Chapter 30: Sharing
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Seeing Mingzhu standing still, Su Lan couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, did you lose something?”
“Nothing, let’s go.” Mingzhu shook her head and continued walking. When she reached home, she skillfully avoided the people on night duty and walked into the house, taking off her hat and greeting the maids who were still there. “I’m back.”
“Do you want some supper?” Fu Mingzheng raised his head from the dark corner of the room, hissing at her like a snake. “Isn’t the moonlight outside nice?”
“The moonlight is nice, but I’ll pass on supper.” Mingzhu was surprised for a moment but quickly regained her composure. There were hardly any maids around, and she couldn’t find a few of them anywhere. She smiled and asked Fu Mingzheng, “Su Mei and the others are really something. Knowing that Fourth Brother is here, they’ve disappeared without a trace. They dared to neglect you like this. Later, I’ll skin them alive.”
Fu Mingzheng sighed lightly, “Don’t blame them for not warning you. I told them as soon as I came in, whoever didn’t behave would be reported to the Madam and sold off. So they all behave. Do you want to try your mother’s patience?”
Just because her mother had patience with her didn’t mean she would be patient with these maids who were “not serving her well.” Mingzhu angrily tossed her hat onto the table and glared at Fu Mingzheng. “What grudge do you have against me to treat me like this?”
Fu Mingzheng didn’t care about her glare and bad mood at all. He calmly raised a hand towards the light, inspecting it closely, and said calmly, “What did Yuwen Chu say to you?”
Realizing that her whereabouts were already known to Fu Mingzheng, Mingzhu stopped struggling futilely and chuckled dryly, “He didn’t say anything.”
Fu Mingzheng glanced at her mockingly, “Seeing you in such a spring mood, you must have received a promise. When will he break off the engagement with the Changxing Marquis’s family and come to ask for your hand from father?”
Mingzhu couldn’t hold back, grabbed the nearby Tianhuang stone ornament, and threw it at him, cursing, “I’m your sister, how can you describe me like that?” Some people are naturally hateful; the more familiar you are with them, the more they incite hatred. She had spent the whole day trying to please Fu Mingzheng and even shared some personal matters with him, only to be labeled with the adjective “spring mood,” which was more infuriating than “go to h*ll.”
Fu Mingzheng quickly caught the ornament and continued to mock, “Truly the daughter of the Xiang Mansion, oblivious to the hardships of the world. You can even casually take such valuable things and use them as stones to throw at people. No wonder Yuwen You looks down on you. You’re too spoiled and wasteful.”
Clearly, it was a cutting remark, but through his sarcastic tone, it gained a touch of mockery. Mingzhu continued to be defiant, “It’s none of your business! I didn’t throw it at you. I threw my dowry.”
“Dowry? You can’t even marry off, what dowry do you have left? You might as well have a coffin ready for your old age!” Fu Mingzheng didn’t hold back, “Did Yuwen Chu fail to propose to you because he wanted to take advantage of you?”
Mingzhu really didn’t want to talk to him anymore. This guy probably never knew how to express concern to people normally. But she wanted to be prepared in advance to protect the family from reaching a dead end. Relying solely on her wasn’t enough; she needed a powerful ally. Therefore, she had to share some secrets with Fu Mingzheng.
Mingzhu cleared her throat, signaling Su Lan, “Guard outside.”
Su Lan bowed and silently walked out.
Fu Mingzheng leaned back in his chair, silently watching her.
Mingzhu took out the blueprint, spread it out on the table, and motioned for him to come and see. Fu Mingzheng wasn’t a fool; on the contrary, he was very knowledgeable. So after looking at it for a while, he understood what it was and looked up at Mingzhu, “Where did you get this?”
“None of your business.” Mingzhu knew he understood, and she was somewhat proud, pointing to her head, “You know, although I’m worthless, I’m not a freeloader. No matter what it is, I can remember it roughly with just one glance. Now you know the use of Ban Jian right?”
Fu Mingzheng’s expression became serious as he looked at Mingzhu, trying to find any trace of joking or recklessness on her face. However, he was disappointed; Mingzhu was as serious as can be. There was even a hint of anticipation on her face, as if she was worried he wouldn’t take this matter seriously.
“So Yuwen Chu knows about this?” Fu Mingzheng saw Mingzhu’s face fall instantly and knew he had guessed right.
“Fourth Brother is truly wise and courageous.” Mingzhu exaggeratedly gave Fu Mingzheng a thumbs-up, then leaned closer to him and whispered, “Is there any way to kill someone quietly and erase all traces?”
In his impression, the fool who never knew hardships and had no brains suddenly became an understanding person, and a ruthless one at that… Fu Mingzheng trembled with excitement, unable to hide his surprise. He looked Mingzhu up and down, confirming that she wasn’t joking, then laughed meaninglessly, “You really impress me. If I didn’t know you were Mingzhu, I would suspect you were possessed by some demon or ghost.”
Mingzhu glared at him, “You’re the one possessed by demons and ghosts.”
“Killing someone quietly isn’t difficult, but if that person is a prince, it becomes very difficult.” Fu Mingzheng didn’t argue with her much but enthusiastically analyzed the risks and benefits of killing someone quietly, “Or rather, it’s not difficult, but what’s difficult is the aftermath. Especially someone like Yuwen Chu, his mother and the Great empress dowager and the empress dowager all have very good relationships, and he himself has a good reputation among the royal family and courtiers. If he were to suddenly die, there must be a flawless reason, otherwise, we would be in a very difficult and passive situation, and we might even have to pay a high price. As for Yuwen You, with no parents and many enemies, I have several ways to try.”
As he spoke, his eyes lit up with excitement, occasionally licking his thin lips uncontrollably, giving Mingzhu a strange illusion that “he often did such things, and he enjoyed killing.” What she thought and what actually happened were two different things. Although Mingzhu had attempted to assassinate Yuwen You, she had never discussed such matters so explicitly with anyone. Thinking of the rumors circulating in the family about Fu Mingzheng’s cruel methods and innate love of torturing people, her smile involuntarily stiffened, “I’d like to hear the details.”
Fu Mingzheng saw through her discomfort at once, smiled maliciously, and said softly, “I’ve thought of over a hundred ways to kill Yuwen You, but only one or two are feasible. The best of them is to catch him plotting treason. This is a permanent solution, as once we have evidence, we can nail him down.”
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