Wang Qiuniang ultimately could not escape the twenty heavy strikes.
The executors were the strong and powerful guards of Zhan Wangfu. Even though they knew she was the Princess Consort’s family member and consciously let off lightly, their strikes were still much heavier than those of ordinary servants.
Wang Qiuniang was beaten until she cried out in agony, cursing Cheng Yao with filthy words and even Yanqing. Cheng Jiahui was terrified and quickly had someone cover her mouth.
Wang Qiuniang was beaten until her skin was torn and her flesh mangled, drenched in blood. She fainted and woke up repeatedly, losing half her life in the process.
When the beating stopped, she had regained some clarity but stubbornly refused to return to her room. She demanded to be carried to the main gate, saying she wanted the people of the entire capital to witness her miserable state, so that her daughter and son-in-law would feel heartache and seek justice for her.
Cheng Jiahui naturally would not allow her to do such a disgraceful thing. He ordered the old maidservant to carry her back to her room, but she refused, making a loud fuss there.
Cheng Yao glanced at the sky. “It’s almost noon, and the Second Prince and Second Princess are still nowhere to be seen. They probably aren’t coming.”
Wang Qiuniang trembled all over, panic rising in her heart. As if refuting Cheng Yao or comforting herself, she whispered weakly, “How could Lan’er miss such an important day as returning home? Something must have delayed her.”
Cheng Yao smiled. “Yesterday, when the Prince and I entered the palace, Your Majesty was punishing her and the Second Prince by making them kneel. I don’t know if they’ve been released yet.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiuniang completely broke down. “Impossible! Your Majesty has always favored the Second Prince. Lan’er is dignified and virtuous. Your Majesty would never punish them, never…”
She screamed hoarsely, wanting to tell everyone this, but the sound she made was extremely faint.
Cheng Jiahui had her forcibly taken away and then sent someone to fetch a female physician.
She was stubborn, gritting her teeth and holding on, refusing to faint.
Cheng Jiahui had no choice but to secretly send a servant boy to investigate.
However, the servant boy returned and reported that the main gate of the Second Prince’s mansion was tightly shut. The guards and gatekeeper at the entrance were nowhere to be seen. Peeking through the crack in the door, he saw no servants moving about inside. It was eerily quiet and somewhat strange.
A sense of foreboding rose in Cheng Jiahui’s heart. Wang Qiuniang dared not make any more fuss. Lying on the bed, she wept while cursing Cheng Yao.
As for Cheng Yao, after leisurely having lunch with Zhan Haoting and preparing to leave, there was still no sign of Murong Chen and Cheng Lan. Wang Qiuniang’s anxious heart finally sank into despair.
…
It rained for two consecutive days, so Cheng Yao could not go out and stayed home idling.
Zhan Haoting left early and returned late, extremely busy.
Although he never said anything, she knew he was already transferring assets and secretly building up military forces.
Unfortunately, with less than a month left, time was too short.
On this sunny day, she planned to go out for a stroll.
In the mansion now, the Old Madam claimed illness and did not manage affairs, handing over the authority to manage the household to Madam Zhan. The other younger generation members knew she was not to be trifled with, and with Zhan Haoting protecting her, no one dared approach her. Her life could be said to be smooth sailing.
But!
This was merely the calm before the storm!
She first went to Murong Chen’s mansion to assess the situation.
The entire Treasury had been emptied, yet not a single rumor had leaked out. It was kept so tightly under wraps that one had to admit Murong Chen had some skill—no wonder he had won the Emperor’s favor and was being groomed as a key figure.
Cheng Yao slipped into the inner courtyard. She saw no servants moving about; the surroundings were eerily quiet. Only the sound of scolding coming from somewhere was exceptionally clear.
She quietly approached and listened for a while, suddenly feeling a chill run down her spine.
It turned out they had all been poisoned. As long as everyone kept the affairs of the mansion secret, they would receive the antidote each month; otherwise, their lives would be at risk.
Perhaps fearing they might leak information or break down mentally, two old maidservants were guiding them—essentially brainwashing them—one of whom was Cheng Lan’s wet nurse.
This was the situation with the female servants. As for the servant boys, attendants, and guards, there were likely others responsible for brainwashing them.
Murong Chen was truly ruthless. For his own selfish gain, he was willing to gamble with the lives of over a hundred people in the entire mansion.
If even one person let slip the secret, everyone would likely die!
However, in the original book, Murong Chen colluded with the enemy and committed treason, ultimately executed by the male protagonist, and everyone in the mansion was slaughtered without exception.
Even if she didn’t expose Murong Chen, these people would still meet a wrongful death.
But these people could not die because of her. That would be a grave sin, and she would not bear it.
Cheng Yao sneaked to the outside of Murong Chen’s room, hoping to gather more information, but she heard Cheng Lan say fearfully, “The mansion has been in a state of panic these past two days. I’m afraid we can’t suppress it any longer.”
Murong Chen’s tone was grave. “We must suppress it, whether we can or not. You personally guard the mansion. Once this prince transfers those items, this prince will have a way to make them disappear forever.”
Cheng Lan’s face turned pale, and her voice trembled. “So many people… can they really be dealt with cleanly?”
Cheng Yao’s eyes turned cold.
Although she had guessed they would handle it this way, hearing it confirmed still chilled her to the bone.
In the Apocalypse, countless people died every day. Besides those infected with the virus, some killed each other over resources, food, water, and various other reasons.
But having witnessed so much death, most people desperately hoped those around them would survive. When they saw fellow humans in danger, they would do their utmost to rescue them, never indiscriminately killing innocents like this.
So this scoundrel couple were not even human—they were animals!
Filled with rage, Cheng Yao lost interest in listening further. She went to the courtyard where the men were housed and quietly locked the door from the outside.
No one saw her, but to be safe, she teleported to the outer courtyard, opened the middle gate and the main gate, then returned to the women’s quarters. She quietly pushed the door open a crack and then, in a strained voice, shouted, “Heavens! Murder! The Second Prince is killing everyone to silence them! Run for your lives!”
Instantly, it was as if a hornet’s nest had been stirred. Not only Cheng Lan’s wet nurse but even the mansion’s seasoned servants lost their senses, rushing out like mad.
The guards and house guards were all locked in one courtyard. When they tried to escape and found the doors wouldn’t open, they truly believed Murong Chen intended to kill them. Panic and anxiety grew, and they began banging on the doors, even attacking those around them.
Cheng Yao removed the wooden stick, teleported, and hid among the flower bushes.
The door was kicked open, and every gate outside was wide open. All the men rushed out.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Cheng Lan and Murong Chen hurried out of the room, everyone had fled, with only shouts of “Help!” and “The Second Prince is killing people!” echoing in the distance.
Murong Chen’s vision darkened, and he swayed, nearly collapsing.
Cheng Lan quickly steadied him. Her face was deathly pale, but she remained relatively calm.
“Don’t faint! Have them captured and brought back!”
Murong Chen was disoriented and unconsciously echoed her words. “Right, capture them…”
But the next moment, a flash of insight struck him, and he abruptly looked up. “Guards!”
Yet, who wasn’t afraid of death?
The guards and servants in the mansion had all fled. At the sound of his voice, they vanished in an instant, leaving not a trace behind. The entire Prince’s mansion stood empty and desolate, with only the autumn wind sweeping through, swirling fallen leaves as they drifted down.
Murong Chen looked around in bewilderment. “Where is everyone? Get back here, all of you!”