Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Yangyang... Is It Too Greedy to Wish for a Long Life?
Shen Hua’s eyes sparkled brightly: "Is there a problem?"
"This was my suggestion after all."
She spread her hands.
"He hasn’t washed for three days and is absolutely filthy; naturally, he couldn’t spoil the carriage. And his concubine that he kept outside, she was sent away together with him."
Wei Yingying took a deep breath.
"You might not know."
"I was on the street at the time, thought the Ministry of Justice was arresting corrupt officials again. Couldn’t help myself, I threw a basket of rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at the prison cart!"
As she threw, the clueless common folk followed suit, with some even spitting on it. The scene turned into uncontrollable chaos.
At that moment, the concubine Lady Song, covered in the sticky rotten egg fluid, was clutching her stomach, trying to wake Chong Bingwen.
Shen Hua fell silent for a moment.
"So it was you."
Wei Yingying: "Heh... It was me."
Realizing something was wrong, she slipped away then and there, and so didn’t witness what happened next with her own eyes.
Wei Yingying took a deep breath.
"Did Chong Bingwen really kill the concubine with his own hands? The rumors are quite detailed."
"Although it may sound unpleasant, that was after all his offspring. He truly is a beast."
Shen Hua smiled meaningfully without replying.
Apparently, her cultivation was still too shallow.
Xuan Chen and Cui Yun had not at all ordered anyone to deal with Lady Song, leaving blood on her own hands.
This, Shen Hua hadn’t expected at all.
At that time, they sent the people to the Chong Family.
Chong Bingwen still wouldn’t give up: "What exactly will it take for you to forgive me?"
"I’ve kneeled, and I’ve been punished."
"I know I’ve broken Lady’s heart, but if climbing a mountain of swords or descending into a sea of flames can win her back, I’m willing."
Cui Yun only said quietly at the time: "The Xuan Family does not tolerate any sand in their eyes."
"Marquis, rest assured, I will send her away and will not let her enter the house."
Lady Song incredulously: "Brother Wen, you don’t want me anymore? Didn’t you say that I was the only one in your heart?"
"I’m carrying the bloodline of the Chong Family. The Imperial Physician said it’s a boy."
Cui Yun scoffed, and ordered the servants behind him to enter the house and move out Xuan Ai’s belongings. Not a single item was to be left.
The neighboring courtyard was also sold by him early on at a low price.
Chong Bingwen shuddered, his pupils flashing with blood.
He couldn’t leave the Xuan Family.
He absolutely could not.
In his despair and murderous thoughts, he figured, if this mother and child were gone, then naturally everything could return to how it was. After all, Lady Song was a concubine who sold her contract to him, a lowly servant.
A lowly servant can be disposed of at will.
But by the time he plunged the dagger into the concubine’s abdomen, the well-formed child no longer had any fetal movement, and the concubine bled out, her dying eyes filled with shock and fear.
He couldn’t help but withdraw his hand in fright; no, who gave him this dagger?
He looked at Cui Yun shivering. A light laugh reached his ear.
"This is the divorce letter."
"I will not sign or seal it!"
But what could he do about it?
Ying Yi stepped forward, and upon seeing him uncooperative, swiftly chopped off one of his fingers and easily made the seal.
"The demotion document will arrive soon, you will leave Shengjing completely."
Cui Yun indifferently said: "I thought you could have an amicable separation with my cousin, yes?"
Blood spurted out, and the screams of Chong Bingwen frightened Shen Hua so much that her hair stood on end. But then everything blacked out as someone covered her eyes.
Shen Hua smelled the delicate fragrance belonging to Cui Yun.
The screaming stopped, probably because Ying Yi had silenced him.
The girl trembled slightly.
"Why the shudder?"
Shen Hua pursed her lips.
Curiosity killed the cat, indeed.
Cui Yun was momentarily lost in thought, seemingly recalling unpleasant memories, his jawline tensed.
"I’ll take you back."
"I... I’ll go back myself."
Cui Yun didn’t respond, but turned Shen Hua around, lifted his hand to hold the girl’s slender wrist, and led her away towards another direction.
His voice grew deep: "Shen Hua."
"Hmm?"
The girl was unusually timid.
"Don’t be afraid of me."
————
While the two were talking, Yan Mi had not said a word. Her own family background was clearly not poor, yet the Xuan Family was unwilling to let their daughter suffer, while her parents pushed her into the fire pit themselves.
"Sister Yan."
Wei Yingying, seeing Shen Hua ignoring her, turned to call Yan Mi.
"Did you see Mr. Wei yesterday?"
Shen Hua frowned: "You went to Duke Wei Mansion?"
Yan Mi gently replied: "Mama took me there to visit the sick."
She bit her lip: "I did meet him, but he had a mask on his face."
"Just stung by a bee, after such a long time, how could it have healed?"
Yingwu squatted in the corner gnawing on a chicken leg, smirking triumphantly.
Bee?
That was no ordinary bee.
Last time, the Master commanded her to extract poison developed by Ni Kang. It was all smeared on Wei Xiheng’s face.
Wei Xiheng might as well spend his entire life with a swine’s head, as even the entire Imperial Hospital couldn’t cure that face!
If the Imperial Hospital could see the trickery, Ni Kang wouldn’t need to practice medicine anymore.
Yan Mi shook her head: "I don’t know."
Her smile forced: "As for Mr. Wei’s face, I actually don’t care much."
If it heals, she must marry; if not... she must marry all the same.
Shen Hua looked at her sidelong: "Saying all this is just being hard on yourself, shall we drink?"
"Although I don’t believe that drunkenness can dispel all worries, I quite feel like drinking today."
"Miss Shen." Yingwu was about to utter a syllable.
Shen Hua: "Doctor Ni said I need happiness."
Yingwu stopped talking and continued gnawing on her chicken leg.
"Perfect timing, I just came from Ji Teng’s place and took some of his wine along. Said it was given by the Seventh Prince."
Wei Yingying took out two jade bottles of wine. Upon opening the bottle, Shen Hua smelled a strong and familiar scent.
Wei Yingying enthusiastically poured a cup for each of them.
"Sister Yan, if I were you, I’d indulge myself thoroughly during these days."
Yan Mi looked at the wine cup, and under Wei Yingying’s expectant gaze, she picked up the cup and drank it all at once.
Wei Yingying began to curse the damn Wei Zhuzhu in the mansion with a delicate and whiny voice.
"That little bitch is wearing a red bellyband, what is she insinuating? Does she think she’s worthy of wearing the same color as me?"
She prattled on without pause.
About everything from Wei Zhuzhu’s hair to her embroidered shoes beneath her feet.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wei Yingying smacked her lips: "Quite nice to drink, tastes like fruit and flowery dew. I always have a few cups during festivities. I should have a decent tolerance."
The moment her words fell, there was a smack, and she collapsed onto the table, dead drunk.
Yan Mi’s complexion flushed, her head feeling a bit dizzy.
"What’s wrong with Yingying?"
Shen Hua sipped slowly, sweet freshness filled between her lips and teeth, and her eyes began to curve with delight.
"I might have forgotten to mention, this wine is very potent."
Yan Mi’s gaze became blurry: "No wonder, I’m feeling a bit dizzy."
She then lay down to sleep.
Shen Hua looked down on them with disdain. She drank up both bottles of wine, one cup after another.
Just then, someone pushed the door and entered.
Yingwu glanced sharply over.
It was Xie Xun.
She relaxed her guard and continued to gnaw on her chicken leg.
Xie Xun strode in, frowning: "How much have you drunk?"
Shen Hua propped herself up, trying hard to recognize the person approaching.
Xie Xun turned to Yingwu and ordered: "I didn’t bring any attendants this time, so I can only ask you to make a trip to Duke Fu’s Mansion."
Yingwu wasn’t about to take orders from him.
Shen Hua’s cheeks were rosy, her eyes drunken pools. As the girl ran out of wine, she went to pour tea, clasping her hands together. She murmured softly and tenderly.
"The first cup, happy birthday to Yangyang."
Another pour.
The girl suddenly raised her voice: "The second cup, to hell with Shen Qu, let him die!"
"The third cup..."
Yingwu was startled: "Is Miss Shen drunk?"
"I didn’t bring any hangover pills on me, and with her weak constitution, this strong wine... if she doesn’t take some, I’m afraid she’ll be out for several days and hard to wake."
Xie Xun scolded: "Then go quickly!"
Yingwu startled. In a flash, she vanished.
Xie Xun steadied the girl’s swaying body. The man’s hand resting on the girl’s shoulder.
The room fell completely silent.
He looked inch by inch at Shen Hua’s eyes and brows.
Xie Xun’s face softened exceptionally, his voice gentle and mellow: "What about the third cup?"
The girl, in a daze, took a long time to think. Then, with a sigh of loss, she dropped her head and sobbed.
"Yangyang... could you greedily wish for a long and healthy life?"
Xie Xun’s lips tightened fiercely, after a long while he consoled her.
"All of Miss Shen’s wishes will come true."
Shen Hua was very polite: "Thank you for the Princely Heir’s auspicious words."
The girl yawned, her eyelids growing heavier, and without even bothering to make mischief, she fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Xun brought her into his arms, gently stroking the girl’s smooth hair.
"Wrong."
His voice was hoarse and harsh.
"Not the Princely Heir."
His lips quivered, overcome with sorrow.
No one heard him say.
"It’s... brother."