“Aah… !!!” Tantai Jianjia finally let out a shrill, ear-splitting scream. “I’m going to kill you!”
“I’ll… how dare you, you vile bitch!”
She struggled to get back up from the floor, her fat body trembling violently with rage, while her eyes blazed with vicious hatred.
Yun Che’s gaze turned cold.
The moment Tantai Jianjia managed to prop herself up halfway, he kicked her swollen belly with pinpoint accuracy.
“Ugh!” Tantai Jianjia groaned and crashed heavily to the ground again.
This time Yun Che did not stop. He stepped forward and stamped directly on the hand Tantai Jianjia was trying to use for support.
He did not crush it with brute force; instead, he applied just enough pressure to make the short, thick fingers creak beneath his shoe.
“Aah… ! My hand! My hand!” Tantai Jianjia screamed like a pig being slaughtered. “You useless lot!
What are you standing there for?!
Get her! Beat her to death!”
She roared at the female officials and maidservants behind her.
Several maids exchanged looks and hesitated before stepping forward. After all, they did not dare disobey the 4th Princess’s orders, and what the 9th Princess had done today was indeed shocking.
However, the moment they moved, a voice rang out.
“Who dares move?”
Yun Che suddenly turned around, his sharp eyes sweeping like lightning over the female officials and maidservants.
Those eyes, belonging to Mingyue yet now sharp as blades, made everyone shudder.
“Our fight is a private matter of the imperial family,” Yun Che said coldly, each word striking clearly into everyone’s heart. “If you dare interfere, are you tired of living?”
The air inside the bedchamber suddenly froze.
The female officials stood rooted to the spot, their faces turning deathly pale.
They understood the hidden meaning behind those words. When princesses fought, even if the commotion was terrible, the worst punishment was at most confinement.
But if servants dared lay a hand on a princess, that would be a crime that destroyed their entire clan!
A princess and a servant were worlds apart in status.
In this deep palace, that line had always been cruelly clear.
An older female official was the first to react and hurriedly said, “This servant would never dare!”
The other serving maids and eunuchs kept their heads down and did not dare breathe. A few of the more timid ones were even so weak-kneed they could barely stand.
Tantai Jianjia widened her eyes. Seeing that none of her trusted attendants dared move, she was so furious she nearly vomited blood. “You… you useless things!
Once I get back, I’ll make you all pay!”
“Say that after you make it back.”
Yun Che looked down at the person beneath his feet again. He slightly increased the pressure of his foot, listening to yet another scream from Tantai Jianjia.
“You… you actually dare…” The fat and ugly princess was frightened out of her wits and roared incoherently, genuine fear finally rising in her eyes.
This ninth sister… if she said one more word, it really felt like she would kill her!
She could feel the icy killing intent coming from the foot that stood on her hand. That was not empty bluster; it was the aura of someone who had truly seen blood!
Tantai Jianjia endured the searing pain and hurriedly cried out for mercy, “I was wrong, 9th sister, don’t kill me!
“I was wrong, please spare me!”
Yun Che slowly withdrew his foot and looked again at the 4th Princess, who was collapsed on the ground and streaming with tears and snot.
Sunlight filtered through the window lattice and fell on Tantai Jianjia’s miserable face. The symmetrical slap marks were clearly visible, her makeup had been washed streaky by tears, and snot smeared across her face, making the twisted expression of fear utterly unbearable to look at.
“Tantai Jianjia, I’ll teach you one thing today,” Yun Che said calmly. “Those who humiliate others will always be humiliated in return.”
Yun Che enunciated each word. “I am not killing you today not because I do not dare, but because you are not worthy of dirtying my hands.”
He withdrew his foot, stepped back two paces, and looked again at the 4th Princess, who was limp on the floor and streaming with tears and snot.
“Get out,” Yun Che said flatly, his voice giving no hint of joy or anger. “If word of today’s events gets out, you’ll be the one losing face. After all… does it sound good to say that you were beaten like this by your younger sister?”
He paused before adding, “Or do you want the entire imperial palace to know the sight of you begging beneath someone’s feet?”
Tantai Jianjia trembled all over, her eyes filled with a complicated mix of fear and hatred.
She opened her mouth, wanting to spit out some harsh words, but when she met Tantai Mingyue’s icy eyes, all of them died in her throat.
Those eyes… were too terrifying.
That was not the Tantai Mingyue she used to know.
Those eyes were deep and cold, as if they concealed boundless darkness, and at the same time like a lofty deity looking down on ants.
Just one glance sent a chill surging up Tantai Jianjia’s spine and straight to the top of her head.
“I… I…” She was incoherent, scrambling backward on hands and feet.
“You lot.” Yun Che no longer looked at her and turned to the stunned maidservants beside him. “Take the 4th Princess back.”
The female official snapped back to her senses and hurriedly nodded. “Yes… this servant understands!”
She helped support the nearly limp Tantai Jianjia, and this time the 4th Princess did not struggle, not even daring to look back at “Mingyue” again.
The remaining maids brought by Tantai Jianjia kept their heads down and hurried after her, afraid that even a single step too slow would bring disaster upon them.
The door slowly closed.
The bedchamber fell into dead silence.
Candlelight flickered inside the bedchamber, illuminating Tantai Mingyue’s still youthful yet already resolute face.
Qingyi carefully looked at the princess, who was completely different from before, hesitated several times, and finally could not help but speak in a low voice:
“Princess… why have you changed so much today…
This servant has never seen you like this before.”
She paused, her cheeks reddening slightly, and lowered her voice even more. “But you looked kind of cool when you beat up the 4th Princess.”
Yun Che answered through Mingyue’s mouth, “I finally understood something recently. Blind tolerance only makes bullies more and more excessive.
Some people, when you retreat one step, advance ten.
So when dealing with this kind of person… you have to make her feel fear.”
Qingyi’s eyes widened slightly. Looking at the princess who seemed to have grown up overnight, her eyes reddened again. “Princess, you’ve suffered these years…
If only Mother were still here…”
“Qingyi.” Yun Che gently pressed her hand. “Mother is gone, but I still have you.
Thank you for staying by my side all these years.”
Qingyi’s tears finally fell. “This is what this servant should do…”
After a few more words, Qingyi saw that it was already late at night and respectfully bowed. “Princess, rest early. This servant takes her leave.”