Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Tell Him to Get Out

Sheng Zhi Wan watched with cold eyes. In the past, she would have rushed over in worry, personally cooking soup and brewing medicine.

But now she did not spare Madam Cui even a glance. She led Ting Lan straight outside.

Inside the room, cries rose one after another.

“Madam? Madam, are you alright?”

“Heavens! Madam fainted from anger because of the Heir’s Wife! Madam, please don’t scare this servant…”

Ting Lan heard it and felt uneasy. “Princess, Madam seemed to faint.”

“She wouldn’t faint.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s tone held mockery.

No one understood Madam Cui’s body better than Sheng Zhi Wan did. Imperial Physician Song came each month to take Madam Cui’s pulse, but the person truly nurturing Madam Cui’s health had been Sheng Zhi Wan.

They invited Imperial Physician Song only to let the prescriptions go through proper channels. Sheng Zhi Wan had brewed Madam Cui’s medicine with full effort for two years. With occasional acupoint stimulation added in, Madam Cui’s health had already recovered more than halfway.

This fainting act was only meant to force Sheng Zhi Wan to compromise again.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not hesitate at all as she walked.

On the way back to Ping Lan Residence, they passed a cluster of artificial rocks. As soon as mistress and servant neared it, a thin, weak sound came from behind the rocks.

“Princess, it’s a puppy…” Ting Lan glanced over and saw a wet, soft, yellow-furred little lump. Pity rose in her.

Sheng Zhi Wan frowned. She did not want to get involved, but when she met Ting Lan’s pleading eyes, she still nodded. “If you like it, take it back and raise it.”

“Really? This servant thanks Princess for your grace!” Ting Lan wrapped the puppy in a handkerchief and carried it back to Ping Lan Residence. Then she went to the small kitchen and brought back some steamed buns and goat milk.

Sheng Zhi Wan had never raised anything like this in either her previous life or this one. Seeing the little thing so small, its eyes still unopened, she asked, “Could it live?”

“It’s easy to raise. Princess, look.” Ting Lan soaked bun crumbs in goat milk until they softened, then placed them in her palm.

The puppy still had not opened its eyes, but it seemed to smell the food. Its pink tongue curled and rolled, and it licked the crumbs clean.

Sheng Zhi Wan looked surprised and took some crumbs to try as well.

Qi Shu Xian stepped inside. What he saw was Sheng Zhi Wan squatting with her hands cupped, facing a puppy. Her delicate step-shaking hairpin swayed with her movements, light flowing over it.

“Princess, look! It really ate!” Ting Lan’s voice sounded bright.

Sheng Zhi Wan could not hold back a small smile. “This little thing is easy to keep alive. Let it eat more so it grows fast. It could even become a household guard.”

“Heir Apparent!” A sudden voice sounded behind them, cold and unwelcoming.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s hand stopped. The bun crumbs fell to the floor.

The puppy whined and licked her hand a few times. When it did not get what it wanted, Ting Lan carried it away.

An Zhi had already prepared a warm cloth to wash Sheng Zhi Wan’s hands.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s tone stayed indifferent. “Did the Heir Apparent come to demand answers?”

Qi Shu Xian stared into her eyes. “Zhi Wan, I thought that since you married me, you should treat the Duke residence as your home and treat my elders as your elders. I never expected that you would know Mother’s health was poor, yet you would still slap Eldest Sister and speak sharply enough to anger Mother until she fainted.”

“Meng Yang’s matter had nothing to do with them in the first place.” Qi Shu Xian’s voice hardened. “Since you already made His Majesty reduce my reward, you should stop here. Go to Wen Xi Courtyard right now and apologize to Mother and Eldest Sister. Also, you are my principal wife and the future main wife of the Duke residence. Naturally, you should continue managing the inner quarters.”

“How was I supposed to apologize?” Sheng Zhi Wan asked. “By kneeling and begging for their forgiveness?”

Qi Shu Xian let out a breath, as if relieved. “Mother is generous, and Eldest Sister isn’t the type to press when she has the advantage. As long as you clearly admit your faults, it will be enough.”

Sheng Zhi Wan said nothing and lowered her eyes slightly.

For a moment, Qi Shu Xian seemed to see the obedient little girl from before. His gaze swept to the puppy in Ting Lan’s arms, and he paused. His voice softened further. “If it was because Meng Yang was pregnant and you also wanted a child… then admit your mistake, and tonight I would stay…”

“Get out!” Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes snapped up.

“What?” Qi Shu Xian thought he had heard wrong.

Sheng Zhi Wan gave a cold laugh. “I said I wanted you to get out!”

Qi Shu Xian looked stunned. “Sheng Zhi Wan, how far were you going to take this? Meng Yang and I were an accident. It concerned her life and death. I thought you would understand, so I brought her back. I didn’t expect you would only know jealousy. Fine…”

His tone turned cold and disappointed. “If you can’t think it through, then forget it. But on Mother and Eldest Sister’s side, you must admit your wrong.”

“Why?” Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice was icy.

“Because you are my wife!” Qi Shu Xian said. “A woman follows three: her father, her husband, her son. Being filial to elders and showing respect and affection to sisters and brothers is what you should do.”

“Ha?” Sheng Zhi Wan’s smile held only ridicule. “A woman follows three, and she follows Heaven. Are you my Heaven? When I first married in, you went to Cang Nan. The Duchess was gravely ill, and I brewed her medicine every day, kneaded her acupoints, and never let anyone else touch that work. She handed me the inner accounts, and only when I looked at the ledgers did I learn there was only one thousand taels left. Yet every month, her medicine alone cost five hundred taels.”

“Qi Fei Yan’s husband changed assignments four times in two years. Qi Fei Rui attended poetry gatherings every month and insisted on custom clothes from Ding Zhen House. Every time, she borrowed jewelry and hair ornaments from me and never returned them. And Qi Shu Lang drove Scholar Bai away. The Duke knew I was acquainted with Great Scholar Du and ordered me to invite Great Scholar Du to teach him…”

Sheng Zhi Wan could not even be bothered to continue. Her eyes were full of mockery. “Everyone in this Duke residence wore what I paid for, used what I paid for, ate what I paid for, and even the things you put in your mouths were mine. And now you wanted to be my Heaven and make me follow you?”