Du Wei touched his nose and sure enough, his hand came away covered in blood. He immediately shrieked in his shrill voice, “Quick, quick, support me!”
“Someone, quickly summon the Imperial Physician!”
The two young servants immediately forgot about Si Tu Yan. One ran forward to support Du Wei, while the other ran out to find help.
Xie Yuantang let out a cold laugh, her eyes sharp and her movements swift as she ran over to pull Si Tu Yan up. “Get up.”
“Wife…”
Si Tu Yan raised his head in a daze. There was no pain in his pair of Peach Blossom Eyes, no fear, nothing at all.
Xie Yuantang pressed her lips together, her small hand grabbing his sleeve as she said in a crisp voice, “Stand up straight. You are not to kneel to anyone!”
“They told me to kneel. Should I not kneel to them either?”
“You kneel to no one.”
“…Oh.”
A slow smile spread across Si Tu Yan’s lips. He nodded and obediently stood up.
Tall and large, he followed meekly behind Xie Yuantang like a gentle, well-behaved big dog.
From Xie Yuantang’s perspective, she had a perfect view of the palm print on his face, which made her even angrier. She whipped her head around to glare at Du Wei, her voice fierce despite her small stature. “You even bully a fool. Have you no shame!”
Clutching his nose, Du Wei looked down at her and sneered, “What a thing to say. I was merely acting on orders to admonish the Fifth Prince.”
“By making him kneel to you?”
“Eh? What kneeling? Xiao Li Zi, did you see anything?”
Xiao Li Zi, who was supporting Du Wei, chimed in with an obsequious smile, “There was no kneeling. The steward and us servants were just joking with His Highness.”
“Little Royal Princess Consort, did you hear that?”
Du Wei was fearless, certain that Xie Yuantang could do nothing to him.
“Joking?”
Xie Yuantang raised an eyebrow. “Then if I slap you right now, would that also be me joking with you?”
As she spoke, she strode forward in a rage.
This time, she finally remembered that she was just a little bean sprout, so as she charged, she let out a sharp cry and used the momentum to leap!
In mid-air, she decisively swung her small hand, aiming a slap at him!
She refused to believe that if she couldn’t reach him while standing, she still couldn’t reach him by jumping!
Smack!
…A small, soft slap landed lightly on Du Wei’s chin!
Everyone: “…”
A crow flew overhead as a dead silence fell over the area.
Xie Yuantang looked down at her small hand.
Damn it!
It was bad enough that she couldn’t reach, but was this amount of force only good for scratching an enemy’s itch?
Xie Yuantang’s face flushed red with anger.
In two lifetimes, today was the day she, the great Apocalyptic Big Shot, had utterly lost all face!
To make matters worse, her foolish husband was clapping beside her, cheering excitedly, “You hit him! You hit him! Wife is so amazing!”
Xie Yuantang: “…”
“Aiyo! The Princess Consort’s slap really hurts this servant!”
Across from them, Du Wei scoffed, his voice dripping with mockery. “I thought I’d been bitten by a mosquito!”
Xiao Li Zi, beside him, also clutched his face and jeered, “Isn’t that the truth! The Princess Consort’s hits are just too painful!”
“Aiyo, my face is cramping up! From laughing so hard!”
Xie Yuantang stomped her foot in frustration, then suddenly turned her head to look at Si Tu Yan, who was taller than her.
Si Tu Yan tilted his head to meet her gaze, blinking his Peach Blossom Eyes. “?”
Doomsday Boss Tang maintained her dignity for a brief second before decisively looking up at her foolish husband with a sweet smile and holding out her small, chubby arms.
“Hubby, carry me~”
Si Tu Yan’s eyes lit up in a moment of realization. “Wife wants to be taller!”
This, he knew!
“Not to be taller, to start a team fight!”
“Support, get in position, quick!”
“Oh,” Si Tu Yan said. Though he didn’t understand, he still reached out, cupped Xie Yuantang’s legs, and lifted her up. “Taller now!”
He was much taller than Du Wei. Being held by him, Xie Yuantang could now meet Du Wei’s gaze at eye level.
This height was much more comfortable!
Satisfied, Xie Yuantang gave Si Tu Yan a thumbs-up. “Well done, support. Now, it’s my showtime!”
She turned her head to face Du Wei, rolled up her sleeves, placed her hands on her hips, and grinned like a wicked little demoness. She held up a finger and said in a childish voice, “Fat eunuch, bring that fat face of yours over here. This granny will treat you to something good!”
Si Tu Yan copied her, also extending his middle finger toward Du Wei. “Right, bring your fat face over for Wife to eat!”
Du Wei looked at their fingers. Although he didn’t understand the gesture, he inexplicably felt that it was a great provocation and insult to him!
“Fine, fine, fine! Today, I will teach you both a proper lesson!”
“Xiao Li Zi, bring me the bamboo cane!”
Xie Yuantang snorted coldly. She wasn’t about to give him any more time. Seizing the opportunity, she had Si Tu Yan charge forward.
“Yah, yah, yah~ Watch my left hook! Right hook!”
“Your ancestor Xie is here! Let me treat you to a Manchu Han Imperial Feast of Fists!”
Her two small arms moved so fast they became a blur!
Before Du Wei could even react, every punch landed swiftly and precisely on the various acupoints on his face and neck!
Truly, thirty percent of the force, one hundred percent of the pain!
Guaranteed to hurt for half a month, no deception for young or old!
“Ahhh, you bastard! I’ll kill you!”
Du Wei, his eyes now swollen into panda-like circles, raised a hand to slap Xie Yuantang.
“Wife, be careful!”
Si Tu Yan’s expression changed, and he subconsciously tried to block the blow for Xie Yuantang. But this was exactly the moment she had been waiting for.
Clutching a silver needle tightly in her hand, she plunged it deep into his funny bone as his arm swung over!
“Aaaahhh, help me!”
Du Wei howled in agony, his arm trembling as he stumbled backward. Xie Yuantang immediately commanded her support—no, her husband—to give chase.
“Support, go! Step on his feet!”
“Kick him in the crotch! Yes, yes, just like that…”
“Ahhh, someone! Someone come quickly!”
Du Wei was chased and beaten. His current misery was a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance.
In the end, he scrambled and crawled his way out.
Only then did Xie Yuantang, panting, have Si Tu Yan put her down.
This little body of hers was truly weak. It seemed she would have to build it up properly, or she wouldn’t even be able to fight in the future.
She glanced at her foolish husband sitting beside her. He might be a fool, but his stamina was truly excellent. Look at him, he had held her and fought for so long, yet he wasn’t even breathing heavily now!
“Wife, they ran away.”
Si Tu Yan ran to the doorway and peeked out. After confirming that Du Wei and the others had indeed run far away, he took out the steamed bun he had been hiding for some time. “Wife, eat quickly.”
Looking at the wrinkled steamed bun now, Xie Yuantang’s heart filled with a mix of complex emotions. “Did they not give you food before?”
Si Tu Yan shook his head. “I only eat at noon. Nothing in the morning.”
Xie Yuantang frowned. She had expected Si Tu Yan’s situation to be bad, but she hadn’t thought it would be this dire.
A mere eunuch dared to break down his door and casually beat and abuse him over a single steamed bun.
Was the hierarchy in this Fifth Prince’s Estate so completely overturned?
Thinking back to how Si Tu Yan had trembled in fear when Du Wei came in, it was clear he was bullied often.
After all, he was the only foolish master in the estate, one who could have a fit of madness at any time. No servant would take care of him with dedication; they would even seize every opportunity to humiliate him.
Xie Yuantang sighed. She needed the status of the Fifth Prince’s Consort, which meant she was destined to be tied to Si Tu Yan.
They would rise and fall together.
Only if Si Tu Yan, the Fifth Prince, was presentable would her title as the Prince’s Consort be more useful.
Moreover, she, Xie Yuantang, had always been fiercely protective of her own.
In her past life, even if it was just a zombie, as long as it bore the insignia of her Xie Yuantang Research Institute, she wouldn’t let other zombies bully it.
Let alone a “handsome husband” as big as Si Tu Yan!
Having made up her mind, Xie Yuantang had Si Tu Yan hold the steamed bun himself. “I’m not eating it. I’ll take you to eat something good later.”
“Something good?”
Si Tu Yan swallowed, his stomach rumbling on cue. Just as he was about to ask what kind of good food, Du Wei’s voice came from outside the door again.
“Your Highness, may this servant enter?”
His tone was respectful and humble, a complete departure from the sharp and harsh man from before.
“You dare to come back?”
Xie Yuantang’s expression turned cold. Just as she was about to erupt in anger, she saw Du Wei leading a momo into the room.
Gui Momo sized up the two people sitting there. The young man had a fair, handsome face with clear features, while the girl’s face was covered in scars, yet her dark eyes were bright and captivating.
No matter how she looked at them, they didn’t seem like people on the verge of death.
This Chong Xi… had it really worked?
A flicker passed through Gui Momo’s eyes as she curtsied to the pair. “This servant greets the Fifth Prince and the Princess Consort.”
“The palace has been concerned for His Highness’s well-being. Since Your Highness and the Princess Consort are unharmed, please accompany this servant to the palace.”
“As the Princess Consort is a new bride, according to custom, you must enter the palace today to serve tea. His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are waiting.”