Chapter 369 – The Sweet Princess Was Here – Each with Their Own Schemes (14)
Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang had barely finished a cup of tea when Li Xiuming returned from outside.
“Master, they’re here to make clothes for Madam,” the servant who had been waiting in the main hall replied.
Li Xiuming smiled as he discreetly observed the two of them. Only then did he step forward. “I didn’t expect the tailor from Misty Mountain Green to be so young. Truly impressive for someone at such an age.”
Cultured and refined. That was Bai Tang’s first impression of Li Xiuming.
And it made sense—if Xiuming weren’t good-looking, how could he have caught Zhu Lanxiao’s eye, become the Zhu family’s ideal son-in-law, and even be recommended to serve as the Prefect of Ning City?
Perhaps Bai Tang had stared a bit too long, for Li Xiuming shifted his attention to him. And with one look, he was stunned.
Li Xiuming had never been particular about gender to begin with. Bai Tang’s striking features and pure temperament made one involuntarily want to protect him, yet at the same time stirred a sudden, violent urge—If one were to torment him a little, what would that feel like?
Bai Tang felt uncomfortable under the man’s blatant gaze and hid slightly behind Wu Chenyi.
Wu Chenyi also moved a step, shielding Bai Tang and bringing his hand behind his back to hold Bai Tang’s.
“Prefect Li must be busy, yet you still put in so much effort to have new garments made for your wife. Such deep affection,” Wu Chenyi said with a smile, though the smile never reached his eyes—his gaze was cold.
“Haha, I have only this one wife. If I don’t treat her well, who else would I treat well?” In front of the household servants, Li Xiuming cared very much about maintaining the image of a loving husband. Although he was the one managing the household now, Grandmaster Zhu’s lingering authority still remained, along with many watching eyes, so he did not dare act too wantonly.
As they were speaking, Zhu Lanxiao, Suwen, and the others returned from taking measurements.
“Husband, you’re back.” Zhu Lanxiao quickened her steps, stepping forward to remove Li Xiuming’s cloak. “If you were back, you should have had someone notify me.”
Li Xiuming turned his hand, holding hers in return, and said with a smile, “I was afraid it would tire you.”
“It’s just a small matter, how could it tire me? You… you’re simply too cautious.”
The two of them spoke with warmth and affection—so much so that it pierced Fang Xianglian’s heart like a blade.
That face, that voice—there was no doubt.
It was her husband, Li Xiuming.
With Bai Tang’s ability calming her emotions, Fang Xianglian did not lose control. She simply lowered her head, not daring to look again. She feared that if she looked a few more times, she truly wouldn’t be able to stop herself from rushing forward to ask why he had abandoned them—why he had left her and their child alone for three years without even sending a single message home.
Wu Chenyi watched the harmonious scene between husband and wife with a smile. “The Prefect and Madam share deep affection. Suwen has already taken Madam’s measurements. Once the garments are finished, they will be delivered to the residence.”
Bai Tang hid himself well. Li Xiuming’s faint disappointment was nearly imperceptible, yet he still lifted the corners of his lips into a smile. “Very well. I’ll trouble you, then.”
When Wu Chenyi led Bai Tang out, Fang Xianglian remained standing, unmoving. Suwen tugged at her sleeve. Just as she turned, Fang Xianglian met Li Xiuming’s gaze. He froze for a moment, then quickly composed himself.
“A-San, see our esteemed guests out,” Li Xiuming said.
Fang Xianglian glanced at him once but said nothing, following Suwen away.
After A-San escorted Wu Chenyi and the others out, he entered the study with Wu Chenyi. About half an hour later, he hurriedly emerged and left the Prefect’s residence.
Sensing Li Xiuming’s strange behavior, Zhu Lanxiao sent someone to follow A-San while she herself knocked and entered the study.
“Xiuming, what are you looking at?”
At the sound of her voice, Li Xiuming jolted in surprise and hastily rolled up the scroll.
“It’s nothing. One of my father-in-law’s students got himself into trouble and came to me for help. It’s giving me a bit of a headache.”
Zhu Lanxiao’s gaze swept over the scroll. She knew there was something off but chose not to expose him.
She gently stroked the back of his hand. “It’s Father’s useless student causing trouble and making you worry.”
“How could you say that, Madam? Father-in-law has shown me great kindness. His students should be considered my senior brothers as well. It’s a matter for our own family—how could it be considered troublesome?” Li Xiuming shifted the topic, guiding Zhu Lanxiao away from the desk and the scroll, chatting with her about household matters.
Back in the courtyard, Fang Xianglian finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and broke down into loud sobs. Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang exchanged a glance— It seemed the Prefect of Ning City truly was Fang Xianglian’s husband.
Fang Xianglian fell to her knees before Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang with a thud. Startled, Bai Tang hurriedly helped her up.
“Young Master Bai, this humble woman is deeply grateful to you both for saving my life, and for bringing me into the Prefect’s residence today to search for my husband.” Fang Xianglian bowed her head to them, tears streaming down her face. “I have found my husband—but he has already changed his heart. I know this is putting my benefactors in a difficult position, but I still wish to beg you: the next time you go to the Prefect’s residence, please take me with you. I want to ask him for a divorce letter to his face. Then I will return to my hometown to raise my child and live a good, quiet life.”
Her crying confession was both pitiful and humble, moving everyone present.
Suwen even turned away, secretly wiping her tears.
Bai Tang, frustrated by her submissiveness, said, “Why should you beg that faithless man for a divorce letter? He wronged you. If anything, you should be the one divorcing him. If you ask me, you should sue him—for abandoning his wife and remarrying, for climbing up the social ladder and discarding the wife who shared his hardships, for leaving a young child behind. Make him pay a hefty sum and throw him into prison so he can taste the suffering you went through.”
Savage. Truly savage.
Hearing these words, Xiao Duzi sneaked a glance at Wu Chenyi. With the crown princess this fierce, how does the crown prince endure it?
In Xiao Duzi’s mind, the crown prince would one day have side consorts and secondary consorts. But the crown princess clearly couldn’t tolerate anyone sharing him. Without the support of the court officials, this would surely cause trouble for His Highness in ascending the throne.
Wu Chenyi had no idea what Xiao Duzi was thinking. Instead, he echoed Bai Tang, “Tang Tang is right. A faithless man deserves a harsh lesson.”
According to Wu Dynasty law, though men were allowed to take concubines, they were forbidden from discarding their lawful wife to remarry. If a man wanted a new principal wife, he had to divorce the original one properly first. As for having two principal wives at once—it was unheard of. Those who attempted such would have their assets seized and be exiled to the southern tribes.
“This…” Fang Xianglian hesitated.
But the more Bai Tang thought about it, the angrier he became. “We’ll do it like that. Don’t worry—I’ll make A-Yi help you. We’ll make that scumbag pay.”
“I just want to go home now,” Fang Xianglian said softly, “and live quietly with my child. I don’t want anything else.”
She still had feelings for Li Xiuming. Though she resented him, her love outweighed her anger.
From Bai Tang’s perspective, Li Xiuming’s behavior was appalling.
If you don’t like someone, you should say it plainly. Instead, he strung along a good girl while courting another outside. Deceiving both sides. He couldn’t be more of a scumbag.
Qiu’er, with the omniscient perspective, popped out to add: “Li Xiuming isn’t deceiving both sides, actually. Zhu Lanxiao knew from the start that he had a wife and child. She simply took a liking to him. And Li Xiuming had the ambition too, so he agreed to marry into the Zhu family.”
Knowing he had a wife and child yet still stealing someone’s husband—she was just as despicable.
Bai Tang’s impression of Zhu Lanxiao, after what he saw today, plummeted straight into the negatives.
Truly, “every pot finds its lid”—a perfect match between a scumbag and a wicked woman.
The young man sat on the chair, puffed up with anger, feeling as though flames were rising straight to the top of his head. He grabbed his teacup and gulped down a mouthful of cold water. A second later, the cup was snatched away by Wu Chenyi.
“The water’s cold. You can’t drink that. Tang Tang wants to drink bitter medicine instead, hmm?”
The gentle male voice echoed in Bai Tang’s ears like a bolt from the blue. He immediately spat out the cold water.
“I— cough cough— I didn’t drink it, look…” Bai Tang was choking on his coughs as he pointed at the wet floor.
The memories of those days dominated by bitter medicinal soup returned, and the little squirrel’s sorrow surged up—he never wanted to go back to those days.
Wu Chenyi gently patted Bai Tang’s back. “Tang Tang didn’t drink any. I know, I know…”
Xiao Duzi came over with freshly warmed tea at just the right moment. Wu Chenyi used a handkerchief to wipe the corners of the young man’s lips, then leaned in to kiss him, his eyes filled with concern. “It’s my fault. I frightened Tang Tang.”
Bai Tang shook his head and murmured softly, “It’s not A-Yi’s fault.”
Wu Chenyi offered the warm tea. Bai Tang drank in small sips, his curled eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes. With each blink, they trembled slightly, and Wu Chenyi’s heart seemed to tremble along with them. Suddenly, he felt thirsty too.
The two of them were very close—Bai Tang could even feel Wu Chenyi’s breath against his skin.
His small face flushed red, his gaze darting around nervously, though the smile tugging at his lips couldn’t be suppressed.
“Cough, cough…”
Xiao Duzi made a very ill-timed sound, pulling the two love-struck people back into reality.
My lord… Miss Fang Xianglian is still on the ground crying her heart out. Aren’t you two being a bit cruel…?
“Ahem.” Wu Chenyi also realized this wasn’t the right moment. He straightened Tang Tang’s clothes, then instructed Suwen to help Fang Xianglian up, take her back to her room, and comfort her properly.
The first step of their plan had already succeeded—they managed to speak with Li Xiuming. The next task was to gain his trust and collect information about the people he associated with: who was involved in buying and selling official positions, who was lining their own pockets, and who was embezzling the grain meant to relieve the poor. This was the purpose of Wu Chenyi’s undercover mission.
Business served as an excellent cover. Wu Chenyi was not satisfied with merely earning money from jewelry and clothing. Throughout history, the most stable and profitable trade had always been grain.
After organizing the account books, once the seamstresses finished creating Misty Mountain Green, Wu Chenyi delivered the garments in person.
But this time, he did not bring Bai Tang.
Li Xiuming coveted his little squirrel—no way would he send the lamb into the tiger’s jaws.
Fang Xianglian held the garments and followed Wu Chenyi to the Prefect’s residence. She then followed a maid into Zhu Lanxiao’s room to help her change.
In just a few days, Zhu Lanxiao had already investigated Fang Xianglian’s identity thoroughly. The scroll Li Xiuming kept in his study—the one he wouldn’t let her see—contained a drawing of a woman and two children. That woman was unmistakably the Fang Xianglian standing before her now.
Wretch. Instead of staying obediently in the countryside, she actually came to Ning City to steal my husband.
The more Zhu Lanxiao looked at the meek, lowered-eyed Fang Xianglian, the more displeased she became. As Fang Xianglian was tying her sash, a plan suddenly formed in Zhu Lanxiao’s mind. She abruptly threw herself backward, tugging Fang Xianglian—who still held the sash—forward with her.
With a loud thud, Zhu Lanxiao, who had only intended to fake a fall, was accidentally pushed by Fang Xianglian and hit the back of her head hard.
“Madam! Madam—!”
The room descended into chaos. The maids rushed to help, but stepped on the hem of the gown that had fallen to the floor. Their feet slipped, and like falling dominoes, they toppled one after another—each crashing toward the ground.
And Zhu Lanxiao ended up as the bottom cushion for the entire pile.
Author’s Note :
Wu Chenyi: Hide my little squirrel.
Bai Tang (gnawing pine nuts): crunch crunch crunch crunch