The manor gates slammed shut with a bang before Madam Xiao and her maids’ stunned, disheveled faces.
Left outside to be pointed at and whispered about, Madam Xiao, who had never suffered such humiliation in her life, fainted from rage.
Unaware of Madam Xiao’s fainting, Shen Xihe watched as Shen Qing shamefully knelt before her once the gates closed: “This old servant is incompetent. Please punish me, Princess.”
Shen Xihe strode forward and personally helped Shen Qing up: “Uncle Qing, you needn’t blame yourself.”
This was the imperial city. Though Madam Xiao was a concubine, only Shen Yueshan and the Shen siblings had the right to treat her as a servant – Shen Qing could not.
“Elder Sister, it was my fault for failing to properly counsel Concubine Mother. Please let her return – I willingly accept punishment.” Shen Yingruo knelt again before Shen Xihe, hands crossed touching her forehead in deep obeisance.
“Have you heard about Lingrong’s matter?” Shen Xihe asked coolly.
Shen Yingruo remained prostrate for a moment before raising her head, her bright eyes glistening with tears but filled with confusion.
“Biyu, you tell her.” Shen Xihe left Biyu behind and led the others back to Nuowa Court.
Most items had been sent to the Princess’s Manor – she would only stay here briefly, moving to her manor after dealing with Madam Xiao.
The manor servants, frightened by Shen Xihe’s forcefulness, walked more softly.
When Shen Xihe rose from her afternoon rest, Biyu and the others had arranged the luggage and, leveraging Shen Xihe’s intimidating presence, easily learned everything about the manor.
News of her throwing Madam Xiao out had spread throughout the capital, along with the morning’s events at the Ministry of Justice and Lingrong’s matter. In just half a day in the capital, all noble families and aristocrats clearly understood: that Princess Zhaoning was not to be trifled with!
They all warned their spoiled sons and willful daughters to behave properly before Princess Zhaoning.
Shen Xihe remained completely indifferent to how others spoke of her.
Though Shen Xihe didn’t care, Biyu and the others were somewhat anxious. The well-connected manor servants, eager to show loyalty and capability, had already passed this news to them.
“Princess, they’re being indiscriminate. While openly telling their sons and daughters to respect you, they’re secretly encouraging them to isolate you,” Hongyu said carefully while doing Shen Xihe’s hair.
“Isolate?” Shen Xihe’s slender hand held a peony hairpin, the fine gold beads making scattered tinkling sounds as she played with them. “Have you ever seen wolves pack with dogs? Tigers walk with foxes?”
She was not of the same rank as them anyway – why waste time with them?
Better to focus on taking care of herself.
Besides, she preferred solitude.
Hongyu was shocked.
They had all sensed the Princess had changed after Lingrong’s incident. Previously in the Northwest, the Princess had loved lively atmospheres, disliking to be alone as it made her feel like her life was drawing short.
But now…
Handing the hairpin to Hongyu, Shen Xihe’s indifferent eyes met Hongyu’s in the mirror: “This is the capital. I’m not the only princess here – there are others more noble than I.
In the Northwest, my word was law – even if I called a deer a horse, everyone would agree.
In the capital, they only unite against outsiders, digging pits waiting for me to fall in.”
Thinking of the morning’s events, Hongyu shuddered as she fixed the hairpin in Shen Xihe’s black hair, arranging the beaded strings hanging to her eyebrows: “In the future, their calling cards…”
“Reject them all. Say, I’m delicate and cannot bear the wind.” Shen Xihe adjusted her collar and stood.
“Princess, the Crown Prince of Shunan is here…” Shen Xihe had just turned when Ziyu’s voice came from outside, her expression somewhat complicated.
Without asking questions, Shen Xihe walked out of her courtyard to the covered corridor of the main hall, where she saw Bu Shulin in a moon-white turned-collar robe with matching embroidered patterns on the collar and cuffs, his foot planted on a black and blue-faced person.
“Sister Xihe, I’ve caught this bad seed for you.” Bu Shulin kicked the person beneath his foot, making him roll several times.
The person cried out in pain but immediately crawled up to kneel before Shen Xihe: “Princess, I am swine, worse than dogs and pigs…”
Then he kowtowed violently to Shen Xihe, but when he rose his face was ashen with hatred.
“Still unrepentant?” His expression earned him another kick from Bu Shulin, knocking him down again.
Seeming to have internal injuries, he coughed up blood, staining the clean flagstones of the courtyard. Shen Xihe’s fine brows furrowed.
Bu Shulin immediately caught this, stepping on Chen Jing: “Who told you to spit blood? Clean the ground immediately!”
Chen Jing, though a legitimate son of the Xuanping Marquis Manor, somehow had his weakness in Bu Shulin’s hands and showed no defiance, hurriedly wiping the bloodstains with his clothes.
“Sister Xihe, if you’re not satisfied, feel free to beat him – just leave him breathing.” Fierce and intimidating toward Chen Jing, but gentle and almost fawning when facing Shen Xihe.
“Meow!” Duanming jumped to Shen Xihe’s side at this moment, its tail draped over her foot.
Shen Xihe crouched to pick it up, stroking its fine fur: “Throw him out. Don’t dirty my courtyard.”
“At your command!” Bu Shulin responded loudly, grabbing Chen Jing and truly throwing him out, then dusting off his hands.
This was the second time that day someone had been thrown out of the manor, drawing curious onlookers.
Bu Shulin’s eyes darted: “This scoundrel knew only delicate young ladies were home and climbed the wall, intending mischief!”
Bu Shulin’s preemptive accusation stirred public anger, ignoring how his words might inflame the situation. Some carrying vegetable baskets threw leaves at Chen Jing while cursing.
Bu Shulin turned on his heel and swaggered back into the manor.
Shen Xihe had set out tea and refreshments in the pavilion. Bu Shulin’s eyes lit up as he happily ran in and sprawled down. Shen Xihe placed a bowl of plum drink before him.
Picking it up cheerfully, his lips had barely touched the bowl’s rim when his expression turned solemn. Bu Shulin asked anxiously: “It’s… it’s not poisoned, is it?”
“What nonsense are you speaking? Our Princess is upright and honorable – how dare you slander her!” Ziyu, unaware of what had happened in Luoyang, was angry.
A trace of a smile appeared on Shen Xihe’s lips: “It’s not poisoned. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Only then did Bu Shulin happily gulp down a mouthful, roughly wiping his mouth afterward: “You’re not annoyed at my meddling this time?”
“I don’t mind your interference, but you needn’t go so far.” Shen Xihe’s clean, slender hands lifted her teacup with elegant, flower-plucking gestures, taking a small sip.
She knew Bu Shulin was taking revenge for her. The grudge between Shen Xihe and the Xuanping Marquis had already been established due to the morning’s horse incident – this additional matter would not change the impossibility of reconciliation.
Bu Shulin understood this too, which was why he was trying to curry favor with Shen Xihe this way.