Tao Lengshuang saw through the maid's thoughts at a glance but said nothing, still following the maid.
As the place became more secluded, the smile on her lips deepened, and her gaze towards the maid was unfriendly.
"We've been walking for so long, haven't we arrived yet?"
The maid repeatedly said they had, pointing to a very old courtyard ahead. "Your servant heard it from there. May I ask the eldest young lady to send someone to check? Your servant worries there might be a problem inside."
Tao Lengshuang very agreeably said she could, then turned and used medicine to knock Sheng Li unconscious on the ground. Afterward, she instructed the servants to check the courtyard. kuAiδugg
However, two maids remained by Tao Lengshuang's side, constantly vigilant of their surroundings.
"Miss, this place... your servant remembers it's very secluded, and very few people come here usually."
"Your servant also remembers, and basically no one walks here. It's very winding, and only lazy servants would run here."
Tao Lengshuang looked at the flustered maid with a smile that didn't reach her eyes and said to the two maids serving her, "Don't you see it yet? Someone has specifically arranged a good show for me."
She estimated this was the black hand's true objective, but the black hand hadn't expected her to bring so many servants, and crucially, she always had someone by her side.
Suddenly, seven or eight masked men appeared before Tao Lengshuang and her companions, and without a word, they intended to stuff her into a sack.
Seeing this, the two maids panicked and rushed forward, "Miss, run quickly!"
Tao Lengshuang calmly pulled the two back, and with a flick of her wrist, threw a handful of medicinal powder, only to see the masked men quickly retreat.
She knew the black hand was determined to ruin her today. As she pondered how to escape, she saw the masked men pounce again.
Tao Lengshuang, in a moment of inspiration, threw a handful of colorful medicinal powder and shouted, "Close your eyes!"
With her shout, the masked men retreated, covering their eyes with their hands, and the two maids instinctively closed theirs.
It was during this momentary lapse that Tao Lengshuang released a large number of various snakes from her spatial medicine garden, all of them highly venomous.
The colorful snakes, making hissing sounds, rapidly slithered towards the masked men.
Those close by were already covered in snakes, looking terrifying.
"Snakes! Where did so many snakes come from in the middle of winter?"
"They're all venomous snakes, get them away quickly!"
"You few, hurry and capture Tao Lengshuang, don't let her escape."
However, not a single masked man was free; all were entangled by more than ten snakes, and some had been bitten several times by venomous snakes.
Seeing this, Tao Lengshuang pulled the two maids to run, but unexpectedly, a few more masked men appeared and swiftly bound Tao Lengshuang with ropes.
Tao Lengshuang struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free. One of the masked men even hoisted her onto his shoulder. "Put me down!"
Damn it, she never expected the black hand to have this move, but it showed how many pieces the black hand had in the Sheng family.
The masked men carried Tao Lengshuang directly into the house and then threw her onto the bed.
As Tao Lengshuang was about to struggle, she was knocked unconscious by the masked men with medicine.
Before losing consciousness, her only thought was, it's over, she had fallen into the black hand's scheme.
...
While Madam Sheng and others were chatting with Zi Cheng, a maid rushed in.
"Madam, bad news, the eldest young lady is in trouble!"
Upon hearing that Tao Lengshuang was in trouble, Madam Sheng hurried out, anxiously asking, "What happened to the eldest young lady? How could something happen out of the blue?"
Zi Cheng and the guests followed, all confused as to what had happened.
Zi Cheng, holding Xiao Feng's hand, felt something was amiss. Her little uncle had gone out and hadn't returned. Had he not found his little aunt, or had something happened?
When the group followed the maid to the dilapidated courtyard, a maid, blushing, stammered.
"Madam, inside, inside it's not good."
Seeing her like this, everyone present understood. The guests' imaginations ran wild.
"Tell me, what is not good inside."
Zi Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the majesty of a Crown Prince. "If you speak one false word, I will have your nine generations of kin executed."
The maid had never expected this turn of events. Uneasily, she knelt on the ground, unable to utter a single word.
Zi Cheng's tone grew heavier. "What, lost your tongue? Weren't you quite talkative just now? At the Sheng family's banquet today, you, a mere maid, instead of doing your job properly, are slacking off here."
The maid kept kowtowing, her voice trembling. "Your servant, your servant was just passing by, heard some strange noises from inside, so I quietly went to look. I saw the eldest young lady with a strange man, there, there..."
The guests exchanged glances. Some believed her, some didn't.
"Would the Princess of Mingrui be foolish enough to do such a thing? I don't believe it. His Highness Prince Mingrui is a renowned handsome man, and he treats the Princess of Mingrui so well. No fool would do such a thing."
"The Princess of Mingrui has a poor background. Besides, who knows how she married His Highness Prince Mingrui? I think her true nature is hard to change."
"Now there's a good show to watch. The adopted daughter the Sheng family recognized has such character, it tarnishes the Sheng family's reputation. I think His Highness Prince Mingrui will divorce her soon."
"All of you, slap yourselves fifty times!" Zi Cheng roared. "Anyone who insults my little aunt, slap yourselves fifty times. Slap hard, if you don't slap hard, I'll have the palace attendants do it!"
"Hit!"
Those who hadn't spoken ill of Tao Lengshuang were immensely relieved that they hadn't gossiped.
The ladies and young ladies who had spoken ill of her cried and begged Zi Cheng, deeply regretting speaking such words in front of the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, perhaps our Sheng family's servants can do the hitting," Madam Sheng said angrily. "From now on, you people should visit my Sheng family less. My Sheng family cannot afford to associate with you."
Zi Cheng permitted it. "Hit hard, teach them proper etiquette and rules, and let them understand the gravity of slandering the current Princess of Mingrui!"
The servants rushed forward and delivered resounding slaps to the ladies and young ladies who had spoken ill, hitting them with great force.
Zi Cheng saw some ladies and young ladies trying to dodge and sternly said, "Those who dodge will receive double!"
Now, no one dared to dodge, and this made the guests present clearly recognize Tao Lengshuang's status in the Crown Prince's heart.
Zi Cheng frowned, glanced at the courtyard, and quietly said to Madam Sheng, "This is likely someone plotting against my little aunt."
Madam Sheng thought the same. She was filled with self-reproach and worry, not knowing how Tao Lengshuang was faring.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, shall I send someone to look inside?"
Zi Cheng nodded and had the maid controlled.
Madam Sheng sent her personal嬷嬷 (a title for an elderly female servant, often a wet nurse or governess) to see the situation, praying inwardly that the person inside would not be Tao Lengshuang.
It was her fault for not arranging things properly. How could Lengshuang know the dirty dealings of a large household?
The嬷嬷 returned after a quick look around the room with a peculiar expression. "Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince and Madam, there is no one inside. It is completely different from what this maid described."