Jiang Wan did not attend the evening banquet.
The distant sounds of silk and bamboo music and cheers drifted faintly into the tent.
“Auntie, the master has sent someone with food. Please eat a little before resting.”
In such crowded occasions, Jiang Wan remained vigilant.
“Who was sent?”
“It was the Fourth Prince’s attendant.”
The only connection between Jiang Wan and the Fourth Prince was Fu Ci.
They were cousins and shared a close bond. Since Fu Ci had not brought his personal servant to attend to his daily needs during this hunting trip, it was reasonable for him to make use of the Fourth Prince’s attendants.
“You don’t need to stay here. Go and have something to eat first. You’ve worked hard these past few days with all the travel.”
The maids of wealthy families were often raised more delicately than the daughters of ordinary households.
Although Qiu Yue was tired, she still remembered her duties.
“I will eat after Auntie has finished her meal and settled down.”
Jiang Wan said no more.
She knelt properly behind the table, tasting each dish twice.
In the end, her appetite was truly poor, and she set down her chopsticks.
The liveliness in the distance contrasted sharply with the loneliness inside the tent.
Qiu Yue thought Jiang Wan was upset about not being able to attend the bonfire party.
She wanted to offer a few words of comfort but feared overstepping her bounds and breaking the rules.
She could only assist Jiang Wan with washing up again before leaving.
The oil lamp flickered, casting a dim yellow light.
By now, the sky had completely darkened.
Jiang Wan lay on the couch but found herself unable to sleep.
Judging by Fu Ci’s demeanor, he was likely holding back a great deal of anger. For her own safety, Jiang Wan decided to advance her plan.
Taking advantage of this disagreement, she would propose returning to the mansion.
Since he had chosen to handle things coldly, he likely wouldn’t stop her from going back to the capital.
With her mind made up, Jiang Wan wanted to rest well, knowing she needed to conserve her energy to face everything that lay ahead.
As she slept, a wave of heat surged through her body.
It came fiercely.
In just moments, her body began to react abnormally.
This was strange. Jiang Wan quickly sat up.
“Qiu Yue.”
No one responded.
Jiang Wan called again, “Qiu Yue.”
Still, there was no response.
The drawback of bringing only one maid became apparent. Jiang Wan knew she might have gone to attend to other matters.
Barefoot, she stepped off the couch and drank a cup of cooled tea.
The heat did not subside; instead, it grew more intense.
She couldn’t wait any longer.
But appearing before others in her current state was highly inappropriate.
The slightest misstep could ruin her reputation.
Jiang Wan’s rationality remained intact. Enduring wave after wave of discomfort, she trembled as she dressed.
She couldn’t show herself to others; she had to find a way to bring Fu Ci and Qiu Yue back.
Her senses were burning.
She reached out and knocked over the oil lamp.
Flames instantly leaped up, devouring the carpet.
Since appearing at the bonfire party, Fu Ci’s expression had not eased.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Jiang Wan.
He desperately wanted to return to be with her or bring her out to join the festivities, yet he also wanted to teach her a lesson—to make her realize he wasn’t dependent on her.
His heart was restless, and he drank another cup of wine.
Yun Yanran spent a long time mustering her courage before approaching Fu Ci.
“Lord Fu, the atmosphere is so pleasant tonight. May I invite you for a drink?”
Fu Ci looked deeply at Yun Yanran.
Just as Yun Yanran thought she was about to be rejected again, Fu Ci picked up his wine cup.
He drank it all in one go.
Yun Yanran was nearly overcome with joy. Fu Ci was finally looking at her properly.
The two Yun brothers exchanged glances.
“Second Brother, that matter should be fine, right?”
“Without gods knowing or ghosts noticing, it can’t be traced back to us.”
Yun San was puzzled, “Why not eliminate the root of the problem?”
“Do you want that Fu fellow to remember her for the rest of his life?”
Yun San shook his head vigorously, “No.”
“Then that settles it.”
Using the motion of drinking, Yun Er concealed the smile at the corner of his mouth.
It was all Jiang Wan’s fault for not knowing her place. Since she dared to compete with the Yun family’s young lady for someone, she had to be prepared for retaliation.
With resentment weighing on his heart, Fu Ci allowed Yun Yanran to sit beside him.
Hadn’t she always wanted to push him toward others?
Then he would grant her wish!
Yun Yanran beamed with a bright smile, looking at Fu Ci expectantly, “Lord Fu, shall we team up for tomorrow’s hunting competition?”
“Hmm.”
One pleasant surprise followed another, and Yun Yanran was so overjoyed she felt dizzy.
She didn’t know why Fu Ci had changed so drastically.
Nor did she want to delve into the reasons.
As long as Fu Ci was willing to get along with her, sooner or later, she would completely replace Jiang Wan’s place in his heart.
“What is that?”
Someone looked toward the camp’s direction, “Is that a fire?”
“Isn’t that Lord Fu’s tent?”
Fu Ci’s hand holding the wine cup paused.
He told himself he must have misheard, but his body turned uncontrollably.
He saw thick smoke billowing into the sky, flames raging.
Wanwan was still in the tent.
The wine cup fell from his hand.
Fu Ci disregarded everything else, rising to run toward the camp.
Whether it was due to panic or the wine he had drunk, he felt the world spinning and his legs trembling.
The Imperial Consort sitting beside The Emperor urgently ordered, “Quick, put out the fire! Make sure no one is hurt!”
On the very first day out, such an incident occurred. The Emperor’s expression darkened, “What are the guards on duty doing? Take them down and give each twenty lashes!”
The Yun brothers exchanged glances.
They didn’t know if this matter had anything to do with Jiang Wan.
If it did, it seemed they had inadvertently implicated their father and elder brother.
Fu Ci was filled with regret.
Why had he been so angry with Wanwan?
Why had he left her alone in the tent?
“Wanwan!”
The tent was filled with thick smoke. Fu Ci, disregarding everything, tried to rush inside but was stopped by the guards who had arrived.
“My Lord, you cannot go in.”
“Get out of the way! Wanwan is still inside. I must save her!”
“Your subordinate will go in your stead. We will surely bring her out safely.”
As they spoke, other guards arrived with water.
Fu Ci, looking frantic, still tried to enter.
“My Lord, the concubine is fine.”
Qiu Yue’s voice stopped Fu Ci from rushing into the tent.
“Where is Wanwan?”
“The concubine is in the carriage. Please go and see her quickly.”
Qiu Yue was very anxious.
The mountains were full of mosquitoes and insects. Seeing other maids picking mugwort nearby, she thought the concubine had just rested and likely wouldn’t need her, so she followed them.
Unexpectedly, when she returned, the tent was on fire.
Originally, she intended to put out the fire, but the concubine stopped her, saying only this way could she make the lord return.
Seeing the concubine in an unusual state, she helped her to the carriage.
Fu Ci hurried to the carriage.
There, he saw Jiang Wan with flushed cheeks, wearing only a thin garment, her entire condition clearly abnormal.
Heart aching, he held her in his arms, “Wanwan.”
Seeing Fu Ci, Jiang Wan could finally relax, her last shreds of reason crumbling step by step.
Though she embraced him willingly, Fu Ci felt no joy.
Her condition was unmistakably the result of being drugged with something unclean.
His eyes turned murderous—who dared to play tricks on Wanwan right under his nose!
A crowd had gathered, and he didn’t want anyone to know Jiang Wan had been drugged.
Fu Ci restrained her hands and feet.
“I’ll deal with the people outside, then call for a doctor. Let Qiu Yue stay with you for now.”
Jiang Wan had lost all reason and refused to let him go.
Fu Ci’s heart ached unbearably.
Using his body to shield Jiang Wan, he lifted the carriage curtain. “My wife is unwell, and the fire is already under control. Please return to your drinks—I won’t be joining you.”
Everyone knew Jiang Wan was sickly.
Likely, the earlier incident had frightened her.
Since she was unharmed and no other tents had caught fire, the crowd exchanged a few polite words before dispersing.
Yun Yanran didn’t want to leave but was forcibly taken away by her brothers.
Furious to the core, she had ended up paving the way for someone else’s gain.