Youthful Glory

The surroundings were eerily silent. Though the servants were still rushing about to control the fire, the ladies standing in the courtyard couldn't help but feel a chilling coldness creeping over them, and none dared to make a sound.

Such arrogance in those words! Yet coming from Prince Dingbei's mouth, it somehow didn't seem inappropriate at all.

Ming Tan was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Before marrying him, she had heard many tales of his fearsome reputation as a "god of slaughter." But the Jiang Xu she had seen had never matched those terrifying rumors—merely somewhat aloof and rough around the edges, usually quite reasonable and never one to make things difficult for others.

"A Tan! A Tan!" At that moment, Bai Minmin, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, hurried forward. "Are you alright? Let me look at you!" She grabbed Ming Tan and turned her around, scrutinizing her anxiously.

The crowd: "..."

Madam Changguo, who had followed closely behind, quickly pulled Bai Minmin back. Who gave her the audacity to snatch someone right in front of Prince Dingbei?!

"I'm fine, don't worry."

Bai Minmin pressed urgently, "What exactly happened?"

Though Zhang Hanmiao had ordered everyone to keep silent, how could the disappearance of two people and the ongoing search remain completely hidden? By now, many had already learned that the Princess Consort of Dingbei and Yongle County Princess had vanished earlier, and the Princess Consort's personal maid had even been knocked unconscious.

Ming Tan had already prepared an explanation to distance herself from the incident. Collecting herself, she said, "Earlier by the lake, I was struck with a wooden stick, then dragged this way by an unfamiliar maid. But I regained consciousness midway and managed to stab her with a hairpin before escaping in panic. Fortunately, I ran into my maid who came looking for me, and we subdued her. Under questioning, she confessed... that it was Feng Zhao who ordered her to do this."

"Feng Zhao?!"

The crowd gasped in shock, though after the initial surprise, it seemed almost expected—after all, the enmity between Feng Zhao and the Princess Consort of Dingbei was long-standing.

Ming Tan nodded. "She revealed that Feng Zhao had also abducted Yongle County Princess and planned to start a fire to lure people here for a 'scandal.' I immediately wanted to call for help, but given how this would affect a young lady's reputation..." She trailed off meaningfully before continuing, "My maid is quite skilled, so I didn't raise an alarm, thinking to bring her here first to assist. But by the time we arrived, the place was already engulfed in smoke."

The crowd was too stunned to speak.

Had Feng Zhao truly gone mad? To commit such heinous acts in someone else's residence!

Originally, Ming Tan had planned to simply say she had broken free from the maid and then rushed over upon seeing the fire, knowing nothing else. That way, her involvement would be minimized, and whether Zhai Nianci was a victim or had willingly dallied with Marquis Jiangyang would be none of her concern. As for Feng Zhao, Zhai Nianci would be the first to seek retribution, and Ming Tan had plenty of ways to deal with her later.

But now that her husband had killed Marquis Jiangyang, she had no choice but to directly implicate Feng Zhao, confirming that Feng Zhao had set the trap and that Marquis Jiangyang had intended to violate the County Princess—deserving of death.

Though, to be fair, Marquis Jiangyang truly deserved his fate!

Earlier, the message sent to Marquis Jiangyang by Feng Zhao's people hadn't been framed as her own words but as Consort Yi's—hinting that Yongle was stubborn and unwilling to marry, so why not "cook the rice first"?

With such an enticing offer, Marquis Jiangyang naturally couldn't resist. So when he saw Ming Tan bound hand and foot with her mouth gagged on the bed, he didn't find it strange at all. Instead, he moaned and moved forward, eager to proceed with his "good deed."At first, he truly thought Ming Tan was Princess Feng Zhao. But as he approached, he noticed the beauty inside wore the hairstyle of a newlywed bride and had an extremely high-ranking jade token hanging at her waist. His expression shifted, and even Ming Tan could tell he had realized she wasn’t Feng Zhao.

Yet, having bedded countless women, he was no stranger to defiling another man’s wife. In fact, he found such encounters even more thrilling, as these women, bound by reputation, dared not speak of their shame afterward.

With this in mind, he decided to play along and enjoy this beauty first.

Since he intended to have his way, tying her hands and gagging her would suffice—binding her legs would only be inconvenient. Standing by the bed, he smirked as he loosened the rope around Ming Tan’s legs, eager to toy with her delicate feet.

But Ming Tan was sharp and quick. The moment her feet were free, before he could even grasp them, she delivered a vicious kick straight to his face!

The kick was not only precise but also shockingly forceful. No one would have expected such strength from Ming Tan, the epitome of a frail noblewoman. Marquis Jiangyang was sent stumbling backward, his vision swimming and his nose burning as blood began to trickle out.

"You little slut, how dare you kick me!"

Ming Tan’s heart pounded with terror, but precisely because she was so frightened—knowing things couldn’t get worse—her mind grew clearer than ever.

With her legs free, she immediately scrambled off the bed and deliberately crashed into the screen where Zhai Nianci was hiding.

Though the screen wasn’t heavy, its impact on the marquis would still cause enough pain to buy her a moment. More importantly, with the screen toppled, Zhai Nianci—drugged and barely holding back—was now exposed!

Seizing the marquis’s shock at the discovery of another beauty in the room, Ming Tan bolted toward the outer chamber.

"Go after her! If she escapes, you’re dead!" Zhai Nianci urged, her deliberately deepened voice now laced with uncontrollable allure.

Ming Tan didn’t even have time to curse Zhai Nianci in her mind. Reaching the outer chamber, she desperately rammed against the door, but with her hands still bound and mouth gagged, the door—apparently locked from the outside—wouldn’t budge.

"Where do you think you’re running, you bitch?" Marquis Jiangyang wiped his bloody nose, his gaze dark with lust as he advanced toward her.

The outer chamber was filled with intoxicating incense. Ming Tan struggled to control her breathing as she continued to slam against the door, despair slowly creeping into her heart.

Soon, the marquis closed in, grabbing her hair and yanking her away from the door. Just as he was about to teach her a lesson, the door was suddenly kicked open from the outside—

Yun Yi!

It was Yun Yi!

Ming Tan’s despair instantly turned to joy, her vision blurring with tears. A random thought flashed through her mind:

I must buy Yun Yi so many roast chickens!

Seeing Ming Tan’s disheveled state, Yun Yi’s expression darkened. With a single palm strike, she forced the marquis to release Ming Tan and stagger back. Swiftly, she pulled Ming Tan close and removed the tightly stuffed gag from her mouth.

Ming Tan, nauseated by the gag, coughed violently, tears welling in her eyes.

"Your Highness, I came too late!"

After untying Ming Tan, Yun Yi’s eyes flickered with guilt. She then stepped forward, seemingly ready to strike the marquis again.

Ming Tan quickly grabbed her arm. "No need."

Since Feng Zhao had set this trap, there were surely more schemes waiting. They had to leave immediately.She checked herself to ensure none of her belongings or hairpins were missing, then decisively said, "Let's go quickly."

As for Zhai Nianci, she hesitated briefly.

Truthfully, she didn’t believe there was any deep-seated enmity between them. Had there been even the slightest remorse, she might have risked saving her. But given how Zhai Nianci had still found time to incite Marquis Jiangyang in such a situation, she was no bodhisattva. If that was the case, then Zhai Nianci could fend for herself.

The moment the two stepped out of the room, the fire in the adjacent side chambers began to spread. It wouldn’t be long before people arrived.

Yun Yi suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back to lock the door. Then, supporting Ming Tan, she swiftly left the courtyard.

"Yun Yi, where is this place? How did you find me?" Ming Tan asked as they hurried away.

"Your Highness, I don’t know where this is either. I only know it’s a courtyard within the Pingguo Duke’s residence," Yun Yi admitted, unfamiliar with the layout.

As for how she had found her—

Earlier, she had discovered the unconscious Lü’e nearby. After waking her and asking a few questions, Yun Yi set off to rescue Ming Tan.

Unlike Zhang Hanmiao’s method of searching, Yun Yi’s approach was straightforward. Since it was Feng Zhao who had openly opposed her mistress today, why bother looking elsewhere? She simply went straight for Feng Zhao.

Amusingly, Feng Zhao had been brazenly loitering nearby. Yun Yi wasted no time on words, immediately apprehending the mistress and her maids for questioning. At first, they remained stubbornly tight-lipped, but Yun Yi wasn’t one for reasoning. A few strikes later, the maids cracked, and under the threat of death, they led the way. With such methods, how could she not find her?

Hearing this, Ming Tan had to admit that while Yun Yi’s methods were rough, they were undeniably effective.

Now, Feng Zhao and her maids were still detained, silenced by Yun Yi’s unconventional tactics. Ming Tan, sticking to her earlier explanation, intended to hand over the maid who had knocked her unconscious to the Pingguo Duchess for punishment.

The Pingguo Duchess hurriedly said, "The Princess Consort has suffered a fright. Today’s events, at their root, stem from our failure in hospitality, leading to such misfortunes. The Pingguo Duke’s residence will surely provide an explanation to His Highness and the Princess Consort."

"No need," Jiang Xu’s voice was cold.

Ming Tan turned to look at him.

Her reasoning was perfectly sound: a princess scheming to harm others, a county princess’s reputation sullied, and a marquis dropping dead on the spot—such shocking and unprecedented disasters occurring at the Pingguo Duke’s residence should naturally be handled by the host family, whether through private negotiations or reporting to the emperor. The Pingguo Duchess clearly thought the same, believing her family should take responsibility.

But she had forgotten that her husband was Prince Dingbei, standing at the pinnacle of power in Daxian. Here today, she needn’t have bothered justifying herself. Because whatever her husband declared would be the final word.

"Marquis Jiangyang trespassed into the inner quarters, attempting to defile the County Princess. His crimes are unforgivable. This prince will personally report to His Majesty and request an edict for his family’s execution. As for Princess Feng Zhao, for conspiring to harm the Princess Consort and the County Princess, she is to be handed over to the Imperial Clan Court for investigation and punishment."

His voice was calm and resolute, carrying an unyielding authority.

Ming Tan had held on until now, and as she finally relaxed, exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Her body swayed slightly. Bai Minmin, sharp-eyed, reached out to steady her, but Jiang Xu was already behind her, his cool hands supporting her slender shoulders.

His embrace was cool too.

Yet, inexplicably, Ming Tan felt safe.

She turned her head and looked up at Jiang Xu. He gazed down at her, and before the watching crowd, he suddenly swept her up into his arms."Go home."