26
The word “husband” was uttered so lightly and faintly that the moment it left her lips, Ming Tan realized her mistake. After a brief daze, her face flushed crimson; embarrassed, she pinched her earlobe and hastily bowed her head.
With Jiang Xu’s martial prowess, he would normally have no need for weapons; none of these bandits could get close to him. Yet upon hearing that single word “husband,” he paused for half a moment. In that brief instant, one bandit, wielding a sword snatched from a guard, thrust it straight toward him. The blade reflected the scorching midday sun, casting a blinding white glare.
Jiang Xu did not move, nor did he even lift his eyes. Yet when the sword tip came within mere inches of him, it was forced to halt—
Holding the slender blade between two fingers, Jiang Xu appeared to exert no force at all, yet the bandit wielding the sword pushed forward with all his might. The blade trembled slightly before suddenly snapping in half. With a mere push of his palm, Jiang Xu sent the bandit flying several yards away before he could even close in; the man fell backward onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!
Jiang Xu’s accompanying shadow guards were all first-rate masters.
They entered the fray and dealt with these bandits in less time than it takes to drink half a cup of tea, sweeping through them as ruthlessly and efficiently as autumn wind scattering fallen leaves.
Glancing at the survivors left behind, Jiang Xu ordered, “Take them away.”
Two shadow guards bowed in acknowledgment of the order, hoisted the person up, and swiftly vanished. Several other shadow guards, needing no command, immediately began clearing away the corpses.
The situation had changed too rapidly; it seemed no one had yet recovered from the shock. Lady Pei herself was deeply startled, her face pale. Supported by her maids, she trembled as she stepped down from the carriage, one hand still pressed against her chest.
Yet, once she had alighted and saw Ming Tan still held within Jiang Xu’s embrace, her vision blurred again, and she nearly lost her footing.
Good heavens! What is going on?
Ming Tan is a young lady who has already been bestowed with an imperial marriage decree!
“Th-thank you, honored sir, for saving me. My daughter—”
Hearing Lady Pei’s voice, Ming Tan snapped back to her senses and hastily pulled away from Jiang Xu’s embrace.
Although the sash had loosened halfway, it still wound around her waist. Her face burned so fiercely that even her fingertips felt hot; she fumbled endlessly, only tangling it further. Jiang Xu lowered his gaze, glanced at her long, trembling eyelashes, and simply pulled the sleeve end of the sash free himself.
The long sashes all fell onto Ming Tan; she lightly pinched them, stepped back half a pace, bowed her head in a graceful curtsy, and softly said, “Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life.”
Your Highness?
Lady Pei suddenly steadied herself.
Earlier at the Great Xiangguo Temple, while she had been chatting with the ladies from the Marquis of Fengchun’s household and Master Li’s residence, offering incense and drawing lots, she vaguely recalled a maid reporting below that the Fourth Young Lady’s party had encountered Prince Dingbei on the rear hill… Could it be that the man standing before her was none other than the renowned god of war of their Da Xian dynasty, Prince Dingbei himself?
She looked at Ming Tan.
Ming Tan understood and gave a slight nod.
Lady Pei hurriedly performed a deep bow: “This humble wife, Pei, greets Your Highness. May Your Highness enjoy boundless fortune and golden peace. I offer my deepest gratitude for Your Highness’s life-saving grace.”
“Madam, you honor me with such formality,” Jiang Xu replied with a slight bow.
It was His Highness, the Prince of Dingbei.
Truly, this was a stroke of immense fortune amidst dire misfortune!
The anxiety that had gripped Lady Pei finally subsided, yet something crossed her mind, prompting the corners of her lips to curl slightly. She chose her words with careful deliberation as she ventured tentatively, “The bandits who appeared today were most suspicious and exceedingly fierce. Had Your Highness not intervened, my daughter would likely have met a grim fate. For an unmarried woman, reputation is paramount; truly, we owe everything to Your Highness—”
Jiang Xu understood her implication. He looked directly at Lady Pei and spoke in a measured tone, “Rest assured, Madam. This matter will not be brought before the prefectural authorities. The surviving captives taken away shall be handed over by this prince to the Marquis of Jing’an.”
Pei Shi smiled again. “Thank you, Your Highness, for your consideration.”
Being ambushed while going out to offer incense was hardly a favorable incident for any of the three young ladies. Should rumors spread that Prince Dingbei had personally rescued them, and that the fourth miss of the Jing’an Marquis’s household, not yet even betrothed, had been seen embracing and clinging to His Highness, it would inevitably invite malicious gossip and criticism against Ming Tan behind closed doors.
Moreover, she already harbored a vague premonition about this matter. If the investigation ultimately revealed that this scandal had originated within their own family, dragging the case before the prefectural court would render the Jing’an Marquis’s household no different from the former Duke of Lingguo’s estate—both becoming objects of ridicule.
Once Ming Tan returned, Pei Shi took her hand once more and said affectionately, “Ah Tan, you have been frightened. Rest assured, your mother will thoroughly investigate today’s events and seek full justice on your behalf.”
These words were clearly meant for Jiang Xu.
Ming Tan was the betrothed future Princess of Dingbei; to cause such a major scandal before His Highness the Prince of Dingbei today was her way of making a statement: even if the investigation ultimately revealed this shameful affair originated within her own family, she would by no means let it go lightly merely to cover it up.
In truth, Jiang Xu cared little for how the Marquis of Jing’an’s household managed its internal affairs; he merely nodded to indicate that he had urgent matters to attend to and must depart immediately, arranging for his covert guards to escort their carriages back to the residence.
Still seated in the carriage, Ming Chu’s eyes burned with resentment and frustration, while a flicker of unease and panic—of which she herself remained unaware—passed through them.
–
Upon returning to the residence, Pei calmly instructed, “Everyone has been frightened; please return to your own courtyards to rest for now. Mama Zhang, go to the kitchen and arrange for a bowl of calming soup to be sent to each of the young ladies shortly.”
Mama Zhang curtsied in acknowledgment.
Ming Tan and the other two young ladies were likewise attended by their maids as they returned to their respective courtyards.
The morning’s tumultuous events had indeed left Ming Tan exhausted. After freshening up and drinking the calming soup, she reclined on the imperial concubine’s daybed, clutching the sash in her hand, and soon drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
Ming Tan could sleep, but someone else at this moment dared not even close their eyes, fearing that once they shut them, they might never open them again.
“…Why did you have to change carriages? Isn’t that plainly telling everyone something is wrong!”
Concubine Liu usually spoke in a soft and gentle voice, but upon hearing what Ming Chu and the accompanying maid said, her blood surged with panic and urgency, causing her to unconsciously raise her voice.
Ming Chu had no idea how serious the situation was and stubbornly remained silent.
Concubine Liu closed her eyes briefly, then pressed a hand to her forehead as she sat down, momentarily unable to comprehend how she could have given birth to such a fool as Ming Chu!
She had entered the household while Lady Bai was still alive. After Lady Bai’s death, when Lady Pei became the new wife and her position in the manor remained unstable, Concubine Liu quietly placed her own people within Lanxin Courtyard without drawing attention.
In placing these agents, she had initially intended no specific scheme, merely preparing for unforeseen circumstances. Later, observing that Lady Pei harbored no intention of moving against the concubines, she maintained an attitude of deference, keeping strictly to herself and avoiding any conflict. It was only now, while orchestrating Ming Chu’s marriage arrangements, that she found herself compelled to utilize them.
When deploying them this time, she had fully anticipated being discovered by Lady Pei. However, she had reasoned that since this matter did not threaten Lady Pei’s interests, Lady Pei would likely not disrupt their years of delicate balance merely over someone like Shen Hua.
It was precisely for this reason that she dared to take such a reckless gamble, sending people to pose as bandits, intercept Shen Hua on the road, and tarnish her reputation.
According to her scheme, Ming Chu should have smoothly met the second young master of Master Li’s household. Ming Chu was not lacking in looks, and when she chose to speak pleasantly, she was livelier and more charming than most young women; even if it eventually turned out that she had mistaken the person, the second young master of the Li family would still have retained some impression of her.
With this slight impression, coupled with Shen Hua being abducted for half a day and losing her reputation, advancing the marriage between the Li family’s second young master and Ming Chu would naturally proceed much more smoothly.
Yet who could have anticipated that Ming Chu would be so foolish as to fall into Shen Hua’s trap right at the first step, and then, even more foolishly, take it upon herself to switch carriages, thereby dragging Ming Tan down with her!
If Ming Chu and Shen Hua had shared the same carriage, Shen Hua’s abduction would have left no suspicion upon Ming Chu, who knew martial arts and could have escaped unscathed, thus avoiding any offense to Ming Tan and Lady Pei. Losing only a distant cousin residing under their roof, Lady Pei would never have investigated further.
Now, everything is ruined.
She had taken such great risks to secure a proper marriage for her beloved daughter, only to have it all utterly destroyed by that very daughter’s foolishness!
–
When Ming Tan finally awoke, dusk had already fallen.
Seeing her awake, Lü’e hurried forward excitedly and said, “Miss, something has happened to those two in Yiyun Courtyard!”
Yiyun Courtyard was Concubine Liu’s residence.
Something had happened to Concubine Liu and Ming Chu?
Ming Tan vaguely guessed what might have occurred. Still half-asleep, she lazily replied, “Help me dress; let’s go see what the commotion is about.”
Sitting before her vanity, Ming Tan regained some clarity. Glancing left and right at her reflection in the bronze mirror, she changed her mind once more: “Never mind; it is better this way, plain and pale.”
She accordingly chose a simple outfit and, accompanied by Lü’e and Suxin, headed toward Lanxin Courtyard.
–
At that moment, in the flower hall of Lanxin Courtyard, Ming Tingyuan and Lady Pei sat in the places of honor. Concubine Liu knelt on the floor, weeping like a pear blossom drenched in rain, while Ming Chu stood stubbornly nearby, his eyes also red with tears.
Having managed the inner quarters for many years, Lady Pei possessed considerable skill. Usually, she would let certain matters slide simply because she chose not to pursue them; but today, determined to investigate this incident, she had uncovered every detail clearly within merely an afternoon.
Who dispatched the bandits, where they came from, which informants were planted in Lanxin Courtyard, and what deeds they committed—all were laid out clearly before Ming Tingyuan. Even a spy planted by Concubine Liu within Ming Tingyuan’s own circle was uncovered.
As for why Concubine Liu possessed such substantial private funds to hire people for her schemes, or whether she had accepted bribes along Yangxi Road under the Marquis’s name, Lady Pei merely presented the ledgers she had investigated without probing further.
Upon first hearing of this matter, Ming Tingyuan was naturally enraged!
Yet when Concubine Liu was brought in under restraint, she offered not a single word of defense. Instead, she wept like pear blossoms drenched in rain, taking full responsibility for all wrongdoing. She claimed that everything she had done stemmed solely from her deep love for her daughter. She stated that the Marquis and his lady could punish her however they wished, but urged them to consider that Ming Chu, being young and undoubtedly of the Marquis’s bloodline, should receive lenient punishment.
Ming Chu accepted everything outright, yet she adopted a stubborn demeanor, refusing to shed a single tear. Standing there, she launched a heart-rending accusation, claiming that ever since returning to the capital, her father had treated her differently than before. She reminisced about their days in Yangxi Circuit—how her father had taken her horseback riding, picked fruits with her in the mountains, and brought her to the military camp to watch soldiers drill… Her words carried a poignant sense of how much had changed while people remained the same.
After hearing this exchange between the two, Ming Tingyuan found himself uncertain.
Having lived together day and night for five years, he indeed harbored some affection for both of them. Moreover, their mother and daughter had merely sought a more advantageous marriage alliance; they never intended to harm Ming Tan. As things stood, nothing irreparable had occurred. After pondering for a while, he decided it would suffice to punish them by sending them to a nunnery for a period of quiet reflection on their faults.
Just as Ming Tingyuan was discussing matters with Lady Pei, Ming Tan had already stepped halfway into Lanxin Courtyard. Coincidentally, Shen Hua had also arrived at that very moment from Fenghe Courtyard.
Just as Ming Tan was about to speak with Shen Hua, something suddenly occurred to her, and she instinctively whispered, “Oh no!”
Lü’e blinked in confusion. “Miss, what’s wrong?”
Shen Hua understood immediately and signaled to the maid behind her.
The maid hurried forward, presenting a plain handkerchief.
“I suppose Fourth Sister left in such a hurry that she forgot her handkerchief,” Shen Hua whispered, covering her lips. “Garlic juice has a rather strong scent, while pepper water is milder.”
“…”
Ming Tan brought the handkerchief close to her nose and took a sniff.
Excellent, truly worthy of being her former rival.