The door suddenly banged open with a crash, and a large gust of cold wind rushed in through the entrance. The finest ram’s horn palace lanterns in the room swayed from the blast, the beauties painted on them gently swinging back and forth with the wind.
Qiuju rushed in hurriedly. At first glance, she saw Little Fan Shi and Nanny Zhang kneeling on the ground and couldn’t help but freeze for a moment before turning back to close the door. She took a few steps forward and crouched in front of Little Fan Shi. After choking up for quite a while, she finally dared to tell her: “Just now, word came from Dachuan. He said that the Heir Apparent went to Tongzhou Wharf, but the Imperial Guard was already waiting there. They shot the boat full of holes like a sieve and burned it with a single torch.”
The tears on Little Fan Shi’s face hadn’t yet dried. Her fingers ice-cold, she forcefully closed her eyes, feeling that even breathing had become a difficult task.
Nanny Zhang’s eyes widened in shock as well. She hadn’t expected that after so many years, they still couldn’t avoid this calamity. Her right eyebrow twitched so violently that her whole body felt panicked.
Little Fan Shi understood very well how capable Qian Ying was. Why had he gone to Vice Minister Wang’s house in Tongzhou? The Wang family’s roots in Tongzhou ran deep and tangled. If you wanted to find someone, it was best to seek out such a local tyrant.
Elder Fan Shi couldn’t even remain a bystander anymore. Fearing that if Han Zhi were captured, he might reveal information unfavorable to her, she couldn’t wait to kill him and silence him.
Her heartbeat grew faster and faster, her chest cavity feeling as if it would explode. Little Fan Shi finally burst out laughing with a “ha” sound. She covered her face, both crying and laughing, as if she had already gone mad. Qiuju wrapped her arms around her shoulders, calling out “Miss” again and again.
The sandalwood fragrance in the room dispersed in all directions. Nanny Zhang tremblingly walked a few steps to help Little Fan Shi up, her voice distorted: “Elder Miss, she… she’s not human! She’s absolutely inhuman!…”
They were blood sisters. Even if they weren’t born of the same mother, after being sisters for over ten years, there should be some affection. Even if you raised a cat or dog, over time you’d develop feelings. But Elder Fan Shi’s heart was cold—cold as stone.
Just because Little Fan Shi’s maternal aunt was her birth mother, just because Little Fan Shi didn’t know she was a concubine-born daughter, Elder Fan Shi hated her to this extent. Ruining her entire life wasn’t enough—she had to destroy her son and daughter as well.
Where was there anything human left in her? She had personally destroyed the young miss she raised with her own hands! She had destroyed such a good girl! Nanny Zhang’s hands trembled as she patted Little Fan Shi’s back: “Nanny will give you the item, give you the item…”
Little Fan Shi was like a dying fish, opening and closing her mouth wide. After a long while, she finally reacted and gripped Nanny Zhang’s hand tightly: “Nanny, in this life I’ve wronged you. In the next life, whether as an ox or horse, I will repay you.”
Nanny Zhang could only smile bitterly. What talk of being wronged? If Little Fan Shi hadn’t let her go back then, she would have died long ago—died at the hands of either Han Zhengqing or Elder Fan Shi. All these years had been stolen time. To be able to see her children settled was already a gain.
Nanny Zhang clutched Little Fan Shi’s hand: “But you mustn’t act rashly… With just this hairpin… I’m afraid you still can’t do anything to Elder Miss…”
Little Fan Shi nodded repeatedly like pecking rice. She wouldn’t act rashly. How could she act rashly? She had endured so many years—there was nothing she couldn’t bear anymore. Ah Zhi was dead. In any case, she would go down to accompany him. Once she properly sent Yueheng off, once she sent Yueheng away, she would have no more concerns. At that time, she would definitely tell the Crown Prince about Elder Fan Shi and Han Zhengqing’s scandalous affair, make the Crown Prince open his eyes and see clearly just what kind of venomous woman he had been favoring.
She tightly gripped Nanny Zhang’s hand and struggled to stand up. There wasn’t a trace of color on her face—pale as a malevolent ghost from hell. She turned her head to instruct Qiuju: “Bring paper and brush, bring paper and brush.”
—
Her life was worthless. She was originally married by Han Zhengqing to serve as a shield, for him to abuse at will. But Han Zhi and Han Yueheng were still his flesh and blood children. She would ask him, ask him—arriving at today’s situation, with Han Zhi and Han Yueheng falling to this state, what exactly was it all for?
Nanny Qi hadn’t returned to the Marquis Jinxiang Estate for several days—she was an old hand at navigating these waters. The way the Heir Apparent had looked at her these past days had startled her with alarm. She knew this heir apparent was far more useful and alert than his mother, and he had most likely discovered her identity. She had claimed illness and stayed away from the household for several days.
But she hadn’t expected that just as she returned to end her leave, she would hear that the madam had no time—she was currently receiving an old woman who had come from Yingyang. The steward matron had even mysteriously told her that this old woman had been specifically sent from the Yingyang hometown via escort agency, and the madam hadn’t even called for a meal to be set out yet.
At this hour… She looked up at the sky, thought for a moment, then turned to go back to her own room. After tidying up for a while, she took advantage of the fact that the woman at the west corner gate hadn’t locked up yet. She tucked a few pieces of broken silver into Granny Li’s hands and had Granny Li make a trip to Jiujing Alley for her.
No matter what, someone coming from Yingyang had to be reported to Imperial Concubine Liangdi.
Elder Fan Shi was watching Lianqiao carve a small cat from a plum. On her usually composed face, there actually hung a faint trace of a smile: “Your skill becomes more exquisite by the day. In a few more days, I’m afraid even the imperial kitchen’s masters won’t match you.”
Lianqiao placed the carved cat into a white porcelain dish, smiling and shaking her head with trepidation: “Your Highness flatters me too much—”
Before her words had finished falling, Nanny Fang called out “Your Highness” from outside through the curtain. Hearing Elder Fan Shi say to enter, she quickly lifted the curtain and came in, circling around the curio shelf lined with precious treasures before performing a courtesy to Elder Fan Shi: “Word has come from the Prince’s side, saying the matter has been handled. The Heir Apparent resisted desperately and was shot into a pincushion on the spot by the Imperial Guard… The boat was also burned.”
Vice Minister Wang’s family had lived in Tongzhou for generations, with deeply entrenched connections. The people of Tongzhou were all incredibly familiar with each other. Since she had asked him to handle this matter back then, Elder Fan Shi had never considered the possibility of failure. Hearing this, she leisurely picked up a plum carved into the shape of a peony flower to examine it, then tossed it back into the dish. She turned to ask Nanny Fang: “Has the Marquis Jinxiang Estate also received the news?”
Nanny Fang kept her head lowered, not daring to look at her, and nodded: “They also had people following along with the Imperial Guard to search for him. Since the Imperial Guard has already killed the Heir Apparent, by now that side definitely knows.”
Nanny Fang felt somewhat uneasy in her heart. Anyone encountering such a matter would go mad. Learning of her son’s death, who knew how heartbroken Little Fan Shi would be?
But Elder Fan Shi paid it no mind at all. Little Fan Shi had no one at her side—she was a bird in a cage, with no choice but to let her manipulate her. She lifted the corners of her mouth, seeming very pleased: “Go ask Nanny Qi and see what movements there are on that side.”