The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 109 - Fight Back

If he accidentally stumbled upon any family secrets, he wouldn't have enough lives to survive.

Seeing the aggressive scene from the East Wing, Second Madam Wang remained unfazed, calmly putting down her teacup as she provocatively taunted, "Oh my, sister-in-law, are you staging a rebellion with this show of force?"

"Stop accusing me of nonsense! In broad daylight, you come swaggering into my East Wing. Second sister-in-law, is this your idea of good manners?"

Second Madam Wang raised her eyebrows at the unusually resolute eldest sister-in-law, feeling puzzled. Normally, she was always so meek and submissive—what had given her the nerve to stand up now? To even dare to talk back in front of the servants? It seemed her daughter was right: if they didn't properly suppress the First Household, they might start throwing their weight around in the future!

With a cold expression, Wang Shi replied, "As for my manners, my parents and in-laws have taught me well, so you needn't worry about that, sister-in-law. But if the third young master doesn't break his habit of stealing, he'll bring shame to the Prime Minister's Manor in the future!"

Upon hearing the word "stealing," Lin Muzhi, who was being held down, began to struggle fiercely, his eyes practically burning with anger as he glared at Second Madam Wang, wishing he could devour her. Unfortunately, this was exactly the reaction Wang Shi wanted. She aimed to crush the rising confidence of the First Household, so that after being humiliated a few times, they would realize their lowly status and dare not resist again.

Seeing her son struggle so desperately, Madam Dong could no longer stand by. She rushed forward and shoved away the maids restraining her son, glaring at them like a mother wolf protecting her cub. The maids, feeling guilty under her fierce gaze, instinctively let go.

This, however, thoroughly enraged Second Madam Wang!

"Who told you to release him? Hold him down and beat him!"

Although her words lacked reason, her tone was full of authority. Everyone in the Prime Minister's Manor knew that the future of this grand estate would belong to the West Wing. With that thought emboldening them, their anger surged, and they moved to grab Lin Muzhi and Madam Dong. Some pulled at them, while others raised sticks, ready to strike.

Dong Momo, seeing the mistress she had raised since childhood being treated so harshly, could no longer hold back. She picked up a branch nearby and began thrashing the maids with it. Dong Momo was no frail woman—coming from a butcher's family, she had plenty of strength in her hands. Her blows sent the maids running in all directions, creating chaos.

The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Second Madam Wang had clearly not anticipated such a strong backlash from the First Household, and she was momentarily stunned by Dong Momo's actions. Once she recovered, she slammed her hand on the table and roared, "This is rebellion! How dare a lowly servant lay hands on others? Are you tired of living?"

"Dong Momo!"

Madam Dong raised her voice, and Dong Momo, who had been busy chasing after chickens and dogs, stopped in her tracks at the sound. She returned to her mistress's side, and though she was panting heavily, her complexion had brightened considerably, with her eyes filled with a fierce glint.

"Sister-in-law, is this the wet nurse from your family? Such a lack of manners! She deserves to have her tendons cut and be sold off to the farthest corner of the world as a laborer!"

Second Madam Wang was furious. She had never endured such indignity in her life, and she could hardly tolerate it.

Madam Dong didn't respond to her. Instead, she stood protectively behind Lin Muzhi and asked sternly, "You claim my son stole the brush from Second Young Master's room. Do you have any evidence?"

First, she had punished a few maids to establish authority, then proceeded to question them, skimming over the details of the recent events. Madam Dong understood how to deal with the Second Household; she had just held back before.

Hearing this, Second Madam Wang was indeed led off course. She sneered three times and replied, "Evidence? I have it, actually." With that, she clapped her hands and summoned someone.

When Madam Dong saw that the person approaching was a maid from the West Wing, she snapped, "Pfft! You call this evidence? Isn't this just a blatant attempt to frame my son?"

After saying this, she glared fiercely at the maid. The maid, named Shuyun, was a dowry gift from Wang Shi's family. She would dare to side with Wang Shi against Madam Dong!

As expected, Shuyun was undeterred by Madam Dong's anger. She knelt and retorted, "Heaven above, if I wronged the third young master, may I suffer a terrible fate!"

Her oath stirred those from the West Wing, who all seemed to perk up. However, Madam Dong merely scoffed. "Though I am but a woman, I understand that handling a case requires solid evidence. If one could decide life and death based on oaths, how many innocent lives would be lost?"

Then, she turned to Second Madam Wang and mocked, "How unfortunate that you were born into a family of military officials. Is this your family's code? If the outside world learned that Minister Wang relied on oaths to manage the military, I would like to see whether your Wang family would be cursed!"

"You!"

Second Madam Wang and Madam Dong had been sisters-in-law for many years. Throughout this time, Wang Shi had always been in the dominant position, with Madam Dong beneath her. Even the management power rested in the hands of Ronghe Hall and the West Courtyard. The East Courtyard had always been submissive, too intimidated to cause trouble.

Today, however, they were unexpectedly fighting back, leaving the usually sharp-tongued Second Madam Wang momentarily speechless. She knew full well that this was a scheme, but now that things had escalated to this point, she couldn't just brush it aside. She straightened her back and declared, "Sister-in-law, your tongue is quite sharp! I never knew you had such talent!"

"It's an old saying: even a rabbit bites when cornered. I'm not made of clay; I will naturally stand up against injustice."

After saying this, she glanced at Lin Muzhi, filled with affection, then turned back to the maid Shuyun and said sternly, "Since Second Madam claims you are a witness, you tell us how our third young master entered the West Wing, how he got into Second Young Master's room, and how he stole the brush, and how you caught him in the act! If there's even a hint of dishonesty in your words, I will risk my life to have you sent to the authorities for the crime of harming your master!"

Madam Dong's fierce demeanor intimidated Shuyun. Her previous oath had just been a hasty remark; she hadn't expected it to be taken seriously. If she were really sent to the authorities, not only would she suffer the consequences, but her family would also be implicated.