Chapter 59: This is Serious

“You…” Bao Ning’s hair had come halfway loose. She looked at the broken hairpin on the ground, then at Songlan who stood there meekly, and didn’t know what to say.

But the unease in her heart grew stronger.

Bao Ning said, “Forget it. Leave now. Wait for me outside—I’ll be done soon.”

Songlan was Qiu Lingjun’s maid. Even if her behavior was displeasing, the most Bao Ning could do was scold her a little. She couldn’t punish her harshly over a few careless words or a broken hairpin—it would sour relations with Qiu Lingjun. After all, they were still living under the Qiu family’s roof. Being cautious and courteous was for the best.

However… could everything that happened today really be chalked up to coincidence?

Bao Ning picked up her clothes and walked behind the screen, eyes lowered in thought.

This time, Songlan didn’t stop her. She simply stood up from the ground, still looking obedient and docile.

Bao Ning suddenly recalled the man at the moon gate earlier—the one called “Brother Yuan,” wearing Pei Yuan’s jade clasp. But she was sure that man wasn’t Pei Yuan. Though their figures were similar, Pei Yuan was more muscular, and the man had a slightly hunched neck—Pei Yuan never slouched. His posture was always upright.

Besides, Pei Yuan would never lie to her about something like that. With his proud nature, sneaking around for an affair was beneath him.

Then what did Songlan mean by her words earlier? Were they really just idle chatter? It felt calculated—as if she’d been trying to steer Bao Ning’s thoughts.

Suddenly, the image of Qiu Lingjun’s fox-like eyes came to mind, along with four words: “sowing discord.”

Bao Ning decided not to change clothes anymore. A damp dress was far less frightening than that maid. Who knew what those two master and servant were plotting?

She picked up a spare hairpin prepared on the dress, quickly pinned her hair, and was just about to find an excuse to leave—when she caught a glimpse of a shadow on the screen.

Her eyes flew wide.

Songlan was holding a handkerchief and tiptoeing toward her—only a step away from lunging!

“What are you doing?!”

Bao Ning shouted, dodging to the side. Songlan was startled, and Bao Ning immediately knocked the handkerchief from her hand.

She’d seen this method before—when Feng Yongjia abducted her, they’d used the same thing: a handkerchief laced with knockout powder. Alarm bells rang in her mind. She was now certain—Songlan meant her harm.

No longer polite, she looked around for a weapon. Spotting a small bench beside the table, Bao Ning rushed over, picked it up, and smashed it at Songlan’s head.

“Ow!” Songlan screamed and collapsed. Bao Ning ran for the door. Songlan grabbed at her skirt. “Your Highness, what are you doing? I meant no harm!”

“Tell that to a ghost!” Bao Ning yanked her skirt free and ran toward the door.

She was only a few steps away when the door was pushed open from outside.

Another maid entered, her tone cold: “Where are you off to, Your Highness?”

“Shaolan! We’ve been exposed!” Songlan, blood covering her head, scrambled to grab the handkerchief. “Don’t waste time talking—knock her out and bring the man over. Just don’t let her escape!”

Shaolan narrowed her eyes and stepped across the threshold, trying to shut the door behind her.

But Bao Ning, summoning a burst of strength, shoved her aside and leapt outside.

“Refuse to drink the wine offered, huh? Then drink the punishment!” Shaolan grabbed Bao Ning’s sleeve and shouted.

Songlan ran off to find help.

At that moment, Bao Ning understood the scheme: these two maids were trying to stage a cliché “caught in the act” setup. They’d knock her out, bring in a random man, and with so many guests around for Pei Xiao’s wedding, all it would take was a loud enough excuse to draw a crowd. Her reputation would be ruined.

Bao Ning screamed for help. Shaolan clamped a hand over her mouth and pressed a dagger to her throat. “Scream again and I’ll kill you!”

—

Not far away, in a tree, Pei Yuan sensed something was wrong. He cursed under his breath and prepared to jump down, but Wei Meng stopped him.

“There are too many Imperial Guards in the manor—you’ll only make things worse.”

Pei Yuan paused, thought for a moment, then broke off a tree branch, notched it in his bow, and shot it at Shaolan.

Shaolan was trained in martial arts—far stronger than Bao Ning. She was about to subdue her when a sudden whoosh came from behind.

Bao Ning’s heart leapt—Pei Yuan!

Shaolan also heard it and turned. The branch, still covered in leaves, flew like an arrow and struck her right in the eye!

Blood sprayed. Bao Ning felt a few hot drops on her face. Shaolan screamed and fell.

“My eye! My eye…” Shaolan clawed at the branch in her face, blood smeared all over her head. Her wailing was terrifying. Bao Ning’s heart trembled, but she took a few deep breaths and turned to run.

“Zhao Cheng, grab her!” Songlan had returned with a man. Seeing the chaos at the doorway, she gasped, “The guards will be here any second. I’ll take Shaolan away—you catch that woman!”

Pei Yuan broke another branch, drew his bow, and aimed at the man’s eye. Just as he was about to release—

From the front yard came a loud commotion.

“Fire! There’s a fire in the consort’s room! Come quickly!”

Zhao Cheng paused in confusion.

Pei Yuan loosed the branch—it pierced his left eye. Zhao Cheng screamed like a butchered pig and fell.

Songlan froze. She had no idea what was happening. Both Shaolan and Zhao Cheng had been blinded by flying branches—and no one was around. Guilt and fear overwhelmed her.

“Ghosts! There are ghosts!” she screamed, crawling away in terror.

Wei Meng rested his hand on his sword and muttered, “Just as I suspected—Lu Yun made her move.”

He squinted toward the flames in the distance. There was wind tonight, and the fire spread fast. But wind alone couldn’t cause this. He noticed oil on the rooftops—it had been planned.

“That woman’s vicious… but it works in our favor.”

“Our men are ready. I’ve already distributed Gongsun Zhu’s portrait to search teams. I’ll use the chaos to search Pei Xiao’s study. You—” Wei Meng suddenly realized something was wrong. Pei Yuan hadn’t answered him and was scanning the area nervously.

“What are you looking for?”

“Bao Ning is gone,” Pei Yuan’s hand on the bow was white-knuckled. “With the manor in chaos, she’s in danger. I have to find her.”

Wei Meng was shocked. “Are you crazy? We’ve waited so long for this opportunity! You’re just going to chase after a woman?!”

“Can you handle it?” Pei Yuan tossed the bow aside and drew his soft sword. “Answer me.”

Wei Meng clicked his tongue and grabbed his arm. “Young general, are you under some spell? You think your wife ran off—she probably went to her aunt’s!”

Pei Yuan was uneasy. “She doesn’t know the way!”

Wei Meng tried to argue, but Pei Yuan was already leaping down from the tree and running in Bao Ning’s direction.

“Thanks. I’ll buy you a drink later,” he shouted back.

Wei Meng stuck out half his head and yelled after him, “You—! Women are always trouble!”

—

Inside the banquet hall, it was getting warm. Madam Tao and Qiu Lingjun stepped outside to enjoy the breeze.

Palace servants passed by carrying fruit and tea. Seeing Madam Tao—the mother of the Crown Prince’s side consort—they all bowed. She returned the greetings graciously, looking elegant and dignified.

Qiu Lingjun glanced at her and sneered.

“I’m just asking—did you only stir up a little trouble, or did you go further?”

Madam Tao leaned on the railing and rubbed her stomach. “That wretched girl is annoying, but she’s still a daughter of the Duke of Rong’s family. If things get ugly, it’ll embarrass me too. Lingjun, be discreet. Just drive a wedge between them.”

“Don’t worry, Aunt,” Qiu Lingjun smiled sweetly. “I did exactly as you said.”

She turned casually, scanning for Songlan.

Why wasn’t she back yet?

Qiu Lingjun frowned slightly.

She’d been planning this for days. This was the critical moment—nothing could go wrong. Otherwise, she really would have to marry that idiot Second Prince!

The Emperor had five sons—Pei Che had disappeared, Pei Yang was still a child, and Pei Xiao had both a primary and a secondary wife. Only Pei Yuan remained unmarried.

Everyone thought the Fourth Prince had no future, but Qiu Lingjun didn’t think so. She’d heard her father mention Pei Yuan more than once—how he had led troops as a youth, had courage and loyalty, and was no ordinary man.

She had also seen Pei Yuan from afar several times. With his striking features, broad shoulders, and strong masculine presence, she had long been infatuated.

Most importantly, his wife, that stand-in princess he’d married, looked like a delicate little white magnolia—pretty, yes, but clearly a pushover, someone easily manipulated.

Qiu Lingjun had carefully laid out a scheme, layer upon layer, and didn’t believe it would fail. As long as Pei Yuan got angry and divorced his wife, things would become much easier. With her skills and charm, how could she not win him over?

Madam Tao and Qiu Lingjun stood facing each other, each hiding their own thoughts, saying nothing for a while.

Qiu Lingjun began to grow impatient. Just as she was about to make an excuse to leave Madam Tao and go check on Songlan and Shaolan herself, they heard the shrill voice of a young eunuch in the distance, running frantically toward them:

“Fire! There’s a fire in the consort’s quarters! The flames are out of control—it’s spreading fast! The Crown Prince requests everyone to evacuate to safety. Please come with me!”

A commotion broke out.

Madam Tao was stunned for a moment but quickly recovered. She cried out, “My Jiaying!”

Overcome with motherly instinct, she shoved through the panicking crowd toward the fire. Qiu Lingjun grabbed her, but Madam Tao, in her desperation, slapped her across the face.

Qiu Lingjun clutched her face and, full of hatred, let go: “Fine, go! Go find your ghost of a daughter. Die together for all I care!”

Everyone was fleeing for their lives—no time for rank or formality. Madam Tao, heavily pregnant, was jostled by the crowd and eventually lost her balance and fell to the ground.

She screamed. Blood began to seep through her skirt. Her face turned deathly pale.

Panic set in. She reached out, grabbing at passersby, sobbing: “I’m going into labor! Someone help me—please, I’m giving birth!”

Qiu Lingjun glanced at her, gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and—ignored her, forcing her way into the crowd and leaving with everyone else.

In the back courtyard, Bao Ning had indeed gotten lost.

She’d grown up in her own family’s manor and had never been to a place this unfamiliar. The Crown Prince’s estate was enormous—as big as three dukedoms combined—with winding corridors and greenery everywhere. She wandered deeper and deeper into a secluded corner and just couldn’t find her way back to the main hall.

There wasn’t a soul around—only the chirping of bugs. Bao Ning shivered.

She clenched a packet of quicklime powder hidden in her sleeve. She had brought it for safety before going out but hadn’t had a chance to use it earlier. When exposed to water, it would heat up and burn the skin. If thrown into someone’s eyes at a critical moment, it could save her life.

She comforted herself by thinking—maybe Pei Yuan was nearby, watching over her in secret. That thought calmed her a bit.

Pushing through a clump of bushes, she saw firelight flickering in the distance. That must be the right direction. Head toward the fire—it couldn’t be wrong.

Bao Ning steadied herself and was just about to cross a low hedge when suddenly—she heard strange noises.

Whimpering. A woman’s muffled cries—of pain? Or… pleasure?

Bao Ning froze in shock. She swallowed and looked in the direction of the sounds.

There, under a tall plum tree, were two figures. The woman was pressed against the trunk, arms raised above her head. The man appeared older—his hair was a shining silver under the moonlight—but surprisingly strong, the tree rustling wildly from his movements.

Bao Ning gripped her dress tightly. She had clearly stumbled upon… something she wasn’t supposed to see.

The old man, utterly engrossed, wrapped his arm around the woman’s waist and rasped in a hoarse, excited voice:

“Lu Yun, the method I taught you works well, doesn’t it? Melting white phosphorus into the candle wax—once the flame reaches the spot, the fire bursts out and burns that little wretch you hate to ashes…”

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