Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Execution of the Witch
Tao Ming listened as the commotion outside gradually died down, letting out a sigh of relief. She glanced at the Seventh Prince, who remained calm and unruffled, and thought to herself that she truly lacked composure—comparing herself to him, she felt utterly inadequate.
The Seventh Prince caught her expression and said quietly, “After a few more encounters like this, you’ll get used to it.”
Get used to it? Absolutely not!
The Wei River is far too dangerous. I want to go back to Earth!
Soon, a guard reported from outside, “Your Highness, we have slain one villain. The woman and the girl have been subdued. Would you care to interrogate them?”
Hearing that someone had died, Tao Ming’s face showed a trace of sorrow. The Seventh Prince noticed and asked, “Would you like to know the reason?”
Tao Ming shook her head, then nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “That little girl…”
A mother’s heart cannot bear such things.
The Seventh Prince snorted coldly, “Sentimental nonsense! They came to kill the Saintess, yet you pity them!”
Tao Ming retorted indignantly, “Why not come to kill you instead?”
The Seventh Prince set a glass of water before her. “How could anyone bear to harm a handsome man like me?”
Tao Ming wanted nothing more than to throw the glass in his face.
Turning to the guards outside, the Seventh Prince commanded, “Bring them in.”
He motioned to Tao Ming, “If you don’t believe me, go ask. They were definitely not here for me.”
Soon, a guard announced, “Your Highness, they have arrived.”
Tao Ming told the two little ones to stay inside the carriage and, following the Seventh Prince, walked to the door.
He glanced at Tao Ming and said, “Cover your face.”
Tao Ming searched for a mask but found none, so she took out a white pair of leggings, folded the legs together, and covered her face with them.
The Seventh Prince immediately burst into laughter. Tao Ming shot him a glare; he turned away, trying to stifle his amusement, but his shaking shoulders betrayed him.
Tao Ming, both embarrassed and annoyed, urged, “Just get on with it.”
The Seventh Prince cleared his throat, signaled Tao Ming to stand aside, then opened the carriage door and looked down at the woman and the girl.
Standing behind him, Tao Ming was blocked from view, so she bent down to look over his shoulder.
The woman before her had disheveled hair, her face smeared with dirt and blood, a soft cloth stuffed in her mouth, still struggling, muffled and distressed.
The girl was slightly older than Ruan Ruan, equally filthy, with a cloth in her mouth, standing quietly beside the woman.
The Seventh Prince surveyed them and ordered, “Let the woman speak.”
A guard stepped forward and removed the cloth from the woman’s mouth.
She immediately cursed, “Heaven has no eyes! If only I were stronger, I would have slain the witch!”
Tao Ming frowned at her words. Witch? Was she referring to Ruan Ruan?
The Seventh Prince tilted his head slightly but did not turn around, his voice icy. “The Saintess is a blessing to the Wei River, yet you dare to assassinate her. Your crime is beyond forgiveness!”
The woman laughed wildly, “Hahaha…”
The Seventh Prince thundered, “Madwoman, who sent you?”
Her laughter abruptly ceased as she replied bitterly, “Slaying the witch is justice! We came of our own accord, no one sent us!”
Hearing her beloved Ruan Ruan called a witch, and the woman claiming to act in the name of justice, Tao Ming’s blood boiled. Unable to contain herself, she spoke up, “If you hate the Saintess so much, what evil has she done?”
The woman was momentarily stunned, then answered, “The witch aids the wicked…”
Tao Ming cut her off, “The Saintess has only just arrived at the Wei River. How could she aid anyone?”
The woman snorted, “Witches and warlocks of past generations all helped the royal family oppress the people. Poor Wei River folk, who toil daily yet still go hungry…”
Tao Ming interrupted again, “There hasn't been a Saintess or Saint for a thousand years. Have the people’s lives improved?”
The woman replied angrily, “The lives of the Wei River people are still miserable, never any improvement!”
Tao Ming raised her voice, “If that's so, what does it have to do with the Saintess? You should seek those truly responsible for your suffering!”
The Seventh Prince spoke, “Take them away and deal with them. Let no one speak of today’s events, or face execution without mercy!”
The guards complied, gagging the woman and escorting her and the girl away.
The Seventh Prince turned to Tao Ming, who straightened and met his gaze.
His expression flickered, the darkness of his pupils reflecting Tao Ming’s veiled face. Both were silent.
Inside the carriage, the two little ones had heard everything. Seeing Tao Ming and the Seventh Prince facing each other in silence, they rushed to her side, each grabbing a hand and pulling her back inside.
Tao Ming, dragged into the carriage, remembered her earlier outburst. She quickly removed the leggings from her face, crouched down, and soothed them, “Mama is fine. Don’t be afraid.”
Nuo Nuo leaned in and whispered, “Mama, he just had the urge to kill.”
Tao Ming’s heart tightened. She gently replied, “I know.”
Ruan Ruan clung to Tao Ming’s arm and whimpered, “Mama, I’m a little sleepy.”
Tao Ming exhaled and looked at the Seventh Prince, “Your Highness, where shall we sleep?”
He had regained his composure, and with a casual gesture, pointed, “First room on the right.”
Tao Ming nodded and led the two little ones into the bedroom.
The room was about ten square meters, its floor covered with a thick carpet. The wooden walls were painted with landscape scenes—trees and flowers, ponds and fish.
Against the wall opposite the door was a thick mat resembling a tatami, topped with a pale yellow sheet, spotless and unadorned.
There was no wardrobe. Tao Ming, unwilling to engage further with the Seventh Prince, took pillows and a summer quilt from her spatial pouch. The three lay together on the mat.
Tao Ming lay in the middle, with Ruan Ruan and Nuo Nuo nestled closely on either side.
Nuo Nuo raised her little face and whispered, “Mama, just now he wanted to kill.”
Ruan Ruan echoed, “I also sensed something was off.”
Tao Ming patted both of them gently, comforting them, “From now on, you must stay close to Mama. If there’s danger, we’ll hide together.”
The two little ones responded in unison, “We’ll be good.”
Perhaps they truly were exhausted, for they soon drifted to sleep.
Tao Ming, wide awake, thought about the day’s assassination attempt and the woman’s words about the “witch,” her heart heavy and anxious.
How many in the Wei River saw Ruan Ruan in this way?
What would Ruan Ruan face in the future?
And the Seventh Prince, who might seize any chance to kill her.
...
The Seventh Prince sat in the carriage, idly turning a teacup in his hands, his mind in turmoil over Tao Ming’s utter lack of reverence for the royal family.
Before departure, his father’s last words echoed in his ears, “If the opportunity arises, eliminate the Saintess’s mother.”
If word of today’s events reached his father, Tao Ming’s death would be certain.
Should he help conceal the matter for her?
Could Tao Ming help him fulfill his deepest hidden desire?
He had endured for so many years, and who knew how much longer he would have to keep enduring?
Yet the matter was fraught with peril, the chance of success slim.
Perhaps it was best to wait and see.
Lost in thought, he heard Long Linyi’s voice from outside, “Your Highness, I have returned to report.”