Chapter 1178: Chapter 1176: Courting Death
The originally empty side room was now crowded with people; behind the gauze curtains, shadows flickered, and sharp cries echoed.
The Princess Consortâs face was ashen as she shouted, "Drag them out!"
A rare matchmaking banquet for her son had turned into such a scandalâwasnât this a slap in her face?
Madam Zhen craned her neck to see, first spotting her son being dragged out, his face marked with several scratches, leaving her momentarily stunned: "Jieâer?"
She looked inside frantically, as a woman was helped out, a garment hastily thrown over her, a single quilt draped over her shoulderâwho else could it be but Bai Sulian?
With their appearances like this, even a fool could grasp what had happened.
Seeing the state of the two, the Princess Consort secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although Qing Xin had roughly mentioned a scenario, she truly feared the man inside was her own Chuanâer, or a noble lady.
Thank goodness, it was merely two wretches!
The Princess Consortâs lip twitched as she turned to Madam Zhen: "What on earth is going on!"
"You wretch!" Madam Zhen rushed over and slapped Bai Sulianâs face.
Caught off guard, Bai Sulian staggered from the slap, her hand loosening its grip on the quilt and exposing her loose garments, revealing skin marred red and purpleâno semblance of purity left.
Upon waking and finding the man on her to be Zhao Mingjie, Bai Sulianâs mind was blank; now, slapped and hearing gasps, she glanced up, feeling utterly exposed and never as humiliated.
The desire to die from shame and anger was overwhelming, and Bai Sulian charged towards the wall without thinking.
"Watch out!"
Wufu moved swiftly, darting over to barely grab Bai Sulianâs hand, the sound of a soft thud heard as Bai Sulianâs forehead swelled red.
"Let go of me, just let me die!" Bai Sulian screamed.
Wufu pushed her onto a nearby woman, flicked her sleeves, and bent her knee to the Princess Consort: "Princess Consort, Iâve just recalled pressing matters at home, I must take my leave!"
A mess like this is best avoided; the sooner she leaves, the better.
The Princess Consort watched Bai Sulianâs suicidal attempt, her face pale with fright. A scandal might be concealed or remedied, but if lives were lost, the implications were grim.
Thus, seeing Wufu save her, she relaxed profoundly, and upon Wufuâs timely departureâmore satisfied by her graceâshe warmly said, "Good child, let Changping escort you."
Changping had long had his fill of the spectacle, so upon his motherâs instructions, he said to Wufu, "Letâs go, donât sully your eyes, Iâll take you out."
They departed, and Madam Zhang wisely also announced her departure.
The Princess Consort instructed her trusted aide to follow up on the matter, personally escorting Madam Zhang out of the contentious area, then seeing off each invited guest before instructing her trusty nurse: "Go fetch Madam Bai!"
"Yes."
The Princess Consort sipped her tea and mused for a moment, then said, "Investigate. Not a single demon or evil spirit here should escape."
An unsolicited concubine-born daughter had somehow extended her influence in her own rear quarters; should word spread, how would she show her face?
Reflecting on the banquetâs original intent, now contrasted by todayâs scandal, the Princess Consortâs face was steely once more, amused by the identities involved, letting out a cold chuckle.
No matter who engineered it, this was nothing but shooting oneself in the footânot one of her invited guests got into trouble, not her own sonâthatâs all that mattered; as for others, hmph, itâs a perfect match of stinking vat and rancid grass.