Chu Tong squatted to the side and watched for a while, then tiptoed to the window, thinking: This "dead man" was clearly injured and escaped through the window, so why is he still in the Second Madam's room? No matter where he came from, I don't want to get involved in this mess. He just saved me, and I helped him, so we're even! Thinking this, she was about to jump out of the window when the young man suddenly spoke: "You can leave if you want, but I've only cleared 60% of the poison from the Fragrant Soul Powder from your body. The remaining 40% will flare up every month, causing excruciating pain. After three years, it will flare up even more frequently. Although it won't kill you, you've already experienced what it's like to be worse than dead."
Chu Tong froze instantly, exclaiming, "What?"
The boy said coldly, "Fortunately, your poisoning wasn't too severe. Otherwise, with my current skill, even if I could save you, I would only be able to barely keep you alive. How could I let you jump around like this?"
Just then, footsteps and voices came from outside the door. Chu Tong jumped up in fright: "What should I do? What should I do? Someone's coming!" She wanted to jump out the window to escape, but the thought of enduring that excruciating pain every month filled her with fear. However, the "dead man" in front of her showed no sign of leaving. Just as she was caught in this dilemma, the young man suddenly stood up and sighed: "Forget it, if I don't save you, you'll probably die here." With that, he silenced Chu Tong by pressing her pressure point, picked her up and tucked her under his arm, and leaped out the window onto the roof of the opposite building.
The wind outside was biting cold. The man seemed very familiar with the layout of the Xie family's house, leaping and bounding across the rooftops with practiced ease. Chu Tong was initially frightened, keeping her eyes tightly shut, but gradually she adapted and even began to find it amusing. After running for a while, the boy gradually ran out of energy. He released Chu Tong's pressure points and asked, "Where are we now?"
Chu Tong opened her eyes wide and looked around. She saw a house in front of her with big red lanterns hanging on it. Although the light was dim, she could still vaguely see the house’s elegance and luxury. Chu Tong looked at the words on the plaque and said, “There is a house in front of us called ‘Lan Zao Tang’.”
The boy nodded, then led Chu Tong into the courtyard. They hid behind a rockery for a while, and seeing that everything was quiet, he led her into a room on the east side. The room was cold and dark. The boy left Chu Tong aside, then sat cross-legged and began to meditate. Chu Tong stood up and cautiously felt her way forward, discovering a large desk ahead, and the walls were covered with books, densely packed together. After exploring for a while, Chu Tong grew bored, so she put her hands in her sleeves and curled up in a corner, pretending to doze off. But as soon as she closed her eyes, a series of horrific images flashed before her eyes: the tragic death of Mo Yuan, the tragic death of Zhenzhu, and Zhao Mama glaring at her fiercely with her hand around her neck... Chu Tong suddenly opened her eyes, her undergarments already soaked with sweat. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and called out softly, "Hey, hey! Can you talk to me?" After calling several times without receiving a response, Chu Tong cursed inwardly, too annoyed to close her eyes and sleep any longer. She sat up, hugging her knees, and hummed a Nanhuai tune to bolster her courage and relieve her boredom.
After humming for an unknown amount of time, a voice suddenly came from the darkness: "Little girl, are you from Nanhuai?"
Chu Tong was eager for someone to talk to her, so she quickly said, "Yes, I'm from Nanhuai." After thinking for a moment, she added, "I'm not called Little Girl. My original name was Yao Danxing, but I changed it to Chu Tong after I came here."
The boy scoffed and said, "It must be because your name 'Dan' violated the taboo of the eldest daughter of the Xie family's childhood name, so they changed your name." He paused and then said, "This Lanzhao Hall used to be the residence of Xie Xiujing, the eldest daughter of the Xie family. After she entered the palace and became an imperial concubine, her residence became vacant. Few people usually come and go, so let's stay here for the night."
Chu Tong nodded and said, "Looking at all these books in the room, I thought it must be a young master living here, but I didn't expect it to be a young lady."
The young man seemed to have developed a talkative nature, and he slowly said, "Xie Xiujing is a famous talented woman. Her poems and essays are praised as being as fragrant as orchids and irises, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth after reading them. She herself loves orchids very much, and she also wears the fragrance of orchids. The emperor praised her for her intelligence and virtue, and thus made her the Orchid Consort."
At this point, the boy suddenly coughed violently. Chu Tong was startled and quickly moved closer, groping in the darkness, "Hero! Hero! Are you alright?"
The boy coughed for a while, then took out a tinderbox from his pocket, lit it, and handed it to Chu Tong, saying, "Hold this for me."
Chu Tong quickly took the tinder. She saw the boy lying half-reclined on the ground, his clothes open to reveal a phoenix-patterned jade pendant hanging on his chest. There was a wound on his chest, from which blood was constantly seeping out. The boy took out some wound medicine and sprinkled the powder on the wound. He winced slightly in pain, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, but his expression remained cold.
Seeing this, Chu Tong couldn't help but feel admiration. She looked around and saw a copper basin half-filled with water on a shelf in the corner. She went over, took out a small handkerchief, soaked it in the water, and then used it to wipe the boy's face. The boy instinctively resisted for a moment, but ultimately didn't flinch, allowing Chu Tong to wipe his face clean. At that moment, the handsome face of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy appeared before Chu Tong. Unlike Xie Linghui, who was exceptionally handsome and resolute, the boy before her had a jade-like appearance, clear and gentle, with a graceful and flowing demeanor. His lips were tightly pursed, his nose was straight and elegant, and his eyes, when moving, were like deep autumn water, and when still, like distant green mountains. He exuded a scholarly air; if it weren't for the hint of chivalrous spirit and composure between his brows, one would hardly associate him with the boy who had killed with a sword.
The boy said calmly, "Thank you."
Chu Tong smiled and said, "You look just as handsome as Xie Linghui, the second master of the Xie family."
The atmosphere immediately became tense upon hearing this. The boy closed his eyes and said coldly, "You should put out this tinderbox. It would be terrible if someone outside saw it."
Chu Tong regretted her words and awkwardly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "I suppose heroes don't like being praised for their good looks... Don't be angry... Anyway, we're both in the same boat. That vixen Second Madam tried every means to kill us, but now we're in the same boat, rich and reunited..." Chu Tong finished speaking to herself, and noticing that the young man still didn't answer, she moved closer to where he was sitting, leaned down, and put on a fawning smile, saying, "May I ask what your name is, hero? Um... you can help me remove the remaining incense powder, right?"
After repeating it several times, the boy quietly said, "My name is Yun Yinghuai. Don't worry, since you rescued me from under the bed, I will naturally save your life and detoxify you."
Just then, the jade plum blossom on Chu Tong's neck fell off, shimmering softly in the firelight. Yun Yinghuai trembled upon seeing the plum blossom, struggled to sit up, reached out and grasped the plum blossom, and said sternly, "Tell me! Where did this plum blossom come from?"
Chu Tong was startled, thinking someone was trying to steal her treasure. She quickly grabbed Yun Yinghuai's hand and said, "What do you mean, where did this come from? This thing is mine!"
Yun Yinghuai's sharp eyes swept over Chu Tong's face a few times before she shook her head and said, "You'd better tell the truth obediently." With that, she pulled hard and took the plum blossom into her own hand.
Yao Chutong was furious, but she didn't dare to step forward. Her eyes darted around a few times, and she put on a smile and said, "Hero Yun, I know! You want to marry me!"
Yun Yinghuai was stunned upon hearing this, and looked at Chu Tong in astonishment.
Chu Tong sat cross-legged, straightened her clothes, and said, "When a man takes a fancy to a woman, doesn't he usually ask for her things as a token? You must have taken a fancy to me and want to marry me, so you took my jade pendant, right?"
Yun Yinghuai frowned and scolded, "Nonsense!" He got so anxious that he couldn't help but cough a few more times, his face turning red from coughing.
Chu Tong laughed and said, "Hero Yun, you're blushing, you're shy!" Then she leaned closer and said with a playful smile, "Hero Yun, so you fell in love with me at first sight!"
Yun Yinghuai was somewhat amused and exasperated at this moment, and said coldly, "How can you say such shameless things?"
Chu Tong widened her eyes and said, "Marriage is a natural thing, and I like heroes like you who are extraordinary. If you like me, we can get married right now."
After saying that, he quickly leaned over and gave Yun Yinghuai a quick kiss on the cheek. At the same time, his hands were not idle. Taking advantage of Yun Yinghuai's momentary daze, he yanked off the jade pendant from his chest, held it in his hand, and laughed, "Let's each leave a token as proof of our marriage."
Since he began his journey through the martial world, Yun Yinghuai had been admired by countless young women. While the men and women of the martial world were known for their forthrightness, they rarely expressed their affections openly, so he never expected to be teased by a young boy, leaving him somewhat stunned. Yao Chutong, however, was smugly pleased, holding her jade pendant and thinking to herself: "You stole my jade pendant, so I'll take one from you! An eye for an eye! I can't do a losing deal!" Chutong was secretly delighted, not caring much about marriage. Having grown up in brothels, she was used to the flirtatious banter between men and women, so she didn't think there was anything wrong with her words.
Yun Yinghuai stared at Chu Tong for a while, then suddenly smiled. This smile was like a spring breeze, as if an iceberg had melted away. He looked at Chu Tong and nodded, saying, "Alright, now that we're married, tell me quickly where this jade pendant came from."
Chu Tong shook her head and said, "No, no, we haven't even bowed to heaven and earth yet, how can we be considered married?" After saying that, she covered her face with a small handkerchief and said softly, "Hero Yun, do you think I'm some kind of promiscuous courtesan who would accept just anyone as her husband? I'm a paragon of purity and virtue, a chaste and virtuous woman! I must bow to heaven and earth before I can accept anyone as my husband!"
Yun Yinghuai was furious. Seeing Chu Tong's mischievous expression, he wanted to strangle her. Despite his good manners, he took a deep breath and said, "Fine, as you said, let's bow to heaven and earth! After that, you can tell me the origin of this jade pendant." But in his heart, he thought: How can I take a child's joke seriously? I'm just trying to make her happy by telling me the truth.
Chu Tong didn't take it seriously. She often played the traditional wedding ceremony with other children in the alley. Playing such a "game" with such a handsome young man was both novel and exciting for her. She nodded and said, "That's wonderful." She then hid the jade in her sleeve, leaned over, and quickly tied Yun Yinghuai's hair up. She helped him up, and the two stood still. Chu Tong was petite, barely reaching Yun Yinghuai's shoulder. Yun Yinghuai glanced at his childish "little wife" and couldn't help but feel absurd. Chu Tong, however, had a very serious and solemn expression. She solemnly said, "First bow to heaven and earth!"
The two knelt down and kowtowed at the same time.
"Bowing to the parents twice!"
The two knelt down and bowed again.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
The two bowed to each other again, facing each other.
After the ceremony was completed, Yun Yinghuai asked, "Can you tell me now?"
Chu Tong pouted and said, "Husband, we've already bowed to heaven and earth, so you should call me 'wife'."
Yun Yinghuai suppressed his anger, took a deep breath, and said, "Alright, my wife, can you tell me the origin of this jade plum blossom now?"
This time, Chu Tong didn't hide anything and recounted what she had seen and heard in the dilapidated temple. Yun Yinghuai listened thoughtfully. Just as he was pondering, he saw Chu Tong extinguish the tinderbox, then suddenly cling to his neck and say in a soft voice, "Husband, it's getting late, let's consummate our marriage!"
Upon hearing the word "bridal chamber," Yun Yinghuai felt his facial muscles twitch slightly. Chu Tong, however, carefully avoided the area of his wound and curled up quietly against him. Yun Yinghuai wanted to push her away, but after several attempts, he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he simply closed his eyes to rest.
Nothing was said that night. When Yun Yinghuai woke up the next morning, he felt much stronger. He looked out the window and saw that the sky was dark and it looked like it was about to snow. He hesitated for a while, then woke Chu Tong, intending to sneak out of the Xie residence with her before the snow started. Just then, footsteps came from the doorway. Yun Yinghuai was startled and quickly grabbed Chu Tong and hid behind a bookshelf.
The door opened, and the Second Madam and Granny Zhao entered. Chu Tong and Yun Yinghuai exchanged a glance, their tension rising. Chu Tong thought to herself: "It's over, it's over! It seems Heaven is really going to kill me this time! One vixen was already difficult to deal with, let alone this old witch! Maybe my husband, with whom I just had our wedding ceremony last night, will die here! It's truly a case of 'not asking to be born on the same day, but hoping to die on the same day!'"
At this moment, the second wife said, "Hurry up and take the things out. Now that the people from Southern Yan have found their way here, we should quickly find another place to hide the things."
Granny Zhao nodded, saying, "Yes, although Lanzhao Hall is secluded and not many people come here, it's not a safe place." She then went to the corner of the room and tapped on the floor, finding a spot where the tapping sounded different from the others. She drew her dagger from her waist and pried open the floorboards along a crack. With a "click," the floorboards opened, revealing a small, apricot-yellow satin bundle. Granny Zhao carefully opened the bundle, revealing a book, and handed it to the Second Madam, saying, "Grandma, look, is this it?"
The second madam took the book and flipped through it, her face lighting up with delight: "This is it! Let's hurry and go." With that, she handed the book to Granny Zhao, saying, "Please keep this book safe; it's inconvenient for me to carry it with me." Granny Zhao nodded and tucked the book into her bosom.
Upon seeing the book, Yun Yinghuai raised a thick eyebrow and exclaimed, "The Sword Manual of the Beauties!" With that, he grabbed a stack of books and threw them at the Second Madam, shouting, "You wretch! Where do you think you're going!" As he spoke, he drew a soft sword from his waist, and with a strong killing intent, he thrust it forward.
The second wife was startled by the sharp sword coming at her and hurriedly dodged. At that moment, Granny Zhao drew a dagger from her side and, with a shout, thrust it at Yun Yinghuai's side. With a clang, Yun Yinghuai blocked Granny Zhao's weapon, twisted her wrist, and with a flick of her wrist, her longsword struck Granny Zhao's left shoulder. The second wife then attacked Yun Yinghuai with both hands, and the three of them were instantly locked in combat.
Chu Tong peeked out from behind the bookshelf, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She muttered, "These swords are blind. What if they hurt my husband? Everyone says that even a night of marriage brings a hundred days of kindness. I must find a way to help him..." While scratching her head, she suddenly felt something hard on her chest. She took it out and saw that it was a cloud-shaped agate hairpin with curled tendrils that she had taken from the second madam's room. She couldn't help but recall the scene of the second madam pulling out the hairpin from her hair and stabbing it at Yun Yinghuai. She immediately made a plan and gripped the hairpin in her hand.
Then she quietly slipped along the wall to get closer, and shouted to bolster her courage, "Husband, I'm here to help you!" With that, she raised the hairpin and stabbed it at Granny Zhao. Granny Zhao heard Chu Tong's shout and couldn't help but turn around to look. Just then, Chu Tong had already rushed in front of Granny Zhao. Seeing her sinister and terrifying face, she couldn't help but feel scared. She tripped over something and fell forward with a cry of "Ouch!" Granny Zhao couldn't dodge in time. Chu Tong landed right in her arms, and the hairpin plunged deep into Granny Zhao's chest with a "thud." Granny Zhao cried out "Ah!" and fell to the ground with the force of Chu Tong's fall.
Chu Tong looked up and suddenly saw the hairpin piercing Zhao Mama's left breast, blood gushing from the base. She froze. In an instant, she understood, screamed "Ah!", released her grip, and scrambled to the wall, collapsing to the ground, muttering to herself, "I killed someone! I killed someone!"
At this moment, the Second Madam saw Zhao Mama lying dead in a pool of blood. Enraged, she was weakened by the loss of Zhao Mama's help, and Yun Yinghuai's sword became even more ruthless. Yao Chutong's legs were weak, and her whole body trembled. She tried to calm herself and glanced at Zhao Mama again. She saw a patch of blood on Zhao Mama's chest, and the corner of a book was sticking out of her bosom. Chutong thought that the book was so precious to the Second Madam, it must be something very valuable. If she didn't take it, wouldn't she be betraying the ancestors of the Yao family? With this thought, Chutong boldly crept closer, reached into Zhao Mama's bosom, groped around, found the book, pulled it out, lifted her cotton coat, tucked the book into her waistband, and quickly straightened her clothes. She hesitated for a moment, then took out her hairpin, wiped it on Zhao Mama's clothes, and put it back in her bosom.
At this moment, Yun Yinghuai had already sealed the Second Madam's pressure points. He took out a small medicine bottle from his robes, took out a pill, and then pinched the Second Madam's nostrils shut. The Second Madam felt suffocated and opened her mouth. The young man seized the opportunity to throw the pill into the Second Madam's mouth, then patted her chest, forcefully pushing the pill into her stomach. The Second Madam's face was filled with terror, but she couldn't speak, staring blankly at Yun Yinghuai. Yun Yinghuai coldly said, "You wretched woman, don't glare at me. The medicine I just gave you is the Forget-Me-Not Pill. You've probably heard of it; this medicine was made by the Medicine King of Southern Yan. If you take this pill and don't take the antidote within two cups of tea's time, you'll gradually turn into a madman. Hmph, wouldn't it be too easy for you to die with one strike!"
At this moment, a commotion arose outside. It seemed that a maid had heard the fighting and summoned the servants of the Xie family. Upon seeing this, Yun Yinghuai grabbed Chu Tong and jumped out of the room window, taking advantage of the gloomy sky to escape to the west.
As they ran, Yun Yinghuai gradually lost her strength, her legs buckling and she almost collapsed. Ahead lay a courtyard with the words "Yanmeng Pavilion" written on it. The side gate was open, and Chu Tong helped Yun Yinghuai slip inside. The courtyard was quiet. Yun Yinghuai drew her soft sword, walked to the central room, inserted the sword into the crack in the door, pried open the latch, and pushed the door open. The outer room was empty. Yun Yinghuai whispered, "This Yanmeng Pavilion should be the boudoir of Xie Xiuyan, the second young lady of the Xie family. Let's go inside." She then led Chu Tong into the inner room. Chu Tong smelled a warm fragrance, and her bones felt weak. The boudoir was lavishly furnished. Against one wall stood a carved wooden bed with a lotus scroll pattern, draped with heavy gauze curtains. A maid slept on a soft couch beside the bed. Yun Yinghuai pressed the maid's pressure points, then abruptly lifted the curtains. Lying on the bed was a girl of about twelve or thirteen, with exquisitely beautiful features and a small rouge mark above her right eyebrow. Though still young, it was clear she would grow into a stunning beauty. She was clearly fast asleep, her red lips slightly pouting, her slender arms reaching out from under the covers to embrace the embroidered quilt. This girl was Xie Xiuyan, the second young lady of the Xie family. Yun Yinghuai pressed Xie Xiuyan's pressure points, then coughed lightly a few times before leaning against the edge of the bed and sitting down on the floor. Seeing his pale face, Chu Tong hurriedly poured a bowl of tea from the table and brought it to Yun Yinghuai's lips. Then she took the pastries and fruits on the table and, with a beaming smile, presented them to Yun Yinghuai, saying, "These pastries from the Xie family are the best I've ever eaten. You should have some too!" After saying that, she picked up a pastry and put it in her mouth, her big eyes blinking.
Seeing that Chu Tong was eating with relish, Yun Yinghuai also picked up a pastry and started chewing it.
Suddenly, a commotion was heard in the courtyard, and a group of Xie family servants rushed in, shouting, "Search every room thoroughly!"
Then the old woman's voice rang out from the courtyard, scolding, "Why are you barging into the Second Miss's embroidery room so early in the morning? Shouting and yelling like this, what kind of behavior is this?"
The servants said, "A thief has broken into the mansion! We are ordered to investigate!" With that, they rushed inside.
Chu Tong was startled; half a piece of pastry got stuck in her throat, and she nearly choked. Yun Yinghuai's eyes were as still as autumn water. He grabbed Chu Tong and leaped onto the large bed, lowered the curtains, then woke Xie Xiuyan, pulling her into his arms and pressing her back against his chest. Yun Yinghuai gripped Xie Xiuyan's neck, his mouth close to her ear, and whispered, "Don't make a sound, or I'll kill you!"
Xie Xiuyan suddenly awoke from her daze, only to feel iron-like fingers gripping her delicate neck, which startled her. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, but she held them back. Chu Tong was hiding behind Yun Yinghuai, so Xie Xiuyan didn't notice.
But Chu Tong felt rather uncomfortable seeing this scene. She thought to herself: Last night, after we had our wedding ceremony, he ignored me completely, but now he's holding the Xie family's girl. He's probably taking advantage of her because she's pretty. It's clear that no man is good; they're all lustful...
Chu Tong was still lost in thought when the door suddenly opened and servants rushed in. Yun Yinghuai whispered in Xie Xiuyan's ear, "Make them all leave immediately and don't let them in."
Xie Xiuyan hesitated for a moment, then Yun Yinghuai tightened his grip. Xie Xiuyan gasped for breath, and cried out, "No one is allowed in the house! I... I'm still asleep..."
Just then, a melodious oriole's voice rang out: "Yan'er, don't be afraid, Mother is here." Then, a tinkling sound of jade pendants could be heard.
Chu Tong and Yun Yinghuai exchanged a glance, both sensing that something was wrong. Yun Yinghuai knocked Xie Xiuyan unconscious, then slowly drew his sword from his waist.
The second madam had the servants wait outside and entered the room. She saw that Xie Xiuyan's personal maid, Biqin, was still asleep on the couch, and she couldn't help but feel suspicious. She called out kindly, "Yan'er, Yan'er!" but her hand was tightly gripping a dagger.
The second madam walked to the bed, took a breath, and suddenly threw back the bed curtains. A long sword, gleaming with cold light, was thrust out. The second madam hurriedly defended herself, and with a loud clang, the weapons clashed together. Just then, Chu Tong whispered, "Stop!"
The second madam looked at Chu Tong, only to see her holding a hairpin to Xie Xiuyan's eyelids, saying, "Second madam, if you make a move, your daughter's eyeballs will be gone!" The second madam was stunned. Chu Tong sneered, "Second madam, I've already killed one person today, killing another is nothing!" Chu Tong appeared calm on the surface, but her legs, hidden under the covers, were trembling uncontrollably. Yun Yinghuai clearly felt Chu Tong's "trembling" and couldn't help but turn to look at her, only to see Chu Tong still wearing that righteous and ruthless expression, which he found amusing.
The second madam struggled for a moment, then put down the weapon in her hand. Chu Tong then said, "Second madam, have all the servants at the door leave."
The second madam glared fiercely at the hairpin in Chu Tong's hand, gritting her teeth as she said, "Have everyone at the door leave. Search other places. Yan'er is terrified. No one else is allowed to come in."
Chu Tong nodded and said, "Okay, Second Madam, please tell the carriage to be prepared outside to take us out..." She had just finished speaking when she saw the Second Madam's expression change, her eyes sometimes clear and sometimes confused. Chu Tong tugged at Yun Yinghuai's sleeve, and Yun Yinghuai turned around and whispered, "The Forget-Me-Not Pill has taken effect."
Chu Tong looked over curiously and saw that the Second Madam's face was very gentle, revealing a girlish shyness and mischievousness. Her eyes were full of affection, and her pair of bright phoenix eyes were even more charming. She grabbed Yun Yinghuai's arm and said gently, "Your Highness, I know you are waiting for me here. You want to go with me to admire the plum blossoms."
Yun Yinghuai froze instantly. The Second Madam, still smiling, continued, "Your Highness, I've already composed a song and dance for the tune you liked the other day. How about I, Lin Ji, dance for you here?" The Second Madam's expression was full of anticipation. Yun Yinghuai felt a chill run down his spine and involuntarily leaned back. Suddenly, the Second Madam's expression changed, and she tightened her grip on Chu Tong. "Your Highness! Your Highness! Don't you like me anymore? Your Highness, don't go! Don't go!"
Immediately afterward, the Second Madam looked at Chu Tong, her eyes instantly turning vicious. She glared at Chu Tong with boundless hatred, gritting her teeth as she said, "Fang Hongxiu! It's you! It's you! I treated you like a sister! When you were homeless, I brought you to the Prince's mansion, providing you with a life of luxury. Yet you secretly seduced the Prince and became pregnant! You knew I was also pregnant at the time, so you schemed to have the Prince demote me to the inner quarters, and repeatedly plotted against me. Fang Hongxiu! Fang Hongxiu! I will never forgive you in this lifetime!" By the end, the Second Madam's beautiful face had become distorted, and she raised her hand towards Chu Tong's vital point.
Chu Tong was startled and instinctively hid behind Yun Yinghuai. Yun Yinghuai grabbed the Second Madam's wrist and said, "You vixen, you've already killed my master Yun Zhongyan, are you going to kill someone else now?"
Upon hearing "Yun Zhongyan," the Second Madam's expression suddenly became dazed, and she murmured, "Brother Yun, Brother Yun, you must help me!" Then, she suddenly made a gesture of holding a child, her eyes glistening with tears, her expression utterly sorrowful. "Brother Yun," she said, "I secretly gave birth to the Prince's child. You must find a way to take him away. If Fang Hongxiu finds out, she won't let this child live. Take him away and give him to a kind-hearted family so he can grow up safely. I thank you for your great kindness!" After saying this, she released Chu Tong, reached for her neck, and said, "The jade plum blossom I'm carrying is a token of love that the Prince gave me years ago. I'm giving it to the child now, so that if we can meet again in the future, it will serve as proof."
Chu Tong's heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself: Could the young master who died in the temple be her son? No wonder Granny Zhao asked me to describe the man's appearance in detail. It's just a pity that the young master is already dead. If mother and son want to recognize each other, they'll probably have to wait for the King of Hell to hold court!
At this moment, the Second Madam looked up, her gaze blank. She glanced at Yun Yinghuai's face, then suddenly burst into tears, sobbing, "Brother Yun! Brother Yun! Don't blame me, don't blame me!" Then she muttered to herself, "Brother Yun, you received a favor from the Prince in your early years, agreeing to stay by his side as his personal guard for three years. But later you voluntarily stayed for another five years. I know it was because of me." A hint of smugness flashed across the Second Madam's face as she said this, "The first time you saw me was at a family banquet in the Prince's mansion. I danced 'Green Waist,' and your expression upon seeing me was one of adoration… You were very good to me." "Very well, that day when I begged you to take the child, you told me you'd take me with you, to journey through the martial world together. It's just a pity I was foolish back then, still hoping the Prince would change his mind, so I didn't agree. After losing faith in the Prince, my competitive nature and inability to swallow my resentment led me to the Great Zhou… Actually, coming to the Great Zhou is no different; I still have to fawn over other women, vying for favor, engaging in deceit and treachery. Sometimes I think, if only… if I could go back to that night sixteen years ago, I…" The Second Madam smiled mockingly, shaking her head, "It's too late to say anything now."
Yun Yinghuai gritted her teeth and said, "He was so devoted to you, why did you still want to kill him?"
The second wife was completely lost in another world. She murmured for a while, then suddenly giggled: "Brother Yun, Brother Yun, you shouldn't have brought the letter from the King of Pingliang to me, so I had no choice but to strike first. I had to harden my heart and kill you..."
Chu Tong tugged at Yun Yinghuai's sleeve and said, "This second madam is probably insane. We should take Miss Xie hostage and leave, otherwise we won't be able to get away."
Yun Yinghuai remained silent. After resting for a while, he suddenly grabbed Chu Tong and leaped out of the window. He scaled walls and eavesdropped, dodging the patrolling servants in the Xie residence, and led her behind a rockery. He then took a porcelain bottle from his robes and handed it to Chu Tong, saying, "There are pills in this bottle. Take one every day, and the poison in your body will soon be cleared." He paused, then added, "The Second Madam has gone mad, and Granny Zhao is dead. Xie Xiuyan didn't know you were there at Yanmeng Pavilion. You are no longer in danger in the Xie residence. Then, we'll meet again." With that, he leaped onto the high wall and vanished quickly.
Chu Tong was so angry she almost fainted. Standing under the wall, she cursed, "You heartless, despicable Chen Shimei! You and I were already married! And now you're abandoning your wife! Bah! I... I'll make sure you wear a whole bunch of green hats, so you'll regret it!" Still not satisfied, she took off her shoes, intending to throw them. But then she felt the cold wind and had to put them back on. Chu Tong muttered to herself for a while, then suddenly felt hungry. She couldn't help but think of the exquisite pastries at the Xie family mansion. She touched her nose, put her hands in her sleeves, and walked around the artificial hill.
The Xie residence was in complete chaos. Chu Tong wandered around the vast mansion without finding a way out. Just as she was feeling confused, she saw Xie Linghui approaching from afar with his servants. Chu Tong hurriedly went to greet him and bowed, saying, "Chu Tong greets Second Master."
Xie Linghui was taken aback when he saw Chu Tong and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Chu Tong's eyes darted around, and she quickly made up a lie: "Last night I accidentally broke a bottle in the Second Madam's room. Granny Zhao said I was clumsy, so she locked me out as punishment. I stood behind the sheltered house all night, and this morning I heard there were thieves, so I came out to check. I didn't expect this garden to be so big, and I got lost..."
Seeing that Chu Tong was disheveled and her nose was twitching, looking haggard, Xie Linghui nodded and said to a maid wearing a purple cloak who was following him, "Ziyuan, take her back to Tanwu Garden first, wash her up, and change her into a decent set of clothes."
The maid in purple nodded and said, "Yes, Second Master." Then she smiled gently at Chu Tong and said, "Come with me."
Embroidered gauze windows lead to a wealthy family
Chaos erupted at the Xie residence. The Second Madam had suddenly gone mad, and Xie Xiuyan lay unconscious. The entire household was in a state of frantic activity. Meanwhile, Chu Tong was quite content. Zi Yuan led her to a small room, ordered a maid to heat bathwater, and brought her food and a change of clothes. Chu Tong enjoyed a delicious meal, then bathed and changed. She wrapped her old cotton-padded coat, which was filled with "gold and silver treasures," in a square of white cloth sprinkled with peony flowers. While tidying up, a book suddenly fell out of the old cotton-padded coat. Chu Tong picked it up and saw that it was the very book she had taken from Zhao Mama's arms.
The book's cover bore the large characters "Qunfang Sword Manual." Opening the pages, one found illustrations of various sword-wielding maidens in different poses. Below each illustration was a phrase like "Lotus Blossoms at Every Step," "Thousands of Pear Trees in Bloom," "Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom," "Plum Blossoms Bloom Twice," "Orchids and Artemisia Burn Together," "Sparse Shadows of Apricot Blossoms," and "Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom"—a total of thirty-six moves, each named after a flower, with annotations in small print beside them. Chu Tong casually flipped through a few pages, muttering, "I've only ever peeked at erotic paintings from Lin Mama before, and they were all about men and women. This book, though full of women, is quite interesting." After a while, Chu Tong decided it was best to leave the Xie residence as soon as possible. She put the book back into her old cotton-padded coat, then picked up her small bundle and left the room, wandering around the neighborhood.