Qing Wu stood on the carriage, twirling the horsewhip in her hand. "You keep saying you're here to catch a thief?"
"This Princess Consort doesn't want to be slandered. Now that everyone is here, let them all see if there's truly a thief hidden in my carriage!"
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the person inside.
Mu Ying had been tidied up again. Although she didn't look as disheveled, anyone with eyes could see she was mentally unsound.
Upon seeing Mu Ying, the old woman and the others' hearts sank again.
Qing Wu sneered, "Didn't you say you were here to catch a thief? Then tell me, who on this carriage is the thief?"
The old woman shivered in fear, but the situation didn't allow her to think. She could only blame herself for being blind and not realizing it was Prince Yan's carriage.
She hated Mu Ying even more. How could this madwoman have gotten involved with Prince Yan's Manor?
The old woman had already claimed they were catching a thief, and Mu Ying was right before her. If she changed her story now, she'd be slapping her own face. She could only brace herself and say:
"Princess Consort, please forgive me. This old servant was blind and offended you just now."
"You are magnanimous, please don't hold it against a lowly person. But that madwoman in the carriage is indeed a thief!"
"Please, Princess Consort, open the door and allow us to take this thieving woman back. She not only steals but also injures people when she goes mad."
Hearing her call Mu Ying "madwoman" and "thieving woman" left and right, Qing Wu's anger flared.
"How dare you!"
With a sharp cry, Qing Wu's gaze was like lightning. "She is Mu Ying, daughter of the Mu Clan. Clearly, she is your Master's Main Wife. You wicked servant, not only did you harm your master, but you dare to deceive others!"
The old woman was struck as if by lightning. She tried to argue, "How could a madwoman be our Main Wife? Princess Consort, please don't be fooled by her!"
Mu Ying was clearly so mad she couldn't recognize anyone. She had been confined to the estate for so many years. It was said that not many people in the Capital City recognized her. How could her words be seen through!
"Very well, why don't we invite your Vice Minister Wang here? Let's see if he recognizes his own wife!"
The old woman was so terrified she turned pale. Before she could argue further, the guards behind her, frightened, kowtowed repeatedly, shouting:
"Princess Consort, spare us! She is indeed our Madam!"
"She suffers from madness, and with the Young Master missing, it stimulated her illness. We were all out looking for her. We had no intention of betraying our master. It's all Zhang Pozi's baseless talk—"
Hearing this, the surrounding common people understood.
"I've heard of servants bullying their masters, but I've never seen such a brazen servant, actually slandering their own Main Wife as a thief?"
"What is Vice Minister Wang doing? Doesn't he know his own wife is being bullied like this by a servant?"
"How did a perfectly fine Vice Minister's wife go mad? I suspect she was abused at home!"
"Yes, if their own wife had indeed fallen ill and run out, they should have just said so. Deliberately concealing it suggests there might be another reason for this Vice Minister's wife's illness."
Qing Wu threw down the horsewhip, ignoring the pleas for mercy from those repeatedly kowtowing. She looked at Xiao Chenyan.
"Your Highness, now anyone can come and accuse us of harboring a thief. This matter cannot be let go!"
"And this Vice Minister's wife, she is an important witness."
"I see that the Vice Minister's estate is in chaos. Even the servants dare to bully their masters outside. If we let them take her back just like that, and something happens to her life, they might just pour more dirty water on us!"
Xiao Chenyan had no intention of standing by idly.
He had met Mu Ying in the past. Although they didn't have much interaction, just knowing she was the niece of the Marquis Zhenguo's wife and the cousin of Little Bean was enough for Xiao Chenyan to be willing to help.
"Give these wicked servants forty heavy planks, then send them back to the Vice Minister's estate."
"As for that old woman."
Xiao Chenyan glanced at her. "After she's beaten, bring her back to the Prince's Manor for a thorough interrogation."
The old woman was struck as if by lightning and fainted on the spot from fear.
"Your Highness," Qing Wu spoke again, "we should still report this to the authorities. Madam Mu has quite a few injuries. This matter needs to be recorded to prevent us from being wrongly accused later."
"The Princess Consort speaks wisely."
Xiao Chenyan exchanged a glance with her.
This commotion soon spread throughout the Capital City.
The old woman and the guards were publicly beaten with planks, while Qing Wu, with just cause, took Mu Ying back to the Prince's Manor for treatment.
Did the Vice Minister's estate dare to come and demand the person back again?
Heh, if the Main Wife was treated so poorly, even if they had the face to come, Qing Wu could find all sorts of excuses to refuse them entry.
Since Vice Minister Wang was shameless, Qing Wu would tear off all his remaining face!
With Mu Ying in the carriage, Xiao Chenyan couldn't get in. He rode his horse back to the manor, inevitably aggravating a recently severely injured spot, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge.
Furthermore, Mu Ying's situation stirred up memories from years past, casting a grim and murderous aura over Xiao Chenyan.
Upon returning to the Prince's Manor, the estate's doctor was summoned to examine Mu Ying.
Qing Wu watched as the doctor removed over a dozen extremely fine, hair-thin soft needles from Mu Ying's wrists and ankles.
As each needle was removed, Mu Ying convulsed in pain. After being given calming medicine, she finally fell into a deep slumber.
A group of people gathered in the courtyard to talk.
Qing Wu: "Did they get anything out of that old woman?"
After being beaten with planks, the old woman was dragged back to the Prince's Manor. Under torture, she confessed everything.
Lu Qiao: "That old woman admitted she was following the orders of Madam Zhou, the First Wife of Vice Minister Wang..."
"Wait," Qing Wu interrupted, "Isn't Madam Mu the Main Wife?"
"Princess Consort, you may not know, but this Vice Minister Wang married Zhou Xueqing, a Concubine's Daughter from the Marquis Wei Yuan's estate, as a secondary wife a few years ago."
"It's laughable. Madam Mu entered the household first, but because her maternal family was no longer as influential, she was forced to yield her position to that Madam Zhou, changing from First Wife to Second Madam."
Qing Wu's eyes turned cold. She tapped her fingers on the table as Lu Qiao continued.
"After Madam Zhou married in, she had someone drug Madam Mu. That drug causes mental confusion. This needle torture was also at her instruction."
"Madam Zhou has always been childless. She felt that Wang Yulang took the place of her own child, which caused her inability to conceive. So, she instructed that old woman to find an opportunity and take Wang Yulang out of the Vice Minister's estate."
"The old woman confessed that they threw the child into Infant Devouring Mountain."
"Infant Devouring Mountain?"
Lu Qiao quickly said, "It's a wild mountain thirty li west of the city. Legend has it that the mountain eats children, and common people avoid it at all costs."
"Princess Consort, please rest assured. This matter has been reported to the authorities. The Capital Prefecture Magistrate has also sent people to search the mountain."
Qing Wu frowned, glancing at the unchanging deathly stillness in Mu Ying's reproductive palace.
The Capital Prefecture Magistrate searching for the child would likely yield no results.
Her little nephew's situation was urgent. Qing Wu didn't have time to wait. She got up and went to find Xiao Chenyan.
Siwei Courtyard.
Seeing Qing Wu approaching with such an imposing aura, Bai Sui's scalp tingled. He subconsciously tried to stop her. "The Prince said not to..."
"Move aside!"
Qing Wu pushed him aside and directly pushed the door open.
"Xiao Chenyan, I need to talk to you—"
"Get out!" The man's voice was filled with anger.
Qing Wu's gaze fell on his hand, which was holding up his trousers, and she suddenly remembered her invincible Iron Head Skill. She blurted out:
"Are you still able to perform as a man?"
Bai Sui, who had just started to step in, immediately retracted his foot. Terrified, he slammed the door shut with a bang.
The man's handsome face turned as dark as ink. The hand holding his trousers clenched, veins bulging. "What... did... you... say?!"
Qing Wu's heart skipped a beat. Her expression turned solemn. It was over!
Xiao Chenyan's heart also skipped a beat. Before Qing Wu could say anything more shocking, he strode forward and covered her mouth.
Qing Wu's back hit the door, and she clearly felt the pressure and dangerous aura emanating from the man.
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