“Ye Gengxin holds military power and has now won another victory in battle, so his influence is at its height. How many people in court wouldn’t want to win him over? Night Shishu wants to use me to break off her engagement with the Wei Family, so why shouldn’t I go along with it and make use of her as well?”
“Think about it. I’m a ‘cripple’ now. If I try to win over Ye Gengxin, can the person working behind the scenes to put me to death really sit still?”
After hearing his explanation, Wen Mo and Wen Yan suddenly understood. Their confusion vanished, replaced by admiration, and they said in unison, “Prince, that was truly a brilliant move!”
Why had their Prince returned from the battlefield in this “broken” state? Wasn’t it to investigate who exactly wanted him dead?
Now that Night Shishu had taken the initiative to involve herself with Prince Cheng’s Residence, she would surely make certain people wary. As long as their opponent could no longer sit still, they would inevitably reveal a flaw…
There was just one problem.
Wen Mo suddenly furrowed his brows and lowered his voice. “Prince, the Wei and Ye Families have been friends for decades. It is 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 her excuse. She has approached you so brazenly. I’m not worried about anything else—I’m only concerned that she may have been acting on someone else’s orders, like Ni Xiao before her…”
Yuchi Ling narrowed his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he said in a low voice, “She is the legitimate daughter of General Ye’s household. If she has ambitions, the person she should be targeting is the Crown Prince, not me. With her father Ye Gengxin’s achievements today, she is more than qualified to become the Crown Princess. There is no need for her to become someone else’s pawn just to deal with me.”
Although his analysis was reasonable, Wen Yan still couldn’t help saying, “Prince, it would be best to remain cautious.”
Yuchi Ling nodded. “Keep a close eye on her. If she really was sent to infiltrate my side, then she will have saved us a great deal of trouble.”
As he spoke, a trace of killing intent surfaced in his dark eyes.
Wen Mo and Wen Yan asked no further questions.
If Night Shishu had no ulterior motives and was merely using their Prince to break off her engagement with the Wei Family, then they could use Night Shishu to draw out whoever wanted their Prince dead.
If Night Shishu was a spy, that would be even easier to deal with. They would simply capture her alive and force a confession from her through torture.
In the side room beside the main bedchamber—
Dong Qiao was organizing Night Shishu’s clothes and personal belongings. Unable to understand, she asked, “Miss, Young Master Wei cares so much about you. Why did you break off your engagement with him? Now that you’ve moved into Prince Cheng’s Residence, the Wei Family is probably going to become the laughingstock of the entire capital. Once you marry into the Wei Family, who knows how they’ll treat you?”
Night Shishu cast a sidelong glance at her busy figure, a cold gleam flashing in her eyes.
In her previous life, Dong Qiao had been her maid accompanying her to her husband’s home, and she had appeared utterly loyal right up until Night Shishu breathed her last. Yet, in the moments before her death, when Wei Yonghuai and Luo Lixian had flirted and celebrated at her sickbed, Dong Qiao had been there too.
What could make a maid calmly watch her mistress be betrayed and murdered?
Did she really need to say the answer aloud?
Her accompanying maid had been bought off by the Wei Family!
That included Dong Qiao, the senior maid who had begun serving her when she was ten years old!
“They say that marriage should be between families of equal standing. You’ve been by my side for seven or eight years. Don’t you think Wei Yonghuai is the one marrying above his station by marrying me?”
Dong Qiao paused slightly and turned to look at her. Seeing the smile on her face and realizing that she did not appear angry, she replied, “Miss, the Wei Family is indeed marrying above their station by joining with our General’s Residence. But your marriage to Young Master Wei was arranged by Madam Wei and my lady while my lady was still alive. Our lady and Madam Wei swore brotherhood as sworn sisters, so the engagement between the two families naturally cannot be compared to an ordinary engagement.”
Night Shishu chuckled. “Is that so? Then how about this? I’ll have my Father adopt you as his sworn daughter. You can fulfill my engagement to Wei Yonghuai in my place. How does that sound?”
Dong Qiao’s expression changed in alarm. She hurriedly dropped to her knees. “Miss, such an important matter cannot be joked about! Besides, this servant’s status is lowly. How would I dare dream of such a marriage?”
Night Shishu cast her a sidelong look. “Since you don’t want to marry him, then don’t speak on behalf of outsiders anymore. I like Prince Cheng now, and I’m willing to cling to this tall tree. As the senior maid at my side, you should at the very least think about my glory and wealth. After all, if I am honored, you’ll benefit from it too, won’t you?”
Dong Qiao lowered her head and answered, “This servant was shortsighted before. Please forgive me, Miss.”
“Get up.” Night Shishu turned and headed toward the door.
“Miss, where are you going?” Dong Qiao rose from the floor and hurried after her.
“I came to Prince Cheng’s Residence to serve as a maid. Of course I’m going to attend to Prince Cheng!”
“…”
Dong Qiao stared at her with her mouth open, as if she wanted to say something. But after the rebuke hidden in Night Shishu’s words, she no longer dared speak. At the same time, her gaze was filled with complicated emotions, as though she had become a stranger to her mistress.
Just as Night Shishu stepped out of the room, intending to find someone and ask about Prince Cheng’s whereabouts, a guard suddenly ran up to her. After saluting, he said, “Third Miss Ye, someone from Marquis Yufeng’s Residence has come to deliver a message. The Eldest Miss of the residence invites you to Amethyst Jade Villa tomorrow. They also said that the residence will send a carriage to pick you up at a quarter past the hour of the Dragon tomorrow.”
Night Shishu’s eyes turned cold.
Marquis Yufeng’s Residence—her Maternal Grandfather’s family.
Her Maternal Grandfather had once been a famous merchant in Great Ye. When the country was thrown into turmoil and invaded by foreign enemies, he had provided Great Ye with vast amounts of grain, provisions, and supplies. Moved by his generosity and loyalty, the late emperor had specially bestowed upon him the title of Marquis Yufeng. During the late emperor’s reign, the You Family had been Great Ye’s unrivaled imperial merchants.
Unfortunately, after her Maternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother passed away, Marquis Yufeng’s Residence gradually declined. Under the management of her Eldest Maternal Aunt, Madam Wen, its reputation had nearly become rotten.
Her Eldest Maternal Uncle, You Jianbin, had never been suited to doing business. While her Maternal Grandfather was alive, he had gone to great lengths to secure a marquisate, originally hoping to pave the way for his son’s official career. He had never expected that, after being provoked by Madam Wen, her Eldest Maternal Uncle would focus only on the merchants’ petty profits and insist on abandoning an official career to go into business.
And what had come of it?
He had failed to run the business properly, lost the You Family’s imperial merchant license, and nearly squandered the entire family fortune. Now that her Eldest Maternal Uncle was nearly fifty, he no longer had any chance of entering officialdom.
The current Marquis Yufeng’s Residence had nothing but its hereditary marquisate. In every other respect, it had nothing at all.
What was most contemptible was the pair of children her Eldest Maternal Aunt had given birth to. Her son, You Qingbo, spent his days indulging in wine, women, and pleasure, enjoying himself without restraint. Her daughter, You Qingrou, was not only spoiled and overbearing, but also constantly schemed to extort valuables from Night Shishu.
In her previous life, Night Shishu had been indifferent to fame, wealth, and possessions. She had respected her elders and valued seniority, considering her relatives incomparably important. No matter what kind of relative they were, as long as there was something she could do to help, she would do her utmost.
As a result, in other people’s eyes, she had been an extremely easy soft target.
That was why Older Cousin You Qingrou had come to her to demand things whenever she pleased.
That alone would have been bad enough.
Her Eldest Maternal Aunt, Madam Wen, also had a close relationship with Madam Ge of the Wei Family.
Those two families truly were birds of a feather!
After thinking for a moment, she said to the guard, “Please tell the people from the residence that I understand.”
“Yes.”
After the guard left, Night Shishu abandoned her plan to find Prince Cheng and turned back into the room.
“Miss, weren’t you going to find Prince Cheng?” Dong Qiao asked in confusion when she saw her return.
“I’m no longer in the mood.” Night Shishu walked to the table and sat down, putting on an anxious expression. “Last time, Older Cousin said she wanted me to have a golden buyao hairpin made for her. Not only did I agree, I also promised to help her choose the design. She went to General Ye’s Residence today but didn’t see me, so she must have become angry. That must be why she invited me to Amethyst Jade Villa tomorrow. But I forgot all about the golden buyao hairpin. Even if I go to see her tomorrow, what am I supposed to give her?”
Seeing her anxious appearance, the sense of unfamiliarity Dong Qiao had felt earlier vanished at once. She hurriedly comforted her, “Miss, don’t worry. Even if Cousin Miss doesn’t receive the golden buyao hairpin, you can give her something else and coax her a little. She’ll calm down.”
Night Shishu secretly hooked her lips into a cold smile.
What a “good maid”!
Outwardly, however, she continued to ask worriedly, “Then what should I give her to win her over?”
Dong Qiao thought for a moment. “Miss, don’t you have a red jade bracelet? Cousin Miss seemed to like it quite a lot the last time she saw it. Why don’t you give that red jade bracelet to Cousin Miss as compensation?”
Night Shishu clenched her fists beneath her sleeves. If she hadn’t been empty-handed, she truly would have wanted to kill this treacherous dog of a thing with one slash!
And she called it compensation…
A bandit had racked her brains to rob her of her possessions, and instead of helping her protect them, her senior maid was urging her to give away her wealth to curry favor with the bandit?
Just how blind and foolish had she been in her previous life to believe that Dong Qiao had only advised her to comply with outsiders’ every demand because she was timid and weak?
Seeing Night Shishu lower her eyes without saying anything, Dong Qiao asked, “Miss, are you worried that Prince Cheng won’t let you return to General Ye’s Residence to retrieve your things? If you want, this servant can return to the residence for you.”
Night Shishu raised her eyes. A faint smile played at the corners of her lips as she asked, “Dong Qiao, the dowry my mother left me is enough to last several lifetimes. Why don’t I give all of it to my Older Cousin? Then she won’t have to come up with all sorts of excuses to ask me for things every few days.”