Hearing this, Huo Jingsha became much calmer than before and said indifferently, "Go on, I guess... you're not the kind of person who fights a battle you can't win. If Shu Yao hadn't interfered with your plans, I would have died at your hands starting with the poisonous scorpion. And this time you came all the way back, so Dong Xue must have discovered something, right?"
“That’s right!” Qi squinted and began to explain, “Dongxue found that Aunt Pei’s existence was very strange. You said you wanted to take her as a concubine, but you never spent the night in her room. Yet, she was just like the other concubines in the back courtyard. Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were exactly the same as the master’s. Moreover, she lived in the front courtyard just like Shuyao. But she was indeed a despicable person. She said one thing to your face and another behind your back. On the surface, she told you that she would not compete for favor, but she always used underhanded tricks to try to harm Shuyao.”
Huo Jingsha looked taken aback, then became extremely annoyed, "What evidence do you have for saying that?"
"What? You don't want to hear what I'm saying about your Aunt Pei?" Qi said sarcastically.
"No, I clearly increased the number of people in the manor to protect Shu Yao's safety and ensure she is not harmed." He was angry with himself. If Luo Wenpei really did what Qi said and attempted to harm Shu Yao, then wouldn't all the promises he made to Shu Yao become a joke?
“My lord, it’s easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Besides, this ‘arrow in the dark’ is a traitor from within the family. She even bribed the old nanny you crippled, and she calls her ‘Young Mistress’ in private at Cuifeng Tower.” Dongxue couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped forward to expose everything.
Huo Jingsha was stunned. What a scoundrel Luo Wenpei! He pretended to be harmless, swearing he wouldn't bother him and Shu Yao, and certainly wouldn't compete with Shu Yao for favor. Who knew he was secretly plotting to become the young mistress? He truly knew him but not his heart. He no longer had the energy to investigate whether Dongxue was an assassin; he just wanted to find out the whole story as quickly as possible. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and ordered, "Tell me everything Luo Wenpei has done."
"Yes, I first discovered her ill intentions because she always pretended to be sick to win favor. The reason why her illness dragged on and never got better was because she would secretly have the old nanny throw away the medicine prescribed by Doctor He, and then use her illness as an excuse to make you go see her."
And... all of the lady's clothes were washed by the servants. Once, when the servants were hanging the washed clothes to dry in the courtyard, they found a layer of white powder on them. If it were an ordinary person, they certainly wouldn't know what it was, but the servants could tell just by smelling it. It was called 'red ridge powder,' a medicine specifically for treating skin diseases. However, if a normal person gets it on their skin, it will cause a rash. If it is treated too late, it will not only leave ugly scars all over the body, but in severe cases, it can even invade the bone marrow and cause infertility. That Miss Pei is really ruthless. All the clothes she sprinkled with the powder were underpants and bodices. The lady is thin-skinned. If she were to fall for it, she would definitely be too embarrassed to see a doctor and would have to delay. The consequences are predictable.
If you, sir, want to know why I'm so certain it was Aunt Pei who did it, you can ask Doctor He if Aunt Pei mentioned to him that she had eczema and specifically asked him to prescribe some erythrorhizon powder. These are just a few examples; there are many more, big and small…”
"Then why didn't you come and tell me?" Huo Jingsha slammed his hand on the table, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. Hearing what had just happened filled him with shame and a heart-wrenching pain. Luo Wenpei dared to use such despicable methods against his Yao'er; he wouldn't let her live in peace, not even if she had once been his younger brother's beloved!
"It was Madam who told me not to say it. Madam meant that since we didn't catch them in the act, if it were a misunderstanding, she might blame us. Besides, no one was actually harmed. The manor is already in enough turmoil, and she doesn't want to cause any more chaos. She just told me to be more careful. I should check everything that Aunt Pei brings several times, otherwise I should just throw it aside. I should do the same with the young master. Fortunately, Aunt Pei is still in power and hasn't laid a hand on the young master."
Huo Jingsha closed her eyes, hardly believing what she had heard. She felt warm tears welling up in her eyes again, but she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her partner, so she could only desperately hold them back!
He's been too busy lately, often not returning home for days at a time, so he neglected matters at home, giving Luo Wenpei an opportunity. And You Shuyao, that fool, actually knew everything, but chose to remain silent. Just like when Aunt Shao framed her, she didn't say anything. If it weren't for the secret guards witnessing the truth, who could have testified for her? But in the end, it's all her fault. Because she blindly believed Luo Wenpei's words, she let the wolf into the house. He even told Shuyao to learn tolerance and to have the demeanor of a mistress of the house, so that when she was poisoned, she chose to swallow her anger and silently endure it all alone.
"Hmph! Huo Jingsha, there's something else you probably don't know: Luo Wenpei actually has a close relationship with Prince Jing..." Qi dropped another bombshell.
"Luo Wenpei...and Prince Jing?" Huo Jingsha's eyes narrowed slightly. He thought to himself, "How could Prince Jing have found the Emperor's temporary palace so accurately?" "Continue!" he pressed.
"Knowing that you were going to take her to the palace's Bathing Dust Festival, Luo Wenpei was overjoyed and sent a message by carrier pigeon to Prince Jing, which I intercepted. I changed the message from 'taking her to attend' to 'taking his wife.' Prince Jing then ordered his men to kidnap her, attempting to ruin her body and reputation in retaliation for your ruthless pursuit of him. But good and evil are ultimately rewarded. Prince Jing's men didn't recognize Luo Wenpei and mistook her for Shu Yao, kidnapping her and making her their plaything. More than ten people took turns enjoying her from morning till night. Hahahaha... How delightful!"
Even Xu Chang was now in a panic. It turned out that Luo Wenpei was behind everything. Alas! The master even felt sorry for his deceased brother because of her past identity.
Huo Jingsha felt the same way, his teeth clenched so tightly he wanted to slap himself a few more times. He hated Luo Wenpei, feeling his good intentions had been trampled into pieces, but on the other hand, he was also relieved that he hadn't actually sent Shu Yao this time. Otherwise, it would have been Shu Yao who was arrested, and the consequences... were unimaginable. Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness it was Luo Wenpei!
"Hmph! But our Lord Huo has surprisingly changed his usual cold and ruthless ways, becoming chivalrous and tender-hearted, and even taking the blame for this matter. He has taken Luo Wenpei under his wing for protection, and he wants to make her equal to his lawfully wedded wife, ensuring that she will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life."
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