Chapter 52: This Young Taoist Nun is Formidable Indeed

"Miss Xie, didn't we have quite a long conversation in the corridor just before the incident occurred? Have you forgotten it already so soon?"

Tang Chaochao's half-smiling gaze made Xie Tingyao unwilling to step forward as a witness.

"I did see you, that's true, but that still doesn't prove you didn't do this. For all I know, you might have already cleaned up your mess before coming to look for me."

Tang Chaochao had never expected the other woman to testify for her. However, she had already figured out how to make the palace maid speak the truth. She turned her gaze to the Crown Prince and asked, "I heard that Your Highness the Crown Prince was lured away by someone. Have you managed to find the person who delivered the message?"

Hearing this, the Crown Prince wore a troubled expression and replied, "That little eunuch, God knows who threw him into a dry well in the palace."

He knew deep down that this could not possibly have been done by Tang Chaochao. If it truly were her, then Tang Chaochao would be a terrifying individual indeed. Having returned to the capital for such a short time, she would already be capable of reaching deep into the palace to determine the fate of others.

Upon hearing the result, Tang Chaochao suddenly broke into a grin. "Since there is only one witness left, I suppose I have no other choice."

Under everyone's puzzled gazes, Tang Chaochao suddenly reached out and grabbed Xia Zhu by the throat, lifting her up entirely off the ground with sheer brute force.

Seeing this, Liu Rulan shrieked, "Tang Chaochao, are you trying to silence witnesses by killing her?"

Xia Zhu was already struggling to breathe. Tang Chaochao was of a similar height to her, yet she lifted the maid with a single hand, leaving the girl's feet dangling entirely in the air. Xia Zhu thrashed desperately, trying to gasp for air.

Yet at that moment, Tang Chaochao wore a bloodthirsty smile that caused everyone present to recoil instinctively by half a step—including Crown Prince Murong Bo.

As for Murong Qing, who had been watching the spectacle all along, he did not budge an inch.

Tang Chaochao was nothing like her. One was brilliantly talented to the point of arousing universal envy; the other was so ruthlessly fierce that no one dared approach her. To think they were biological sisters, yet so drastically different as heaven and earth.

Zhao Mengyue was dumbfounded. Was her cousin truly this savage? Wasn't it said that noble ladies were the epitome of gentleness, well-read and courteous? Everyone else seemed normal enough, but Tang Chaochao completely exceeded all of Zhao Mengyue's expectations.

Seeing that the palace maid was on the verge of losing her breath, the joy in Liu Rulan's heart had already surpassed any concern for the maid's life. As long as Tang Chaochao killed her, the charge of murdering to silence a witness would be firmly pinned upon Tang Chaochao's head.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Tang Chaochao quickly released her grip on Xia Zhu's neck and said apologetically, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been pinching you."

The next instant, gasps of astonishment rang out all around.

Because Tang Chaochao had directly seized Liu Rulan by the throat.

Lifting the woman up in the exact same manner, her feet dangling in mid-air.

Xia Zhu, having finally caught her breath, witnessed this terrifying scene. She had just been harboring the comforting thought that Concubine Liu had assured her Tang Chaochao wouldn't dare kill her; as long as she stood firm and pinned the blame on Tang Chaochao, Concubine Liu would keep her safe. Afterward, Concubine Liu would reward her with a large sum of silver and send her out of the palace ahead of time to return home.

Yet the scene before her shattered any notion that Tang Chaochao wouldn't dare kill. If this woman dared to kill even a imperial concubine, why would she hesitate to kill a mere maid?

The moment that thought arose, Xia Zhu fell apart completely. The body that had just relaxed immediately began to tremble violently. At that moment, Tang Chaochao turned to look at her, those starry eyes carrying a smile that inexplicably radiated a bone-chilling frost.

Watching Liu Rulan's painful struggle, the Crown Prince wanted to step forward and intervene, while Xie Tingyao had already shrieked aloud.

"Tang Chaochao, have you lost your mind? No matter what, she is a Crown Prince's concubine! Furthermore, His Majesty has already declared that the murderer of your sister has been found; you cannot continue to behave so lawlessly!"

Tang Chaochao curved her lips into a smile and ignored Xie Tingyao, keeping her eyes fixed on the palace maid. It wasn't until Liu Rulan's eyes began to roll back that she spoke.

"I dare to kill a concubine—are you ready to speak the truth now?"

Xia Zhu's face turned completely pale. At the same time, Liu Rulan's eyes rolled all the way back, as if her life had been snuffed out entirely. Tang Chaochao released her grip, letting the body drop heavily to the ground.

This action terrified everyone present. Xie Tingyao had never imagined that Tang Chaochao would dare commit murder in broad daylight—and the victim was a Crown Prince's concubine! She staggered and collapsed onto the ground.

Crown Prince Murong Bo's complexion was far from pleasant either. Tang Chaochao's ruthless demeanor made him harbor thoughts of retreat; could a woman like this really be taken as a bride?

A-Xin, standing beside Murong Qing, suddenly muttered, "Your Highness, this little Taoist nun is truly formidable."

Murong Qing remained silent, quietly gazing at that solitary figure. With an elder sister who was so extraordinarily brilliant, how could the younger sister be anything less? They simply possessed different strengths.

Xia Zhu was now shaking so hard she could barely speak. The "corpse" of Concubine Liu lay right beside her feet. She scrambled up frantically and fell to her knees, kowtowing incessantly.

"It was all Concubine Liu who told this servant to say those things! She promised to give this servant a sum of silver to let me leave the palace early! The aphrodisiac that day was also arranged beforehand by Concubine Liu, and even summoning the Crown Prince over was orchestrated by her! My Lady Princess, please spare this servant's life! This servant didn't dare disobey! Otherwise, Concubine Liu would have thrown me into the dry well just like she did to little Li."

One had to admit that those who lingered long in the inner palace developed far more intricate minds than ordinary people. Xia Zhu confessed everything regarding Liu Rulan's plot while carefully omitting any mention of how Tang Chaochao had been tricked into the side hall.

Tang Chaochao raised an eyebrow and glanced at the maid. She stepped forward and, right in front of everyone, pulled out the silver needles that had been covertly stabbed into Liu Rulan's body.

The person who had appeared utterly lifeless suddenly burst into a violent cough. Amidst everyone's ghost-frightened expressions, Liu Rulan slowly opened her eyes.

Struggling to push herself up into a sitting position, she locked eyes with Tang Chaochao—the very person who had just seized her by the throat and attempted to murder her. Liu Rulan's gaze flickered with hatred, mingled with a sliver of cowardice. She turned to look at Murong Bo, hoping he would dispense justice for her, only to discover that everyone around her was looking at her with immensely bizarre expressions.

Tang Chaochao suddenly turned to Xie Tingyao and said, "Miss Xie, did you hear clearly what that maid just said? The one who drugged the wine is Concubine Liu, and the one who tricked the Crown Prince into coming here is also Concubine Liu. Anyone with eyes can figure out what her intentions were."

How could Xie Tingyao fail to understand Tang Chaochao's implication? As it turned out, Liu Rulan had been deceiving her all along. Not only had she lied to her, but she had also deceived her aunt. Back then, when her aunt had intended to betroth her to her Third Imperial Cousin, and Liu Rulan had put on that shy, modest act—just thinking about it now made Xie Tingyao feel sick to her stomach.

So this vile creature was so two-faced, and had actually been coveting her Crown Prince Cousin all this time!

Xie Tingyao could no longer care about anything else. She violently shoved away the maid who was trying to help her up and charged straight at Liu Rulan, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Vile wretch! I'll tear you to pieces!"

Liu Rulan had no idea what had just happened before Xie Tingyao descended upon her with a flurry of blows and kicks. In no time at all, the two women were rolling on the ground in a tangled brawl.

Seeing this, Crown Prince Murong Bo immediately roared at the servants, "Are you all blind?! Pull them apart this instant!"

The maids scrambled forward to separate them, but try as they might, they couldn't pry the two women apart until both of them grew too exhausted and voluntarily loosened their grips.

Zhao Mengyue had truly witnessed a spectacle today. She noticed that Xie Tingyao was still clutching a fistful of hair, while Liu Rulan's face bore numerous scratch marks, clearly handled quite roughly by Xie Tingyao. As for Xie Tingyao, she was in no better shape; her elaborate hair bun was completely askew, and there was even a distinct bite mark on her cheek.

This fight could only be described as peerless.

Liu Rulan's anger had reached its absolute zenith. She had endured Xie Tingyao for long enough; in the past, it was because the girl had an imperial concubine as an aunt, and later because she herself harbored affections for the Third Imperial Prince, Murong Siyu. That was why she had repeatedly swallowed her pride and tolerated Xie Tingyao.

Now that she had lost everything, why should she continue to swallow her grievances?

Pointing directly at Xie Tingyao, Liu Rulan shrieked, "Xie Tingyao! No matter what, I am a Crown Prince's concubine, yet you show me such disrespect! I will certainly have my father go before His Majesty and give him a proper account of this!"