Xin He’s eyebrows slightly furrowed: "Song Yalin?"
Since Mu Houchu returned to Yu State, Yu State completely separated from Da Qian. Mu Houchu established himself as King Yu, and there were many matters to attend to in the entire Yu State. Mu Houchu had been so busy these days that he had no time to come home, staying in the military camp for three days. Xin He also helped him handle some matters, and then Mu Houchu thought of the upcoming Chinese New Year, which could not be delayed because of these matters. After all, Chinese New Year was Ah Guai’s favorite day, besides his birthday.
Only then did Xin He start staying in the mansion to prepare for the year-end matters. Although the Prince’s Mansion was busy, there was a rare peace.
But it’s precisely because she was so busy that Xin He had almost forgotten about Song Yalin’s existence.
It wasn’t until this maid hurriedly mentioned her that Xin He finally remembered this person.
The little maid nodded, "Ever since the Prince returned to Yu State, Song Yalin has been detained and waiting for the Prince and Princess to handle her."
Xin He said, "Hasn’t she been dealt with yet?"
Xin He thought that this woman should have been handled a long time ago.
Xiaoyu said, "Princess may not know, but as for the handling of Song Yalin, this servant had also consulted with the Prince before. The Prince said not to worry about her for now and to lock her in the dungeon, in the coldest and smelliest place. There is no need to be in a hurry to kill her; let her suffer a bit first."
Hearing this, Xin He unconsciously felt a chill spread all over her body. Naturally, she knew that when Mu Houchu said "let her suffer a bit," it must not have been just a little bit of suffering. Perhaps it was a life worse than death.
Moreover, that dungeon was not an ordinary place in the royal mansion for detaining erring servants. Instead, it was where Mu Houchu’s secret guards caught the criminals who needed to be "dealt with."
Xin He had gone there once by accident and felt nauseous for a whole day afterward.
Song Yalin, who had been spoiled since she was a child, must have never suffered like this before.
Only then did Xin He look at the little maid who came to report: "What about Song Yalin now? What trouble has she caused?"
The little maid hurriedly shook her head and said, "It’s not that, but according to those who guard the dungeon, Song Yalin seems to have gone crazy."
"Gone crazy?"
"Yes, she’s acting completely insane and talking nonsense. We don’t know if she was driven mad or scared herself mad. She’s creating a ruckus in the dungeon non-stop. The guards are afraid that they might accidentally kill her if they use too much force, so they came to ask the princess what to do."
In asking her what to do, they were actually trying to ask whether they could let Song Yalin die.
Xin He pondered for a moment, then said, "I’ll go and see her."
Xiaoyu frowned: "The environment in the dungeon is terrible, and besides, Song Yalin is acting crazy now. Going there would be very unlucky, especially during the Chinese New Year. This servant can go and take a look."
But Xin He went straight out: "You don’t know Song Yalin’s scheming means? This woman is resourceful when it comes to her interests. Now that she is acting insane, who knows if she is genuinely crazy or is pretending to have some ulterior motives?"
Xiaoyu paused, becoming more vigilant, and nodded: "Yes."
She immediately followed Xin He out.
Xiao Chaihu was naturally uneasy about Xin He going to see Song Yalin alone, so he quietly followed as well.
The entrance to the dungeon was in a remote outer courtyard of the mansion, heavily guarded. On one hand, it was to prevent any criminals from escaping, and on the other hand, it was to prevent outsiders from getting close. Over the years, even Ah Guai had never been here, because the mansion was too big and she didn’t know about many places. Moreover, Mu Houchu didn’t want her to come into contact with such things.
Xin He had once accidentally come here because of her curiosity and barged in despite attempts to stop her. After that, she never wanted to come back again.
The guards bowed as Xin He approached: "Greetings, Princess!"
Xin He nodded: "Where is Song Yalin being held?"
"Does Princess want to go in person?" The guard looked troubled.
Last time Princess had gone in, she had reportedly felt nauseous for a day and couldn’t eat anything, which made the Prince worry. All the guards who guarded the dungeon were rewarded with fifty beatings.
"Open the door," Xin He said. "Don’t worry, I’ll explain to the Prince."
The guards dare not defy her and quickly opened the door for Xin He, leading her personally in.
As soon as Xin He entered the dungeon, a foul smell assaulted her senses. Xin He was prepared for this, so she didn’t react as strongly as she had the last time. She just frowned and covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
Suddenly, she heard the hysterical screams of a woman: "Get away from me! Do you know who I am? I am the side consort of Prince Pingyang. I am pregnant with the little heir, the only son of the Prince. How dare you treat me like this? How dare you!"
Xiaoyu’s face changed, and she scolded the guards in the dungeon: "This woman is talking nonsense and still allows her filthy words to come to the ears of the Princess? Why don’t you hurry up and shut her mouth!"
Xin He raised her hand and said indifferently, "No need."
Having said that, she walked straight in. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
As soon as she rounded a corner, she saw a woman in a narrow and dim dungeon, acting hysterically. The woman had disheveled hair and tattered clothes, and her body exuded a foul smell. Her delicate hands were covered in scars and dirt; even her nails were filled with black mud. With her twisted, ferocious expression, she screamed like a lunatic: "I am the side consort of Prince Pingyang! I am the one carrying the young heir! All of Yu State should belong to me and honor me. What right do you have to treat me like this? How dare you!"
Xin He looked through the cell door at this madwoman-like woman, who was shrieking and suddenly recalled the appearance of Song Yalin in the past. She always maintained the demeanor that a legitimate daughter of the Song Family should have, poised, humble, polite, and knowing when to advance or retreat. Among the young ladies of Yu State, none could match her in the title of famous maiden. She even had the reputation of being the number one girl in Yu State.
However, it was such a woman who now looked like this, which was inevitably sigh-inducing.
Indeed, fate makes fools of people.
Song Yalin suddenly noticed Xin He standing outside the cell, her eyes becoming momentarily dull before she screamed: "Ah! It’s you! You mean person, you took my position as a princess, and you took everything from me! The position of the Princess of Pingyang’s Mansion should have been mine. I am the one carrying the heir. You can’t even give birth to a son, but yet you stole everything from me!"
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