The sachet caught fire, startling Tang Jing. He hurriedly, with anxiety, untied the sachet to put out the fire, but he was still a step too late. The sachet was reduced to ashes.
Tang Jing’s gentle demeanor suddenly turned ferocious as he glared at Yu Nianzhao, wishing he could devour her on the spot.
"Talisman?" A hint of unease crept into Princess Zhaohua’s heart.
Tang Jing took a deep breath, barely managing to explain, "It’s the talisman I requested from Qingyun Taoist Temple earlier. Have you forgotten, Princess? I also prepared one for you, wishing you peace and happiness."
Recalling the sweet past, Princess Zhaohua shyly smiled, "Yes, I remember."
"That wasn’t just any talisman. It was an Exorcism Talisman soaked in corpse oil, specifically to ward off vicious ghosts, along with special Isolation Talismans. You’re quite willing to spend lavishly on yourself indeed."
Yu Nianzhao mocked, "Well, if you didn’t spend a little, you’d be doomed. Just these two female ghosts could kill you." Newest update provıded by NoveIＦire.net
Princess Zhaohua was startled, her eyes darting around in panic, now overly sensitive to the word ’ghost’.
"Yu Nianzhao, why would you say such a thing? Since the Prince Consort and I married, he’s been working at the Hanlin Academy every day, going between there and the princess’s residence. How could he have committed murder!"
Princess Zhaohua had indeed witnessed Yu Nianzhao driving out a water ghost, but her heart clearly tilted more towards Tang Jing.
Tang Jing was also indignant, "I won’t admit to something I haven’t done. I know the Princess has opinions about me, but is there a need to target me ?"
Yu Nianzhao calmly said, "Tang Jing is not Xia Muyan’s father."
Princess Zhaohua solemnly replied, "Yes, everyone in Shangjing knows this. My previous Prince Consort died of illness. The current one entered the residence six years ago. He’s a cousin to Muyan’s biological father, resembling him in appearance. Logically, Muyan shouldn’t dislike him so much or target him."
"Of course, Xia Muyan would target him!"
Yu Nianzhao sneered, "She discovered Tang Jing’s secret!"
"Nonsense!" Tang Jing, seeing Yu Nianzhao’s eyes that seemed to see through everything, panicked and shouted angrily.
Princess Zhaohua gritted her teeth and asked, "What secret?"
"Do you think he truly wanted to marry the princess and become a Prince Consort? The Tang Family sent him to the princess’s residence seeking power. A man with a chauvinistic mindset, forced to play the role of a submissive husband, being stepped on, would have long been twisted inside. Not to mention, since you got married, you haven’t even given him a child."
Yu Nianzhao dropped a bombshell calmly, "Unwilling to be lonely and desiring offspring, he went outside to find women. Perhaps he intended to play around, but the girls he involved were pure and innocent. Having given themselves to him, they naturally wanted to follow him. To avoid exposure, he ruthlessly killed them."
Princess Zhaohua was greatly shaken. She stared at Tang Jing’s handsome face with hatred, demanding, "Is it true what she said?"
Tang Jing’s face turned ugly as he retorted, "No, Princess, you know my feelings for you. How could I do something that would betray you?"
"Xia Muyan was probably the first to notice this. Afraid of hurting you, while in a dilemma, she discovered Tang Jing’s murderous secret. It was then that the two female ghosts attached themselves to Xia Muyan."
Yu Nianzhao handed her a porcelain bottle, "This is ox tears. Apply it to your eyelids, and it will open the Heavenly Eye for you temporarily."
Princess Zhaohua hesitated for a moment but then gritted her teeth and accepted it. Not only did she apply it to herself, but she also insisted on applying it to Tang Jing.
Yu Nianzhao flicked her finger, causing the two female ghosts to fly out of Xia Muyan’s body.
The two tattered female ghosts, upon emerging, stared resentfully at Tang Jing, wishing to peel his skin and break his bones.
"Tang Jing, you are so ruthless. It’s you who caused our deaths!"
"Wuwuwu... Even if you didn’t want us, why did you strike us down? You don’t deserve to be human."
The grievances of the female ghosts rushed towards him. Seeing the two female ghosts he had personally killed, Tang Jing’s legs went weak, and he fell to the ground, clasping his eyes shut and shouting frantically, "I didn’t mean to. Don’t come after me! Go away, go away!"
Hearing his panicked words, Princess Zhaohua staggered, incredulous, "Prince Consort, did you really kill them? Did you really commit adultery with them?"
Her voice was sharp, and anger burst from her eyes.
"Mother, he really did kill them."
Xia Muyan, recovering, clutched her collar and spoke with red eyes, "That time, I was out traveling. On the way back, I accidentally witnessed him walking with a woman into an alley. I quietly followed and saw them intimately entering a house. By sunset, he returned to the princess’s residence as if nothing had happened. After that, I was vigilant and discovered he had other women outside. They were just two of them, but he cruelly killed them."
"Princess, they deliberately seduced me, you must save me!"
Seeing his deeds exposed, Tang Jing hurriedly knelt, crawling at Princess Zhaohua’s feet, pleading upwards, "Princess, I was merely lured by the desire for offspring. My heart belongs to you; otherwise, I wouldn’t have harmed them. I realize my mistakes now, Princess. I don’t want to die."
Looking at that familiar yet now strange face, Princess Zhaohua’s gaze was torn with hesitation. She sighed deeply, gently caressing his cheek, "Do you know why I chose you?"
Tang Jing’s eyes flickered, suppressing his voice, "Because I resemble your cousin."
"Yes, the love between me and Muyan’s biological father was deep. Had he lived, people like you wouldn’t have had a chance to catch my eye. But fate took him away, while you just happened to have a face like his."
Her long nails grazed his cheek, her gaze growing colder, "You should be grateful; your youthful face is one I loved seeing most during my intimate times with him."
"Princess..." Tang Jing cowered beside her, not daring to resist at all.
"Mother, even if he resembles my father, he’s betrayed you and caused so many deaths. How can you be sure he won’t harm you next? Do you still want to keep him?"
As expected of mother and daughter, just hearing it, Xia Muyan knew Princess Zhaohua intended not to pursue it further.