Chapter 54 Locking Cousin in a Dark Room
Tang Xinuan loves being praised, and her face is full of a proud and smug expression.
"I will help Erlang find many more talented people in the future."
Chu Yanqing stared at her beautiful eyebrows and eyes as if she didn't recognize her cousin.
My cousin is no longer the caged canary she once was, unable to do anything.
She has her own life now, and every day is fulfilling and she is happy.
The already beautiful girl now exudes a more flamboyant and confident aura.
This confidence comes from the recognition of her abilities and value.
This is the life she deserves.
My older brother will never understand what a woman truly needs.
He thought that as long as he provided her with food and clothing and talked to her well for the rest of her life, a woman could live a life dependent on him.
Some people might like this kind of life.
But the Tang family girl would never do that.
Even the Chu family girl, who has half Tang family blood, wouldn't know how.
"My older cousin is becoming more and more outstanding, and my younger cousins are starting to envy her."
Tang Xinuan is making rapid progress; she is now able to think from other people's perspectives.
"Cousin, after I left, did your brother make things difficult for you?"
Hearing her cousin's concern, Chu Yanqing couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
"Everything is fine, except that a few maids and servants in the manor were scolded."
Of course, it wasn't just a verbal reprimand; the eldest brother beat him until his skin was torn and locked him in the woodshed, torturing him for quite some time.
However, she didn't need to tell her cousin about these things.
This is all the eldest brother's own doing.
Furthermore, her older brother was forcing her to marry Liang Shizi, a vicious and abusive man. She didn't need to tell her cousin about it.
To avoid making my cousin feel guilty and remorseful.
“I’m still his sister, but he scolded me a few times. I have my mother, so he can’t do anything to me.”
Tang Xinuan missed her aunt. "Cousin, if I have the chance, I'd like to see Aunt."
After all, she was a girl who grew up in a noble family.
Lady Hou only had this one niece.
Not only does Tang Xinu miss Lady Hou, but Lady Hou also misses her niece.
Chu Yanqing asked, "Are you going back to the Marquis's residence?"
Tang Xinuan shook her head: "I won't go to the Marquis's residence. If my aunt is willing, please invite her to Babaozhai. I will go there to see her."
“Okay,” Chu Yanqing agreed without hesitation, “I’ll get back to you after I ask my mother.”
The two sisters hadn't seen each other for a long time and had a lot to talk about.
Chu Yanqing had come out under the pretense of helping Wei Minxian, so naturally she could stay a little longer.
However, they can't stay too long. If Wei Minxian goes back first, her older brother will definitely become suspicious if he can't see her.
Judging that it was about time, Chu Yanqing took her leave and left the Prince's residence.
Before leaving, Tang Xinuan told her, "Cousin, come visit me more often when you have time. Erlang won't stop you."
Now that Chu Yanqing has found out where her cousin lives, she will naturally come over often when it's convenient.
"Okay, I'll come when I have time."
Chu Yanqing returned to the Marquis's residence and quietly told the Marquis's wife about meeting her cousin.
Lady Hou, thinking of the Regent's ruthless and heartless nature, couldn't help but worry, "Will the Prince really treat Nuannuan well?"
Chu Yanqing wasn't sure either, "Anyway, my cousin is doing very well now. As for the future, we can only take it one step at a time. It won't be any worse than following my older brother."
Lady Hou wanted to see her niece in person. "When your eldest brother goes on duty, send a message to Nuannuan. I'll wait for her at Babaozhai."
“Okay,” Chu Yanqing replied.
After worrying about his niece, he worried about his daughter.
Lady Hou, suppressing her tears, said, "What about your marriage? Your elder brother has already accepted the betrothal gifts."
Thinking about her agreement with the Regent today, and her current situation, Chu Yanqing realized that Prince Duan was indeed a good candidate.
But she couldn't put all her bets on Prince Duan.
"Mother, I have a way, don't worry."
Lady Hou finally couldn't hold back her tears.
"There's nothing your mother can do to help you. Ever since your maternal grandfather's family was executed, as the daughter of a disgraced official, I've lost all my voice. If your father were still alive, your elder brother wouldn't dare to be too presumptuous. Now... you can only rely on yourself."
Chu Yanqing understood, "The young master of the Liang family has committed many evils over the years. I don't believe we can't find any evidence against him. As long as we find the evidence and send it to the Dali Temple before the wedding, I don't believe he can still get married."
The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review has always adhered to the principle of integrity and incorruptibility, and he calls himself the Bao Zheng of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The cases in his hands range from imperial relatives to common people. As long as the evidence is conclusive, he dares to handle them.
Of course, he has this confidence because of the Emperor.
Of all the officials in the court, he is arguably the most loyal to the emperor, and has yet to take sides.
Both Prince Rui and the Grand Tutor wanted to win him over, but he refused both offers.
Many people tried to find fault with him, but unfortunately, none of them could find any fault with him.
This is why Chu Yanqing dared to place her confidence in him.
Lady Hou, concerned, said, “Yes, yes, we must find evidence quickly. If all else fails, we should ask Prince Duan for help. Your father saved his life, and he can’t just stand by and watch you die.”
Chu Yanqing returned in time, but she did not escape Chu Yannuo's questioning.
"Third sister, I'm giving you one last chance. Bring Nuannuan back to me within half a month, or you can expect to marry into the Liang State Duke's mansion. Do you know what kind of person the young master is?"
Chu Yanqing ignored him: "You don't care about forcing your sister to marry that kind of person, so why should I be afraid?"
"You—" Chu Yannuo almost vomited blood from anger, "You'd better not be afraid."
...
Wei Minzhao was imprisoned in a dark and sunless dungeon. For three days, he did not see a single ray of light and heard no other sounds except for the sound of food being delivered to him.
In this silence, his hearing was amplified to an extreme degree; he could even hear the sound of his blood flowing through his body.
But time passed unusually slowly, as if deliberately slowed down, making him extremely irritable, uncomfortable, and in pain in this environment.
It's even more unbearable than being whipped.
He shouted loudly, trying to get someone to talk to him, but no one paid him any attention.
He gripped the cell door, shouting loudly to ask about the time, but received no response.
In just three days, the handsome young master of the Duke's mansion was nowhere to be seen. He was disheveled, dirty, and more wretched than a beggar on the street.
"Zhou Chuanxing, if you have the guts, beat me up, kill me, Zhou Chuanxing, you bastard..."
Even giving him a candle or a book would be better than torturing him like this.
These past few days, he has been surviving by verbally abusing Zhou Chuanxing.
When Wei Minxian and Chao Li finally appeared, he was exhausted and lay dying in his cell, wondering if he had already descended to the deepest level of hell.
"Big brother—"
A piece of the black cloth covering the cell was removed, and finally some light shone in.
Wei Minxian and Chao Li appeared in the prison cell.
Wei Minzhao seemed to have died once, and he suddenly grabbed the person in front of him.
"Minxian, Minxian, you've finally arrived."
The cell was dimly lit, and in a moment of confusion, Wei Minzhao grabbed Chao Li.
I always thought my younger sister was pretty, but today she looks like a goddess, a fairy descended from heaven.
The darkness was suddenly torn open, and as far as the eye could see, there was such a beautiful girl, who seemed to be surrounded by a bright but not dazzling halo.
It illuminated his eyes and his heart, and his blood seemed to awaken and flow again.
Chao Li struggled free with a hint of disgust, "Young Master Wei, you..."
Noticing his disheveled appearance and seemingly insane state, she felt a pang of pity and asked, "Are you alright?"
Wei Minzhao suddenly recognized Chao Li and forcefully pushed him away. "Was it that bastard Zhou Chuanxing who sent you to torture me?"
Chao Li is obsessed with her brother, but she can't stand anyone insulting her brother.
"Since you still have the energy, let's keep you locked up."
She turned to leave, but Wei Minxian quickly stopped her. "Your Highness, please calm down. My fifth brother is confused. She wasn't targeting you or the Prince."
Then she pinched Wei Minzhao's arm hard, "Aren't you awake yet? The princess is here to save you, hurry up and thank her."
At this moment, the only part of Wei Minzhao's body that was hard was her mouth.
I don't want to suffer like this anymore.
He hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly got up, knelt down and begged for mercy, "Please, Your Highness, save me. I will repay you by serving you like a slave in the future."
Chao Li was then somewhat pleased.
"Alright, go back and wash up first, then come with me to the Prince's mansion to express our gratitude."
After Chu Yanqing left, Tang Xinuan painted a group of koi carp swimming freely in a clear pond.
The aquatic plants at the bottom of the water are clearly visible.
The image is so vivid that it seems as if a group of koi carp are actually swimming.
Once the ink had dried, she put it in a box and took it to the Xiaoqin Hall to give to Zhou Chuanxing.
"Please deliver this to the Northern Region for me."
Zhou Chuanxing opened it and took a look.
The little girl's painting skills were amazing; he had witnessed them before at the Marquis's residence.
"Draw me one sometime too."
Tang Xinuan was overjoyed to see that he liked it.
"When you have time."
As the two were chatting, Chao Li arrived with Wei Minzhao and his sister.
Tang Xinuan didn't want to see Wei Minzhao, thinking he was a bad person.
The only people who could recognize her as a girl at a glance, besides Ambassador Liu, were Wei Minzhao.
"Erlang, is this Wei Minzhao very clever?"
Zhou Chuanxing used to think highly of Wei Minzhao, but after Wei Minzhao exposed the marriage plan, Zhou Chuanxing felt that Wei Minzhao was a brainless person.
"It's alright."
Tang Xinuan pouted, "I don't know how he recognized me. Ambassador Liu also recognized me as a woman at a glance."
Zhou Chuanxing knew he didn't have that ability.
"If you don't want to see me, you can go back to the inner quarters."
Tang Xinu snorted, "If he won't make me comfortable, I won't make him comfortable either."
Zhou Chuanxing liked Tang Xinuan's vengeful nature.
He ordered someone to bring Wei Minzhao into the main hall.
On the way, Wei Minxian had already given Wei Minzhao some instructions.
"Fifth Brother, how could you be so confused? What does it matter to you where Miss Tang is?"
Wei Minzhao made a good point: "Didn't you ask me to help my brother-in-law find someone?"
Wei Minxian said speechlessly, "If I tell you to look for her, then you really should. Do you think I'm magnanimous enough to let my man be with another woman?"
Wei Minzhao was embarrassed, "You didn't say it directly."
Wei Minxian continued, "I know you are speaking out for your father, but with each new emperor comes a new set of officials. No minister can enjoy the emperor's favor forever. Your father's title of Duke will eventually be given to your eldest brother."
You are just an illegitimate son. If you want to make something of yourself, you have to work hard. Are you suggesting that a fine young man should just live his whole life in a daze?
Besides, when you were imprisoned, your father wouldn't even plead with the Regent for you. It was your stepmother who knelt at the gate of the Prince's mansion to beg for your life. Think about it carefully: you offended the Regent for his sake, did he really consider you his son?
After this incident, Wei Minzhao gradually changed his perspective on problems.
He was originally firmly on his father's side, believing that father and son should share both glory and loss.
But he was imprisoned, and if his father had just swallowed his pride and begged the prince, he could have been released that very day.
But the father refused to show up at all.
Therefore, in his father's eyes, his son was not as important as his father's reputation.
"Minxian, I understand."
When Tang Xinuan saw Wei Minzhao again, only three or four days had passed, and he seemed like a completely different person.
His face was pale, his eyes were lifeless, and he lacked the spirit of that day. He hung his head as if his spine had been torn off.
"Erlang, that little dark room you mentioned, completely covered with black cloth to block out sunlight, is it really that useful?"
Zhou Chuanxing glanced at Wei Minzhao with great disdain, "Isn't this a ready-made example?"
Tang Xinuan suddenly had a plan in her heart.
If her cousin dares to bother her again, she'll lock him in a dark room for at least 193 days.
Chao Li walked up to Zhou Chuanxing and reported, "Second Brother, I brought the person out."
Since she was acting on Chu Yanqing's behalf, she blinked obediently, "Young Master Wei already knows he was wrong. Second Brother, give him another job, and he promises to do it well."
Zhou Chuanxing turned to look at the little girl.
Tang Xinuan waved her hand, "Erlang, don't look at me, I don't know what to do."
Since returning to the manor, she had changed back into women's clothing. At this moment, she was wearing a pale yellow strapless dress, which made her look both delicate and beautiful.
Chao Li's attention was entirely on Wei Minzhao just now, but now he noticed Tang Xinuan.
"Are you a cousin from the Chu family?"
Tang Xinuan didn't like being associated with the Chu family.
"My surname is Tang."
Chao Li then asked, "My second brother's male concubine?"
Tang Xinuan heard this term for the first time: "What does 'male concubine' mean?"
Chaoqiu: "..."
Wei Minxian also noticed Tang Xinuan.
It turns out that the person Chu Yannuo had been searching for was actually in the Regent's Palace.
No wonder he couldn't find it even after turning the entire capital upside down.
Tang Xinu crossed her arms and walked over to Wei Minzhao, circling him and looking him over.
"You think you're so strong that you bully a defenseless girl like me, and you even want me to be your brother-in-law's concubine? Is your brain made of mush?"
Wei Minzhao felt the cold glare from her younger sister.
He lowered his head in shame.
"You still want the prince to give you a job? Can you handle it well?"
Wei Minzhao now understands that the job he used to take for granted might only be available if this young girl in front of him agrees.
He is a fine young man; he cannot live a life of mediocrity.
He couldn't rely on his father; he had to fight for it himself.
"Miss Tang, I was just being foolish. I offended you before, please forgive me."
Tang Xinuan didn't want to argue with others.
"It's not that I can't give you a chance, but it's quite troublesome. If you can do it, I'll ask Erlang to arrange a good job for you."
Wei Minzhao had no choice but to lower her head. "Please speak, young lady."
Tang Xinuan: "Prince Rui might cause me trouble in the next couple of days, you have to help me resolve it."
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