Her hatred for Meng Wantang had long seeped into her bones. Now, with Meng Wanqing’s backing, Taohua no longer held back.
That night, beneath a moonless sky and strong winds, Taohua slipped into the prince’s residence under the cover of darkness, shielded by assassins. Avoiding the patrolling guards, she quietly made her way toward Meng Wantang’s courtyard.
At that moment, Meng Wantang had just lulled Xiao Muyan to sleep.
She was seated at the table, regulating her spiritual power.
Her mental strength was no longer what it once had been. The instant Taohua stepped into the courtyard, she sensed something amiss.
A cold light flashed in her eyes. She slowly set down her teacup, spiritual energy gathering at her fingertips.
Prey that delivered itself to her door—she would never let it escape.
Gripping a dagger, Taohua staggered toward the bed, scarlet killing intent filling her eyes.
Just as she raised the blade to strike, a piercing cry shattered the night:
“Help! Someone is trying to kill me! Guards—help!”
Meng Wantang’s voice was sharp and trembling, filled with utter terror, like a frightened fledgling crying out.
It pierced through the silent night, echoing across the entire residence.
She curled into the corner of the bed, clutching the newly awakened and wailing Xiao Muyan. Her face was pale as paper, her eyes brimming with fear.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, looking fragile and defenseless.
“Bitch! I’ll kill you!” Taohua, provoked further by the cry for help, rushed forward madly.
But before she could take more than two steps, a dark figure swept in like the wind, carrying a chilling aura.
Xiao Jingyuan arrived almost the instant he heard the cry.
What he saw was Taohua lunging toward Meng Wantang with a raised blade.
His pupils shrank sharply, anger surging in his chest. Without giving Taohua time to react, he leapt forward, pulling Meng Wantang and Xiao Muyan into his arms.
With his other hand, he gathered spiritual power and struck Taohua fiercely in the chest.
“Pfft!”
Taohua was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily against the wall. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining it red.
The dagger fell to the ground with a clang.
Her body slid limply down, her chest visibly caved in.
Her internal organs were clearly shattered.
Buried in Xiao Jingyuan’s embrace, Meng Wantang felt the warmth of his chest and the steady strength of his heartbeat.
Her voice trembled with tears, soft and delicate. “Your Highness… I was so frightened… thank goodness you came… you care about Muyan and me the most…”
Looking down at the trembling woman and crying child in his arms, the hostility in Xiao Jingyuan’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a faint gentleness.
He patted her back and said firmly, “Don’t be afraid. As long as I’m here, no one can harm you.”
Collapsed on the ground, Taohua’s breathing grew weaker.
She glared at Meng Wantang’s back, eyes filled with unwillingness and venom.
Using her last breath, she shrieked hoarsely, “Meng Wantang! You slut! You’ll die miserably! You climbed up by clinging to men! You and that bastard child… both deserve to go to hell! Even as a ghost, I won’t let you go!”
Her voice was grating, like a broken gong, each word dripping with poison.
Meng Wantang’s body stiffened for a moment, then trembled even more violently.
As if terrified by the curse, she shrank further into Xiao Jingyuan’s arms, not daring to lift her head.
At that moment, Meng Wanqing hurried over with her maids. Seeing Taohua dying on the ground and Meng Wantang protected in Xiao Jingyuan’s embrace—
Her face turned deathly pale.
She rushed forward, feigning shock. “What happened? Why is Taohua here? How did she end up like this?”
Then she turned to Xiao Jingyuan, her tone urgent and defensive. “Your Highness, Taohua isn’t that kind of person! She may be impulsive, but she would never attempt assassination. Could there be some misunderstanding? Perhaps… perhaps Wantang…”
Her words subtly implied that Meng Wantang had framed Taohua.
But before she could finish, she met Xiao Jingyuan’s icy gaze.
Sharp as a blade, it carried unmistakable irritation and warning—
As if saying, Say one more word, and bear the consequences.
Meng Wanqing’s heart trembled. The rest of her words stuck in her throat, and she dared not utter another sound.
She could only close her mouth resentfully, though hatred churned in her eyes.
Xiao Jingyuan did not bother looking at her again. His gaze fell on Taohua’s lifeless body.
Frowning slightly, he ordered the guards behind him, “Drag her away. Throw her into the mass graves. Leave no trace.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The guards immediately stepped forward, dragging Taohua’s cold corpse away.
The bloodstains and fallen dagger were quickly cleaned by the servants.
It was as if no assassination had ever occurred.
Still nestled in Xiao Jingyuan’s arms, the fear in Meng Wantang’s eyes gradually faded.
In its place was a faint, chilling light.
Taohua was gone. Another of Meng Wanqing’s pawns had been eliminated.
The palace banquet.
She looked up at Xiao Jingyuan, her eyes filling once more with tears, her voice soft and pitiful. “Your Highness, I’m so afraid… will someone come to kill us again?”
Seeing her reddened eyes, his heart softened further. His tone became even gentler. “No. As long as I’m here, no one will dare touch you or your son again.”
Meng Wantang leaned against his chest, her cheek pressed to him.
But her gaze slipped past his shoulder—
Landing directly on Meng Wanqing.
There was not a trace of fear left in her eyes.
Instead, they shimmered with innocent, harmless light.
Like a frightened fawn seeking shelter.
Yet deep within, a faint trace of provocation lingered, like a thin needle lightly pricking Meng Wanqing’s nerves.
When Meng Wanqing met that gaze, her heart sank.
It was too clean.
So clean it seemed deliberate—as if silently declaring, I did nothing. It was your own people who tried to harm me.
In that instant, Meng Wanqing felt like a ridiculous clown.
Her carefully planned assassination had not only failed—
It had allowed Meng Wantang to gain sympathy before Xiao Jingyuan, while she herself now appeared complicit and malicious.
She clenched her handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white. A suffocating sense of being outmaneuvered surged within her.
Her chest heaved with anger, yet in front of Xiao Jingyuan she dared not explode. Her face alternated between green and pale.
Meng Wantang took in her humiliation completely, the corners of her lips curving into the faintest smile—
So fleeting it could not be caught.
She snuggled slightly closer into Xiao Jingyuan’s embrace, her voice as soft as cotton. “Your Highness, I’m a little cold. Shall we go back inside?”
Already annoyed with Meng Wanqing, Xiao Jingyuan immediately nodded.
Carrying her and Xiao Muyan, he turned and returned to the room, not sparing Meng Wanqing a single glance.
Watching their departing figures, Meng Wanqing finally could not contain herself.
She kicked the nearby pillar viciously, venomous fury surging in her eyes.
“Meng Wantang! Just you wait!” she hissed through clenched teeth.
Then she stormed back to her own courtyard.
The moment she entered, she swept the teacups off the table, the crash of shattering porcelain piercing the air.