When the Duke of Dingguo and Xiao Chenyuan arrived at Anping Courtyard, the place was already in chaos.
Baimei, the old Taoist priest, was tied up and kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy. The Duchess of Dingguo was sobbing uncontrollably, and piercing screams echoed from inside the room. The sound was sharp and grating, more animalistic than human.
The moment the Duke appeared, the Duchess threw herself into his arms.
"My lord, you must save Ling'er! This wicked Taoist dared to summon a spirit to possess Ling'er and disguise itself as our son!"
"It's all my fault! All my fault! I've harmed our son Ling'er!"
The Duke felt a wave of dizziness as he struggled to maintain his composure, comforting his wife while directing a murderous glare at the Taoist Baimei.
"Father." Xie Ziyuan emerged from the inner room, his appearance drawing everyone's attention. The screams from "Xie Ling" seemed to subside slightly as he stepped out.
The Duke noticed several scratch marks on Xie Ziyuan's hand and immediately grew concerned. "Ziyuan, how did you get hurt?"
The Duchess rushed over, clutching her chest. "Was it the spirit possessing Ling'er that harmed you?"
"It's nothing," Xie Ziyuan said, pulling his sleeve down to conceal the wounds.
The spirit possessing "Xie Ling" had been particularly agitated. Unwilling to harm his brother's body, Xie Ziyuan had held back during his attempts to restrain it, resulting in his own injuries.
The Duke's fury erupted, and he roared at Taoist Baimei, "You vile charlatan! Exorcise that spirit from my son this instant!"
Baimei, trembling and utterly devoid of his former dignified demeanor, stammered, "Duke, please spare me! I... I truly cannot do it!"
"It's said that inviting a spirit is easy, but sending it away is difficult. Once the great spirit takes hold, it won't leave until its time here is complete!"
"Forcing it to leave prematurely would harm your son's body."
The Duke's hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging as he fought the urge to tear that Baimei apart. Xiao Chenyuan suddenly interjected, "Where is the Queen?"
The Duke quickly caught on. "Yes, where is our niece-in-law?"
The Duchess froze momentarily, looking embarrassed. Xie Ziyuan explained, "The Queen has already left. In fact, it was thanks to her warning that I uncovered this Taoist's deception."
The Duke immediately sensed there was more to the story but held back his questions for now. Turning to Xiao Chenyuan, he pleaded, "Ah Yuan…"
Xiao Chenyuan nodded. "I'll go and find her."
"I'll come with you," Xie Ziyuan added, stepping forward.
Xiao Chenyuan glanced at him and nodded silently.
Having sent someone to summon QingWu earlier, Xie Ziyuan already knew where she was. Along the way, they encountered the messenger he had dispatched.
"Where is the Queen?" Xiao Chenyuan asked.
The servant's expression turned awkward as he glanced cautiously at Xiao Chenyuan, lowering his voice. "The queen is by the ice chamber. I explained the situation and asked for her help with the young master, but… she said she was busy… and had no time."
Before the servant could finish, Xiao Chenyuan strode off. He had already pieced things together from the Duchess's earlier behavior and felt a flicker of displeasure toward his aunt.
Knowing QingWu's temperament, her willingness to come earlier had been a sign of her goodwill. It was clear she had been dismissed, her warnings ignored. That she had even taken the trouble to caution Xie Ziyuan on her way out was a rare concession.
"Apologies," Xie Ziyuan said suddenly, his tone subdued. "My mother was overwrought."
"No need to apologize to me," Xiao Chenyuan replied coldly. "I'm not the one who was wronged."
As they neared the ice chamber, they heard a familiar wailing in the distance.
When they got closer, the sight before them left them both momentarily speechless.
Xiao Chenyuan's lips twitched, a faint smirk tugging at the corners. Xie Ziyuan stood frozen, his expression a mix of bewilderment and disbelief.
A disheveled man, shivering and pale from the cold, was tied to a tree wearing nothing but a pair of undergarments. Servants took turns dousing him with buckets of icy water.
Not far away, a striking woman lounged with one leg crossed over the other, issuing commands with lazy elegance.
"Pour! Scrub my dear second uncle thoroughly. Hey! Why are you aiming at his body? Aim for his head!"
"That muddled brain of his—if we don't rinse it clean, he'll just get muddled again tomorrow!"
QingWu yawned, looking utterly unbothered, even pleased. There wasn't a trace of frustration or gloom from being misunderstood earlier. After all, saving people couldn't compare to the joy of tormenting her second uncle.
Xie Second Young Master was on the verge of collapse, convinced he had been dragged not to his own home but to the prison cells of the Ministry of Justice. Spotting Xiao Chenyuan and Xie Ziyuan, he burst into loud, pitiful sobs.
"Ah Yuan! Ah Yuan! I was wrong! Please forgive your second uncle!"
"I took the wrong medicine before; I'll never speak nonsense again. Just tell your Queen to spare me! I'm going to die! I really am!"
"Ziyuan, save me!"
Xiao Chenyuan stared at his pathetic second uncle, thinking to himself: It takes a scoundrel to deal with a scoundrel.
QingWu turned around, her eyes lighting up as she saw them. She lifted her skirt and dashed over.
Xiao Chenyuan opened his mouth to speak, only to hear her cheerful voice:
"Young master Xie, were you looking for me?"
She smiled brightly, her gaze fixed on Xie Ziyuan.
Xiao Chenyuan swallowed his words, his Adam's apple bobbing as he pressed his lips together, his expression unreadable.
Xie Ziyuan glanced at Xiao Chenyuan before politely nodding at QingWu. His usual cold demeanor seemed less severe now.
"Thank you for your earlier warning. I've come to ask if you have any way to save my younger brother."
"Well, since the young master himself has come, how could I refuse?" QingWu tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her sweet smile making her seem especially agreeable. "Lead the way please , young master."
Xie Ziyuan let out a sigh of relief and thanked her once more. He glanced briefly at Xiao Chenyuan, sensing something unusual but, preoccupied with his brother's predicament, he chose not to linger on it.
QingWu followed Xie Ziyuan without sparing Xiao Chenyuan a second glance.
The usually raucous Baishui and the others, who had been gleefully tormenting Xie Second Young Master moments ago, now stood silent, sensing the oppressive atmosphere descending upon them.
Xiao Chenyuan didn't immediately follow. Instead, he turned his attention to his subordinates, who now shrank under his icy glare.
"You all seem bolder here than on the battlefield."
They hunched their shoulders, recalling how QingWu's presence earlier had emboldened them. Embarrassment crept over them as they realized they had lost all sense of restraint.
Xie Second Young Master, noticing QingWu's departure, seemed to regain a bit of his nerve. Trembling, he shouted, "Xiao Chenyuan, what kind of person have you married with? How dare she act so outrageously in the Duke of Dingguo's residence!
"Untie me now! I won't let this go!"
Xiao Chenyuan's icy gaze silenced him immediately.
"Since my Queen said to clean you thoroughly," Xiao Chenyuan said, his voice frigid, "what are you standing there for? Find a well and throw him in."