Chapter 29 - On Your Kneels and Apologize

When Shen Dong looked at Zhao Ruyun’s fingers, he was startled to such an extent that his heart beat violently.

Madam Zhao directly covered her chest and vomited. In the beginning, the wounds on Zhao Ruyun’s fingers were just festering. Now, the festering area had expanded to the whole right hand and the skin was covered with gray and pink blisters, emitting constant stench.

“What…what’s going on?”

With tears still on her face, Zhao Ruyun hurriedly said, “I asked Doctor Chen to have a look at my hand. He said that the wine made by Shen Ninghua could treat my hand. Uncle, auntie, please help me.”

Shen Ninghua’s wine?

Shen Dong frowned. “Ninghua, do you have any more wine?”

“No.” Shen Ninghua coldly said.

“She’s a liar!” Zhao Ruyun screamed. “You must have it. You just don’t want to give it to me! I know you, bitch. You just want to see me act like a fool. Would you be happy if I die?”

Shen Ninghua sneered. “Cousin, you are free to think like this, and I can’t stop you. Then you think out a way for yourself.”

Madam Zhao hold back her feeling of nausea and held Zhao Ruyun’s arm. “Ninghua, for any sake, Ruyun is your cousin. How can you let her die without giving her help?”

“Mother, cousin first questioned my bloodline, and then framed me for poisoning. Now she smashed my yard with her people. I wonder she’ll find a chance to take my life in the future. To be honest, I don’t have any wine now. Even if I have, it’s my choice to give or not. The person who is begging now becomes so arrogant.” Shen Ninghua sneered. “I have never heard of such a thing.”

Madam Zhao hated Shen Ninghua in her heart, but she had no choice. She looked at Shen Dong.

“Ninghua, don’t be a kid. Take out your wine.”

Shen Ninghua looked at Shen Dong coldly. “Father, did you forget what happened? The wine was said to be poisonous. Although it turned out I was framed up, I dared not keep the wine. Except for those sent to Doctor Chen, the rest of the bottles were smashed and thrown into the pond. Cousin, how about going to the pond to have a bath? Maybe it will also work.”

Zhao Ruyun wanted to rush forward and tear Shen Ninghua into pieces. “You bitch, I will not let you get away. Even if I die and become a ghost, I will haunt you.”

Hearing this, Shen Dong was full of impatience. He had known Zhao Ruyun’s arrogance for a long time, but he didn’t know she was so brainless. Now she was begging Shen Ninghua with such an attitude. Was she asking to be pissed off?

Madam Zhang came in with a gloomy face. Seeing Zhao Ruyun’s performance, she rushed to slap Zhao Ruyun in the face without greeting Shen Dong and Madam Zhao. “Have you done enough?”

“Mother?” Zhao Ruyun stared at Madam Zhang.

Madam Zhang glanced at her coldly. She then turned to Shen Ninghua and said gently, “Ninghua, I was wrong before. Today, I will compensate you on behalf of Ruyun. If you don’t have wine on your hand, can you give me the prescription for making the wine? I’ll find someone to brew some overnight. Ruyun’s wound can’t be delayed any longer. You’ve always been the most kind-hearted. Will you help me?”

That would mean I was unkind if I didn’t help you? Shen Ninghua almost laughed out. This pair of mother and daughter was really cheeky. “Aunt, the prescription for brewing wine is given to me by an old doctor who treated my illness. Before he passed away, he told me many times not to give the prescription to others. Just like Zhao family’s secret fragrance formula, it can’t be disclosed in any case.”

Madam Zhang’s face remained the same. “Since the prescription needs to be kept a secret, I would like you to take the trouble to brew the wine.”

Shen Ninghua sneered. Madam Zhang really took it for granted and thought everyone should be obedient her?

“I’m sorry, aunt. My hand was injured. I can’t make wine.”

Zhao Ruyun’s shouted with a sharp voice, “You were just fine. How could you get hurt? It’s clear that you simply don’t want to help me.”

Shen Ninghua looked at Zhao Ruyun coldly. If Madam Zhang hadn’t protected her, Zhao Ruyun would have died before in the hands of the daughters born by concubines in the Zhao family.

Madam Zhang suddenly turned back and shouted sternly, “Kneel down!”

“Mother…” Zhao Ruyun seemed to have been caught in the neck suddenly and was unable to say a word.

Madam Zhang frowned and looked gloomier. “Get down on your knees! Yun’er, you are my only child. I spoiled you too much and didn’t expect that you developed such a temperament like this. Now aren’t you kneeling down to apologize to your cousin?”

Zhao Ruyun was totally at a loss. Her heart was full of disbelief. Mother was asking her to kneel down to the bitch Shen Ninghua to apologize?

“No!” What was Shen Ninghua that she deserved my apology?

Madam Zhang raised her hand and slapped Zhao Ruyun. “Despicable daughter! If you don’t get down on your knees today and ask your cousin for help, I will send you to the nunnery to think about your misbehavior.”

“Mother, I don’t want to go to the nunnery.” She had seen two concubines’ daughters who had been sent to the nunnery for self-reflection. When they came out, they didn’t even look like a human. She would not be like that.

Madam Zhang’s attitude was firm. “Since you do not want to be sent to the nunnery, apologize.”

Zhao Ruyun looked at Shen Ninghua angrily with chilling hatred and said, “Cousin, I’m wrong.” When her knees touched the ground, Zhao Ruyun’s hatred towards Shen Ninghua reached the peak. The evil fire in her heart made her want to destroy everything in front of her.

Shen Dong standing by the side saw her eyes and his heart shivered…the girl’s temperament was too strong… she revenged…He frowned and looked at Shen Ninghua.

Shen Ninghua looked at Zhao Ruyun and was slightly surprised. Then she hesitantly looked at Madam Zhang. “Aunt, I originally…I didn’t want to…Cousin, she…” She staggered for a long time but couldn’t finish the sentence, as if she was frightened.

Madam Zhang gritted her teeth and looked at Zhao Ruyun. “Yun’er, apologize politely.”

Zhao Ruyun bent over stiffly. “Cousin, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have talked nonsense before. Besides, I should not accuse you of poisoning me. Now I’ve suffered enough. Please help me brew some wine to detoxify my wound.”

Shen Ninghua came forward to help Zhao Ruyun up, “Cousin, please get up quickly. We are all sisters. I just need an explanation. There’s no need to apologize. Your apology makes me seem narrow-minded.”

Zhao Ruyun was choked so much that she almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but she had to feign a smile under Madam Zhang’s gaze. “Cousin, you are right.”

“Auntie, the wound on my hand isn’t severe…think it will heal in two or three days, but I don’t have enough raw materials for making the wine…”

“You can write down a list. No matter what is needed, I will order my people to get the materials wherever they can be found.”

Shen Ninghua paused slightly. Then she smiled and nodded, “OK, then there is no problem.”

Madam Zhang said to Shen Dong, “Master Shen, it’s Yun’er who made a mistake today. I’ll come back to apologize some other day.”

“Duchess, don’t worry about it. It’s just an argument between children.” As soon as Shen Dong said this, Madam Zhang’s eyes relaxed. She then turned to Shen Ninghua.

“In that case, I am leaving. Ninghua, whatever you need, just write a list and send it to the Duke’s mansion. I’ll get the materials for you immediately.”

“Alright.”

When Madam Zhang left with Zhao Ruyun, Shen Dong’s face did not relax at all. “Ninghua, Zhao Ruyun is the first daughter of the Zhao family. You completely offended them today.”

Shen Ninghua chuckled. “Father, you just said that today’s event is an argument between children. Aunt and cousin would not take it seriously. Even if they are serious, they will come for me. I will not let the family be involved in the conflict.” She was actually afraid that Zhao Ruyun would not fight back! In her previous life, she compromised too much and ended up dying without a decent burial. In this life, she was determined to live willfully. Even if she would be broken into pieces, with the companion of these people, she would get what she wanted.

Madam Zhao accompanied long-faced Shen Dong to leave, leaving Yingyue Courtyard in a mess. Hong Ling looked back at the yard. Her eyes were red, but she didn’t say anything radical. She took out a stool from the room. “Miss, please sit for a while. I will clean up the yard with sister Bi Zhu, and it will be clean and tidy soon.”

Shen Ninghua shook her head and took out a purse from the drawer. “Bai Ruo, take these silver coins to the door and give them to the servants who were injured by Qing Que. Tell them these are my apology.”

“Miss?” Bai Ruo was stunned.

Shen Ninghua sneered. “Since the Zhao family cherish their reputation, I will give them a chance to take good care of it. If the servants don’t take the silver, find out their family members. If they have any family members, give the silver to their families. In a word, leave no one out. Even if someone doesn’t take the money in the end, try your best to spread the news that I give them an apology!”

Bai Ruo thought for a while and her eyes suddenly lit up. “OK, don’t worry, miss. I’ll make sure everything is done as you wish.”

“Um.”

Within three days, Shen Ninghua’s return set off another debate in the capital. This time it involved the Zhao family.

Miss Zhao led people to search Miss Shen’s yard, but in the end, Miss Shen made an apology to all the servants who had searched her yard. With just a thought, people could figure out how much enmity was involved in the drama. All of a sudden, many smart people appeared in the taverns and tea houses offering their fascinating description of the story to audience who kept asking to hear more.

In Yingyue Courtyard, Shen Ninghua was drinking tea with Madam Su, who was worried. “Ninghua, you did all these on purpose?”

“Aunt, you have guessed it out.” Shen Ninghua smiled.

Madam Su sighed. “Why did you have to do so! You are the daughter of the Shen family. No matter how arrogant and domineering Zhao Ruyun is, as long as you don’t have handles in their hands, they dare not be too presumptuous. But now you’ve torn down their fig leaf, and the Zhao family will be shamed into anger.”

Shen Ninghua took a sip of tea, and the dense water vapor veiled her cold eyes. “Is my cousin coming back soon?”

Madam Su did not know why Shen Ninghua suddenly mentioned Shen Xuanhua. She paused for a while and said, “Yes, he is.” Although Shen Xuanhua was only one year younger than Shen Ninghua, because of general Su, he was elected to serve in the Second Prince’s troop early. At the age of only 13, he was sent to the border to enrich his experience. When the Second Prince returned to the capital, Shen Xuanhua would surely come back.

“Auntie, the tree craves calm but the wind will not drop. Sometimes we can’t have peace even if we want peace. The emperor was very happy that the Second Prince was returning. It is said that he even ordered the Crown Prince to go out of the capital to welcome the Second Prince in person.” If the emperor was happy, there would naturally be people who were unhappy. None of those princes wanted to see their brothers being favored by the emperor, not to mention the existence of an empress.

Madam Su’s heart was stirred. “Ninghua, you mean…”

“Aunt, you have been kind to me. I also want to ask you a question. Will you be sad if my cousin dies?”

“How dare you!” Madam Su pounded the table. “Shen Ninghua, are you cursing Xuanhua?”

Shen Ninghua looked serious. “Aunt, you are wrong. It is you who is hurting my cousin. I’m saving him!”

“Do you know what nonsense you are talking about? How can I hurt my son?”

“Aunt, if you don’t want to hurt him, you shouldn’t let him be connected with the Second Prince so early. The emperor is in his prime. Although the harem is full of beautiful ladies, the empress is the most favored one in the harem.” Shen Ninghua lowered her eyes and her eyelashes quivered slightly. “The empress is the mother of the Crown Prince and she is the most outstanding first daughter of the Zhao family. In the beginning, she was married into the royal family as a concubine. Afterwards, she became the empress and gave birth to the emperor’s eldest son…Auntie, before the Crown Prince was born, all the other concubines in the Palace gave birth to only princesses. Not a single one of them succeeded in producing a prince…”