The Imperial Physicians sent Shang Rong and Qi Qingling into the hall. The others were sent by Shen Qianyu back to their respective sleeping quarters. Song Wan was also pulled by him back to Laiyi Pavilion.

Heng Zhi brought over a copper basin with reddened eyes. Shen Qianyu took the copper basin and cloth from her hands, half-crouching before Song Wan to carefully wipe the bloodstains from her face.

“Was Wan’er frightened?”

The man spoke in a low voice, as if afraid of scaring Song Wan.

The warm cloth wiped away the congealed bloodstains on her face bit by bit. Song Wan grasped his hand and gently shook her head.

“Today Qin Rao… she did it deliberately.”

“Everything was too abrupt.”

Song Wan murmured, “From when she saw Good Lady Qi to when she struck and injured someone, it was all too abrupt and swift, just as if she had made up her mind to harm someone today.”

“But there’s no reason.”

Song Wan’s eyes were red, her heart bitter.

Qingling’s injury was too severe. She feared… it was not good.

“Even if Qin Rao is mad, she should not act so crazily when the ruler of Nanqing is beset by enemies on all sides. What was she testing today?”

As soon as Song Wan closed her eyes, she saw the terrifying sight of Qi Qingling’s half face being flayed off, collapsing to the ground in endless struggle. Her mind was a blank white, her ears filled with memories of Qi Qingling’s usual gentle, shy, and soft manner of speaking.

Just today, she had stood before her, gently pointing out qin techniques in a warm voice. The next instant, a perfectly good young woman’s life hung in the balance.

Song Wan raised her hand to cover her face. Tears as large as beans slid between her fingers, dripping onto Shen Qianyu’s hand.

“No need to worry about other matters. I will handle Qin Rao myself.”

“As for Good Lady Qi…”

Shen Qianyu held Song Wan’s hands in his palms, murmuring, “If she truly meets with misfortune, I will compensate the Qi family.”

Reaching out to wipe away the teardrops on Song Wan’s face, Shen Qianyu had Heng Zhi brew her calming tea, while he himself carried her to the beauty couch in the sleeping chamber.

“Sleep for a while. Don’t let your thoughts run wild. I’m here with you.”

Holding Song Wan in his embrace, Shen Qianyu did not know how to console her. He could only gently and repeatedly stroke her back.

“In the past, when I felt painful torment, I would rest briefly.”

Loosening Song Wan’s hair, he reached out to encircle her in his arms, softly coaxing her.

Heng Zhi, Heng Wu, and the others were all frightened as well, but Jinshu was still injured, so they dared not be negligent.

“You all go rest as well. I’m here.”

Wan Xiao, supporting Jinshu’s hand, sent Heng Zhi and the other away.

Jinshu was still silently weeping. Wan Xiao glanced at her and said in a low voice, “Your injury is difficult to treat. The only way is to remove those metal hooks one by one. Can you endure it?”

“I can… I can endure it.”

The young woman’s tearful and pitiable appearance made Wan Xiao draw a handkerchief from his bosom. Extending one hand, he roughly wiped her face. “Stop crying. You look ugly.”

Jinshu was still in pain, but no matter how much it hurt, a young woman didn’t like being called ugly. She pushed Wan Xiao’s hand away, glaring at him angrily.

Before Jinshu could open her mouth to retort, Wan Xiao poured all the brown medicinal liquid at hand onto Jinshu’s hand.

“Ah…”

Jinshu opened her mouth wide, just about to wail, when Wan Xiao stuffed an entire pastry from the table into her mouth.

“Mmph…”

“Just eat that. I’ll pick out these metal hooks for you.”

That medicinal liquid just now had a pain-relieving effect. After Jinshu chewed and swallowed the pastry in her mouth, the wound on her hand no longer hurt as severely as it had initially.

Wan Xiao lowered his head, removing the hooks carefully. Jinshu sobbed, “Last time, last time this servant misunderstood Director Wan.”

“How old are you this year?”

Jinshu didn’t know why he suddenly asked this, but replied blankly, “Seventeen years old.”

Wan Xiao didn’t raise his head. “Although palace maids can be released from the palace after ten years of service, if you don’t want to remain in the palace, I can petition the Crown Prince to let you leave.”

“This servant doesn’t want to leave the palace.”

Wan Xiao’s hand paused. “Why? Leaving the palace early to marry and bear children is also one of life’s joys. Why waste away here? Today’s incident may not be the first time, and it won’t be the last. What place outside isn’t happier than inside the palace?”

“This servant already has a husband. There’s no need to go out to marry and bear children.”

Wan Xiao furrowed his brows. “If you already have a husband, why haven’t you married early?”

Jinshu sighed. “My husband’s clan met with disaster. No one knows if he’s dead or alive. Over these years, some say he’s still alive, while others say he died.”

“I’m thinking of searching for him. Perhaps I can find him.”

Wan Xiao lowered his eyes. “The world is vast. Where would you search?”

“We were betrothed. This marriage fate must exist. Perhaps one day I’ll find him.”

“Director Wan, please continue picking them out. This thing hooked into my hand is very painful…”

Seeing Wan Xiao had stopped, Jinshu stared at him with moist, wide eyes, blinking as she urged him to work more efficiently.

Wan Xiao’s brows were tightly locked as he continued bandaging Jinshu.

Finally removing all the metal hooks from her flesh, only then did Wan Xiao say, “How did you suddenly enter the palace? Where are your parents?”

The deeper meaning in his words, Jinshu didn’t have time to consider carefully. She only answered what was asked. “Father traveled everywhere searching for my husband’s family. Over these years he exhausted all our family’s resources. Mother fell gravely ill and has already passed away.”

“After Mother passed away, Father still couldn’t find news of this servant’s husband’s family. He both felt he had failed his old friend and failed Mother, and also passed away early.”

“Later I was taken to my maternal grandmother’s home. After a few years, after Maternal Grandmother passed away, my maternal aunt sold this servant and Elder Sister Luanjian to Lord Song’s residence.”

Jinshu smiled cheerfully. “Miss treats this servant extremely well. She once said that if I find my husband, she’ll let this servant leave the palace, and will also give this servant a dowry.”

Wan Xiao raised his eyes to look at Jinshu, his brows deeply furrowed.

Zhang Bo’s family had busied themselves to such an extent for his clan, yet he had known nothing of it.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Shen Qianyu walked out from the room to see Wan Xiao staring at Jinshu in a daze.

Only when Jinshu spoke did he stand up.

“Come with this Prince.”

The two walked out of Laiyi Pavilion. Shen Qianyu said, “Wan’er said today’s action by Qin Rao was extremely unwise. She must have had some purpose.”

Wan Xiao answered, “This subordinate doesn’t know what happened earlier, but Lady Song Chenghui has always been clever and perceptive. If she said so, it shouldn’t be false.”

Shen Qianyu nodded. “Qin Zhan’s decline is real. Qin Rao has restrained her temperament for a long time. Going mad today so suddenly should be related to His Majesty having Good Lady Qi play the qin for her yesterday.”

“His Majesty responding to Qin Rao with words of amusement and diversion was extremely improper.”

Wan Xiao sneered. “The Crown Prince’s position is immeasurably higher than that of a country’s princess. Even if the Crown Prince’s Good Lady provides amusement and diversion for a princess, these words should not have come from His Majesty’s mouth.”

Wasn’t this making it clear that the Crown Prince of Dongning held a less noble position than the Princess of Nanqing?

The ruler of Dongning showed awe and fear toward the Princess of Nanqing. Qin Rao must have noticed some clues from this, which led to her actions today.

Shen Qianyu’s brows were tightly furrowed, his heart impatient.

Regarding today’s incident, Emperor Wenhui would certainly not punish Qin Rao.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Qianyu spoke in a low voice. “Those guests in Qin Rao’s bed, inhaling the aphrodisiac on her body daily without relief, don’t dare make any unusual movements while beside her, but now they will certainly find ways to relieve their desires.”

Wan Xiao only saw his master’s eyes narrow slightly as he uttered several words he had not expected.

“Have someone go to the secret brothels to find some women with hidden diseases, and find an opportunity to send them to those men.”

Wan Xiao said, “This method is rather vicious, but it’s also effective.”

They could not let Qin Rao die within Dongning’s territory, but if Qin Rao died from disease caused by debauchery, no one in the world could say anything.

“It is indeed vicious.”

Shen Qianyu sneered coldly. “Among the methods employed by Qin Rao, there are none that are not vicious.”

During the time in Nanqing, she used this method to harm countless people who did not support Qin Zhan’s rise to power. He was now merely returning the favor.