Bright rays of light peeled away the swirling clouds, dissipating the white mist.
Luo Shang was awoken by the blinding light and when she opened her eyes, she was lying on the bed. This was Su Qing's bed, and it was probably Su Qing who had helped her up here.
Lifting up the blanket, she put on her shoes and walked to the table. She picked up the teacup and poured it out, but not a single drop of tea flowed out.
Luo Shang pursed her thirsty lips, then turned around her corner and changed into a light blue robe. The light color had always been so fitting for her, it was graceful and tranquil, the perfect time for her to wear at her age.
Those gorgeous beauties would only burden her heart and make her forget that she was only nineteen years old.
Luo Shang looked in the mirror and slowly combed the long hair on her chest. She carefully looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Her slender finger gently moved up, touching the scar on her forehead from yesterday. She lightly sighed and put on her elegant makeup.
Just as she stood up and was about to turn around, the door was pushed open from the outside.
A few women laughed.
The moment he saw her, Qing Ning's expression changed.
She stared at Luo Shang, the more beautiful she was, the angrier she got.
One of the dancers stepped forward and walked around Luo Shang. She gave him a close look, sneered, and taunted with a wry smile, "Tsk tsk …" You are already a crippled concubine, yet you still pay so much attention to your face. Could it be that you want to marry a woman and have your husband divorce again?
After she finished speaking, she waved her sleeves and laughed, causing all the dancer present to laugh mockingly.
Luo Shang looked at her with disdain for a moment, then turned and prepared to leave.
As for the dancer, he intentionally stirred up trouble and stood in front of her. Both of her hands were at her waist as she glared at her fiercely with gritted teeth.
He asked, "What? Did I hit the mark?"
didn't want to argue with them. This was their territory due to the West Garden, hence he had deliberately made things difficult for her. However, dancer's cold words made Luo Shang raise her head.
"Even if it's a girl marrying a second husband, it's not your turn. With time like this, you might as well carefully think about whether or not you will end up alone in the future." Luo Shang chuckled.
"You …"
dancer was so angry that she was at a loss for words. She stomped her feet and shouted at Luo Shang: "Stop right there."
Then, she immediately walked over to Luo Shang and stood in front of him. She raised her hand, and the moment her hand was about to land on the woman's face, she immediately grabbed her wrist.
Luo Shang tightly gripped the dancer's wrist, frowned, and coldly said: "You are not qualified."
After saying that, he released his hand.
A wave of applause rang out from behind him.
Qing Ning clapped her hands, crossed the threshold, and walked in Luo Shang's direction.
"Truly marvelous. I never would have thought that you would still be this impudent. It would seem that yesterday's lesson is not engraved in your memory."
The dancer by the side saw Qing Ning walking in, glared at him, then snorted and ran behind Qing Ning.
Luo Shang looked at her. This woman called Qing Ning had the corners of her eyes drooped, her posture was amiable and she should have been a kindhearted woman, but why did she have to suffer so many times?
Had she really been ordered by him?
Why did it hurt her to think that she had been ordered to do so by that man, that he would do this to her?
"Luo Shang, let me tell you, you don't need me to put on that arrogant airs. This place is not the General's Mansion, and you are not the Prince Jin's Wife either!" Qing Ning stared at her as she enunciated each word clearly.
"Man is the chopping block, and I am the fish. "Now that you're at the point of no return, since you're unwilling to let me go, what do you think I should do?"
"You understand very well. Then, this lady will tell you, I want you to die —" Qing Ning bent over Luo Shang's ear and blurted out those vicious words.
Luo Shang's expression did not change, there was no sign of fear, as though she was already used to such words, not to mention when it came to life and death. If she had to choose, she would definitely choose the latter.
Qing Ning laughed complacently at her as she put her hands on her shoulders and spoke to the dancer behind her. "Princess has gone too far, you still haven't gone to invite Aunt over to make the decision."
The dancer immediately understood her meaning and led two people to ask Shen Changqing.
"Luo Shang, if you fight with me, you will die miserably."
They blocked in front of Luo Shang, stopped her, and waited for him to come.
A loud voice called out from outside the door, "They're here! Auntie is here! Auntie is here!"
Qing Ning raised the corner of her mouth and looked at Luo Shang. She cried like a fox: "Prince Jin's Wife, what wrong have I done to make you beat me up like this?"
Luo Shang frowned, she had raised her arm, and extended her hand to clench her teeth, on her fair arm were new purplish-red marks.
"Aunty."
Following the dancer's soft call, everyone obediently retreated to the sides, and obediently lowered their heads.
Shen Changqing walked in, followed by a few servant s, she looked at the scene in front of her, Qing Ning was kneeling down, tenderly wiping her tears, and then looked at Luo Shang, still looking up haughtily.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Aunt, you have to avenge elder sister. Prince Jin's Wife, she, she …" A dancer walked over and knelt at Shen Changqing's feet, and as she felt wronged, she picked up the handkerchief to wipe her tears away.
"What the hell is going on?" Shen Changqing was annoyed by the crying sound and asked angrily.
dancer faltered as she knelt and said, "When we returned, we heard the argument inside the house. When we reached the door, we only heard Sister Qing Ning begging for mercy, admitting our mistakes, and begging for forgiveness. I also heard that the wangfei said that she won't let you off. "
"Then, when we came in, we saw Sister Qing Ning kneeling on the ground with bruises on her arms. The wangfei wanted to beat her to death, so we didn't dare stop her. Another dancer also wiped her eyes as she sobbed with snot and tears.
As Shen Changqing listened to their words, she first brushed Qing Ning off the ground. As expected, a few wounds appeared on her arm.
Amongst the women of Backyard, Qing Ning was the only one who cared the most about her appearance and skin color, so why would she bother with him?
Shen Changqing's face became serious as she stared at Luo Shang, and asked: "Luo Shang, are they speaking the truth?"
"This Boss is asking you a question."
When Luo Shang saw the look in Qing Ning's eyes, she only sneered, as if she was smiling bitterly, as if she was laughing at herself.
He replied indifferently, "This matter has nothing to do with me."
Just as she finished speaking, a few dancer s who were at the side immediately said with sullen faces: "Prince Jin's Wife, how can it be unrelated to you? We know that you have great authority and power, but Sister Qing Ning is innocent.
Luo Shang knew that she could not refute him, she just did not expect Qing Ning to scheme so much against her.
"Luo Shang, do you have anything else to say?" Shen Changqing's face was stiff, but when he looked at her eyes, a look of hatred appeared in his eyes. She hated Luo Shang's eyes to the core, and she looked just like that vicious and merciless woman.
"Like I said, regardless of whether my aunt believes me or not, I have never done such a thing."
"Just based on your words alone, how can this aunt believe you? Since that's the case, you don't have any reason to defend yourself. "Qing'er." Shen Changqing instructed the servant behind him.
The servant called Qing'er led the two maidservant s and walked towards Luo Shang. While pressing on Luo Shang's arm, they dragged her out of the courtyard and made her kneel in the middle of the courtyard.
"Prince Jin's Wife, sorry for offending you." A few maidservant s forced Luo Shang to kneel on the ground.
When everyone had reached the courtyard, the stairs were already surrounded by people.
Shen Changqing placed both her hands in front of her, and said loudly: "The west side of the Backyard, Luo Shang, disdains the rules of the Backyard palace … The staff will be forty, to set an example. "
With that said, the Southern Garden dancer s became complacent.
However, it was really strange. Ever since this Aunt Evergreen took over the position of Backyard, she had never been angered, and the person holding the staff had never been angered before.
Although Aunt Evergreen was occasionally dissatisfied, she would most likely kneel down and starve for a few meals. Today, she was probably extremely disgusted with this woman.
"Fight."
Waiting for Shen Changqing's command, the heavy board fiercely smashed onto Luo Shang's back. Her frail and frail body was hit so that it bent forward a little, but she still straightened her body.
One, two, three...
The strength of the board hadn't changed, but her endurance wasn't far off. Just now, when Luo Shang bit her lips, sweat that had been dripping from her forehead due to enduring the pain slid down bit by bit.
The clothes on his back were undamaged, but the bright red imprint made his eyes shine.
Qing Ning almost laughed out loud in satisfaction, while her face was half dark the entire time.
The scenes from thirty years ago appeared before his eyes once more.
That vicious face, as well as eyes as Luo Shang's, stared at the servant who had beaten up her master. When she struggled to crawl to the Empress's side, her entire body was covered with cuts and bruises, and she only wanted to see the late emperor once. However, she was imprisoned in the cold palace by that woman and finally ended the Empress's life with a cup of poison wine.
Shen Changqing could still remember the sadness and reluctance when the Empress entrusted the prince to her. The child in her arms cried nonstop, breaking the Empress's heart and also her heart.
The Empress had died, but that woman still wanted to exterminate all of them. The prince's whereabouts were unknown, so he was probably long dead.
"As soon as he thought of this matter and saw Luo Shang's eyes, Shen Changqing's entire body shivered, and the fury that he was unable to restrain in his heart instantly exploded. "Hit him hard."
Yet another strike of the rod.
"Puff …"
Fresh blood spurted onto the ground, Luo Shang's mouth was covered in blood, she weakly raised her head, her body unable to stand up, her eyelashes trembling, she gradually closed, and with a plop, her entire body fell to the ground.
"Aunty." Seeing that Luo Shang had fainted, the maidservant didn't know whether she should continue or not.