Chapter 33. The lady was furious.

Chapter 33

Granny Feng and two maids from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion helped Gao Lanxin down from the carriage, followed by six guards standing in a row behind her, making quite a grand entrance.

Jing Hao and Jing Yue of the Yong'an Marquis's residence frowned and shouted angrily, "Insolence! Who dares to force their way into the Yong'an Marquis's residence!"

Granny Feng stepped forward, head held high and haughty. "This is the Princess of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. She was hit on the street by your carriage and injured her leg. Please inform Her Highness the Princess and your wife to come and give our young lady justice."

“Even a princess should present her visiting card first when she comes to my Yong’an Marquis’s residence, according to the rules,” Jing Hao and Jing Yue stood side by side at the gate, not giving an inch. “Please forgive my disrespect.”

"You dog slaves! Get out of my way!" Gao Lanxin rushed forward despite the obstruction. "Even if my Zhenguo Duke's Mansion is not as noble as a Marquis's Mansion, it is still a dukedom bestowed by the imperial court! And I am a princess personally appointed by His Majesty! What are you two! How dare you stop me!"

Jing Hao and Jing Yue remained motionless. Gao Lanxin was furious. She turned around, drew the sword from the guard's waist, and was about to swing it at the two of them.

A pebble flew through the air and struck Gao Lanxin's sword squarely, causing it to fall to the ground with a clatter. Shen Suining's calm voice came from inside: "Jing Hao, Jing Yue, let the princess in."

“Yes, Madam.” Jing Hao and Jing Yue then made way for him.

Gao Lanxin gave a heavy "humph," pushed the two aside, and entered the mansion. Granny Feng followed closely behind. When the maids and guards were about to catch up, Jing Hao drew his sword and placed it in the middle of the gate. "Madam said that only the princess can enter."

Without their master's permission, the guards dared not force their way into the Marquis's residence and could only wait outside the gate.

In the front yard, Shen Suining was teasing Erni, who was chained to a tree.

Erni is the only female among the three wolfhounds. She is pure white with extremely beautiful fur. Although she doesn't look as strong as the other two, she is the fiercest.

Gao Lanxin stormed in aggressively. Erni seemed to sense that the newcomer was hostile and rushed in front of Shen Suining with a furious howl. It looked just like a white wolf, and even with a muzzle, it was still terrifying.

Gao Lanxin and Granny Feng were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their legs went weak, causing them to fall to the ground. Granny Feng looked at Erni and stood in front of Gao Lanxin, trembling.

"Erni, come back," Shen Suining stopped and gently called Erni back, reaching out to stroke its head. "They are guests, what if you scare them?"

Erni nuzzled Shen Suining's hand affectionately, her eyes warily fixed on Gao Lanxin on the ground, letting out a low whimper as a warning.

Gao Lanxin clung to Granny Feng's arm, her face turning deathly pale with fright.

Seeing that the two were still sitting on the ground and wouldn't get up, Shen Suining stood up straight and chuckled, "Two guests, why are you giving such a grand greeting all of a sudden?"

“You, you… wolf… it… it…” Gao Lanxin stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Shen Suining said "Oh," and then looked enlightened. "Erni is shy around strangers. It's the first time you two have met her, and she's acting all aggressive. She must feel threatened to act like that."

As she spoke, Shen Suining gestured to Erni, signaling her to go back to the tree and lie down obediently.

Granny Feng then shakily got up and pulled Gao Lanxin up from the ground. The mistress, servants, and descendants took several steps back, keeping a safe distance from Erni.

Only then did Shen Suining adopt the demeanor of a hostess and ask, "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

Gao Lanxin was so frightened by Erni's roar that she lost her mind. When Shen Suining asked her about it, she looked at the woman who had taken her place in a daze.

She was beautiful, with a fair and clean face, like a freshly peeled lychee. Her eyes were especially large and bright, with long, thick eyelashes that seemed to bewitch people.

Despite her anger, Gao Lanxin had to admit that this person was indeed the type that men liked—sweet and alluring, like a delicate and innocent little white flower, seemingly easy to bully. If she hadn't married her brother Hansheng, Gao Lanxin might have also developed feelings for Shen Suining.

But the thought that she was now He Hansheng's wife made Gao Lanxin furious. She was about to step forward, but was stopped by Erni's low growl from under the tree. She cleared her throat and mustered her courage, "I came to find you because I want you to apologize to me!"

"Apologize?" Shen Suining chuckled, finding the girl's spoiled nature somewhat endearing, despite her slight brainstem deficiency. Intrigued, she stepped forward. "Little sister, I don't think I've ever seen you before?"

“You have never seen me, but,” Gao Lanxin said, blushing, “your husband should have been mine.”

This was something Shen Suining hadn't expected. Her expression stiffened for a moment, but to save face, she quickly covered it up with a light laugh. "Then go and reason with him. Why should I apologize to you?"

“You are his wife now. Someone like Han Sheng, once you married him, he will definitely be on your side,” Gao Lanxin said, her eyes red and looking pitiful. “I know him. Now that he has married you, he certainly doesn’t want to divorce you. This matter is settled. I can’t swallow this, so it’s not too much to ask you to apologize, is it?”

Shen Suining was so exasperated by this little girl's thought process that she almost laughed.

Not to mention that Shen Suining was completely unaware of the marriage agreement between the Gao and He families, even if He Hansheng and Gao Lanxin were truly in love first, she and He Hansheng were forced into this situation because the emperor wanted to arrange this marriage and forcibly tied them together for his own benefit. In truth, Shen Suining is the most innocent one.

They actually want her to apologize? That's unheard of.

Shen Suining took a deep breath, trying hard to control her emotions. "Sister, listen to my advice. If this person promised you something but then broke his promise, go find him. Even if he kneels before you and you slap him a hundred or two, that's fair enough. Then go about your business. The world is so big; you don't have to hang yourself on one tree. Of course, if you insist on this crooked tree, then go talk to the Emperor yourself and ask for a divorce decree. I'll pack my bags and leave immediately. Whoever wants to be the Marquis's wife can have her, how about that?"

"I've already told you, Brother Hansheng won't divorce you," Gao Lanxin raised her voice, seemingly getting anxious. "Your father and you used underhanded tactics behind the scenes. You're clearly from some unknown village, yet you've transformed yourself into a marquis with a rank higher than my father's! If it weren't for that, why would His Majesty have bestowed you upon Brother Hansheng? Now that you're married to him, you should cherish him, yet you say these high-sounding words to me. You've not only wronged me, but you've also wronged Brother Hansheng!"

"..." Shen Suining laughed in anger, and was too lazy to argue anymore. She turned around and gave Erni a hand gesture.

Upon receiving the order, Erni lunged fiercely towards Gao Lanxin, her chains taut, and she was just a person's distance away from Gao Lanxin.

Gao Lanxin screamed in fright, almost scared out of her wits, but she was still unwilling to give up and hid behind Granny Feng, refusing to leave.

Shen Suining had lost her patience. She controlled her emotions and said, "If you don't get out of here, I can't guarantee how long this chain will last."

Granny Feng was terrified. The white wolf's aggression was no joke. If it broke free of the chains, no one could escape. She had no choice but to quickly protect Gao Lanxin and flee the Marquis's mansion in a sorry state.

Shen Suining stood in the courtyard for a while to calm down. Erni sensed that something was wrong with her, so she circled around her a few times and gently rubbed against her dress.

"It's alright, I'm very magnanimous," Shen Suining said, seemingly trying to comfort Erni or reassure herself. "I won't stoop to the level of these ordinary people."

Shen Suining untied the iron chains binding her to the tree and led Erni to the training ground.

Jiang Yuchu was watching the soldiers train when she noticed that Shen Suining looked unwell. She quickly stepped forward and asked, "Didn't Madam go back to Pu She today? Why are you back so early?"

Shen Suining didn't speak. She was furious and had nowhere to vent her anger. Seeing Jiang Yuchu reminded her of He Hansheng, Gao Lanxin's words, and those sickeningly sweet "Brother Hansheng."

If what Gao Lanxin said is true, and the Gao family and He Hansheng had a prior agreement, then what was she considered? A homewrecker?

Shen Suining grew angrier the more she thought about it, and angrily threw Erni's chain at Jiang Yuchu before turning and leaving.

...

Behind the Yong'an Marquis's residence, there is a bamboo forest, separated from the martial arts training ground by a bridge.

After Shen Suining scared Gao Lanxin away yesterday, he couldn't stand reading the storybook anymore and started wildly dancing with his sword in the bamboo forest.

She already possessed profound internal strength, and coupled with her anger, her sword aura became extremely fierce. Wherever she stood, the sword's edge swept across, causing bamboo stalks to fall one by one, raising a cloud of dust.

The weather was gloomy today, with dark clouds and occasional thunder. She stood alone deep in the bamboo forest, practicing her sword dance, and managed to create the momentum of a thousand troops.

Jiang Yuchu, who had accompanied him, broke out in a cold sweat and reminded Shen Fengyu, who was standing beside her, "If this continues, this forest will probably be bald."

"And you're the one who keeps telling her to consider the bigger picture, that our young master can only swallow her anger when she's wronged," Shen Fengyu rolled her eyes at him, her expression also not very pleasant. "She listens to you all outside, so what's wrong with her venting behind closed doors?"

Jiang Yuchu was at a loss for words. The two of them were both tight-lipped. He asked them for a long time, and finally learned from Jing Hao and Jing Yue that it was Princess Lanxin of the Gao family who had upset the lady.

Princess Lanxin was the only legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo and his youngest daughter. Naturally, she was showered with love and affection from a young age. The Duke of Zhenguo's wife went to great lengths to have such a precious daughter and spoiled her excessively, which fostered Princess Lanxin's arrogant and domineering personality.

Her admiration for He Hansheng was not exactly a secret in Huadu. However, the young marquis was always self-disciplined and respectful of propriety, and had never overstepped his bounds. He hadn't even met Princess Lanxin many times. No one knew where she got the audacity to come to the door and provoke the madam.

Jiang Yuchu looked at the fallen bamboo forest and felt like crying. She could only pray that the heavens would be kind and not affect the young marquis's journey so that he could get home safely today.

Having apparently heard Jiang Yuchu's prayer, He Hansheng returned to the Marquis's residence before noon.

Before he could go to the palace to report the imperial decree, he went to the eldest princess first. Seeing that the princess looked much better than before, he finally felt relieved.

"Mother."

"Ah Sheng is back," the Princess said, relieved to see He Hansheng return safely. "It's good that you're back. I heard from Jing Hao and the others that Ningning suffered a great injustice yesterday, and even Feng Yu and Miao Wei couldn't persuade her. You should go and see her."

Having heard this, He Hansheng could not linger any longer. He quickly bowed and went to find Shen Suining.

He first returned to Ta Mei Garden, and upon hearing from Xiang Ye that Shen Suining was in the bamboo forest, he rushed over without even changing his clothes.

Seeing He Hansheng return in military uniform, his cloak billowing behind him like a savior, Jiang Yuchu immediately felt reassured. "My lord, you've finally returned."

"Where is Madam?"

As soon as He Hansheng finished speaking, a row of bamboo poles fell down. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shen Suining, dressed in red, standing deep in the bamboo forest, seemingly having stopped.

Jiang Yuchu: "My lord, the madam is in a fit of anger, please be careful."

He Hansheng didn't say anything, but tore off his cloak and threw it to Jiang Yuchu before stepping forward.

"Lord Marquis!" Shen Fengyu called out to He Hansheng, hesitating to speak, his worry evident in his eyes.

He Hansheng could see it clearly and knew that she was worried about Shen Suining.

“I know what I’m doing.” He Hansheng stepped forward, but before he even got close to the area where Shen Suining was, several sharpened bamboo poles suddenly flew out of the forest and shot straight at He Hansheng.

He Hansheng leaped up, using the bamboo for leverage to jump forward. Before he landed, Shen Suining thrust his sword at him.

Her sword was extremely steady, striking his vital point directly, showing that she was in a fit of rage and had the intention to kill him.

He Hansheng spun around to dodge, but Shen Suining slashed at him with her sword again. At the same time, she flicked out a long whip with her left hand, hooked He Hansheng's leg, and pulled him down from mid-air to the ground.

Shen Suining gripped weapons in both hands and unleashed her full power, while He Hansheng, unarmed, focused only on defense and did not attack. After several rounds, he found himself at a disadvantage.

His expression hardened slightly. When Shen Suining thrust her sword at him again, he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, knocking the sword away and forcing Shen Suining into hand-to-hand combat with him.

The two fought fiercely deep in the bamboo forest. Shen Suining was extremely ruthless. She lashed out with her whip to tie He Hansheng's hand with one hand, then spun around and tied his other hand. She then swept her leg low and pressed He Hansheng to the ground with her other hand.

Shen Suining straddled He Hansheng, both of them panting heavily. She held down He Hansheng's hands, which were bound by the long whip, and stared intently at him.

He Hansheng stared at her, his eyes revealing little emotion, only tired, bloodshot veins.

He spoke softly, his tone unusually gentle, "Are you calm now?"