Qing Shuang, who was originally there to summon Bai Chuxiao, suddenly appeared and silently stood behind her.
Before long, Xie Shi, dressed in a gorgeous deep purple dress, appeared at the entrance of Liuli Courtyard with her two maids, Caiyue and Caixia. She looked at Bai Haoyun, who was slumped on a bench in a disheveled state.
Madam Xie was shocked and exclaimed, "Bai Chuxiao, what did you do to Haoyun?"
Bai Chuxiao looked at her with a half-smile. What did she do? Can't you tell? She had already finished beating, but when she saw Xie Shi arrive, Qingzhu put away her whip and silently retreated.
Xie rushed to the bench, calling out, "Haoyun... Haoyun, are you alright?" but received no response, as Bai Haoyun had been beaten to the point of being somewhat delirious.
"Get over here and untie the young master!" Madam Xie shouted angrily again.
Caiyue, Caixia, Aying, and the others rushed forward. Bai Chuxiao took the tea handed to her by the maid, sipped it, and calmly watched the flustered group without stopping them.
Just then, the old lady rushed over, supporting Yingchun's hand. Seeing the chaotic scene, she said in a deep voice, "What happened here!"
Madam Xie immediately cried out, "Mother, you must stand up for Haoyun! Haoyun just returned and was beaten like this by the eldest young lady. The autumn imperial examination is only three days away, what are we going to do?"
Lanxiang smiled and said, "Madam, please rest assured, the eldest young master's hand is not injured, and he will definitely be able to hold his pen and pass the imperial examination with top honors in three days!"
Bai Chuxiao and the maid behind her naturally understood the sarcasm in Lanxiang's words, and couldn't help but chuckle. If Bai Haoyun could even pass the provincial examination with top honors, then Bai Chuxiao would just write her name backwards from now on.
The old lady knelt down and looked at Bai Haoyun, who had already fainted. Her heart ached. This was her only grandson. She had never hit him or even scolded him since he was a child, let alone hit him. And now he was like this...
Hearing Bai Chuxiao and the others laughing again, the old lady was instantly enraged. Leaning on her cane, she stood up and, disregarding Bai Chuxiao's status as a princess and the future Princess Consort of Yan, said sternly, "Bai Chuxiao, this is your brother! You beat him like this, do you want the Bai family line to end?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Grandmother, what are you saying? Lanxiang just said that no one was hurt. Bai Haoyun has no respect for elders. Not only does she not call me 'elder sister,' but she also calls me by my name directly. Of course, she should be disciplined. You all spoil him too much, letting him become arrogant and ignorant."
Bai Chuxiao was completely unconcerned about her grandmother's anger. Between her granddaughter and grandson, she knew without a doubt that the old lady would side with her grandson.
The old lady's hands trembled with anger. "They were beaten unconscious, and this is what you mean by not being hurt?"
Bai Chuxiao sighed, "Haoyun's health is really too weak... Lanxin!"
Lan Xin nodded with a smile, then flashed to Bai Haoyun's side, pinched his chin, and inserted a pill into his mouth. She then pressed a certain acupoint, and Bai Haoyun immediately opened his eyes and woke up.
Madam Xie was shocked. "What did you feed the young master?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "Aunt Xie, don't worry. Lanxin's medical skills are superb; this one pill will surely cure the illness."
When Bai Haoyun woke up and saw his grandmother and mother by his side, he immediately felt reassured. His eyes filled with anger, and he shouted, "Bai Chuxiao, how dare you hit me!"
Bai Chuxiao nodded with a smile, "Not bad, full of energy. Looks like you can take a few dozen more lashes, Qing..."
Before he could even pronounce the character for "bamboo," the old lady interrupted him, "Enough! Do you want to hit your brother again?"
Madam Xie also said angrily, "Mother, the eldest young lady doesn't respect the Bai family at all. My wife is the head of the Bai family, yet she actually sent a lowly maid to tell me to kneel and pay my respects to her junior every day. And then she beat Haoyun here. It's clearly intentional, trying to kill my wife and Haoyun. That's fine, but Mother, you've been here for so long, and the eldest young lady hasn't even gotten up to pay her respects. She doesn't respect you, her grandmother, at all!"
Hearing this, the old lady's face turned furious, and she slammed her cane down heavily. "Bai Chuxiao, do I, as your grandmother, have to kneel and pay my respects to you every day?!"
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "I never said that, but is there a problem with you, Aunt Xie, coming to pay your respects to me every day?"
"Mother, look at the young lady... she's clearly abusing her power to bully others."
The old lady's eyes turned slightly cold. "Is your status as a princess so great? I am also a first-rank noblewoman. It wouldn't be a problem for me to demote you to a first-rank princess."
Madam Xie's face lit up with joy, and she quickly echoed, "Mother is right. As a first-rank noblewoman, how dare the eldest young lady act so arrogantly in this mansion?"
Bai Chuxiao blinked. "Oh? How does Grandmother plan to punish me?"
What exactly is a title of imperial consort? For high-ranking officials, His Majesty usually bestows this title upon their mothers or wives. It's merely a prestigious honor; they wield no real power. What imperial consort would dare punish a princess? It's utterly unheard of!
Upon hearing this, Bai Haoyun perked up, feeling less pain in her body, and shouted, "Grandmother, you must give her a good lashing, dozens of times!"
The old lady hesitated. She was indeed very angry that Bai Chuxiao had hit her eldest grandson, but she was not only a princess but also the future Princess Consort of Yan. The Prince of Yan had always protected this young lady; even the second young master of the Wei family had his legs broken by the Prince of Yan… If he found out that they had punished Bai Chuxiao, wouldn't he come knocking on their door?
"Mother, what are you still hesitating for? Look at her arrogant attitude..." Seeing her mother's hesitant look, Xie couldn't help but curse the old woman in her heart for being too cowardly. But how could she let her son suffer this beating for nothing?
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, another strong male voice rang out.
"Mother, what happened?" Bai Linan rushed over as soon as he returned home after receiving the news.
Before the old lady could speak, Bai Haoyun, supported by Ah Ying, immediately shouted, "Father, you're finally back! My eldest sister is going to beat me to death!"
Bai Linan stepped forward and looked at Bai Haoyun's shocking wounds, then at Bai Chuxiao who was sitting calmly on the swing. He said angrily, "You unfilial daughter, you've caused chaos in the family as soon as you came back. Apologize to your brother!"
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "Father, you're joking. As the eldest daughter of the principal wife and the prefectural head, it's only natural for me to discipline my disobedient half-brother. Do you think he can accept an apology from me? If word gets out and the censors find out, it's a small matter if they impeach you, Father, but it's a big deal if it affects Haoyun's career. I'm only thinking of the Bai family..."
Bai Linan's face stiffened. He had already been impeached for failing to properly raise his daughter, and things had finally calmed down. If word got out about his son's situation...
The old lady said in a deep voice, "Li Nan, no matter what, the eldest girl should be punished today! You are a daughter of the Bai family, and it is only right for your father and me, as elders, to discipline you. Who dares to say a word against it!"
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