For the past two days, the Cui family had been busily decorating the residence. Auspicious red lanterns and red silk were hung throughout the courtyard, and the servants were given reward money wrapped in red silk.
When things got busy, disorder was bound to follow. Fortunately, the three daughters-in-law of the Cui family were all capable women who knew how to manage affairs. They kept everything in perfect order, and nothing went awry.
The Cui family had made preparations well in advance. They had assigned extra people to each courtyard and even had several physicians disguise themselves as household servants to keep watch over the food served in every compound.
Unexpectedly, they really did catch someone plotting trouble.
Someone had tried to poison the food and was caught red-handed.
The culprit had already been locked up for questioning.
Even so, no one in the Cui family dared relax. It was precisely because they had remained vigilant that the Cui family managed to escape disaster.
Someone had actually gone to the woodshed in the rear courtyard intending to set it on fire, but Third Master Cui Huaiyi caught him on the spot and had him taken away.
After these two successive attempts at sabotage, everyone in the Cui family became even more cautious. Only after Cui Huaiyin had bid farewell to her parents and family and boarded the carriage to the palace did the members of the Cui family finally let out a faint sigh of relief.
Rong Yao watched her mother sitting in the ornate carriage. It was spacious, its curtains made of silk and layered with a veil of gauze. Through the window, Rong Yao could see her mother’s face.
Her mother was so beautiful. Everyone who saw her said so, praising her flowerlike features and peerless beauty. Today, her mother wore red robes and a gold hairpiece set with rubies. Her eyes were slightly red from crying when she had hugged Rong Yao moments ago.
Her mother could not bear to part with her. The night before, she had held Rong Yao in her arms and told her many things. She had said that she was not abandoning her, that Rong Yao should wait a little longer, and that mother and daughter would not be separated for long…
Her mother had made many promises and given her countless instructions, and Rong Yao had agreed to all of them.
She would obediently listen to her mother.
Even with her eyes reddened from crying, her mother was still the most beautiful woman there today—far more beautiful than Noble Consort Chen and Princess Shengping in her previous life, by a thousand or ten thousand times!
Rong Yao felt that she and her mother would not be separated for long.
The carriage moved slowly onward. After seeing her mother off, Rong Yao did not return to the Cui residence to wait safely inside. Instead, she pulled her third uncle along and went to the front of the carriage to scout the road.
She was afraid something might happen along the way, so she intended to personally escort her mother to the palace.
Unexpectedly, she spotted Zhu Wangbei skulking about.
He had appeared along the route her mother had to take into the palace. His complexion was not good, and he looked like someone who had only just recovered from a serious illness.
He was not dead. What a pity.
And he had not been turned into a fool. An even greater pity!
Rong Yao tugged at her third uncle’s sleeve and pointed toward Zhu Wangbei. “Third Uncle, look!”
Cui Huaiyi raised his eyes in the direction his niece’s little finger indicated. When he saw that despicable man, Zhu Wangbei, his expression darkened. He patted his niece’s shoulder soothingly. “Don’t worry. Your third uncle absolutely won’t let him block your mother’s path!”
Cui Huaiyi directed several guards following behind him to quietly approach Zhu Wangbei. When they reached his side, he patted him on the shoulder. Zhu Wangbei had only just turned around when his head suddenly grew dizzy, and he collapsed against Cui Huaiyi.
Cui Huaiyi looked disgusted and muttered under his breath, “You still dare come here and cause trouble? I think you’re tired of living!”
With that, he helped Zhu Wangbei away. In the middle of the crowd, he pretended they were familiar companions and brothers, grumbling as they walked, “Why are you drinking in broad daylight? Once you get drunk, I’m the one who has to come fetch you. If it were anyone else, who would bother with you…”
Rong Yao’s eyes shone as she watched her third uncle. She glanced at the carriage carrying her mother, then happily followed her third uncle away.
…
The Cui residence.
After the excitement had passed, the crowd dispersed, leaving the courtyard somewhat desolate.
Once everything was taken care of, the several daughters-in-law of the Cui family each returned to their own courtyards with their children. The men of the Cui family, meanwhile, went to the woodshed to interrogate the criminals who had caused trouble.
Today alone, they had caught three people attempting to disrupt the Jieyu’s entry into the palace. All three had been caught red-handed by the Cui family.
Putting Zhu Wangbei aside, the one who had administered the poison was a worker from the Cui family’s pastry shop. Because there had not been enough staff at the residence for the Jieyu’s entry into the palace, he had been transferred over to help. He claimed that everything he had done today had been under duress. Someone had gotten hold of his weakness and forced him to commit the crime. As for that person’s identity, he knew nothing at all—they had met only once.
As for what that weakness was, the pastry-shop worker confessed everything. He said that every month, he secretly skimmed money from the shop and falsified the accounts. Afraid that the truth would be exposed and he would be thrown out, he had foolishly committed this crime.
“Second Master, I know I was wrong! Please spare me! I have elderly parents and young children at home, and they all depend on me to support them. Please show mercy…”
“The person who gave me the poison said it wouldn’t kill anyone. That’s why I dared to do such a thing! I was forced into it!”
“I didn’t know! I truly didn’t know it was deadly poison. If I had known it could take a person’s life, I wouldn’t have dared, even if you gave me ten heads!”
The pastry-shop worker cried and shouted desperately. Cui Huaiyi merely watched him coldly and ordered someone to send him to the authorities, without the slightest sign of relenting.
Next was the arsonist.
The arsonist was a beggar from outside the residence. He had taken advantage of the confusion to sneak into the rear courtyard of the Cui family and plot mischief. He was more tight-lipped than the pastry-shop worker, and only began talking after being tortured.
He identified someone, claiming that this person was his benefactor and brought him food every day. His benefactor not only gave him food but also money.
To prevent any further complications, Cui Huaiyi immediately went to find the benefactor mentioned by the beggar. The man was just about to flee when he was caught red-handed. Under threat, he revealed a single sentence:
“You offended a noble lady in the palace. We were forced by the powerful and had no choice but to come harm you!”
Cui Huaiyi grabbed the man by the collar. “Was it Consort Chen?”
The man’s face filled with terror, and his pupils contracted. He then glanced around and hurriedly said, “Nonsense! What consort? I don’t know anything!”
After that, no matter what else they asked, the man refused to reveal another word. But for the Cui family, this was already enough.
Consort Chen again. It was that Consort Chen again.
She had harmed the Cui family time and time again!
Cui Huaiyi sent all of them to the authorities. Although none had succeeded in committing their crimes, they had been caught in the act, and that alone was enough to make them criminals. They would likely spend a year or two in prison.
After dealing with the beggar and the pastry-shop worker, all that remained was Zhu Wangbei.
At that moment, Zhu Wangbei’s hands and feet were bound. His eyes were filled with terror as he stared at the three men who had once been his brothers-in-law—and at Rong Yao, who had once called him Father.
“You—you people, what are you planning to do? I’m warning you, I haven’t done anything! If you kill me, you’ll be beheaded for it!”
Cui Huaiyi said, “Speak! What were you trying to do by appearing along the road your former wife had to take into the palace today?”
