In the Qianzheng Grand Hall, civil and military officials dispersed from court and headed home.
As Shen Xiuwang walked outside the hall, an arm draped over his left shoulder.
“Xingzhi, let’s go to Ruyi Zhai for breakfast after court!”
Such familiarity—even without turning around, he knew who it was.
The Grand Commandant brushed off the large hand with feigned disdain. “No. Every time it’s me treating. Did my family’s silver fall from the sky?”
Cheng Yue grinned cheekily as he leaned in, his handsome face sharply defined. “Today, let Vice Minister Qi treat. Won’t cost you a penny.”
The unlucky Qi Qingheng was not pleased. He strode forward to Shen Xiuwang’s right side.
“Deputy Commander Cheng, you’ve certainly made a clever plan.”
Shen Xiuwang scoffed. “Cheng Yue, are you saving up all that silver to get married?”
“Talk nonsense.”
A flicker of discomfort crossed Cheng Yue’s face.
The three walked side by side toward the palace gate, with many court officials coming up to greet them along the way.
Holding an ivory tablet in one hand, Shen Xiuwang glanced sideways at his two friends with a smile. “My eldest sister and brother-in-law are returning to the mansion tomorrow. My grandmother has invited a troupe from Nanguang Garden. Care to grace my humble home with your presence?”
Qi Qingheng readily accepted. “Very well. Handling cases lately has given me a headache. Then I shall trouble the Grand Commandant.”
“What trouble? It’ll spare my grandmother from complaining all day, ‘That Cheng boy and Qi boy haven’t visited in so long, have they forgotten this old bag of bones?'”
Shen Xiuwang imitated his grandmother’s tone with great seriousness.
Qi Qingheng laughed heartily. “Haha, then I must prepare a generous gift indeed.”
The two chatted and laughed, while the usually talkative Cheng Yue remained somewhat quiet.
Shen Xiuwang lifted his tablet and poked him, teasing, “Deputy Commander Cheng unwilling to grace us with your presence?”
Cheng Yue snapped back to attention, calm and composed. “Since the Grand Commandant personally invites, I naturally must attend.”
Shen Xiuwang studied him for a moment, sensing something was on his mind.
“Why are you staring at me? There’s no flower on my face.” Cheng Yue grew increasingly uneasy under his gaze and punched his arm. “Go home and see your darling.”
Darling.
Shen Xiuwang raised an eyebrow but did not deny it.
Amidst their banter, the three reached the palace gate, where their respective carriages awaited.
“Let’s go, Ruyi Zhai.”
Shen Xiuwang tilted his chin toward the two, proud and generous.
He walked straight to the leading carriage. Chang Feng approached and whispered, “Young Master, Miss Nian Tang, she—”
The smile that had just graced his face froze instantly at his lips. Shen Xiuwang’s eyes darkened.
“Return to the mansion.”
Cheng Yue and Qi Qingheng stood where they were, exchanging puzzled glances. “Huh? Why did the host run off…”
All that remained for them was the swiftly departing carriage and two words:
“Another day.”
＊
Jingning Marquis Estate, Xunlan Garden.
Madam Cui sat upright in the main seat. Luo Yufu, having changed her clothes, leaned against her, weeping pitifully.
Madam Cui held her shoulder, soothing softly. “Dear Fuer, don’t cry. You have scratches on your face; be careful not to scar.”
At the mention of scarring, Luo Yufu stopped crying and glared resentfully at the person standing below with bowed head.
“Aunt, it was this wretched maid who caused me to fall into the pond. Fuer has no face to see anyone…”
Su Tan was speechless. What a classic case of the guilty party filing the complaint first.
Madam Cui’s delicate brows furrowed as she sharply rebuked Su Tan. “How dare you commit the offense of humiliating your mistress!”
Su Tan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly. “Madam, please judge wisely. This servant was standing with her back to the pond, retrieving the young lady’s handkerchief. How could there be any accusation of harming someone?”
Hearing this, Luo Yufu immediately denied it: “You’re trying to wash your hands of this!”
She took Madam Cui’s hand and explained tearfully: “I only asked her to help retrieve the handkerchief. She couldn’t get it for a long time, so I walked over to her side and patiently instructed her.”
“Who would have thought she was unwilling and resentful, and with a twist of her body, she pushed me into the water!”
Madam Cui nodded thoughtfully—this explanation made sense.
She then turned to ask Zhong Yiqiao and Ye Ruo, who were sitting nearby, “You were there at the time. Did you see clearly?”
Ye Ruo stood up and bowed gracefully: “Aunt, I saw it clearly. It was this maid who pushed Sister Yufu into the water.”
Madam Cui: “What about you, Yiqiao?”
Zhong Yiqiao coughed twice, the corners of her eyes reddening, “Aunt, I was a bit far from the two sisters at the time and didn’t see clearly…”
With Ye Ruo’s strong testimony, Luo Yufu spoke with renewed confidence: “Aunt, Sister Ye has already seen it clearly. This maid cannot deny it…”
As she spoke, she shot Su Tan a look of disgust.
Unexpectedly, the other party returned her gaze with one of utter contempt.
Su Tan knew there was no chance of escaping unscathed today.
From the moment she was stopped, what awaited her was either being pushed into the water and humiliated or being punished for failing to protect her mistress.
If it’s fortune, it cannot be avoided; if it’s disaster, it cannot be escaped.
Madam Cui had always disliked Su Tan, and now that she had caught her making a mistake, she naturally wanted to vent her anger.
She immediately waved her hand and ordered: “She caused the young lady to fall into the water and still dares to argue? Hold her down and slap her!”
Luo Yufu leaned into Madam Cui’s embrace, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.
Hit her hard! Smash that seductive face of hers that bewitches the master!
Su Tan stared coldly at Luo Yufu.
So she likes playing these clumsy games of rivalry, does she? As long as they didn’t beat her to death today, she would make sure to knock out all her teeth next time!
Two sturdy maids stepped forward as ordered. One forced Su Tan to kneel.
The young woman, frail and outnumbered, fell to the ground with a thud, her knees hitting the floor hard, unable to break free in the slightest.
The other raised her hand, ready to strike.
“Stop—”
A voice of command suddenly came from outside the hall.
Cold and unruffled, yet filled with a terrifying ferocity.
Everyone in the room immediately reacted differently. Luo Yufu hurriedly adjusted her makeup and dress, sitting up straight and proper.
Black official boots stepped over the vermilion threshold. A deep purple official robe embroidered with golden thread and a qilin pattern, with a tall and imposing figure like a crane and a pine, swept in with a gust of wind, sternly entering everyone’s line of sight.
Shen Xiuwang’s gaze shot toward the two maids. The sturdy women were so frightened they immediately let go, lowering their heads and stepping aside.
His gaze then swept over the young woman kneeling on the ground—unharmed, not a scratch on her.
Madam Cui quickly stood up to greet him, “Wang’er, you’ve just returned from court. Have you eaten—”
Shen Xiuwang gave a slight bow, his expression cold and stern: “Mother, when did the people in my courtyard become subject to punishment by these insolent women?”
Knowing her son’s temperament, Madam Cui opened her mouth but wore an unhappy expression: “She caused your cousin to fall into the water. An unmarried young lady—how could she endure such a thing?”
“If a servant dares to play tricks on her mistress, and I do not punish her, I would be unworthy of your cousin calling me aunt.”
“And even more unworthy of my responsibility as the head of the household!”
Luo Yufu hurriedly stood up to greet him, unable to hold back a few tears, “Greetings, Cousin.”
Shen Xiuwang frowned, too lazy to pay her any attention. He lowered his gaze to the young woman kneeling silently on the ground.
On his way back, Chang Feng had already informed him of the whole story.
If he punished her severely, she would be wronged.
If he didn’t punish her, with so many people in the mansion and so many mouths, how could his mother and the young cousin save face?
He didn’t care about the young cousin’s face anyway—she was nothing but a nuisance.
Shen Xiuwang angrily shouted at the kneeling girl, “Get up, follow me to the side hall.”
“Yes.”
As the door to the side hall slammed shut, everyone in the main hall quietly pricked up their ears to listen.
“Kneel!”
“How dare you!”
Two furious shouts echoed from inside the room.
Luo Yufu instinctively shivered.
Madam Cui patted the back of her hand, soothing her, “Don’t be afraid, your cousin will avenge you.”
Her son couldn’t possibly be truly bewitched by a little vixen, could he?
He still had to consider the face of his own birth mother.
As soon as they entered the side hall, Shen Xiuwang guided Su Tan to stand behind the partition screen.
This spot was concealed, making it impossible for those in the main hall to see inside, but they could clearly hear every word spoken between the two.
He deliberately raised his voice in anger, “Kneel! How dare you!”
Su Tan looked up, stunned, and was about to kneel.
The man grabbed her arm, placing a slender index finger to his thin lips in a gesture for silence.
His captivating, deep phoenix eyes blinked at her.
Su Tan hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly in understanding.
Shen Xiuwang took a moment to gather himself before shouting again, “Instead of doing your work properly in the courtyard, you come out here to cause trouble. Do you know your mistake?”
Su Tan lowered her voice, responding with feigned grievance, “This servant knows her mistake.”
“I don’t think you know at all! You have no sense of propriety!”
Shen Xiuwang glanced around, casually picked up a crystal bowl from the display cabinet, turned sideways, and hurled it hard into the corner of the wall.
“Crash!”
Shards of crystal-clear fragments scattered everywhere.
Su Tan was momentarily stunned, unsure how to continue the act.
The man leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Cry.”
His warm breath brushed against the girl’s ear, her small, round earlobes pale and adorable.
Tinged with a hint of pink.
Su Tan immediately understood, digging her nails hard into her palm as she forced a sob and pleaded pitifully, “Young master… this servant truly knows her mistake…”
“Wah…”
Shen Xiuwang silently rubbed his forehead—too fake, she was hopeless.
He cleared his throat, “Quiet! What are you crying for?”
As he spoke, he raised his right hand and slapped it hard against the back of his left hand.
“Smack!”
It sounded exactly like a slap.
Five red marks instantly appeared on his cold, jade-like hand.
Su Tan froze.
Only then did she stop crying, continuing to pretend to sob and plead, “Young master, please don’t hit me anymore. Nian Tang knows her mistake… Nian Tang knows her mistake.”
The girl’s startled expression resembled that of a frightened rabbit.
Shen Xiuwang reached out and ruffled the top of her head—soft. He continued his angry tirade, “If there’s a next time, you’ll face caning!”
The man’s palm was warm, his movements gentle.
Su Tan suddenly remembered how, in the past at home, whenever she made a mistake and feared punishment from her mother, her father would put on a similar act with her behind closed doors.
Today, to protect herself, she had dodged Luo Yufu’s kick, causing her to fall into the water. By reason, she was not at fault.
But by propriety, she was.
Masters could play with servants, but servants could not play with masters.
She lowered her head, continuing to pretend to sob. As she pretended, her eyes suddenly grew hot, her nose tingled, and she truly felt like crying.
For eight years, beatings had been more common than eating or drinking.
Real, tangible pain—beaten until injured, healed, then beaten again.
At first, she couldn’t help but cry, but later she learned that tears were the most useless thing.
Rather than crying, it was better to save her strength.
Earlier, she had thought that if she truly suffered a beating today, it would only be physical pain—something she could grit her teeth and endure.
After all, she was already used to it.
But now, with no physical pain, she didn’t know why she suddenly couldn’t hold back.
The girl lowered her head, biting her lower lip so hard it seemed she might draw blood. Her slender shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and tears fell one after another, hitting the ground with soft thuds.