Shi Guang looked coldly at Qiucao where she knelt with such difficulty, his gaze completely devoid of feeling.

“Who gave you leave to act without authorization?” Shi Guang’s voice was low, but it carried undeniable pressure and authority.

Qiucao trembled all over with fright, and in an almost trembling voice said: “It was Qiucao who acted on her own. Qiucao thought — Second Young Master perhaps did not have the heart to move against the Young Mistress, but the Young Mistress and the Young Marshal are deeply devoted to each other. If the Young Marshal truly dies, the Young Mistress will surely seek revenge on his behalf. The Young Mistress is clever and cunning. Keeping her near Second Young Master would be like keeping a time bomb at his side. Qiucao acted out of concern for Second Young Master’s safety, and had no choice but to do what she did.”

“So you’re saying you did all this for me?”

“Qiucao’s heart and soul belong entirely to Second Young Master. Heaven and earth bear witness to my sincerity.”

Shi Guang gave a cold laugh. “Qiucao, there is no need to perform in front of me. Do you think I don’t know what you’re really after? You were simply afraid that if Yan Qing came into this house, she would threaten your position.”

Knowing she could not deceive Shi Guang, Qiucao could only weep and beg for forgiveness. “Second Young Master, Qiucao was wrong. Qiucao truly knows she was wrong.”

“You know you were wrong?” Shi Guang lifted Qiucao’s chin. She was looking up at him with eyes brimming with tears. “Qiucao, remember what I am about to say. You are nothing more than a machine for bearing a child. Once this child is born, it will change nothing. The position of principal wife will go to anyone before it goes to you. After the child is born, it will be given to the mistress of this household to raise — not to you, a lowly concubine.”

Shi Guang said this and then flung her chin away. “Stop dreaming your foolish dreams. You cannot hold a candle to Yan Qing — not even to one of her toes. If I find that you have any further thoughts of harming her, don’t blame me for disregarding whatever feeling once existed between us. Oh — between us, besides this child, there seems to be nothing much at all.”

Upon hearing Shi Guang’s words, Qiucao’s tears fell all the harder. She had long known that Shi Guang felt no love for her. But to have it laid so nakedly bare — it was as if a blade had cut through her heart. No matter how prepared she had thought she was, the pain was still unbearable.

“What is the situation with that Honghua?” Shi Guang had no patience for Qiucao’s weeping and demanded an answer with extreme displeasure.

Qiucao sobbed as she answered: “Honghua must have been discovered somehow.”

“Useless.”

“What does Second Young Master intend to do with her?” Qiucao had just seen Shi Guang send someone to Er Yitai’s courtyard, and gathered he had likely gone to fetch Honghua.

“What use is there in keeping someone with no value? She accomplishes nothing and only makes a mess of things.” Shi Guang shot a glance at Qiucao. “Though in a way it’s for the best — at least you don’t get what you wanted.”

Qiucao kept her head down and dared not say another word.

“All right — help your concubine back inside.” Shi Guang turned and strode away without a backward glance.

“Qiucao.” Qingmei rushed forward to help Qiucao up.

Qiucao stared toward the gate, gritting her teeth with bitter resentment. “That Honghua — she truly is unreliable. She couldn’t even carry out something so simple. I trusted her for nothing.”

“It’s her own fault for being so careless — she went and got herself discovered. What a pity. Such a well-laid plan, ruined just like this.” Qingmei also said regretfully: “Qiucao, what do you think Second Young Master will do next?”

“With his ruthlessness, he will certainly not spare that child.” Qiucao gave a cold laugh. “If he rids the Young Mistress of her child, the Young Mistress will hate him for the rest of her life. He refuses to heed my counsel and insists on keeping her at his side — that is raising a tiger to bite him later. He will come to regret it. Just wait and see.”

~

Honghua sat in the courtyard, fidgeting with anxiety. The pot of soup had been sent out some time ago. If the Young Mistress had drunk it while it was still hot, the effects should be showing by now.

Honghua went to the courtyard gate and looked out. Only the guards stood there like wooden posts, the entrance empty and silent.

As Honghua waited in growing impatience, someone finally approached — a guard with a somewhat fierce look about him.

This guard stepped inside and first swept his gaze around the courtyard. A few young maids who were sweeping had grown so accustomed to guards coming and going that none paid him any notice.

“Which of you is Honghua?” the guard called out.

Honghua could not quite read the guard’s intent, but thinking he was one of Second Young Master’s men, she assumed the deed had been done and Second Young Master was sending for her.

Without waiting for anyone else to reply, she stepped forward with a smile. “I am.”

The guard looked her over. “You’re Honghua?”

“It’s me.” Even now, Honghua was caught up in her dream of Second Young Master coming to summon her, and the look she gave the guard was full of expectation.

But unlike what she had hoped, this guard, once he had confirmed her identity, suddenly drew the gun from his waist.

Honghua gave a start. The cold muzzle was already pressed against her head. The maids around her screamed in terror, and several flung down their tools and scattered in all directions.

Honghua instinctively spun to run. She heard a gunshot behind her. Through the smoke, the bullet struck her in the thigh.

Honghua let out a shriek and toppled to the ground, clutching her leg as cold sweat poured down her face.

Screams rang out all around, and the young maids scattered into the rooms.

“Don’t — don’t come any closer.” Honghua looked up at the guard drawing nearer, and through the pain she cried out: “I am Second Young Master’s person. I will be Second Young Master’s concubine. If you dare lay a hand on me, Second Young Master will never let you off.”

The guard smiled faintly and raised his gun again. “My apologies — but it was Second Young Master who sent me. People who fail to get the job done no longer have any reason to exist. Second Young Master does not want useless people hanging about and getting in the way.”

“No, no — I already added the medicine. The effects should show any moment. Wait a little longer — I would never let Second Young Master down.” Honghua scrambled to explain herself. “Please, just wait a little.”

“So it was you who did it.” A sharp cry rang out from outside. Footsteps hurried closer. “You rotten, heartless girl — so you really intended to harm the Young Mistress.”

Nanny Wang came rushing in with fury blazing across her face.

Honghua saw Nanny Wang and felt a pang of guilt, followed immediately by a loud cry: “Yes, it was me — so what? Second Young Master can give me wealth and comfort for the rest of my days. You just go on being Er Yitai’s dog. I only chose the path I wanted to walk. You have no right to interfere.”

“You—” Nanny Wang pointed at her daughter sitting on the ground, her heart aching even as she was flooded with disappointment. “Er Yitai has shown our family a debt of gratitude as heavy as a mountain, and you repay her with betrayal. When Er Yitai told me this, I still couldn’t believe it. And now you’ve admitted it with your own mouth. Honghua, you have let me down so deeply. How can you face Er Yitai after all the kindness she has shown us?”

Honghua endured the searing pain and said: “What has she done for me? Nothing but order us around every day. Once I become a concubine, I’ll be a mistress of this house myself. I can exercise the same authority she once had. Mother, when that day comes, we’ll be the mistresses here — all these people will be at our beck and call. I don’t want to be a servant my whole life, to live in such humiliation all my days.”

“Crack!” A heavy blow landed on Honghua’s face, snapping her head to one side.

“You ungrateful wretch.” Nanny Wang was shaking with rage. “I have no such heartless and disloyal daughter.”

At that moment, the guard on the side cut in: “If you want to lecture your daughter, you’ll have to do it in the underworld. I’ve come to send her on her way.”

Nanny Wang, hearing this, immediately stretched out both arms and placed herself in front of Honghua. “You — you can’t do this.”

The guard pointed his gun at Nanny Wang’s forehead and said coldly: “Then you can go together — that way you two can continue arguing down below about who was right and who was wrong.”

“Don’t — don’t kill my mother.” Honghua cried out in desperation.

The guard paid no attention to her screams and pulled the trigger directly.

In the instant the trigger was pressed, Honghua shoved Nanny Wang out of the way. The icy bullet passed through her forehead and out the back of her skull, lodging in the door frame.

A young maid hiding behind the door immediately went limp with fright and collapsed to the floor.

Nanny Wang watched Honghua slump to one side, and a sharp, wretched wail tore out of her. She threw herself over Honghua’s body.

“Honghua. Honghua.”

The guard’s eyes held not a trace of feeling. He raised his gun again, this time aimed at the back of Nanny Wang’s head.

“What are you doing?” A feeble voice rang out — yet it carried authority. “I am still the Er Yitai of this mansion, still the mistress of this back courtyard. Who gave you the nerve to kill at will in my presence?”

Er Yitai entered with Xiaojun supporting her. She took in the sight of Honghua lying on the ground.

Honghua was cradled in Nanny Wang’s arms. A gaping wound had opened in her head, blood streaming down across her face. She was no longer breathing.

Nanny Wang held her daughter, grief-stricken beyond words.

“Step back at once.” Er Yitai, trembling with fury, fixed the guard who had fired the shot with a blistering stare.

The guard still had some regard for Er Yitai’s standing, and moreover Shi Guang had only ordered him to kill Honghua — so hearing Er Yitai’s command, he hesitated briefly and at last put the gun away.

Once the guard had gone, Er Yitai came forward and said gently: “Nanny Wang, let’s bring Honghua’s body inside for now. It’s so cold out here — we shouldn’t let the child freeze.”

Though Honghua had betrayed her, the girl was already dead now, and saying more was pointless. She had paid the price for what she had done.

“Shi Guang has grown too ruthless.” Er Yitai let out a long sigh. “Anyone who poses a threat to him, he kills without batting an eye.”

She thought of what Shi Ting had once told her: that Shi Guang had killed dozens of innocent people to cover up Qian Lan’s identity. Honghua, to him, was nothing more than a blade of grass — once she was of no use, she was to be disposed of.

When Nanny Wang heard Er Yitai’s voice, she finally wiped away a handful of tears, her throat hoarse as she said: “Er Yitai, please go quickly to the Young Mistress. Second Young Master has lost all reason. He will surely move against her.”

Luo Huaimeng knew this only too well — but Shi Guang had the door guarded so tightly that she could not even take a single step outside the gate.