Chapter 146: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 146: 

 

Bicao's voice was loud enough to draw the attention of all the ladies on the bridge, who turned to look at Shi Xiujin.

Meanwhile, the maid from the Shi family hadn’t anticipated that the Prince’s residence would dare to retort after brandishing the Empress' name. Infuriated, she was about to step forward to argue when Shi Xiujin, blushing with anger, reprimanded her, “Knowing those are all common folk, why are you even engaging with them? Don’t tarnish my reputation! Mind your tongue when we get back!”

With that, she hurriedly climbed back into the carriage without waiting for the maid to assist her, urging the coachman to hurry across the bridge.

As the carriage sped up, it caused a commotion among the ladies on the bridge, prompting them to step aside. In the chaos, one of the wives of a cavalry officer stumbled and fell over the railing, screaming as she plummeted down headfirst.

Unfortunately, the spring rains had not been heavy this year, and the water level was very low, exposing the rock at the riverbed. If she fell, she would likely sustain serious injuries.

Liu Mian Tang was close enough to the cavalry officer’s wife, and her instinct as a martial artist kicked in; her reflexes were faster than her thoughts. As the crowd gasped in shock, she leaped into action, grabbing onto the bridge railing with one hand while steadying the falling woman with the other.

In that instant, everyone nearby caught sight of her skirts billowing in the air before realizing that Princess Consort Huaiyang had suspended herself, hanging perilously from the bridge. The gasps grew even louder.

At the same moment, the guards from the Prince's residence rushed over, quickly grasping the princess to prevent her from falling into the river along with the cavalry officer’s wife.

The people from the Shi family noticed someone had fallen from the bridge but chose to ignore it as they hurriedly drove their carriage forward.

As Liu Mian Tang was pulled back up, her anger had reached a boiling point. She shouted at Fan Hu and the others, “Go! Stop that carriage!”

Fan Hu and the others immediately complied, rushing forward to leap onto the carriage and seize the reins.

Shi Xiujin, having just heard from a maid that their carriage had pushed someone off the bridge, was startled and momentarily at a loss. She only wanted to leave quickly and report to her father so he could find someone to handle the situation. However, just as the carriage crossed the bridge, it was suddenly stopped by several burly guards. The abrupt halt caused her to sway inside and nearly lose her balance.

At that moment, Liu Mian Tang, accompanied by her maids and servants, reached the end of the bridge and coldly remarked, “Miss Shi, what great power you have! In this bustling place, you charge around recklessly, knocking someone off the bridge without even a backward glance. I doubt anyone in the capital could compare.”

Shi Xiujin had never been scolded like this before, and sitting in the carriage, she felt at a loss. However, since Liu Mian Tang had already called her out by name from outside the carriage, staying inside was no longer an option. With a stern expression, supported by her maid, she stepped down and angrily confronted Liu Mian Tang, saying, “Princess Consort Huaiyang has quite the authority, stopping anyone's carriage as she pleases. With so many people on the bridge, how can you claim that it was my carriage that knocked someone off?”

This time, Liu Mian Tang didn’t need to respond; the other ladies present began to speak up, “We are all witnesses. We clearly saw your family’s carriage speeding across the bridge. If it weren't for the Princess Consort jumping down to catch that person, you would be facing a manslaughter case right now.”

Shi Xiujin realized she was at a disadvantage, but being publicly humiliated was something she couldn’t bear. With her head held high, she retorted, “That person is unharmed, so are you really going to drag me to the magistrate’s office over this, Princess Consort?”

Seeing that Shi Xiujin was still intent on arguing, Liu Mian Tang understood that she had been spoiled at home. However, given that the army of Zhenzhou had just set out and the soldiers were still present, it was vital to address the incident properly to maintain morale. As the head of a household herself, Liu Mian Tang knew that if justice wasn't served, it would only sow discord among the troops. 

So, she stepped closer to Shi Xiujin and said, “The magistrate is quite busy, and there's no need to trouble the authorities over this small matter. If you sincerely apologize to this lady, we can put the matter to rest. As for the medicine to calm her nerves, the Huaiyang residence will cover the cost for you.”

Shi Xiujin, convinced of her status as the queen's sister and her father's position of authority in the court, believed that as a daughter of the Shi family, she should not be apologizing to a mere military officer's wife. She thought Liu Mian Tang's request was unreasonable, clearly trying to make things difficult for her.

Therefore, she had no desire to continue speaking with Princess Consort Huaiyang. With a cold snort, she turned to get back into her carriage. At that moment, Liu Mian Tang stepped forward and gently grasped Shi Xiujin's wrist, giving it a light tug.

How could a pampered young lady like Shi Xiujin compete with Liu Mian Tang? Letting out a small "ouch," she lowered her head and sank to her knees, making it appear as if she were kneeling to apologize.

Seeing their young lady suffer, the Shi family’s guards rushed over. When they saw Fan Hu blocking the way, they attempted to push him aside, but they were no match for him. In just a couple of moves, they found themselves subdued and pinned to the ground.

Liu Mian Tang chuckled as she pressed a hand down on Shi Xiujin, saying, “It’s just a simple apology from Miss Shi. Why the elaborate gesture? You even knelt down before the military officer's wife!”

At this point, the nearby ladies began to laugh.

Shi Xiujin had never felt such humiliation before. Unable to hold back, tears streamed down her face. After Liu Mian Tang had stripped her of her pride, she smiled, gently helping Shi Xiujin up and saying, “I imagine Miss Shi has other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you any longer. Please, go ahead and get back in your carriage.”

Knowing she was no match for Liu Mian Tang, Shi Xiujin shook off her hand, sobbing as she climbed back into the carriage and urged the driver to hurry back to the estate.

The guards on the ground got up and followed behind the carriage, grumbling as they went.

The surrounding ladies, watching the formerly arrogant daughter of the Shi family cry and flee, felt a sense of relief and were all the more impressed by the Princess Consort. The military officer's wife, in particular, repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Liu Mian Tang.

However, Fangxie, always attentive and thoughtful, couldn’t help but express her concern, saying, “Princess Consort, doesn’t this offend the Empress?”

Liu Mian Tang smiled gently and replied, “The Empress values her reputation. The Shi family has always acted arrogantly, relying on their status as royal relatives. By forcing the Shi family’s daughter to apologize, I’m actually upholding the Empress’s reputation. How could she possibly blame me for that?”

Meanwhile, Shi Xiujin returned home in tears, immediately going to her father to complain about the incident.

Shi Yikuan was no longer the minor general from Qingzhou; ever since becoming the royal father-in-law, his temper had become increasingly formidable.

Seeing his daughter’s arm bruised from being gripped too hard, he flew into a rage, dragging her with him to the palace to lodge a complaint.

Liu Yu had been feeling low since hearing that Mian Tang was determined to follow Cui Xingzhou to the North Sea, and his old ailments had resurfaced.

Thus, Empress Shi had prepared a lung-nourishing soup and personally brought it to the Emperor in the Imperial Study.

Unexpectedly, she ran into her father, who was dragging her sister Shi Xiujin along to complain. Wanting to avoid the situation, she tried to slip away but had no time to do so.

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