Luo Lixian’s face went pale, and just as she was about to explain, Wei Yonghuai stepped in front of her and said, “Mother, you have no evidence, so please don’t cast suspicion on Xian’er! I swear, there’s no way Ye Shishu could have known about what happened between Xian’er and me! The reason Ye Shishu is acting so strangely today may have nothing to do with this!”
Seeing how fiercely he defended Luo Lixian only made Madam Ge angrier. She pointed at him and snapped, “Then you tell me—what other reason could possibly make Ye Shishu want to break off the engagement? Do you have any idea how much marrying her would benefit the Wei Family?”
“Never mind the fact that it would help your and your father’s careers. Just consider the dowry her mother left her. Do you know that it could support the Wei Family for several generations?”
“She’s going to Prince Cheng’s Residence now! Even if Prince Cheng is crippled and disfigured, who can guarantee that he won’t try to take her for himself? Even if they really remain completely innocent over the next year, our Wei Family’s reputation will still be ruined!”
Every word struck the heart of the matter. Wei Guangzheng and his son Wei Yonghuai could do nothing but sit there with increasingly dark and ugly expressions, unable to say a word.
Luo Lixian stepped out from behind Wei Yonghuai and said to Wei Guangzheng and Madam Ge, “Godfather, Godmother, please calm down and listen to me. Prince Cheng’s fall into the water today was truly strange. How could a cripple who can’t even walk have fallen into the pond? After saving Prince Cheng, not only did Ye Shishu want to break off her engagement with Brother Huai, she even said that she admired Prince Cheng. She loved Brother Huai so much, waiting eagerly for General Ye to return victorious to the capital so he could arrange her marriage to Brother Huai. How could she suddenly fall in love with someone else? In my opinion, there must be some hidden circumstances that we don’t know about!”
After hearing her words, the three members of the family instantly felt as if a veil had been lifted from their eyes.
Wei Yonghuai in particular seemed to understand everything all at once. He said indignantly, “I know why Ye Shishu wants to break off the engagement! She must have been threatened by Prince Cheng! Ye Gengxin holds military power and has now returned victorious from battle. Every faction in court wants to win him over. People have always criticized the engagement between Ye Shishu and me, saying that our Wei Family was marrying above our station by forming an alliance with the General Zhihe’s Residence. Prince Cheng fell into the water and was saved by Ye Shishu—this whole thing is a scheme devised by Prince Cheng to separate Ye Shishu and me so that he can have her for himself!”
Wei Guangzheng slumped down into his grand chair.
Madam Ge sat stiffly, her face cold as ice, unable to say anything either.
Their son’s analysis made perfect sense. It was the only explanation for why Ye Shishu wanted to break off the engagement, and why Prince Cheng, despite knowing that Ye Shishu was engaged to their son, had still arranged for her to go to Prince Cheng’s Residence as a maidservant…
Prince Cheng was clearly trying to snatch away someone else’s beloved!
If that was truly the case, what were they supposed to do?
How could they possibly compete with an imperial prince for a woman?
If Ye Shishu did not marry their son, wouldn’t all the beautiful dreams their family had nurtured for so many years come to nothing?
The support of the Ye Family…
Ye Shishu’s dowry…
It was like having a duck almost in their mouths, only for someone else to suddenly swallow it whole. How could they possibly accept that?!
Seeing the defeated and helpless expressions on the faces of the three members of the family, Luo Lixian spoke again. “Godfather, Godmother, don’t lose heart. As long as Brother Huai and Ye Shishu’s engagement remains intact, Prince Cheng won’t be able to snatch her away, no matter how much he wants to. Besides, if the Crown Prince learns that Prince Cheng intends to use such methods to win over the General Zhihe’s Residence, he certainly won’t allow Prince Cheng to succeed. What we need to do now is ‘rescue’ Ye Shishu from Prince Cheng’s Residence by any means possible!”
Wei Yonghuai turned to her. “Xian’er, do you have a good plan?”
Luo Lixian smiled. “Brother Huai, there’s certainly a way. Prince Cheng is trying to keep Ye Shishu under his control, which is why he had her come to his side as a maidservant. Although we can’t take action against Prince Cheng, we can tamper with Ye Shishu. Tell me, if Ye Shishu were injured—if she lost an arm or a leg—how could she continue working at Prince Cheng’s side?”
The three members of the family had been utterly dispirited, but after hearing her words, their eyes instantly lit up. Every one of them thought this plan was marvelous!
What they cared about was the Wei Family’s status and Ye Shishu’s dowry. Let alone crippling Ye Shishu—even if she died, they would still marry her memorial tablet into the family!
Seeing that they had taken her words to heart, Luo Lixian smiled faintly before continuing, “It’s just that Ye Shishu has followed Prince Cheng to Prince Cheng’s Residence now, so Prince Cheng will certainly be on guard against our Wei Family. We can’t act openly. We need to find someone to lure Ye Shishu out. Only then will it be convenient for us to make our move.”
Madam Ge’s eyes shifted as she said, “Xian’er, you have a good relationship with Older Cousin You. Go persuade You Qingrou to lure Ye Shishu out. You Qingrou is Ye Shishu’s older cousin and represents the You Family. Prince Cheng certainly won’t be able to stop her.”
Her thoughts coincided perfectly with Luo Lixian’s. Luo Lixian confidently nodded. “Godmother, don’t worry. You Qingrou is simple-minded and easy to deceive. I’ll take care of everything properly!”
Wei Guangzheng, who had barely spoken until then, suddenly opened his mouth. And when he did, his voice was filled with ruthlessness. “The person we send must be highly skilled in martial arts. To prevent Prince Cheng from stealing her away, we’d better strike hard. As long as Ye Shishu is still breathing, that will be enough!”
Wei Yonghuai immediately agreed. “Father is right. As long as she’s still breathing! Once she’s barely clinging to life, our Wei Family can insist on going through with the marriage. We might even win our family the reputation of being unwavering and devoted!”
……
Prince Cheng’s Residence.
Seated in a large chair fitted with two wheels, Yuchi Ling idly stroked the armrest as he listened to his subordinate’s report.
“Prince, I originally planned to arrange for Third Miss Ye to stay in Fragrant Arbor Courtyard, but she insisted on staying next door to your bedchamber. She even said that being closer to you would make it more convenient to serve you!” Wen Mo’s face was filled with helplessness. After reporting Ye Shishu’s situation, Wen Mo could no longer hold back and asked, “Prince, Third Miss Ye is engaged to Young Master Wei. How could you allow her to come to our residence? What you’ve done looks very much like trying to snatch away someone else’s beloved. What will outsiders think of you?”
“That’s right, Prince. I’m also quite confused. Why did you have Third Miss Ye come to our residence?” Wen Yan could not help speaking up as well.
Seeing how the two subordinates were utterly unable to understand, Yuchi Ling instead raised his brows in amusement. “Didn’t you hear what she said about her feelings for me? She said she admired me, that she would marry no one but me, and that her devotion would last until death.”
The two subordinates instantly wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Just because of that?!
Was their prince lacking women who admired him?
Uh…
Although their prince’s current appearance truly made people keep their distance, when he had been “whole,” women who admired him had been as numerous as carp crossing a river. Yet even then, they had never seen their prince fall for anyone.
Seeing that they looked as though they had been struck by lightning, Yuchi Ling cleared his throat and stopped teasing them. “Ahem. Although I don’t know why she chose to use me as a shield, as the legitimate daughter of the General Zhihe’s Residence, there’s no harm in my becoming close to her.”
“Ye Gengxin holds military power and has now earned military merit as well. His influence is at its height. How many people in court don’t want to win him over? Since Ye Shishu wants to use me to break off her engagement with the Wei Family, why shouldn’t I go along with it and make use of her in return?”
“Think about it. I’m a ‘cripple’ now. If I try to win over Ye Gengxin, can the people plotting to kill me behind the scenes really sit still?”
After hearing his explanation, Wen Mo and Wen Yan suddenly understood. Their confusion vanished, replaced by admiration, and they spoke in unison.
“Prince, that move of yours is truly brilliant!”
Their prince had returned from the battlefield in this “broken” state. What was the purpose of it? Wasn’t it to investigate who had colluded with the enemy nation and tried to take his life?
Now that Ye Shishu had taken the initiative to involve herself with Prince Cheng’s Residence, it would certainly make certain people wary. As long as their opponent became unable to sit still, they would inevitably reveal a flaw…
However…
Wen Mo’s brows suddenly drew together. Lowering his voice, Wen Mo said, “Prince, the Wei and Ye Families have shared a friendship for decades. It’s said that Third Miss Ye and Young Master Wei grew up together and have a very close relationship. Today, Third Miss Ye suddenly broke off the engagement and even used you as an excuse. I’m not worried about anything else; I’m only afraid that she may have been acting under someone else’s orders, like that Ni Xiao before…”