the economic crisis in the manor first."

After a moment of silence, Dongfang Zheng suddenly thought of something and continued, "By the way, the First Prince is injured. Find an opportunity to tell Mingzhu. Now is a critical moment. If Mingzhu takes the initiative to take care of the First Prince, he might be moved and marry her. In this way, our Marquis's Mansion's status will also be elevated."