The Valley Miracle Doctor lowered his head and bent his waist. “This humble commoner pays his respects to Your Highness. What are Your Highness’s orders?”
“My son is injured. The miracle doctor must come with me to the Prince of Cheng’s Mansion first to examine him.”
The Valley Miracle Doctor was the most famous physician in the imperial city, and many high-ranking officials and nobles had invited him to treat their illnesses. Naturally, he recognized that Zhang Haokun, the Prince of Cheng’s son, was right in front of him. He also understood that the Prince of Cheng’s move was probably intended to deliberately make things difficult for Marquis Pingyuan.
He could only reply, “This commoner obeys.” Then, he said to Shen Changfeng, “Please, Marquis, invite another eminent physician to treat the Third Young Miss.”
“Father!” Zhang Haokun’s face showed anxiousness. “I’m quite alright. You’er has been poisoned with arsenic. If she isn’t detoxified in time, her life will be in danger. Please let the Valley Miracle Doctor treat You’er first.”
Slap!
Zhang Cheng turned his hand and slapped him across the face instead. “I, Zhang Cheng, have a sterling reputation all my life. How could I have given birth to such an idiot as you? Didn’t you hear him? That cheap wretch Shen You’er didn’t think much of you at all. Making a mere concubine-born daughter your Consort Heir is already elevating her, yet she still has delusional fantasies of becoming an Imperial Prince’s Consort.”
With that, he turned to Shen Changfeng and said, “The child doesn’t know any better, but are you, Marquis Pingyuan, and Old Madam Shen also muddle-headed? Well, of course. If you two weren’t foolish people, you wouldn’t have favored the concubine and neglected the wife back then, and even sent your only legitimate daughter away to the countryside to suffer.
“Brother Changfeng ah, your Marquis Pingyuan’s Mansion is nearing the end of its luck…”
“Your Highness, I am wronged!” Shen Changfeng kowtowed to Zhang Cheng again. “It’s not that my humble self and You’er look down on the Prince of Cheng’s Mansion or Lord Heir Kun. It’s truly because the Fifth Imperial Prince has already expressed his affections to You’er, and how would we dare to refuse? That’s why we thought that Qing’er is even prettier than You’er and is also a legitimate daughter, so it would be better to let her marry Lord Heir Kun. It was my fault for not discussing this in advance with Your Highness and Lord Heir Kun. I beg Your Highness and Lord Heir Kun to forgive us.”
Zhang Haokun kicked him heavily. “Old dog, you and that cheap woman Shen You’er actually teamed up to deceive this Lord Heir! Fine, letting Jiang Yanqing marry over is fine too. Since she dared to lay hands on me and my father, once she marries into the Prince of Cheng’s Mansion, she’ll naturally be at our mercy!”
Shen Changfeng was overjoyed. “That couldn’t be better. There’s no time like the present; let’s sign the engagement right now. I beg Your Highness to let the Valley Miracle Doctor go treat You’er. If You’er meets with any mishap, we won’t be able to give an account to the Fifth Imperial Prince.”
Zhang Cheng mocked, “I see that your brain has rusted. If Jiang Yanqing could obediently follow your arrangements, you wouldn’t have had to set traps for us father and son to deal with her. The women of your Shen family are too high for us to climb! Kun’er, let’s go.”
In the end, Zhang Cheng still left the Valley Master behind, as he still didn’t dare to openly go against the imperial family.
Walking out of the gates of Marquis Pingyuan’s Mansion, Zhang Haokun was filled with dissatisfaction.
“Father, Shen Changfeng and Shen You’er tricked us, and Jiang Yanqing beat us. Are we just going to let it go like this?”
A thick murderous intent burst from the depths of Zhang Haokun’s eyes. “How is that possible? Everyone in their Marquis Pingyuan’s Mansion must die!”
“Good!”
…
Early that morning, after having her meal and taking advantage of the crisp autumn weather, Jiang Yanqing thought about going out for a stroll when a maid came to report, “Fourth Young Miss, the Fifth Imperial Prince has arrived. Master invites you to the front hall to pay your respects.”
Jiang Yanqing sneered. Shen Changfeng was trying to use the Fifth Imperial Prince to pressure her again.
When she arrived at the front hall, except for the eldest young master of the Shen family who was away, all the other members of the Shen family were present.
Sitting in the primary seat was a man of about twenty, wearing a brocade blue robe with a golden tiger-head sachet hanging from his waist. He looked decent enough, except that his large eyes revealed a clear and untainted stupidity.
Jiang Yanqing directly sat down in a nearby empty chair. “Why did you call me here? Speak your mind directly.”
The Fifth Imperial Prince asked with dissatisfaction, “You are Jiang Yanqing?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you kneel when you see this Imperial Prince?”
Jiang Yanqing raised her eyes and glanced at him indifferently. “You can’t afford it, you idiot. You’re also here to stand up for Shen You’er, aren’t you?”
Zhou Yuhuai flared up with anger. “Impudent! How dare you insult this Imperial Prince? Someone, hold her down to her knees and slap her mouth twenty times!”
As soon as his words fell, Jiang Yanqing casually picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it right at him with a bang.
“Everyone says I’m impudent and all want to slap my mouth. If I don’t lose my temper, do you really think I’m easy to bully?”
Everyone in the Marquis Pingyuan’s Mansion opened their mouths wide in shock, and Shen Changfeng’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“Jiang Yanqing, have you really grown tired of living? You even dare to hit an imperial prince?”
Zhou Yuhuai was even more furious: “Seize this wild girl for this Imperial Prince!”
“Stop shouting. Your men are no match for me.”
Jiang Yanqing stood up and walked step by step right up to Zhou Yuhuai.
“Are you Zhou Qicen’s son?”
“Audacious! You still dare to call my imperial father by his given name!”
Zhou Yuhuai clenched his fists and swung at Jiang Yanqing, only to have his wrist grabbed firmly by her.
“I’m asking you, are you his biological son?”
Zhou Yuhuai had lived this long without ever being so blatantly offended; the surge of blood made his face flush red with anger.
“Naturally! Do you know that raising a hand against an imperial prince is a crime punishable by death by a thousand cuts? Let go!”
No matter how he roared at the top of his lungs, Jiang Yanqing acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, continuing, “What did you come to Marquis Pingyuan’s Mansion for?”
Before Zhou Yuhuai could speak, Shen You’er knelt down before Jiang Yanqing.
“Fourth Younger Sister, the Fifth Imperial Prince came here for me. Direct all your hatred and grievances at me. I beg you not to harm the Fifth Imperial Prince, please let him go.”
She reached out to pull Jiang Yanqing, but Jiang Yanqing didn’t even look at her, directly kicking her aside.
Pfft…
Shen You’er opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. She was already weak from the poison, and now her complexion was as pale as paper, which made Zhou Yuhuai’s heart ache intensely.
“You’er!”
Shen You’er crawled over to Zhou Yuhuai’s feet, her jade-white hands clutching his robe hem as she smiled miserably.
“Fifth Imperial Prince, don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve implicated you, and You’er deserves a thousand deaths.”