Chapter 035
Chapter 35
A fingertip tapped the back of her neck, neither light nor heavy. Numbness raced down her spine. Mo Zhao Zhao felt her strength drain away. Her body went weak and limp. She had no power to resist.
[Who.]
[Who is so reckless as to attack me, Princess Hua Yang.]
[Where are my shadow guards.]
[Are they all dead.]
[Can they not see I am being taken.]
She let out a muffled sound and looked around the cramped, dim space, fear rising despite herself.
With a soft click, the hidden door closed and sealed off the outside world.
Another touch brushed the back of her neck. Strength flooded back into her limbs. She forgot her fright and spun to claw the face of the person behind her.
Her wrists were caught at once. The culprit even dared to trace his fingertips across her palms.
[Shameless rogue.]
Her eyes burned red with fury. Murderous intent leapt in her heart.
A deep, teasing voice brushed her ear and said with lazy wickedness: “Tsk, princess, you are just as fierce and fiery as when we were children.”
Her body trembled at the familiar tone. She did not hesitate. She stomped hard on his foot.
“Yun Wan Ye, you dare abduct me. Do you seek death.”
He did not dodge. He took the strike and let a soft grunt escape: “Ah.”
“You deserve it,” she said with a proud snort. The pain she caused eased her rage a little.
He put on a pitiful voice and said: “Princess truly does not recognize kindness. I am risking myself to save you. Even if you do not appreciate it, there is no need to be so ruthless. My foot is almost crippled.”
“Nonsense. I was perfectly fine. Why would I need your saving. And who saves someone like this. This is kidnapping,” she snapped. Only then did she notice he was still holding both her wrists. Their posture was too close. She struggled hard and said, cold with disgust: “Release me at once.”
His heart clenched. He let go at once. As soon as she was free, she raised her hand toward his handsome face.
[Accursed rogue. With how practiced he is at teasing, he must have taken advantage of many girls.]
He tilted his head and avoided the slap, and he said: “Princess, hit me anywhere but the face. My face must not be harmed.”
“So what if I strike your face. You abducted and dishonored me. Even if I cut off your head, who would dare speak up.”
He held his ground and argued: “Princess misunderstands. I already explained. I was saving you, not abducting you. As for dishonoring, that is a misunderstanding too. Those touches were unavoidable in the act of saving you.”
“Ridiculous,” she said, almost spitting with contempt. She remembered her dignity and forced herself to hold back. “Forget it. I do not have time to argue. Take me out. I have something important to do.”
[Curse it. Such a perfect chance ruined by this hateful fool. If I miss my moment today, I will make him pay.]
He raised a brow, eyes gleaming with mischief, and said: “Something important. Princess, by something important, do you mean pushing Young Miss Su into the lake.”
Her eyes widened at once. She realized she had given herself away, so she looked aside and said, voice shaking: “You are making baseless claims. Speak nonsense again and I will charge you with slandering an imperial princess.”
“My, the princess has great authority,” he said, voice light. “Even so, I must warn you. Su Qian Xue, you must not harm her.”
“You, what do you mean,” she said through her teeth. Shame and rage tangled in her chest. She admitted it openly. “Yes, you guessed right. I planned to push her into the lake as punishment for daring to oppose me. So what. Will you protect her. Or expose me.”
[Look at this spoiled princess. So straightforward, so innocent, so foolish.]
He shook his head, helpless. It was a blessing he had caught her. If it had been anyone else, the streets would be full of talk tomorrow.
To borrow his little sister’s words: [She is the perfect vicious supporting role, destined to burn herself to light the heroine.]
He said, steady and calm: “No, I am not protecting her, nor will I expose you.”
“Then why stop me.”
“As I have said, I am protecting you and saving you. You are the one who will not believe,” he said, patient as stone.
She scoffed and said: “Dragging me here is protecting me. If you are protecting me, you should help me in secret while I do bad deeds. Understand.”
He fell silent. [Not easy. The little princess even admits she is doing something bad.]
He led her thoughts with care and said: “Su Qian Xue is the Grand Commandant’s daughter. If you push her into the lake, will her father spare you. Will his faction not seize the chance to challenge His Majesty.”
She huffed and said: “If I insist it was an accident, what can they do. At most, I apologize, and I still get to display my power.”
He stared at her. [So this is the original story Little Sister talked about.]
But this was no longer that story. Su Qian Xue was not a vicious extra. She was the true female lead now.
“Then consider this,” he said. “What if your plan fails and she pushes you into the lake instead.”
“She would not dare,” she said with pride. She was Princess Hua Yang. Who would dare touch her.
“Heh,” he laughed softly. Normal noble girls would not dare. But Su Qian Xue was not normal. She was the female lead. Little Sister had already shown her boldness.
He said, slow and clear: “If you can insist it was an accident, why cannot she. If she pushes you into the lake, she will expose you on the spot, say you wanted her drowned, and claim she pushed you by accident while struggling in defense. What then can you do to her. You have already seen how she weaves words. Can you out-argue her. She will mix truth with lies and make you look vicious and deserving of blame. Then even if you fall into the lake, everyone will applaud your fall. No one will pity you. Do not forget, she is the Grand Commandant’s daughter. Her birth cannot match yours, but she is still the beloved child of a great official. The Grand Commandant holds the highest military power, his influence rivals the Chancellor, and his followers fill the court. Even His Majesty must give him face. Do you think you can win against such a man. If she pushes you into the lake, you will have to swallow the shame.”
Within Great Wu, that so-called virtuous Grand Commandant was in truth the head of the largest faction.
His words left Mo Zhao Zhao shaken. Anxiety bubbled in her heart. Still, she refused to admit he had a point. She said: “You speak as if Su Qian Xue already knows my plan. Do not flatter yourself. You are not the only clever one. You are shielding her with empty talk.”
He rubbed his temples and sighed: “If even I can know your plan, how can you be sure she does not.”
“You are saying I am the biggest fool here.”
“Well, not exactly,” he said, at a loss. In the original story, the plan had worked. By that logic, the original Su Qian Xue had been the fool. But now, this Su Qian Xue held the script of fate. How could this little princess fight someone who knew the plot.
He beckoned to her and said: “Come here.”
She frowned and did not move. Her thoughts tangled and circled the dreadful picture he had drawn. The more she thought, the more possible it seemed. With Su Qian Xue’s behavior today, if she knew of the princess’s scheme ahead of time, she would not hesitate to turn the tables and push her into the lake instead.
But how could Su Qian Xue know in advance. And how did Yun Wan Ye know.
A chill crept up her back.
His voice turned coaxing, with a charm she found hard to resist: “Come and look first.”
Her feet moved on their own. She stepped to his side. He pointed to a small flower-shaped window that overlooked the lake.
She peered through the opening. The lake lay clear below. Su Qian Xue stood in the same spot. A soft green dress hugged her figure. Her long hair fluttered in the breeze. She looked like an immortal maiden descended from the sky, beautiful to the eye.
“See where she stands,” he said. “She chose the place without railings and has stood there for a long time. She keeps glancing around. If she is not up to something, I would not believe it even if beaten to death. Our family’s lake is not that fascinating. She is waiting for a scene. And the princess just had to choose this moment to make trouble. I cannot help but suspect that you are her true target.”
Mo Zhao Zhao fell silent. His argument was strange, but after all she had seen and heard, she had no way to refute it. Even she began to believe that Su Qian Xue was waiting for her.
How absurd.
She muttered, unwilling: “Then must I simply let her go. I am an esteemed princess. If I cannot even discipline an annoying person, I will choke on the resentment.”
He chuckled, amused by her pride and frustration, and said: “If you truly wish to punish her, it is not hard. Why dirty your hands or risk your name. Princess, watch closely.”
With a confident smile, he drew a small pebble from his waist, infused it with inner power, and flicked it out. The stone flew like lightning and struck Su Qian Xue’s knee.
“Ah.”
Pain stabbed her knee. Her legs gave way. She fell into the lake with a splash.
Mo Zhao Zhao stared, stunned, eyes wide. Slowly, she turned to look at Yun Wan Ye in disbelief.
He only grinned and said: “What, stunned.”
In the dim light, his features were too beautiful, almost wicked enough to steal a breath. Her heart fluttered wildly. She turned back to the window in a hurry.
A tall figure had already leapt into the water. He scooped Su Qian Xue up and carried her toward the bank.
Mo Zhao Zhao’s expression darkened at once. Her hands clenched into fists, and she glared at the man holding Su Qian Xue.
Yun Wan Ye crossed his arms and shook his head with a sigh for show: “Oh my. I help the princess discipline a nuisance, and yet another nuisance appears. Tsk.”
The shout went up at once: “The Grand Commandant’s daughter fell into the lake.”
The news raced through Duke Ning’s manor. Servants rushed about. Madam Su nearly fainted on the spot and cried out: “My Xue’er. Where is my Xue’er. Quickly, take me to her.”
Madam Yun, holding Yun Wan Ning, stared at the sudden chaos, mother and daughter equally bewildered. The baby had been dozing in her arms. She blinked awake at the alarm, eyes wide like dark pools.
[What. Su Qian Xue fell into the lake. Was it not supposed to be the princess. What kind of book did I transmigrate into.]
[Why does the plot keep collapsing.]
[Quick, quick. Mother, let us go and see. I want to witness with my own eyes how this perfect plot broke apart.]
Madam Yun had the same thought. She had already told Yun Wan Yao to keep a secret watch on the princess, and in her heart she knew this derailment must involve her two troublesome children, yet she still wanted to see the aftermath herself. And if by chance the princess had been careless enough to leave evidence, she would step in at once to cover it.
A crowd of ladies and young misses gathered at the lakeside. Guests from the men’s banquet hurried over too, and in a blink the place was full and noisy.
Su Qian Xue had already been pulled from the water. Shivering, she sat curled in the garden, soaked through, a man’s outer robe draped over her shoulders.
“My Xue’er,” Madam Su cried with piercing grief. She rushed forward to gather her daughter into her arms and shouted to the servants: “Does Duke Ning’s manor not have a house physician. Quickly, summon him. Examine my Xue’er at once.”