Chapter 57: Is the Prince Usually This Talkative?

Could this cheap wretch have not only hooked up with Young Master Cui, but even bribed Magistrate Sun of the prefecture?

Just how many backers has she found, relying on nothing more than that meager beauty of hers?

With a filthy heart, everything one looks at appears filthy.

Chu Jiaojiao naturally assumed the worst of Chu Li, and suddenly became smug, as if she had caught her in the act.

"You cheap wretch, don't celebrate too early. The filthy things you've done will come to light sooner or later. I want to see just how long you can remain so arrogant!"

Chu Li: ?

How long she could remain arrogant was not important. What mattered was that Chu Jiaojiao probably wouldn't be able to remain arrogant for much longer...

Madam Sun clung to Chu Zhonghe, refusing to let the bailiffs take him away. Assistant Magistrate Sun, having none of it, personally stepped forward and wrenched her apart.

"Chu Zhonghe, there are tax irregularities in the accounts under your name. This official is not detaining you arbitrarily. Take him away!"

Assistant Magistrate Sun had already prepared his excuses. Among the large merchants in the city, it was impossible for there to be zero tax issues; it was just that the higher authorities chose not to pursue them, so the prefectural office preferred to avoid extra trouble.

There was no powerful backer behind the Chu family, so even if he was detaining him temporarily out of personal motives, there would be no trouble.

Chu Zhonghe did not come to his senses until he was locked up in the prefectural prison, wondering how on earth he had ended up incarcerated.

The news of the Chu family head being taken into custody quickly spread like wildfire through Rongcheng.

Some said the Chu family had been evading taxes and the higher-ups had finally decided to crack down, while others disagreed, feeling there was more to the story.

A few perceptive individuals had already caught a glimpse of the truth: Assistant Magistrate Sun had gone to the Chu family specifically for Chu Meng, and it was said he had even handed Chu Meng a stack of items resembling yellow talismans...

However, regardless of how the commoners discussed it, it was none of Chu Li's concern.

With the family head locked up, everyone in the Chu household was now living in fear. Madam Sun was running around trying to pull strings to get Chu Zhonghe out, and for now, she had no time to spare for Chu Li.

In Huichun Courtyard, Qiuyi was cheering aloud, wishing she could beat drums and gongs in celebration.

"That's wonderful, my Lady! Finally, no one is here to bother us."

That adoptive father of her Ladyship was no good at all; trying to usurp her Ladyship's property was utterly shameless.

Now it was served right—he was locked in prison, and it would be best if he never came out. It was truly gratifying!

Chu Li shook her head with a smile. "It's only temporary. The Chu family has stood tall in Rongcheng for so many years; they still have some connections and methods. As long as they are willing to spend silver, Chu Zhonghe will get out sooner or later."

"Ah? What a pity then. He should rot in prison for the rest of his life!"

Chu Li couldn't help but look up at Qiuyi upon hearing this, and smiled.

"Qiuyi, you have no grudge against him, you don't need to be so worked up. He's just an irrelevant person."

"My Lady, they treated you like that, of course this maid is angry! Although this maid wasn't by your Ladyship's side here before, just seeing their attitude toward you these past few days lets me guess how they must have treated you in the past. If the Prince knew what they did, wouldn't his heart ache to death for your Ladyship? He would surely kill every last one of them!"

Because she was too excited, Qiuyi let slip a mention of the Prince. Realizing her mistake, she quickly covered her mouth and cast a cautious glance at Chu Li. Seeing that her Ladyship showed no sign of reprimanding her, Qiuyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Good, good, her Ladyship probably didn't notice. She should be more careful with her words from now on. If her Ladyship didn't bring it up voluntarily, she might as well pretend the Prince was dead...

"My Lady, they treated you like that, do you hate them?"

Qiuyi felt her Ladyship was far too calm. If it were her, she would probably go mad and fight this family to the death.

Clearly brought home to become the adopted daughter of this household, yet living worse than a dog—if she had known adoption would lead to this result, many people would rather have roamed the streets.

What was even more infuriating was that the Chu family already owed her Ladyship so much for all these years, treating her less than human, yet now they wanted to squeeze out her final bit of value and scheme to marry her off in place of another to a dissolute lecher.

Such a despicable family was even more detestable than executioners with blood on their hands.

Qiuyi's words made Chu Li pause for quite a while before she slowly replied:

"Hate? Naturally, I hate them. Their wanton trampling is more vicious than a murderer."

At the age of three, had she not been brought back by the Chu family, Chu Meng's fate might have been an early death in infancy, but at least that way, she would not have suffered more than a dozen years of torment.

"Evil people will meet with their own retribution; I won't let them come to a good end."

Consider it avenging the deceased Chu Meng; once this cause and effect was settled, it would be a relief for Chu Li.

Night fell, and after tidying up, Chu Li prepared to head out.

Knowing that following her Ladyship would only hold her back, Qiuyi did not tag along.

After applying a Nimble Talisman and a Cold-Repelling Talisman, Chu Li, dressed in night attire, was just about to scale the courtyard wall when she suddenly sensed a fresh wave of resentment faintly stirring in the southeast of the Chu residence.

She instantly halted her steps, standing atop the wall to gaze in that direction.

Wasn't that the direction of the courtyard belonging to Madam Sun and her two daughters?

Chu Li was very familiar with this resentment; it was identical to the resentment emanating from the sable pelt. It seemed the other pelt Chu Jiaojiao had bought from the Wang family's daughter-in-law was now in her hands...

Chu Li sneered, nimbly vaulting over the courtyard wall and speeding toward the outskirts of the city.

Having obtained the token from Assistant Magistrate Sun during the day, Chu Li's exit from the city went very smoothly, and she soon reached the official highway.

Choosing a direction and preparing to pick up speed, her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

Under a resting pavilion beside the official road, a red lantern and a slender figure caught Chu Li's attention.

"You've come? This prince thought you had celebrated too much after receiving a whole street of betrothal gifts during the day and wouldn't show up."

Chu Li: ?

Was this sharp-tongued man really the Fu Heng she knew?

"Gossiping invites karmic retribution; mildly it affects one's fortune, severely it causes mouth sores and an early death. The Prince would do well to mind his words."

Fu Heng raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, saying no more.

He knew everything that had happened during the day, and his remark just then was merely a tease.

He didn't know why, but upon seeing her, his words naturally started flowing.

Chu Li walked into the pavilion. The man, a head taller than her, was draped in a fox-fur coat, and even enveloped entirely within it, his noble bearing remained unmistakable.

"Is the Prince always such a chatterbox? This maiden had heard that the God of War, Prince You, is a man of few words, someone whose speech is worth as much as gold."

In the past, too, the time they spent alone was short, and even as two people whose lives had long intertwined, the number of times they spoke could be counted on one hand, and their conversations were extremely simple.

Aside from being rather talkative in bed, Fu Heng had always been sparing with his words around her at all other times.

Chu Li had assumed that was simply his nature, that he was born disliking talk.

But now it seemed otherwise—he was actually quite eloquent outside, even though most of his words were the infuriating kind.

Hearing this, Fu Heng was stunned for a few seconds. "Sparingly with words?" Was he really like that?

Suddenly, something seemed to tug at the depths of Fu Heng's heart.

Had he truly been sparing with words toward Li'er in the past? It seemed he had...

He rarely returned to the capital, and every time he did, he genuinely seemed to chat very little with Li'er. Could it be because of this that Li'er had thought of fleeing the Prince's Estate?