TGFH Chapter 34: The Rabbit's Revenge & Old Tales of the Xiao Residence

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Xiao resided. Now, she was alone, tied up in her room. Her hands were bound behind her back, her feet tied with rope, and her mouth gagged with a cloth. She lay on the bed, struggling incessantly.

“Mm… mm!…” Hua Lan twisted her body and let out muffled cries for help, but as it was nearing the New Year, the general’s residence was short-staffed. Servants had been reassigned to various tasks, and the guards were all concentrated at the main courtyard. Thus, there was no one around the secluded courtyard, and no one noticed Hua Lan was trapped inside.

Recalling the conversation she overheard earlier, Hua Lan grew increasingly anxious. If she didn’t act quickly, something disastrous might happen, and it would be too late. Thinking of this, tears welled up in her eyes.

She had always been timid, sheltered under her mother’s wings, and never had to worry about anything. Yet, she had never intended to harm anyone, especially her family! Her only wish since childhood was to live happily and peacefully with her family. She didn’t want her mother to make an irreversible mistake.

Hua Lan closed her eyes tightly, letting tears roll down her cheeks. When she opened them again, they were filled with resolve. She wriggled her body towards the edge of the bed, and when she was about to fall, she didn’t hesitate. She closed her eyes again and let herself tumble down. The intense pain from the fall made her open her eyes, and after shaking off the dizziness, she slowly propped herself up against the side of the bed.

By now, she was drenched in sweat, and her forehead had been grazed during the fall. Blood mixed with sweat trickled down the side of her face. Ignoring the pain from her forehead, she struggled to press her bound hands against the edge of the bed, sliding them up and down forcefully, attempting to fray the ropes binding her.

Although the edge of the bed had been smoothed over time, it was still difficult to cut the ropes. Hua Lan exerted all her strength, sawing the ropes back and forth. Despite her best efforts, the ropes wouldn’t break, only loosening slightly. Her wrists were rubbed raw and red, but she pressed on, heedless of the pain. Eventually, her hands were scraped and bloodied, but she managed to free herself from the partially loosened ropes.

She pulled the cloth out of her mouth, wiped the blood from her forehead, and quickly untied the ropes around her feet. Lifting the hem of her skirt, she dashed out of the room, running as fast as she could towards the main courtyard, praying fervently that she wasn’t too late.

“Don’t… don’t do it, Mother!” Hua Lan cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, scattering in the wind as she ran.

Half an hour earlier, Hua Lan had unknowingly wandered into the secluded courtyard on her way back from the garden. The courtyard had been strictly guarded under Xiao Min’s orders, but due to the lack of staff in the general’s residence and the upcoming New Year, Xiao Min had relaxed the restrictions out of consideration. Thus, when Hua Lan entered, she didn’t encounter any servants. By the time she realized she had gone to the wrong place, she thought of how long it had been since she’d seen her mother and decided to pay her respects and share the news of her separation from Qin Zhenli to ease her mother’s mind.

Passing through the courtyard and finding no one around, she felt a pang of sadness at how desolate it had become since her departure. She quickened her pace towards Aunt Xiao’s room, but before she reached the door, she heard faint sounds inside, like her mother talking with a strange man. Hua Lan paused, puzzled, and looked towards the room.

The doors and windows were closed, obscuring her view of how many people were inside. The voices weren’t loud, but Hua Lan caught snippets of words like “Xiao Yiran” and “Bai Yi,” which made her heart sink. She crouched low and crept towards the wall, listening quietly.

“Do you really know that wretch… that Bai Yi?” It was Aunt Xiao’s voice, tinged with doubt and resentment.

“Of course. We are from the same hometown,” a deep male voice replied. “Bai Yi seduced our young master, causing him to fall out with the master of the house. But after meeting the general, Bai Yi abandoned our young master, leaving him heartbroken and gravely ill. We came to the capital hoping to take Bai Yi back and cure our young master’s lovesickness. We didn’t expect that man to have a child with the general and receive a marriage decree from the emperor. We can’t take him directly, so we came to you for help. We heard your daughter was supposed to marry the general, but Bai Yi ruined it… It seems we share the same goal.”

“Hmph! If not for that wretch, my Lan’er would be the general’s wife by now…” Aunt Xiao’s voice came through gritted teeth. After a pause, she asked, “What do you plan to do? I won’t help you kill anyone!” Though Aunt Xiao hated Bai Yi, she still hesitated to commit murder, knowing it was against the law.

“This is unnecessary. We don’t intend to take Bai Yi’s life, but the child in his belly cannot remain,” replied the male voice from earlier. A softer, slightly alluring voice followed, “Here, take this. This medicine will cause the child to die in the womb, but it won’t take effect immediately. Just pretend to reconcile with him and deliver it under that pretense. Once he consumes it, he won’t be able to bear the child. At that point, the general will discard him, and we can take him away. Meanwhile, your daughter can take her rightful place.” As he spoke, the second man seemed to hand something to Aunt Xiao.

“Poisoning won’t work. That wretch knows medicine; I’ve tried it before, and he detected it. And now, with Yun Mo Zhi by his side, it’s bound to be discovered,” Aunt Xiao rejected the idea outright.

“You can rest assured,” the man responded. “This medicine is colorless and tasteless. Mix it into a decoction, and it will be completely undetectable. Even Yun Mo Zhi, that miracle doctor, won’t notice until the effects manifest!”

The men speaking with Aunt Xiao were Murong Yao and his trusted death warriors. The medicine he described was, in fact, a secret poison from the Yan Kingdom’s royal family. Though colorless and tasteless, it wasn’t a drug to induce fetal death but rather a deadly poison. While Yun Mo Zhi could create an antidote once the effects appeared, it would take three to five days to prepare. Meanwhile, other treatments could temporarily mitigate the poison. However, for a pregnant man close to labor, such a delay would be fatal. This poison would severely damage his vitality, leading to the death of the fetus and likely causing fatal hemorrhaging.

Murong Yao never intended to spare Bai Yi’s life. He only sought Aunt Xiao’s help because directly storming the general’s residence, though less fortified than the Marquis of An Kingdom’s estate, would still be too risky, especially in the main courtyard. Their plan was to have Aunt Xiao assist them in entering the main courtyard. Whether Bai Yi drank the poison or not, once they were close enough, dealing with a pregnant man would be easy. They were fully prepared to die in the attempt.

“Is it really as miraculous as you claim? Are you sure it won’t take effect immediately?” Aunt Xiao asked in a low voice. She was unwilling to risk Bai Yi collapsing immediately after consuming the medicine, which would implicate her directly.

“Do you think we would lie to you? If you doubt us, we can disguise ourselves as servants and accompany you. If something happens on the spot, you can place all the blame on us. How about that?” the softer, beguiling voice replied. They were eager for Aunt Xiao to bring them into the main courtyard. Once inside, their mission would be much easier. As for when the poison would take effect or how Aunt Xiao might extricate herself, they couldn’t care less.

Aunt Xiao seemed to hesitate, falling into a long silence. The others didn’t interrupt her thoughts. After some time, she finally spoke softly, “Fine. In that case, you will come with me. Prepare yourselves; we’ll leave shortly!”

Outside the room, Hua Lan’s heart was in turmoil. She couldn’t believe her mother would conspire with outsiders to harm Bai Yi and his child. Though she didn’t know who the men were, she had a gut feeling they weren’t as straightforward as they claimed. Determined to prevent her mother from making a mistake, Hua Lan prepared to sneak away and warn Xiao Yiran and Bai Yi in advance. However, as she rose to leave, she accidentally bumped into the doorframe, making a faint noise.

“Who’s there!” someone inside shouted. The door burst open, and Hua Lan had no time to escape. She was immediately grabbed. Before she could scream, a hand clamped around her throat, choking off her voice.

“Lan’er?! Let her go; she’s my daughter!” Aunt Xiao rushed out and pulled Hua Lan away from the man who had seized her. Hua Lan collapsed against her mother, coughing violently.

“She overheard us. She’s trying to warn them!” The softer voice spoke from behind them. Hua Lan turned to look and saw an ordinary-looking face—none other than Murong Yao, the exiled crown prince of Yan Kingdom, though she wouldn’t recognize him, especially with the human skin mask he wore.

“My daughter wouldn’t do that!” Aunt Xiao glared at them before turning to Hua Lan and speaking gently, “Lan’er, you came to see your mother? Mother is about to help settle things for you. Stay here in the courtyard and wait for good news. Soon, you’ll be the general’s wife.”

“Cough… Mother… please don’t do something wrong! I already have someone I love. I don’t want to marry Cousin!” Hua Lan’s hoarse voice pleaded, trembling with worry for her mother.

“Silly girl, stop spouting nonsense! Don’t defend that wretch. Just wait obediently here,” Aunt Xiao dismissed Hua Lan’s words and tried to drag her back into the house to lock her inside.

“Mother! I’m not lying—I really don’t love Cousin!” Hua Lan struggled, her voice breaking into soft sobs. “Mother, do you remember Father? I’ve always admired your love for him. My only wish growing up was to marry someone like Father. Now I’ve found him—why won’t you support me? Cousin isn’t the one I love!”

Hua Lan’s words struck a chord, and Aunt Xiao’s hand paused mid-motion. Hua Lan continued to press her case, “Mother, I’ve heard your story with Father so many times. Back then, Uncle and Second Uncle opposed your marriage because of Father’s humble background, but didn’t you defy them and insist on being with him? You gave up your status as a general’s daughter for Father. The days when we lived as a family of three were the happiest of my life. If you could do it for love, why are you forcing me to marry Cousin now? I’ve already found the one I love!”

Hua Lan’s constant references to the past began to shake Aunt Xiao’s resolve.

As it turned out, Aunt Xiao, whose maiden name was Xiao Fu, had once been the third daughter of the general’s residence. The Xiao family, with its illustrious lineage of military accomplishments, had vehemently opposed her marriage to Hua Shuan, a poor scholar. Despite his modest official post in a remote area, Xiao Fu had resolutely cast aside her prestigious title to marry him, unwilling to yield to her brothers’ objections.

After marrying the scholar Hua Shuan, Xiao's third young lady followed him to a distant region, where they lived a period of happy life. Though Hua Shuan was a poor scholar, he was ambitious and had some literary talent. Aside from his lacking family background, he was a good young man. Therefore, after some consideration, the two elder sons of the Xiao family decided to secretly assist Hua Shuan and find a suitable opportunity to transfer him back to Shengjing so they could better care for their sister.

However, things did not go as planned. At that time, the Yan Kingdom suddenly launched a war. As a military family, the Xiao family naturally had to send people to the battlefield. The eldest son of the Xiao family, who had been physically frail since childhood and thus untrained in martial arts, managed household affairs, while the second son, Xiao Jing, father of Xiao Yiran, led troops into battle. To ensure his brother had no distractions, the eldest son shouldered all the responsibilities of the Xiao household, leaving him with no time to assist Hua Shuan. Meanwhile, the fiery-tempered Xiao third young lady, no matter how challenging her situation, refused to turn to her family for help. Consequently, both sides lost contact for several years.

Later, the eldest son of the Xiao family passed away due to illness. When Xiao Yiran's mother, the former princess, took over managing the Xiao family, she remembered her sister-in-law, who had been wandering far from home. Upon inquiring, she discovered that Hua Shuan had long since passed away due to illness in a distant land, leaving the third young lady to raise her daughter, Hua Lan, alone under difficult circumstances. Shocked by this, the princess immediately sent word to the second son, Xiao Jing, and arranged for Xiao's third young lady to return to the Xiao family estate. It was only then, after enduring years of hardship, that Aunt Xiao returned to Shengjing.

As memories of those past days flashed like scenes from a painting through Aunt Xiao's mind—happiness mingled with bitterness—her heart was filled with a complicated mix of emotions.

Hua Lan, seeing that her mother was wavering, continued to plead emotionally, "Mother, haven't you always told me that you've never regretted marrying Father? Didn't you say the happiest days of your life were those spent with him? I want the same happiness! Family status and wealth mean nothing compared to love."

Aunt Xiao gazed at Hua Lan. Her timid daughter, who was usually shy and soft-spoken, now stood her ground and argued passionately. Aunt Xiao was overcome with emotion. Indeed, she had never regretted marrying Hua Shuan. However, she deeply regretted the years of suffering that she and her daughter endured. If even she, with her strong personality, found those years difficult, how could her delicate daughter bear such hardships? How could she feel at ease letting her daughter marry anyone other than someone she trusted? Xiao Yiran was her nephew, after all. With her daughter staying by her side, Aunt Xiao felt she could always protect her.

"Mother, though Young Master Qin may not be as prominent as my cousin..." Hua Lan was about to say that Qin Zhenli, though not as prestigious as Xiao Yiran, came from an official's family and was not lacking in status. She wouldn't suffer if she married him. Before she could finish, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and lost consciousness.

"Lan'er!" Aunt Xiao cried as she caught her daughter’s limp body. She turned furiously to Murong Yao and his men, who had struck Hua Lan. "What are you doing?"

"Madam, please rest assured. We merely let your daughter sleep for a while. If this drags on any further, it will be too late," Murong Yao said softly. They had already sent people to lure Xiao Yiran away. Any further delay could alert him and give him time to return, which would jeopardize their plan. "Your daughter will only sleep for a short time. Once our task is complete, everything will be fine." As he spoke, he gently took Hua Lan from Aunt Xiao's arms, tied her up, and laid her on the bed.

Aunt Xiao glanced at Hua Lan one last time and steeled her heart. "Lan'er, Mother only wants what’s best for you. Sleep well. I'll wake you up when I return."

With that, Aunt Xiao closed the curtains, shut the doors and windows, and followed Murong Yao out of the room.

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