“Rise,” Shen Xihe’s gaze swept over lightly as she lifted her skirts to ascend the steps.

Since harmonious coexistence was impossible anyway, why pretend at sisterly affection?

“Princess, Nuowa Court has been prepared according to the old servant’s instructions days ago. If anything is not to your liking, please tell this old servant…” Shen Qing led Shen Xihe toward the inner chambers while explaining, introducing the manor’s layout along the way.

The Prince’s Manor had quarters for both Shen Xihe and Shen Yun’an, with names personally chosen by Shen Yueshan – Nongzhang Court and Nuowa Court respectively.

Nongzhang symbolized the birth of a son, while Nuowa represented the birth of a daughter.

Shen Yueshan had these names hung after Shen Yingruo’s birth, specifically to tell everyone he had only one son and one daughter. In all these years, Shen Yueshan never mentioned Shen Yingruo and Madam Xiao, as if they didn’t exist.

As Shen Xihe walked toward Nuowa Court, two maids approached, curtsied to her, and headed east.

“Stop,” Shen Xihe halted, and Biyu immediately reprimanded the two maids.

The maids stopped and lowered their heads. Shen Xihe’s gaze swept over them before she turned toward the east.

The east was primary, where the main courtyard was located – only the principal wife had the right to reside there.

Standing at the courtyard entrance, Shen Xihe saw servants moving about inside.

She passed through the long corridor to find Madam Xiao in the waterside pavilion, wearing an elaborate high bun with gold hairpins and a heavy formal dress, leisurely scattering fish food.

“This servant pays respects to the Princess.”

Following Shen Xihe, Shen Yingruo gave a light cough, and only then did Madam Xiao’s group notice Shen Xihe. The maids beside Madam Xiao unhurriedly curtsied to Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe walked slowly to stand before Madam Xiao, her gaze cold.

Madam Xiao remained unconcerned, completely dismissing Shen Xihe’s presence.

“Who allowed you to live in the main courtyard?” Shen Xihe asked.

Madam Xiao, only in her early thirties with striking features, didn’t even glance at Shen Xihe: “I live here – what can you do about it?”

“Moyu, throw these people out of the courtyard,” Shen Xihe commanded calmly.

“You dare!” Madam Xiao hadn’t expected Shen Xihe would dare treat her this way.

Shen Xihe completely ignored her. Moyu flashed forward to restrain Madam Xiao. When Madam Xiao’s maids and Shen Yingruo’s maids tried to intervene, they were no match for Biyu and the others who had trained in martial arts since childhood.

But unexpectedly, just as Moyu began dragging the shouting Madam Xiao from the pavilion, a shadow darted out from hiding, thrusting a sword toward Moyu.

Moyu kept her focus solely on dragging Madam Xiao. Before the attacker’s sword could reach her across the pond, another long sword intercepted it.

Mo Yuan’s expression darkened slightly as he engaged the guard in combat, moving from the long corridor to the rockery, then from the rockery to the rooftop.

“Elder Sister, please calm down, please give Mother…” Shen Yingruo hurriedly pleaded with Shen Xihe, but before finishing, caught Shen Xihe’s sweeping gaze and realized her mistake. She bit her lip and corrected herself, “Please give Concubine some face. I will certainly persuade her to move out today.”

“Fourteen years – even if we excuse the first ten years of your childhood ignorance of propriety, you’ve had four years,” Shen Xihe shook off her sleeve. “Throw these maids out as well.”

Biyu, Hongyu, and Ziyu didn’t hesitate, following Moyu’s lead in pushing out Madam Xiao’s maids with their arms twisted behind them.

Moyu threw Madam Xiao outside the main courtyard gate, with several maids tumbling to the ground beside her.

The manor servants, especially those who served Madam Xiao, all shrank their necks like quails.

“Shen Xihe, you show no respect for your elders!” Madam Xiao, her hair in disarray, shouted harshly.

“Elder?” Shen Xihe stepped over the threshold, her skirts swaying slightly as she looked down at the woman. “I am Princess Zhaoning, appointed by His Majesty himself, ranked above a Duke. You are merely my father’s concubine. I overlook your failure to curtsy to me, yet you dare speak to me of being an elder?”

“You’re a Princess? I too am a Princess appointed by His Majesty, his direct maternal cousin!” Madam Xiao stood up with her maids’ support, her gaze toward Shen Xihe laced with venom.

“Oh? Is that so.” Shen Xihe nodded in realization. “Moyu, throw them out of the Prince’s Manor.”

“Elder Sister!” Shen Yingruo ran out and called loudly, dropping to her knees before Shen Xihe. “Please calm your anger.”

“Don’t beg me, beg your concubine-mother.” Shen Xihe glanced at her, then looked at the disbelieving Madam Xiao. “By her own words, she is His Majesty’s direct maternal cousin, so she is not of the Shen family.

Since she’s not of the Shen family, yet occupies our family’s principal courtyard, for such a shameless guest who disregards propriety, even if I throw her out of the manor, His Majesty in his wisdom will surely not blame me.”

“Shen Xihe—”

Before Shen Xihe finished speaking, Moyu had already bound Madam Xiao’s hands and carried her toward the main gate.

“Elder Sister, Elder Sister, please show mercy to Concubine Mother just once.” Shen Yingruo knelt, clutching Shen Xihe’s sleeve, her tear-filled eyes full of pleading.

Shen Yingruo was like a good bamboo shoot from poor stock. Shen Xihe had a decent impression of her and didn’t make things difficult: “Think carefully – are you surnamed Shen or Xiao?”

Pulling her sleeve free, Shen Xihe walked toward the outer gate, where Madam Xiao and her maids had already been thrown out.

The Shen Manor faced the Vermillion Bird Gate directly, and the guards there saw everything.

Combined with Shen Xihe’s grand arrival earlier, countless commoners and servants from neighboring official residences had gathered to watch.

They watched as Madam Xiao was thrown out by Shen Xihe, all staring in astonishment, unable to react for quite some time.

“This is our Shen Manor’s concubine, who has occupied the main courtyard for years, which our mistress only discovered upon returning today. When told to move out of the main courtyard, not only did she show no remorse, but she claimed to be more noble than our legitimate mistress.” Ziyu wasn’t one to back down, facing the pointing and muttering crowd with hands on hips, speaking righteously.

At these words, those who didn’t know Madam Xiao’s identity burst into an uproar.

What was a concubine?

Merely a plaything.

In current times, high officials often gifted concubines to each other – concubines were goods to be given away at will.

Yet she dared to shout at legitimate children.

Now no one thought throwing her out was excessive.

“Your… Your Highness… The Princess… she… she…” In the carriage around the corner, Tianyuan stuttered for a long while before managing, “The Princess is quite formidable.”

There were simply no words to describe the Princess’s forceful and fierce handling of the situation.

Though Madam Xiao was a concubine, she was still His Majesty’s maternal cousin, yet she was thrown out of the manor just like that.

He suddenly felt somewhat afraid – if Princess Zhaoning married into the Eastern Palace, would his master dare to take any beauties in the future?

Xiao Huayong was unaware of his confidant’s concerns for his future. His eyes, usually concealing their brilliance, showed waves of admiration and tenderness: “This is just the beginning.”

Just counting how Madam Xiao first used spies to push her off the boat, then tried to harm Shen Xihe at the city gate using her maternal family connections – not even mentioning the grudge between Madam Xiao and Shen Xihe’s mother – these two attempted attacks meant Shen Xihe couldn’t tolerate her.

“Let’s go back to the palace.” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved in amusement as he lowered the carriage curtain. “Send people to fetch spring water from Mount Zhongnan, to brew her a proper pot of tea tomorrow when we receive her.”