Chapter 23: Resolving Duke Bai

Chapter 23: Resolving Duke Bai

Duke Bai had returned from the princess's quarters and was once again invited by Shang Rongyu for a few drinks.

Having savored the imperial midnight snack at the prince's residence and sipped on the exquisite liquor tributed by vassal states, he emerged from Shang Rongyu's quarters to meander through the garden, admiring its blooms.

He had never seen such an elegant and luxurious courtyard, where every tree, every plant, every flower, every blade of grass, and every brick and tile...

were so exquisite, akin to a paradise on earth.

Though he had parted with some wealth today, he had also managed to befriend the prince. Moreover, even Ran Qinggu, that cunning individual, could have moments of foolishness.

He had handed over all the deeds and money to Ran Shang, but upon returning to North City, wouldn't those possessions still be his?

Wasn't it akin to taking out of one pocket and putting into another?

Thus, his mood was rather pleasant as he strolled leisurely around the courtyard, humming a tune as if he were in his own home.

As he walked, he lost track of where he was.

The prince's courtyard was vast, with beautiful scenery everywhere.

The exquisite liquor had been particularly smooth, leading him to indulge in a few more cups than usual. Now, the alcohol was taking effect, leaving his head muddled, especially since it was night time...

Everywhere seemed familiar yet unfamiliar.

He had wandered in circles until he became thoroughly confused.

At this moment, a servant carrying a silk lantern passed under the Covered Bridge.

Upon seeing him, Duke Bai called out.

The servant hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Your Grace."

Duke Bai asked with an air of superiority, "Which way is the Ten Thousand Lotus Garden? I just returned from having a midnight snack with the Heir and now I'm lost."

The servant respectfully led the way with his lantern. "Please follow me, Your Grace."

Duke Bai followed, his round belly protruding.

Truly, the imperial family was distinguished; even their servants were so well-mannered.

Following the servant, Duke Bai found himself veering further off course, with fewer and fewer flowers and trees in sight...

He grabbed the servant. "This path doesn't seem right, does it?"

The servant smiled. "Your Grace has wandered quite far. If we were to retrace our steps, it would take considerable effort. So, I am taking you on a shortcut. After passing the stables ahead, we will arrive."

Duke Bai beamed. "I see."

Truly befitting of the royal family, even the servants are astute and considerate, taking me through shortcuts.

After a few steps, the servant suddenly clutched his stomach, his face contorted in pain as he exclaimed, "Your Grace, Duke Bai, because His Highness was delighted with your visit to the Prince's Mansion, he rewarded us with a few cups of wine. Now my stomach is upset. I'll just make a quick trip to the privy and be right back. Please wait here, Your Grace." Without waiting for Duke Bai's consent, the servant ran off.

Duke Bai was inwardly furious but had no choice but to wait on the spot, planning to inform the prince first thing tomorrow morning and have this man's skin flayed.

After waiting for a while, Duke Bai saw no sign of the servant returning. The evening breeze stirred, and the alcohol took effect; his mind grew drowsy. The fatigue from traveling day and night for over half a month was now amplified to its utmost, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Recalling that person's words about reaching their destination after passing the stables, he headed in that direction, hoping the distance wasn't far.

Upon reaching the stables, he heard heavy breathing between a man and a woman coming from behind a nearby rockery, stirring an uncomfortable heat within him.

The man's voice: "Have I served you well?"

The woman's voice: "What good does it do if you serve me well? That fat old pig infuriated me today. That wench took away more than half of our family's assets."

The man cooed soothingly: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. This time, the journey to North City is long and treacherous, with countless bandits along the way. Accidents are bound to happen, right? Rest assured, I've made all the necessary arrangements. Once we eliminate that fat pig and that surnamed Ran wench on the road, won't their family's wealth still belong to our son?"

To Duke Bai, it felt like a bolt from the blue.

Those voices could belong to none other than Lady Jiang and the head steward.

He charged into the rockery, bellowing, "Adulterers!"

Lady Jiang and the head steward turned around in unison, their faces draining of color as they hastily covered their clothes and huddled into a corner.

The head steward was a robust man who had killed many on Duke Bai's behalf over the years, earning the duke's favor.

But now, someone offered a higher price.

That boy from the Ran family threatened him with his affair with Lady Jiang. If he didn't follow instructions, he would expose their affair to Duke Bai. If he complied, he would spare his life and give him a hundred taels of gold.

He knew Duke Bai's temper; there was no way he would let them off the hook.

Moreover, the boy from the Ran family primarily wanted to deal with Duke Bai and Lady Jiang.

Although she had slept with him for a few years and borne him two children, Lady Jiang was still just a woman. With a hundred taels of gold, what kind of woman couldn't he have? Why should he live under her roof, enduring her attitude and living in constant fear of Duke Bai discovering their affair?

Furthermore, the fact that the boy from the Ran family cross-dressed was a leverage point. In the future, he could use this leverage to extort more money from him. After all, every brick and tile in the Prince Cheng's Mansion was a treasure. As the heir's consort, now in charge of the household, she had access to inexhaustible wealth, which would become his cash cow.

Lady Jiang hurriedly pleaded, "Duke, listen..."

Duke Bai, overcome with rage, slapped her.

The head steward, emboldened, stood up and pushed Duke Bai, reasoning that since Ran Qinggu wanted to deal with Duke Bai, this fat pig wouldn't live much longer. What did it matter if he pushed him?

Duke Bai, corpulent and ungainly, stumbled from the shove.

Fuming, he pointed at the man and cursed, "You... you pair of adulterers, how dare you... I will kill you."

The man sneered, "Did you kill them? Looking at your fat pig appearance, yes, we not only made you wear a green hat, but your son and daughter are mine..."

Duke Bai was enraged beyond measure, picking up a stone from the ground to charge forward.

The man grabbed his wrist, saying to Lady Jiang, "Quickly smother him, don't let him make a scene."

He didn't know how Ran Qinggu would intervene, but he couldn't let anyone hear now.

Lady Jiang hastily covered Duke Bai's mouth.

Suddenly, a servant appeared from behind the rockery, shouting loudly, "There's someone here."

In an instant, the surroundings were illuminated by countless lanterns held by maids, old women, and servants searching for them.

The rockery was instantly surrounded, the lights illuminating the faces of the three people. Lady Jiang hurriedly covered her collar in fright, while the man also quickly covered his face.

The rescued Duke Bai snatched the stick from the servant's hand and swung it at Lady Jiang: "Wretch, I'll kill you. You dared to make me wear a green hat and have me raise the children of you two adulterous lovers..."

Lady Jiang hastily protected her head out of fear.

But just as the stick was raised over his head, Duke Bai saw white before his eyes, and his grip loosened: "I'm going to kill you, kill your bastards..."

With a thud, the stick fell to the ground.

Duke Bai's body involuntarily convulsed as he fell toward the rockery behind him, breathing heavily with his chest heaving.

Ran Qinggu hurriedly supported him, "Father, what's wrong?"

Duke Bai's lips trembled, moving rapidly, making gurgling sounds in his throat, but no words came out after a long while.

A servant with experience said, "Your Highness, the Duke seems to have had a stroke."

Ran Qinggu raised an eyebrow, "Quickly, call for the imperial physician, quickly call for the imperial physician."

Several servants hurriedly carried Duke Bai away, his broken, wheezing throat still making sounds.

Ran Qinggu looked at Lady Jiang with deep sorrow and anger, asking, "My father treated you so well, how could you dare to do such indecent things?"

Lady Jiang, covering her collar, glared at Ran Qinggu angrily, "It's you, it must be you who harmed me, you this..."

Ran Qinggu glared at her in anger, "Who did such a shameful deed? How did it become my fault harming you? My father wasn't unkind to you, and he loved his younger brother and sister even more, even planning to pass on the dukedom to his younger brother... but they weren't actually my younger brother and sister?"

He was pained and staggered backward, taking a step.

Unexpectedly, he bumped into a warm chest.

Shang Rongyu supported him, "Your Highness should take care of your health."

He smiled imperceptibly, whispering in his ear, "Overacting, finish it quickly."

Madam Jiang sneered, "The Heir's Consort? Heir, you must not know about this person..."

Since she couldn't escape, she might as well expose the true colors of this person for everyone to see.

Her son and daughter weren't members of the Bai family; how could the crime of deceiving the emperor and the punishment of exterminating nine generations concern her?

Ran Qinggu stared coldly at Madam Jiang, feigning deep distress, her voice trembling, "I thought they were my younger brother and sister, intending to bring them to the capital for a few days of fun, arriving soon in the capital. Auntie Jiang, how can you make me face them like this?"

The Ran family was warning her that if she uttered another word, both her children would meet a fate worse than death, left unburied.

Madam Jiang was shaken to her core. Her long, crimson fingertips, sharp like blades, lunged towards Ran Qinggu. "You shameless rogue."

Shang Rongyu had been prepared. He hastily wrapped his arms around Ran Qinggu's waist, pulling her back several steps.

Madam Jiang lunged into thin air, only to be pressed down onto the ground by maidservants and elderly women.

She wailed, "Give me back my son and daughter."

That guard was bound tightly by several guards and thrown to the side. He pretended to struggle, cursing under his breath, but in his mind, he was plotting how to extort Ran Qinggu in the future.

"Let me go! I'll sue you for using private torture. You won't have a good end..."

Before he could unleash a string of curses, Tao Zi struck him across the face with a whip, leaving an immediate bloody streak. He screamed in pain.

As soon as one lash fell, another struck the guard.

The guard cried out in agony.

These lashes were delivered with full force, awakening the guard to the reality.

Ran Qinggu never intended to spare him from the start.

Not only did she want Madam Jiang's life, but she also wanted his...

He struggled violently, shouting, "You venomous viper, pretending..."

Tao Zi glared at the guards, "After such insults to my young lady, why haven't you gagged him yet?"

The guards hurriedly stuffed a cloth into the guard's mouth, muffling his cries, "Pretending... muffled sounds!"

He struggled fiercely, realizing that Ran Qinggu didn't even deign to look at him.

And now, he couldn't reveal her identity either.

He never expected the Ran family's child to be so ruthless...

Nanny Su entered the artificial mountain, bowing respectfully, "Heir's Consort, the Princess said that although this incident occurred in the Prince's Mansion, it is ultimately your family matter. The people of the mansion should not interfere, and you must handle it yourself. If you need assistance, seek this old servant, who will do everything in her power to help."

Ran Qinggu bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Princess, for your understanding, thank you, Nanny."

Nanny Su stepped aside.

Ran Qinggu looked at Nanny Su: "This incident is a misfortune for our family. My father is now bedridden, and I dare not trouble him with this matter. Therefore, we can only handle it according to the old family rules."

The old family rule was drowning in the pond.

Upon hearing this, Jiang was terrified: "No, we are in the capital now. You can't just dispose of us like this. We must return to North City and report to the patriarch..."

Returning to their hometown might offer a glimmer of hope.

Moreover, she didn't want to die in a foreign land, becoming a lonely wandering spirit.

Ran Qinggu: "I will report to the patriarch myself; you don't have to worry about that."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the elderly servant woman to bind Jiang.

Jiang struggled violently: "Wait, I still have value. Don't kill me... Don't... Let me go... Waaah..."

The elderly servant woman gagged Jiang's mouth and bound her hands and feet, tying her together with the guard.

The guard glared at Ran Qinggu with hatred, wishing he could dismember him.

He had only thought that the Ran family's young master wanted to deal with Duke Bai and Jiang. Once Duke Bai and Jiang fell from grace, he assumed he would be released.

But he never imagined that this person was so ruthless, so swift and decisive, directly aiming to silence them both,

Before dawn, the prince's entourage took the two people to the lower reaches of the Sishui River outside the city.

When Duke Bai learned that Ran Qinggu had directly drowned Jiang and her lover, he felt an immense sense of relief.

He lay paralyzed in bed, unable to take care of himself or even speak, only able to emit muffled sounds.

Seeing his wife by his side, feeding him rice porridge, he felt a mix of guilt and regret for his past actions.

After drowning the two, Ran Qinggu returned to the prince's residence.

By the time he arrived, it was already the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), and he had to wash up and pay respects to the prince and princess.

By the time he returned to the Ten Thousand Lotus Garden, it was almost noon.

Seeing Ran Qinggu's bloodshot eyes and exhausted yet resilient expression, Ran Shang felt deeply concerned.

Ran Qinggu glanced at Duke Bai lying on the bed: "Auntie, the imperial physician said that the duke is paralyzed and cannot be cured. He will likely spend the rest of his life in bed, unable to take care of himself or speak clearly. Now, you are the only one in charge at the Duke Bai's residence. If you find that man pleasing to the eye, keep him for another day. If not, suffocate him with a pillow to avoid the annoyance. If you feel unsatisfied, you can throw him into the wilderness on the way back to North City to feed the wolves."

Duke Bai angrily grunted on the bed. Ran Qinggu glanced at Duke Bai: "If you call out again, I can suffocate you right now."

Duke Bai stared at him, filled with anger but dared not make a sound.

He now realized that last night, Ran Qinggu intentionally led him to discover the affair, causing his current state.

Ran Qinggu was eager to kill Jiang and her lover because they knew his identity, and he couldn't risk them talking...

If not for his paralysis and inability to speak or take care of himself, he might have been dead long ago.

This person was too terrifying.

Although Ran Shang was gentle, she wasn't naive.

Ran Qinggu's ruthless actions were aimed at removing her worries.

After all, the marriage substitution originated from her, and Duke Bai wouldn't spare her upon returning.

Ran Qinggu feared she might suffer harm.

In the end, it was Duke Bai and Jiang who brought this upon themselves; otherwise, Gu'er wouldn't have taken matters into his own hands.

At this point, she looked at Duke Bai on the sickbed and nodded: "Don't worry, Auntie knows how to handle this. His current state must be due to Tang's spirit watching over us. Gu'er, Auntie fears for your safety... What if something happens to you? I..."

Ran Qinggu wiped away her tears: "Auntie, don't worry. I won't have any problems. Auntie was also tired last night. Come to my Sinking Fish Pavilion for lunch later and get some rest. There will be servants here to watch over things."

Ran Shang wiped her tears and nodded: "Alright."