Chapter 45: The Princess's Evil Plan to Destroy Her Innocence
The midday sun streamed through the window lattice, shimmering onto the stone table in the side courtyard. Yet, the air was thick with an unsettling, oppressive feeling. Qingzhu had just placed the food box the maid had brought on the table when she sensed something was amiss. The person delivering the food today wasn't the usual Chuntao, but a new maid. Her eyes were evasive, and she was in a hurry to leave after putting down the food box.
"Wait," Qingzhu stopped the maid and pointed at the chicken soup in the lunch box. "Why are you the one delivering it today? Did the princess specifically order this chicken soup?"
The maid's eyes flickered and she stammered, "Yes... the princess said that Concubine Yun was weak, so she asked the kitchen to stew some nourishing soup for you to bring to Concubine Yun as soon as possible." After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked away quickly. She almost tripped when her skirt swept over the threshold.
Qingzhu watched her back, her uneasiness growing. She opened the lunch box and was greeted by the aroma of chicken soup, unusually rich. If she sniffed carefully, she could detect a faint, unrelated odor.
"Miss, look at this soup..." Qingzhu walked into the room with chicken soup and handed it to Yunzhi.
Yun Zhi had just picked up the soup spoon, her fingertips touching the warm porcelain bowl when she suddenly remembered Xiao Jin's instructions before leaving the mansion yesterday. Although his tone was cold and hard, it also hinted that the princess might take action. She paused, her eyes falling on the chicken soup, and then remembered the method her mother had taught her to identify poison. She quickly pulled out the silver hairpin from her hair and dipped it into the soup.
But in just a moment, the tip of the silver hairpin turned slightly black!
"It's poisonous!" Qingzhu was so scared that she almost dropped the bowl of soup and quickly poured the chicken soup on the ground. "The princess is so cruel! She actually wanted to poison you to death!"
"It's not poison, it's an aphrodisiac." Yun Zhi stared at the blackened silver hairpin, her eyes instantly cold. She had already inhaled a small amount of the drug when she leaned in to smell it earlier. Now she felt her whole body begin to heat up, her limbs gradually weakening, and her vision becoming a little blurry. "She doesn't want to kill me, she wants to destroy my innocence. Once the drug takes effect, she'll arrange for a man to enter my room, creating the illusion of an affair, and making it impossible for me to recover."
As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard, and a maid deliberately raised her voice: "Servant Zhang, why are you running so fast? The side courtyard is the prince's forbidden area, you can't enter casually!"
"Oh no! The people they arranged are here!" Qingzhu was so anxious that tears were about to fall. She quickly supported Yunzhi and said, "Miss, let's run away! It will be too late if we are late!"
Yun Zhi gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand. She knew that if she were caught in an affair, not only would her innocence be ruined, but her chances of uncovering the truth about the Yun family and avenging her child would also be completely gone. She had to escape, she had to survive.
Qingzhu supported Yunzhi as they stumbled toward the back of the courtyard—there was an abandoned corner gate there, usually rarely guarded, a pre-selected escape route. But the drug's effects were taking effect faster and faster, and Yunzhi's body grew heavier. Every step felt like treading on cotton. The heat all over her body nearly drove her wits apart, and her ears were buzzing. She could only rely on Qingzhu's support to move forward.
"Young lady, hold on a little longer! The corner gate is just ahead!" Qingzhu panted, supporting Yunzhi as she quickened her pace. She could hear footsteps approaching behind her, and someone shouting, "Mrs. Yun has run away!" Her heart tightened.
Just as they were about to touch the bolt of the corner door, Yun Zhi's feet suddenly gave way, and she leaned heavily against the wall, her consciousness beginning to blur. She looked at Qing Zhu's anxious face and wanted to say, "Don't worry about me, you run first," but she couldn't even utter a word. She could only watch as Qing Zhu desperately tried to help her up, but she didn't even have the strength to do it.
"Madam Yun, what brings you here?" a familiar voice called from behind. It was the head maidservant of the princess. Immediately afterwards, several servants and maidservants gathered around her, led by the man known as "Servant Zhang." He stared at Yun Zhi with a lewd look, a malicious smile playing on his lips.
"Don't come over here!" Qingzhu stretched out his arms to block Yunzhi's way. His voice was trembling but full of determination. "The princess framed the master, and you aided and abetted her. Aren't you afraid that the prince will come back and call you to account?"
"Punish me?" The head maid sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "When we 'catch' evidence of Madam Yun and Servant Zhang's affair, the prince will only thank the princess for clearing up the mess! If you know what's good for you, get out of the way, or I'll punish you too!"
Servant Zhang rubbed his hands and approached step by step: "Madam Yun is so beautiful. Even if you did something shameful, the prince would not blame you, right? Why don't you just follow me? I promise to treat you well in the future..."
His hand was about to touch Yunzhi's shoulder. Qingzhu was so anxious that she wanted to rush over to stop him, but she was held down by two maids and could not move.
Yun Zhi watched the servant Zhang approaching, feeling the surging effects of the medicine in her body and the despair in her heart. Suddenly, she used up her last bit of strength, pushed him away, and roared, "Don't touch me! I'll die before you succeed!"
Servant Zhang hadn't expected her to have the energy to resist. He stumbled a few steps as he was pushed. Furious, he was about to step forward and say, "If you don't accept my toast, I'll have to drink the penalty! Even if you die today, you have to let me be happy first!"
At this critical moment, Yun Zhi suddenly felt her vision go black, and her body fell to the ground uncontrollably. She thought she was finished, but before she lost consciousness, she heard Qing Zhu's surprised cry, and a familiar and anxious voice: "Yun Zhi! How are you?"
Who was it? Was it Xie Heng? Or... Xiao Jin?
She didn't know the answer, only feeling a pair of warm arms embrace her body, and the familiar aroma of herbs lingering at the tip of her nose, dispelling some of the heat. Then, she fell into complete darkness.
Not far away, in the pavilion of the main courtyard, Lin Wanru was holding a teacup, listening to the maid's report with a smug smile on her face. "Excellent, they're already blocking the corner gate, and the medicine should be taking effect soon. Take your men over now, and if you 'just' happen to catch them doing something, you can prove it and make sure Yun Zhi never gets a chance to stand up again!"
"Yes, Princess!" the maid responded and turned to leave.
Su Yurou sat aside, her hand holding the teacup trembling slightly, her eyes full of anticipation: "Sister, this time we can finally get rid of Yun Zhi. From now on, we will be the only ones by the prince's side."
Lin Wanru sneered, her eyes filled with venom. "Does she think she's worthy enough to compete with us? Once she's ruined, I'll send her to the most despicable brothel and let her be abused for the rest of her life. Let her experience what it means to be worse than death!"
But they didn't know that at the corner gate, the situation had reversed. The "game" they thought would destroy Yun Zhi not only failed to trap her, but instead attracted an unexpected person, creating an opportunity for Yun Zhi to escape.
The unconscious Yun Zhi has no idea that this seemingly dangerous crisis is just a small episode on her road to revenge. What awaits her next will be a more complex conspiracy, more difficult choices, and deeper entanglements with Xiao Jin and the Shen family.
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