Meanwhile, An Dongzhang's wet nurse—Li Momo—received Rong Momo's message and was so scared her soul nearly flew out of her body.
What was wrong with Qingyang Princess today?
In the past, she saw the Young Master twice a month at most. Why did she suddenly want to see him today?
But the worst part was that the Young Master happened to be not at the Princess Mansion, but at his residence in Qinghua Lane. What was she to do?
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn!
She wouldn't make it even if she could fly!
"Ahhh, quickly, quickly! Coachman, hitch the horse at once! Get to Qinghua Lane as fast as you can."
Li Momo had no time to fix her appearance. She anxiously urged the coachman on. Her life was now in Qingyang Princess's hands.
It was all because her Young Master, in order to show his loyalty to Qingyang Princess, had specifically handed over the servitude contracts of all the servants he had brought with him.
Oh, heavens!
Even if Qingyang Princess didn't hold their servitude contracts, with her status as a princess, taking their lives would be as easy as lifting a finger.
The more Li Momo thought about it, the more panicked she became. She quickly climbed into the carriage and urged, "Coachman, what are you still waiting for? Get going!"
The coachman was displeased but didn't dare to talk back. He could only grit his teeth, flick the whip, and frantically lash the horse.
"Hiss… Neighhh…" The horse shrieked in pain from the beating and galloped at the fastest speed of its life.
"Ahhhh…" Li Momo's head slammed into the back of the carriage, and she let out a pained scream.
The coachman was also startled.
This speed was so fast his own soul was about to fly out.
The horse ran with crazed abandon. Everywhere it went, pedestrians turned pale with fright and quickly dodged out of the way.
They finally reached Qinghua Lane.
The horse, with a final burst of strength, broke free from the carriage.
A group of Shadow Guards gave the fuming horse a thumbs-up, then watched with great interest as the carriage crashed straight into a small residence.
Bang!
Li Momo: "Ahhhh, help!"
The coachman: "Horse! You're not a horse, you're a damn dog!"
Li Xiangxiang: "Ahhhh, Zhang Lang, what's happening?"
An Dongzhang: "Insolence! Who gave you the nerve to trespass into my residence? Do you have a death wish?"
The sound of the courtyard wall collapsing was accompanied by four different screams. If one listened closely, there was also the cry of a baby.
Never mind the baby in the cradle inside the room; the man and woman in the middle of their business on the bed were so frightened by the large hole smashed open by the carriage that their bodies went limp. They even forgot to cover their fair, naked bodies with the blanket.
Tsk, tsk. Debauchery in broad daylight. This was some juicy gossip!
Just then, one of the Shadow Guards' pupils constricted, and he clenched his fists in anger. "Damn it, it's the Princess Consort! He's fooling around with another woman in broad daylight."
How dare he deceive Her Highness the Princess! He deserved to die!
The other five Hidden Guards' eyes turned grim. They cracked their knuckles, itching to rush in and drag An Dongzhang out for a savage beating.
In the end, reason won over fury. Without Her Highness's command, they could not act on their own.
…
"Ahhhh, Zhang Lang, Xiangxiang is so scared! Zhang Lang, sob, sob, sob, my body has been seen by others."
Inside the room, Li Xiangxiang was pale with fright, burrowing herself into An Dongzhang's arms.
An Dongzhang gritted his teeth, his expression utterly grim.
He glanced at the coachman lying on the ground, his face so covered in blood that his features were unrecognizable. Only then did he react, quickly grabbing the blanket to cover himself and Li Xiangxiang.
Hiding under the blanket, he hurriedly pulled on his clothes while saying viciously, "How outrageous! You damned peasant, who told you to trespass into my residence?"
"Pfft!"
The coachman spat out a mouthful of blood, his internal organs feeling as if they had been displaced. He tremblingly reached a bloody hand toward An Dongzhang.
"Young… Young Master, it's me!"
"You're Mazi?" An Dongzhang's heart skipped a beat as he asked tentatively.
"Yes, it's me."
"You…" An Dongzhang's expression was extremely ugly, and he nearly ground his back teeth to dust. "Insolence! Why didn't you use the perfectly good gate and crash through the wall instead? Who gave you the nerve?"
The coachman broke out in a cold sweat from fear.
He couldn't withstand the Young Master's storm of fury. His eyes rolled back, and he pretended to faint.
Hiss…
Looking at the coachman lying on the ground like a dead man, An Dongzhang seethed with anger. His good time had been abruptly interrupted, and he was filled with a towering rage, desperately needing someone to vent it on.
But before he could vent, the main culprit had fainted.
Damn it. The anger was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down, which only made him feel worse.
Just then, Li Momo crawled out of the rubble. The moment she saw An Dongzhang, tears began to roll down her cheeks in large drops.
She was both agitated and aggrieved.
A woman in her thirties, she deliberately put on a high-pitched, whiny voice. "Sob, sob, Young Master~~ Momo hurts all over~~ You must stand up for Momo."
This woman, covered in filth, her face a mess of tears, snot, and blood, was Li Momo?
What a damn eyesore!
An Dongzhang turned his face away, adopting an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude.
In the past, he would have definitely comforted Li Momo. After all, he liked her mature, womanly charm.
But now, in this slovenly state…
She didn't arouse his desire in the slightest. On the contrary, he found her utterly disgusting.
An Dongzhang said irritably, "Momo, what are you and the coachman doing? If you had hit a little harder, Xiangxiang and I might have been dragged into this."
"Exactly!" Li Xiangxiang cooed in a delicate voice, clinging to An Dongzhang like a parasite.
Pah! This old woman better not even think about stealing her man!
Li Momo glanced jealously at the demure Li Xiangxiang, her tone sour.
"Young Master, I'm seriously injured now. Aren't you going to show me some concern? After all, I…" I'm your woman too!
An Dongzhang, the scumbag that he was, retorted, "Hmph, I'm not a doctor. If you're not feeling well, go find a doctor. Are you sick? You didn't use the perfectly good gate and had to crash through the wall. Look at you now. I have to spend money to repair the courtyard wall. You're just looking for trouble."
Li Momo clutched her chest, her heart shattering into pieces.
An eyesore, a damn eyesore!
An Dongzhang couldn't stand the way Li Momo was looking at him as if he were a heartless man. He quickly dressed and got out of bed.
"Momo, weren't you at the Princess Mansion? Why did you suddenly come to Qinghua Lane? Is there something important to report?"
Li Momo let out a loud "Ah!" as she finally remembered her purpose.
"Young Master, quickly, go back to the Princess Mansion! Qingyang Princess had this servant tell you that she must see you within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
"What?" An Dongzhang's expression changed drastically, a flash of panic crossing his eyes. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
With that, he angrily flung his sleeves. Without even a spare glance for the people in the ruined room, he quickly mounted a horse and galloped toward the Princess Mansion.
Inside the room, Li Xiangxiang anxiously reached out a hand. "Zhang Lang, Zhang Lang, don't go! What will my daughter and I do if you leave?"
An Dongzhang: …What to do? Deal with it!
Damn it, Qinghua Lane was quite far from the Princess Mansion. There was no way he could make it back in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
He couldn't help but suspect that the Princess was deliberately making trouble for him.