Not only Xie Feng’an, but everyone present was startled by Shen Shiqing’s shout.
Before anyone else could react, Tu Nan, who had followed her mistress out, delivered a flying kick that sent Xie Feng’an sprawling to the ground.
Xie Feng’an cried out in pain: “This is my family’s Zhuangzi! Don’t you even recognize me?”
Pei Feng quickly led others to subdue the servants who had come with Xie Feng’an. Dozens of people tangled together in a chaotic brawl, filled with the angry shouts of Xie Feng’an and his men.
Watching the two maidservants fighting with extraordinary courage, Zhao Su Rui felt like Cao Mengde who had obtained Xuchu and Dianwei. He took a step back, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and began directing the scene with great interest.
“First gag these scoundrels! How dare they impersonate the Second Young Master of Ning’an Lord Manor! Such audacity suggests they’re habitual offenders – first pretending to be the masters to trick their way into the Zhuangzi, then planning to loot it! Make sure to capture every last one of them!”
“These past few days, our mansion in the capital has been unsettled, with many harboring ill intentions. That’s why we keep getting waves of scoundrels. You must guard our gates well.”
“I never thought after just a few days of training you’d face such a situation. After capturing these villains, I’ll have the kitchen slaughter a pig to reward you!”
For a moment, cheers of gratitude drowned out the screams. Zhao Su Rui then looked toward the horses:
“Be careful not to let the horses get hurt!”
Xie Feng’an was furious and shocked, but someone had stuffed his mouth full of mud. With his head pressed firmly to the ground, he could only catch a glimpse of a hemline in the faint light through the forest of legs.
He struggled desperately to stand up, but received another hard blow to his stomach. The taste of earth in his mouth mixed with the metallic flavor of blood.
Looking up, he saw a sword-wielding maid staring at him with terrifying intensity.
Zhao Su Rui couldn’t even be bothered to glance at Xie Feng’an. Shen San Fei was well-read and came from a respectable family, yet had been driven to this state by a declining Xie Family. Some of it was fate, some was due to the Xie Family’s despicableness, and some… was because Shen Shiqing’s head was full of sawdust. If one were to analyze it, Xie Feng’an really didn’t amount to much in all this.
If he meant nothing to Shen Shiqing, he meant even less to Zhao Su Rui.
He wasn’t even worth as much as his horses.
No, correction – he wasn’t worth as much as Zhao Su Rui’s horses.
Seeing that the minor commotion had been brought under control, Zhao Su Rui instructed a nearby maid: “Do you know how to lead horses? Take that horse inside for me.”
The young maid, dressed in simple clothing, was originally from the Zhuangzi and had only been serving inside the inner compound for a few days. Seeing the “Second Young Madam” speaking to her so kindly, she stood shyly and whispered: “I… I know how to lead oxen and donkeys.”
“Same thing.”
Zhao Su Rui waved his hand, signaling the young maid to go lead the horse.
Just then, one of Xie Feng’an’s servants broke free from several people restraining him and threw himself before “Shen Shiqing”:
“Second Young Madam! We really are from Ning’an Lord Manor! That is the Second Young Master! Your husband!”
“Husband?” Zhao Su Rui sneered, his expression arrogant as he leaned slightly to look at the servant who was being restrained again. “Are you saying I’m mistaken?”
He turned and slowly surveyed the maids, servants, and tenants who followed his orders.
“The night is dark and the lamps dim. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my husband that we’ve probably grown distant. At first glance, he seemed somewhat unfamiliar, so I mistook him for someone else.”
The crowd parted to make way, watching as a slender woman slowly walked forward.
Xie Feng’an felt the pressure on his shoulder loosen slightly. Struggling, he managed to half-kneel on the ground, glaring furiously at “Shen Shiqing.”
Zhao Su Rui’s hands remained tucked in his sleeves. Seeing Xie Feng’an’s disheveled state, he smiled:
“However, judging by the face alone, I can’t quite remember clearly. What I do recall is that my husband has three red moles on his inner thigh.”
Hearing what “Shen Shiqing” said, Xie Feng’an’s eyes widened in rage. If his gaze could turn into blades, he would have slain this audacious and insolent woman on the spot!
Unfortunately, a gaze cannot kill.
Thus, he could only listen as the woman he had neglected for seven years said, “Just strip his pants, and we’ll know for sure.”
“Yes!”
Zhao Su Rui had no interest in a man’s backside. Turning around, he noticed the horse had been led away by a young maid and narrowed his eyes with a smile.
Behind him, the esteemed second young master of Ning’an Lord Manor was like a white fish out of water, his pants forcibly stripped off by others.
Stripping pants was not a task for Tu Nan or Pei Feng. The work was done by sturdy men who had enjoyed several days of meat under “Lady Shen’s” care. Having proven their skills in competitions, they not only received meat, rewards, and prizes but also secured jobs as guards. Now, they used their large, fan-like hands to handle Xie Feng’an’s bare legs.
“No red moles on the left.”
“None on the right either.”
“Nothing on the inside either.” As he spoke, the man wiped his fingers on his side. “Lady Shen, we’ve checked twice—no red moles anywhere. This man is an imposter! Though his skin is quite fair.”
Collapsed on the ground, Xie Feng’an felt utterly humiliated, as if two decades of his dashing charm had been stripped away. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
With a horse at hand, riding was a must. As soon as Zhao Su Rui returned to the inner quarters, he began ordering people to rummage through chests and cabinets for riding attire. A Chi, hearing the news, hurried back and found two sets of lightweight clothing: one was a pale green satin robe styled after a Yesa, and the other was a tangerine-red short jacket, both suitable for breezy weather.
“These were worn by the young lady when she went to the mountain temple to offer incense. Now, it seems the young lady has grown even slimmer than before.”
Zhao Su Rui glanced at them, somewhat dissatisfied. “Make me a Yesa in a men’s style. The color doesn’t matter, but it must be easy to move in. No skirts—just a pair of black trousers for me. Also, find me a whip, one braided from eight strands of cowhide, not too light, so I can put some force into it. And boots—make me two pairs of long boots.”
“Yes.” A Chi naturally agreed without hesitation. She studied her young lady’s figure and then the robe in her hands, planning to start altering the clothes that very night.
While mentally calculating how to adjust the garments, A Chi asked, “Young lady, since you’ve captured Xie Feng’an, what should we do with him?”
Zhao Su Rui smiled, envisioning himself riding through the mountain forests, and replied, “That man is an imposter and a villain. Don’t refer to him incorrectly from now on.”
A Chi nodded in agreement.
“There’s no need to do much. Ning’an Lord Manor can hardly protect itself. As long as we don’t have any traitors here, they can’t do anything to us.”
Traitors?
Hearing these words, A Chi immediately thought of the concubines of Xie Feng’an in the rear courtyard. She pursed her lips and smiled faintly.
“Miss, the weather has turned cold, it’s time to prepare winter clothes. The women in the backyard are quite skilled with needlework. Tomorrow I’ll gather some cotton and fabric to send over, so they can quickly make some winter garments.”
Zhao Su Rui glanced at A Chi and nodded. Shen Shiqing’s maids were capable in both literary and martial pursuits, always finding tasks for themselves—far more useful than those useless officials at his court who would just lie down if kicked.
“Tomorrow I’ll take Tu Nan out for horseback riding. You and Pei Feng guard our estate together. If anyone dares make any rash moves, deal with them as you see fit. I’ll back you up when I return.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Zhao Su Rui waved A Chi away, then sat sideways on the bed with hair draped over shoulders, noticing a painting hanging on the wall.
This was an old work by Shen Shiqing, which Zhao Su Rui had dug out and hung up today.
Zhao Su Rui found the painting quite interesting. At the center of the scroll, several colorful sparrows perched on branches, each vividly rendered with leisurely expressions. One even had the leisure to gaze at flowers on the branch. Yet behind these birds in the sky, the silhouette of a vulture was already clearly visible.
Upon closer examination, Zhao Su Rui felt these sparrows represented Shen Shiqing herself.
Judging by the painting’s meaning, she probably knew she was being treated as prey, but having been trapped for so long, she lacked the strength to struggle.
“Shen San Fei, oh Shen San Fei, I can handle the entire Xie Family for you. But if you dare keep retreating in court affairs, don’t blame me for taking your head to vent my anger after we switch back.”
While speaking, Zhao Su Rui casually picked up a silver hairpin from the desk and gestured toward Shen Shiqing’s neck in the mirror.
Only one room in the deepest row of wing-rooms in the villa still had its light on.
The room was simply furnished with just a bed, one table, and two stools. The table didn’t even have a tablecloth, just plain wood surface coated with varnish. The bed was slightly better—though without curtains, the spread quilt at least had silk covering.
The woman sat guarding the lamp on the table, holding a half-finished men’s undergarment, yet hesitated to make the next stitch.
After the sixty-third gust of wind passed, there came a very light knock at the door. The woman quickly stood to open it, and a maid wearing a padded jacket slipped inside.
After closing the door, the waiting woman asked in a low voice: “What’s the situation? With all the noise outside tonight, what happened?”
The maid took a silver bracelet from her bosom and handed it over, breathing slightly heavily: “Madame, I tried every means but couldn’t get to the front courtyard. The young mistress’s maids guard against us like we’re thieves.”
Retrieving the bracelet and clutching it in her palm, the woman addressed as “Madame” frowned: “Among the servants coming and going, or the cleaning maids—haven’t you managed to win over any who could pass messages for us?”
The maid bowed her head, not daring to speak.
The woman grew angry again: “I told you to find Qing Ying who was previously banished to the estate—did you fail to find her too?”
“This I did ask the young maid at the gate. She said Qing Ying was married off to a tenant farmer the year before last, and hasn’t been allowed into the estate since.”
Hearing this, the woman’s finely arched willow-leaf eyebrows relaxed slightly: “When we all served the madame together, I never imagined she’d end up in such circumstances.”
Taking a deep breath then letting it out, her expression softened from its earlier severity:
“Did you find out anything else useful besides this?”
The little maid shook her head and timidly asked in return: “Lady, when can we return to the mansion?”
Now it was Xia He who fell silent.
The side room was cold and quiet. Xia He lowered her head, thinking of her child while worrying about her own future.
A sudden sob pulled her back from her thoughts.
“Why are you crying?”
“Lady, can we still return to the mansion? Today that little maid told me that Qing Ying has been beaten and scolded by her husband every day because she gave birth to two daughters in a row. A few days ago, when she slowed down while grinding grain, she was kicked so hard that she lost a nearly-formed fetus. After that, she became bedridden and was thrown into an outside shed. I’m afraid she won’t last more than a few days.”
As she spoke, the frightened little maid finally couldn’t hold back her tears: “What will we do if we can’t return to the mansion, Lady?”
Xia He had no words to respond.
Turning to look at the half-finished undergarment on the table, she suddenly felt a surge of hatred welling up in her heart.
The adjacent room next to Xia He’s was silent, as if the occupants had long since fallen asleep.
Two figures pressed against the wall, quietly listening to the commotion in Xia He’s room.
“Lady, it seems Lady Xia hasn’t obtained any useful information.”
“Useless thing.” Cui Jin-Niang cursed softly, pulling her clothing tighter around herself.
“That Shen Shiqing wants us to obediently let her manipulate us, but I refuse to comply with her wishes. Tomorrow before the noon meal, find an excuse to provoke Xia He into scolding you. Make as big a scene as possible, and take the opportunity to run to the front courtyard. Just observe one thing – see if anyone is delivering meals to places where people could be confined.”
“Yes, Lady.”
Undercurrents surged in the small courtyard. In the easternmost room, the soundly sleeping Liu Tian-Xing murmured softly in her dreams: “Sleeping with Sister An is more comfortable than sleeping with the young master.”
An Nian-Nian helplessly rested Liu Tian-Xing’s head on the pillow and sighed silently.