Chapter 118 "Should I call you Wu Qiong, or..."
That day, Meng Wanyin was looking at the account books and petting the cat in Tanghua Garden when Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi arrived and invited her to go to the Prince Chun's Mansion together.
"Why?"
Meng Wanyin was still dazed, but she subconsciously got up and walked outside with her two daughters-in-law, quickly sticking the feather duster that Qi's mother handed her to her a few times.
Yan Yi took her arm and said gently, "Recently, Princess Tong'an has been arranging for imperial physicians to visit and examine the female members of the imperial family. I heard that a minor problem was found in the Princess of Chun County, and knowing that you have a good relationship with her, she asked us to visit her."
"Xue'e is sick again? Is it serious?" Meng Wanyin became anxious upon hearing this and rushed towards the main gate without being urged by the two.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi quickly followed.
Today was the day they had agreed upon with Princess Tong'an. Considering the health of Princess Chun and the fact that she might be devastated after learning the truth, they planned to "trick" Meng Wanyin into going. At least having her by Princess Chun's side would be a form of support and comfort.
The Marquis's carriage stopped in front of the Chunjun Prince's Mansion at the perfect time, while Princess Tong'an's carriage slowly drove in from the other side.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Meng Wanyin led the two forward to greet them. When she looked up, she met Princess Tong'an's majestic phoenix eyes. Her face seemed to be covered with frost and snow. Meng Wanyin couldn't help but tremble in her heart. She turned back to look at the golden plaque hanging high in the Chunjun Prince's Mansion.
Judging from the princess's demeanor, she doesn't seem to have any good intentions.
She turned back and whispered to the two of them, "We came at the wrong time today, why don't we go home first?"
“Mother is wrong, we have arrived at the perfect time.”
Without saying a word, Shen Lingyue grabbed Meng Wanyin's arm and dragged her through the gate of the Prince's Mansion, following behind Princess Tong'an's entourage.
Meng Wanyin: ...Why do I feel like I've boarded a pirate ship?
Princess Tong'an was followed by the guard captain who had traveled hundreds of miles. When he saw the familiar faces of Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi, he nodded slightly to them.
Then she glanced at Yan Yi several more times.
The Crown Prince's wife's painting skills are so lifelike, it's as if she's printing the real person onto the paper.
They took Wu Qiong's portrait to Wuyang Village, and the villagers recognized her at a glance: "Isn't this Wu Da Niu, the one who tried to burn her own parents to death back then?"
Perhaps because the incident was so shocking in the local area, even after ten years, the villagers can still clearly recall many details.
"What a tragedy! It's just that her parents weren't satisfied with the marriage they arranged for her. Which girl doesn't go through this? But she's the only one who's so audacious as to run away from home. And not only that, she tried to run away, but she even wanted to set fire to the house and burn the whole family to death! She's a real jinx. She should have been drowned in a basin the moment she was born..."
The villagers kept grumbling and cursing. Even though he had no grudge against Wu Qiong, people who didn't know the situation would think that it was his house that was burned down.
Later, the guard captain asked a few more people and learned that Wu Qiong's act of setting fire to her home and fleeing had caused a huge uproar in the village.
In those two years, families with daughters of marriageable age dared not marry them off carelessly for the sake of high dowries; they would at least ask their daughters what they thought before making a decision.
They were afraid too. Whose daughters didn't spend all their time around the stove? If they were to follow suit and throw a burning piece of firewood onto the roof in the middle of the night, they would have to sleep with one eye open.
The villager who complained so much about Wu Qiong was originally going to marry his youngest daughter off to a family that could afford a high dowry, but his daughter used Wu Qiong to threaten him, and in the end he had no choice but to agree to marry her off to the young man they liked, thus losing several taels of silver.
When the captain of the guard found Wu Qiong's elderly parents at their home, the two of them were also filled with hatred for their daughter, cursing her as a jinx.
If the captain of the guard hadn't already heard the truth from Princess Tong'an, he would have really thought that the Wu family elders were innocent victims of their daughter's revenge.
Everyone in the village thought that Wu Qiong had set fire to the house and run away because she was unhappy with her parents' arranged marriage, but would they dare to tell everyone the truth?
The captain of the guard suppressed his contempt for the family and, with a hint of impatience, took them back to the capital to testify.
But this little bit of sympathy for Wu Qiong's misfortune vanished completely after she discovered more victims.
...
Today happened to be a day off for the girls' school. As always, Wu Qiong stayed by the side of Princess Chun, coaxing her to drink a whole bowl of bitter medicine. Just as she was about to take a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, she noticed that Princess Chun had changed to a new handkerchief. The embroidery was exquisite, and it was obviously made by the needlework department of the mansion.
"Mother, where is the handkerchief I gave you?" Wu Qiong asked softly, her hands twisting nervously. "Did you think Qiong'er's embroidery was too rough?"
"Of course not." Princess Chun waved her hand quickly. "I don't know where I put it a couple of days ago. I couldn't find it no matter how hard I looked, so I had the maid make a new one."
Strangely enough, when Physician Wen came to take her pulse that day, the handkerchief was still there, and she even praised it as a sign of Qiong'er's filial piety.
Princess Chun also wondered if Imperial Physician Wen had accidentally smuggled it in while packing his medicine box, but when she sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to ask, Imperial Physician Wen said that she hadn't taken it.
Upon hearing this, Wu Qiong secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "When I return to the girls' school, I will embroider a new one for you."
“Silly child, I sent you to a girls’ school so that you could read more, broaden your horizons, and make more friends. You should focus more on your studies.”
Princess Chun shook her head disapprovingly, "You won't be an embroiderer in the future, so let the maids do these small things."
Wu Qiong forced an unnatural smile. "Without Mother... there would be no Qiong'er today. I can't be by your side every day now, so I should make more small things to show my filial piety to Mother."
Princess Chun was so pleased by her words that the bitter taste of the medicine in her mouth was greatly relieved. She pulled her into her arms and patted her twice.
“My dear child, it is fate that we can be mother and daughter in this life. I only wish that you grow up well and marry a good husband. That would be the greatest filial piety I can show you.”
In the eyes of Princess Chun, Qiong'er was good in every way, except that she was too cautious and too good at reading people's expressions. She was so obedient and sensible that it was heartbreaking.
She pulled strings to get Wu Qiong into Yunshao Girls' School because it was a gathering place for the most outstanding young ladies from all the families in the capital. She wanted Wu Qiong to interact with them more and learn from their confident, generous, and dignified demeanor.
Even if she is only nominally the adopted daughter of the princess, as long as she spends a few years carefully selecting a match, she will definitely be able to find a good marriage for Qiong'er.
Princess Chun was still immersed in the beautiful fantasy of Wu Qiong getting married and having children, and returning to see her with her grandson in the future, unaware that the girl nestled in her arms had eyes full of resentment and gloom.
The tender moment between mother and daughter was interrupted when the maid pushed open the curtain and entered the room.
"Reporting to the Princess Consort, Princess Tong'an has arrived, along with the Lady of Changning Marquis, the Lady of the Heir Apparent, the Second Young Mistress... They are now leading the Prince, the Heir Apparent, and the Second Young Master towards our courtyard."
The string of names and titles made Princess Chun's head spin; she could only remember one: the Lady of Changning Marquis.
“Wan Yin must have come to visit me, but Princess Tong An has never had any dealings with our Prince’s Mansion.”
And what are the Prince and the Crown Prince doing here?
Although she couldn't understand it, it didn't stop Princess Chun from quickly arranging for her maids to prepare to receive the distinguished guests. She also had someone help her with her hair and change into a formal dress for the guests.
Wu Qiong, however, sensed a hint of danger. This animalistic instinct had helped her escape danger at many critical moments in the past, until today.
She stood up, as if afraid of seeing so many outsiders, her fair and frail face showing some unease: "Mother is entertaining distinguished guests, so Qiong'er will go back to her room first."
“Go ahead. It’s rare for you to come home. I’ve had the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes for lunch and sent them over. You can eat in your own room; you don’t need to come and keep me company.”
As soon as Princess Chun finished speaking, Wu Qiong couldn't wait any longer and rushed out of the door as if fleeing, her steps still somewhat flustered.
However, as soon as she ran into the courtyard, she bumped into Princess Tong'an and her entourage who were walking in through the main gate.
Wu Qiong's expression changed, and she uncontrollably took a few steps back.
Princess Tong'an narrowed her eyes, subtly scrutinizing the wicked "girl" before her, her red lips slightly upturned.
"Why are you running? Shouldn't you greet the headmaster with a bow?"
Prince Chun was following closely beside Princess Tong'an. When he saw Wu Qiong's timid and unpresentable appearance, he was furious and scolded, "The princess is asking you a question. Have you forgotten everything you've learned?"
Then, turning to Princess Tong'an, he put on a fawning smile and said, "My dear niece, don't take her seriously. A sparrow is a sparrow; it can't survive in a phoenix's nest!"
He was the late emperor's own son, a legitimate direct descendant of the Xiao family. However, his birth mother's family background was not prominent, and her rank was low. She was not as favored as Prince An, so she only managed to become a Prince of the County over the years.
Prince Chun has always been proud of his lineage and couldn't understand his wife's whimsical idea of adopting a country girl she picked up from outside. He simply chose to ignore her and rarely set foot in the main courtyard in the past two years.
He had previously heard that Princess Chun had secretly sent Wu Qiong to Yunshao Girls' School, a school full of daughters from prestigious families, without his knowledge. He had a big argument with her, accusing her of using the name of the Prince's Mansion to intimidate others.
Princess Tong'an suddenly came to visit today and specifically asked to see the Princess Consort.
Considering that she also held the position of headmistress of Yunshao Girls' School, Prince Chun immediately understood—
Wu Qiong must have offended someone or caused trouble at school, and Princess Tong'an has come to demand an explanation.
Didn't you see the several women from the Changning Marquis's household following behind her? They must be the parents of the students across the street!
Thinking of this, his anger towards Wu Qiong surged again. "You ungrateful wretch! Does Yunshao Girls' School allow just anyone to enter? It's one thing if you don't study properly, but you also dare to tarnish the reputation of our Prince's Mansion! I'll beat you to death today!"
Prince Chun was old, and when he got excited, he would easily lose his breath. He was panting and pacing around in the Princess Consort's courtyard. Finally, he picked up a small shovel that was placed by the flower bed and chased after Wu Qiong, ready to hit her on the head.
"Father, please wait."
A figure rushed out from behind him, grabbed Prince Chun's raised arm without warning, and said in a deep voice with some force, "This shovel strike is bound to kill someone. Besides, the princess is still here. Do you intend to let blood flow in my mother's courtyard?"
Wu Qiong remained with her arms behind her head, slowly raising her gaze to meet Xiao Chuyang's cold and serious face.
...How could it be him?
She continued searching through the crowd, but only caught a vague outline of Xiao Chuwen at the very back.
He just stood there expressionless, indifferent, watching helplessly as Prince Chun was about to beat her to death.
"You brat, how dare you yell at your father like that?" Prince Chun glared at his second son, but finally gave in to his arrogant gaze and threw down the shovel with a clatter.
At Xiao Chuyang's single glance, a maidservant immediately ran over with her head down and quickly took away the flower shovel.
He then released Prince Chun's wrist, without glancing at Wu Qiong once throughout the entire process.
Xiao Chuyang was initially full of scrutiny and suspicion towards this adopted sister who appeared out of nowhere.
But she did fill the void in her mother's monotonous and dull life in the Prince's mansion, and brought more smiles to her face.
Xiao Chuyang tacitly accepted her presence. However, he was not good at interacting with teenage girls, nor did he know how to coax them, so he maintained a distant relationship with her, sometimes appearing quite indifferent.
"Uncle Wang, please calm down. I've come to your door today because I have another important matter to discuss."
Princess Tong'an first offered a few words of gentle reassurance, then her face darkened. "Young Master Xiao, come forward."
Xiao Chuwen had just been in his room with the Crown Princess and had no idea why Princess Tong'an had suddenly come to his door in such a grand manner and summoned him and Xiao Chuyang here together.
Hearing Princess Tong'an call him forward in an unfriendly tone, he instinctively felt a chill run down his spine. He shuffled forward and forced an unnatural smile.
"What are your orders, Princess?"
"Smack!"
Princess Tong'an raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
The huge courtyard fell into a deathly silence in an instant. Even the Princess Consort of Chun County, who had rushed out upon hearing the commotion outside, froze in place.
Princess Tong'an was no delicate lady; she slapped him with all her might. Xiao Chuwen's left cheek swelled up visibly, leaving a complete handprint on his face.
Even he himself was stunned by the slap. His head was buzzing and he saw stars. He was stunned for a while, then suddenly bent over and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, which even contained a tooth.
Prince Chun was dumbfounded. He was clearly the elder in terms of seniority, but he couldn't stand up straight in front of Princess Tong'an, his niece. After a long while, he stammered, "Your Highness, let's talk this out... Chu Wen is also your cousin. How can you just start a fight like that?"
Only Xiao Chuyang revealed a carefree smile, leisurely enjoying his half-brother's disheveled appearance.
Princess Tong'an did not answer. She simply took the clean handkerchief handed to her by the maid, slowly wiped each of her fingers, shook her wrist, and shook her head and sighed, "It's been a long time since I've hit someone myself. My aim wasn't good enough. Otherwise, I should have knocked out two more teeth."
Blood was still gushing from Xiao Chuwen's mouth. He covered his swollen cheek and glared angrily at Princess Tong'an: "You @#￥%..."
His speech was unclear, and all that could be heard was a string of gibberish.
"I'm beating you, you disloyal and unfilial beast who harmed your parents!"
Princess Tong'an waved her hand, and a royal physician, bound hand and foot, was brought in from outside.
"What, what happened?"
Princess Chun recognized him at a glance. Wasn't this the royal physician who was responsible for taking pulses and treating patients at the Prince's residence every day?
As soon as Physician Wang was thrown to the ground, he immediately spilled the beans: "This humble official is guilty! This humble official accepted bribes from Prince Xiao and tampered with the prescriptions that the Princess Consort usually uses... Ah!"
Xiao Chuyang stepped forward and stomped hard on his back, demanding sharply, "Explain yourself, what did you do to my mother?"
He raised his head and looked coldly at Xiao Chuwen, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Physician Wang was trampled on the ground and wailed as he intermittently confessed everything.
"The Princess Consort's handkerchief... the spices and herbs are incompatible..."
Xiao Chuyang, unaware of the situation, swept his sharp gaze over the maid behind the Princess Consort of Chun County, "Who embroidered the handkerchief my mother usually uses? Step forward!"
The maids turned pale with fright and knelt down in a panic, each shaking their heads and saying it wasn't them.
"Still being stubborn?" Xiao Chuyang clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. "Don't force me to use torture on you..."
"It's Miss!"
Suddenly, the Princess Consort of Chun County raised her head, pointed at Wu Qiong, and shouted, "For the past six months, the Princess Consort has been using handkerchiefs embroidered by Miss!"
Wu Qiong, who had been quietly huddled in the corner, instantly became the focus of everyone's attention.
She suddenly raised her head, her face so pale it was almost transparent, her slender body trembling slightly, as if she were about to be torn to shreds by Xiao Chuyang's furious gaze at any moment.
He stared intently at her, approaching her step by step. "Is it you? Wu Qiong? Did you help Xiao Chuwen harm my mother?"
Wu Qiong bit her lip so hard it almost bled. She shook her head desperately, but dared not meet the worried and anxious gaze of the Princess Consort of Chun County, who was looking from another direction.
“Qiong’er…” she reached out her hand to her, her voice trembling, “Come here, come to your mother’s side.”
Wu Qiong stood still, closing her eyes in anguish, letting tears slide down her cheeks, leaving several glistening streaks.
Xiao Chuyang grabbed her shoulder; the protruding knuckles were hard and uncomfortable, yet so light, as if he were lifting a cotton doll.
He forced her to open her eyes and look at him, "Answer me, did you do it or not!"
Wu Qiong suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with resentment and bitterness, a look that was completely unlike that of a teenage girl. Even Xiao Chuyang subconsciously looked away for a moment, and then felt a chill run down his spine after realizing what had happened.
This is terrifying! There was such a venomous snake hiding next to my mother.
"Chu Yang, let go. She won't admit it."
Princess Tong'an's voice sounded behind him. Xiao Chuyang turned around, his brows furrowed. "Your Highness, you already knew?"
"It's only two or three days earlier than yours."
Princess Tong'an gestured for the captain of the guard to step forward and pull the agitated Xiao Chuyang away.
There was no third person between her and Wu Qiong, and their gazes met in mid-air.
"Should I call you Wu Qiong, or Chunhe, Xiao Jiu, Qiong'er... or, Wu Daniu?"
With each name Princess Tongan uttered, Wu Qiong's fear intensified.
Until she heard about Wu Daniu, the beginning of her lifelong nightmare.
Wu Qiong could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground like a limp noodle, as if her soul had been ripped out.
"Wu Daniu! You wretched debt collector! You damned, despicable wretch—"
The vulgar curses filled with rural slang drifted from afar, growing closer and closer. The familiar, long-lost local accent sent a chill down Wu Qiong's spine, and she curled up into a tight ball.
An elderly couple with gray hair and unsteady steps walked into the courtyard, followed by a young man with a cane whose face was covered with burn scars, making him look even more ferocious and terrifying.
When he saw Wu Qiong's face clearly, he burst into a gleeful laugh, "Big sister, you really are an immortal monster! You looked like this when I was fifteen, and now I'm twenty-five, and you still look the same!"
If it weren't for the female guards brought by Princess Tong'an holding him back, he and the Wu family elders would have rushed up and punched and kicked Wu Qiong long ago. Now they can only curse him with foul language.
"You heartless girl!" Mother Wu cried and wailed, slapping her thigh. "If you wanted to leave, you could have left, but why did you set our house on fire? Look at your brother, his leg was broken by a falling beam, and his face was burned. He still hasn't been able to get married... You've ruined the Wu family line!"
"He deserved it!" Wu Qiong suddenly raised her head and glared back coldly. "Do you really think I don't know? He was the one who said he was going to sell me for money. I just hate that he didn't burn to death in that fire!"
The curses of Wu's mother were so grating that Princess Tong'an frowned. The captain of the guard immediately understood and quickly ordered his men to gag the three members of the Wu family and take them away.
She had no sympathy for the Wu family at all. Just because Wu Qiong's two younger sisters didn't marry into good families, the Wu family deserved this calamity.
If the princess hadn't instructed her that only the appearance of the Wu family could make Wu Qiong drop her disguise, she wouldn't have wanted to spend money to hire them to come to the capital.
Princess Tong'an took two steps forward, her eyes calm.
"Wu Qiong, I know you're not a monster. You're just sick, which is why you're different from others, unable to grow up, and forever remain a teenage girl..."
Wu Qiong suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open, as if afraid she was hallucinating.
"I'm not a monster? I'm not cursed? I haven't offended any gods?"
She murmured repeatedly, laughing and crying at the same time, "So I was just sick. Then why wouldn't they take me to see a doctor?"
"The Wu family wronged you first. You can take revenge on them however you want. In fact, the fire you set in Wuyang Village has unknowingly changed the fate of many girls in the village, freeing them from the fear of being sold by their parents to strange husbands."
Wu Qiong hadn't returned to that village for many years, so naturally she didn't know what had happened after she escaped.
Upon hearing Princess Tong'an's words, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curled up. "Really? Haha, so I guess I did something good after all—"
"The Wu family is guilty. But what about the Zhang family, the Li family, and the He family?"
Princess Tong'an's heartless words shattered the beautiful illusions she had woven for herself, quickly bringing her back to the cold and cruel reality.
She walked up to Wu Qiong, her shadow completely enveloping her small body. A fleeting look of pity crossed her eyes, but more so, a suppressed, angry interrogation.
"You changed your name and traveled to various places, forced to sell yourself into servitude to survive, but why did you repeatedly plot against your master and flee time and time again?"
Princess Tong'an possessed an exceptional memory, clearly imprinting the old case files brought back by the captain of the guard into her mind, which she could now readily recall.
“Zhang Qianniang, Li Pingting, He Xinfang, these are all the young ladies you served. They trusted you, valued you, treated you as their confidante, and confided in you. But what did you do? You poisoned Zhang Qianniang's soup every day, colluded with robbers to trick them into opening the Li family's door, and even after accompanying He Xinfang to her husband's home as part of her dowry for half a year, you burned the entire family to the ground…”
Princess Tong'an pointed at her and shouted angrily, "Raise your head! Tell me, what have they done wrong this time?!"
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