Chapter 177

The side room of Chu Feng Pavilion.

Tao Tao rested her chin on one hand and held the letter Xi Quan had given her in the other. She would look up at him from time to time, making Xi Quan feel uneasy.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw the girl in front of him grin and say, "Xiquan, how about I help you redeem yourself?"

At first, he didn't react and stared at her blankly. When he came to his senses, his pupils dilated in shock. He looked at her in disbelief and was so shocked that he stammered.

“County... County Princess, are you serious? No, no... What this servant means is... what virtue or ability do I possess to be worthy of the County Princess’s attention?”

She chuckled, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and admired his expression.

Hearing her laughter, Xi Quan's eyes showed a hint of confusion. Then, as if realizing that she seemed to be playing a trick on him, his face turned pale instantly. His excited brain felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it, instantly sending a chill down his spine.

He laughed too, but it was an awkward laugh.

"I am serious, of course. As for whether you have caught my eye, that is none of your business."

Tao Tao stared at him with a serious expression, completely unlike her playful demeanor just moments before.

This caused Xi Quan's heart, which had sunk in disappointment, to rise again. In an instant, his heart pounded wildly, and his emotions fluctuated wildly because of her words, leaving him somewhat dazed.

Leng Qiao, who witnessed everything from the sidelines, was somewhat puzzled and did not understand why she would help him redeem himself. He was clearly the culprit, shouldn't he be eliminated as soon as possible?

After carefully realizing that she wasn't playing a trick on him, Xi Quan hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, County Princess! Thank you, County Princess."

Seeing his attitude of treating her like a savior, Tao Tao rested her chin on her hands, her eyes crinkling with interest.

It cost her quite a bit of money to redeem this servant, but considering what would happen later, Tao Tao felt that it was all insignificant.

The three walked down the street. Behind them, Xiquan watched the people coming and going, and shrank back, afraid that he would run into the gambling den people chasing him for debts. The county magistrate in front of him probably wouldn't want a troublesome person, so he had to hide carefully.

Looking at the winding road, he couldn't help but ask, "Princess, where are we going?"

Upon hearing this, Tao Tao, who was walking in front, glanced at him sideways, her gaze carrying a chill that immediately silenced him, preventing him from overstepping his bounds.

This made him realize that the county princess hadn't taken a liking to him. In any case, he didn't know why she had helped him redeem himself, so there must have been something else going on.

Arriving at the Tu family's house, she stood at the door and knocked on the wooden door. No one answered, so she knocked several more times.

Just when she thought no one was home, she vaguely heard someone tiptoeing closer, and she immediately understood.

"Miaoling, open the door, I've brought you a gift."

Upon hearing Tu Miaoling's name, Xi Quan's expression changed drastically. He turned around and tried to escape, but Leng Qiao blocked his way. She stared at him expressionlessly, exuding a strange ruthlessness that instantly made him dare not make any rash moves.

Hearing Tao Tao's gentle voice, Tu Miaoling peered through the crack in the door, only to be met with a pair of bright, watery eyes.

In an instant, she was startled and stepped back, but accidentally stepped on a stone and fell to the ground with a thud. The pain made her cry out, which also gave her away.

Tu Miaoling realized this and quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late; she heard her voice again.

"Fine, don't open the door then. Don't ever come looking for me again."

Tao Tao turned around and glanced at Xi Quan, who was being held captive by Leng Qiao beside the door. Before she could take two steps, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her.

She turned around and saw Tu Miaoling standing at the door with her head down, looking embarrassed. She was unconsciously fiddling with the door frame, until a splinter pierced her fingertip, making her shudder with pain.

Tao Tao asked, "May I come in?"

Upon hearing this, Tu Miaoling immediately stepped aside, and Tao Tao walked in, followed by Leng Qiao and...

She stared wide-eyed at the person captured by Leng Qiao. It was Xi Quan, the servant who had been with Qing Lin and also the servant who had delivered the letter to her.

What's going on? Why did Tao'er bring him here?

Tao Tao stood in the center of the courtyard, looked around, and asked, "Where is your family's pig slaughtering place?"

Tu Miaoling pointed blankly to the small woodshed on the right. Tao Tao nodded and walked straight towards the woodshed. As soon as she opened the door, a fishy stench hit her, making her feel nauseous and almost causing her to vomit.

She frowned, disdainfully fanned the air in front of her, and went inside. She saw a dismantled wooden bed with several pig-carving knives hanging on the shelf. The blades were sharp and gleamed in the light, radiating a cold glint.

Xi Quan, who was following behind, was immediately horrified when she saw this. Her face turned ashen, and she struggled desperately in Leng Qiao's hands.

Tao Tao turned around and saw Tu Miaoling still standing in the yard. She waved and urged, "Come here! What are you standing there for? Come on over!"

Upon hearing this, Tu Miaoling quickly stepped forward, and as soon as she entered, she heard her say again, "Close the door."

She subconsciously obeyed her and reached out to close the door. As soon as the door closed, Xiquan became even more frightened, but she couldn't break free from Leng Qiao's grasp.

Tao Tao looked around and saw a seemingly clean long bench, so she pulled it over and sat down.

She looked up at Tu Miaoling and said, "You've really been fooled."

Tu Miaoling opened her mouth, about to speak, but was interrupted by her: "Don't speak, let me finish first."

So she told her how the person in front of her had lied to her. The more she listened, the uglier Tu Miaoling's face became, and her eyes were filled with disbelief.

Upon hearing this, Xi Quan, who was being held in Leng Qiao's hand, had her pupils dilate in shock, and her face turned ashen.

"Impossible... Tao'er, it's impossible, how could he have written those letters!" She spoke louder and louder, looking somewhat distraught.

Tao Tao stared at her calmly, then took out two letters from her sleeve. "One of these letters is from you, and the other is from the consul at Chu Feng's residence. It was written by Qing Lin himself."

"The handwriting in the two letters is different. You may not recognize some of the words, but you should be able to tell the difference in handwriting."

Upon hearing this, Tu Miaoling immediately stepped forward, snatched the letter from her hand, and eagerly opened it to examine it.

As it turned out, the facts were just as she had said.

She was stunned, standing there blankly, head down, speechless for a long time. Suddenly, a teardrop fell to the ground, stirring up some dust.

Tao Tao stepped forward and gently took her arm, speaking softly, "Don't be sad. Do you hate him right now?"

She walked to the shelf, took down the boning knife, and said, "Then kill him. That way, his good deeds and bad deeds will be balanced. Don't worry, I will help you with the debts you owe."

Tu Miaoling suddenly looked up at her, her eyes wide, as if she wondered if she had misheard.