Chapter 9: Aren't You Going to Save Yourself?

Qin Niang is Lan Qin, one of the four maidservants Yue Tang brought with her from Prince Duan’s manor to the imperial villa years ago.

She was also the only one left after the incident that night, having stayed behind at the villa to handle the aftermath.

After returning to the capital, they settled in the north of the city. When Yue Tang and Hua Lin entered the He household, Lan Qin was left behind to manage the remaining affairs.

Fearing that Yue Tang would not be accustomed to the tea outside, she had specifically packed some in a pouch for Yue Tang to bring along.

After nightfall, Xiao Huo confirmed the exact whereabouts of Madam Liu and took the opportunity to report: "Auntie Qin has also been helping out at the medical clinic these past two days. I suspect she has gathered some information, as she said she would come to find the Mistress tomorrow."

Yue Tang nodded. As usual, she brewed a calming soup for Madam He, lulled her to sleep, and then left the He residence with Xiao Huo through the small rear courtyard.

Madam Liu naturally never imagined that after He Xu and Madam Zhang, she would be the next to meet with disaster.

How could Nanny Li go and kill He Xu?

It was impossible!

Someone must have framed her, and the purpose of framing Nanny Li was to frame her!

He Xu knew martial arts, and the main branch had plenty of servants; how could a mere Nanny Li succeed?

She was the Second Mistress; even if she didn't manage the household affairs, she had plenty of opportunities to come into contact with the people in the kitchen!

More importantly, since the incident in the main branch, the person who had benefited the most was none other than she, Madam Liu! That remark she had made in front of Madam Lin, full of self-satisfaction, had now turned into her shackles!

Madam Liu sat in the cold, gloomy cell, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead repeatedly.

But now, her cries to heaven went unanswered, and her pleas to the earth went unheard!

Even though the Liu family had arrived in time, they had been unable to stop the He and Zhang families from joining forces to throw her into prison!

And to prevent them from colluding, she and Nanny Li were being held separately!

She didn't want to die. She had earned merit for the He family; she was supposed to be above the entire household, enjoying the blessings of a mistress. She didn't want to die!

And she could not die!

A glimmer of light gradually drifted toward her just as she was nearing despair.

"Second Mistress?"

Madam Liu, huddled on the ground, heard this voice and instantly rushed to the prison bars.

"It's you?"

She was very surprised; the person who had come was actually that young widow!

Yue Tang stood behind the iron bars and said softly, "The Mistress has treated me well, so I specifically bribed the prison warden to get in."

Madam Liu was both shocked and suspicious: "You? You bribed the prison warden?"

With the He and Zhang families currently applying joint pressure, even her own father might not have been able to do that!

"Yes," Yue Tang touched her own face. "Doesn't the Mistress also believe that I can do anything with this face? I didn't expect that even the prison warden couldn't pass my test."

Madam Liu was choked for words.

The statement seemed logical, yet it was also somewhat speechless.

Yue Tang said, "The warden only gave me a quarter of an hour. Now that everyone is convinced that the Mistress is the murderer, I wonder if the Mistress has any instructions for me? I can act on your behalf."

Madam Liu gritted her teeth: "What use is instructing you? You can't let me out!"

Yue Tang sighed: "I cannot; I suppose this trip was in vain. But the He family is so heartless, and the Mistress is a strong-willed person. Since it has come to this, why not quickly find a way to save yourself?"

Madam Liu frowned: "Save myself?"

Yue Tang’s face was grave: "I heard that the Zhang and He families were low-ranking officers a few generations ago, but they suddenly rose to prominence three years ago. Could there be some trickery behind this?

"The Mistress has already been driven to a dead end by them, and your life is hanging by a thread. Why not use the leverage you have on the He or Zhang families to launch a desperate counterattack?"

Madam Liu froze: "Leverage?"

She shuddered.

That was it!

They had assassinated Princess Yongjia!

Was that not leverage?

She was the only niece of the late Empress, regarded as a pearl, and the cousin born on the same day, month, and year as the current Emperor!

They had murdered a member of the royal clan; this was the crime of deceiving the Emperor!

Once the Emperor learned that the Princess's death was not an accident but a conspiracy by court officials, the He family wouldn't have enough heads to pay the price!

Not to mention the He family, even the Zhang family was involved!

None of them would be able to escape!

The sudden excitement caused her fingers to curl up.

Yue Tang’s voice grew deeper: "Even an ant clings to life, let alone the Mistress, who has parents above and children below. Once something happens to you, I don't believe the Second Young Master will treat them well.

"Doesn't the Mistress feel heartache for such young children?"

A fierce light appeared in Madam Liu's eyes. That bastard He Hui—when all the filth was being splashed on her today, he didn't protect her out of marital affection but instead kicked her while she was down. How could he possibly treat her children well?!

She gripped the prison bars tightly: "What way do you have to help me?"

Yue Tang stuffed the small cloth bag she had brought with her inside: "I have no other way, but I thought the Mistress might have words to pass on, so I specifically brought some paper and a brush. I wonder if the Mistress can make use of them?"

Upon hearing the words "paper and brush," Madam Liu’s waist straightened!

The young widow was right; since there was a way to live, why should she sit and wait for death?

With paper and brush, she could get the word out!

She would threaten the He family to withdraw the charges! Regardless of whether they could find the real culprit, they must immediately take her back! They must let her continue to be their Second Young Mistress!

Otherwise, she would risk it all and tear everything down, exposing everything the He and Zhang families had done to the authorities!

Either way, she was going to die; she didn't believe those two families could withstand the Marquis of Guangling’s interrogation when the time came!

She gritted her teeth and pulled the bundle into her hands: "I will write a letter; you take it back to the Master for me! If the matter is accomplished, I will surely reward you handsomely. Now, turn your back!"

Yue Tang turned as instructed.

Behind her, the sound of paper and brush scratching quickly began.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing gloomily into the depths of the prison corridor.

...

When Yue Tang walked out with the letter, Xiao Huo emerged from the shadows to meet her.

He handed her a leather flask of hot medicinal soup he had been keeping warm against his chest: "Mr. Hua’s instructions—it’s medicine for recovering the bones and sinews; it must be taken on time."

Yue Tang took the medicine and then gave him the letter: "This Prefect is biased and close to the Marquis's manor. Change the envelope and submit it to his desk as a formal complaint.

"After it's done, remember to leak some wind to the jailers."

Xiao Huo took the letter and vanished into the night.

Yue Tang looked at the vast sky, tilted her head back to drink the medicine, and slipped back into the He residence from another direction.

The He residence, plagued by accidents, presented a deathly silence after extreme exhaustion that night.

In just two days, one thing after another had left He Jianzhong’s mind numb.

After Madam Liu was sent to prison, he couldn't hold on much longer either.

Madam He was making a scene in the main room, and he was too lazy to return, so he leaned back in his study chair and fell asleep.

He felt as if he had just closed his eyes when he was shaken awake. In the morning light stood the panicked steward: "Master! A major disaster has occurred!"

He Jianzhong felt a surge of blood rush to his head, a fishy sweetness spilling from the corners of his mouth: "What happened now!"

"Last night, the Second Mistress wrote a formal complaint in prison, suddenly accusing the He and Zhang families of plotting treason!

"She even shouted it so that all the jailers know!

"Fortunately, the Prefect of Shuntian knew that both families were under the Marquis of Guangling, so after receiving the complaint, he immediately suppressed it and sent it to the Marquis early this morning. But the Marquis is furious—Master?! Hey, Master!"

Before the words were finished, He Jianzhong had collapsed forward!

The steward hurriedly supported him, but He Jianzhong’s hands clamped onto his arms like iron claws: "Plotting treason? Plotting what treason?"

The steward shook his head: "This servant doesn't know! But even the people sent to invite you to the manor didn't have a good look on their faces!

"Master, you had better go quickly; this servant has never seen the Marquis's servants treat us with such disregard..."

He Jianzhong stared at him, feeling his feet go light and his soul already scattered!