Shang Rong did not understand Qin Rao’s temperament, and was quite surprised to see her appear in her sleeping quarters. However, Qi Qingling, standing at the courtyard gate closest to Qin Rao, felt inexplicably chilled and couldn’t help but take two steps backward.

Several Good Concubines and Good Ladies of the Eastern Palace all had people from Dong Chang nearby. Yesterday the Crown Prince had ordered everyone to watch Qin Rao carefully. Today, as soon as she appeared, several palace maids and eunuchs each stood before their own masters.

“You played the qin quite well yesterday.”

Qin Rao looked at Qi Qingling with a beaming smile. Qi Qingling stammered her thanks to the Princess.

“What did you say?”

“Thank you for the Princess’s prai—”

Before the words could finish, when everyone had no time to react, Qin Rao very suddenly whipped out a long lash from her sleeve, heading straight for Qi Qingling’s face.

Three or four eunuchs instantly sprang out from the surroundings, but not one could stop her in time.

Qin Rao’s madness came too suddenly. From the moment she entered Shang Rong’s courtyard to when she struck Qi Qingling, it was but an instant. Song Wan still sat before the qin, not yet having risen.

From the moment Qin Rao entered, Song Wan had raised her eyes to observe. Before she could even consider whether she should rise to pay respects to Qin Rao, she felt a spray of warm, bloody liquid splash across her entire face.

“Ah…”

Lu Youjun cried out loudly. Song Wan blankly raised her hand to wipe away the bright red blood on her face. Just as she opened her eyes, she saw that at the end of the long whip in Qin Rao’s hand hung a large piece of flesh.

And Qi Qingling had already collapsed to the ground, struggling and wailing.

On her face, more than half the skin was gone.

“Qingling…”

Zhang Baozhen and Zhao Nanzhang frantically rushed forward to support her. Song Wan stood frozen in place, not yet having emerged from her shock and fear.

“You… you…”

Shang Rong abruptly stood up. Just as she was about to say something, unable to bear such a blow, after spitting out just two words she suddenly foamed at the mouth and collapsed in convulsions. Only then did Song Wan return to her senses, frantically pushing aside the qin stand to go to Shang Rong.

As soon as she moved, Qin Rao noticed her.

Among all the women of the Eastern Palace, Song Wan was truly outstanding. Not caring about her status, Qin Rao swung her long whip out again.

Halfway there, however, Jinshu grabbed the whip’s tail.

The tail of this whip was covered with metal hooks and barbs. Jinshu, in pain, fiercely yanked it, sending Qin Rao flying.

The people from Dong Chang hurriedly rushed forward to surround Qin Rao completely.

No one had expected that this Princess of Nanqing would be so deranged as to go on a murderous rampage in another country’s rear palace.

Luanjian, Heng Zhi, and the other palace maids were all dealing with the chaos before them. Seeing this, Heng Wu took great strides to the Eastern Palace to have someone go to the front court to find the Crown Prince.

In the Eastern Palace, wailing and weeping would not cease. Qin Rao slowly climbed up from the ground, looking at the several people surrounding her with a charming smile. “Why don’t you help this Princess up?”

The palace maid beside her stepped forward and helped Qin Rao to her feet.

The expressions of those sent to secretly monitor Qin Rao all looked extremely unpleasant. However, her status was special. Even the people of Dong Chang momentarily did not know how to handle her.

“Affected and pretentious. This Princess finds it most displeasing. Moreover, seeing this Princess and not knowing to pay respects—death is not punishment enough.”

Qin Rao narrowed her eyes, looking at Jinshu with an unfriendly expression.

“Return this Princess’s scorpion tail whip.”

The tail of her long whip was covered with hidden hooks. Jinshu’s action in grabbing the whip’s tail was purely instinctive. Now the hooks and barbs had pierced through her flesh and bone. If Jinshu did not possess considerable strength, just now half her hand would have been scraped to bare bone by Qin Rao.

Now that long whip still hooked into Jinshu’s hand, she was in terrible pain, only able to let tears fall, not daring to move even half a bit.

Just as Qin Rao was about to step forward, Song Wan suddenly stood up.

“Has the Princess had enough of this madness?”

She had just been sitting in a low position, her entire head and face covered with blood splattered when the whip struck. Song Wan had no time to attend to it, only clenched her fists tightly, staring fixedly at Qin Rao.

“What kind of thing are you to dare speak to this Princess thus?”

Qin Rao giggled and reached out to grab Song Wan.

Song Wan neither moved nor dodged. Her gaze looked toward Luanjian. The two were preparing to break Qin Rao’s arm the moment she made her move, but her hand was suddenly pierced by a flying wooden spike.

That wooden spike flew past Song Wan’s face, penetrating straight through Qin Rao’s palm.

The penetrating force of the wooden spike deflected Qin Rao’s palm. She merely looked down at it, then without concern reached out to pull the object from her bone and blood.

“The Princess goes too far.”

Wan Xiao’s expression was dark as he strode forward, his gaze sweeping over Song Wan’s face, his heart shaking.

Only after discovering she was not injured did he slowly breathe out a sigh of relief.

He knew well how much his master valued Lady Song Chenghui.

Just as his heart relaxed, he saw Jinshu cradling one hand, the whip’s end hanging from her shoulder, crying with snot and tears streaming down.

Wan Xiao furrowed his brows tightly, turning his head to say to Song Wan, “I trouble Lady Song Chenghui to care for the other ladies and first settle the two injured ladies.”

Song Wan looked at Wan Xiao with reddened eyes, unwilling in her heart.

For the first time in her life, she gave birth to the vicious thought of hoping someone would die violently on the spot.

But Qi Qingling was still wailing in her ears, and Shang Rong was still convulsing. She forcefully suppressed her grief and fury, turning to care for Qi Qingling.

“Has someone gone to find the Imperial Physician?”

Lu Youjun cried, “Already gone. Elder Sister Wan’er, what… what should we do…”

Song Wan’s face was solemn. “Don’t panic. Hold Qingling’s hands. Don’t let her touch the wound on her face.”

She pulled Wu Xixiang, her voice slightly trembling. “Hold down Qingling’s feet…”

“Director Wan, please request the Princess to bestow medicine.”

Song Wan half-crouched supporting Qi Qingling’s head, forcefully holding back tears to remind Wan Xiao.

The Princess of Nanqing was ignorant and unaware, and must often be injured. She must have hemostatic and flesh-regenerating medicine on her person, and it was certain to be of the highest quality.

Wan Xiao also reacted, indicating for the Dong Chang people surrounding Qin Rao to step forward and search her.

Qin Rao’s gaze swept over Song Wan as she sneered. “You dare.”

“If you show this Princess disrespect today and thereby cause hostility between our two countries, can you bear this responsibility?”

“The Princess might first consider herself.”

After speaking, Wan Xiao stepped forward and directly reached toward Qin Rao’s waist.

“Presumptuous.”

A palace maid beside Qin Rao spoke, casually tossing the medicinal powder from her bosom to Wan Xiao.

No matter what, they could not watch the Princess be humiliated by the people of Dongning.

Wan Xiao caught the medicinal powder. Opening the porcelain bottle and placing it to his nose to smell, discovering no problems, he passed it to Song Wan.

Song Wan hastily took it and poured all the medicinal powder onto Qi Qingling’s face. Perhaps the medicine stung the wound, for Qi Qingling instantly arched her back, violently throwing Song Wan and Wu Xixiang to the ground.

Wan Xiao stood with lowered eyes before Qin Rao, not knowing in his heart how to handle this, only able to wait for Shen Qianyu to arrive after court was dismissed.

After quite a while, Shen Qianyu finally rushed into the Eastern Palace, his expression cold and full of urgency.

The moment he entered, he saw Song Wan prostrate on the ground, her face covered in fresh blood. He was instantly frightened to the point his heart stopped for an instant.

Song Wan raised her head, shaking it slightly toward him to indicate she was unharmed. Only then did Shen Qianyu open his mouth blankly, slowly exhaling the fear in his chest.

“Send the Princess back to Zhaoxia Hall. Beat the rest to death with rods.”

Shen Qianyu spoke coldly, but the hands behind his back were clenched into fists from anger.

He looked toward Qin Rao, speaking word by word. “Beat to death with rods all those who accompanied the Princess into the palace. Let the Princess watch with her own eyes what foolish deed she has done and how many subjects of Nanqing she has caused to die.”

Wan Xiao indicated for the Dong Chang people to comply, while he himself remained with Shen Qianyu.

The four Imperial Physicians arrived late. Wan Xiao watched as everyone was examining the wounds of Shang Rong, Qi Qingling, and the others. After thinking, he walked to Jinshu’s side.

Wan Xiao looked at Jinshu and pulled her hand before him.