The manor gates slammed shut with a resounding thud, leaving Xiao Shi and her maids standing outside in disheveled shock, frozen in disbelief.
Xiao Shi was left alone to endure the pointing fingers and whispered criticisms. Having never suffered such humiliation in her entire life, she was so enraged that her vision darkened and she fainted on the spot.
Shen Xihe remained unaware that Xiao Shi had been driven to unconsciousness by fury. As the gates closed, Shen Qing stepped forward, shamefaced, and knelt before Shen Xihe. "This old servant is incompetent. I beg the County Princess to punish me."
Shen Xihe strode forward and personally helped Shen Qing to his feet. "A Qingbo, there is no need for you to blame yourself."
This was the imperial capital. Xiao Shi was merely a concubine—only Shen Yueshan and Shen Xihe, as legitimate children, had the right to treat her as a servant. Shen Qing did not possess that authority.
"Elder Sister, it is A'luo's fault for failing to properly advise our aunt. I beg Elder Sister to allow our aunt to return. A'luo is willing to accept any punishment." Shen Yingluo knelt once more before Shen Xihe, pressing her folded hands to her forehead in a deep, formal bow.
"Have you heard about Linglong?" Shen Xihe asked calmly.
Shen Yingluo remained prostrate for a moment before lifting her head. Her bright eyes glistened with tears, yet they held only confusion.
"Biyu, explain it to her." Shen Xihe left Biyu behind and led the others back to Longwa Court.
Most of her belongings had already been sent to the Princess Manor. She was only staying here temporarily—once she had dealt with Xiao Shi, she would move to the Princess Manor.
The servants within the manor were so intimidated by Shen Xihe's commanding presence that they walked with noticeably lighter steps.
After her midday rest, Shen Xihe rose to find that Biyu and the others had organized the luggage they had brought in. Leveraging the authority Shen Xihe had established, they had effortlessly gathered all the information about the manor.
The news of her throwing Xiao Shi out of the manor had already spread throughout the entire capital. Combined with the incident at the Dali Temple in the morning and the matter concerning Linglong, in just half a day since her arrival in the capital, every noble family and influential household knew one thing clearly: Zhaoning County Princess was not to be trifled with!
They promptly warned their wayward sons and spoiled daughters to behave prudently in the presence of Zhaoning County Princess.
Shen Xihe paid no mind to how others spoke of her outside.
Though Shen Xihe was indifferent, Biyu and the others grew somewhat anxious. Servants in the manor with connections, eager to demonstrate their loyalty and usefulness, had long since relayed these messages to Biyu and her companions.
"County Princess, they are making these judgments without distinguishing right from wrong. Superficially, they are instructing the young masters and ladies to respect you, but in reality, they are isolating you." Hongyu carefully voiced her concern while styling Shen Xihe's hair.
"Isolating me?" Shen Xihe's slender, delicate fingers held a peony hairpin adorned with delicate gold beads. The scattered beads chimed softly as she toyed with them. "Have you ever seen wolves keeping company with dogs? Or tigers walking alongside foxes?"
She and they were never meant to be on the same level from the start. Why waste time with them?
It was better to use that time to nurture her health.
Moreover, she preferred tranquility.
Hongyu was taken aback.
They had all sensed that the County Princess had changed after the incident with Linglong. Yet, back in the Northwest, the County Princess had loved bustling activity the most and disliked quiet solitude—it made her feel as though her life was slipping away.
But now...
Handing the hairpin to Hongyu, Shen Xihe gazed calmly at Hongyu's reflection in the mirror. "This is the capital. Here, I am not the only County Princess. There are princesses here who are more 'Golden Branches and Jade Leaves' than I am.
In the Northwest, my word was law. Even if I called a deer a horse, everyone would agree.
Here in the capital, they will unite against an outsider, setting traps and waiting for me to fall into them."
Recalling the events of the morning, Hongyu felt a chill in her heart. She secured the hairpin in Shen Xihe's hair, arranging the strands of beads that draped down to her brows. "In the future, when they send invitations...""Turn them all away. Tell them I am delicate and frail, unable to withstand the wind." Shen Xihe adjusted her collar and stood up.
"My lady, the Shunan Prince Heir has arrived..." Just as Shen Xihe turned around, Ziyu's voice sounded from outside, her expression rather complicated.
Without asking further, Shen Xihe walked out of her courtyard and arrived at the covered corridor of the main hall. There she saw Bu Shulin, clad in a moon-white lapel robe with intricate patterns embroidered in the same color on the collar and cuffs. At that moment, she had one foot planted on a man with a bruised and swollen face.
"Xihe, my dear,
I've caught this scoundrel for you." Bu Shulin kicked the man under her foot, sending him tumbling several times. The man cried out in pain, but as soon as he stopped rolling, he scrambled to his knees facing Shen Xihe: "My lady, I am a swine, worse than a dog or a pig..."
Then he kowtowed frantically toward Shen Xihe, his face turning livid with resentment when he rose.
"You still refuse to submit?" His expression provoked Bu Shulin to deliver another flying kick, knocking him down again.
As if injured internally, the man coughed up blood, staining the clean, smooth bluestone slabs of the courtyard. Shen Xihe's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Bu Shulin noticed immediately and stepped on Chen Jing: "Who said you could spit blood? Clean it up at once!"
Chen Jing, the legitimate son of the Marquis of Xuanping, for some reason under Bu Shulin's thumb, showed no resistance and hurriedly used his clothes to wipe away the bloodstains.
"If you're still angry, Xihe, feel free to beat him. Just leave him breathing." Bu Shulin's fierce expression toward Chen Jing melted into a gentle, almost fawning smile when she turned to Shen Xihe.
"Meow!" At that moment, Duanming leaped over to Shen Xihe, its tail brushing against the top of her foot.
Shen Xihe crouched down to pick it up, stroking its fine fur: "Throw him out. Don't dirty my courtyard."
"At your command!" Bu Shulin boomed in response, grabbing Chen Jing and literally tossing him out. Afterward, she dusted off her hands.
This was already the second time that day the prince's residence had thrown someone out, and passersby were still curious.
Bu Shulin's eyes shifted craftily: "This lecher knew there was only a delicate young lady home alone, so he climbed the wall to force his way in with ill intentions!"
Playing the accuser first, Bu Shlin paid no heed to the public outrage her words stirred. One woman carrying a vegetable basket even threw cabbage leaves at the man, cursing loudly all the while.
Bu Shulin turned on her heel and swaggered back into the prince's residence.
Shen Xihe had laid out some tea and snacks in the pavilion. Bu Shulin's eyes lit up, and she happily scurried in, plopping down sideways into a seat. Shen Xihe placed a bowl of plum blossom drink in front of her.
Bu Shulin gleefully lifted it, but as her lips touched the rim, her expression turned serious. She asked with lingering fear: "It's... it's not poisoned, is it?"
"How dare you! My lady is honorable and upright—how could you slander her!" Ziyu, unaware of what had happened in Luoyang, was furious.
A faint smile touched Shen Xihe's lips: "It's not poisoned. You haven't done anything wrong."
Only then did Bu Shulin cheerfully gulp down a large mouthful, then wipe her mouth roughly: "You're not annoyed that I meddled this time?"
"I'm not annoyed that you meddled, but you didn't need to go this far." Shen Xihe lifted her teacup with slender, pristine hands, her movements as graceful as plucking a flower, and took a small sip.
She knew Bu Shulin was avenging her. The grudge between Shen Xihe and the Marquis of Xuanping had already been set by the horse incident that morning. Whether this additional matter happened or not, there was no chance of reconciliation.Bu Shulin also knew, which was why he was being so friendly toward Shen Xihe.
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