Chapter 030: The Grand Play Begins

Afternoon, side room of Qiufeng Hall.

Qiufeng Hall stands at the southwest corner of the Houfu, the farthest place from the main gate and the most secluded spot within the entire Houfu. Because it is far from the crowds, vast stretches of emerald bamboo are planted here. With so much greenery, even the hottest places can cool down. The gentle breeze rustles the bamboo leaves, and the upturned eaves gradually sink into the sky. Amidst the quiet sounds, only the cool fragrance of bamboo drifts by.

The window of the side room faces directly onto the emerald bamboo grove. Pushing open the window, one can see the verdant scenery outside.

A serene tranquility, with the rustling of bamboo, as if an old friend were approaching.

Liu Yandai stood by the window, leaning out to reveal a fair, delicate face, propping herself up with her hands to peer outside.

This place was too remote. Her gaze couldn’t penetrate the endless greenery, only drowning in a sea of green. Naturally, she couldn’t see the commotion outside.

The fair-skinned young lady opened her watery rabbit-like eyes. Sunlight fell on her face, illuminating her with a luster like mutton-fat jade. She leaned against the window, her round face pressed against the window frame, squeezing out a bit of plump, white flesh. Unable to see anyone, she could only withdraw her head again.

Even after withdrawing her head, she refused to sit back down. Still anxious, she stood by the window, pacing back and forth. The light and shadows in front of the window danced and flickered on her pale pink skirt, casting a shimmering golden glow. When she turned, her skirt fluttered like a dancing butterfly.

Earlier at the banquet, she had been too busy chewing on those few pieces of pastry. She had caught a glimpse of what happened but hadn’t paid it any mind at the time. Only now, belatedly, did she begin to feel afraid.

This little rabbit sometimes seemed timid and fearful, but at other times, she was particularly slow to react. Even when blood splattered onto her face, she had been dazedly hiding behind Pomu, munching on pastries. It wasn’t until the incident was halfway through that she realized just how serious the situation at the banquet had been.

Zhou Wenshan had ambushed a total of eight young masters with sharp arrows! Such a major incident—how could they possibly bear the responsibility?

Although Pomu didn’t care about Gongdie or her husband, both Pomu and she were part of the Zhongyi Hou Mansion, sharing in the wealth of this household. That meant they also had to share in the blame for the Houfu’s misdeeds. Usually, internal conflicts within the mansion, fighting this person or that, didn’t matter much—even if someone died, it was still an internal affair of the household and wouldn’t spill outside. But now, with so many young masters from other households injured and all of them converging at the Houfu’s gate, the Houfu was bound to suffer a heavy blow.

Liu Yandai hadn’t read many books. She couldn’t articulate the principle that “when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.” She only knew that back in her hometown village, if one person in a household did something wrong, the entire household would lose face and might even implicate the whole village—years ago, a man from their village had assaulted a girl from the neighboring village. Since then, whenever people from their village went out, they would be cursed by those from the neighboring village, and even the decent men from their village couldn’t marry wives from outside.

If things were like this in their village, how much more so in the high-ranking households of Chang’an?

Gongdie and her husband were both terrible; they loved to bully others. Liu Yandai didn’t really care about their lives, but Pomu had been so kind to her. If Pomu were to go out in the future and be cursed by others, she would be deeply saddened.

The little rabbit, lost in some troubled thought, paced back and forth restlessly. As she walked, she turned her head and saw Qin Chanyue reclining on the bed, holding a bowl of ginseng soup, gently scooping it with a white jade spoon.

Madam’s fingers were fair, slender, and delicate, the tips tinged with a faint rouge from henna juice. With two fingers lightly pinching the spoon, she brought it to her lips.

Her lips were a deep rouge, her skin as white as snow, and amidst her jet-black hair, golden ornaments shimmered. Light and shadow fell upon her, making the silk fabric she wore seem to ripple like water, softly bending the light and enhancing the enchanting richness of her face. Every curve of her eyes and brows was steeped in allure.

Ginseng soup nourishes both yin and yang, making it most suitable for someone of her age. Having shouted herself hoarse outside earlier, a few sips of the ginseng soup finally brought her back to her senses.

The radiant Madam stirred the spoon once more and took another sip of the soup.

The side room of Qiufeng Hall was usually reserved for injured maids and servants, so it was simple—just a bed and a table, covered not with expensive silks but plain coarse cloth, without even a bed curtain.

Yet with Qin Chanyue leaning there, even the bed seemed to gain an air of luxury, like the only red rose blooming brilliantly and boldly in an endless expanse of parched land.

When Liu Yandai turned around and saw how beautiful her Pomu looked, she was momentarily stunned.

Qin Chanyue had just finished her soup and placed the bowl on the bedside cabinet. Looking up, she noticed Liu Yandai staring at her in a daze. This silly little thing seemed lost in thought, standing there motionless. Qin Chanyue chuckled softly, gesturing with her hand as she said, “Scared silly? Come here, Pomu is fine.”

Liu Yandai slowly walked over, pulling a round lotus-patterned stool for herself, and sat down beside Qin Chanyue’s bed.

“Pomu—” Liu Yandai seemed to have a thousand things to say but could only manage one question: “Will they report this to the authorities?”

“They” referred to the families of the injured.

Qin Chanyue smiled and shook her head with certainty. “No.”

“Why?” Liu Yandai widened her eyes in disbelief.

In the neighboring village, a maid had once cleared her name only by reporting to the authorities! With so many casualties now, how could they not report it?

Qin Chanyue replied with a light laugh, “Reporting to the authorities is something only ordinary commoners do. For these noble households, unless they have a specific reason, no one would ever report to the authorities.”

By rank, many of them held higher positions than the officials in the government. Why would they seek justice from a low-ranking official? Moreover, if they were to report to the authorities, they would have to explain the entire story in detail. Sometimes, noble families preferred to gloss over matters rather than involve the authorities.

If a daughter from a noble household were violated, they would never report it to the authorities. Instead, they would send private soldiers to secretly kill the perpetrator and dispose of the evidence.

Similarly, in this situation, they would not take the matter to the authorities but would resolve it in their own way. They already had power—why rely on the authority of the government? Besides, their power favored them, so of course, they would speak through their own influence. Noble households had always used their own power to override that of the authorities.

As the old saying goes, fight if you can win, reason if you can’t. Now that the eight families have joined forces, could they possibly be unable to defeat a single Houfu? They certainly should give it a good fight.

“If we don’t report it to the authorities, how should we resolve this?” Liu Yandai knew nothing about these matters. Having spent many years on the frontier, she could recognize hundreds of different insects, but when it came to navigating such situations, she was completely in the dark. She understood nothing and could only turn to ask her Pomu.

A trace of mockery flickered across Qin Chanyue’s face as she said, “In Chang’an, there were once two families whose sons got into a drunken brawl. One side beat the other into a cripple. If they had reported it to the authorities, the former would likely have been sentenced to imprisonment, Liufang, and compensation. But they didn’t report it. Instead, the two families negotiated—do you know how they ultimately resolved it?”

“How did they resolve it?” Liu Yandai asked blankly, her watery rabbit-like eyes wide open. She sat obediently on the round stool, hands resting on her knees.

Compensation? Or imprisonment?

“The first family married off their legitimate eldest daughter to the crippled son of the second family. They used their own daughter’s marriage and dowry to appease the resentment of the other family.”

Qin Chanyue’s eyes turned cold as she continued, “Afterward, the two families became in-laws. The first family supported the second in various ways within the imperial court, while the legitimate eldest daughter spent her life ‘sustaining’ the crippled son, ensuring he lived a comfortable and stable life. In this way, both families were satisfied. This is how wealthy families resolve such matters.”

The son of the first family avoided imprisonment, and the son of the second gained someone to care for him. Wasn’t that a win-win?

The only loss was a daughter.

This is how people in high-ranking families operate—sacrificing the flesh and blood of a few to satisfy the appetites of the many, all to maintain the dignity of a noble household. At the very least, on the surface, these two families appeared dignified.

Liu Yandai was stunned.

She didn’t know how to evaluate such a method. Her fair, plump hands clutched her knees, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a question: “Then… what happened to the legitimate eldest daughter afterward?”

“Afterward? She quietly managed the household for the crippled man, bore children, disciplined concubines, and raised his illegitimate sons and daughters. What else could she do?” Qin Chanyue’s tone grew even colder, a hint of frost lingering at the corners of her eyes and brows.

To preserve dignity, wealthy families often endure many things, swallowing their broken teeth and forcing themselves to maintain their graceful appearance with blood and tears.

“And today’s matter—” A thought flashed through Liu Yandai’s mind. She wondered, how could one daughter marry into eight families?

Seeing her expression, Qin Chanyue knew exactly what Liu Yandai was thinking. She chuckled softly, reached out, and poked Liu Yandai’s forehead. “It’s not necessarily about marrying off a daughter. It’s about offering lifelong compensation. There are many ways to do that.”

Pausing briefly, a subtle hint of pride flickered across Qin Chanyue’s face. Her cunning fox-like eyes narrowed slightly as she whispered, “However, it’s not yet certain who will compensate whom. Don’t underestimate Concubine Fang.”

Even a rabbit will kick an eagle when cornered. With such a formidable person risking her life to stir up trouble, it’s unlikely she’ll only create a small ripple.

Qin Chanyue and Liu Yandai had just reached this point in their conversation when steady footsteps echoed from outside the side chamber. Within two breaths, Nanny Zhao’s voice carried in from beyond the room as she announced, “Reporting to Madam, Shizi Furen—”

After exchanging a glance with Liu Yandai, Qin Chanyue lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes to feign unconsciousness.

For now, these two factions needed to be slowly stirred together—it wasn’t yet her time to step into the fray.

None of these grudges had anything to do with her, and she had no intention of getting involved in such dirty affairs. Better to simply shut her eyes and stay out of it.

Liu Yandai quickly rose and made her way to the door.

The side chamber was simple, with no distinction between inner and outer rooms. Once she reached the latticed door, she carefully closed it and addressed Nanny Zhao outside. “Nanny Zhao, you’ve come—has there been any news from Shizi?”

Nanny Zhao had been frantically busy for half an hour, sweat pouring down her body, soaking through her thin silk garments. Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead, and her voice trembled as she spoke. “The arrow has been removed from Shizi. The crossbow didn’t hit any vital organs, so he’s alive, but he’s been poisoned. They say that vile, black-hearted woman coated the arrow with poison. She’s forcing the masters and madams to bring their children to the main hall to reopen the investigation into her son’s crippling. Who knows what madness has taken hold of her!”

After a pause, Nanny Zhao added, “I’ve come on orders from the Marquis to ask whether Madam has awakened. If she has, she must go to the main hall as well.”

Zhou Ziheng alone likely couldn’t suppress this gathering of noble families—he needed strong support, such as his wife, Qin Chanyue, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Qin family and the beloved younger sister of Zhennan Wang.

Of course, it would be even better if Qin Chanyue could directly summon Zhennan Wang from the neighboring district. Once Zhennan Wang took a seat in the main hall, no one would dare to make a move.

Unfortunately, Qin Chanyue had already anticipated this.

Liu Yandai shook her head helplessly. “Pomu is still unconscious and hasn’t awakened.”

With no other choice, Nanny Zhao turned and hurried back to the main hall.

Watching Nanny Zhao scurry away, Liu Yandai felt a flicker of curiosity stir within her.

Just what… was happening in the main hall?

—

At that moment, the main hall was enveloped in dead silence.

After Zhongyi Marquis uttered the words, “My son fell from his horse,” the masters and madams in the hall were momentarily bewildered.

It was midday, with the scorching sun blazing outside, yet the windows and doors of the main hall were tightly shut, allowing not a sliver of light to penetrate. The hall felt unnaturally dark and oppressive.

Even the cicadas of midsummer seemed tainted by the scent of blood, not daring to make a sound. On the floor of the main hall, eight stretchers were neatly arranged, each bearing a person lying weak and pale, their faces tinged with blue and purple. The metallic smell of blood hung heavily in the air, making every breath feel stifled and labored.

Not a single chirp of a cicada could be heard; the madams could barely even perceive their own heartbeats. A dull ringing filled their ears, their hands and feet turned icy cold, and they felt as though they might faint at any moment. Clutching their chests, they gazed blankly at their sons on the floor, then turned to look at their husbands.

Their husbands wore the same expressions of confusion.

These masters and madams had no knowledge of what their sons had done outside, so when confronted like this, they naturally couldn’t comprehend what Zhongyi Marquis was referring to.

“What fall from a horse?” A stern elder coldly questioned his son lying on the ground, saying, “What matter is the Zhongyi Marquis referring to?”

This young master lying on the stretcher was surnamed Huang. Young Master Huang was not seriously injured; he was lucky, having only been shot in the leg. He wouldn’t die, at most confined to bed for a few months.

But who could have imagined the arrow was poisoned?

Thus, this Young Master Huang was also carried here.

When Young Master Huang was first shot, aside from shock and excruciating pain, what he felt most was resentment.

Damn it all!

An outside son! A lowly concubine, daring to attack him! Once he recovered, he would definitely kill this mother and son pair, chop off their limbs, gouge out their eyes, cut off their ears, sever their tongues, and throw them into the latrine to drown alive!

These two shot him with an arrow; he would repay them a thousandfold!

But Young Master Huang soon lacked the energy to hate.

Because his wounded leg suddenly began to go numb, so numb he could barely feel its existence, and this numbness was spreading upward from the leg, now almost reaching his waist.

The Houfu’s doctor said it was poison! And they didn’t know what kind of poison, nor even its effects or consequences, let alone how to treat it.

Nanjiang produced poisons, with lush vegetation and swarms of insects, so all sorts of strange toxins emerged, of every kind. Dachen bordered Nanjiang, inevitably invaded by these poisons. There were too many of them; a few similar medicinal properties could concoct completely different toxins, appearing to have the same effect but requiring vastly different antidotes. Ordinary doctors simply lacked the skill to handle them. Ultimately, they could only turn to Concubine Fang.

Since the poison came from Concubine Fang, surely going to her should yield something, right?

But after the doctor went to Concubine Fang, in just a moment, they were all carried to the main hall. Seeing this, Young Master Huang felt puzzled.

He was poisoned! The most crucial thing now was finding the antidote! Why were these people moving them here?

Only after the Marquis asked that question did Young Master Huang suddenly understand.

It was still because of the previous incident.

Now, hearing his own father’s inquiry, Young Master Huang instinctively refuted from the stretcher, “Father, that was all a misunderstanding! Just the other day, we invited Third Young Master Zhou to go horseback riding, but he fell off his horse and injured his back. He then accused us of harming him, but it had nothing to do with us. That day, in front of everyone, all witnessed it.”

He couldn’t admit to this.

Such wicked deeds were fine to do in secret, but who would admit to them openly? If he really confessed, he’d be finished! Once others had leverage over him, his whole life might be ruined!

While Young Master Huang denied it, the other young masters chimed in, “That’s right, we know nothing. This woman is insane! She insists on pinning this blame on us!”

“Third Young Master Zhou’s actions are truly the measure of a petty man judging the heart of a gentleman!”

“Exactly, just because he got injured, he goes and falsely accuses others. It’s utterly unbelievable!”

“This Concubine Fang comes from a lowly background; her mind must be addled too!”

“Such lowly people are surely full of lies, not to be trusted!”

Scattered denials converged like small streams, swelling into a mighty river that crashed relentlessly toward Concubine Fang and Zhou Wenshan. With so many voices, three people could create a tiger, and public opinion could melt metal—they were nearly drowned in the tide.

Concubine Fang was forced to kneel by the private soldiers, while Zhou Wenshan was simply thrown to the ground. These two were the only ones kneeling in the room.

Yet both held their heads high. No matter how wretched their appearance, in that moment, they were fearless.

Countless eyes stared fixedly at them, accusations hurled at their faces, but neither cared.

In contrast, Zhou Ziheng, standing at the front of the hall, turned pale and flushed by turns. As the mother and son were berated, he felt as though he were being berated too—not out of sympathy for them, but because they bore the name of the “Houfu.” Their humiliation was his humiliation.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuanting, lying on the ground, regained his senses.

He was the most severely injured, so the pain was the greatest, and the poison spread the fastest. While others only had a numb leg, half his body was paralyzed.

If the numbness continued, he would truly die! Thus, at this moment, he was also the one with the softest bones. Seeing everyone cursing, Zhou Yuanting hurriedly spoke a few conciliatory words.

Lying on the ground, he turned his head with difficulty, his voice hoarse as he addressed Concubine Fang beside him: “Concubine—when Third Brother fell from his horse, my innocence was already proven. I call you ‘Concubine’ out of genuine respect in my heart. I know you are only unwilling to accept that Third Brother can no longer stand. I promise you, in the future, I will find a way to make Third Brother stand again. I will seek out the finest Gu physician in the world to restore his waist. Please, give us the antidote.”

Otherwise, even if the arrows didn’t kill them, this poison would!

Zhou Yuanting’s words were reasonable, so everyone present fell silent, no longer cursing, but staring fixedly at Concubine Fang with their eyes.

Only after everyone had quieted did Concubine Fang speak slowly: “The poison in your bodies will kill you within twelve hours, and there are only three doses of the antidote.”

As she spoke, she pulled a medicine bottle from her sleeve and said, “I have one dose here right now.”

The bottle was a smooth, jade-green color, held in her hand. Everyone’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to it. Then, they heard Concubine Fang say, “Whoever first provides evidence that Zhou Yuanting harmed Zhou Wenshan will receive this medicine.”

“Of course, you could also try to snatch it. I am no match for you, but there is only one dose here—enough to save one person, while seven others will die.” Concubine Fang placed the medicine bottle on the ground. The jade vessel struck the floor with a crisp clink, and everyone heard her say, “Unless you provide evidence, I will not tell you where the other two doses are.”

This was her open scheme, the revenge she had racked her brains to devise. She had rehearsed it a thousand times, leaving no flaws—crude, but effective.

When Concubine Fang’s words fell, the surroundings fell into utter silence.

As Zhou Yuanting heard this, his ears rang with a buzzing noise.

Would someone betray him?

No!

Zhou Yuanting immediately shouted, “Concubine Fang, don’t try to deceive us! We have taken a portion of the medicine, and we can have the doctor analyze its composition and replicate it! Everyone just needs to wait a little longer!”

Concubine Fang, who was kneeling, raised her head, let out a heavy breath, and laughed heartily twice before saying, “Then let them try. Let’s see whether they can make the medicine first, or you all die first.”

At the mention of the word “die,” everyone present shuddered. How terrifying that word was—who wouldn’t be afraid?

A lady burst out cursing, “You venomous woman! Have you gone mad? Just because your own son died, you want to take away other people’s sons? The children just said it wasn’t them who framed him—it was your own son’s misfortune, falling and injuring his spine. How can you blame others?”

Concubine Fang let out two eerie laughs, offering no rebuttal, only fixing the eight people on the ground with a bizarre, unblinking stare.

Zhou Yuanting then began persuading the others, shouting loudly, “Quick, call for a doctor! We must not fall into her trap. She’s trying to force us to confess, to wrongfully accuse us and ruin our futures! Once we admit to such a vile deed, we’re finished! A true man values his foundation bones and never bows his head! Besides, the doctor at my residence is highly skilled. He’ll soon figure out the remedy and prepare the antidote. Don’t panic!”

Though injured, he felt as if his entire body was bleeding as he spoke loudly, and his limbs were gradually growing numb. But seeing that everyone was nearly swayed by his words, his heart finally eased a little.

He thought, he must never admit it—to admit would mean certain death.

The situation seemed to have reached a deadlock, a tug-of-war: Concubine Fang and Zhou Wenshan on one side, and everyone else on the other. The former appeared outnumbered, but they had the courage to stake everything on one desperate move. The latter seemed to have strength in numbers, but their hearts were scattered, like loose sand.

Just then, a young master surnamed Zheng, lying on the other side of the ground, suddenly turned over and crawled a little toward the antidote. Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he raised his tear-streaked face and sobbed, “I confess, I can’t take it anymore—my body is numb, I’m dying. I admit it! I have evidence. That day, Zhou Yuanting came to me and gave me two thousand silver notes, asking me to invite Third Young Master Zhou out. I still have the silver notes! Give me the antidote!”

At the boundary between life and death, this Young Master Zheng abandoned his reputation and future. In front of his father, mother, and many brothers, he became the first deserter, trading it all for a chance to live.

He had defected.

When Young Master Zheng shouted these words, the lady who had just been loudly rebuking Concubine Fang suddenly turned deathly pale. She stared in disbelief at the children on the ground, feeling as if her face had been slapped.

Zhou Yuanting’s vision went dark, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

He was finished, utterly finished!

And after this Young Master Zheng defected, Concubine Fang indeed handed over the antidote as promised.

Once Young Master Zheng swallowed the antidote, he immediately felt the numbness fading. His previously lifeless body could move again. He scrambled to his feet, even managing to stand up.

Now, even the arrow wound on his shoulder didn’t seem to hurt!

When two sides are locked in a struggle, nothing is more feared than someone turning traitor.

The others were still trapped in the deep mire. Seeing someone climb out, they suddenly grew afraid.

Only two spots remained!

Only two!

If they didn’t fight for it, the medicine would go to others.

And if it went to others, they would die!

At this moment, no one cared about Zhou Yuanting anymore, nor about the righteous words they had just spoken. They suddenly changed their faces, each one shouting loudly, “I have evidence!”

Either it was a witness, someone’s personal servant who saw Zhou Yuanting, or it was physical evidence—they accurately described how Zhou Yuanting had tampered with the horse and even bribed Zhou Wenshan’s servant.

The verbal attacks that had just been directed at Concubine Fang suddenly shifted, all aimed at Zhou Yuanting. Lying on the ground, Zhou Yuanting felt as if the last drop of blood in his body was draining from his wounds, leaving only a dried-up corpse lying there.

I’m finished, he thought.

At that moment, Zhou Wenshan, who had been lying nearby, suddenly burst into laughter.

Sprawled on the ground, he watched these young masters resorting to all sorts of disgraceful acts just to survive and couldn’t help but laugh heartily. As he laughed, Concubine Fang beside him joined in. This mother and son pair seemed utterly deranged, while the other young masters continued to press them relentlessly.

“Hahahahahahahahahaha—”

“Where is the antidote? Where is the antidote?”

“I provided evidence, so where’s your antidote? Tell me!”

Various voices mingled together like a chaotic symphony. Only when Concubine Fang had laughed her fill did she finally part her lips and say, “Where is the remaining medicine…? I won’t tell you. I want to watch all of you die together. I lied to you.”

Kneeling there, her hair disheveled, tears on her face, and an expression of manic excitement, yet with sorrow brewing deep in her eyes, she grinned at everyone and said, “Those who didn’t take the medicine will all die, die with us.”

She had done all this, harmed so many people, and never intended to keep living. If she could take so many with her to death, she would be happy even in the Netherworld.

Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.

Only Young Master Zheng let out a sigh of relief at that moment.

Thank goodness… Fortunately, he spoke quickly. He wouldn’t die!

—

Amidst this tense silence, someone erupted with a furious roar.

“Zhou Yuanting! Zhou Yuanting! It’s all your fault! You planned all of this. We were just unintentionally helping!” It was Young Master Huang who shouted these words. The same Young Master Huang who had earlier denied everything with such conviction now wore a twisted, ferocious expression. Dragging his numb legs, he slowly crawled over to Zhou Yuanting, hauled the half-dead Zhou Yuanting over, and dragged him right in front of Zhou Wenshan. Then, forcing a stiff, ingratiating smile, he pleaded in a trembling voice, “Brother Wenshan, I was blind before when I harmed you. I was wrong. Please forgive me, brother. I’ll punch him twice for you. Just tell me where the antidote is, okay?”

When Young Master Huang dragged Zhou Yuanting before him, Zhou Wenshan froze for a few moments before bursting into laughter once more.

He never expected it—he never thought he’d witness such an amusing scene!

Fighting against heaven or earth is nothing compared to fighting against people!

Zhou Wenshan laughed until tears streamed down his face, bending over as he said, “Fine, help me punch him twice more. Whoever hits the hardest, I’ll give the antidote to them.”

Zhou Yuanting lay on the ground, sensing the breaths of those around him grow heavy with tension.

Some hesitated, but while they hesitated, others had already started hitting! If others hit and they didn’t, how could they possibly get the antidote?

So they hurriedly joined in the beating! Look, look! Brother Wenshan, I hit the hardest. You must give the antidote to me!

As the punches rained down, the master and madams standing nearby watched with peculiar expressions.

They saw their own sons, dragging their severely injured bodies, struggling to strike the even more grievously wounded Zhou Yuanting. The scene struck them as utterly bizarre, yet though they opened their mouths, they found themselves at a loss for how to intervene. All they could do was stomp their feet and watch helplessly.

Even Zhou Ziheng, standing at the top of the steps in the main hall, was left speechless, only able to glare wide-eyed at the spectacle.

As Zhou Yuanting endured the beating, Concubine Fang, standing to the side, could not bear to simply watch. After staring blankly for a moment, she suddenly seemed to remember something and abruptly lifted her head to look toward Zhou Ziheng.

Zhou Ziheng, standing on the steps, felt his back tense up instantly.

What was this madwoman planning now? Surely she wasn’t about to come over and hit him too?

“Aunt Xia—”

Fortunately, Concubine Fang did not say anything about striking Zhou Ziheng. Instead, her voice hoarse, she demanded, “I want you to say it! Say you love me the most! That you only love me! I want you to drag that bitch Aunt Xia over here and beat her! And Qin Chanyue—I want to see you hit Qin Chanyue! Those two women—each of them deserves a slap! No, ten slaps each! I want Qin Chanyue to kneel and beg for my forgiveness!”