Chapter 26 - Your Fingers Rotted, But You Could Only Blame Yourself

In Yingyue Courtyard, Shen Ninghua leaned on the brocade couch. She examined the things sent by the first lady and smiled. “Yesterday, Qinxue Courtyard must have changed a lot of porcelain articles.”

Hong Ling said with a smile. “Your guess is right. I heard that the Second Young Lady was very angry.”

Shen Linghan was very arrogant and was spoiled by Shen Dong and Madam Zhao. She had never suffered any grievances.

Yesterday, her dresses were taken away and given to Shen Ninghua. How could she bear it?

Shen Ninghua stood up with a smile and straightened out the wrinkle-free dress. “Take the jade dew fragrance that I just made. Let’s go to greet grandma.”

Just as she said it, Bai Ruo walked in quickly. “Miss, the first lady asked you to go there quickly because your cousin Miss Zhao had an accident.”

“Zhao Ruyun?”

Shen Ninghua’s expression changed, and the smile in her eyes became more and more obvious. “I thought I would wait for a while, but I didn’t expect her to come so soon.”

“Yes, Duke Wei’s wife is here too. A group of people are making a scene in the old lady’s courtyard.”

There was a loud noise at the gate of the courtyard. Shen Ninghua stopped smiling and looked up. She frowned.

It was still Nurse Qin with a group of maids and old maidservants, but this time they were not here to help her move the yard, but on a punitive expedition against her.

“Nurse Qin, what are you doing here with so many people in the early morning?”

Bai Ruo frowned and stopped at the door to prevent these people from entering and offending Shen Ninghua.

Nurse Qin didn’t pay attention to Bai Ruo’s words, but pursed her lips and made a serious salute to Shen Ninghua. Then she snapped. “First Young Lady, excuse me if I offend you.

The madam has an order: take the First Young Lady to Songtao Courtyard!”

Shen Ninghua’s eyes were as cold as a cold star. “Nurse, you seem to be so powerful this time.”

“First Young Lady, you attempted to murder your cousin. You poisoned her because of a little argument. Now Miss Zhao’s fingers have decayed and you refuse to confess your guilt. Now don’t blame us for our offense.

Hurry up and tie Shen Ninghua up!”

Shen Ninghua narrowed her eyes slightly. “Qing Que, these people offended their master. Beat them out!”

The first lady wanted to get rid of her with a borrowed knife from the Zhao family. However, she had to see whether Shen Ninghua would permit her to have her way.

Nurse Qin looked serious; she feared Qing Que very much. “Miss, after you hurt Miss Zhao, you didn’t repent at all. Now you are so arrogant and unreasonable to us. Ma’am has been tolerant with you for many times. This time, I can’t help you.”

In order to deal with Qing Que who was skilled in martial arts, Nurse Qin brought with her some nurses who had excellent martial skills. As long as Shen Ninghua was taken to Songtao Courtyard, it would be easy to deal with her. “First Young Lady, you refused to confess. Then if we hurt you, it’s not our fault.”

Shen Ninghua’s eyes flashed with coldness as she looked at those nurses with gloomy faces. The first lady wanted to disable her here. Otherwise, these nurses, adept at martial arts, wouldn’t be sent here. She had a really vicious plan! “Nurse Qin, you have come up without any reason to arrest me. You are very courageous! My mother is busy managing things in the backyard and has no time to discipline servants. As her daughter, I will help her discipline you!”

Qing Que and Hong Ling hold two sticks that were over two meters long and were about the size of their arms. They stood side by side and swayed the sticks to beat Nurse Qin and the other servants! These servants were obviously bad-intentioned, so there was no need for the two of them to have mercy.

Bai Ruo and Bi Zhu guarded in front of Shen Ninghua and looked coldly at the servants crying in the yard.

It turned out that Hong Ling also knew martial arts!

Nurse Qin received a stick strike in her left rib and was slapped on the ground. She covered her rib and couldn’t breathe for a long time. She was surprised.

Where on earth did Shen Ninghua find these girls!

After about fifteen minutes, Shen Ninghua saw enough the noisy play. She said slowly, “Qing Que, Hong Ling, stop.”

Hearing her order, the two maids immediately holstered the sticks and stood back behind Shen Ninghua. However, their eyes were still sharp as knives, looking coldly at the servants on the ground.

Shen Ninghua curled her lips. “Nurse Qin, be careful when you walk in the future. Don’t fall down again.”

“You…” Looking at Shen Ninghua’s eyes, which were as dark as the night sky, Nurse Qin’s heart trembled violently. She felt that those eyes were extremely cold giving off a sense of oppression that made her unable to breathe.

Shen Ninghua was just a teenager. How come she was so majestically dignified?

This feeling reminded her of her experience when she was working in the Palace. She had the honor to meet several noble masters, and the sense of oppression that those masters gave her was as frightening as the aura of Shen Ninghua.

Nurse Qin could still tolerate, but those nurses who were beaten and suffered a lot couldn’t tolerate any more. “First Young Lady, you are so rude and arrogant. Today, we must ask the first lady to give us justice.”

“Oh.”

Shen Ninghua sneered. “OK, I’ll go to my mother today to give you justice.

Qing Que and Hong Ling, follow me to see my aunt in Songtao Courtyard.”

“Yes, miss.”

Shen Ninghua was beautifully dressed. She walked, with the hem of her dress sweeping across the servants still lying on the ground. She looked straight ahead with cold eyes. She appeared just like a lofty plum gorgeously in blossom despite the freezing-cold wind.

Looking at such a Shen Ninghua, Nurse Qin couldn’t help but feel coldness in her heart.

Madam Xia had already died, and Shen Ninghua, a feeble girl, could pose no serious threat at all. Besides, Shen Ninghua was not easy to deal with. Why couldn’t ma’am tolerate her for a while until she got married?

In Songtao Courtyard, the first lady was talking with the wife of Duke Wei when Shen Ninghua walked in unharmed with her maids.

The first lady was annoyed in her heart. Nurse Qin was becoming more and more undependable.

Madam Zhang, the wife of Duke Wei, couldn’t help it. Seeing Shen Ninghua enter the door, she immediately shouted coldly. “Kneel down!”

Madam Zhang had high long eyebrows that stretched into her temples.

At this time, she was dressed in a brocade blue auspicious dress with a peacock pattern and had a bright red hairpin on her head. She sat next to the old lady Xiao with a noble and proud look.

Shen Ninghua turned a deaf ear to her words, and went straight to pay respects. “Greetings, grandmother, mother and aunt.”

Before she got up, Zhao Ruyun rushed out of the inner room and tried to slap her in the face. “What did you do to me, bitch?”

Shen Ninghua dodged. Then she frowned and said with surprise, “What are you talking about? We have just met for the second time, what can I do to you?”

“Yun’er.”

Madam Zhang pulled Zhao Ruyun to protect her with much care. “Do you still dare to touch this witch? Old lady, I won’t say anything else. Today the Shen family must give the Zhao family an explanation!”

Old lady Xiao was seated in the top place in the room and looked embarrassed. Madam Zhang’s status was higher than hers. However, as an elder, she was in a domineering position in the Shen family for many years. Whenever had she been questioned in this way? “Duchess of Wei, you denounced us upon your arrival here, but didn’t speak clearly.

Although our Shen family is not powerful, there is no reason for us to be wronged. Tell me, what explanation do you want from our Shen family?”

Madam Zhang raised her eyebrows and led Zhao Ruyun to old lady Xiao. Then she showed Zhao Ruyun’s fingers to old lady Xiao, which had been hidden in the sleeves. “Take a look, old lady. Shen Ninghua poisoned Yun’er and made her fingers to rot. Don’t you owe the Zhao family an explanation?”

Zhao Ruyun’s fine fingers of her right hand were covered with blisters. Some of them had broken skin and showed pink flesh. Perhaps because of the ointment on them, there seemed to be water seeping outward. Old lady Xiao’s heart shivered with surprise. She looked up at Shen Ninghua and said, “Ninghua, you…”

Shen Ninghua’s expression remained unchanged. “Grandma, I didn’t know where cousin got contacted with the strange disease. How could this be my fault? There are so many people who are infected for no reasons. Am I the God of Plague that I should be blamed for all of their sufferings?”

As soon as she said this, a voice was heard from outside the door. “The master and the Second Young Lady are here.”

“Sister, it is high time that you should confess.”

Shen Linghan said sadly as soon as she entered the door with Shen Dong. “That day, cousin did say something improper. I thought you were angry only for a while and would let it go. Who knew that you had such resentment in your heart!”

The hands of a woman were her second face. When her hands were destroyed, it was almost as disastrous as disfigurement.

Zhao Ruyun had always been arrogant. How could she tolerate it? Now pain and fear made her even more hysterical. “Shen Ninghua, if you gave me the antidote today, I would let you die an easy death. If you refuse to confess, I will have you tied up and tortured until you confess!”

Coldness appeared on old lady Xiao’s face when she heard this. Shen Dong’s expression was even horrible. Did the Zhao family take this place as their own territory? As soon as Madam Zhao saw Shen Dong’s face, she had a bad feeling. She quickly spoke out to ease the atmosphere. “Master, Ruyun was just too anxious and spoke without thinking. Please don’t blame her.

She has always been pampered by my eldest brother and sister-in-law and is very imperious. Only the empress can discipline her.

In a couple of days, the empress will call her to the Palace. Now she was hurt….”

Shen Dong was shocked at once. Now empress Zhao was very powerful in the Palace, and her only son’s position as the crown prince was unshakable. Zhao family’s power was in the ascendant because of her. He dared not offend Zhao family in any case.

Thinking of this, he calmed down and asked Shen Ninghua who was next to him.

“Ninghua, is what Linghan said true? Did you poison Ruyun’s hand?”

Shen Ninghua looked up at Shen Dong and said, “Father, in your eyes, is your daughter so deplorable?”

There was a moment of embarrassment on Shen Dong’s face, and he didn’t know what to say in response.

Zhao Ruyun sneered. “At this time, you still want to pretend to be innocent. Shen Ninghua, if you don’t give me an explanation, I’ll have your hands and feet chopped off as a redemption for my loss!”

“Yun’er!”

Madam Zhang immediately pulled Zhao Ruyun and stopped her from babbling on.

Shen Ninghua’s heart was filled with murderous intent. The cold palace life she spent with her hands and feet crippled was a nightmare in her whole life. Zhao Ruyun’s words added salt to her most painful wound.

“Cousin, if your hand rots, you should think about whether you have touched something that you should avoid. Don’t bite people at will. Even if I’m just a common person, there is no reason that people should chop off my hands and feet at will.

I remember your words today. If anything happens to me one day, you will be the top suspect.”

Zhao Ruyun went mad. “You bitch, you are threatening me! You are just a motherless bitch. What can you do to me if I chop off your hands and feet?”

“Yun’er!”

Madam Zhang frowned and shouted. How could Ruyun be so reckless today?

Originally, they were well grounded. Now, after the fuss, Shen Ninghua had gained the upper hand.

Shen Ninghua sneered and said in an aggressive voice. “Cousin, how pompous you are! You said that I poisoned you, then you should show me your evidence. Do you think you can make me convicted with no proof except your one-sided accusation? That’s too ridiculous. If there is no evidence, you should give me an explanation in front of these people today!”