In the dungeon of the Princess Mansion.
Li Momo, her face a bloody, swollen mess, was wearing her filthy clothes as she held An Dongzhang, who was writhing in agony, close to her heart.
"Ahhh! Luo Shihan, you wretched woman, how dare you sever my life root? How dare you?"
"Young Master, Momo is here, Momo is right here. Please don't cry anymore, you've almost cried your eyes dry. It breaks my heart to see you like this."
An Dongzhang's eyes were filled with extreme hatred, and the sound of his teeth grinding was audible. Unable to vent his fury on Qingyang Princess, he could only direct it at Li Momo.
"Ah! You damned old woman! If you hadn't told me to return to the Princess Mansion, I wouldn't have been fed poisoned tangerines by Luo Shihan, and I certainly wouldn't have had my life root severed and been locked in this dungeon! It's all your fault! All of this is your fault!"
Li Momo felt utterly wronged; even Dou E's injustice couldn't compare to hers.
But never mind. The Young Master had now lost his manhood and become a prisoner. He was bound to be unhappy. If being cursed at could make him feel better, then she would let him curse.
Who could she blame but herself for loving the Young Master from the bottom of her heart?
Not only had the Young Master been raised on her… milk, but he had also long since had skin-to-skin contact with her. As a result, she had long considered him her man.
"Young Master, be good now. Let's stop the cursing for a moment."
Li Momo comforted him in a gentle voice.
"Right now, we need to think of a way to escape this cell. Even if we can't escape, we have to find a way to get a message to Duke Anguo so he can come and rescue you."
"Right, you're right!" An Dongzhang's eyes lit up.
But when he looked at the Shadow Guards standing outside the cell, exuding a murderous aura as they watched over them with cold faces, his hope was utterly extinguished.
These were no ordinary men!
They were Luo Shihan's Shadow Guards!
They were fiercely loyal to her. How could they possibly betray her for some petty bribe?
"Ahhhhh…" An Dongzhang threw his head back and roared. He couldn't accept his current situation. The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. He turned his head, opened his mouth, and bit down hard on Li Momo's arm.
"Hiss! Ah, it hurts! Young Master, let go, quickly…"
Li Momo shrieked in heart-wrenching pain. She could clearly feel her flesh about to be torn off. In the end, reason triumphed over her unspeakable, illicit feelings.
Then, with all her might, she slapped An Dongzhang hard across the face.
Smack! The crisp sound of the slap was exceptionally sharp and clear.
An Dongzhang screamed in pain. "Ah… You old woman, how dare you strike your superior? Just you wait! I'll deal with you properly! Remember this: a servant should know her place!"
An Dongzhang's eyes were wide with fury. One side of his face had instantly swollen up like a pig's head, and his mouth was filled with the taste of blood. He nudged his teeth with his tongue.
Sure enough, the teeth on one side of his mouth had been knocked loose.
"Ah! You damned old woman, I'm going to kill you!"
Li Momo's face turned pale, and her heart pounded with terror.
She could clearly feel his intense killing intent and had no choice but to accept the cruel reality: her Young Master truly wanted to kill her!
Reacting out of a primal instinct for survival, she abruptly stood up and shoved An Dongzhang away. Another of his wretched screams echoed through the cell.
He could be seen wearing a mask of agony, lying prone on the ground, not daring to move an inch. The bloody wound, having suffered another heavy blow, throbbed with pain upon pain. He felt like he would rather die.
"Ahhhh! Bitches! Bitches! You're all bitches! Just you wait! I will slaughter every last one of you! Ah…"
Li Momo stood frozen to the side, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, a wounded expression on her face.
Just then, the cell door was opened.
The Shadow Guards threw five or six people into the cell one after another, as if tossing aside dead dogs. Among them was a woman.
She was none other than Li Xiangxiang.
Li Xiangxiang dazedly lifted her head. When she saw An Dongzhang lying on the ground, her eyes flickered, and tears instantly began to stream down like rain. She sobbed pitifully.
"Sob, sob… Zhang-lang, are you alright? What happened to you? Why are we locked up in here? Zhang-lang, sob, sob, Xiangxiang's Zhang-lang, you…"
[Pfft, hahahaha! Cockroach! And she called him 'Xiangxiang's cockroach'! This Li Xiangxiang has quite the unique taste.]
Luo Ranran clutched her belly, laughing with utter delight.
The mortal realm is so interesting! There's comedy everywhere!
Hearing her precious baby's ridicule, Qingyang Princess couldn't hold back and let out a laugh herself.
Rong Momo, who was supporting her by the arm, didn't understand and wore a look of nervous concern. "Your Highness, you are of noble status. There is no need to be saddened by such worthless people."
That scumbag An Dongzhang was not worthy of the Princess's grief.
Well now, it seemed Rong Momo had misunderstood.
Qingyang Princess shook her head with an amused smile. "Momo, listen. Isn't Li Xiangxiang calling him 'Zhang-lang' over and over? It sounds quite pleasant, doesn't it?"
Rong Momo immediately pricked up her ears to listen.
From the cell, Li Xiangxiang's affected, dramatic voice continued to drift out. "Zhang-lang! Heavens, how did your balls get cut off? You've actually become a eunuch? Oh, Zhang-lang, my pitiful Zhang-lang…"
"Pfft!"
Rong Momo finally understood why the Princess had laughed.
"Pfft, hahahaha! Your Highness, my sincerest apologies, but I truly cannot contain my laughter. Oh, but you know, 'cockroach' is an extremely fitting name for a scoundrel like An Dongzhang. Isn't he just a cockroach? A filthy cockroach from the gutter, a black-hearted, disgusting, rotten piece of trash!"
After that tirade, Rong Momo felt utterly refreshed.
Luo Ranran listened with relish. [Rong Momo's cursing is music to my ears! Keep going, don't stop!]
Guagua: [Guagua thinks it sounds wonderful too!]
Qingyang Princess: …+1
"Momo, from now on, you no longer need to worry about my reputation. Whenever you encounter disgusting, tactless people, curse them out viciously for me on the spot. Curse them until they're drenched in shame."
Rong Momo's eyes widened. "Your Highness, that's not entirely out of the question, but I fear you will be reprimanded by the Empress Dowager."
Qingyang Princess stopped abruptly. Her eyes lowered, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
Rong Momo couldn't see her expression clearly, but she could feel her lady's body tense up, and her heart ached for her.
If she had known, she wouldn't have mentioned the Empress Dowager.
Back when the Princess was schemed against by An Dongzhang, the Emperor had immediately wanted to seek justice for her. But it was the Empress Dowager who had stepped in to stop him, afraid that the matter would damage the reputation of both the Anguo Duke's Mansion and the imperial family.
Out of filial piety, the Emperor had reluctantly compromised, and the Princess had been left utterly disheartened.
And just like that, An Dongzhang became the Princess's Princess Consort.
Often, the ones who hurt you the most are those closest to you.
For nearly a year now, the Princess had not set foot in the imperial palace. One could say her heart was as dead as ashes. If not for the child in her belly giving her strength, she probably would have lost the will to live long ago.
She had seen it all, and her heart ached with the Princess's pain.
Yet, she didn't know how to console her lady.
The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. But besides the Empress Dowager, there was another matter that caused the Princess even greater sorrow. With these two burdens combined, how could her heart possibly bear it?
Luo Ranran gently nuzzled her small face against Qingyang Princess's belly. She could feel that her mother was very, very sad right now.
[Mother, Baby is here. Don't be sad. Baby will always be by your side, to be your sweet and caring little treasure.]