Chapter 180 The Powerful Aura of the Head Mistress
"Smack!"
The crisp sound echoed throughout the kitchen, shocking everyone, even the usually composed Granny Chai looked at Shen Wantang in surprise.
"Shen Wantang, you dare to hit me?! Are you crazy? I called you a dog, and you actually dared to bite me?"
"Smack!"
Another slap.
Shen Wantang's movements were swift and decisive, and she was quite ruthless. Chu Yanluo's cheek swelled up instantly.
She looked at Chu Yanluo coldly: "Try cursing me again, and see if your cursing is harsher or my hitting is harsher."
Chu Yanluo's cheeks burned with pain. She was not about to suffer such a loss. She raised her hand to hit back, but Shen Wantang quickly grabbed her wrist and pushed her back.
Chu Yanluo was immediately pushed and stumbled back several steps before she could barely regain her balance.
She looked at Shen Wantang with shock and anger, but dared not step forward to make a move.
She was no match for Shen Wantang's strength; if she rushed forward rashly, she would only suffer greater losses!
Even if she weren't injured and bleeding, her health wouldn't be nearly as good as Shen Wantang's.
Shen Wantang ate only the best food, and to improve her health, she would walk several laps in the garden of the Prince's Mansion every day.
Chu Yanluo herself pursued an ethereal and slender appearance, and ate very little on weekdays. Compared to Shen Wantang, she was as thin as paper.
"Granny Chai, Concubine Chu has committed an act of insubordination, not only insulting and disrespecting me, but also attempting to lay a hand on me. She is utterly lawless! From this day forward, she is to be confined to Qingwu Courtyard for self-reflection! No one is to release her without my permission!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Granny Chai immediately led her men forward, restrained Chu Yanluo, and tried to drag her out.
Chu Yanluo screamed, "Shen Wantang, how dare you bully me because of your status? You're dead! I want to see the Prince, I want to tell him just how wicked you are! I want him to divorce you!"
"Help! Xiao Qingyuan, please save me! I'm going to be killed by Shen Wantang! Xiao Qingyuan!"
Xiao Qingyuan was already looking for her outside when he heard her scream. He immediately rushed into the kitchen yard: "Yanluo! What are you doing? Let her go right now!"
When Chu Yanluo saw him, she was overjoyed and shed two lines of tears: "Your Highness, I thought I would never see you again. Shen Wantang, she... she wanted to beat me to death!"
Xiao Qingyuan rushed over, pushed aside the maids and servants who were pinning down Chu Yanluo, and hugged her tightly.
He watched as the wound on her neck began to bleed again, and saw the shocking bloodstains on her clothes. Enraged, he demanded, "Shen Wantang, what have you done?! Who gave you permission to hurt Yan Luo?!"
Shen Wantang, abandoning her usual polite and gentle demeanor, turned cold and spoke with a sharp tone: "The wound on Concubine Chu's neck was inflicted by her own fingernails, it has nothing to do with me! Instead of questioning me, Your Highness, you should manage your concubine! If you can't manage her, then I will! It is only right for the mistress of the house to discipline a concubine who has disobeyed her superiors, no matter which household it is!"
Xiao Qingyuan was stunned. Was this Shen Wantang? Why was she suddenly so assertive?
Her cold, stern expression gave him a strange and overwhelming sense of oppression.
This was a feeling he had never experienced before. So this was what she looked like when she was angry? It was somewhat frightening, yet it also revealed a completely different side of her to him.
His anger inexplicably subsided by more than half. He looked down at Chu Yanluo and asked, "Did you really scratch the wound on your neck yourself?"
Chu Yanluo sobbed softly, "I was forced into this by them. Your Highness, look at my face. This is all from Shen Wantang. If Your Highness took me as a concubine just to subject me to such beatings and humiliations from Shen Wantang, then I beg Your Highness to let me leave. I can't stay in the Ning Prince's Mansion for another second. I'm afraid that if I leave too slowly, I'll be beaten to death!"
Xiao Qingyuan frowned and looked at Shen Wantang again: "Did you hit this?"
Shen Wantang's tone was icy: "I hit him."
"Why did you hit her? Yan Luo is straightforward by nature. Even if she doesn't speak nicely, she definitely didn't mean any harm! Shen Wantang, you've gone too far by beating her like this! Don't you owe me an explanation?"
"Does Your Highness mean that Consort Chu didn't mean any harm by calling me a dog? As the mistress of the household, I'm supposed to smile and greet her with a smile when a concubine points her finger at me and calls me a dog? What kind of family rules are these? What mistress would swallow such insults?"
Xiao Qingyuan's other questions caught in his throat instantly. He looked at Chu Yanluo in shock: "Yanluo, how could you insult Shen Wantang like that? She is my Crown Princess! You called her a dog, where does that leave me? Aren't you just looking for trouble?"
Chu Yanluo wanted to argue that she hadn't cursed Shen Wantang, but too many people had heard her curse, and given Shen Wantang's powerful aura, she didn't dare to say "no."
She knew that she had suffered a great loss in this battle, but she had still lost.
She nestled in Xiao Qingyuan's arms and began to sob. In no time, she fainted on top of him.
"Yanluo!"
Xiao Qingyuan was shocked and picked her up to leave.
Behind him, Shen Wantang's cold voice rang out: "Young Master, you may leave, but Aunt Chu must stay. She has committed insubordination and should be confined to Qingwu Courtyard."
Xiao Qingyuan turned around in disbelief: "What did you say? Yan Luo is about to die, and you still want to lock her up and confine her? Shen Wantang, do you have any humanity left! You should immediately send someone to fetch the imperial physician!"
"Since Aunt Chu's condition is so critical, it may be too late to call the imperial physician. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, so I will take a look at Aunt Chu myself."
Xiao Qingyuan hesitated: "You're willing to treat Yan Luo's injuries? You wouldn't take this opportunity to kill her, would you?"
Shen Wantang looked at him calmly: "Your Highness, please don't be petty. I have always kept public and private matters separate, and I am not the kind of person who is narrow-minded. Your Highness can ask anyone how I have managed the household since I married into the Prince's Mansion. Have I ever shown favoritism? Have I ever deliberately targeted anyone?"
“But you hit Yanluo today.”
“She defied her superiors. If I don’t teach her a lesson, how will I manage the servants in the palace in the future? She deserved to be beaten. Even if this matter is taken to my father and mother, I will still be in the right.”
Seeing that Xiao Qingyuan was still hesitant, Shen Wantang said again, "I only locked up Aunt Chu and confined her to her quarters. It's not like I confined the young master. If the young master wants to see her, he can go anytime."
"Moreover, Aunt Chu is already the young master's concubine, so it is no longer appropriate for her to live in Xinghe Courtyard. She should have her own courtyard. From now on, Qingwu Courtyard will be allocated to her."
Xiao Qingyuan frowned: "Isn't Qingwu Courtyard a bit out of the way? And a bit small too."
"The small space is suitable for Concubine Chu to recuperate. As for its size, it is very appropriate for a concubine. She cannot live in anything larger."
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