Chapter 33: The Crown Prince Arrives

"Mother Qin, it isn't even dawn yet. My mistress had a poor night's sleep; could you perhaps come back a little later?"

Jianxue, seeing Mother Qin shouting at the top of her lungs, hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade her. Her mistress had only just returned, and the Old Madam had always held the reins of the household. If other servants heard this, they would certainly look down on her mistress. Even if they didn't show it to her face, who knew what they might do behind her back?

Seeing someone dare to block her, Mother Qin simply raised her hand and shoved Jianxue, causing her to stumble. "What kind of thing are you? I am acting under the direct orders of the Old Madam today to summon the Second Miss for etiquette lessons. Let’s see who dares to stop me!"

At that moment, the door in front of her swung open. Tang Chaochao stood in the doorway, barefoot. She was holding both of her boots, and without a word, she hurled them directly at Mother Qin's face.

"You old hag! I think you're courting death!"

Mother Qin wanted to dodge, but she was entirely unable to evade Tang Chaochao's sudden assault. Both boots smacked squarely onto her face, causing her to wail in agony. She had no idea what trickery Tang Chaochao had used, but her face burned with a stinging, searing pain.

Tang Chaochao let out a cold snort. "Jianxue! Throw her out! If she dares to come back, beat her out with a wooden club!"

With that, the door slammed shut; Tang Chaochao had already returned to her bed. Jianxue gritted her teeth. Although she was somewhat afraid of Mother Qin, she was now her mistress's servant and naturally had to obey her. She had expected Mother Qin to struggle violently, but to her surprise, as the young maid dragged her away, the woman offered no resistance, allowing herself to be hauled out of the courtyard. Fortunately, Mother Qin was very thin; otherwise, Jianxue doubted she would have had the strength to move her.

Mother Qin lay on the path outside the courtyard. Beyond the stinging heat on her face, her entire body felt weak and limp as a noodle. It took about an hour before she regained her senses. By then, her body was frozen stiff. She wanted to seek justice from Tang Chaochao, but the burning pain on her face persisted, so she had no choice but to cover her face and return to Shou'an Courtyard.

Mother Qin went straight to see the Old Madam of the Tang family. At that moment, the Old Madam was just being served by her maids, preparing to wash up. She turned her head to look, and her brows furrowed deeply. A maid pointed at Mother Qin’s face and exclaimed, "Mother Qin, what happened to your face?"

Mother Qin was puzzled; she only felt the pain. The Old Madam ordered someone to hand Mother Qin a bronze mirror and said, displeased, "I told you to call that little wretch; how did you end up in such a state?"

Mother Qin took the mirror and looked at her reflection. Only then did she see that her face was red and swollen, with some places bulging with thumb-sized welts. It was a repulsive sight. Terrified, Mother Qin fell to her knees.

"Old Madam! You must seek justice for your servant! It was certainly the Second Miss. I went to invite her over and even mentioned it was by your command. Not only did she refuse to come, but she also threw her shoes at me. That is how my face ended up like this!"

Tang Yuntao, who had come early to curry favor, saw the dark look on the Old Madam's face and immediately chimed in. "Grandmother, Sister Chaochao is going too far. By doing this, isn't she showing that she doesn't hold you in any regard?"

Tang Yuntao’s own face was still swollen, which had kept her from daring to step out of the General's Mansion. Today, the Crown Prince had sent an invitation for her to visit the temple fair, but Tang Yuntao had declined. After all, with her face in this condition, she dared not show herself to the Crown Prince.

The Old Madam slammed her hand onto the table. "This is truly rebellious! Since she won't come, I, an old woman, shall go myself! I want to see if she dares to strike me, her grandmother, as well!"

A flicker of joy appeared in Tang Yuntao's eyes. No matter how arrogant Tang Chaochao was, what could she do? The principle of filial piety alone could crush her. However, she had learned her lesson; this time, she wouldn't say a word, lest she be beaten again by that reckless brute.

Tang Chaochao had not been able to enjoy her nap. Her good mood for the day had been ruined by having her sleep disturbed.

"Make that wretched girl come out! It’s high noon and she’s still sleeping. What noble lady is as lazy as she is!" The Old Madam's voice came from outside the room.

Just as Tang Chaochao frowned, Jianxue hurried in, looking nervous. "Mistress, the Old Madam is here."

Tang Chaochao puffed out her cheeks. Was this old woman incapable of finding peace if she wasn't causing trouble all day? But before she could dwell on it, the Old Madam and her entourage swept into the room.

Tang Chaochao swept her gaze over the group. The Old Madam was carrying a tiger-headed cane made of golden nanmu wood today. She struck the floor heavily with it. "Look at what you've become! Is it beneath you to offer me your greetings? You are so young yet so vicious. I sent Mother Qin to call you, and you turned her face into something neither human nor ghost! Do you truly think that because you know a few clumsy martial arts tricks, I have no way to deal with you?"

Mother Qin had claimed she was there to teach her etiquette, yet now the Old Madam had changed her story to "offering greetings." Tang Chaochao sat up languidly, and Jianxue hurriedly moved to put on her shoes. However, the Old Madam ordered her servants to hold Jianxue down.

"Seize this base maid! A mere servant, yet she dares to move against people in my service? Drag her out and break her hands!"

Jianxue was terrified, but hands were already upon her, pinning her down. Just as she thought a great disaster was at hand, Tang Chaochao spoke.

"Grandmother, she is my maid. To do this without asking my permission—is that not a bit improper?"

The Old Madam snorted coldly. "In this household, it is not your place to decide! Why haven't you dragged her out yet?"

Hearing this, Tang Chaochao stood up, barefoot. "Let's see who dares to touch anyone in my room!"

At that moment, a malevolent aura emanated from her, making the maids holding Jianxue shiver involuntarily. The presence of the Second Miss was far more terrifying than the authority of the Old Madam.

The Old Madam, seeing this, raised her cane in anger. "You little beast, you don't even respect my words anymore, do you? Today, I will personally discipline you, you rebellious descendant!"

She raised the cane high, and it appeared as if it were about to crash down onto the top of Tang Chaochao’s head. Jianxue screamed, "Mistress!" Meanwhile, Tang Yuntao, standing beside the Old Madam, had eyes full of malicious glee. *Beat this bitch to death! Kill her!*

Tang Chaochao curled her lip in disdain. They thought they could hit her with that? Were they stupid? Tang Chaochao swayed slightly to the side, and the cane struck nothing but air. Perhaps the Old Madam had put her full strength into the blow, for the miss caused her to stumble, and it was only with a maid's help that she caught her balance.

The Old Madam's eyes were wide with fury. She pointed at Tang Chaochao. "You dare to dodge?"

Tang Chaochao shrugged. "If I don't dodge, should I just wait to be beaten? Do you think I'm a fool like Tang Yuntao?"

Tang Yuntao, suddenly called out, gritted her teeth in rage. Tang Chaochao was a low-born bitch, boorish and crude, yet she dared to call her a fool.

At that moment, a maid came to report, "Old Madam, the Crown Prince has arrived and wishes to see the Second Miss."

Tang Yuntao, who had been furious, immediately beamed with joy upon hearing the Crown Prince's name. She hadn't expected that even after she declined his invitation, the Crown Prince would come to her doorstep. Indeed, the Crown Prince was enamored with her.