Chapter 317 Knowing Something

Chapter 317 Knowing Something

The servants, upon seeing the blood-covered person who was nearly lifeless, screamed in fright.

"Silence!" the nursemaid scolded sharply, and the servants immediately quieted down.

Seeing the situation, the nursemaid breathed a sigh of relief, "Quickly carry him inside the house."

The servants hurriedly carried the person into a secluded little house, and the nursemaid quickly entered Old Madam Yang's room. As soon as Old Madam Yang saw her, she asked anxiously, "What does Duke Dingguo's household want?"

"It was the head maid from Duchess Dingguo's side, the one called Cuiyun," the nursemaid approached Old Madam Yang and lowered her voice, "She said that in these past few days, the Duchess Dingguo was organizing things in the household and found something related to our household, so she sent it over."

"What is it?" Old Madam Yang asked nervously.

The mere mention of "Duke Dingguo" made her tense; after all, they held a vital weakness of hers.

"It's a person, someone I've seen before in the mansion, an old woman from the Grand Preceptor's quarters," the nanny hesitated for a moment but decided to reveal the truth, "She’s been beaten so badly, almost no part of her body is unscathed. I doubt she'll last much longer."

"This..."

Old Madam Yang sat up in shock, then slumped back into her chair, "I should have foreseen this; he would definitely send someone to Duke Dingguo’s residence if he wanted to gain leverage over him."

She fell silent, her expression sorrowful. Her father had married her off to Yang Huacan for the prosperity of her family. The Lin family prospered because of Yang Huacan, and he reached his current status because of them.

Everyone else prospered, but what about her? Decades of marriage felt like being strangers, and for the so-called greater good, she even had to assist Yang Huacan in his schemes, enduring heartache. What exactly had she lived her life for?

"Duke Dingguo's wife is urging me to make a decision," Old Madam Yang said after a long while.

Seeing her like this, the nanny felt distressed, "What do you plan to do?"

Old Madam Yang let out a long sigh, "It's not for me to decide now; it depends on what her two sons want."

"Old Madam," the nanny leaned in close to Old Madam Yang's ear and whispered, "I’m about to say something treasonous."

Old Madam Yang turned to look at her, "Speak."

The nanny gritted her teeth and said, "Perhaps... perhaps let the Grand Preceptor fall ill, so ill he cannot leave his bed, or even…" die.

Old Madam Yang's face turned serious, and her hands clenched tightly. She wouldn't mourn Yang Huacan's death; she would feel relieved. But could his death solve the problem?

"Whether he lives or dies doesn’t matter much," Old Madam Yang said. "But even if he dies, the deeds he's done cannot be erased. As long as the Duke Dingguo's mansion leaks the information, he'd be dead and gone, but my children and grandchildren would have to pay for his crimes."

"This..."

The nanny hadn't thought this far and didn't know what to do. After a while, she suggested, "Why don't you plead with the wife of Duke Dingguo? She seems like a kind person."

Old Madam Yang didn't believe that the wife of Duke Dingguo was as approachable as she appeared, as evident from the previous incident involving the second prince and the Liang family. The Duke was still "dead" back then. But even with a sliver of hope, she wanted to try.

"You go to the Duke Dingguo's mansion and send a request for an audience; I will visit tomorrow," Old Madam Yang instructed.

"Yes."

The nanny quickly left, and Old Madam Yang stood up to see the old woman who had been brought back. The sight of the bloodied figure didn't stir much in her eyes. A spy who was caught but not beaten to death was already fortunate.

She approached and instructed the maid beside her, "Go check on her."

The maid hurried over, squatted down, and checked her breathing, then reported, "She’s still breathing."

"Wake her up," instructed Old Madam Yang.

The maid slapped the old woman several times with considerable force, and before long, the woman awoke. She looked around, startled at her surroundings, then upon seeing Old Madam Yang standing before her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Madam Yang gestured for the maid to leave, then looking down at the old woman from her higher position, she inquired, "Did you discover anything at the Duke’s residence?"

The old woman shook her head, "I was only in the outer courtyard; the inner yard is sealed tight, utterly impenetrable. The same goes for the Duke’s study – it's off-limits to most."

Disappointment flickered in Old Madam Yang's eyes, but she had anticipated this. If the old woman had indeed uncovered something, the Duke’s wife wouldn’t have sent her back.

"Rest and heal your wounds. Once you're well, you'll be sent away," Old Madam Yang said.

Tears streamed down the old woman's face upon hearing this; she had thought her life was over this time. As she watched Old Madam Yang walk to the door, she suddenly said, "Old Madam, I know something that may be of use to you."

Old Madam Yang turned around, asking, "What is it?"

The old woman shifted, grimacing with pain, and shared, "I've heard that since his return, the Duke has never spent a night in his wife’s chambers."

Old Madam Yang was taken aback; she hadn't expected that a couple who appeared so affectionate on the surface could be so estranged privately. Yet, what of it? The Duke and his wife had three children, and the Duke’s household was tightly interwoven with the Tang household in terms of interests. Even if the couple was at odds, they would likely present a united front to the outside world.

"Understood."

Old Madam Yang stepped out, lamenting inwardly that there's no such thing as a man who's truly faithful; it's all just a façade. Yang Huacan’s feelings for Consort Yuan were merely because he never had her, and since they did not live together day and night, the best image of her remained in his heart.

If she and Yang Huacan had separated in the past, and Consort Yuan had married him, perhaps the outcome would have been different. And indeed, as Yang Huacan himself had said, part of the reason he supported the Fourth Prince was for his own sake.

For the glory of the Dragon! It could secure the Yang family’s prosperity for decades.

Old Madam Yang snorted coldly to herself; Yang Huacan was blinded by Consort Yuan and the allure of power.

…………

When Tang Shuyi received the invitation from Old Madam Yang, she was inspecting clothes from the Ni Chang Pavilion. True to its reputation for having the best embroiderers in the capital, the garments they produced were exceptional.

She held up a dress intended for Xiao Yuzhu and suggested,

Xiao Yuzhu nodded eagerly, loving the dress at first sight. Taking the garment Tang Shuyi handed her, she scurried off.

Watching her figure disappear, Tang Shuyi turned and teasingly asked Xiao Huai, "Does the duke wish to try on his outfit as well?"

To her surprise, he replied, "Sure."

Tang Shuyi was taken aback; she had only been jesting, yet he had seriously agreed. But since the words were out, she let him be. After all, it was not she who would be inconvenienced.

Taking the garment from her, Xiao Huai walked towards her bedroom...