The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 148 - Schemes

Since childhood, the person Shen Qingrang feared most wasn't the once-mighty Duke Ying or his more accomplished companions and elder brothers, but his father before him, who always carried an imposing demeanor of strict authority. Clenching his teeth until they ached, he hesitated momentarily, remembering his mother's pointed words.

If he didn't give an explanation for today's incident, given Shen Xiaohai's temper, he truly might be beaten half to death in front of everyone to serve as a warning...

But... he hesitated, unable to decide.

Just then, Chunmei, the head maid beside Lady He, cautiously entered and whispered something in her ear. Lady He's eyes lit up, her face regaining a hint of color.

"Master!" she glanced at First Lady Cui and the First Lady, visibly relieved as a smile reappeared on her face. "I thought it strange for him to act so recklessly, but it turns out, this foolish boy was covering for someone else."

Shen Xiaohai, wary of her ploys and worried she might try to pin this mess on Shen Qingyun, gave her a warning glare.

Unfazed, Lady He, now feeling reassured, quickly addressed First Lady Cui and the First Lady in a sincere tone, "Sisters, it's not that I'm trying to excuse my unruly son, but there's another side to this. I fear we may need another lady present to get to the bottom of it."

"Mother!" Shen Qingrang suddenly spoke up, shooting an annoyed glance at Chunmei by Lady He's side before fixing his gaze on Song Chuyi, his look full of disdain. He clenched his teeth and turned to Lady He. "I did it! This girl has been tailing me all the time like a shadow, and I wanted to teach her a lesson, that's all!"

A lesson? Who knew what might be lurking in Xianle Garden? It was Shen Qingyun's residence, and if Song Chuyi stumbled upon anything peculiar or compromising about Shen Qingyun, her future could very well be ruined!

"Silence!" This time, Lady He was even more agitated than Shen Xiaohai, and she slapped the face of the son she had always cherished. "You worthless fool!"

Shen Qingrang might want to play the hero, the gallant protector, but she, as his mother, would never agree to it!

Taking a deep breath, Lady He pointed at him and scolded, "Did you think this would go unnoticed?! Just now, a servant from the Li household was probing your servant for information!"

The Li family?!

The First Lady, who had been holding back, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Could it be that this is also connected to the Li family?!"

How could every scandal somehow involve the Li family! Cursing inwardly, her face grew even more dismayed.

Song Chuyi, on the other hand, gave Shen Qingrang a surprised glance. She knew he wasn't capable of devising such a thorough plan on his own. But those two girls from the Li family...

In her previous life, she had interacted with the two Li sisters quite a bit. Because the Li family's First Lady disapproved of Lady Li and Song Chuning, those two sisters were typically distant from Song Chuning and barely warmer toward her than toward their unrelated cousin. Why would they risk something so damaging?

Besides, those two wouldn't have the capability to plan such a scheme within the Duke's residence, nor would they have the influence over Shen Qingrang to make him act.

And it definitely couldn't be Song Chuning doing; she was fleeing for her life and couldn't possibly reach from afar...

"Enough about the Li sisters!" Shen Qingrang shouted in frustration, glaring fiercely at Chunmei by Lady He's side before stubbornly addressing Song Chuyi. "It was all my idea!"

"No matter the case, we will give your family an explanation," Shen Xiaohai glared at Shen Qingrang, who quickly fell silent, fuming but daring not speak another word.

"Even if this worthless boy didn't initiate it, he's not blameless." Shen Xiaohai raised a hand, stopping the anxious Lady He from interrupting, and said sternly, "Bring the family rod! Beat him until he learns to distinguish right from wrong and admits his mistakes! If he insists on being stubborn, then beat him to death and end it!"

First Lady Cui watched coolly, her expression finally softening a little only when four strong servants entered, forcing Shen Qingrang to the ground and giving him a brutal beating—Shen Xiaohai truly was ruthless.

"My Lady!" A housemaid rushed in, casting a fearful glance at Shen Qingrang before turning to Lady He. "The First Lady of the Li family requests an audience."

"Let her in!" Lady He could no longer muster the will to shield her son, and hastily called out, then turned to Shen Xiaohai with a pleading look, "Master... if he's beaten any more...

"It is indeed connected to the Li family!"

First Lady Cui glanced with a half-smile at the newly arrived First Lady of the Li family, clutching tightly to Song Chuyi's hand. The First Lady of the Li family dared not meet her gaze, casting a somewhat embarrassed and uncomfortable look at Shen Qingrang, who had been beaten to the point of near silence, before stepping forward to greet everyone.

Lady He let out a heavy snort, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye as she turned away, evading the greeting with a cold smile. "Spare me the courtesy! Lady Li, perhaps you should explain why you're here."

The First Lady of the Li family felt even more awkward, but with the incident already having occurred, she could only push through with a forced smile. "It was all due to the mischief of my two girls... they came up with some scheme to 'trap the prey,' saying it was just a prank to tease Miss Song. It's my failure to properly discipline my family..."

"Years ago, a girl from the Dingyuan Marquis's family acted on a whim and pushed her cousin into the lake, calling it nothing but sisterly play..." First Lady Cui suddenly interrupted, "The rest, I need not say; everyone here knows how that ended, don't they? For families of our standing, every word and action reflects on the family's reputation; we can't afford to brush things off as mere jokes."

Later, a court censor filed a report against the Dingyuan Marquis family for poor governance of their household and instability in the inner residence. This event exposed the marquis's wife's unscrupulous wealth-hoarding, and the marquis himself was demoted...

The First Lady of the Li family turned pale. Their family already had unresolved grievances involving Lady Li and Old Lady Li, and if First Lady Cui, the emperor's niece, brought up this old matter or reported it to the Empress...

"Your Highness is absolutely right." The First Lady of the Li family bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and replied, "The two of them acted recklessly, nearly causing a grave mistake. They should go to the family temple to reflect deeply on their actions. I will report this to my parents as soon as I return."