The entrance to the Marquis of Anning’s residence was spacious and imposing. A towering gatehouse stood above two enormous stone lions that looked fierce and majestic, while the tall vermilion-red gates appeared heavy and grand.
“Matron Chen is back!” When the gatekeeper spotted her, he immediately approached and said, “The marquis has given orders. The eldest young lady has been living outside for many years and is surrounded by ill fortune. She must not enter through the main gate. She can only enter through the side gate.”
Only after finishing his explanation did the gatekeeper notice the injuries on Matron Chen and the others. His eyes widened in astonishment.
“Matron Chen, Miss Luyin, Miss Xiaodie, why are your faces covered in bruises?”
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Miao Chunxiu stepped out. She glanced at the gatekeeper. “I beat them.”
The gatekeeper asked, “Who are you?”
Miao Chunxiu slapped him across the face.
“I’m your ancestor!”
Miao Chuntao also climbed out of the carriage.
“Our eldest young lady is returning home, yet you dare refuse to open the main gate and insist that she enter through the side gate? You’re clearly trying to humiliate her! I’ll beat you worthless, blind servants to death!”
…
Su Zhen and Xu Yuru were in Su Ming’an’s room. Fifteen minutes earlier, Su Ming’an had begun crying in his sleep. As he continued to cry, he suddenly vomited blood.
Su Zhen and Xu Yuru were frantic with worry.
“Bad news, Marquis! The eldest young lady refuses to follow the rules and insists on entering through the main gate. She’s even beaten people! The guards can’t stop her!” A servant came running over with a badly bruised face.
“What?” Su Zhen and Xu Yuru were shocked, but their anger was even greater.
“What eldest young lady? Who does she think she is? The only eldest young lady in this household is our Huan’er!”
Su Zhen flung his sleeve aside and gritted his teeth.
“That unfilial daughter! She’s causing trouble the moment she returns home. Wait, something’s not right. She’s only a nine-year-old girl. How could you possibly be unable to stop her?”
The servant covered his face. “The eldest young lady didn’t return alone. She brought two highly skilled maids with her. All the guards at the gate were beaten, and so was Steward Luo. Matron Chen and the others who went to fetch the eldest young lady were beaten as well.”
Hearing this, Su Zhen was even more astonished. He exchanged a glance with Xu Yuru.
Xu Yuru looked disappointed.
“That child has clearly gone astray after living outside for so long. She thinks that becoming a young lady of the marquis’s household gives her the right to do whatever she wants. Those two experts were probably hired with her own money to intimidate us.”
Su Zhen frowned. “I’ll go to the front and see what’s happening. Stay with Ming’an.”
With that, he left the room, followed by the limping servant.
A complete mess awaited them at the entrance.
Steward Luo, three servants, five guards, and Matron Chen’s group were all lying on the ground, covered in injuries.
Su Zhen came out with his guards. Seeing the scene, he was furious.
“You unfilial daughter! Get out here!”
He strode toward the carriage and lifted the curtain, ready to continue shouting. But when he looked inside, he saw a white wolf.
Doudou had been chewing on a bone when someone suddenly disturbed it. Enraged, it let out a furious howl.
“Awooooo!”
The bone in its mouth flew straight into Su Zhen’s face.
Su Zhen was struck squarely in the face and covered in a foul, fishy stench.
The white wolf swiped a paw at him.
What are you staring at, ugly two-legged creature? Never seen a handsome wolf before?
Someone like you dares to insult this handsome wolf’s good looks? I’m not going to let you get away with that!
Su Zhen had martial arts training and reacted instantly, stepping backward to avoid the wolf’s claws.
When its attack missed, Doudou’s eyes widened in disbelief. Unwilling to accept defeat, it leaped out and chased Su Zhen, trying to bite him.
Su Zhen had trained in the military and was not afraid of wild beasts. After a brief moment of shock, he snatched a saber from one of his guards and swung it at the white wolf.
The moment Doudou saw the blade, it slammed on the brakes, turned around, and ran.
What an ugly, shameless man! Picking on Doudou because I don’t know how to use a saber! Master, help me!
Seeing Doudou in danger, Miao Chunxiu and Miao Chuntao immediately rushed to help. However, the guards accompanying Su Zhen blocked their way. These guards were far more skilled than ordinary household guards.
For the moment, the Miao sisters couldn’t break free.
Doudou jumped onto the carriage and darted into the compartment.
Su Zhen chased after it and lifted the curtain. Before he could look inside, a foot kicked him squarely in the face.
Bang!
Su Zhen was sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto the ground.
Shen Chuyun emerged from the carriage in her pale purple outfit, yawning. Her sleepy face carried a hint of anger.
“Which blind fool dares to disturb my sleep? You’re asking for a beating!”
Like a ferocious little beast woken from its nap, she leaped out of the carriage in a foul temper. A pair of nunchucks appeared in her hand, and with a sharp snap, she swung them open and brought them down toward Su Zhen’s head.
Although Su Zhen reacted quickly and managed to dodge, the nunchucks still struck his head.
Pain and dizziness overwhelmed him almost instantly.
“Take that! And that! And that!”
Shen Chuyun shouted rhythmically as she attacked, the nunchucks blurring with the speed of her movements.
Su Zhen wanted to fight back and teach this unfilial daughter a lesson. He even considered simply hacking her to death with his saber. Yet he soon discovered that he was completely unable to retaliate.
This unfilial daughter was incredibly strong, and her movements were frighteningly fast. Every blow hurt like hell!
“Unfilial daughter! Stop hitting me! I’m your father!” Su Zhen roared.
Shen Chuyun jumped up and swung the nunchucks at him again.
“Lies! My father would never call me an unfilial daughter. He would only call me his precious sweetheart!”
Su Zhen took another hit and exploded with rage.
“I really am your father! Stop this at once!”
The servants of the marquis’s household finally recovered from their shock. Seeing Shen Chuyun attacking like a madwoman, they feared she might actually beat the marquis to death and hurriedly shouted at her.
“Eldest Young Lady, he really is the marquis! He’s your own father!”
“Eldest Young Lady, please stop hitting him!”
The guards who had been holding back Miao Chunxiu and Miao Chuntao rushed over to rescue Su Zhen.
Only then did Shen Chuyun pretend to be shocked. She let out an exaggerated gasp and stopped.
“What? He really is my father? Oh dear, Father, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do it. You don’t look like me at all, so I didn’t recognize you. I’d just woken up, you know how bad a child’s temper can be after being disturbed from sleep. I got angry and accidentally hit the wrong person!”
Su Zhen was so dizzy that the world seemed to be spinning around him.
Shen Chuyun immediately called out to the household servants.
“What are you all standing around for? Hurry and help my father inside! Then get the household physician to examine him properly. He took several blows to the head. What if he turns into an idiot?”
As she spoke, she hooked the nunchucks onto her waist and was the first to step forward and take Su Zhen by the arm.
“Come on, come on! Let’s get inside quickly!”
Su Zhen was suffering from a mild concussion and felt completely disoriented. He simply followed her lead.
Seeing that he really was badly injured, the household servants feared something might happen to him and hurried inside as well.
The Miao sisters quickly followed with the white wolf.
Thus, Shen Chuyun, her two maids, and one wolf entered the marquis’s residence through the main gate without a hitch.
As soon as they entered, they encountered an elderly woman with a limp.
Seeing Su Zhen in such a miserable state, the old woman grew extremely anxious.
“My son! What happened to you?”
Shen Chuyun guessed that this woman was Old Madam Su, her grandmother in name.
“Old Madam, the marquis has injured his head. We need to get the household physician immediately! We can discuss everything else later.”
She spoke so quickly that before the old madam could even ask who she was, Shen Chuyun pointed at the servants present and continued issuing orders.
“You, go summon the household physician! You, lead the way and take the marquis to his bedroom! You, prepare a meal. I’m hungry. Make sure there’s fish and meat. Today, the eldest young lady has returned home, so the whole household should celebrate. All the servants and guards are to receive rewards! Hurry, hurry! Everyone, get moving! If you’re too slow, the marquis might turn into an idiot!”
In just a few sentences, she had assigned tasks to the servants.
They instinctively began carrying out her orders.
Old Madam Su was so worried about her son that she had no time to pay attention to Shen Chuyun. By the time she finally came to her senses, Su Zhen had already been carried to his room and laid down. The household physician had hurried over to examine him, while Shen Chuyun, the Miao sisters, and the white wolf were feasting in the flower hall.
Old Madam Su: “…”
Who was that little girl who had just spoken to her? Why was she giving orders throughout the marquis’s household as if she owned the place?