Chapter 73

  After seeing off Yun Hui, Hong Yu felt a growing pain on the back of her hand. The scratch seemed to be festering.

  Simaqiang looked at it and felt very strange. It was just a small shallow scratch, why would it be in such a state?

  "Is Hongyu, was it Xiao Wu who scratched you, or was it ordered by Empress Li? If it's just a simple scratch, there shouldn't be any signs of festering. Empress Li is the princess of Wumeng State, and Wumeng State is skilled in using poison. If she has poisoned you... I think we should quickly call for the imperial physician to take a look."

  Hong Yu's heart tightened, won't be! Does Xiao Wu have such a plan? Yue Jiao is dead, Xiao Wu entered the palace and was kept by Empress Li. Did Xiao Wu discover that the medicine came from Wumeng country? Suspecting that she exchanged the medicine on that day? She was really neglectful, seeing her buying medicine, should have thought of it, since someone can provide a prescription, it means someone must know the medicine comes from Wumeng country!

  Could it be that Lì Fēi knows Yuè Jiāo? Or has Sīmǎ Ruì intervened in this matter?!

  Simaqiang was very suspicious of Xiao Wu, he always felt that there must be some unspeakable secret behind him. He had inquired about Yu Jiao and vaguely knew of her existence, but since Yu Jiao was related to Sima Rui, why did Sima Zhe and Hongyu mention her on that day?

  Only by finding Xiao Wu can he ask clearly. So, he decided to sneak into the warm jade pavilion's Liyuan, kidnap Xiao Wu, and ask him clearly. What's the big deal about a little servant girl? Even if something happens, his grandmother won't punish him severely just because of a little servant girl.

  Xiao Wu is sleeping soundly, like a little kid.

  Suddenly, Xiao Wu felt a suffocating sensation in his mouth and nose, as if his body was floating up. He felt a faint coolness growing heavier, and smelled the scent of trees and flowers outside.

  Then, he stopped and fell onto a soft and wet grassland. His eyes slowly adapted to the surrounding light and saw Sima Qiang standing in front of him. For a moment, his breathing almost stopped. How dare he? Dare to kidnap someone in the emperor's Lijing Garden!

  Simarong's eyes were cold and staring at her, as if he wanted to swallow her in one bite.

  Just then, a voice seemed to whisper past her ear, so softly that even she wasn't sure if she'd really heard it. "Don't be afraid, I'm nearby." She looked around subconsciously, but apart from the flowers, grass and trees, there seemed to be nothing else, yet the voice was familiar.

  "What are you looking at? No one will come to save you!" Sima Qiang said fiercely, "Was it Empress Li who instructed you? Was the wound on Hongyu's hand caused by Empress Li ordering you to use poison?"

  Xiao Wu's heart was racing, and tears welled up in her eyes. "It has nothing to do with Princess Li, it's just that my hands are clumsy, and I accidentally scratched the Second Prince's Consort."

  "What kind of person is Yu Jiao?" Sima Qiang's voice was menacing, thinking to himself that if she dared to lie, he would kill her immediately. The death of a small servant girl in the imperial palace wouldn't attract much attention, and this was the backyard of his second prince's mansion, where no one dared to enter without his permission. At that time, he had locked Ya Li in a flower shed in this place.

  Xiao Wu felt somewhat nervous and didn't know how to express himself properly.

  Simaqiang moved forward, approaching Xiao Wu within a foot of distance. Xiao Wu immediately tensed up and clutched at her chest, realizing she had only worn thin clothes when she was caught out, and Sima Qiang's proximity rendered her clothing useless.

  "You, you keep a distance from me. If you have something to ask, just ask. You're a man and I'm a woman, we shouldn't be too familiar with each other! Even if you are Master Wu's master, it's not allowed! Miss has instructed Xiao Wu."

  Simarong curled his lip, "Even if you were sent to me, I wouldn't want you." Although he said this with his mouth, in his heart he couldn't help but laugh at her. Such a weak woman, yet she still remembered to protect her chastity in such a situation, which moved him somewhat.

  Xiao Wu hung his head low and didn't make a sound for a long time, his whole body trembling.

  "I ask you, what is your relationship with Yu Jiao?"

  "Miss Yu is the master of Xiao Wu." Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and steeled herself, she couldn't implicate others. Given the situation, it was clear that Sima Qiang would not let her go, so she decided to do everything in her power to exonerate Li Fei and the Fourth Prince from some responsibility. "Some time ago, Miss Yu was unwell, and the Fourth Prince asked Li Fei to help diagnose and treat her. Later, when Miss Yu's condition worsened and she passed away, the Fourth Prince handed Xiao Wu over to Li Fei, saying that Li Fei had no one to take care of her and thought Xiao Wu was still considerate. The Empress Dowager agreed. That day, Xiao Wu saw the Second Prince's consort, it wasn't intentional, but seeing how similar she looked to Miss Yu, Xiao Wu felt a pang in her heart and accidentally hurt the Second Prince's consort. This matter has nothing to do with Li Fei, it's all because of Xiao Wu's clumsiness. The Second Prince can kill or torture me as he pleases, just please don't blame Li Fei."

  "Does Yu Jiao look a bit like Hong Yu?" Sima Qiang was taken aback, and suddenly asked, "I'll ask you again, is it usually Sima Rui who goes to see Yu Jiao or someone else?"

  Xiao Wu immediately replied, "Everyone knows that Miss Yu Jiao is the fourth prince's person. If he hears this, he will not let it go. You are slandering our family's young lady for no reason. Although Miss Yu Jiao is the top courtesan of Drunken Flower House, she has always sold her art but not her body, where would others come from?"

  Simarong was taken aback and didn't know what to say for a moment.

  In the dark of night, there was a pair of eyes quietly watching. The expression on his face was profound and unfathomable. He stood quietly behind a large tree, without making any sound. Although he was standing only five meters away from Sima Qiang, Sima Qiang did not discover him.

  "Is Princess Li really unrelated to this matter?" Sima Qiang asked with some doubt.

  Xiao Wu nodded.

  "What about Sima Rui?" Sima Qiang asked anxiously.

  "The fourth prince took care of me on Miss Yu's behalf, and before she left, she entrusted me to the fourth prince. The fourth prince thought that Concubine Li knew me, so he handed me over to Concubine Li." Xiao Wu slowly calmed down in her heart, and her tone also became smoother. In fact, she had gradually adapted to the darkness around her, and vaguely saw the person behind the big tree, and remembered who the owner of the voice was. With him there, she would absolutely be fine!"

  "Has Sima Rui ever entrusted anything to you?" Sima Qiang asked with some suspicion.

  Xiao Wu immediately shook her head and said in a low voice, "Xiao Wu is just a slave, usually when the fourth prince comes, he only watches Miss jump dance, and doesn't talk to people like us. He just has some impression each time he sees me."

  Simar furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, "You go back now, don't mention this to anyone. If even the slightest rumor gets out, I'll kill you immediately!"

  Xiao Wu nodded, looked around and hesitated to say: "How can I leave this place? This is my first time here, and I don't know how I came here, so how can I go back?"

  "Go out the back door, walk straight along the road, and you'll naturally run into the night patrol. You have Liyuan's token on you, they ask, just say you had business at the Second Prince's residence and now you're coming out, but somehow got lost. They'll tell you how to get there." Sima Qiang said impatiently.

  Xiao Wu nodded in gratitude, looked at herself and her current attire. Would the night patrol believe that she was doing something proper at this hour? "Could I trouble Your Highness to help me find some clothes? With my current attire, I'm afraid no one would believe that I came to your estate for a legitimate reason. They might even make wild guesses."