Chapter 13: The Devil

Xu Luowan was truly scared. Dying later was better than dying now. The injection was just too painful. Tang Chaochao was a devil—she truly meant what she said.

“I came to Huaicheng with my uncle because Xie Tingyao asked me to,” Xu Luowan confessed.

“Who is she? What did she want you to do?” Tang Chaochao’s eyes fixed sharply on Xu Luowan.

Since Xu Luowan had already betrayed the other party, there was no point in hiding anything else. Besides, this matter truly had nothing to do with her.

“She wanted me to see with my own eyes whether Miss Tang was really dead,” Xu Luowan said carefully, sneaking a glance at Tang Chaochao, afraid she might be seen as the murderer of her sister.

She continued, “She knew my uncle was an official who delivered night pearls, so she came to me. I really had nothing to do with it—I did nothing.”

Tang Chaochao’s gaze bore into Xu Luowan’s eyes. “Did she personally order you to come?”

Xu Luowan was momentarily stunned but then replied, “Not directly from her lips, but it was her personal maid who came looking for me. Xie Tingyao’s father is the Prime Minister; usually, daughters of minor officials like us fawn over her. Her aunt is the Empress Dowager Jingfei, the mother of the Third Prince, so I...”

“So you wanted to curry favor through this matter?” Tang Chaochao finished the unspoken words for her.

Xu Luowan lowered her head in embarrassment. “That’s all I know. Her maid only said her lady is curious about what Tang Mumu looks like. Xie Tingyao admires your sister’s talent very much. So she sent me to confirm whether she really died.”

Admiring her sister’s talent but sending someone to check if she’s truly dead—was Xie Tingyao putting on a false front? With a Prime Minister for a father and the Empress Dowager Jingfei as an aunt, her status must be the highest among noble daughters in the capital, second only to the royal family.

Before leaving, Tang Chaochao ordered her guards to find the maid and thoroughly deal with Xu Luowan.

Jingfei, the Third Prince, the Prime Minister, Xie Tingyao—this combination certainly gave motive to kill her sister. If the Crown Prince married her sister, it would threaten the Third Prince. Or perhaps, if Tang Mumu died, the Prime Minister’s daughter would become the best candidate for Crown Princess.

Lost in thought, Tang Chaochao unconsciously arrived outside Song Rongzhi’s courtyard. Her ears twitched. With a leap, she climbed onto the roof eaves.

Inside the house, a surprised Axi heard the noise and instinctively looked toward the intruder. Without saying a word, he turned and ran.

Tang Chaochao immediately pursued him. The man who looked so proper was actually a thief—but his lightness skills were quite good.

Axi cursed himself inwardly—he must have been out of his mind to come to the General’s residence just to watch the fun. After returning from the street, he reported everything to the prince, who looked utterly disinterested.

Bored, Axi thought of the ruthless and cunning Second Miss Tang, hoping to catch some new excitement to tell the prince. But since he had never been to the General’s residence before, he got lost right after entering and had no idea where Tang Chaochao’s courtyard was, so he searched one by one.

When he reached Song Rongzhi’s courtyard, he overheard the lady inside praising her daughter’s medical skills, saying even her sixteen-year-old chronic illness was cured. Axi immediately recalled the prince’s question about whether she knew medicine. If Second Miss Tang was as skilled as her mother claimed, maybe she could treat the prince.

As he wanted to hear more, he was unexpectedly blocked. Axi admitted he might not be as good in a fight as Anan, but his lightness skills were unmatched except by the prince. So why was the auntie behind him getting closer and closer?

Tang Chaochao smiled, thinking that for a thief to dare sneak into the General’s residence, they must have a lot of nerve.

Axi used all his strength but was still caught and kicked in the rear, almost falling off the roof eaves. He had no choice but to turn and sheepishly wave his hand at Tang Chaochao.

“Auntie, do you believe me if I say I’m just passing by?”

Tang Chaochao cracked her knuckles and grinned. “Ask my fists. If they believe me, then I will.”

Remembering how Tang Chaochao had beaten Xu Huairen, Axi’s teeth clenched. Her fists were coming straight at his face. He could only plead, “Don’t hit my face!”

After only two rounds of fighting on the eaves, Axi’s left eye turned into a black panda eye. He regretted provoking the auntie; her blows were truly fierce.

To save his face, he raised both hands and said, “Auntie, I surrender!”

But he spoke too late; the pale little fist had already struck his right eye.

Tang Chaochao, still unsatisfied, said, “Why didn’t you surrender earlier?”

Axi wanted to cry but had no tears, covering his eyes tightly. If he hadn’t endured it, he would have cried out by now. This Second Miss Tang wasn’t a mountain girl—she was clearly an immortal Taoist priestess reincarnated! Her skills were extraordinary.

Tang Chaochao wasn’t afraid he would run and clapped her hands, sitting on the eaves.

“Now, tell me—who sent you, and what do you want?”

Axi rolled his eyes and said, “I’m here to ask for medicine for my lord.”

That was the best excuse he could come up with. After all, many doctors treated the prince; one more or less wouldn’t matter. Besides, Tang Chaochao didn’t even know his lord.

Tang Chaochao raised an eyebrow. “I’ve only been in Huaicheng two days. How do you know I can treat illnesses? Aren’t you afraid I might kill your lord instead?”

Axi immediately spat, “My lord will live a long life—don’t talk nonsense.”

Tang Chaochao pursed her lips. This fellow was quite loyal. But getting her to treat someone wasn’t so easy. And whether his words were true or not was uncertain.

Axi glared at Tang Chaochao, displeased she implied his lord might die. “Second Miss Tang said on the street that you can cure difficult and complicated diseases, didn’t she forget?”

Tang Chaochao remembered that was true. “It’s not impossible to treat your lord, but my consultation fee isn’t cheap.”

Axi was confident. “If Second Miss Tang can cure my lord’s illness, don’t mention the fee. It would be like my lord owes you a great favor.”

Tang Chaochao had no interest in favors. “My consultation fee is a thousand taels of gold, no refunds whether I cure him or not.”

“Are you robbing me?!” Axi felt Tang Chaochao’s terms were outright robbery. If he took her back and she failed to cure the prince, he would be in big trouble. So he had to refuse this bully clause.

Unfortunately, Tang Chaochao stood up. “Hmph, I’m robbing you! Let’s go—take me to your lord.”

Axi hesitated, wanting to say it was unnecessary. But Tang Chaochao grinned, “If you don’t take me to see the patient, I’ll have reason to suspect you’re a spy from another country sneaking into the General’s residence.”

Axi’s charming eyes immediately drooped. Was this auntie a bandit? Not only did she charge a sky-high consultation fee, but she also forced him to see the doctor—no justice! Oh heavens, please take her away soon!

Ignoring Axi’s sulking, Tang Chaochao gestured, “Lead the way!”