Chapter 123: The Place of Execution by Waist-Severing in the Previous Life

Nurse Zhou returned with news very quickly: the carriage driver had vanished on the very first day they arrived in the capital.

It was said that many people had been abducted at that time, but the driver was the only one missing. Among the witnesses subsequently sent to the residence of the Earl of Yongkang, he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had simply evaporated into thin air upon their arrival in the capital.

Madam Di was truly panicked. If the man were in Qin Huaiyong's hands, it might be manageable, but if he had fallen into the hands of someone else with ulterior motives, it would be a disaster. She had to find him.

Qin Wanru had not expected to run into Qi Rongzhi on the road. Seeing the direction Qi was heading, it was clearly toward Qin Yuru’s quarters. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Qin Wanru, that dress of yours is truly hideous, and it’s so short. I really couldn't wear it. Does it even fit you?" Qi Rongzhi stopped and waited for Qin Wanru to catch up, wearing a smile that seemed concerned but was actually mocking.

"Where is the dress?" Qin Wanru looked at her and asked calmly.

"I already sent it to my brother to use as a sample. Did you actually think you’d be wearing it? Looking at you, you wouldn’t fit in it either. It was short on me, so on you, it would probably reach your neck!" Qi Rongzhi’s eyes were bright with laughter; she was clearly in a good mood.

"When will you bring it back? Since Eldest Sister gave it to me, I should keep it." Qin Wanru glanced at the beaming Qi Rongzhi, her pink lips curling slightly.

"You actually want it?" Qi Rongzhi said, sounding dissatisfied.

"Naturally, I want to keep it. It was, after all, a gesture of goodwill from Eldest Sister." Qin Wanru nodded, not feeling the slightest bit ashamed to ask for the return of the garment.

"Ugh, you really are..." Qi Rongzhi said with disdain. Only then did she remember they were currently in the Qin residence, and she allowed the mockery to show on her face. "My brother will send it over the day after tomorrow. Do you want to come get it then, or shall I have someone bring it to you?"

"Have someone bring it over," Qin Wanru said nonchalantly.

"Qin Wanru, you don't actually intend to wear that dress to the banquet, do you?" Qi Rongzhi asked, looking at her with confusion as she spoke so seriously.

"Madam said she is taking me and Mother along. Everyone in the household can go, except for Grandmother, who is too old and doesn't want to," Qin Wanru blinked and said offhandedly. "It’s not a difficult task anyway; it doesn't matter how many people go."

"Isn't it... supposed to be very hard to get in?" Qi Rongzhi asked, stunned. She had gone to great lengths to convince Qin Yuru to take her.

"Who said that? It’s actually quite simple. Since the Marquis of Fengyang’s banquet invited people from our house, whether a few more go is just a matter of a word from Madam. If you want to go, Eldest Miss Qi, you can just ask Madam yourself," Qin Wanru said casually before turning and walking away.

Qi Rongzhi was left standing there alone, frowning deeply.

After a long while, she turned and headed toward Qin Yuru’s courtyard. She hadn't just agreed to help Qin Yuru smear Qin Wanru’s reputation to her brother; she had even gifted Qin Yuru a set of jewelry to ensure she would be taken along.

Qi Rongzhi was, of course, happy that the task was accomplished, but she had never imagined that it hadn't been difficult at all—it was merely Qin Yuru putting on airs. Thinking of how Qin Yuru had begged for her help while simultaneously taking her valuables, Qi Rongzhi felt a surge of resentment. Her joyous expression immediately shifted into one of fury.

Having taken such great advantage of her, how could Qin Yuru even have the nerve to demand so many conditions?

***

Qi Rongzhi had never been one to suffer a loss. After those few brief words with Qin Wanru, she felt she had suffered a significant setback, and she was not about to let it go.

"Miss, the Eldest Miss Qi went rushing off to find the Eldest Miss!" At a turn in the path, Yujie looked back and saw Qi Rongzhi heading off in a rage. She lowered her voice to speak to Qin Wanru.

"She’s going to argue with Qin Yuru," Qin Wanru said slowly, without looking back. A hint of a captivating smile played on her lips.

"Is the Eldest Miss Qi really going to be so brazen here? This is the Qin residence, and it’s not Jiangzhou," Yujie said in surprise.

"What if it isn't the Qi residence in Jiangzhou? She holds leverage over Qin Yuru. As for this not being Jiangzhou, she’ll learn soon enough," Qin Wanru said indifferently. It would not be a good thing if Qin Yuru and Qi Rongzhi remained on good terms.

Their infighting would be to her advantage. Qin Yuru and Madam Di wanted to seal the matter tight, refusing to let even a shred of news from Jiangzhou leak out so that they could act as they pleased and spin the narrative however they wished.

Qin Wanru was one hundred percent certain that the two of them would inevitably pin the blame on her.

Long before they arrived in the capital, she had already planned her next steps, which was why she had taken the carriage driver who had tried to abduct her.

She hadn't originally intended to expose the driver so quickly. Renting a house was risky, and although Wang Feng had been looking after the man in private, it wasn't an ideal situation, especially for fear that Madam Di might turn her attention toward Wang Feng.

However, it was impossible not to use the driver to threaten Madam Di now. Seeing Madam Di’s calculating nature and the way she had forced Shui Ruolan to attend the banquet, Qin Wanru was certain that Madam Di’s methods would be ruthless—she might even drive Shui Ruolan to her death. Before Madam Di could succeed, Qin Wanru had to stop her.

Compared to the matter of the driver, if Qi Rongzhi and Qi Tianyu started a scene, it would be no small matter, and Madam Di would have to rush to smooth things over.

If Qin Yuru were to clash with Qi Rongzhi now, it would disrupt Madam Di’s focus, giving her the perfect opportunity to relocate the driver.

Qin Wanru had already thought of a perfect place to hide the man, one where Madam Di would never find him.

"Will the Eldest Miss Qi try to blackmail the Eldest Miss?" Yujie gasped.

"She will, but she won't dare go too far. She is still staying at the Qin residence, which means she doesn't dare overstep. They both hold leverage over each other; it’s unlikely to escalate into a full-scale disaster." A sharp, dark light flashed in Qin Wanru’s eyes as she walked forward slowly.

"Then... what is the point?" Yujie asked, bewildered.

"The point is to distract Madam. Once she is distracted, she won't be able to focus all her energy on finding that driver I kept as a witness. The driver himself isn't important, but because he can corroborate the words of the wife of the Heir to the Marquis of Yangqu, he becomes crucial." Seeing that Yujie didn't quite understand, Qin Wanru offered a slight smile.

"So, it’s not that the driver knows more than the other witnesses, but because it involves the wife of the Heir to the Marquis of Yangqu, he must be kept," Yujie realized. She had been the one to take the man, but she hadn't understood Qin Wanru’s intention until now. After what just happened, her admiration for Qin Wanru grew even more.

Her mistress, though young, was incredibly sharp. She had anticipated Madam Di’s moves back on the road to the capital and had secured a vital witness.

The more panicked Madam Di became, the more she would reveal her hand...

"When Qi Tianyu comes the day after tomorrow, you keep an eye out!" Qin Wanru said, changing the subject. Her purpose in speaking to Qi Rongzhi earlier had been to find out when Qi Tianyu would be visiting the residence.

Qin Yuru would inevitably try to meet him in secret.

"Miss, don't worry, I will definitely pay attention!" Yujie nodded repeatedly, though she added with concern, "What does Miss plan to do about the driver? I'm afraid Madam Di will trace him to Wang Feng, and that would be trouble!"

"There is a place where we can hide him," Qin Wanru said, a gleam in her eyes.

"What place?" Yujie asked, her eyes widening.

"The Prince Chen Residence," Qin Wanru replied.

Yujie was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "Yes! If he is hidden in the Prince Chen Residence, Madam Di will never find him. Don't worry, Miss, I’ll go find out where the Prince Chen Residence is and go see Xiao Xuanzi."

Yujie, Qingyue, and Xiao Xuanzi had formed a bond of camaraderie.

"It wouldn't be convenient for you to ask around. I will go myself," Qin Wanru shook her head.

"Why?" Yujie didn't think it was difficult for someone like her to ask for directions. The Prince Chen Residence was a royal manor; many people should know where it was.

"Prince Chen lives in the Southern Palace," Qin Wanru took a deep breath and said in a low, slow voice. "Have someone prepare the carriage; I want to leave the residence and go find it myself!"

"You want to go yourself? I can find out where the Southern Palace is!" Yujie said, puzzled.

Qin Wanru shook her head again, taking another deep breath as if to suppress the metallic scent of blood in her heart. The place that had left the deepest mark on her memory from her previous life was the Southern Palace—the very place where she had been framed.

In that life, the deposed Crown Prince, Prince Yue, had lived in the Southern Palace, and it was also there that she had met her end, cut in half at the waist.

It could be said that many of her worst memories were tied to the Southern Palace. Now that Chu Liuchen lived there, the fact that her place of execution and his residence were one and the same made her feel even more suffocated.

"Miss, let me go instead!" Seeing Qin Wanru’s face turn pale at the mention of the "Southern Palace," Yujie said with concern.

"No, I will go!" Qin Wanru shook her head. She had to walk out of the shadows of her past life; she could not keep avoiding the Southern Palace forever. Besides, she had reasons to go—someone like Yujie could never enter the Southern Palace, or even if she did, she would never see Chu Liuchen.

Dealing with Chu Liuchen was something she had to do herself.

By the time they finished speaking, they had returned to Zhifang Pavilion, and Qingyue came out to greet them.

After Qin Wanru went inside and sat down, she instructed Qingyue to ask the Old Madam for permission to go out to the streets, and sent Yujie to have the carriage prepared.

Once the two maids had left, Qin Wanru sat still for a moment, steadying her turbulent emotions. She was about to see the place where she had lost her life in her previous incarnation. There were things she had to clarify and complete as soon as possible.

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the inner room and took an item from the parcel she had brought from Jiangzhou. After opening it and inspecting it carefully, she tucked it back into her sleeve. A faint, fresh medicinal scent drifted out—not strong, but very clear...