The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

The man in black passed out completely.

Princess Qingyang gave him a kick. "Tsk, utterly useless."

Shen Yanchuan slowly wiped the blood from his sword with a handkerchief before looking at Lian Zhou.

"Take him away."

Lian Zhou, who had been in a daze, immediately stepped forward upon hearing the order. "Yes, sir!"

As he tied the man up and dragged him away, he couldn’t help but glance down at him.

’It’s your honor, really, to have my master deal with you himself.’

’As I recall, the master rarely bothers with things like this. He almost never acts unless he absolutely has to.’

’But this time...’

Lian Zhou glanced back. The people in the courtyard had been dismissed, and it was once again peaceful and quiet.

Ye Chutang’s room remained perfectly still.

Lian Zhou looked away, shaking his head and muttering.

"Your master really messed up this time!"

...

"Hey, Brother, how many of them have you caught now?" Princess Qingyang was extremely curious. "These must be Death Warriors, trained at great expense, right? Losing even one is a huge blow, but to have so many fall at once... I almost feel sorry for their master!"

Shen Yanchuan glanced at the sky.

"Alright, it’s late. Go back and get some sleep."

After witnessing such a good show, how could Princess Qingyang possibly sleep?

"But—"

Shen Yanchuan cut her off. "Tomorrow, go straight to the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. Ta Xue will be kept there."

Princess Qingyang’s eyes widened in delighted surprise. "Really!? Brother, you’re the best! I knew you’d be generous enough to agree!"

Shen Yanchuan shot her a look.

Princess Qingyang immediately and sensibly shut her mouth, but she couldn’t hide the joy in her eyes.

"Alright, alright, I’m leaving right now!"

With that, Princess Qingyang turned and vanished as quickly as she could.

The courtyard finally fell completely silent.

Shen Yanchuan looked back, his gaze lingering on Ye Chutang’s room for a moment before he returned to the room next door.

Inside her room, Ye Chutang slowly opened her eyes.

In the dead of night, all one’s senses grow sharper. How could she not have heard such a huge commotion outside?

But she hadn’t expected it to be resolved so quickly.

The door to the next room opened, then closed.

The wind rustled gently through the leaves.

Ye Chutang blinked, a small smile playing on her lips. She turned over, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next morning, Ye Chutang’s high fever had finally broken.

"Your injuries are quite serious this time. You really shouldn’t be moved, but we are on a mountain, after all. We’re lacking all sorts of things, so it’s definitely not convenient for you to continue recuperating here. It’s better for you to go back and recover."

Princess Qingyang was changing Ye Chutang’s dressings again, chattering as she worked.

"Your two younger brothers are at the Imperial College, and that just leaves Xiao Wu, who definitely can’t help you much. Later, you should pick a few capable maids from my mansion to serve you."

Ye Chutang’s injuries were severe this time; every little detail needed attention.

Hearing this, Ye Chutang smiled faintly and politely declined. "Commandery Princess, you’ve already helped me so much. As for the maids, perhaps it’s best not to."

Princess Qingyang clicked her tongue. She didn’t trust the maids and servants that Ye Chutang had just recently hired for her residence.

"What’s the big deal? Your residence is full of new people who don’t know anything. What if they don’t serve you well and it affects your recovery? Or, you could pick some from the Long Princess Mansion!"

Anyone who can make a name for themselves in the Long Princess Mansion is bound to be clever and quick-witted, right?

Even a maid from there would be countless times better than those from the outside.

Ye Chutang just smiled and shook her head.

"It’s not that serious."

"Then... don’t tell me you’re really going to let Xiao Wu take care of you?" Princess Qingyang pouted disapprovingly. "She’ll probably burst into tears just seeing your wounds!"

Ye Chutang thought for a moment and said, "It’s fine. I don’t think she will."

Princess Qingyang just assumed she was being shy and patted her own chest, saying, "Don’t worry, you saved my brother this time, which is a monumental service! The Eldest Princess and Duke Dingbei will be endlessly grateful to you! No request you make would be too much!"

Ye Chutang recalled the things Qinyang had said before and felt a faint headache coming on.

"...Commandery Princess, the situation wasn’t what you think. I just..."

KNOCK KNOCK.

A knock came at the door.

Lian Zhou’s respectful voice came from outside. "Commandery Princess, Second Miss Ye, everything is ready. Just give the order whenever you wish to depart."

Princess Qingyang looked to Ye Chutang for her opinion.

Ye Chutang said, "There’s nothing else for us here. Let’s leave now."

...

As soon as she pushed the door open, Ye Chutang saw that the courtyard was spotless.

The weather had cleared. The sky was a pristine, washed-out blue, and the lush forest stretched out in layers.

Not a single trace of last night’s events remained.

If she hadn’t been woken up, she might have thought it was all just a dream.

Two carriages were parked up ahead. Besides Princess Qingyang’s, there was one from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.

Hearing the sound, Shen Yanchuan turned to look.

Ye Chutang looked a little better than yesterday. Although still weak, she at least had some color back in her face.

The two Imperial Physicians, Chu Qiyuan and Chen Sun, were also waiting by the side.

Ye Chutang curtsied. "Greetings, Princely Heir."

Shen Yanchuan’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment. "Did you sleep well last night?"

A small smile touched Ye Chutang’s lips. "Thank you for your concern, Princely Heir. It was probably thanks to the medicine Doctor Chu prescribed. I slept very well."

Shen Yanchuan nodded. "That’s good."

He stepped aside.

"Second Miss Ye, please—"

...

In the end, Ye Chutang boarded Princess Qingyang’s carriage. As for the one she had arrived in, Yun Cheng had already sent someone to take it back.

In her current physical condition, Ye Chutang couldn’t possibly drive a carriage herself anyway.

Princess Qingyang’s carriage led the way, with the one from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion following behind as they made their way down the mountain.

The carriage swayed. Ye Chutang lifted the curtain, glanced back at the steep and perilous mountain peak, and murmured softly:

"It’s a pity. Because I was injured, I never got to pay my respects before the Buddha in person."