What was going on? Why were the people around him no longer reacting as fiercely as before?
He could not accomplish this alone. Only if the common people exerted pressure, leaving the princess's household riding a tiger it could not dismount, would he have a chance of succeeding.
The scholar banged his head against the ground twice. These were two genuine kowtows, splitting the skin on his forehead. Mingyue jumped at the bloody sight. "Are you sick in the head...?"
The scholar turned toward the common people. "Please, everyone, you must uphold justice for me! The commandery princess is forcibly seizing a commoner as her husband. This is truly against the law."
He was frail to begin with, his face pale. With blood streaming down his forehead, he looked even more alarming. He even shed a few hypocritical tears, and for a moment, almost all the common people took his side.
"Is there any justice left? Any law?"
"Pah! What grand princess's household? It's clearly a den of demons that devour people without spitting out the bones."
"It's bad enough that the grand princess keeps male favorites, but she can't even teach her daughter properly. Who's to say the commandery princess didn't turn out this way because a crooked upper beam makes the lower beam crooked too?"
A carriage stood in the lane outside the grand princess's residence.
Sichen asked, "Heir, with things getting this out of hand, should we go over?"
Xue Lin said, "Yes."
Lifting the carriage curtain, Xue Lin was about to step down when he suddenly heard a voice and stopped again.
Sichen: ?
"We're not going?"
"No. Aunt has a way."
[Never mind the others, but you didn't even make the cut as a male favorite. What are you pretending to be a righteous gentleman for?]
Mingyue rolled up her sleeves and was about to charge down. Scholar or male favorite, he could not bully her mother.
"Mingyue."
Xue Shang held Mingyue back. Her expression was composed, without the slightest sign of anger. Instead, she gave the nanny beside her a look.
The nanny planted her hands on her hips and cursed, "You scoundrel! Even though you weren't chosen as Her Highness's male favorite, she still bestowed gold and silver upon you. Never mind being ungrateful, you're actually slandering Her Highness here!"
"You're talking nonsense! I didn't! I didn't..."
Who would believe him?
The man's protests were instantly drowned out by the crowd's laughter.
[The nanny really is a cut above.]
Having earned praise and vented her mistress's anger, the nanny withdrew after her success and returned to Xue Shang's side.
Xue Shang stroked Mingyue's face. Mingyue said aggrievedly, "Mother, I just couldn't stand hearing them speak about you like that."
"I know. Mingyue, you are the bright pearl in my palm. I cannot bear for you to suffer the slightest mishap or hardship. But sometimes, sheer willfulness won't do. You must learn more."
Looking at Xue Shang's profile, Mingyue nodded. "Yes."
Xue Shang waved a hand, and the household guards filed out, surrounding the common people watching the excitement so tightly that not even water could pass through.
"What are you doing?"
"The grand princess! The grand princess is blotting out the sky with one hand!"
The scholar sobbed. "Your Highness, it's all my fault. Please don't hold this against these common people. I'll kowtow to you."
[Why is someone brewing tea here?]
Xue Shang smiled to herself and magnanimously helped the scholar up. "A man has gold beneath his knees. How can you kneel so readily?"
"Huh?"
What act was this? The scholar could not make heads or tails of it.
Xue Shang declared, "There is no need to panic, everyone. I merely want you all to serve as witnesses. If Mingyue has truly wronged this young gentleman, my household will certainly punish her severely. If this young gentleman is spouting lies, I will not let him off lightly either."
Xue Shang clapped her hands, and maids brought pastries to the common people.
Having received tangible benefits, the common people stopped speaking ill of the grand princess for the moment and instead loudly proclaimed her benevolence and righteousness.
The scholar: "..."
[Tried to steal a chicken and lost a handful of rice instead, didn't you?]
Su Zhouyue wanted to laugh.
To be honest, she was even beginning to feel a little sorry for this scholar.
The grand princess had thunderbolt methods, and Aning knew quite a few secrets.
They might well kill him and crush his heart as well in a moment.
The grand princess's servants brought out chairs, and the airing of a grievance turned into watching a show.
Xue Shang sat calmly and addressed the scholar. "Tell me again. How did Mingyue force you?"
The scholar stammered, "The commandery princess knew full well that I was married, yet she still insisted on forcibly marrying me into her household."
Mingyue said, "Who could do something so beastly?"
The scholar: "..."
[Well done, Commandery Princess.]
Mingyue straightened her back, only to receive a warning glance from Xue Shang and slump again aggrievedly.
[Actually, we could just bring the scholar's wife here to confront him.]
That was indeed an idea.
Xue Shang asked where the scholar lived and sent the nanny to fetch his wife.
[Strange. Why isn't the scholar panicking at all?]
[Host, because he already sold his wife.]
[Sold her??? He could actually do something like that?]
[Don't be fooled by his being a scholar. He was expelled from his academy long ago. He's an inveterate gambler, loves liquor as much as life itself, and beats his wife whenever anything displeases him. Three days ago, he lost every last coin at a gambling den.]
[Don't tell me he lost his wife at the gambling table too?]
[Yes. Those people run not only a gambling den but also a brothel. The scholar's wife has already been placed in the brothel. She has attempted suicide several times. If you go now, you might still be able to save her.]
[I have to save her!!!]
But how could she save her?
Xue Shang suddenly spoke. "Marchioness, I would like you and Aning to make this trip. What do you think?"
Su Zhouyue said, "Aning and I would naturally be willing to serve Your Highness."
"Then go with the nanny."
Although the scholar wondered why Su Zhouyue and Tong Aning were being sent along, as neither looked like an ordinary person,
he did not take it to heart. Mingyue was still here, after all.
As long as they could not find his wife and he stuck stubbornly to his story, Mingyue would certainly be ruined, and the grand princess's household would be implicated too.
By keeping these common people here, the grand princess was truly lifting a rock only to smash her own feet.
Tong Aning was burning with anxiety. [System, which brothel is it?]
[Spring Breeze House.]
Tong Aning did not know how to broach the subject when she heard the nanny say, "To Spring Breeze House."
Tong Aning: "?"
"You wouldn't know, Miss Aning, but this old servant has worked in the princess's household for many years and has seen all sorts of people. One look at that scholar tells me he's a fickle, faithless man. On the surface, his love for his wife is as deep as the sea, but in truth, he has probably sold her off already."
Tong Aning nodded.
[Old ginger really is the spiciest.]
Su Zhouyue exchanged a glance with the nanny and gently shook her head. Her daughter was still far too easy to fool.
[Hurry, hurry, Host.]
As soon as they reached Spring Breeze House, Tong Aning gathered her skirts and jumped out of the carriage, rushing inside like a gust of wind, with the princess's guards close behind her.
Tong Aning kicked open the woodshed door and shouted breathlessly, "All of you, stop!"
Inside the woodshed, three burly men were punching and kicking a young woman on the floor. The young woman was visibly on her last breath. At those words, all four looked toward the newcomer at once-
Almond eyes, rosy cheeks, ribbons fluttering, like an immortal maiden.
Wonderful.
An immortal maiden had come to save her.
The young woman fainted.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't faint yet..."
When Su Zhouyue and the nanny arrived, the guards had already subdued the burly men. Tong Aning knelt on the floor, carefully cradling the young woman's head, on the verge of tears.
"Aning."
Tong Aning looked at Su Zhouyue, her lips drooping. "Mother, what should we do? She fainted. Is she going to die?"
[Host, she won't die.]
Su Zhouyue walked over to Tong Aning and patted her back soothingly. "With you here, how could she die?"
"Really?"
"Really."
Tong Aning wanted to cry even more. "But I don't know medicine."
Su Zhouyue: "..."
"Let this old servant do it. This old servant knows medicine."
Tong Aning's eyes lit up at once.
[The nanny really is incredible.]
Author's note: