Chapter 28- Princess Shangyang Cleanses the Family

Get updated every time a new chapter is released and Get the Passwords to Password Protected Content at our Discord Server -> Click Here to Join now (Protected Content will be available within few days of release)

Chapter 28

Although it felt like robbing Peter to pay Paul, after all, Marquis Ming’s heir and Princess Shangyang were merely side characters in this story. Even if he wanted to stop the plot from changing, how could he have stopped his wife from saving the day?

Sigh, she really is something—whether she’s reborn or not, she’d never stand by and do nothing. So kind and caring! I love her so much!

(Wow, how wonderful.)

[Shut up.]

If you can’t be sincere, don’t even try.

Without wasting any time, Luo Zhenyu (Luo Yu in the body of Prince Yin) summoned Luo Zhenyu’s secret guards, a network of connections left behind by the original scumbag prince. Within a few swift orders, the plan was set in motion: inform Princess Shangyang first, and then act.

Although he felt a bit guilty toward Princess Shangyang, there was no other way to fix the plot.

But the news of Princess Shangyang falling into the water would inevitably spread back to the palace first. As the carriage sped along, Princess Shangyang let out a soft cough. Even though the doctor had said she’d been saved in time, swallowing a few mouthfuls of water had still taken a toll on her body. She remained motionless, leaning weakly against her maid inside the carriage.

“Your Highness, when we return to the palace, should we report the argument with His Highness Prince Yin as well…?”

“No need.” Princess Shangyang lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly. “If he doesn’t want this incident to be made public, he’ll figure out a way to handle it.”

Perhaps today, it was merely Marquis Ming’s heir who had foolishly acted on his own, but what about next time?

Even if she stayed inside the palace, that man might not stay away.

Princess Shangyang didn’t want to confront Prince Yin head-on. Her mother had often reminded her of the ambitions of Consort Yi and her son. They might be thriving now, but no matter how much favor her father showed her, power still rested in the hands of men. Who could say who would ascend to the throne after her father passed?

Sighing, Princess Shangyang said, “There’s no need to make a fuss. After all, it was just that the pavilion was in disrepair. Even if we argued, I wouldn’t have fallen without it.”

Without Prince Yin or Zhao Yuexi’s presence, even if she had leaned too far, the outcome might have been the same, right?

“Thank goodness Your Highness is unharmed. I was truly terrified at the time,” the maid, kneeling in the carriage to serve tea, said with relief. “But that eldest daughter of the Duke’s Mansion… I’d always heard she was like a wooden puppet, always following His Highness, Prince Yin. Who would’ve thought she’d have the courage to jump into the water today? If you ask me, Your Highness should just dismiss her.”

“Why?” Princess Shangyang glanced at her.

The maid, while offering the tea, huffed indignantly. “Your Highness, as you know, people don’t change that easily, no matter what rumors say. If you ask me, she’s up to something. Now that the engagement is off, maybe she’s trying to climb up another ladder.”

Princess Shangyang’s gaze shifted as she quietly considered the words. Then she smiled, “People don’t change so easily.”

“Your Highness, with your noble status, it’s better to keep someone like the Duke’s daughter at a distance,” the maid advised.

Princess Shangyang didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she studied the maid for a moment before speaking, “That hairpin of yours is quite pretty.”

Caught off guard, the maid instinctively touched the hairpin in her hair, her face flushing slightly. “Your Highness… I…”

“This princess isn’t harsh on those who serve me. At your age, it’s only natural to have thoughts of marriage,” Princess Shangyang extended her hand, gesturing for the hairpin to be handed over for a closer look.

Seeing that she wasn’t being reprimanded, the maid cautiously handed over the hairpin with both hands.

Although the hairpin wasn’t particularly valuable, nor as fine as the rewards Princess Shangyang typically bestowed, the design was exquisite and clearly made with care, not something given casually.

“Lianzhi,” Princess Shangyang addressed the senior maid attending her. “Take a look. It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”

Lianzhi glanced at the hairpin and smiled teasingly. “Indeed, it’s very nice. The carved details on this gold pin are particularly fine. Someone has clearly put a lot of effort into it. I wonder which young man has set his heart on our Dongxiang.”

“Yes, if we hadn’t noticed it today,” Princess Shangyang returned the hairpin with a light laugh, “it would be a shame to keep you by my side for a few more years and delay your happy occasion.”

“Your Highness…” Dongxiang pursed her lips. “It’s my duty to serve you.”

“You’ve served me well. Otherwise, would anyone have given you such a precious gold hairpin to propose?” Princess Shangyang’s tone suddenly turned cold. “If I keep you by my side any longer, wouldn’t that be a crime?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Dongxiang’s body trembled.

“That pavilion, owned by Uncle Rui, couldn’t possibly be so poorly maintained. You were the one who pointed out the room to me. And when I fell into the water, you were conveniently down below. And just as I fell, Marquis Ming’s heir jumped in to ‘save’ me,” Princess Shangyang wasn’t a fool. People may act out of self-interest, but their intentions—whether good or bad—weren’t always impossible to discern. “If you’re accusing the Duke’s daughter of trying to curry favor, what should I call your actions?”

Had she not seen it with her own eyes as she fell, Princess Shangyang would have found it hard to believe. Marquis Ming’s heir, with his reputation in tatters, actually thought he could use such despicable means to marry a noble princess. It seemed there had been a mole by her side all along.

“Your Highness, I didn’t… I merely happened to run into the heir of Marquis Ming at that moment. How could I possibly betray you?” Dongxiang’s voice trembled as she knelt in the carriage, panicking.

Princess Shangyang wasn’t interested in further discussion. “Send her to Marquis Ming’s estate. Tell them it’s a gift from me.”

Dongxiang’s face drained of all color. If she were expelled with the reputation of a traitor, the gossip alone would destroy her.

“Your Highness… you have no proof. Are you really going to condemn me without giving me a chance to defend myself?” Dongxiang knelt, staring at Princess Shangyang in disbelief. “I’ve been wronged…”

“Wronged?” Lianzhi, standing at Princess Shangyang’s side, frowned. “You’ve been flaunting that gold hairpin with Marquis Ming’s emblem engraved on it. Why bother pretending now?”

Princess Shangyang had no desire to speak further. Lianzhi, the senior maid, took over, tearing away Dongxiang’s last shred of dignity before calling for the carriage to stop and instructing a guard to escort Dongxiang to Marquis Ming’s estate.

“Your Highness, it was my negligence,” Lianzhi said, guilt-ridden. “This girl has served you for so long, and I never noticed her disloyalty. To think she would betray you for a little trinket. If it weren’t for the Duke’s eldest daughter saving you today, we would never have known the full extent of her crime.”

It wasn’t just her servants. Princess Shangyang herself hadn’t expected this: “If I hadn’t fallen from the upper floor today, I might never have discovered the truth.”