Chapter 23
Humiliated by Her Grandmother
After entering the house, Yu Yunxi could no longer hold it in. Her face scrunched up in pain immediately.
“County Princess!”
Qian Jiao, who was in the room, rushed out immediately. She lit the oil lamp and saw Yu Yunxi removing her black robes, revealing her fair shoulder that was bleeding. She asked anxiously, “You’re injured. Who injured you?”
“I was bitten by a dog,” Yu Yunxi replied tonelessly.
‘Bitten by a dog? What kind of dog is so powerful to be able to bite her? Moreover, it bit such a strange spot…’ Qian Jiao frowned, unable to figure it out. However, she did not think about it too much and quickly went to get medicine before she carefully applied it for Yu Yunxi.
“County Princess, how was your visit to the Prince Regent’s Residence?” Qian Jiao asked softly.
Yu Yunxi felt the pain in her shoulder hurting more when she heard this. She clenched her hands and said, “Feng Yili has already admitted that the jade is with him. Next, I want him to return it at all costs.”
Qian Jiao’s hand trembled. She felt that Yu Yunxi’s aura had gotten even stronger. She wondered what had happened in the Prince Regent’s Residence tonight. However, seeing how angry Yu Yunxi was, she did not dare to ask anymore.
…
Early the next morning.
Yu Yunxi was woken up by the commotion outside. Ever since those servants in the Prince Regent’s Residence made things difficult for her every morning, she had hated being disturbed when she was sleeping.
She got out of bed with a stony expression and went out.
“Qian Jiao, what’s going on?”
Qian Jiao walked over and said in a lowered voice, “County Princess, it’s someone from Madam Chen’s courtyard.”
The maidservant raised her chin slightly. Her tone was slightly arrogant as she said, “Eldest Miss, since you’re staying in the Prime Minister’s Residence, you have to follow the rules of the residence. At this hour, you should pay respect to the Old Madam and the Madam.”
‘Old Madam?’
The maidservant’s words reminded Yu Yunxi about another difficult person in the Prime Minister’s Residence. She was Madam Zhou, her grandmother. When her mother was still alive, Madam Zhou had always used her seniority to make things difficult for her mother.
With this thought in mind, Yu Yunxi’s hatred grew.
Seeing that Yu Yunxi did not reply even after a long time had passed, the maidservant said rudely, “Eldest Miss, did you hear what I say?”
Yu Yunxi swept her gaze over and said, “Qian Jiao, slap her.”
“Yes, County Princess,” Qian Jiao said with a hint of eagerness. She could not hold back her anger anymore. If she were in the King of Xinan’s Residence, she would have already pulled the other party’s tongue out.
Qian Jiao moved quickly. She raised her hand and slapped left and right. In just a moment, the maidservant was already lying on the ground bleeding.
“I… I’m a first-rank maid in the Madam’s courtyard. How dare you…”
“No matter what rank you are, you’re just a servant,” Yu Yunxi said coldly before she walked past the maidservant.
Qian Jiao quickly followed Yu Yunxi and asked, “County Princess, where are we going now?”
“Since they came to my courtyard to ask me to pay my respect, they’d be very disappointed if I didn’t go, right?” Yu Yunxi said mockingly as she walked toward Madam Zhou’s courtyard.
“County Princess, they must be up to no good. Are they really not afraid of the King of Xinan’s Residence?” Qian Jiao asked apprehensively.
Yu Yunxi’s footsteps paused for a moment. She looked at Qian Jiao calmly and said, “I caused such a huge commotion when I came to the capital yesterday. Why do you think the Emperor hasn’t summoned me yet?”
“Huh?” Qian Jiao was puzzled.
“Also, how could His Majesty not know that I’ve returned to the Yu family? However, he did not do anything. Why do you think that is?” Yu Yunxi asked.
Qian Jiao frowned. After a while, realization dawned on her, and she exclaimed, “He did it on purpose!”
“That’s right,” Yu Yunxi said with a nod, “He’s very afraid of the King of Xinan’s Residence. I’m afraid he’s already investigated my past as soon as I stepped foot into the capital. As for why he’s not in a hurry to summon me into the palace, it’s because he wants to use the Yu family to suppress me and Xinan.”
Whether it was five years ago or five years later, that person in the palace wielded the power of the Emperor skillfully.
“The Yu family must also be aware of this. As such, how can they not be thinking of ways to deal with me?” Yu Yunxi said with a mocking smile. Everything was within her expectations.
“County Princess, what should we do then?” Qian Jiao asked solemnly.
“Since the Emperor intends on using the Yu family to suppress me, why can’t I use him to turn the Yu family upside down?” Yu Yunxi said with a smirk as she made her way to Madam Zhou’s courtyard.
…
“I heard that Xinan is a rough place. That person with a terrible upbringing actually went to such a place to mingle around. I’m afraid that she’s no different from a vulgar village woman now.”
“That’s right. The Yu family is a scholarly family. How can we let someone tarnish the family’s reputation?”
When Yu Yunxi arrived at the entrance, she heard the discussion about her inside the hall. She was not angry. Instead, she smiled and slowly walked in. The moment she appeared, the people in the room fell silent. She calmly swept her gaze across everyone and saw her old acquaintances.
The ones who criticized Yu Yunxi earlier were Concubine Deng and Concubine Gao. They were both Madam Chen’s lackeys. In order to please Madam Chen, they had framed her mother countless times in the past.
“Hey, Missy, you’re here. It’s really different now that you’re a County Princess. Everyone has to wait for you now,” Concubine Gao said derisively. She was not afraid at all seeing that Yu Yunxi was looking at her.
Yu Yunxi was still not angry. Instead, the smile on her face widened. She calmly walked toward Concubine Gao and picked up the cup of very hot tea on the table, and in one smooth movement, she splashed the tea on Concubine Gao’s face.
Concubine Gao did not even have time to dodge. She shrieked in pain. It felt as though the skin on her face was about to burn.
Madam Chen was sitting next to Concubine Gao, and droplets of tea had splashed a little on her as well. She slammed the table and shouted, “Yu Yunxi! What do you think you’re doing?”
Yu Yunxi put the teacup down and said nonchalantly, “Aunt Gao said that I’m vulgar so I naturally have to show her… what vulgar is.”
“Yu Yunxi!” Concubine Gao screamed.
Madam Zhou, who was seated at the head of the table, looked at Yu Yunxi with unconcealed dissatisfaction and finally spoke up. She said, “Enough. It’s too noisy. What’s wrong with you? You’ve been running rampant outside for so long. Now that you’ve returned, you don’t even know how to greet your grandmother?”
Yu Yunxi slowly turned around. She smiled at Madam Zhou and said, “Grandmother, long time no see.”
There were a lot of people in the Prime Minister’s Residence, but there were only a few concubines in the residence.
The people sitting closest to Madam Zhou were Madam Chen, Yu Wanrong, and the Fifth Miss, whom Madam Zhou raised.
Madam Zhou said contemptuously, “After playing outside for so long, you really shouldn’t have come back. You even dared to make a scene during your father’s birthday banquet yesterday. You’ve embarrassed the Prime Minister’s Residence. You’re really loathsome.”
Concubine Gao held her scalded face and said sarcastically, “Old Madam, she’s the County Princess of Xinan now, the goddaughter of the King of Xinan. She’s so noble. How can you berate her?”
Madam Zhou sneered. “The goddaughter of the King of Xinan? The rumors outside are bad. Who knows if she used some dirty methods to climb into the King of Xinan’s bed to obtain this identity?”