CHAPTER 549: CHAPTER 549: REPAYMENT

Mrs. Wang had never felt so cold in her heart.

In her lifetime, she had only done one thing to betray the Old Madam.

She had stopped Lv Xiu from killing Mrs. Li.

Mrs. Li hadn’t been silenced and had even revealed that the Old Madam had instructed her to steal Lady Chi’s ointment.

Mrs. Wang couldn’t stop crying.

Hongxiu felt heartache just looking at her.

She didn’t know what had happened yet, but she had a vague suspicion in her heart.

Such a suspicion made her feel cold all over.

Mrs. Wang was devotedly loyal to the Old Madam.

If the Old Madam was ruthless enough to want to eliminate even Mrs. Wang, then in her eyes, maids like them were probably no better than weeds.

There was a call from outside the door—

"Greetings to the Old Madam."

Mrs. Wang leaned against the large pillow.

Hurriedly wiped away her tears.

The Old Madam came in, acting as if nothing had happened, and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

Mrs. Wang forced a smile that looked worse than crying, "Much better."

Her hands and feet were icy cold.

The Old Madam waved her hand, dismissing Hongxiu and Lanzhi.

Only the Old Madam and Mrs. Wang were left in the room.

The Old Madam looked at Mrs. Wang and said, "I know you are loyal to me."

Mrs. Wang did not speak.

If loyalty resulted in such an outcome, she didn’t know how to face the Old Madam in the future.

She thought a lot, not knowing how the Old Madam had become what she was today.

The Old Madam knew she had hurt Mrs. Wang’s feelings, and said, "I did all this for the harmony of the Prince Mansion; even if the Heir’s wife hadn’t saved you today, I would have."

No matter what the Old Madam said, Mrs. Wang nodded.

Still as compliant as before, but the Old Madam knew the hearts between her and Mrs. Wang were drifting further apart.

In fact, when had she ever taken her side?

She was only siding with this face.

Allowing her to live until now was already a great kindness.

Today was merely a lesson for her unauthorized actions; there would be no mercy next time.

The Old Madam expressed a few words of concern for Mrs. Wang, then turned to leave.

Watching the Old Madam’s back, Mrs. Wang’s restrained tears flowed down again.

She tried hard to convince herself that the Old Madam was right.

Exposing the Heir’s wife’s medical skills meant no one in the mansion would dare to poison her again.

Without poisoning, naturally, the Heir’s wife wouldn’t catch anyone or retaliate or seize power, or...

But if it was truly for the Heir’s wife’s benefit, why didn’t she directly persuade the Old Prince but used such despicable means?

For a moment, Mrs. Wang truly felt that life was meaningless.

She had no children, no family; the Old Madam was her everything.

Now...

The Old Madam was the one who most wanted her dead.

Mrs. Wang wanted to die, but she couldn’t.

Someone else cared more about her life than she did.

The Heir’s wife exposed her identity to save her; if she couldn’t think it through and ended her life, what meaning would there be in the Heir’s wife’s sacrifice?

What she owed the Heir’s wife, she could only repay in the rest of her life.

Mrs. Wang wiped her tears.

Hongxiu brought in tea, looking at Mrs. Wang, feeling both distressed and frightened.

She could feel that Mrs. Wang had changed.

Indeed.

Who wouldn’t change after a brush with death?

...

The Prince stepped out of Qihao Hall, planning to return to the outer courtyard.

Halfway there, he turned back towards Qingqiu Garden.

...

Peony Garden.

After Princess Nanzhang returned, she sat in a daze on the Imperial Concubine’s Couch.

She didn’t expect the Old Madam to use Mrs. Wang to test the Heir’s wife.

If the Heir’s wife hadn’t cared about Mrs. Wang’s life, how would the Old Madam have handled the situation?

As the person most familiar with her, the fact that the Old Madam had kept Mrs. Wang for over thirty years surprised Princess Nanzhang greatly.

She had once asked the Old Madam why, and the Old Madam only said it was because of the Old Prince.

To this day, Princess Nanzhang hadn’t figured out what that meant.

However, knowing the Old Madam was on her side, future matters would be easier to handle.

"The Prince returned to the outer courtyard?" asked Princess Nanzhang, sipping tea.

A maid came in and said, "Princess, the Prince went to Qingqiu Garden."

Princess Nanzhang’s face darkened.

Her brows knitted tightly.

Mrs. Zhao was also surprised.

What was wrong with the Prince lately?

Why did he go to Lady Chi’s place so frequently?

Qingqiu Garden.

In the pavilion.

Lady Chi stood there, gazing at the moon in the sky.

The wind lifted the hem of her skirt, her figure thin and pitiful.

The Prince walked over, and Caiju brought the tea.

"Prince..."

The Prince waved his hand, gesturing for Caiju to step back.

With Caiju, Xique also left.

Unaware of the maids’ departure, it was only after entering the pavilion that the Prince realized Lady Chi had been crying.

She didn’t like attending family banquets at the Prince Zhenbei Mansion.

Watching others enjoy family reunions, she would think of her parents and brothers.

"You’ve been crying?" the Prince asked.

Lady Chi was startled.

She turned around, hurriedly wiping away her tears.

Looking at her flustered state, the Prince felt such familiarity.

He gazed a while longer, another scene appeared before his eyes.

That year, their parting.

She had seen him off at the ten-mile pavilion.

She cried.

"You’re crying?" he said.

"I’m not crying!" Hengyang said anxiously.

He casually wiped away a tear.

"Not crying? Then what’s this?" he asked with a smile.

"The wind and sand here are fierce, blowing into my eyes," she said.

"Hurry up, hurry up, I need to return to the mansion," she urged him.

Not only their gaze, but even the action of wiping away tears was the same.

The Prince lifted his hand, and Lady Chi embraced him.

The Prince’s body stiffened, his hand suspended in mid-air, unsure how to react.

In the distance, Lu Qiao and Xique blushed.

The way their lady embraced the Prince was so natural and fluent.

The madam had great skills.

They must think of a way to keep the Prince in Agarwood Pavilion.

Just as they thought so, Lady Chi released her arms.

The maids, "..."

However, this scene wasn’t only observed by Caiju and others, but also by Hong Ying, who came to summon the Prince.

In her heart, she called Lady Chi countless names for being a seductress, thinking she dared to flirt with the Prince despite her disfigured face, just wait for the Princess to deal with it!

Hong Ying approached and said, "Prince, the Princess is unwell and asks for you to go to Peony Garden."

The Prince frowned, "I am not the physician; if she’s unwell, she should call the Imperial Physician."

"But it’s very late...," Hong Ying said.

"Then call the Heir’s wife to give Princess Nanzhang a few acupuncture needles," said the Prince.

Hong Ying, "..."

The Prince glanced at Lady Chi, then lifted his foot and left.

Hong Ying thought the Prince had changed his mind, but he just continued towards the outer courtyard.

Hong Ying didn’t dare truly take the Prince’s words and seek out the Heir’s wife.

Delivering the Princess into the Heir’s wife’s hands would surely result in being jabbed like a beehive?

On the way back to Peony Garden, Hong Ying sneezed seven or eight times.

Caiju and Lu Qiao took turns cursing her.

If she hadn’t come to interfere, the Prince would certainly have stayed in Qingqiu Garden overnight.

Having the Prince taken away after he finally came by was infuriating.

Upon Hong Ying’s return, even without illness, Princess Nanzhang got sick with anger.

"Did Lady Chi truly embrace the Prince?" Mrs. Zhao asked.

Hong Ying nodded repeatedly.

Princess Nanzhang gritted her teeth, "The Prince didn’t push her away?"

Hong Ying shook her head.

Not only did he not push her away, but if Lady Chi hadn’t let go quickly, the Prince almost hugged her back.

Seeing how furious Princess Nanzhang was, Hong Ying didn’t dare tell her.

What kind of preference did the Prince have to not fear being scared to death seeing Lady Chi’s face in the middle of the night?