Chapter 186: Using Open Schemes
Cao Hongyu emerged from the Prince’s Mansion, and it was already past noon.
She had lunch at the Liu family’s and was in a very good mood.
“It’s good to have a backer,” she couldn’t help but sigh as she sat in the horse carriage. “Someone to plan for you, and someone to support you.”
She lowered her head again and looked at the coral bead bracelet she had just put on her wrist. Tsk, only the Prince’s Mansion would have such quality.
She was merely from a merchant family and never dreamed she could get involved with the Prince’s Mansion.
She had already made up her mind that she absolutely had to cling to this powerful connection.
Not only could they help her successfully drive away Liu Cuiyi and become the First Madam of the Zhou family, but they would also be beneficial in many future matters.
Because she was in such a good mood, she didn’t want to go home and told the coachman, “Go to Tianshun Street. Let’s stroll around before going home.”
She didn’t hurry home until the sky was about to darken.
The place they rented was a bit remote; rent in the Capital City was too expensive. When they first arrived in the Capital City, the Zhou family had invited them to stay at their mansion, but since she wanted to marry into the Zhou family, she couldn’t live there, naturally for the sake of her reputation.
The horse carriage turned into an alley, and before it went far, it was stopped.
“Is Miss Cao inside the carriage?” the person who spoke had a rough voice and was frighteningly tall and strong.
The coachman was startled and immediately became a stutterer, “Who… who are you?”
Cao Hongyu and the young maid in the carriage also became very scared when they heard this and slightly lifted the carriage curtain.
“Our Master has something to say to Miss Cao. Please alight and come with us.” The man’s tone was harsh, without any room for negotiation.
The coachman wanted to back the horse carriage away, but he didn’t know when two more men, like black iron towers, had appeared behind the carriage.
“This is… this is under the Emperor’s feet. Do you have no regard for the law?” Cao Hongyu’s voice became tight and shrill. She was clearly terrified but tried to put on a brave face. “Let me tell you, I am a frequent visitor to the Prince’s Mansion. Don’t bring trouble upon yourselves!”
The leading big man couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this. “Miss Cao, you don’t need to tell us these things. Our Master invites you with courtesy, and we hope you’ll be sensible. Otherwise, we rough folk might be heavy-handed, and if we accidentally injure you, we won’t be responsible for compensation.”
Saying this, he stepped forward and tore off the carriage curtain.
Cao Hongyu covered her face and screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
The man extended his large hand, like an eagle catching a chick, and lifted Cao Hongyu out. He strode into the alley, where another horse carriage was parked not far away.
“Master, the person has been brought,” the big man said, throwing Cao Hongyu into the carriage.
“You are…” Cao Hongyu was dizzy. When she looked up, she saw Wen Mingqian.
There was a wind lantern in the carriage. Wen Mingqian sat upright in the carriage, a faint smile on her face.
“It’s you… What do you want to do?!” Cao Hongyu recognized Wen Mingqian and, seeing it was her, her courage increased. “This is the Capital City. You can’t just do as you please.”
“How am I doing as I please? Haven’t you, Miss Cao, been doing as you please all along?” Wen Mingqian smiled. “You repeatedly harassed Cuiyi, and neither she nor I have bothered you. Why must you push your luck?”
“Are you not allowed to expose the sordid things you’ve done?” Cao Hongyu said. “Who told Liu Cuiyi to be pregnant with a ghost fetus? Otherwise, why would you come looking for me?”
“Miss Cao, if I say I’ll make you stop interfering in this matter, will you agree?” Wen Mingqian’s eyes were dark as she looked at Cao Hongyu.
“Why should I agree?” Cao Hongyu said. “Because you’re holding me hostage right now?”
“I am not holding you hostage; I am merely asking you to come and talk,” Wen Mingqian said. “Miss Cao, I am just advising you not to go too far. There are some things I don’t want to mention; don’t force me.”
“Wen Mingqian, what you’re saying is rather strange. What past could I possibly have with you? I don’t owe you anything,” Cao Hongyu couldn’t help but sneer.
“Why did you get a divorce?” Wen Mingqian asked her.
“Didn’t you get a divorce too?” Cao Hongyu retorted. “The law clearly states that divorce is permitted. Mind your own business!”
“Miss Cao, you think you’re hiding it well, but I know all about your background. You were married for less than half a year, you didn’t defy your in-laws, nor did you mistreat your servants.
You got a divorce for no apparent reason and left half of your dowry with your husband’s family. Outsiders say you did everything you could, but they don’t know that half of the dowry was meant to buy your silence,” Wen Mingqian said calmly. “It’s because you were abducted by mountain bandits on your way to offer incense and lost your chastity, forcing you to divorce the Meng family.
Unable to stay in Daicheng, you came to the Capital City. Is that not so?”
As he spoke slowly, Cao Hongyu’s complexion grew increasingly ugly, and by the end, cold sweat had even broken out on her forehead.
“You… how did you know? It was clearly only the Meng family…” Cao Hongyu was flustered and ashamed, unable to even speak complete sentences.
“I knew this long ago. When you first tried to replace Cuiyi, I had already inquired about it,” Wen Mingqian handed her her handkerchief. “But I never told anyone else, including Cuiyi. I would rather enlist the help of several Imperial Ladies to make the Zhou family compromise than expose your scar in public.
Because in my eyes, what you went through was truly unfortunate. As a woman myself, I didn’t want to use it against you.”
Cao Hongyu, who had been lowering her head, suddenly raised it when she heard Wen Mingqian’s words and stared at her in disbelief.
“I know who instigated you, but what can that do? You’re pushing us to a dead end, but aren’t you also standing on the edge of a cliff? If it comes to a point where there’s no other choice, I’ll have to say it even if I don’t want to.
Think about it, if your past is revealed, will anyone believe what you say? People will only think that an unchaste woman would do anything to marry into the Zhou family and would go to great lengths to slander Cuiyi.
And no matter what happens to Cuiyi, the Zhou family will never let you in. Not only that, but you won’t be able to stay in the Capital City either. Don’t you agree?” Wen Mingqian laid all her cards on the table.
The Liu family and Cao Hongyu wanted to play a conspiracy, but she chose to counter with an open strategy.
“If I stop now, will you really not say anything?” Cao Hongyu looked at Wen Mingqian, her heart filled with doubt and apprehension.
“Of course,” Wen Mingqian said. “You want to protect yourself and stop implicating Cuiyi, but the Liu family won’t let you off easily. If you can trust me, I will send someone to escort you and your daughter away from the Capital City, away from this place of trouble.
All you need to do is write a letter to the Zhou family explaining that you falsely accused Cuiyi.
My people will ensure your safety and that the Liu family cannot find you.
Of course, you can also choose not to trust me. We can continue to compete and see who is superior.”
Wen Mingqian presented both options to Cao Hongyu, waiting for her to make her own decision.
I’m very sorry, but I was a bit unclear about my cousin Cao’s background. I reread the previous text today to clarify; she was married before, but her marriage was very short, lasting only half a year.
