Chapter 100: Shock is not enough to describe it
The woman who stopped the incident held a high status in the circle of nobles in Luzhou Prefecture. At least after she said that, the topic was never brought up again at the table.
Zhou Yunshu ate slowly and calmly while looking at the distinguished guests in the warm room.
At this time, except for the main table, the other four tables were basically full of people. Civil officials and military generals were clearly separated, and even the female members of the family sat separately.
For example, the table where Zhou Yunshu sat was basically occupied by the families of civil servants from Luzhou.
Both civil officials and military generals had a certain understanding of the women in each other's harems, so when a new face like Zhou Yunshu appeared, it would inevitably attract some attention.
But this attention did not last long, because today's birthday girl, Princess Yuyang, came to the warm room accompanied by Du Huairou and Yang Yuhao.
Zhou Yunshu stood up along with the other noble ladies around her and greeted Princess Yuyang. Princess Yuyang nodded in response. When it came to Zhou Yunshu, before Princess Yuyang could show any confusion on her face, Du Huairou took the initiative to say, "This is Rou'er's good friend."
Princess Yuyang was now very satisfied with Du Huairou's thoughtfulness, so even though she knew that she had arranged a low-class woman to sit at this table, she did not scold her. She just nodded slightly to Zhou Yunshu and went to the men's table.
Someone noticed that Yang Bingtian, who had always been seen with Princess Yuyang, was not there, so they asked curiously, "Why isn't Lord Yang here today? Could it be that Lord Yang is preparing some unusual birthday gift for the princess?"
"Of course he did. Yesterday, Lord Yang left the yamen early to accompany the princess. The princess looked beaming." The woman's face showed a hint of teasing that only married women understand. "She must be very pleased with Lord Yang's gift."
There were so many teasing voices that it was difficult for Princess Yuyang to pretend not to hear them.
The smile on her face slowly faded. When she returned to the main table, she looked at the guests at the four tables in the pavilion politely but distantly and said, "My husband was accidentally assassinated yesterday and is now seriously injured and cannot afford to return to bed."
Princess Yuyang pressed her handkerchief against the corners of her eyes, which were no longer damp, and continued, "If my uncle hadn't sent Eunuch Cao to congratulate me on my birthday, I wouldn't have been in the mood to celebrate today."
Speak of Cao Cao and he will appear.
After Princess Yuyang finished speaking, the door of the warm room opposite was pushed open with a "creak" by Butler Yang. After opening the door, he respectfully stepped aside. A handsome man wearing a blue robe with cloud-flying bat patterns and a pair of shrewd phoenix eyes walked in.
"Eunuch Cao."
If it weren't for Princess Yuyang calling him "Eunuch Cao", everyone would have thought that the handsome man in front of them, who even had a hint of scholarly air, was the lord or head of some family.
It was true that his divine demeanor did not resemble that of a eunuch at all, nor did he look like the ruthless eunuch Cao Zhengxing as rumored.
When Zhou Yunshu, who was standing in the crowd, saw Cao Zhengxing appear, her vague memories of her previous life gradually became clear.
Even though she had disguised herself and looked nothing like before, she still didn't dare to underestimate the person in front of her.
So Zhou Yunshu quietly hid herself in the crowd and constantly reduced her presence.
"I wish the princess a long life with golden osmanthus and evergreen daylilies. May pines and cypresses be green and verdant, and may people live long and prosperous lives." Cao Zhengxing really didn't notice Zhou Yunshu in the crowd.
All his attention was on Princess Yuyang. There was no other way. The Princess Yuyang today was so different from the resentful Princess Yuyang yesterday.
What made her seem like a different person overnight?
Princess Yuyang smiled and said, "Eunuch Cao, please take a seat."
"You are so polite, my princess."
When Eunuch Cao sat down, Princess Yuyang glanced at Du Huairou beside her, frowning slightly and asking, "Where are your father and your half-brother?"
When the two of them arrived at the Princess's Mansion in the morning, they were all smelling of powder. If today wasn't her birthday, just looking at her brother's miserable look, Princess Yuyang really wanted to hit him with a feather duster.
Now, he said he would go back to the guesthouse to pack his luggage, but he is still nowhere to be seen.
"I'm not sure, auntie. How about I go and take a look now?"
As soon as Du Huairou finished speaking, Butler Yang, who was standing at the door, was suddenly dragged away by a servant. In less than half a minute, Butler Yang returned to the door of the warm room with a pale face and staggered into the warm room.
The guests nearby looked around curiously at Butler Yang's weak legs. They knew something about the Yang family. Butler Yang had seen the world, after all. What on earth had happened to scare him like this?
No matter how nervous Butler Yang was, he didn't dare to tell the story in front of so many guests. Under Princess Yuyang's furrowed brow, he unconsciously passed by the nanny standing beside her, then half-knelt beside Princess Yuyang and whispered a reply in her ear.
Butler Yang's voice was very low, but the warm room was so small that even if one couldn't hear what he said, one could tell that something big had happened in the Yang Mansion just by looking at his previous reaction and the cup falling from Princess Yuyang's hand.
This matter was so serious that Princess Yuyang could no longer maintain her composure.
She stood up with a sullen face and said stiffly, "Everyone, eat first. I'll go take care of something."
After saying this, he ignored the gazes of the people around him and staggered out of the warm room.
"Auntie, where are you going!"
While Du Huairou was shouting, Yang Yuhao had already chased out.
Du Huairou stood there, eyes red, and said to the people around him with forced calmness: "I'm really sorry, there was a small incident at home, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience to you all."
As he spoke, Du Huairou also ran out.
Sitting at Zhou Yunshu's table, the sharp-faced woman who had previously suggested that Yang Xinyue go to the Red Lotus Cult to borrow seeds watched this scene and said in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, "The princess is so anxious, it must be something serious. Should we go and help?"
"That's not good. This is obviously the princess's family affair."
"But if we don't help, what if something really happens and the princess blames us for standing by and doing nothing?"
After a few arguments, Cao Zhengxing, who was sitting at the front table, drank a glass of wine and stood up. "Why don't you all follow me to see what happened?"
I've only been in the city for a short time, but I've already seen so many jokes.
Cao Zhengxing thought of the identical behavior of Du Huairou and Du Hongyun yesterday, and intuitively felt that the incident that had just shocked Princess Yuyang was done by the seemingly weak Du Huairou.
The evil in her eyes was about to flow out, which was really likable.
With Cao Zhengxing leading the way, the people behind him were also curious about the major events that happened one after another in the Yang Mansion, so they adhered to the idea that the law should not punish the masses, and left the banquet together and followed Cao Zhengxing out.
Although Princess Yuyang and Yang Yuhao had already run away, Du Huairou and her maid could still see their backs from afar. Everyone followed Du Huairou to the yard where the accident happened.
As soon as they arrived outside the yard, they heard screaming and cursing coming from inside.
Cao Zhengxing kicked the servant who tried to block his way away, walked forward and stepped on his neck, "Do you know what happened?"
The servant had no intention of saying anything, but after meeting Cao Zhengxing's cold eyes, he said with choking breath:
"The prince treated Master Yuchao as a prostitute at Xiaoxiang Pavilion... and raped him. When Master Yuchao woke up, he couldn't bear the humiliation and stabbed the prince."
After the servant finished stammering, the expressions on the faces of the people following Cao Zhengxing were beyond words.
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