Concubine Wang lunged at the rockery and rammed into it fiercely, but was grabbed by Shen Mingzhu's guard the next moment. Seeing her guard catch the woman, Shen Mingzhu subconsciously let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Xie Lang, but the next second she heard the shrill scream of the third young lady, Xie Fangfei.
"Mother————"
Shen Mingzhu immediately sensed that something terrible had happened. She looked back and saw Concubine Wang holding a hairpin in her hand, which she had already stabbed hard into her neck. Blood spurted out, instantly staining her own clothes and those of the guard in front of her bright red.
The thick smell of blood spread through the air, making everyone present change their expressions.
"Mother! Mother! Mother!" Xie Fangfei stared with wide eyes and rushed over in a sorry state. She threw herself on Concubine Wang, tears welling up, and screamed, "Save my mother! Mother! No! No! Mother——-"
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment and then turned her head away.
It was hopeless. Once this part was injured, the blood would drain out in just a few breaths.
Concubine Wang knew that if she didn't die, there would be endless troubles in the future. But if she died right then and died in a tragic way, maybe she could gain a bit of General Xie's pity. And by the way, make her only daughter who knew those things more precious, forcing Shen Mingzhu to take action.
Really······
Shen Mingzhu watched this tragic scene in front of her. She saw Concubine Wang struggle for a few moments and then lose her breath in Xie Fangfei's arms. Her face turned deathly pale. Shen Mingzhu closed her eyes.
Xie Fangfei couldn't cry anymore. She stood there in a daze, covered in blood. Her eyes were full of hatred when she looked at General Xie. Then she tilted her head and slumped to the ground softly.
"······ Help her down." General Xie closed his eyes slightly. He looked at Shen Mingzhu and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry for making Your Highness witness this. I just hope Your Highness······"
"Don't mention it." Shen Mingzhu interrupted, saying straightforwardly, "General, you don't need to be so polite. This matter involves too much. Naturally, I won't blame you too much. But there are still some things unclear. For Concubine Wang's sake, I will surely take better care of Xie Fangfei."
"Your Highness······"
General Xie frowned. He originally didn't want Shen Mingzhu to get involved in his family affairs. But when his eyes fell on his fainted daughter, he let out a long sigh and said, "Then I'll thank Your Highness on behalf of my little daughter."
Shen Mingzhu nodded slightly. She turned to the maid beside her and said, "Arrange for Xie Fangfei to stay in the adjacent courtyard."
"Yes."
After saying that, Shen Mingzhu looked at General Xie and said, "I'm sure General Xie won't let Concubine Wang's death go in vain. The dead should be respected, but the mistakes she made during her lifetime can't be ignored. As for those still alive, not a single one should be let off."
After saying this, Shen Mingzhu gave General Xie a meaningful look and then turned around to leave.
General Xie looked at Xie Lang, only to find that he didn't even glance at him. Instead, he just followed Shen Mingzhu straight away.
General Xie: "······"
Forget it. It's good that he's gone.
General Xie stared at Xie Lang's back and was stunned for a moment. He realized that his son had suddenly grown so big. Xie Lang's mother had been gone for many years. If······ if she were still alive, would things have been different······
Coming back to his senses, General Xie looked down at Liu Shi, who had fallen to the ground at some unknown time. His eyes were filled with coldness.
······
When they returned to Xie Lang's courtyard, Shen Mingzhu subconsciously let out a sigh of relief and slumped into a chair.
Seeing this, Xie Lang couldn't help chuckling and said, "I didn't expect such a small Xie Mansion to be so lively."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu gave him a sidelong glance and raised her eyebrows. "The palace is much livelier than this."
"Oh."
Xie Lang almost forgot that the person in front of him was Shen Mingzhu. So he let out a long sigh, frowned, and said, "It's better to be quiet. For example, I would never······"
Halfway through his words, Xie Lang remembered those men that Shen Mingzhu seemed to be keeping somewhere. His face instantly darkened.
Shen Mingzhu didn't know what he was thinking about again, so she reached out and picked up the teacup beside his hand.
【Humph, where on earth does Shen Mingzhu keep those men? It's really······】
【Don't let me find out which one she really likes!】
Shen Mingzhu: "······"
Before she could say anything, Chun Tao knocked on the door outside and said, "Your Highness, Xie Fangfei is awake."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu frowned slightly. She got up, looked at Xie Lang, and asked, "Do you want to go and take a look?"
"Otherwise?" Xie Lang suddenly came back to his senses. He immediately stood beside Shen Mingzhu and said, "Your Highness, hurry up!"
Shen Mingzhu couldn't help finding it a bit funny.
In the adjacent small courtyard, Xie Fangfei's clothes had been changed. She was staring blankly at the wall. When she saw Shen Mingzhu and Xie Lang come in, she just slowly raised her head to take a glance and then lowered it again, looking at her hands.
Xie Fangfei's hands hadn't been washed yet, so there was inevitably some blood on them.
"Xie Fangfei." Shen Mingzhu said, her voice cold. "Your mother sacrificed her life to buy you a way out. Where do you want to go?"
When Xie Fangfei heard the word "mother", she seemed to wake up from a dream. She trembled all over and looked at Shen Mingzhu.
"Hmm?"
Xie Lang spoke up. His look at Xie Fangfei was no different from Shen Mingzhu's. He then continued, "What do you plan to do?"
Xie Fangfei suddenly gasped for breath. She breathed heavily. After a long time, she came back to her senses and looked at Shen Mingzhu. "I know everything, all those things."
"I······ I'll tell you. Otherwise······"
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment. She looked at Xie Fangfei and said, "There's no need. You should take care of your health first."
The things that Xie Fangfei knew, Shen Mingzhu wasn't unable to find out. It would just be easier if she told them first.
But······
"Your Highness." Xie Fangfei suddenly looked up at her. Her eyes were full of a decaying emotion. "I used to hate you very much."
"I'm sorry." Seeing the emotion in Shen Mingzhu's eyes, which was indifference and showed no thought for herself at all, and that her own actions couldn't stir up any emotion in this person in front of her, Xie Fangfei suddenly came to her senses.
Yes, Shen Mingzhu was a princess, the biological daughter of the current empress dowager and the emperor's elder sister.
How could she possibly care about a clown like herself?
"I won't forgive you." Shen Mingzhu said and continued, "When you get better, find a way out for yourself. If there's anything I can do, I'll help you."
"Why would you help me?" Xie Fangfei was puzzled.
"Because······" As Shen Mingzhu said this, the look in Concubine Wang's eyes when she looked at her just now flashed before her eyes again. So she lowered her eyes and looked at Xie Fangfei. "You have a good mother."
Xie Fangfei was stunned. She never expected that Shen Mingzhu would save her for this reason. She thought her mother had made some deal with Shen Mingzhu.
"Don't rest anymore." Xie Fangfei's face was getting paler and paler. She looked at the people in front of her. "Does Your Highness have time now? I'll tell you now."
Shen Mingzhu subconsciously glanced at Xie Lang and then nodded.
Chun Tao quickly brought in two chairs.
Xie Fangfei propped herself up and leaned on the bed. After being silent for a moment, she began to speak. "A few days before Your Highness and, well, the imperial son - in - law's wedding, someone really came to say something."
Shen Mingzhu exchanged a look with Xie Lang again.
"That person was······" Xie Fangfei frowned. There was a hint of deep thought in her eyes. "I didn't know before, but I saw that person today."
A guess emerged in Shen Mingzhu's mind.