Chapter 76: You’re Just a Bonehead

The eunuch quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet her gaze: “Yes.”

Shen Ning truly felt that Shen Yan probably hadn’t suffered enough, which was why she repeatedly challenged her patience.

She had warned her before, so why couldn’t she use her brain at all?

Shen Ning turned back into the room, looking at Ji Yucang who was putting on his clothes: “Is the palace under your control?”

Ji Yucang hummed in affirmation: “Feel free to do whatever you want.”

Shen Ning didn’t say much more. She quickly returned to Golden Courtyard to change her clothes, taking Shi Qin and Shi Qi with her in the carriage to enter the palace.

Yan Zheng had indeed been brought into the palace.

The Yan Prime Minister was not at home, and Yan Zheng was just a peaceful young girl who naturally didn’t have the courage of Princess Pingyao and Shen Ning to confront the palace concubines.

She also didn’t know that Consort Hui had summoned her to threaten Shen Ning, so she obediently entered the palace.

At this moment, she sat in front of Shen Yan. She had already drunk two cups of tea, and the awkward conversation had run out of topics. Yan Zheng noticed Shen Yan’s face visibly darkening and realized that something was amiss.

After a moment of deliberation, she rose to take her leave: “I shall not disturb Your Highness’s rest any further, I will take my leave.”

“Who said you could leave?” Shen Yan put down her teacup heavily, looking at her haughtily, “Shen Ning doesn’t respect me, and neither do you?”

Yan Zheng was taken aback: “I did not mean to—”

“Kneel down!” Shen Yan commanded sharply.

Yan Zheng’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Considering Shen Yan’s status, although she was displeased, she silently knelt down.

“Slap her.” Shen Yan commanded, venting the anger she felt from being ignored by Shen Ning on Yan Zheng, “Give her ten slaps.”

Yan Zheng’s expression changed slightly as she looked up at her: “I do not know what mistake I have made for Consort Hui to be so enraged.”

“Do I need a reason to hit you if I want to?” Shen Yan looked at her coldly, “Moreover, aren’t you arguing with me right now? Am I wronging you?”

Yan Zheng guessed that Shen Yan was still holding a grudge against her because of the last flower appreciation banquet. She slowly stood up and looked directly at Shen Yan: “My brother is the Prime Minister. Even if you are the esteemed Consort Hui, you cannot be so unreasonable, bullying whoever you please.”

“How insolent!” Shen Yan was furious, “Yan Zheng, you are disdaining the royal authority, an unforgivable offense! Guards, hold her down and beat her!”

“I’d like to see who dares.” A commanding voice suddenly sounded, as if carrying a heavy chill, “Shen Yan, do you think there’s nothing left in this world for you to cherish, so you keep jumping around like this?”

Shen Ning walked in from outside, her brows and eyes encircled with frost, looking at Shen Yan as if she were looking at a dead person.

Yan Zheng turned to look at her, her emotions slightly easing: “Princess Consort.”

“Shen Ning, you are insolent!” Shen Yan stood up, pointing at her in extreme anger, “You—”

Slap!

Shen Ning took a quick step forward and slapped her: “Insolent.”

Shen Yan covered her face in disbelief: “You dare hit me? I am a Consort appointed by the Emperor himself, and you dare hit me?”

Behind Shen Ning stood Shi Qin and Shi Qi.

As several palace maids instinctively stepped forward to protect their mistress, Shi Qin’s cold gaze swept over them, making them stop in their tracks.

“Guards!” Shen Yan covered her face with one hand and angrily pointed at Shen Ning with the other, “Seize her, I will teach her some manners today! Did you hear me—ah!”

Shen Ning grabbed her neck with such force that Shen Yan could hardly resist, and the other hand mercilessly slapped her face.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

“I see you’re just a bonehead. Without some lessons, you’ll never know your place.” Shen Ning pressed her down on the chair, her cold eyes filled with endless killing intent, “Shen Yan, do you have to die to behave?”

“Regent’s Princess Consort!” The palace maids knelt in unison, their faces turning pale with fear, “Please calm your anger, Princess Consort.”

“Shen Ning, you… you’re bold…” Shen Yan tightly grabbed her hand, her face turning a dark shade of blue due to the difficulty in breathing, “Let… let go of me, let go of me…”

Shen Ning’s eyes turned cold, and she slapped her four more times, instantly turning Shen Yan’s pretty face into that of a pig’s head.

“Please, Regent’s Princess Consort, calm down! Please, Regent’s Princess Consort, calm down!” The palace maids continued to beg for mercy.

Calm down?

Shen Ning grabbed Shen Yan by the neck, lifted her up, and threw her to the ground, stepping on her chest and pulling her hair from above: “Shen Yan, I really gave you face.”

“Ah… cough cough cough! Cough cough…” Shen Yan covered her neck, letting out heart-wrenching coughs, “You… are you all dead? Quick, quickly pull this madwoman away… pull her away!”

Shen Ning looked up, coldly surveying the surroundings: “If anyone dares to move, I’ll snap their neck immediately.”

The palace servants froze in place, feeling the chill in the air.

Shen Ning looked down at Shen Yan’s swollen face, her voice as cold as ice: “Shen Yan, you are a hopelessly stupid bug, thinking that entering the palace makes you superior to others? Who gave you such confidence to have such a foolish belief?”

Even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager couldn’t do what she, a mere Consort, thought she could.

“You… let go of me, Big Sister, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong…” Shen Yan’s eyes turned red, truly fearing Shen Ning at this moment, “It wasn’t my intention, it was the Empress Dowager… the Empress Dowager wanted Big Sister to enter the palace, she wanted you to plead with the Regent. The Empress Dowager said that Qin Yanshu is innocent and wanted the Regent to release him—”

“Innocent?” Shen Ning viciously pinched the flesh on her face, coldly watching Shen Yan scream in pain, “The Qin family won’t be finished until they’re all dead!”

After saying this, she slowly stood up, straightening her clothes, looking at Shen Yan who was curled up on the ground, trembling: “Before you act stupidly again, think about whether you can bear the consequences.”

Yan Zheng, witnessing the formidable Regent’s Princess Consort for the first time, stood there in a daze, her eyes full of admiration and worship.

“This is the last time.” Shen Ning’s voice was piercingly cold, “If there’s a next time, you’ll go meet the King of Hell with Qin Yanshu.”

After saying this, she nodded to Yan Zheng and turned to walk out.

Outside the hall, Princess Pingyao stood there casually, her cloak fluttering majestically.

Seeing them come out, Princess Pingyao nonchalantly ordered: “Starting today, Consort Hui will also retire to her quarters to rest. Without special circumstances, she is not allowed to wander around.”