Before the main hall.
The Master stood solemnly before the incense altar, with He Gu, the Princess, and a crowd of guests standing behind him, holding their breath.
The Master had just lit the incense and candles when a figure suddenly burst out from the crowd and grabbed the bronze drum hanging at his waist, yanking it off.
The Master: "Your Highness?"
It was the Regent Prince!
He Gu stripped off the bronze drum and strapped it around his own waist, then reached out to snatch the red cloth from the Master's head.
The Master panicked: "Your Highness? Your Highness, what are you doing? These are the props for my ritual!"
The Master tried to reason with him, but He Gu snatched the small wooden stick from his hands as well, and began beating the drum and gong while performing a shamanic dance.
"Your Highness? Your Highness?" The Master's face was full of shock as he tried to block He Gu's path, only to be kicked over by He Gu.
The Master chased behind while He Gu danced ahead, feeling an overwhelming urge to finish this shamanic dance no matter what.
"Heavens, has the Regent Prince truly gone mad!"
"Your Highness! Your Highness, wake up!"
For a full quarter of an hour, no one could stop He Gu no matter what they did. He danced for an entire quarter of an hour, and when he finished, he announced loudly: "The manor harbors a demonic woman—and that is—the Princess!"
"I recommend the Princess be executed!"
Everyone looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Your Highness!" Ning Ruyue let out a heartbroken cry: "Would you rather do this than admit I am not a demonic woman?!"
He Gu finally regained control of his body, and looking at the guests' stares as if he were a fool, he trembled with rage: "Ning Ruyue, you demonic woman—no, I'm not mad! I'm not mad!"
"Heavens, the Regent Prince is beyond saving…"
"To be so mad and still fixated on killing the Princess, how much must he hate her? It seems the rumors that the Regent Prince mistreats his wife are indeed true!"
"Poor Princess, how did she end up with such a madman…"
He Gu, frantic with fury, strode into the crowd and grabbed a guest: "I am not mad! Who says I'm mad?!"
The guest trembled in fear.
"Y-yes, yes, yes, Your Highness, you're not mad, you're not mad. Um, I just remembered I have matters to attend to at home, so I'll take my leave!"
"Yes, yes, we'll be taking our leave now!"
"No!" He Gu knew that once they left, his reputation for madness would never be cleared. Red-eyed, he strode forward to block the guests' path: "I truly am not mad! Stay a while longer, and I'll prove it to you!"
The guests exchanged glances.
This Regent Prince has truly gone mad. Beyond saving.
A quarter of an hour later, the street ballad was updated once more.
"The Regent's manor is deep and grand, the Regent Prince does his shamanic dance. After the dance, he asks his guest, 'Is my dancing not the best?'"
The Emperor cackled with laughter in the palace and immediately bowed to public opinion, announcing the revocation of He Gu's position as Regent Prince.
Impotent and furious, He Gu, driven to desperation, went before Ning Ruyue again: "Ning Ruyue, tell me, what exactly do you want to do to me? Do you hate me that much?"
Ning Ruyue was hiding in her room crying sorrowfully. At his words, she lifted her tear-streaked face: "Your Highness! Even now, you still want to pin the blame on me? What have I done wrong that you would risk your own lifelong reputation just to harm me?"
This wretch—she still refused to admit it even now!
He Gu raised his hand to strike her, but suddenly remembered her terrifying demonic arts and lowered it again.
"Enough, Ruyue. Stop making a scene, will you?"
He gritted his teeth and, suppressing his disgust, said: "Ruyue, if these actions of yours are meant to take revenge on me, then I admit—you do have some skill after all."
"But think about it yourself—setting aside the facts, I may have my faults, but are you truly without blame?"
"Considering you are my beloved wife, I will not quibble with you further. I admit, you have indeed caught my attention."
"If you have your father give me the Tiger Tally, I will forgive you and promise you the favor due a principal wife. Do you hear me?"
He Gu lifted his chin.
This woman—from past to present—had only ever had him in her mind. All this fuss she was making was simply to win his affection!
For the sake of the Tiger Tally, he would condescend and grudgingly grant her some face!
He waited for Ning Ruyue to lower her head, but for a long while, he heard no reply.
Ning Ruyue's body trembled.
Everything Lü Yin had said had come true…
The Prince—what did he truly take her for?
Tears welling in her eyes, she suddenly lifted her head: "My Prince, if I give you the Tiger Tally, would you… would you kill me?"
[He Gu thought, isn't that obvious! Vicious woman, I'd not only kill you, I'd flay your skin and tear your tendons to vent my hatred! But of course, I wouldn't say that aloud.]
Shu Yan decisively changed "thought" to "said."
He Gu said angrily: "Isn't that obvious! Vicious woman, I'd not only kill you, I'd flay your skin and tear your tendons to vent my hatred!"
"But of course, I wouldn't say that aloud!"
Ning Ruyue's last shred of hope was gone. Her voice trembling, she said: "Fine! Fine! He Gu, I was wrong about you!"
[Ding! Task 1: Completed, Merit Points +10, daily Plotline alteration count increased to 5.]
Shu Yan's eyes lit up.
"Merit Points +10, does that mean I can exchange for something?"
[Yes, detected x1, price: 10 Merit Points; x1, price: 20 Merit Points.]
Shu Yan was overjoyed and hastily exchanged for the Automatic Slap Package.
At that moment, Ning Ruyue had already risen to her feet: "Lü Yin, let's go!"
He Gu was stunned, frantic and furious.
How had he accidentally blurted out his inner thoughts?!
"Ruyue, I didn't mean it that way, listen to my explanation!"
Ning Ruyue wouldn't listen. Pulling Shu Yan along, she strode swiftly and in the blink of an eye reached the mansion's main gate.
"My Prince! Your concubine is leaving! Once I leave this time, it will be forever!"
He Gu's eyes reddened instantly: "No! I won't allow you to leave! Ning Ruyue, you are my woman—in life, you belong to me; in death, you are my ghost!"
"Ha, we are divorced! From this day forth, I, Ning Ruyue, am no longer your woman!"
Ning Ruyue turned and stepped resolutely out of the mansion's gate.
"No, come back!" He Gu roared: "Damnable woman! Guards, all of you, seize her and drag her to the woodshed—I will punish her severely!"
[A large group of mansion servants rushed forward, dragging the Princess all the way into the woodshed.]
Shu Yan decisively changed "Princess" to "Prince."
He Gu had just revealed a smug smile when he discovered that the loyal servants suddenly turned as one, charging at him with murderous expressions.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?"
"Ow! Go drag the Princess! Why are you dragging me, you worthless slaves—have you all gone mad!"
He cursed with all his might, but it was utterly useless. No matter how hoarse his throat became, he was still dragged into the woodshed by the servants' combined efforts.
Seizing this opportunity, Shu Yan helped Ning Ruyue quickly hire a carriage and headed toward the Ning residence.
Shu Yan thought about the auto-slapping combo in her pocket and really wanted to exit the Plotline. But Ning Ruyue kept holding her hand, crying and thanking her at the same time—crying so hard that Shu Yan felt a bit embarrassed to leave, so she had no choice but to pull up the Plotline.
[He Gu crawled out of the woodshed and immediately mounted his horse to give chase.]
Shu Yan changed "mounted" to "carried."