Chapter 31: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Path

In the front hall, Murong Si sat with both eyes swollen, hissing in pain for a long time. Tang Chaochao curled her lip in disgust.

"Even if you are the second daughter of General Tang, you cannot treat His Highness like this!" the personal attendant helping the Third Prince apply medicine scolded, outraged by Tang Chaochao’s actions.

Tang Chaochao couldn't be bothered with the chatterbox attendant. "I came here today to take Xiao Liuzi. It was the Emperor who forbade me from abducting people, so I came to your doorstep to demand him. Yet, your guards not only blocked me but also drew blades against me. Hand him over, and I will leave immediately."

The Third Prince, Murong Si, pressed down his attendant’s hand and narrowed his red, swollen eyes at Tang Chaochao. "You injured me like this, and yet you still dare to demand people from me?"

Tang Chaochao rolled her eyes. "If Your Highness hadn't looked at me with those lecherous eyes, you wouldn't be injured now!"

Hearing Tang Chaochao’s reckless tongue, the attendant grew furious again. "You are insolent!"

Tang Chaochao had long grown tired of this jabbering attendant. With a flick of her hand, a silver needle flew out, and the attendant’s eyes rolled back as he fainted on the spot. Murong Si was left dumbstruck.

Tang Chaochao raised an eyebrow. "Since he is your man, I will spare him a beating today. Where is Xiao Liuzi, Your Highness?"

Murong Si finally understood why his father, the Emperor, had been so hesitant and cryptic when mentioning Tang Chaochao during his visit to the palace. The only thing he had managed to learn from a junior eunuch was: "Lady Chao'an has a rather casual and wild personality. If you happen to encounter her, Third Prince, it would be best to keep your distance."

That eunuch served the Emperor’s tea and had been present when Prime Minister Xie came to lodge his complaint, witnessing the entire affair. If she dared to abduct the Prime Minister’s daughter and torture her, it was entirely possible she would dare to strike a prince. Murong Si could now confirm to that eunuch that she truly dared; after all, this wild woman had poked him right in the eyes. Of course, the Third Prince would never admit that; being beaten by a woman and failing to subdue her would only be his own humiliation.

"Xiao Liuzi is dead!"

Tang Chaochao was deeply dissatisfied with this answer. She narrowed her eyes, clearly ready to strike again. Murong Si, knowing he couldn't let her hit him again, jumped up from his stool. "I received word from the palace yesterday and went to find Xiao Liuzi immediately. He was already dead in his room. I am not that stupid. Killing him now would only prove my own guilt."

Facing his barrage of explanations, Tang Chaochao curled her lips in a cold sneer. "How do I know you aren't a thief crying 'stop thief'?"

As a prince, being beaten by a woman was bad enough, but to be provoked so blatantly ignited Murong Si’s fury. "You are merely a general’s daughter; how dare you pressure me like this? Do you truly think I am easy to bully?"

Tang Chaochao remained unfazed. "The Emperor himself gave the order to thoroughly investigate my sister's case. If Your Highness is so uncooperative, I can only conclude that you are hiding something!"

The Third Prince was so angry he could spit blood. Compared to her sister, this Tang Chaochao was an absolute brute. "What I said is the truth. Do you intend to torture me as well?"

Tang Chaochao smirked. "That’s not out of the question! I will do so if necessary."

Murong Si felt he had encountered someone completely immune to reason. Did this woman really dare to torture him? "How about this: I will help you investigate. I have been framed, and I, too, want justice. Why don't we cooperate? There are some places that are inconvenient for you to investigate, but I can."

Tang Chaochao remained silent. Murong Si continued, "I know your sister died from cow-hair needles, a weapon only palace artisans can craft. I imagine you have no way of investigating inside the palace, do you?"

Tang Chaochao looked at him with cold eyes. "You had better be innocent, otherwise, the head I saw the other day will be your fate!" She spoke with such murderous intent that Murong Si subconsciously took a step back.

After Tang Chaochao left, Murong Si curled his lips. He hoped that when the day came to find the killer, the Second Miss Tang would still possess such spirit.

Meanwhile, leaving the Third Prince's mansion, Tang Chaochao broke into a grin. Her goal had been achieved. She turned and headed toward the General’s Mansion. Her carriage driver had been chased away earlier, so she had to walk back. As she strolled through the capital’s streets, surrounded by the cries of hawkers, her gaze landed on a stall selling the most common hibiscus pastries—the treat the old Taoist priest would always bring her when he returned from his journeys. She suddenly felt a pang of longing for the old man.

She walked over unconsciously. "Boss, how much for the hibiscus pastries?"

The shopkeeper, a grandmother of about fifty, beamed. "Miss, five coppers each. Would you like some?"

Tang Chaochao nodded. "Give me two."

The old woman wrapped two pieces in clean oil paper. Tang Chaochao took them and handed over a small silver ingot, as she had no copper coins. The old woman looked at the silver, looking troubled. "Miss, I can't break this!"

Tang Chaochao grinned. "Keep the change." She dropped the silver and turned to leave. The old woman tried to call out, but the girl had already vanished.

Taking a bite of the sweet, fragrant pastry, it tasted exactly as she remembered. Tang Chaochao squinted in satisfaction. Unexpectedly, a carriage pulled up in front of her, and three women stepped down. Tang Chaochao recognized two of them: Xie Tingyao and the timid Xu Luowan.

Xu Luowan was the first to spot Tang Chaochao. She gasped, "Ah!"

Xie Tingyao shot her a look of annoyance. Xu Luowan pointed at Tang Chaochao in terror. "It’s her!"

Xie Tingyao turned, and the moment she saw Tang Chaochao, fury ignited in her eyes. Her close friend, Li Xueying, asked in confusion, "Yao Yao, who is that? Do you know her?"

Xie Tingyao gritted her teeth. "Know her? How could I not! She is General Tang’s youngest daughter, Tang Chaochao!"

Li Xueying covered her mouth in shock. "Could she be the Second Miss Tang who abducted and tortured you?"

Tang Chaochao curled her lip and walked past them, but Li Xueying stepped forward to block her path. "This lady, you misunderstood Tingyao before; shouldn't you offer an apology now that you’ve seen her?"

Blocked, Tang Chaochao shoved the rest of the pastry into her mouth. Li Xueying frowned at such vulgarity. Tang Chaochao finally swallowed and asked, "What did you say?"

Li Xueying muttered, "A wild girl from the mountains, indeed—her manners are so crude. I said, since you wrongly abducted Tingyao for three days, shouldn't you apologize?"

Tang Chaochao picked at her ear and shouted at Xie Tingyao, "Xie Tingyao, is this your new maid? If you have something to say, tell me yourself. Sending a maid to speak for you—do you have a mouth ailment?"