"You..." Feng Dongzhi’s face flushed with anger, choking up and unable to speak. When she looked towards Feng Xuxu, she found her watching from the sidelines with indifference, which immediately shifted her target of wrath towards Feng Xuxu.

"It’s all because of you, Feng Xuxu, why did you have to appear here?" Feng Dongzhi’s expression was a mess of confusion, recalling how she had followed her father away from their hometown. For a mere few taels of silver, her father had sold her into the Prince Residence to become the lowest of maids. Had it not been for her cleverness in taking advantage of the prince’s drunkenness, climbing onto his bed, she might still be a foot-washing maid.

Why, just as her fortunes were changing, did Feng Xuxu appear? Memories surged within Feng Dongzhi filling her eyes with helplessness, grievance, and hatred. Every misfortune that befell her seemed to be because of the person before her. Anger filled her brain, and hatred rose in her heart. She quickly pulled the hairpin from her head, as if possessed, and thrust it towards Feng Xuxu.

Just as she felt relieved from her previous smugness, Xiaocui suddenly remembered her mission. When she looked at Feng Xuxu and saw her not speculating too much, Xiaocui’s heart finally settled. But when she turned her head, she saw Feng Dongzhi with a dazed look in her eyes, and in the blink of an eye, she lunged forward.

In a moment of urgency, Xiaocui stretched out her left foot, tripping Feng Dongzhi, who fell toward the flowerbed. Her head struck the edge of the flowerbed, and blood flowed down her forehead unto her face. Feng Dongzhi only saw stars before her eyes, and as she came to and felt something wet on her face, she let out a piercing shriek, before her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

"Madam! Madam!" Xiaoguo and Xiaoshi came to their senses, crawled over, and shook the madam, checking for breath and finding out she had fainted, not died, they collapsed on the ground as if all strength had been drained from their bodies.

Xiaocui snorted coldly upon seeing this, looked away with disdain, and turned to Feng Xuxu, "Miss Feng, the changing room is up ahead; let’s go there now."

Frowning at the blood-covered face of Feng Dongzhi on the ground, she sighed to herself. In the past, Feng Youcai and Jia Tao doted on Feng Dongzhi so much but, in the end, they could not withstand the temptation of a mere few taels of silver.

Zongzheng Tinglan, seeing Feng Dongzhi covered in blood, trembled all over, her complexion turned pale, and her deer-like eyes dared not look at the person on the ground anymore. Her small hand tightly grasped Feng Xuxu’s, seeking a safe haven.

Feng Xuxu covered Tinglan’s head and followed Xiaocui to change her skirt. After taking several steps, she looked back, and from a distance, she saw two maids tremblingly helping Feng Dongzhi to their feet, slowly walking back to the inner courtyard.

Xiaocui led Feng Xuxu and Tinglan to a secluded courtyard with no one around. Feng Xuxu, a bit puzzled, asked Xiaocui ahead, "Where are the people from this courtyard?"

"Miss Feng, today is Prince Dugu Mo’s grand wedding, so all hands have been shifted to the front courtyard to help out."

"Hmm."

Upon opening the door, the three of them entered the room.

"Miss Feng, the gown is in the bedroom. Please come with me!" At this moment, Xiaocui finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Feng Xuxu slightly narrowed her eyes, smiling faintly, and glanced back at Tinglan, her grip on Tinglan’s hand tightening a bit more.

"Alright, we need to hurry, or else we might miss Prince Dugu Mo’s grand wedding, and that wouldn’t be good."

Just as Feng Xuxu and Tinglan entered the room, two figures emerged from behind and swiftly knocked both of them out.

"Very good, once you’ve changed her clothes, send her to the secret chamber," one of them said, pointing at Feng Xuxu on the ground.

"And this one?" Noticing there was another on the ground, he frowned, uncertain whether also to send her to the secret chamber. "Don’t worry about her, tie her up later and throw her out of the residence."

"Understood, Xiaocui gets it."

After the two men in black finished speaking, they drifted away as if to report back to their master.

Xiaocui saw both individuals collapsed on the ground, scoffed, and gave each a kick before leaving the room to look for rope.

Feng Xuxu on the ground opened her clear eyes, stood up, and saw that apart from being knocked out, Tinglan was otherwise fine.

"Wan Hun, you’re in charge of Tinglan’s safety later; don’t worry about me. I must see what Dugu Mo is truly up to," her normally gentle eyes now tinged with frost.

"Holy Maiden, I’m your Hidden Guard," Wan Hun disagreed, as those two had said they would not do anything to Zongzheng Tinglan but had targeted the Holy Maiden. This concern was what made Wan Hun uneasy.

"I am your master, and you will do as I say." Seeing Xiaocui coming back with rope through the window, without time to give more instructions, she merely glared at Wan Hun.

Wan Hun nodded at the Holy Maiden and then swiftly disappeared into a hiding spot.

Xiaocui entered the room, skillfully tied Tinglan up, and then rose to approach Feng Xuxu. Lifting her hands, the seemingly frail Xiaocui was actually trained, and without seeming to exert much effort, she carried Feng Xuxu towards the inner chamber’s bed to change her into a seductively revealing and fiery red bridal gown. Taking advantage of the absence of others, she lifted her up, moved behind the bed, pressed a small knob, and through a secret passage, carried her to another courtyard, reaching a faux rockery that led to the "secret bridal chamber" that Prince Dugu Mo had covertly arranged.