Jia Huan pressed on Bao Lan's shoulders, tying her to the bench.
Nan Shiying walked to Hui An's side, grabbed her hair, and pulled back forcefully, dragging her like a dead dog to Bao Lan's front.
"Let go of my princess, you wicked poison woman! You ordered your maid to kill..."
Jia Huan flipped his wrist, and the flat of the blade struck Bao Lan's chin hard, dislocating it effortlessly. Her angry voice turned into a pained whimper.
"Nan Shiying!"
Hui An's eyes were about to split open. She struggled to turn her head, her shouts seeming to flow with bloodied hatred.
Nan Shiying's slightly upturned lips curved into a wicked cold smile. She squatted down, her bright red lips approaching Hui An's ear. The hot breath she exhaled on Hui An's face felt like knives wrapped in flames: "Don't rush, the real show is yet to come!"
As she spoke, she pressed down hard, forcing Hui An's gaze onto Bao Lan.
"Jia Huan, begin!"
"Yes!"
Jia Huan took the order, setting down the knife in his hand and taking the plank from the guard.
He swung his arm in a wide arc, the plank moving so fast it almost left afterimages. With a whistling sound through the air, the plank landed heavily on Bao Lan.
"Your Highness, my guard here is quite skilled. This plank is struck hard and fast. A few blows will leave her skin torn and flesh bleeding. Tell me, how many blows can your maid endure? Ten, or twenty?"
"Nan Shiying, do you think you can do whatever you want just because Ji Jinmo is with you? If you know what's good for you, release my maid immediately. Otherwise, even if I have to stain Lin Yuan with my blood, I will make you pay, Nan Shiying!" Hui An's piercing voice was filled with seething resentment. Nan Shiying merely sneered at the princess's threat.
"Continue the beating!"
The sounds of the plank echoed through the courtyard. Bao Lan, whose jaw was dislocated and could only whimper, stared at Yu Qinglan with bloodshot eyes, as if trying to say something!
"Nan Shiying!!!"
Hui An roared in anger, struggling to break free from Nan Shiying's grip.
Nan Shiying's brow furrowed slightly, and she sighed faintly, "Why must Princess do this? Isn't it better to just watch obediently? Must you suffer?"
As she spoke, she gave a look to Lu Wan. Lu Wan, understanding, stepped forward and pressed down on Hui An's shoulders. Nan Shiying slowly stood up, then slowly raised her foot and stomped hard on Yu Qinglan's leg.
"Ah~~"
A tragic scream instantly tore through the sky.
Nan Shiying's foot was on the back of Yu Qinglan's knee, her toes pressing down and grinding. Yu Qinglan felt as if her kneecap was about to be crushed into the ground. But beneath her was not soft earth, but a stone floor. The force of the grinding combined with the ground's resistance created a terrifying "crunching" sound that made one's scalp tingle.
She even felt her bones being slowly crushed.
Yu Qinglan's screams did not make Nan Shiying stop. Her slightly smiling face even showed a look of what seemed like satisfaction or enjoyment. Her slightly reddened lower eyelids seemed to shimmer with a bewitching light as she smiled. The deepest and purest evil radiating from her caused the servants of the prince's manor to lower their heads in fear.
Bao Lan, unable to speak, let out roars like a trapped beast. Her violent struggles did not free her from the bonds of the ropes; instead, they deepened the marks.
With one foot on Yu Qinglan's leg, Nan Shiying bent down, her face peering down from directly above Yu Qinglan. This downward angle made her lips curl upwards even more: "This maid of yours is truly loyal. How about this, if you are willing to beg for mercy, I will release her. What do you say?"
Yu Qinglan suddenly looked up. Nan Shiying's face, shrouded in shadow, held an indescribable terror. Her pupils trembled, her pale lips moved slightly, and then she suddenly opened her mouth and spat.
Nan Shiying dodged in time. The spit did not land on her face but drew an arc in the air before falling onto Yu Qinglan's own clothes.
Nan Shiying glanced at Yu Qinglan and suddenly burst into laughter. Amidst the wild laughter, she gave the final order: "Jia Huan, beat her to death!"
"Yes!"
"Nan Shiying, how dare you!!!!"
Following Yu Qinglan's roar, the plank fell onto Bao Lan's head!
Bao Lan's head split open with a "crack" like a watermelon. Blood mixed with white brain matter flowed down the back of her head. Bao Lan's eyes, which were looking at Yu Qinglan, slowly lost their luster.
The personal maid of the Grand Li princess was thus beaten to death.
"Bao Lan, Bao Lan!!!"
A cry like a cuckoo weeping blood echoed throughout the prince's manor. The piercing screams, sharp enough to pierce eardrums, struck everyone's hearts. Wei Rulan, standing behind the rockery outside the pavilion, watched from a distance, a chill of disgust rising in her heart.
This Nan Shiying was truly too cruel!
"Guards, escort the princess back to Linlang Yuan. To protect the princess's safety, from now on, seal off the entire Linlang Yuan. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my permission!"
"We obey!"
Hui An was "protected" by the prince's manor guards. Lu Wan picked up Bao Lan's corpse, had a hole made in the lake, and then threw the body into it.
...
"We want to enter the palace to see His Majesty! We want to enter the palace to see His Majesty!!!"
Linlang Yuan was sealed, and the princess was escorted back. Only then did the envoys from Grand Li realize, belatedly, that they had been imprisoned by the people of the prince's manor.
Every day, they clamored in their rooms to enter the palace and see the emperor.
The servants and guards of the prince's manor simply pretended not to hear, delivering food daily but otherwise ignoring them.
...
"Scram! All of you get out!"
Hui An's curses could be heard from the room again. The maids retreated, only able to guard outside the room and obey orders.
Inside the room, Yu Qinglan leaned against a chair, lifted her skirt, revealing a smooth, flawless slender leg. The only imperfection was a large patch of bruising at the knee.
"So ruthless!"
Yu Qinglan poured ointment into her hand, warmed it with her palm, and applied it to the bruise. After the ointment was absorbed, she moved her hand away and lowered her skirt.
Bao Lan had always slept on the bed in the outer room. After her death, the bed remained as it was.
She got up and walked to the bedside, picking up the pillow Bao Lan had brought from Grand Li. She had said before that she would suffer from insomnia without this pillow. Now, resting eternally, the pillow was of no use.
Yu Qinglan got up and threw the pillow on the ground.