The wind had cleared away the thick, dark clouds. The sun peeked out from behind them. A breeze carrying a hint of sulfur blew from the river. The person with the fierce gaze, who was staring at her, was slowly walking forward. She wore a short, dark-patterned vermilion jacket over a pomegranate-red floor-length skirt. A maid followed closely behind, lifting the hem of the skirt for her. Her posture and bearing were impeccable, befitting the sister of the Emperor's most favored Consort Huang.
Su Xiaoqi, despite never having met her before, recognized her immediately due to her distinctive features: sharp, almond-shaped eyes, a pointed chin, and a large mole between her brows. Only one person fit this description: Huang Yarou, the sister of Consort Huang and the legitimate wife of the Marquis of Dingbian. Since this person addressed her as aunt and shared the surname Huang, it was certain that she was Huang Yingying, the youngest daughter of Duke Huang, Consort Huang's elder brother.
Su Xiaoqi had previously wondered how this woman knew about her. Now, she understood. Huang Yingying was close friends with Princess Qionghua, Liu Ni Ni, and their group. Since Su Xiaoqi had recently fallen out with Liu Ni Ni and her companions, it was natural for them to inform each other beforehand. Furthermore, Su Xiaoqi had not invited any members of the Huang family to the banquet at Liuyuan. This was because no one from the Princess Royal's or Duke Yu's households associated with the Huang family, so no one had thought to send them an invitation. However, the Liu family had attended, and even people from Prince Ning's household, who had a rift with the Princess Royal, had been present. As the imperial maternal uncle's family, the Huang family naturally felt slighted. Thus, Huang Yingying, being young and impulsive, had spoken out to provoke Su Xiaoqi, both to support her good friend and to vent their own suppressed resentment for being overlooked.
Su Xiaoqi was weary of their incessant pestering. These young ladies from prominent families, who appeared gentle and virtuous before their elders, were often prone to causing trouble in private. While she had backed down this time, she couldn't always yield. Necessary resistance was essential. However, she hadn't expected Huang Yingying to be so dramatic. Su Xiaoqi had merely intended to trip her hired helper with a light nudge of her foot, to embarrass her and scare her away, thus discouraging her from bothering Su Xiaoqi further. Who could have foreseen that the woman would stumble and fall directly onto Huang Yingying? Huang Yingying, in her theatricality, had landed herself in this predicament, inadvertently causing Su Xiaoqi significant trouble.
Nevertheless, Su Xiaoqi felt no fear. She straightened her back and stepped aside, making way for the Huang family's maids. Huang Yarou, surrounded by a retinue of maids, servants, and guards, approached. She was not tall, but her presence was commanding and intimidating. Her sharp features were particularly stern as she glared at Su Xiaoqi.
"Who are you?" Huang Yarou's voice was laced with disdain, emanating from her nose. As she hadn't addressed anyone by name, Su Xiaoqi didn't respond, assuming Huang Yarou might be speaking to someone else. Huang Yarou let out a cold snort and suddenly exclaimed, "This person is disrespecting me! Guards, slap her face."
Su Xiaoqi's eyes widened in surprise. She had anticipated that Huang Yarou might employ some tactics against her, but she hadn't expected such directness, ordering a physical assault right from the start. Su Xiaoqi was not one to be bullied. As a robust woman behind Huang Yarou stepped forward, rolling up her sleeves to strike, Su Xiaoqi saw her chance to dodge. However, in a fleeting glance, she saw the Princess Royal arriving. She recalled that the Princess Royal and Huang Yarou had a strained relationship, and that Huang Yarou, protected by her sister Consort Huang in the palace, had often put the Princess Royal in awkward positions due to their scheming. If Su Xiaoqi were to evade the blow now, the Princess Royal would lose a pretext to intervene.
With her thoughts racing, Su Xiaoqi quickly adjusted her body, which had already begun to twist, and stood firm, blocking the woman's slap. With a sharp crack, Su Xiaoqi staggered, collapsing to the ground. She touched her left cheek, which burned with pain. Soon after, the Princess Royal arrived, led by her attendants. Seeing Su Xiaoqi lying on the ground, her cheek red and swollen, she felt a surge of anger. Calling out Huang Yarou's name, she declared, "Huang Yarou, how dare you strike someone publicly without reason!"
Huang Yarou appeared unfazed. She chuckled and said, "Your Highness the Princess Royal is correct in observation but mistaken in her statement. I did not strike her without reason. She caused my Yingying to fall, and I was merely teaching her a lesson."
"Your Highness the Princess Royal, I did not. It was Miss Huang who stopped me and scolded me harshly. I knew of her status and that she was not someone I could offend, so I ignored her. To my surprise, she ordered her maid to rush forward and strike me, just as this lady attempted moments ago. However, the maid accidentally slipped and caused Miss Huang to fall, which is how she ended up on the ground," Su Xiaoqi said, her voice filled with grievance. Her beautiful face and gentle tone, coupled with her words, convinced the onlookers who had gathered. Moreover, Huang Yingying, relying on her aunt in the palace, often bullied people in the capital, so most people held a poor impression of her. Without needing further evidence from Su Xiaoqi, people immediately believed her. In fact, some had already witnessed the maid slipping as she walked.
One young woman, Wen Ruohua, even stepped forward and testified credibly to the Princess Royal, stating that she had seen Miss Huang attempting to trouble Madam Shen earlier. Her statement earned her a glare from Huang Yarou. Huang Yarou hissed, "Wen Ruohua, are you tired of living? How dare you meddle in my affairs?" Wen Ruohua turned away to help Su Xiaoqi, assuring her that with the Princess Royal present, justice would be served.
Seeing Wen Ruohua, Su Xiaoqi suddenly recalled that Wen Ruohua was the legitimate wife of He Qiulei's elder brother, He Qiumiao. Seeing her holding two exquisitely carved little girls further solidified her assumption. She offered Wen Ruohua a friendly smile before turning back to Huang Yarou. "Madam, we have never met before. We have no grievances or past enmities. Why would I trouble Miss Huang?" Su Xiaoqi spoke with a hint of sadness.
"Get up quickly, child," a pair of slender hands offered a surprisingly strong grip as they helped Su Xiaoqi to her feet. It was the wife of Duke Yu. Seeing the injury on Su Xiaoqi's face, she was filled with concern and her gaze toward Huang Yarou was frosty. However, as the saying goes, age brings wisdom. She did not argue with Huang Yarou directly, but simply stated, "I will report this matter truthfully to His Majesty."
Huang Yarou's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Su Xiaoqi, who was already being helped up. What was so special about this woman that both the Princess Royal and the old lady from Duke Yu's household were defending her? Especially this old woman, who threatened to report directly to the Emperor instead of seeking out the Empress. Huang Yarou felt a prickle of unease. She was proud and willful, often looking down on other women in the capital, relying on her favored consort sister and her nephew, who had already been named Crown Prince. However, Emperor Xingzhao was still alive, and Duke Yu's household was currently favored by the Emperor. No matter how arrogant she was, she knew this was not someone she could afford to offend. Her consort sister had often warned her that offending anyone else was better than offending the old lady from Duke Yu's household.
She fixed a resentful gaze on Su Xiaoqi and insinuated, "Deeds are done, and heaven watches. Those who plot in the shadows will eventually face retribution." Hearing this, Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. These ladies and young women present, having spent long periods immersed in the political machinations of the inner court, were all more devious than she was. Su Xiaoqi felt no remorse for her actions. If she hadn't extended her leg then, Shen Mingzhu would have been the one to fall heavily to the ground. If Huang Yingying hadn't been so overbearing, Su Xiaoqi wouldn't have been forced to retaliate.
No matter how much Huang Yarou cared for Huang Yingying, she had no proof, merely assuming Su Xiaoqi was responsible. If Su Xiaoqi had been unprotected, Huang Yarou could have easily dealt with her. But as it happened, Su Xiaoqi was not without backing; she had powerful supporters, which made Huang Yarou hesitant to act rashly. Huang Yarou, unwilling to provoke the old matriarch, could only endure the situation with gritted teeth, secretly plotting revenge for a later time. She glared resentfully at Su Xiaoqi and Wen Ruohua, her hatred festering.
Meanwhile, the imperial physician who had been attending to Huang Yingying's injuries had arrived and conducted a preliminary examination. However, her waist and leg had been injured, and neither was an area suitable for exposure in a crowded place. Therefore, she had to be carried to the pavilion of Duke Huang's residence. Midway, she spotted a sedan chair, her eyes lighting up. She immediately ran over and recounted the incident with embellishments. The person in the sedan chair, upon hearing this, angrily slapped the armrest of the pear-wood reclining chair.