At Chisu Workshop, Liang Youyi had publicly struck Yao Suyi, disfiguring her. Fu Sangyu had been holding a grudge ever since, waiting for a chance to retaliate. She never expected that less than half an hour after arriving at the racetrack, she’d be pinned down by Liang Youyi’s personal maid and slapped in public.

Fang Ling, who had long disliked this illegitimate girl, kicked the back of her knees, sending Fu Sangyu crashing to the ground.

“Liang Youyi, if you dare hit me, you can forget about marrying my second uncle!”

Smack smack smack.

Fang Ling’s calloused hands, trained in martial arts, delivered twenty effortless slaps.

“You dare hit me? Boohoo… My grandmother will torment you to death! She’ll make you kneel until you die, and she’ll never forgive you…”

Her face was torn and swollen. In her struggle, she was accidentally struck in the eye—her eyeball was bloodshot, the whites completely gone.

Xia Qingyue and Su Qinghe tried to intervene, but couldn’t stop it. They watched helplessly as Fang Ling slapped Fu Sangyu twenty times.

Fu Sangyu fainted.

Xia Qingyue was outwardly shocked, but secretly hoped Fang Ling would beat Fu Sangyu to death. If Fu Sangyu died—especially as the Prime Minister’s beloved niece—he would surely retaliate. He might even demand the princess’s life and petition the Emperor and Empress Dowager to annul the engagement.

Seeing Fu Sangyu unconscious, she ordered her maid to carry her to the carriage. She abandoned the horse race and took Fu Sangyu back to the estate to find a physician.

On the way, Xia Qingyue cradled the unconscious Fu Sangyu, shaking her and sobbing, “Your mother asked me to take you out. If anything happens to you, how will I explain it to her?”

Su Qinghe frowned. “Qingyue, put her down. The physician said not to move someone who’s injured and unconscious.”

Only then did Xia Qingyue stop shaking her, lay her down, cover her with a blanket, and cry, “If I’d known the princess was this ruthless, I wouldn’t have brought Miss Fu to see her.”

“Let’s send Miss Fu back to the estate first and have the physician take a look.”

In court, Su Qinghe’s father was politically aligned with Xia Zhiyuan and Fu Zhang, but Su Qinghe herself had little regard for Yao Suyi and Fu Sangyu.

Yao Suyi was just a widowed village woman who had sought refuge with the Prime Minister. And Fu Sangyu—what kind of noble lady was she really?

The carriage soon arrived at the Prime Minister’s residence. Fu Sangyu had already regained consciousness after the bumpy ride.

The gatekeeper, hearing that Fu Sangyu had been beaten unconscious, rushed to report to Yao Suyi.

“Madam Yao, something terrible has happened! The young lady was beaten—Miss Xia brought her back!”

“What? Beaten? By whom?” Yao Suyi immediately stood up, hastily veiled herself, and strode toward the front courtyard while listening to the report. When she saw Fu Sangyu’s torn face and bloodshot eyes, Yao Suyi’s heart shattered. Her daughter’s face was ruined—how could she ever marry well now?

“Who did this? @￥%…” Yao Suyi roared like a lioness from Hedong. Her maternal instincts exploded, and she unleashed a barrage of classic rural invective.

Xia Qingyue was stunned. Su Qinghe was also speechless. Was this really the delicate Madam Yao of the Prime Minister’s household? Not some vulgar market woman?

Suppressing her discomfort, Xia Qingyue explained, “Miss Fu wanted to ride a horse and took a liking to a chestnut steed. But the princess had already chosen it, so she ordered her servants to beat Miss Fu.”

Fu Sangyu sobbed, “Mother, my face hurts so much. She stole my horse and hit me. She’s humiliating our household—she’s slapping Second Uncle’s face!” Her tears fell on her wounds, stinging so badly she screamed.

Yao Suyi was furious. She shouted, “Someone go to the palace immediately and summon the Prime Minister! The young lady has been beaten, disfigured, and crippled!”

A servant rode off at once.

Yao Suyi sent for a physician, then stormed off to Old Madam Fu’s Cuiwei Hall.

Upon seeing Old Madam Fu, she knelt and wailed, “Mother, we can’t go on like this. The princess disfigured me, and now Yu’er’s face is ruined too. Can our household still survive in the capital? Is there anyone who will stand up for us?”

Old Madam Fu trembled all over in shock. She called for Xi Que to help her over to see Fu Sangyu, and when she saw her granddaughter’s face—bloody and mangled—her heart ached as if it were bleeding. This was her own granddaughter, the Prime Minister’s precious young lady! Clever, capable, and sweet-looking—she had hoped Fu Sangyu would marry well. And now her face was ruined?

“Prepare the carriage! I’m going to the Duke Ding’s estate to demand justice from the old Duke!”

Yao Suyi tried to stop her. “Your younger son will be back soon. Let’s hear his opinion first and have him go demand an explanation.”

“What’s the point of waiting? The young lady’s been beaten like this—do you think the old Duke will still protect his granddaughter?”

Old Madam Fu knew full well that the ones who truly held sway in Duke Ding’s household were the old Duke Liang Bo and his wife, Liang Youyi’s grandparents. As long as she confronted them, Liang Youyi would suffer the consequences.

Yao Suyi hesitated. “What if they propose a marriage between the princess and your younger son?”

“A wedding? Perfect! Let them marry immediately!” Old Madam Fu declared. “Once she enters our household, she’ll be my daughter-in-law. Just watch—I’ll torment her to death.”

Su Qinghe, witnessing Xia Qingyue’s false accusations against Princess Yunshang, Yao Suyi’s inflammatory lies, and Old Madam Fu’s vulgar threats to torture her future daughter-in-law in front of outsiders, silently shook her head. This Prime Minister’s household was truly disgraceful—unfit for public respect. She resolved to warn her father to be wary of Fu Zhang.

As for Xia Qingyue, Su Qinghe no longer intended to confide in her. So much for being a refined lady—she was fake, foolish, and malicious.

Xia Qingyue panicked upon hearing Madam Fu push for a wedding between Fu Zhang and Liang Youyi. If they married, she’d have no chance left. She couldn’t possibly become a concubine, could she?

Yao Suyi was even more anxious. If Liang Youyi entered the household, she’d never get close to Fu Zhang again. And if they had children, hers would be mere nephews at best—or worse, illegitimate offspring.

“Mother, let’s wait a little longer. Your younger son will be back soon. We shouldn’t make decisions on our own,” Yao Suyi said, trying to sound proper.

Xia Qingyue quickly chimed in, “Yes, Madam Fu, saving the young lady is the priority.”

Fu Zhang, upon hearing that Liang Youyi had struck Fu Sangyu again, was furious. First, she hit his sister-in-law, and now his own daughter? Was Princess Yunshang trying to sever ties with the Prime Minister’s household?

He went to the palace to summon an imperial physician to examine Fu Sangyu’s injuries.

Physician Zhang carefully inspected her wounds. Listening to the conversation among Fu Zhang, Xia Qingyue, Su Qinghe, and Yao Suyi, he realized it was Princess Yunshang who had done it. He swallowed the words “might leave a scar” and instead told Fu Zhang, “With timely medication and proper care, avoiding water exposure, she’ll recover in a few days.”

After the physician left, Fu Zhang questioned Xia Qingyue and Su Qinghe about what had happened.

Su Qinghe wanted to stay out of it—she didn’t want the Ministry of Rites to offend Duke Ding’s household. She bowed and said, “Prime Minister, I believe the household should handle this calmly.”

She explained that when they arrived at the racetrack, Princess Yunshang had already chosen the horse Chao Guang, and the master of Qilin Pavilion had registered it. It was Fu Sangyu who insisted on taking the horse, loudly calling out the princess’s name and forcing her to yield, which provoked the princess into ordering the slap.

“Actions have consequences. I don’t believe the princess was abusing her status,” Su Qinghe said objectively. “Miss Xia and Miss Fu were both present—they know I’m not lying.”

Xia Qingyue’s face turned pale, terrified that Su Qinghe would expose her desire for Fu Zhang. She quickly apologized to Yao Suyi and Fu Zhang, saying she had failed in her duty, and left in haste.

Yao Suyi had hoped Fu Zhang would punish Liang Youyi, but Su Qinghe had ruined that plan. According to Su Qinghe’s account, it was Fu Sangyu who started the conflict.

Seeing the tide turn, Fu Sangyu clutched her bandaged cheeks and cried, “Uncle, Mother, it wasn’t me who started it. It was the heir’s wife from Duke Fu’s household who slandered Sister Xia, saying she had designs on you, and insisted the princess join the race. I knew you hated seeing the princess ride horses, so I tried to take the horse from her.”

Yao Suyi immediately added, “Duke Fu’s household has always been hostile to ours. This time, they publicly tried to sow discord between us and the Ministry of Rites. Yu’er was defending her uncle! Women riding horses and showing themselves off—how damaging to your reputation! Yu’er couldn’t say it outright, so she tried to take the horse.”

Fu Sangyu nodded vigorously. “Mother speaks the truth.”

“Sister-in-law, Yu’er, you should know that Duke Fu’s household is full of warriors—blunt and straightforward. If used well, they’re a powerful asset,” Fu Zhang said with a faint smile. “Gu Jinyan has the support of Duke Wen and Duke Fu. Princess Yunshang has Duke Ding behind her. If you offend all three top noble houses at once—”

“Yu’er, are you clever or just reckless? Did you go after the princess today to avenge your mother?”

Fu Sangyu and Yao Suyi turned pale.

Fu Zhang looked coldly at Yao Suyi. “Your judgment has always been poor. You were beaten, so you egged your daughter on to provoke her? I see now—the arrogant one isn’t the princess, it’s the daughter you raised.”

Yao Suyi hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. Wringing her hands, she cried, “I didn’t know anything…”

“If you don’t know what’s right or wrong, then stay quietly in the back courtyard,” Fu Zhang said. He summoned Bai Yan and ordered, “Post guards. From today on, no one from Xunfang Court is allowed to go anywhere.”

After leaving Xunfang Court, Old Madam Fu said, “Zhang’er, it’s clear that Suyi, Yu’er, and the princess all share blame. Don’t you think the princess is getting out of hand?”

Fu Zhang shook his head. “Mother, it was Sister-in-law who had improper thoughts. Both times, she and Yu’er provoked the princess and brought this on themselves. No matter what, Madam Yao is my brother’s wife—my sister-in-law. But if I delay the wedding with Princess Yunshang any longer, something serious might happen. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go to Duke Ding’s estate today and arrange for the wedding after the New Year.”

“So soon?”

“Mother, on New Year’s Day, Princess Yunshang saw Sister-in-law pulling on me at the dock, and heard Yu’er call me ‘Father.’ She must already be suspicious…”

Only by marrying her quickly could he extinguish Sister-in-law’s delusions and make Princess Yunshang commit to him again, paving the way for his ambitions. And with her help, the embezzled silver from Jiangnan would remain hidden. Even if exposed, she could take the fall for him.