Chapter 45: The Murderer

Tang Yuntao was deeply unconvinced, believing that the entire fiasco was stirred up solely by Tang Chaochao.

It was abundantly clear to her that the Crown Prince had been framed in that disgraceful incident. Upon returning to the General's Manor, she immediately went to lodge a complaint with Old Madame Tang.

"Grandmother, Elder Sister Chaochao openly talked back to Consort Jing. In the future, our entire Tang family is bound to be hated by Consort Jing. You simply cannot let her off lightly."

After listening to the whole story, Old Madame Tang felt the veins on her forehead throbbing violently.

"That lawless wretch! Sooner or later, the Tang family will be ruined at her hands!" Tang Yuntao added fuel to the fire.

"Grandmother, if she hadn't insisted on investigating the side hall, the Crown Prince's scandal wouldn't have become common knowledge. I suppose the Crown Prince will hold a grudge against me because of this. My prospect of becoming the Crown Princess is likely ruined as well."

The more Old Madame Tang listened, the angrier she became, until finally, she hurled the teacup beside her onto the floor.

"Has that little beast returned?"

A maid standing nearby replied, "Reporting to the Old Madame, the Second Young Miss came out from the palace, but she did not return straight to the manor."

Old Madame Tang had nowhere to vent her fury.

"She has completely rebelled! For a woman to expose herself in public like this is utterly unseemly! Go summon Madame Song here!"

When Madame Song arrived, she was accompanied by Tang Wu.

The new teacup that the Old Madame had raised her hand to throw froze mid-air the moment she laid eyes on Tang Wu. She shot a fierce glare at Song Rongzhi instead, and then rebuked harshly.

"Look at the good daughter you've raised! Is she trying to get every single one of us in the Tang family killed?"

Song Rongzhi exchanged a glance with Tang Wu.

Tang Wu spoke up, "What does Mother mean by these words?"

Old Madame Tang rolled her eyes contemptuously at her disobedient eldest son before saying, "In the palace, she not only talked back to Consort Jing and the Fourth Princess, but she also offended the Crown Prince. If this isn't trying to spell doom for our Tang Mansion, what is? After the palace banquet concluded, instead of returning home immediately like a proper woman, what on earth is she trying to do? And now, Yuntao's marriage prospects with the Crown Prince have also been ruined because of your precious daughter. Eldest son, speak for yourself, what should be done about this?"

Tang Wu naturally heard the fragmented and groundless nature of the Old Madame's accusations. "Mother, why don't you state the full sequence of events clearly before I make a decision?"

Hearing this, Old Madame Tang slammed the new teacup heavily onto the ground.

"What do you mean by that? Do you think I am deliberately framing that little fiend? Not only did she talk back to the Fourth Princess, but when Consort Jing wanted to punish her, she dared to talk back to Consort Jing as well. She even made the Crown Prince's scandal known to everyone! What else is there to defend?"

Song Rongzhi responded, "Old Madame, perhaps you should make things clearer. Why did Chaochao talk back to the Fourth Princess? Why did she talk back to Consort Jing? What scandal befell the Crown Prince? And why would Chaochao want to make such a matter known to everyone?"

Naturally, the couple, unaware of the actual circumstances, refused to listen blindly to Old Madame Tang's biased account.

Seeing Song Rongzhi's confrontational attitude, Old Madame Tang felt a surge of rage boiling up within her. However, with Tang Wu present, she could not vent her anger freely. Reluctantly, she cast her gaze toward Tang Yuntao.

Tang Yuntao was actually rather terrified of her eldest uncle. The aura of bloodshed and ferocity surrounding Tang Wu was intimidating enough, let alone for a young girl like her; even her own father, Tang Wen, never dared to act presumptuously in front of his older brother.

Though deeply reluctant, she had no choice but to recount the entire event from beginning to end.

Upon hearing the story, Song Rongzhi's gaze turned icy. She looked at Old Madame Tang and said, "Old Madame, Chaochao was clearly the one who suffered humiliation first. It is bad enough that you do not speak up for her, but to blame her for it as well—isn't that going much too far?"

Hearing these words, Old Madame Tang flew into a rage and leaped to her feet. Pointing at Song Rongzhi, she roared, "What kind of attitude is that? It is precisely because of your pampering as a mother that she has become so utterly unbridled!"

Tang Wu placed a large hand on Song Rongzhi's slightly agitated shoulder, signaling her to remain calm. Only then did he turn his gaze to Old Madame Tang.

"Mother, as for my daughter Chaochao—even if she were in the wrong, let alone when she is in the right, I, as her father, will be the one to protect her. You are already advanced in years, so you should just enjoy your remaining days in peace!"

So furious was Old Madame Tang that she clutched her chest with one hand.

Tang Yuntao hurriedly stepped forward to support her. Still struggling, Old Madame Tang pointed a trembling finger at Tang Wu and cursed.

"You unfilial son! You wicked spawn! You've been bewitched by this pair of mother and daughter!"

Tang Wu's expression darkened at these words. "Mother, as for matters concerning Chaochao, you would do best not to interfere in the future."

With that, Tang Wu took Song Rongzhi and walked away.

Overcome by a sudden surge of rage, Old Madame Tang fainted on the spot.

Unaware that Old Madame Tang had been angered into a faint by her father, Tang Chaochao had trailed all the way behind Li Xueying, unexpectedly ending up at the Second Prince's residence.

Quietly and stealthily, Tang Chaochao scaled the wall and slipped inside.

She saw Li Xueying being led by a maid all the way to the entrance of a study. The maid turned and left immediately. Standing at the door, Li Xueying loosened her outer garments slightly and disheveled her hair a bit. Only then did she push open the study door and step inside.

Seated behind the desk in the study was a remarkably handsome man. Even while seated, his powerful, athletic, and well-proportioned physique was impossible to ignore.

The moment Li Xueying saw him, her eyes instantly reddened. With a pitiful, hesitant expression, she curtsied to him. "Xueying greets the Second Highness."

Indeed, this man was none other than the Second Prince, Murong Tian. His biological mother was the current Empress, of the Duanmu clan.

Seeing the beauty holding back tears, Murong Tian frowned almost imperceptibly. He then stood up, walked over, and pulled her into his embrace. "Has Xueying been bullied by someone? Do you need this Highness to vent your anger for you?"

Li Xueying was an intelligent woman, and she understood the man before her thoroughly. Murong Tian detested trouble above all else. Those by his side who could not handle their own problems were considered useless to him.

"I was merely slapped by Tang Chaochao. Xueying can handle it herself."

Murong Tian's hand drifted up to stroke the swollen half of her face. "This Second Miss Tang certainly strikes heavily! Compared to her frail and weak elder sister, she is rather interesting indeed."

Hearing this, Li Xueying furrowed her delicate brows. "Is Your Highness still thinking of that dead girl?"

The Second Prince, Murong Tian, cast a meaningful glance at Li Xueying. "Xueying, the fact that you killed the Eldest Miss Tang behind my back without permission—I chose not to punish you only because you once blocked a blade for me and saved my life. However, if you ever dare to ruin my plans again..."

Suddenly having her throat gripped by a stranglehold, Li Xueying instantly lost her breath. Panicking, she clawed at her assailant's arm, her eyes rolling back as she began to suffocate under the immense disparity in strength.

Only then did the Second Prince, Murong Tian, loosen his grip. "You should know the consequences."

Whether he could obtain Tang Mumumu or not, he was determined to win over Tang Chaochao. Only by acquiring sufficient power could he hope to pull the Crown Prince down from his position. Clearly, he was also a legitimate son born of the Empress, yet their Imperial Father obstinately favored the Crown Prince. Very well, then he would accumulate his own strength. When the time came, not even the Crown Prince—no, even the one sitting upon the Dragon Throne—could escape being unseated by him.

Li Xueying gasped heavily for fresh air. Though terrified, her desire to kill Tang Chaochao burned even more fiercely in her heart. No one was going to usurp her position as the Second Prince's Consort.

Standing atop the rooftop, Tang Chaochao's eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty murderous intent.

Li Xueying—it turned out to be her!

After leaving the Second Prince's mansion, Li Xueying's carriage came to a halt in a quiet alleyway. Curious and unsuspecting, she poked her head out to check her surroundings.

Yet for reasons unknown, her mind grew heavy, and her eyelids became unbearably leaden. In the end, darkness consumed her vision, and she lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes once more, she found herself tightly bound inside a dilapidated room.

A-Bei stood guard quietly at the doorway.

Tang Chaochao sat directly across from Li Xueying. She could easily have ended her life with a single blade stroke, but she had restrained herself because certain truths needed to be questioned and clarified.

Gazing at the person sitting opposite her, Li Xueying widened her eyes in terror. "Tang Chaochao, have you lost your mind? The Emperor explicitly decreed that you are no longer permitted to abduct people at will! You are blatantly defying an imperial edict!"