Madam Shen’s birthday was coming up, so Shen Tang had arranged to go shopping with Wang Xi that day, hoping to find a suitable gift.
Wang Xi was the daughter of a cavalry general and had spent her childhood with her father on the frontier.
She was boisterous and rough in her manner, with little of a woman’s grace, and her reputation in the capital was not very good.
They had met by chance at a gathering once and, finding they shared many interests, had quickly become friends.
As a result, the two of them had been dubbed the capital’s two great “talented” women—except that the “talent” in question was the “talent” in “idiot.”
They had arranged to meet at Linlang Pavilion.
Linlang Pavilion was the capital’s foremost jewelry shop. It offered a wide variety of jewelry, all finely made and beautifully designed, making it the first choice of the capital’s noble young ladies.
Wang Xi was not very interested in jewelry or rouge and the like, but a dagger caught her eye. It was small and its blade was sharp, making it a fine choice for self-defense.
Seeing how engrossed Wang Xi was, Shen Tang lowered her head and began browsing in earnest too.
At a glance, she fell for a crabapple-blossom hairpin and picked it up to examine it closely.
The flower was made from fine silk thread, its colors bright and vivid.
The tassel had been fashioned from gold, with three pearls dangling at its end. They were lustrous and full, glowing with a soft sheen.
The more Shen Tang looked at it, the more she liked it. She asked the shop assistant beside her, “How much is this one?”
The assistant hurried to answer warmly, “Miss, you have excellent taste. This hairpin was designed by our shopkeeper himself. It’s only one hundred and fifty taels of silver.”
Shen Tang drew a sharp breath. The noble young ladies of the capital really were easy to make money from.
For such a tiny hairpin to cost over a hundred taels of silver! That much would cover a whole ordinary family’s expenses for a year.
Shen Tang had not brought enough money with her that day. With her purse too light, she sighed and reluctantly set the hairpin down.
She was just about to look at something else when a familiar voice came from the doorway.
“If you can’t afford anything, don’t come in to browse. Linlang Pavilion must be in decline if it lets every Tom, Dick, and Harry wander in.” The newcomer’s manner was arrogant, her tone dripping with contempt.
Shen Tang looked up. It was Chen Ying.
She had never got along with Chen Ying. At a gathering once, Chen Ying had lost a bet to her and been humiliated among the capital’s noble young ladies.
Ever since, Chen Ying had held a grudge and took every opportunity to target her with sarcastic remarks.
She had not expected to run into her while out shopping today. What rotten luck.
Shen Tang did not want to let Chen Ying spoil her mood, so she turned away and continued looking at the jewelry.
When Chen Ying saw that Shen Tang was ignoring her, her brows knitted together. Her words grew even nastier. “Shen Tang, I’m talking to you, Miss. Are you deaf?”
Shen Tang turned back with a weary look. “Is something the matter, Miss Chen?”
“I said, if you can’t afford anything, don’t come browsing. Do you think Linlang Pavilion is a street market?”
Shen Tang answered without expression, “But I don’t recall Linlang Pavilion having a rule that people can’t browse unless they buy something. Don’t you think you’re overstepping, Miss Chen?”
“What, is Linlang Pavilion yours?”
Of course it wasn’t. Chen Ying was briefly at a loss for words, but unwilling to back down, she said pointedly, “I only wanted to remind Miss Shen that a person should know her place.”
“Some things you can’t afford, so you shouldn’t touch them. And some people are out of your reach, so you shouldn’t set your sights on them. Don’t you agree, Miss Shen?”
Shen Tang might not have been very bright when it came to her studies, but she could tell Chen Ying was indirectly accusing her of shamelessly clinging to Meng Huaiyan.
Shen Tang had heard these same tired remarks so often that she was sick of them. They were nothing but stale clichés and had no effect on her at all. “Miss Chen, this is my business. You needn’t trouble yourself over it.”
Chen Ying felt as if she had punched a pillow, and it left her fuming. “Madam Shen used her seductive wiles to climb into the Duke’s Residence, and now you’re following her example.”
“What? Is that what the Shen family teaches—that a girl should marry into a powerful household and curry favor with the influential?”
Shen Tang had not expected Chen Ying to drag Madam Shen into it. She did not care what people said about her.
But she would never allow anyone to insult Madam Shen so brazenly.
Shen Tang’s expression darkened, her voice turning cold. “What did you say? Say that again, if you dare!”
Seeing that she had struck a nerve with Shen Tang, Chen Ying secretly rejoiced and retorted without backing down, “Why shouldn’t I say it again? I said Madam Shen used her seductive wiles—”
Smack!
Before Chen Ying could finish, a sharp crack rang out, and a slap landed hard across her face.
The blow came so suddenly that Chen Ying did not react at first. She stood there, stunned.
Her maid was just as shocked. After a moment, she hurried over to support Chen Ying and asked anxiously, “Miss! Are you all right?”
Only then did Chen Ying come to her senses. She shoved the maid away and glared at Shen Tang, her face full of fury and disbelief. “You—you actually dared to hit me!”
No one had ever dared slap her before. Chen Ying was livid.
She raised her hand to slap Shen Tang back, but Wang Xi, having hurried over when she heard the commotion, grabbed her wrist in a tight grip.
That only made Chen Ying angrier. She struggled with all her might, but for a moment she could not break free.
How could this woman be so strong? Just like Shen Tang—both of them uncivilized barbarians!
Seeing that Chen Ying was restrained, Shen Tang shook out her still-tingling hand and slowly stepped closer, fixing her with a steely gaze. “Why wouldn’t I dare?”
Shen Tang’s eyes were so cold that Chen Ying felt a shiver crawl over her scalp. She was inexplicably afraid, but still threatened her. “Your father is nothing but a petty official. My father is a fourth-rank official.”
“You dared to hit me today. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my father to file a formal accusation against yours?”
Throwing her weight around was something anyone could do.
Shen Tang lifted her chin and put her hands on her hips, looking every inch the imperious one. “It’s true that my father isn’t very highly ranked. But if I remember correctly, my uncle is a third-rank official.”
“By rank, my uncle is a level above your father.”
“You insulted his wife in public. At the very least, that means you have no regard for my uncle. At worst, it means you have no regard for the entire Meng family.”
“Tell me: if the Meng family hears what happened today, will it be your father who refuses to let me off—or the entire Meng family that refuses to let your father off?”
Shen Tang spoke calmly, but the threat in her words was unmistakable.
At her words, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over Chen Ying’s head, clearing some of the rage from her mind. She had been so carried away by her anger that she had forgotten the Meng family stood behind Shen Tang.
The Meng family’s power was at its height, and more than half the court owed their allegiance to them, following their lead.
It was not just that she herself could not afford to offend the Meng family—even her father would have to bow and scrape before them.
And today, over a moment’s anger, she had openly offended them.
Chen Ying knew she had caused trouble and was afraid, but the thought of bowing her head to Shen Tang…she simply could not swallow her pride.
A lowborn country bumpkin who had gotten lucky and climbed into the Meng family had no business acting superior to her!
Seeing that Chen Ying was afraid, Shen Tang said coldly, “Apologize to my aunt!”
Wang Xi tightened her grip on Chen Ying’s arm, a gesture that was both threat and warning. “Apologize.”
The pressure made Chen Ying’s arm ache dully, twisting her face with pain. She had never been treated like this in her life!
Humiliation, anger, resentment—every kind of emotion surged through her. She wanted nothing more than to tear the two of them limb from limb.
But remembering the Meng family, she hesitated. She tried several times to force out the words “I’m sorry,” but they would not come.
The tension grew unbearable. Then someone in the crowd called out, “Heir Meng!”
Shen Tang turned around, and Wang Xi instinctively loosened her grip.
Chen Ying seized the chance to wrench herself free, then hurriedly straightened her clothes and appearance.
She immediately put on an air of graceful gentleness for Meng Huaiyan and greeted him in a soft, lilting voice. “Heir Meng.”
Wow. Impressive!
Shen Tang and Wang Xi exchanged a knowing look, both marveling at Chen Ying’s acting skills.
If the situation had been different, Shen Tang would have applauded. When it came to changing faces, Chen Ying would have to be unmatched.
Meng Huaiyan inclined his head to Chen Ying in acknowledgment, then asked mildly, “What happened?”
But he was looking at Shen Tang as he asked.
She was about to answer when Chen Ying hurriedly cut in, afraid Shen Tang might say something that would put her in a bad light. She gave an awkward laugh. “Heir Meng, it was nothing more than a little squabble between young ladies. Nothing serious.”
As she spoke, she shot Shen Tang a pointed, warning look.
“…” Shen Tang was at a loss. Wasn’t Chen Ying so bold just a moment ago? Now she knew how to be afraid.
“Oh? Is that so?” Meng Huaiyan asked softly, turning a questioning gaze on Chen Ying.
Meng Huaiyan’s gaze was calm as still water. He was not angry, but the authority of his position weighed on her.
For all her arrogance, Chen Ying was still a sheltered young lady. She could hardly withstand such questioning.
She struggled to maintain her smile, but could not simply refuse to answer, so she forced herself to say, “Y-yes.”
Meng Huaiyan lowered his eyes to look at Chen Ying and said nothing. The people nearby were cowed by his presence and did not dare speak; even their breathing grew cautious.
The noisy shop fell silent in an instant, so quiet that a pin could almost be heard dropping.
Chen Ying, the one being questioned, was beside herself with anxiety. She felt she would suffocate if she stayed there any longer. Meng Huaiyan’s interrogating manner was terrifying. She wanted to run.
“Miss Chen, mind your words and conduct from now on. I don’t want to hear anyone speak insultingly of the Meng family again.”
Meng Huaiyan’s voice was even, but his warning was unmistakable.
Chen Ying’s face paled, and she stammered, “I…I understand.”
When she saw that Meng Huaiyan did not intend to pursue the matter, she finally let out a breath of relief.
“I…I just remembered I have something to take care of at home. I’ll be going now. G-goodbye.”
Without waiting for Meng Huaiyan to reply, Chen Ying hurried off with her two maids, fleeing as if for her life.
After all that, Shen Tang no longer felt like shopping.
She curtsied to Meng Huaiyan, intending to take her leave too.
Shen Tang took Wang Xi by the hand and headed for the door.
But just as she passed him, Meng Huaiyan called after her. “Miss Shen.”