Chapter 12, Section 012: Don't forget the third condition.

After the guards left, the room was still in a mess, no matter how careful she was. It took Jiang Yue and the three of them a full hour to restore it to its usual order. She dismissed everyone else, left the window open, and quietly waited for him to return.

The fine drizzle fell softly and indecisively, unlike the decisive downpour. It dragged on, making one feel that it would continue. When he entered the house, he was soaked to the bone, his clothes clinging to his body and showing off his strong physique. She quickly avoided his gaze, turned around and found another set of clothes belonging to the Prince of Dingxi in the cupboard, indicating that hot water was ready in the washroom.

The sound of rushing water lingered in her ears. Soon, he appeared in the room, his body steaming with moisture, as if he had brought the sticky dampness from outside with him. With his hair down, he stared at her like a lion, his gaze filled with possessiveness.

Qingli had been on tenterhooks all day and had no energy to argue with him anymore. She lowered the curtains, shutting out everything outside, and sought a moment of peace and tranquility in this space. This carefree peace was hard-won for her.

Suddenly, the curtain behind her was lifted, letting in a sliver of light. Her wrist was lifted and a cool ointment was applied. Then the curtain fell, filling the room with the slightly bitter and spicy smell of medicinal oil. She couldn't suppress her curiosity. Where was he hiding? He could see that her wrist was tightly held by Shen Yongning.

Shen Yongning was like a rat in the gutter; ordinary people couldn't know what he was thinking. When she first entered the Dingxi Prince's Mansion with the Duan family, she paid her respects from afar among the family members. Unexpectedly, the carriage behind her went crazy and ran wildly through the crowd. Everyone panicked and was at a loss. In the midst of the shoving, she bumped into a cold and hard embrace and was pulled backward. After the storm passed, she saw the women staring at her in astonishment. She looked up blankly and realized that it was Shen Yongning behind her.

Some people envied her for taking a shortcut to success, some cursed her for her immoral conduct and despicable behavior on the very first day, while others were delighted to have an idea, thinking that sending a girl to Lord Shen of the Prince of Dingxi's mansion was a good chance.

She noticed the Duan family members looking at her with disdain in the distance, and hurriedly knelt down, partly to explain and partly to beg for mercy.

Before he could speak, he said indifferently, "Thank you, Madam Duan, for risking your life to save me."

His words instantly reversed the situation, and the Duan family's expressions softened. She sensed everything and felt a slight sense of relief. She picked up a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. In the days that followed, she sincerely thanked him on several occasions. Unexpectedly, Shen Yongning used despicable means to keep her in the Dingxi Prince's Mansion.

Outside the tent, Meng Qingshan's brows furrowed, then suddenly turned sinister. They all deserved to die, including him.

In the inner room of the backyard, Madam Ling covered her wide-open mouth, her melodious voice now emitting weak and thin cries. Still disbelieving, she grabbed the wrist of the little maid kneeling by the bed, pulled her close, and with her slender eyes filled with astonishment, shouted, "Say it again."

The young maid had been assigned to eavesdrop for two years, mostly listening to when the Prince of Dingxi would go to Taoyuan Pavilion and how the two had made love several times. She also listened to what the Consort said that made the Prince of Dingxi laugh heartily. But recently, the Prince of Dingxi had not stepped into Taoyuan Pavilion, and she had heard intermittent male voices. The Consort, as pure as snowflakes, was also capable of illicit affairs. The young maid was excited, "This servant heard it very clearly, there is a man in the Consort's room."

"That's a matter that could cost you your head!"

The young maid raised her hand and swore, "If I'm lying, may I die a horrible death."

Madam Ling beckoned a young maidservant forward, "Speak every single word!"

The maid recounted the events of the past two days in detail: "The moonlight has been so bright these past two days that it has illuminated the room perfectly. I'm not seeing things, though. There were two figures in the room, one large and one small, and they were washing up twice. That means someone is there!"

Madam Ling was already somewhat convinced, but it wasn't enough. She wanted concrete evidence, so she encouraged her, "Let's talk about it again!"

The maidservant was speechless. She suddenly slapped her head and said nervously, "When I got up in the middle of the night, I vaguely saw Jiang Yue burning something in the peach grove in the front yard. It must be that adulterer's stuff!"

"Go find it quickly!" Madam Ling urged the maid to go, but as soon as the maid moved, she was immediately stopped. "Wait! Wait a little longer, wait until there is no more noise in the front yard before you go."

The young maid was so nervous that she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet. The rustling sound of sand flowing from the sand pot rubbed against her ears, and a layer of fine goosebumps rose on her arms.

The next day, Lady Ling was held captive outside Biluo Garden by the guards. Seeing that no matter what she said, they remained unmoved, she couldn't help but call out, "Your Highness, I request an audience!"

Seeing Qiu Zhi lift the curtain and come out from afar, Madam Ling's face lit up with joy. She waved her hand to attract Qiu Zhi's attention. Qiu Zhi frowned slightly when she saw the barely suppressed excitement on Madam Ling's face, but still walked forward. "Madam Ling, the Princess is unwell and no one is allowed to disturb her. You can speak with me if you have something to say."

Lady Ling's mind clicked instantly. She pushed aside the guards and whispered something in Qiu Zhi's ear. Qiu Zhi's relaxed body immediately straightened, and his face tightened. He asked sternly, "This is no lie!"

Qiu Zhi lowered his head and pondered. If what he said was true, then the princess would not need to take any action to achieve her goal. Without even announcing it, he directly led Madam Ling into the inner room. The bitter and strong smell of medicine mixed with the smell of incense ash made Madam Ling's eyes sting. Without even howling, tears streamed down her face. Before Qiu Zhi could report, she had already knelt in front of Madam Jiang's bed and confessed everything.

Jiang's tense nerves tightened abruptly, her mind buzzing incessantly. She seemed not to understand the meaning of the words, but her heart heard them clearly: that slut was cheating on her husband!

The needle that had been hanging over his mind for days suddenly turned to dust, the piercing pain instantly disappeared, and his whole body felt light and relaxed, as if he had been washed by warm light. His eyes became clear, and a warm smile appeared on his lips. He instructed Qiu Zhi, "Quickly, prepare a seat for Madam Ling."

Qiu Zhi understood that the princess believed Lady Ling's words. However, whether it was true or not was not important. Making unfounded accusations and arousing suspicion was the most important thing. Besides, what was not true could become true.

When Jiang Yue pushed open the door to enter Taoyuan Pavilion, she saw General Meng applying medicine to his wife. The wife looked at General Meng with tears in her eyes, but General Meng ignored her. In the end, he even picked up a handkerchief from the table to wipe away the wife's tears, which made the wife turn away and ignore him.

Jiang Yue never expected that General Meng, such a majestic man, could do such delicate things. After the spring rain, the warm sunlight shone on the two of them, and the hero and the beauty were a sight to behold. Jiang Yue suddenly felt that this was what husband and wife should look like, but then she felt it was absurd. She shook her head to suppress her wild thoughts and stepped forward to curtsy, "Madam, Lady Ling from the backyard went to the Princess's place early this morning."

Qingli's eyelashes were wet, her nose was red, and she looked pitiful when she stared at her. She knew that Madam Ling was always compared to her and never showed her face in front of Madam Jiang. So her unusual behavior must be something. Her eyes darted around and finally landed on the person next to her. They lived in the front and back courtyards, without even a wall. Could it be that they had discovered him?

What a burden!

She was already walking on the edge of a knife, but she never expected that once she got involved with him, she wouldn't be able to shake it off.

The only way to break the deadlock was to get rid of him. After thinking it over, her beautiful face, still filled with sorrow, said coldly, "You have to leave."

Jiang Yue immediately lowered her head. She had been overthinking the tender moments between them. But then she realized that this was how it should be. Her wife's life was difficult, and she couldn't afford to take any risks. Jiang Yue silently walked to the side, ready to clean up the traces.

Meng Qingshan paused, the master and servant clearly indicating that they were seeing him off. Their decisiveness impressed him. After a moment's thought, he estimated that they could handle the situation and said, "We'll leave when it gets dark."

"Although it won't be three days, it will save your life in a time of crisis. Don't forget the third condition."

Meng Qingshan laughed. His high eyebrows and big eyes brought a smile to his heart, and his spirited demeanor made even the closed windows and doors of the room seem brighter. He said magnanimously, "Of course."

Qingli thought to herself, one thing at a time. Even close siblings should keep their accounts straight. Besides, what kind of siblings are they?

A wave of sourness rose from the bottom of Meng Qingshan's heart, his throat tightened, but he remained magnanimous on the surface. He watched as another maid entered through the door. She was usually timid as a mouse in front of him, but now she was bold and reckless. She lit incense and swept, and even took the teacup that was in her hand and put it in the water.

Unfortunately, he felt a mixture of curiosity and admiration for the three women, mistress and servant.

As the sun began to set, Rong Dexuan, the Prince of Taoyuan Pavilion, summoned Qingli to his presence. Before leaving, Qingli glanced back at the wide-open window. Standing in the shadows was Meng Qingshan, a figure quite different from before, appearing before Qingli in a cold and gloomy manner.

The moon hung high in the east, its light dim, and the stars had not yet appeared. Only a sliver of dim yellow light remained in the west, illuminating his inscrutable expression. As he watched her figure disappear from sight, he glanced at the bedside and then turned and walked over.

In the front courtyard of the Prince of Dingxi's study, thick candles burned on the animal-shaped bronze lamps embedded in the surrounding walls. The candle wax swirled and piled up, making the Prince of Dingxi's figure on the high seat appear larger and longer, extending to the doorway. Qing Li entered the room with a calm expression, raised her eyes and looked around. Lady Ling stared at her sinisterly.

With her slender waist bowing, she said, "This humble servant greets Your Highness."

"Step forward." The Prince of Dingxi stared sharply at the extremely beautiful face in front of him. Sometimes she was gorgeous and lively, and sometimes she was aloof and serene. She was a beauty that surpassed the common women in the inner quarters. He would never allow her to betray him. If she did not want to live by his side, then he would kill her with his own hands.

A loud slap rang out, catching everyone present off guard.

Lady Ling covered her mouth in shock, but still couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips.

Qingli's face was numb and tingling for a moment before she felt a burning pain. The force of the blow turned her face to the side, and the pearl hairpin in her hair snapped, the round pearl falling to the ground and rolling away. She trembled involuntarily, and after two breaths, she suddenly knelt down, saying pitifully, "Your Highness, I don't know what I have done wrong..."

Before he could finish speaking, a continuous, low rustling of sorrowful cries rose from the ground, accompanied by the howling wind outside, creating a sense of desolation.

Remembering the princess's instructions, Madam Ling immediately stood up and cursed, "You still have the nerve to cry? The prince has given you all his favor, and you've actually cheated on him! Hand over that man right now!"

Qingli looked up suddenly, two lines of tears leaving only faint traces on her porcelain-like face. Her face was full of blankness as she unconsciously repeated, "A woman's husband cheats on her lover."

Seemingly unaware of the meaning behind the words, he stared straight at Lady Ling, who only showed disdain. He then turned his gaze to Prince Dingxi, and then to Rongde, almost as if he wanted to hear an explanation from those present.

Rongde, though an old man, was still tender-hearted and admonished her with a mixture of disappointment and frustration, "Madam, Madam Ling has evidence to prove that you have a lover. Say something!"

"Say something!" Her eyes remained fixed, seemingly still reeling from the shock, as she asked Rongde helplessly, "What should I say?"

This... how is Rongde supposed to teach her? Judging from this, Rongde can't believe that the usually cautious Consort is so daring and reckless.

When Rongde saw the Prince of Dingxi glare at him, he quickly shut his mouth and retreated behind the Prince of Dingxi, secretly praying that the Lady Consort would figure it out herself. However, whether she would figure it out or not, they would find out soon enough.

Lady Ling, with her sharp eyes, noticed the bruises on the woman's wrist. She quickly bent down, grabbed the woman's arm, and presented it to the Prince of Dingxi. Pulling down her sleeve, the bruises on the slender, jade-like arm were quite striking. Lady Ling exclaimed excitedly, "These must be marks left by the adulterer during their lovemaking!"

The Prince of Dingxi's pupils contracted, a sudden, murderous glint appearing in his eyes. He stared at Qingli with a sinister gaze and forced out the words through gritted teeth, "I'll give you a chance to explain!"

Qingli was being lifted forcefully by him, the pain as if her bones were breaking. Her voice was uneven as she said, "It's Lord Shen..."

"Your Highness!" Lady Ling's voice, as sharp as a lark's, pierced the ears. Overwhelmed with emotion, she stammered, "She...she...admitted it."