Chapter 5: The Only Person I Owed in My Past Life

Madam Lu, at this moment, also desperately wanted to faint.

But she could not.

She had to notify the manor about today’s events immediately and come up with a plan.

Otherwise, if she waited until the Sage held the men of their family in the imperial court accountable, wouldn't they be in a very passive position?

Madam Lu bit the tip of her tongue hard, bracing her spirit and forcing herself to calm down.

The Princess’s guards arrived quickly. They wore armor, and their bodies clearly carried the lingering, murderous aura of the battlefield.

After bowing respectfully and formally to the Princess, they moved with clear purpose, grabbing Zhang Chi and Xie Yuyao without a shred of pity and dragging them toward the exit.

It was as if they completely disregarded the lives of others.

“Yao’er…”

Madam Lu instinctively wanted to stop them, but after being glared at coldly by a guard who was dragging Xie Yuyao by the ankle, her legs went weak instantly.

Most of those gathered here were female relatives.

While they were accustomed to seeing ordinary household servants, this was the first time they had encountered guards so filled with killing intent.

They couldn't help but huddle together in groups of two or three, grabbing onto each other to avoid losing their composure due to their trembling legs.

With things having escalated to this point, the Spring Banquet, which hadn't even officially begun, had to be cut short in a hurry.

Fortunately, the guests hadn't come just for the food.

After exchanging a few polite pleasantries and empty words, they rose one after another to take their leave.

The Princess gave a few light “mmms,” letting them do as they pleased.

This, however, infuriated Guizhi, who had been smiling and seeing guests off nearby.

This Spring Banquet had been meticulously prepared by Her Highness; every ingredient and dish had been carefully selected at great expense.

Now, it was all going to waste for nothing.

Because of this, her gaze toward Song Lan was somewhat resentful.

Song Lan was also surprised.

She hadn't eaten food for the living in two thousand years.

She had no living relatives or descendants to burn paper offerings for her.

Even that stingy little Yama had never paid her a single cent in wages or incense!

So, she had worked day and night for two thousand years, never even having tasted the food of the dead.

Thinking about it, her resentment seemed to grow even heavier.

Song Lan didn't want her mind to be affected by too much resentment, so she simply sent some of it away, following after the carried-off Zhang Chi and Xie Yuyao.

*Hoo~*

Exhaling a breath, she felt much more at ease in body and mind.

In her past life, after she was rescued, everyone had humiliated her with sharp, mean-spirited words, labeling her as "indecent," before returning to their seats to eat, drink, and chat happily.

The banquet hadn't ended nearly this early.

The only one who left was her—the "indecent woman" who had been the talk of the town and a source of amusement for years.

Having dealt with those two annoying flies, Song Lan felt much lighter.

When she walked over to bid farewell to the Princess, she looked up at her with a hint of reluctance.

The Princess:???

It wasn't until the girl had retreated and walked far away in a proper manner that the Princess blinked and asked Guizhi, who was still grumbling about the wasted ingredients: “Just now, was she trying to ask me to keep her for a meal?”

“Huh?”

Guizhi was completely bewildered.

The Princess shook her head, not dwelling on what that look from Song Lan before she left meant.

No matter how down-and-out the Xie family was, they wouldn't go so far as to starve a niece living under their roof.

She raised her hand, rested it on the arm Guizhi offered, and returned to her room for a short nap.

She hadn't really wanted to host this blasted Spring Banquet anyway.

It was only because she was afraid of the little Emperor in the palace, who nagged her all day long, saying that if she didn't see people often, she would become depressed, and over time, that depression would turn into illness.

*Tch~* Worrying about nothing.

Just as she was thinking this, she saw someone walking toward her, his face as stiff as a mask.

“You…”

The Princess was just about to ask what had happened today.

How was it that he was the one who went to save that Xie cousin?

Before she could ask, she heard someone hurrying up from behind to report: “Your Highness, the Xie family’s cousin has returned to pay a visit.”

The Princess was stunned for a few moments: “Song Lan?”

Didn't she just leave?

Guizhi, noticing her mistress's confusion and hesitation, stepped forward to reprimand the little eunuch who had delivered the message

“Since she is here to visit Her Highness, she should have properly left a calling card and waited for Her Highness to summon her when she was free. Do I need to teach you such simple rules?”

The little eunuch’s face turned pale, and his voice grew even weaker: “It, it is the Xie family’s cousin who said she has, has important matters to discuss with Your Highness in person.”

Just as Guizhi was about to lecture him further, the Princess raised her hand: “That’s enough. Perhaps she fell into the water in the rush to leave earlier and lost something important, so she came back to look for it. Tell her to come over.”

“Even so, she shouldn't be so rude as to come and disturb you like this.”

Guizhi muttered under her breath, still feeling indignant for her mistress.

When she looked up and saw the gleam of interest in Zhao Tan’s eyes, she stopped.

It had been a long time since she had seen her mistress smile so happily.

Zhao Tan turned her head, sensing something: “Guizhi, what strange literature are you thinking about again?”

Guizhi lowered her head, feeling guilty but stubborn: “This servant is not.”

Zhao Tan clearly didn't believe her.

She had discovered some time ago that Guizhi was always reading strange, mushy romance novels, and even occasionally learned a few lines to disgust people.

As the mistress and servant bantered, Song Lan followed the little eunuch toward the flower hall in the main courtyard of the Princess’s manor.

Passing through the courtyard, she caught sight of the man standing straight under the scorching sun like a wooden stake.

Looking at him like that, he was clearly being punished by standing.

A pang of pain rose in Song Lan’s heart, and she felt immense guilt.

If there was anyone she had wronged in her past life, it was likely that guard who had risked his life to save her when she fell into the water, only to lose his own life because of her.

In her past life, she had inquired about that guard many times.

But she couldn't even collect a complete set of his remains.

She didn't even know his name to set up a cenotaph for him.

Even after she died and went to the underworld, in two thousand years, she had never found the little guard who saved her.

It was possible that those people had used some vicious method to ensure not even his soul remained.

At this thought, the resentment around Song Lan began to surge and gather uncontrollably.

The man who was "being punished" looked toward her with sharp eyes.

He was then greatly puzzled.

Why did her resentment show no signs of dissipating at all?

Before he could go over to ask, Song Lan had already reached the flower hall.

“Little girl, you’ve come back to see me—is there something the matter?”

Zhao Tan sat upright above, her tone kind: “Are you worried about your cousin and her fiancé?”

“Don’t worry, I will certainly see justice done for you.”

Song Lan shook her head.

When she was hitting Xie Yuyao and Zhang Chi, she had secretly attached a few wisps of resentment to her hands.

It didn't look like much now, just normal redness and swelling, but in a few days, the redness would turn black and purple, and their faces would gradually begin to fester until their entire bodies were eroded away.

She had never thought of letting others handle revenge.

Living a second life, it was the same.

“Song Lan is shameless, but I wish to ask a favor of Your Highness.”

She pursed her lips, her voice slightly choked: “Everything that happened today really had nothing to do with the guard who saved me; he was only acting out of kindness.”

“Song Lan begs Your Highness to show mercy and not punish him.”

For the first time, Song Lan knelt down sincerely, lowering the head she hadn't bowed in two thousand years, and prostrated herself in plea.

(End of chapter)