Chapter 32: Dealing With You First

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Li Xueying's petite face flushed red with rage in an instant. Her father was the Minister of Works, a high-ranking second-grade official in the imperial court; how on earth had she become Xie Tingyao's maid? Furthermore, did she look anything like some lowly servant who couldn't be seen in public?

Upon hearing the word "maid," Xie Tingyao’s expression grew even darker. "Tang Chaochao, what part of what Xueying said was wrong? You were the one who abducted me that day; you were clearly in the wrong and certainly owe me an apology!"

Tang Chaochao raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so? Yet your father made such a scene before His Majesty. Even the Emperor did not blame me; could it be that Miss Xie considers herself more important than the current Emperor?"

Xie Tingyao said indignantly, "You!"

Li Xueying had returned to Xie Tingyao's side by then. Seeing her friend's anger, she quickly chimed in, "Tingyao, don't bother arguing with a country bumpkin. Her behavior is disgraceful, and she will surely meet her comeuppance one day. Besides, considering our status, lowering ourselves to speak with such an uncouth person is beneath us!"

Hearing this, Xie Tingyao forced a smile. "Xueying is right. Didn't we come here to choose fabric today? We're already at the door; let's go in and take a look!"

Xie Tingyao grabbed Li Xueying’s hand and prepared to head toward the nearby cloth shop. Xu Luowan followed behind them like a timid quail.

Just then, a pebble suddenly struck Li Xueying’s leg.

"Ah!" With a cry of pain, Li Xueying collapsed to the ground, clutching her lower leg and wailing.

Tang Chaochao instinctively looked in the other direction. The stone had clearly been flicked from a carriage not far away. Seeing Anan standing outside the carriage, Tang Chaochao knew exactly who was inside. *Is he settling the score for me? If you want to help teach them a lesson, at least show your face! Otherwise, I’ll be the one taking the blame!*

Sure enough, Xie Tingyao glared at Tang Chaochao and snapped, "Tang Chaochao, don't think that just because your father is General Tang, you can act so lawlessly! Aren't you afraid that everyone will join together to impeach your father? Let's see how arrogant you can be then!"

Tang Chaochao took a deep breath. They had been the ones to start with the insults. Now that they wanted to frame her, it would be a disservice to herself if she didn't live up to the accusation.

As Tang Chaochao suddenly stepped forward, Xie Tingyao instinctively recoiled. Tang Chaochao curled her lips into a smile. "So, you think I’m the one who threw the stone, right? Well, today I’ll show you exactly how arrogant this Taoist nun can be!"

Tang Chaochao rolled up her sleeves and delivered a resounding slap to Xie Tingyao’s face. Xie Tingyao was sent sprawling to the ground, landing right next to the incapacitated Li Xueying. What followed was a flurry of kicks and punches from Tang Chaochao.

The surrounding commoners were drawn by the screams and gathered to watch the spectacle. As she beat them, Tang Chaochao shouted, "Calling me a wild girl, are you? Saying I’m not fit for high society? Claiming that heaven will punish the wicked? Today, I’ll be the one to deal with you two!"

Xu Luowan watched in stunned silence. *This Second Miss Tang is truly daring!*

After a good while, Tang Chaochao left with a flourish, leaving behind Xie Tingyao and Li Xueying, whose faces were swollen like pig heads. The hatred in their eyes was so intense that even Xu Luowan couldn't help but shudder.

***

The next day, Prime Minister Xie entered the palace again, this time accompanied by the Minister of Works, Li Mingyang. They had just finished a tearful performance before Emperor Kangjian when a eunuch announced, "Prince Lin has arrived!"

Emperor Kangjian’s feelings toward his younger brother were deeply complex. Although he had tacitly allowed others to move against him back then, he had never intended to take his life. Now that the man who rarely showed his face had come to see him voluntarily, the Emperor felt a flicker of curiosity.

The sudden appearance of Prince Lin made the two officials stiffen. "Greetings, Prince Lin!"

Prince Lin ignored them, his stunningly beautiful face devoid of emotion. He spoke indifferently, "Yesterday, while I was playing with some pebbles on the street, one accidentally slipped from my hand. My servants told me it seemed to strike someone. Upon investigation, I discovered that the General's daughter, the Prime Minister's daughter, and the Minister's daughter had gotten into a fight. It seems the skirmish was sparked by that very stone. However, it is not my place to intervene in a quarrel between young ladies. I assumed the Prime Minister and the Minister would come to see you, Imperial Brother, to demand an explanation, so I decided to come myself to clarify the situation."

After Prince Lin finished speaking, the faces of Prime Minister Xie and Minister Li turned green. If it was Prince Lin who threw the stone, that meant they were the ones who had instigated the trouble. After all, it was their own daughters who had spoken so recklessly first. Even if Tang Chaochao was raised in the countryside, she was still General Tang’s daughter, the legal daughter of the General’s household, and held the title of a princess. How could they allow such insults?

Sure enough, upon hearing Prince Lin’s account, Emperor Kangjian immediately reprimanded them. "You two are old enough to know better! Coming to complain about a child every few days—have you no shame? Get out of here and order your daughters to reflect on their behavior behind closed doors for a fortnight!"

Could Prime Minister Xie and Minister Li refuse? Of course not! The two slunk away, secretly wondering why Prince Lin would go out of his way to speak up for the Tang family.

This was also a source of confusion for Emperor Kangjian. He considered probing Prince Lin, but thought better of it. Even if Prince Lin hadn't died, his legs were crippled—what more could he do? As long as he kept to himself, the Emperor would not make things difficult for him. As for that wild girl, Tang Chaochao, she truly caused him trouble every single day!

Prince Lin had no intention of staying. "I heard the Empress Dowager is ill," he said. "I shall go and pay my respects."

The Emperor nodded in agreement. After Anan pushed Prince Lin away, he couldn't help but murmur, "Your Highness, you were impulsive today."

Prince Lin just curled his lips. "In my current state, what else does he have to worry about?"

Anan didn't know what to say, then heard his master add, "Red suits her. Later, have Ah Bei bring me that fire fox pelt."

Anan was slightly stunned. That fire fox pelt had been hunted by the Prince before he was poisoned. Because the quality was exceptional, it had been kept in the storeroom all these years. Did the Prince intend to give it to the Second Miss Tang?

***

The next day, before Tang Chaochao had even fully awakened, she was summoned to the Shou'an Courtyard. The old Madame Tang wouldn't let her have a moment of peace!

"I'm not going!" She burrowed deeper into her quilt and told Jianxue to turn them away.

Nanny Qin, still holding a grudge from being kicked in the chest by Tang Chaochao, heard Jianxue's refusal and shrieked, "Second Miss, I don't mean to be harsh, but the Kang Kingdom values filial piety above all else. If word gets out that you are so defiant toward your elders, the General will surely be mocked whenever he steps outside! Besides, you are already sixteen; it is high time you were married. With behavior like this, who would dare come to propose?"

Tang Chaochao glanced at the still-dark sky and shouted, "If you don't get lost, do you want me to throw you out myself? Is your skin itching for another beating?!"

Nanny Qin relied on the fact that she was the old Madame's person, believing that if Tang Chaochao beat her, the old Madame would surely punish her for it. "Second Miss, the old Madame wants you to learn the rules for your own good. Only by mastering them can you find a good husband later! Besides, even if you don't care about your own reputation, you should think of the other young ladies in the household! If there is someone like you..."