Qian Jiaoniang turned to look at Xing Muzheng and saw no ripple of emotion in his eyes, as though he were simply issuing an ordinary command. Yet Feng Yuyan was, after all, the woman he once intended to marry.
Feng Yuyan’s body went numb—she knew Xing Muzheng was serious. Wet Nurse Ye let out a wail and collapsed to the ground, sobbing and howling. Feng Yuyan struggled desperately against Ah Da’s grip, screaming, “Tanlang! Everything I said is true! Why won’t you believe me? I never meant to harm you—I just wanted to be with you forever!”
Xing Muzheng said, “I believe you didn’t know it was poison.”
Feng Yuyan’s eyes lit up. “Then you…”
“But I also believe locking me up was your way of killing me.” Xing Muzheng waved his hand. “Take them away. On the day of the execution, let all the servants in the household witness it.”
“No—!” Feng Yuyan’s scream echoed to the rafters. Ah Da, having received the order, grabbed one in each hand and dragged the shrieking Feng Yuyan and Wet Nurse Ye out.
Their screams gradually faded, and the room finally regained its peace. Wang Yong and Li Qingquan looked at each other—neither of them had expected the situation to take such a dramatic turn. How had they not suspected that something was off about Feng Yuyan that night? When did the Madam figure it out? And the Commander—he had only just woken up, yet he’d seen through everything after just a few words?
Xing Muzheng sat back down. Ding Zhang brought tea with both hands, but Xing Muzheng waved it away without drinking. Ding Zhang bowed and backed out.
Qian Jiaoniang remained seated in the lower position, staring at the doorway in a slight daze.
Xing Muzheng glanced sideways at her and cleared his throat. “Madam Qian.”
Qian Jiaoniang snapped out of it and turned her head. Xing Muzheng asked, “So it was Feng Yuyan pretending to be pregnant to ruin my reputation—why didn’t you beat her to death on the spot?”
Li Qingquan stiffened immediately at the question.
Qian Jiaoniang replied, “I didn’t dare act on my own authority.”
“Oh?” So she still had some loyalty—she didn’t expose Li Qingquan.
Li Qingquan cast her a grateful look, but he was a man who owned up to his actions. Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Commander, this was my fault. I stopped Madam from dealing with Feng Yuyan.”
Xing Muzheng swept his cold gaze over him. “Why?”
“This…” Li Qingquan broke out in a cold sweat. “Because I believed… that the child in Lady Feng’s belly was truly yours, Commander…”
“Utter nonsense!” Xing Muzheng roared. “Pregnant out of wedlock, and you dare call that child mine?”
The burly man trembled and instinctively bowed low.
Xing Muzheng continued asking, “Let me ask you, what did the madam intend to do about it at the time?”
Li Qingquan glanced over at Qian Jiaoniang and muttered, “The madam found Lady Feng to be improper and wanted her to get rid of the fetus… and have her drowned in a pig cage.”
“And since the madam gave her decision, why did you not carry it out?”
Large beads of sweat dripped down from Li Qingquan’s face. “I… I thought…”
Xing Muzheng said coldly, “You thought? Is the madam the madam of the marquis household, or are you the madam of the marquis household?”
Li Qingquan knelt down. “This subordinate knows his guilt!”
Qian Jiaoniang kept her gaze lowered, showing no sign of joy or anger.
Xing Muzheng said coldly, “Administer fifty strokes as punishment. Do it yourself.”
Li Qingquan froze, then heavily kowtowed once. “Yes, sir!”
Fifty strokes was a severe punishment even for someone of their rank. Wang Yong anxiously stepped forward. “Commander, Qingquan indeed made a mistake, but given his merits in this matter, please grant him leniency this once.”
“Your loyalty to me will be rewarded. But when have I ever said merit can cancel out wrongdoing?”
Li Qingquan shook his head at Wang Yong and said, “I accept my punishment.”
After speaking, he turned to leave, but Xing Muzheng stopped him. “Have you apologized to the madam?”
Li Qingquan immediately turned to Qian Jiaoniang and kowtowed three times. “Madam, this subordinate acknowledges his fault!”
Qian Jiaoniang’s gaze flickered, and she responded with a soft “Mm.”
Li Qingquan and Wang Yong withdrew. Only Qian Jiaoniang and Xing Muzheng remained in the hall. The room suddenly felt strange. Ever since their reunion, they had never been alone like this—well, not counting when Xing Muzheng had lost his mind. Qian Jiaoniang glanced sideways at him, only to find he was watching her. Her eyes darted away.
Silence.
Still silence.
Qian Jiaoniang gave a slight cough, wondering whether she should say something—anything to break the eerie quiet.
“You—”
“You—”
They both spoke at the same time. Qian Jiaoniang raised a hand, motioning for him to go ahead.
Xing Muzheng said, “…My mechanical puzzle box, did you take it?”
Qian Jiaoniang was stunned for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, it’s in my room.”
She turned and went to retrieve it. Behind her, Xing Muzheng’s fingers curled slightly. After a moment, she returned with the puzzle box and handed it to him with both hands. “The Western Li booklet is inside.”
Xing Muzheng accepted it with one hand but didn’t open it. He set it aside and looked at her directly. “I heard you read that book and used it to threaten the Ji-tribe gu user, forcing him to break the curse on me?”
That Ji-tribe gu user—the true culprit—still had no name, but no one cared. Qian Jiaoniang replied, “It was just a coincidence, worth a try. I never expected it to work.”
“…Good.”
Qian Jiaoniang raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by good?
Silence fell again. She thought for a moment and said, “The Marquis has probably already heard—The gu user is still being held separately, awaiting your orders. I questioned him over the past few days, and he confessed. He used Feng Yuyan to poison the wine with his blood gu. He said the reason he waited so long was that only recently had he successfully cultivated the Bloodfire gu.”
Xing Muzheng nodded. “Mm.”
After this brief exchange, silence fell once more. Qian Jiaoniang looked up at him, her fingernails rubbing lightly against the handkerchief she held.
Xing Muzheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “You saved—”
“Marquis!” Ding Zhang, who had gone outside, suddenly burst in, interrupting him. Xing Muzheng shot him a sharp look, nearly causing Ding Zhang to collapse to his knees. Bowing low, he said, “Marquis, this servant meant no disrespect to you and Madam. But outside… outside, a eunuch from the palace has arrived! He says he bears an imperial edict!”
