Chu Zhao had never set foot in the Liang estate before.
In the past, the Liang family’s young misses had been too disdainful to invite her, and before long, Minister Liang had gotten into trouble, been dismissed from office, and left the capital in disgrace. Later, after she became Empress, she was even less likely to visit the Liang estate.
Only members of the Liang clan would enter the palace to pay their respects to her, and even then they might not receive an audience.
Madam Liang had relied on her aunt to make introductions before gaining permission to enter the palace and see her, tearfully pleading that they had been framed by the Xie clan back then, and now wholeheartedly wanted to serve the court. She had also sent a great deal of money—
Naturally, she hadn’t accepted that money. Having heard Uncle Zhong mention insufficient military supplies, she had the Liang family send the money to Uncle Zhong’s department.
Because of this, Minister Liang’s brothers and nephews had the opportunity to enter the military and be employed by Xiao Xun. Third Master Liang even became a Grand General, and Minister Liang’s youngest daughter entered the palace as a consort.
In the end, replacing her.
Chu Zhao stood outside the Liang estate gate, looking at those two matrons with their noses in the air, thinking of how Madam Liang had knelt before her crying and pleading, how after Third Master Liang received his official title, he had specially entered the palace to see her, respectfully and sincerely treating her as an equal, despite his advanced age addressing her father as an elder.
Bowing and scraping, scheming for great advantage.
She never wanted to see the Liang clan’s faces again.
Of course, she also wouldn’t recklessly vent her hatred from her previous life—what happened in that life hadn’t occurred yet in this one.
“Where is your young miss?” Chu Zhao asked. “I’ve come to see her.”
The two matrons came to their senses, their surprise transforming back into arrogance: “So you know to come see our young miss? You nearly killed our young miss. Even if you came bearing thorns to plead guilty, it wouldn’t be enough to make amends.”
Chu Zhao laughed: “What bearing thorns to plead guilty? What crime have I committed?”
“You injured our young miss.” The two matrons frowned. “What are you pretending not to understand? Otherwise why did you flee? Why have your uncle and aunt been coming to our estate every day to apologize?”
“Why my uncle and aunt come to your estate, I don’t know,” Chu Zhao said coolly. “I left the capital to go see my father and file a complaint—against your young miss.”
The two matrons’s eyes widened.
“Ah Zhao!” A voice called out softly, and a girl ran out from inside. “What are you doing?”
She came forward and grasped Chu Zhao’s hand, her face full of reproach.
Chu Zhao looked at Chu Tang, for a moment almost not recognizing her. The Chu Tang before her eyes still had the appearance of a young maiden—delicate and bright. Although her expression also showed dissatisfaction, it wasn’t like that last meeting in her previous life, filled with hatred.
“Elder Sister, you were there that day too. You also saw—it was she who pushed me and made me fall from the artificial mountain,” Chu Zhao said.
Chu Tang was startled.
There had indeed been such an incident. Chu Zhao had fallen from the artificial mountain, but fortunately that mountain wasn’t high. Everyone had laughed mockingly, then saw Chu Zhao climb up from the ground and immediately kick Liang Qin into the water—
“You’re lying!” Liang Qin’s maid came out shouting. “It wasn’t our young miss who pushed you.”
Chu Tang was also somewhat helpless: “Ah Zhao, Ah Qin didn’t even climb the artificial mountain. She was sitting below.”
This cousin sister of hers was not only stupid, she actually dared to lie now?
And the lie was truly too stupid.
She hadn’t? Actually, Chu Zhao didn’t really know. How would she remember what happened when she was thirteen? She had even forgotten what Miss Liang’s name was.
She had just said it casually. Since it wasn’t true, then forget it.
“She didn’t push me, but she insulted me,” Chu Zhao said without the slightest hesitation. “Insulted my father, insulted my mother, mocked me. I lost my footing and fell because I was angry. I suffered humiliation and such a great fright—of course I had to teach her a lesson.”
She looked at Chu Tang, then at the maid.
“Do you dare say she didn’t do that either?”
Chu Tang was slightly startled, and the maid also didn’t quite know what to say.
Mocking Chu Zhao was something everyone had always done—they were used to it. Liang Qin had naturally done so as well.
“You—” the maid was about to speak.
More matrons walked from inside the gate, surrounding a lady—it was Minister Liang’s wife, Yan Shi. Her round, plump face bore some displeasure: “What’s going on? Miss Ah Zhao has come, yet you don’t invite her in? What are you saying at the gate?”
Chu Zhao looked at her—she couldn’t remember Yan Shi’s appearance clearly, but Consort Liang’s features and expressions could still be discerned in Yan Shi’s face.
“No need. My father is a criminal official, and I have no mother. Someone like me doesn’t dare set foot in your Liang estate,” Chu Zhao said coldly. “In case I hear more unpleasant words and strike someone again, causing more trouble.”
This Chu Zhao—Yan Shi naturally knew of her. Her daughter had told her how this country girl imitated them, how her speech carried an accent yet she still insisted on presenting herself as a young miss of the capital. She had found it amusing too.
“That child has poor origins,” she had even instructed her daughter. “Don’t play with her—it would demean your status.”
Looking now, this country girl not only had poor origins but also a violent temper. What kind of nonsense was she spouting?!
“You, you truly are… audacious,” Yan Shi rebuked.
The matrons also became angry: “Audacious!”
“Chu Zhao!” Chu Tang also became anxious. “What madness has possessed you? Quickly apologize to Madam!”
Apologize to Madam Liang?
That she hadn’t gone up to physically assault Madam Liang was already the utmost benevolence and righteousness.
What happened in that life hadn’t occurred yet—she couldn’t take revenge, but she didn’t need to preserve or maintain face anymore.
She would never deal with the Liang clan again in this lifetime.
“It’s your daughter who is audacious,” she said coldly. “My father is the court’s General of the Guards. Although his official rank isn’t as high as Minister Liang, he is not a criminal official. Your daughter repeatedly says my father is guilty—that’s making pronouncements on behalf of His Majesty. This time I only taught her a lesson in the name of filial piety. Next time if this happens again, I’ll accuse her of high treason.”
Having spoken, she shook off Chu Tang’s hand, turned, and mounted her horse.
Yan Shi stood dumbfounded, watching the girl mount the horse. The girl looked toward her from horseback—her clothing and skirt simple, without any accessories. Her small face was immature with some childishness remaining, yet her expression was haughty, her bearing imposing. Meeting her gaze, Yan Shi unconsciously lowered her eyes and looked away.
Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze, swept a glance at the Liang estate’s main gate, cracked her whip, urged her horse forward, and galloped away with her maid A’Le.
Chu Tang was at a loss, but she also knew that at this moment she absolutely could not enter the Liang estate. She stamped her foot: “Chu Zhao, just wait until I tell Father how to punish you!” She also gave chase.
In the blink of an eye, both Chu family young misses had left. Yan Shi exhaled a breath, her face turning livid.
“Good,” she exclaimed. “Good! What a Miss Chu indeed!”
“Madam, Madam!” The matrons supported her, urgently advising: “Please don’t be angry.”
Yan Shi shook off the matrons: “She wants to accuse me of high treason? Quickly go summon the master home!”
……
……
Not far from the Liang estate gate at the street corner, a group of girls watched this scene with astonished expressions.
When they arrived, Chu Zhao hadn’t entered the gate, and they also didn’t feel comfortable going over. After all, if she had entered, they could say they came to visit Liang Qin. But now with Chu Zhao blocking the gate—should they go in or not? Moreover, Chu Zhao was arguing with Liang Qin’s maid. If they went over, they’d also be entangled by her—how embarrassing.
Later when Madam Liang also came out, they even less could step forward.
Now the spectacle was over, completely different from what they had imagined. There was no Chu Zhao admitting guilt, kowtowing, and crying bitterly.
Had Chu Zhao gone mad? Everyone had this thought.
Standing at the very front, Qi Leyun thought of something else.
“Chu Zhao said she struck Ah Qin because of mocking her father.” She turned to ask everyone: “We’ve all mocked her too. She won’t come strike us as well, will she?”