Although the mother and son had high hopes, things always seemed to slap them in the face. After numerous consultations with imperial physicians, it was determined that he was already paralyzed on one side and would spend the rest of his life in a hospital bed.

The facts cannot be changed, and even if Yan Qi is unwilling to accept them, he can only slowly learn to accept reality. Yan Qi is not a kind-hearted person by nature, and having been harmed like this by someone, he naturally will not let it go.

The diagnosis devastated him, filled him with despair, and made him cynical. His already volatile temper became even more extreme, and he frequently beat and verbally abused his servants. He devised all sorts of ways to torment them, behaving as vulgarly as a shrew from the marketplace.

The servants of the Prince of Qi's mansion became increasingly afraid to approach the Prince's courtyard, treating it as if it were a monstrous place.

Some of the more ambitious and quick-witted maids actually went to Wuyou and volunteered. How could Wuyou not know about their little schemes?

She simply wanted to take advantage of Yan Qi's worst mood and difficult situation to become his concubine, and even better, get into his bed. With such a revolutionary bond, she might be able to become his concubine in the future. After all, even a courtesan like Zi Yan could do that, so they were at least respectable women.

Since they were courting death, Wuyou had no reason to stop them and easily agreed to the maids' request, sending them to Yan Qi's courtyard.

Two days later, two cold corpses appeared in the Qi Prince's mansion, wrapped in straw mats and thrown into a mass grave. The servants of the mansion became even more cautious, avoiding Yan Qi's courtyard whenever possible.

Seeing that Yan Qi was about to scare the servants in the manor to death, panic and unrest spread. Wuyou had no choice but to step in. After all, she was the mistress of the Qi Prince's manor and could not stand by and watch Yan Qi indiscriminately kill innocent people. If she had any grievances, she would vent them on the people who deserved them.

As autumn arrived, the autumn wind was bleak, and several autumn rains fell, making the weather increasingly cold. Even the houses were lit with charcoal for heating.

The dungeon of the Prince Qi's mansion was built underground, located in a corner of the garden's artificial hill, making it extremely secluded. As one approached, a faint smell of blood could be detected, exuding a chilling and ominous aura.

The long corridor was lined with cells tightly bound by iron bars, and further in, one could see many instruments of torture, stained with dark brown blood.

Wearing thin prison clothes, with hair as dirty and messy as straw, and covered in bloodstains, the filthy man huddled in a corner of the cell, his hands wrapped around his knees. The floor beneath him was covered with withered yellow straw, and a dim oil lamp in the corner emitted a light that was sometimes bright and sometimes dim, with no sunlight in sight.

In this dark and gloomy prison cell, where there was never any sunlight, Zi Yan, who had always been carefully pampered by the madam, had never suffered such torment. Putting that aside, Zi Yan was more worried about Yan Qi's situation.

They were both there at the time, watching helplessly as Yan Qi collapsed to the ground, his legs giving way beneath him. It seemed Yan Qi had a problem, though Zi Yan wasn't sure how serious it was. She assumed it wasn't anything serious, otherwise she wouldn't have been there unharmed.

All she knew was that she was doomed. The prince might show her mercy, but the queen might not. Who could forgive a woman who had harmed their son?

A bright yellow light flickered at the exit of the passageway, like the rising sun, bringing a touch of warmth. The candlelight flickered and soon stopped in front of Zi Yan's cell door.

Wuyou was dressed in a simple, plain-colored long robe, with a red cloak over it. The large hood obscured her face, making her look warm. Behind her, Xiao Tang gestured for someone to bring over a clean chair, which Wuyou sat down. Her eyes, hidden in the darkness, gazed at the disheveled Ziyan.

"Who are you? What are you going to do to me?" Zi Yan was already a frightened bird. The moment she saw Wu You, she screamed in fright and buried her head in her knees, as if this could avoid the risks from the outside world and save her own life.

"How dare you be so disrespectful in front of Princess Qi! Don't you want to die?" Xiao Tang raised her eyebrows and glared at Zi Yan with hatred, speaking disdainfully.

Xiao Tang had never been so happy in recent times. Yan Qi was seriously ill and spent his days beating and scolding the servants; he couldn't even get out of bed.

Before marrying a principal wife, one cannot take concubines or maids. The Qi Prince's mansion is clean and tidy, without those annoying women. Wuyou is the rightful principal wife, and naturally the only mistress and person in charge in this mansion. As Wuyou's head maid, Xiao Tang's status also rises accordingly.

For them, life now is like that of a fairy tale. Compared to the cautiousness and humiliation they endured in the Yong Kingdom's palace, the scorn and ridicule they faced when they first married into the family, this life is truly something to cherish.

As life improved and his status rose, Xiao Tang's courage was also honed. Besides, he was never a timid person to begin with, and he became increasingly intimidating.

"Your Highness?" Upon hearing this, Zi Yan seemed to finally come alive, looking up at Wu You with burning eyes. Then she lunged forward, and if it weren't for the fence, she probably would have landed on Wu You, startling Xiao Tang, who instinctively stepped in front of Wu You.

"Your Highness, I am truly innocent! His illness has nothing to do with me. I am nothing but someone else's plaything. How could I have the audacity to harm him? You must plead for me, please spare me!"

Wuyou was arguably the first master Ziyan had encountered in all this time, a lifeline for her. Driven by the instinct for survival, Ziyan had long forgotten her former ambitions and disdain for Wuyou.

As she spoke, Zi Yan burst into tears of despair. All she wanted was a legitimate status, and she had finally managed to snag a powerful man, only to have him crippled right there in her bed.

What was he supposed to do? He gained nothing and was about to lose his life.

“Miss Ziyan, I know you are innocent, but the Prince had an accident here, and the Queen is very angry.”

This was half true and half false. The queen was indeed very angry, but she was busy finding a famous doctor to treat her beloved son and couldn't spare the time to deal with a courtesan.

"Your Highness, please help me! I'm willing to do anything, even be a slave, just spare my life!" Zi Yan was so frightened that she couldn't hold back her tears. Her expression became uncontrollable, her face contorted in pain. She knelt on the ground and kowtowed frantically, quickly leaving a bloodstain on the ground.

"This..." Wuyou hesitated, and the light in Ziyan's eyes dimmed. Was he going to die here? Just then, Xiaotang interjected.

"Miss Ziyan, please don't make things difficult for our Princess Consort. How can we easily sway the minds of our masters? The only person who can save your life is the Prince."

"Please, Your Highness, let me see the Prince. I promise I won't make things difficult for you." A glimmer of hope burned in Zi Yan's eyes. The Prince loved her so much; she believed he wouldn't want her to die.

Seeing Zi Yan's expression, a hint of mockery flashed in Wu You's eyes. Did she really think Yan Qi was a philanthropist? Or did she think Yan Qi wasn't a big problem and the crisis was only with the Queen? How foolish!