Before Princess Anping fell into the water, Qi Yanzhou had already been led by Prince An to the lotus pond.
Prince An suggested contributing some silver to purchase medicinal herbs for dispelling dampness, preventing colds, and treating fevers, which would then be sent to Jiangnan.
The floods in Jiangnan were still ongoing, with no end in sight.
Even if no plague broke out, the continuous heavy rains would leave the people vulnerable to illness, making medicinal supplies urgently needed.
Qi Yanzhou knew very well that Prince An was not this benevolent—he had never cared about the welfare of the people.
The proposal to buy medicine was merely an excuse to lure him to the lotus pond.
Hearing the startled cries of the women nearby, he guessed Prince An’s scheme.
Qi Yanzhou remained cautiously alert to the situation among the women but outwardly expressed agreement with Prince An’s suggestion.
"Prince An, your concern for the disaster victims is truly admirable. How about this—we each contribute a hundred thousand taels of silver to purchase medicine for Jiangnan. What do you say?"
Prince An’s heart lurched at the suggestion, his face paling.
"Prince Chen, that’s hardly appropriate! The Emperor has already allocated two hundred thousand taels for disaster relief. If we contribute the same amount, wouldn’t it seem like we’re competing for credit? If His Majesty misunderstands and thinks we’re trying to win the people’s favor, it would be disastrous."
As an idle prince with no fiefdom, his stipend was barely enough to cover his household expenses.
Though the Prince An estate had numerous businesses, after expenditures, little remained.
A sudden outlay of a hundred thousand taels would be a devastating blow to him.
Qi Yanzhou had anticipated this response and was prepared with a counterargument.
"Prince An, you overthink it. We need only secretly deliver the medicine to Jiangnan without revealing who provided it."
Prince An had no intention of being the kind of benefactor who did good deeds anonymously.
Just as he was about to object, Qi Yanzhou added,
"This is the only way to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion. Surely, Prince An, your concern for the disaster victims isn’t about gaining fame but about sharing the Emperor’s burden and caring for the people, correct?"
Cornered by this flattery, Prince An could only swallow his displeasure.
"Prince Chen, isn’t a hundred thousand taels a bit excessive?"
"Not at all. While a single prescription may not cost much, Jiangnan is prosperous and densely populated. Two hundred thousand taels’ worth of medicine won’t be nearly enough."
After speaking, Qi Yanzhou glanced toward the main hall.
"Later, Prince An, you should take the lead in rallying the officials to contribute as well. Those who enjoy the Emperor’s favor should share his worries—I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to donate generously for the victims’ medicine."
Prince An: "..."
Wasn’t this just pushing him into a position where he’d offend the entire court?
He wanted no part of it!
Just as he was about to make an excuse to refuse—
A splash came from the other side of the lotus pond, followed by Princess Anping’s fall into the water.
Shouts erupted immediately.
"Help! Miss Ye has fallen into the water! Someone save her!"
This was one of Prince An’s prearranged accomplices, instructed to cry for help the moment she heard the splash.
But standing at the back of the crowd, she had no idea it was Princess Anping who had fallen in.
She blurted out "Miss Ye" without hesitation.
Hearing that Ye Chutang had fallen into the water, Qi Yanzhou remained unmoved.
He knew she could swim.
And with her martial skills, unless she intended it, there was no way she’d accidentally fall in.
Prince An, however, assumed his plan had succeeded, a flicker of triumph flashing in his eyes.
He quickly diverted the earlier topic, feigning urgency.
"How could Miss Ye have fallen in? The rear garden is full of ladies and maids—none of whom can swim—and male servants can’t intervene without compromising propriety. What should we do?"
Qi Yanzhou recognized Prince An’s hint for him to jump in and rescue her.
Had Ye Chutang truly been unable to swim, he would have leaped into the pond despite knowing it was a trap.
But this entire scheme was nothing short of ridiculous!
Watching Prince An’s theatrical performance, Qi Yanzhou coolly reminded him, "Prince An, instead of standing here in a panic, you’d do better to find someone who can help. If anything happens to Miss Ye in your estate, neither the people nor the scholars will let you off easily!"
Prince An ignored this and pressed on, "Prince Chen, you’re skilled in martial arts and swimming—you must have a way to save her."
With that, he shouted toward the women,
"Don’t panic! Prince Chen is here!"
Qi Yanzhou nearly laughed at Prince An’s blatant attempt to force him into action.
"For the sake of Miss Ye’s reputation, I will not intervene. Prince An, you’d best think of another solution."
"Prince Chen, what does reputation matter compared to a human life?"
Prince An seized Qi Yanzhou’s arm and dragged him toward the commotion.
Qi Yanzhou didn’t resist.
He wanted to see how Ye Chutang would retaliate.
If she needed help, he would step in.
Before the ladies could recover from the shock of Princess Anping’s fall, they heard someone behind them shouting that "Miss Ye" had fallen in.
Had it truly been Ye Chutang, no one might have suspected anything.
But the person in the water and the one being called for were not the same!
"Wasn’t it Princess Anping who fell in? Why are they calling for Miss Ye?"
"The voice shouting for help came from behind—how odd."
"No one even saw who fell in. Why the false alarm?"
Princess An nearly fainted upon hearing this.
Idiots!
Naming the wrong person outright exposed their scheme—that Ye Chutang’s near-fall had been premeditated!
Then, Prince An’s voice rang out:
"Don’t panic! Prince Chen is coming!"
Princess An’s heart lurched in dread.
If Prince Chen followed the plan and jumped into the pond to "rescue" Ye Chutang, the Emperor’s scheme would be ruined.
She quickly shouted, "Everyone, stay calm! It’s Princess Anping who fell in—she knows how to swim!"
Prince An, hurrying over, stumbled mid-step.
Wasn’t it supposed to be Ye Chutang?
How did it become Princess Anping?
In his daze, Qi Yanzhou "accidentally" bumped into him, sending him tumbling into the lotus pond.
"Splash!"
Prince An, raised in luxury and unable to swim, flailed wildly, churning the water muddy.
"Hel—glug—help!"
Qi Yanzhou watched him sink, a faint smirk curling his lips.
"Someone! Prince An has fallen in!"
Princess An could only sigh in exasperation.
Had her husband and daughter been cursed?
Why were they taking turns drowning?
A servant who could swim immediately jumped in at Prince Chen’s command.
Seeing her husband being rescued, Princess An turned to her daughter, still floundering in the water.
"Anping, stop fooling around and come out."
But Princess Anping ignored her, showing no intention of climbing ashore.
She bobbed up and down, feigning distress.
"Save… Prince Chen… save me…"
Princess An’s face darkened with understanding.
Her daughter must have learned of their plot to trap Prince Chen and Ye Chutang and decided to take Ye Chutang’s place.
What a reckless fool!
Her tone sharpened. "Anping, get out now!"
Everyone knew Princess Anping could swim—yet here she was, calling for Prince Chen to save her. The entire estate would be shamed!
The other ladies chimed in.
"Your Highness, stop playing—the water’s filthy."
"Prince Chen won’t go in. Come out already."
"You’ve swallowed so much water—this isn’t funny."
"Is there no one in the estate who can swim? Even a bamboo pole would help!"
The clamor of voices grew louder.
Truthfully, Princess Anping wanted to climb out.
But something had tangled around her ankle, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
Her strength waned, her body sinking against her will.
Water rushed into her nose and mouth, choking her.
The terror of death coiled around her like an invisible net, tightening until she could barely breathe.
Ye Chutang noticed something amiss with Princess Anping.
Though the pond water had been stirred into murkiness and the lotus leaves provided cover, she was certain—someone was hiding beneath the surface!
