Chapter 209: Chapter 209

Zhaohua frowned deeply, "Yanyan, mother has only you as a child, and no one can disturb your position! But do you understand your mother’s loneliness?"

Xia Muyan looked at her, always feeling that the mother in front of her was particularly unfamiliar.

"If mother truly loved father, why would there be so many paramours?" Xia Muyan bit her lip and asked directly.

Zhaohua’s face sank, "I am the Princess. Men can have multiple wives and concubines; why can’t I?"

"But this person has debts of blood!"

Xia Muyan shouted, "I love mother too, so I would never allow him to harm you! That’s why I let the female ghosts possess me; I’d rather help them eliminate the consort than let him hurt you!"

Her words moved Zhaohua intensely.

Tang Jing lamented, trying to pull back Zhaohua’s favoritism.

Zhaohua closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, conveyed a determined conviction.

She said, "Yu Nianzhao, I’ll give you ten thousand gold pieces. Help me send off these two female ghosts so that they no longer disturb our lives."

Yu Nianzhao laughed, "Does the Princess mean to shield this murderer and let innocent souls find no peace?"

Xia Muyan cried, "Mother, you’re confused."

Zhaohua straightened her back, "I am the Zhaohua of the Great Chao Country; what can’t I want? It’s just a man; I can tolerate him, but as for these two women, I’ll send enough Silver Coin to their families. Yu Nianzhao, only tell me, will you perform this ritual or not?"

"No!" Yu Nianzhao answered without hesitation, her gaze colder than Zhaohua’s, "Tang Jing owes more debts than just these two. The sachet I just burned was something he kept close, filled with items to ward off evil and prevent spirits from haunting him. Now that it’s destroyed, it’s not just a simple matter of a life or two crawling on him."

Zhaohua’s expression changed back and forth. She gritted her teeth, "Yu Nianzhao, your unwillingness doesn’t mean others will be unwilling! I can simply find another Daoist to perform the ritual, but... Since you’ve witnessed all this, don’t expect to escape easily."

The consort’s repeated murders must never be known outside. Since she wants to protect Tang Jing, naturally, she has to silence Yu Nianzhao.

"Do you intend to keep me locked in the Princess’s residence forever?"

Yu Nianzhao mocked, "Oh, right, you didn’t attend the last banquet, huh? The emperor has already set the wedding date. Whether you want to kill me or lock me up, ensuring no one knows is quite difficult."

Zhaohua turned pale then red in anger and shame, "I’ve negotiated with you properly, but you refuse. Aren’t ten thousand gold pieces good? Since you are set to become Princess Consort Su, we will soon be family. Can’t you help me? I would surely reward you richly."

"Ten thousand gold pieces... that’s nice."

Yu Nianzhao felt a bit pained, but her eyes were clear, "But what I want is Tang Jing’s evil soul!"

Compared to ten thousand gold pieces, the evil soul is more important.

"How dare you!" Zhaohua scolded sharply, "With my protection, no one can take his life."

"Is that so?" Yu Nianzhao casually waved her hand, "Justice for injustices, revenge for grudges. I’ll turn a blind eye now; you wish to seek revenge, just go ahead."

At her signal, the two female ghosts charged hatefully towards Tang Jing. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ n0velfire.net

Zhaohua was also startled, not expecting Yu Nianzhao to disregard her so blatantly.

As a princess, she had no fear of humans, but ghosts were a different story!

Instinctively, she held her breath and kicked Tang Jing aside, moving to a further spot.

Tang Jing fell to the ground, pallid, watching the ghosts approach, emitting an anguished scream, "Ahhh!"

The room’s light suddenly turned a bizarre shade of blue as the female ghosts tore at Tang Jing’s soul and body, denying him any chance of escape, devouring his flesh and blood.

Zhaohua stared intently at Tang Jing’s handsome face, fearing any harm befalling it, as it was the only enjoyment she had with Tang Jing.

"Yu Nianzhao, I command you, make them stop! Otherwise..."

Zhaohua glared resentfully at Yu Nianzhao, arrogantly issuing orders.

"Otherwise what?" Yu Nianzhao asked calmly.

"Otherwise you won’t leave the Princess’s estate today."

Zhaohua clapped her hands, and a group of Hidden Guard appeared in the courtyard, aiming their long swords at Yu Nianzhao.

"Yu Nianzhao, even if you are Prince Su’s fiancée, the emperor’s designated Princess Consort Su, you aren’t irreplaceable. You’re just a woman; what’s the use of your mystical skills? I’ll kill first and report later—considering the late emperor, the emperor won’t do anything to me; it’s just a minor punishment at worst."

Zhaohua lifted her chin slightly and said smugly, "I’m giving you one last chance; will you help me or not?"

"Beyond saving!" Yu Nianzhao looked coldly at Zhaohua, "For a mere face, a moment of pleasure, and you disregard right and wrong? You claim to care about your daughter, but truthfully, you care most about yourself."

"No, of course I care about Yanyan..."

"Tsk, then do you know why this paramour dared to barge into the county princess’s room so brazenly? Isn’t he courting death?"

Yu Nianzhao taunted, "It’s your sheltered man who led him to Xia Muyan’s room, and he has a blood-tainted sachet on him with talismans given by Tang Jing."

Zhaohua hesitated, holding back nausea, and went to check. Sure enough, she saw a sachet on the paramour, containing a blood-stained talisman.

"He wanted to kill Yanyan?"

"The county princess discovered his secret; naturally, he wants her dead!"

Yu Nianzhao calmly stated, "This is a Puppet Talisman. The person behind it can control him, easily shifting blame onto others. Tang Jing, ah... wants the county princess dead. In his eyes, her absence means more benefits, at least you, Princess, without offspring might think of having another with him, and then the estate’s riches would be his and the child’s."

"Tang Jing, is this all true?"

Zhaohua’s fingers were bleeding from the grip; she questioned angrily.

"Princess, save me, I just want to be with you living a normal life, look at me..."

Tang Jing extended his hand, already wounded from ghost attacks, desperately reaching out.

Zhaohua still couldn’t help but feel soft-hearted!