Chapter 347

Chapter 347: Silencing by Murder Zhao Susu's heart raced even more when she saw her father and eldest brother. But she immediately grabbed her father's arm. "Father, you've finally come. This Madam Bai is truly detestable—even when I've fallen to such a state, she still came specifically to mock me!" "Madam Bai, you truly have a viper's heart!" Prince Rong roared the moment he heard this. Madam Bai hadn't expected Prince Rong to arrive today either, and stood there dumbfounded. It was Mama Zhou who reacted first, hurriedly pulling at her mistress. "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. Our madam is, after all, Susu's aunt by marriage. We came only to see how she was doing." "See Susu? Since when do you have such good intentions?" Prince Rong had heard from his late wife that Madam Bai was malicious at heart and not a kind person, which was why they'd had no contact all these years. "Yes, Your Highness, we truly mean no harm." Mama Zhou pulled at her mistress, trying to leave. After Madam Bai recovered her senses, she called out hesitantly, "Susu, you..." "You poisonous woman, don't you dare say my name!" Zhao Susu slapped her across the face, sending Madam Bai reeling. "I don't have an aunt like you. Get out!" Madam Bai was frail to begin with. Struck by the slap, she stumbled into the wall and immediately coughed up blood. "Madam!" Mama Zhou rushed over to check on her. "Young miss, how could you lay hands on the madam? She... she is..." "She is what?" Prince Rong looked at the attendants behind him. "Drag this poisonous woman out, confiscate their carriage, and make them walk back to Bianjing!" "Your Highness, our madam is weak—she can't endure exposure to the elements!" Mama Zhou panicked. "Hah, weak? I don't see it!" Prince Rong had been holding in a bellyful of anger, and now vented it all on Madam Bai. "She had the strength to come all the way here to humiliate Susu, and you say she's weak?" Once Prince Rong gave the order, men came to drag them out. Mama Zhou shouted, "Young miss, please help us! The madam will die like this! We came to Jing'an Hall for your sake—you can't just watch us be bullied!" Without the carriage, night would soon fall. And there was no nearby household where they could seek shelter. Mama Zhou could endure it, but Madam Bai would hardly survive. Mama Zhou was loyal to Madam Bai. Seeing that their carriage really was about to be confiscated, she could only grit her teeth and say, "Young miss, if you're truly so heartless, don't blame this servant for..." "Mama Zhou, are you threatening me?" Zhao Susu quickly spoke up. "People like you aren't worth mourning even if you die. But Father, Madam Bai is after all a family member of an official. A little punishment is enough—if she actually dies, I'm afraid it would bring trouble upon you." Prince Rong said with satisfaction, "Susu, you've grown up. You're thinking of me now." "Daughter knows that in the past I was willful and dragged the princely household into trouble. I won't do that anymore. I'll keep a low profile and never be like before." Zhao Susu had truly grown afraid of life in Jing'an Hall—if she could, she'd love to have Cui Lingrong sent there too. Prince Rong nodded. "Then give them back the carriage, but everything inside it stays. Consider it a lesson for them." Zhao Susu didn't think much of it and nodded in agreement. Mama Zhou, hearing they'd get the carriage back—at least somewhere to stay—helped her mistress outside. But Madam Bai stood there in a daze, her heart utterly shattered by that slap. Everything in the carriage was tossed out, and only after Mama Zhou pleaded repeatedly were they allowed to keep a single set of bedding. After Prince Rong's people had gone, Madam Bai wanted to cry but couldn't. "Don't be upset, madam. Perhaps this is a good thing—His Highness coming here is likely to rescue the young miss." As she spoke, Mama Zhou's heart was a jumble of emotions. "It's just that the young miss... ah... I'm afraid she'll never acknowledge you for the rest of her life." Madam Bai's heart ached even more. Just then, Bai Shuang came over timidly and asked, "Um... that silver you promised... promised to give me... are you still... still giving it?" "Hmph, what are you thinking?" Madam Bai's eyes turned fierce in an instant. "I already gave your family fifty taels of silver. Since you didn't stay, the rest is naturally forfeited!" "But you promised me—as long as I came with you, you'd give my family another fifty taels. It wasn't me who backed out today; it was your daughter who refused to acknowledge you!" Bai Shuang grew frantic. Ice and medicine cost money—fifty taels wasn't nearly enough. Madam Bai was already seething. "I said you'd stay and take the blame, but you didn't stay. The fifty taels I gave you before can count as hush money. If you say one more word of nonsense, I'll take back even that fifty taels!" Bai Shuang was stunned. She had prepared herself for beatings and punishment, following them all the way to Jing'an Hall, all for the sake of silver. Without silver, her child would die. Now that Madam Bai had turned her face and refused to acknowledge the deal, Bai Shuang didn't fear her own suffering—she only feared having no money. "No, you have to give me the money, or I'll go tell Prince Rong that the one locked up inside is actually your daughter!" "You're threatening me?" Madam Bai hadn't expected Bai Shuang to have such nerve. Mama Zhou was even more stunned. Neither mistress nor servant had ever imagined that Bai Shuang might leave Jing'an Hall alive, so they'd never considered that she might threaten them. As for Bai Shuang's family, Madam Bai had never mentioned replacing anyone, and since they had taken her silver, they had to listen to her. "I'm not trying to threaten you. I just want money. Please, be kind—if you give me the silver, I will definitely keep your secret." Bai Shuang said as she knelt and kowtowed, but she didn't see the murderous intent flashing in Madam Bai's eyes. Mama Zhou gave her mistress a look—no matter what, they had to first stabilize Bai Shuang, but Bai Shuang was someone who couldn't be allowed to return alive. Just then, someone from Jing'an Hall came to urge them, "It's getting dark. If you wish to stay, you'll need to pay." Madam Bai hadn't burned it—the things in the carriage had all been taken by Prince Rong. Now that Madam Bai had to deal with Bai Shuang, she let Bai Shuang board the carriage first, feigning agreement, "Fine, I'll give you the money, but you must promise you won't speak of my affairs to anyone." "Yes, madam, I won't tell a soul." Hearing Madam Bai say this, Bai Shuang immediately wiped her tears, thinking to herself that at least she'd gotten the money and could continue paying for her child's treatment. Just as Madam Bai's carriage left Jing'an Hall, another carriage arrived. The two carriages met head-on. The moment the coachmen pulled tight on the reins, Song Shulan lost his balance and fell, landing right in front of Madam Bai's carriage. "What happened?" Cui Lingrong asked, and Xie Yunting rushed out first. Madam Bai didn't hear Cui Lingrong's question. She didn't want to stir up trouble at the moment, but when she heard Mama Zhou say she'd spotted Nanny Qiu, her heart leaped to her throat. It wasn't that she worried about what Cui Lingrong would think upon seeing her—her first reaction was that Nanny Qiu had come to cause trouble. "No, we must send word to Susu and Prince Rong!" As Madam Bai spoke, Cui Lingrong spotted Mama Zhou through the wooden window. "Mama Zhou?" Cui Lingrong stepped out of the carriage. "What are you doing here?" Mama Zhou forced herself to stay calm. "We came to visit someone. It's getting late, so we'll be on our way." It's almost dark, Cui Lingrong thought to herself. If they were visiting someone, they wouldn't come at this hour, because they wouldn't be able to make it back to the city. Xie Yunting noticed Cui Lingrong's confusion and called over a subordinate, instructing him to ride and follow behind Madam Bai's carriage. When they arrived at Jing'an Hall, they spotted the Rong Commandery Prince Mansion's carriage. Not daring to delay any further, they had someone lead the way and rushed over.