“A whole group of women, some old, some young—why would I be angry?”
Xiao Yi said with a faint smile.
Su Xian bit her lip.
“Second Brother and the others must have guessed you’d think that way, so they sent Mother and the rest to come.”
Xiao Yi nodded. “Right—if it were your brothers coming, I’d have given them a beating!”
“Pfft!”
Su Xian was amused by Xiao Yi’s deliberately serious words.
“Your Highness, rest assured. I will keep Mother and the others in check and won’t let them cause you any trouble!”
“Mm. It works out well, since you have nothing to do. Their company will give you someone to talk to,” Xiao Yi said lightly, comforting Su Xian.
Ever since Duoduo started attending the Imperial Academy and Xu Jinyin opened her shop, Su Xian had grown a bit bored.
Having something to keep her busy was always a good thing.
As for the scheming of her in-laws’ household, Xiao Yi didn’t pay it any mind at all.
This was his domain. Anyone trying to play tricks on his turf would be like the old matriarch hanging herself—begging for a shorter life!
“Then I’ll go back and make the arrangements.”
With Xiao Yi’s words, Su Xian’s heart settled back into place.
Xiao Yi watched her retreating figure and called for Yunxiao.
“Any news from the people we left in Xianyang about the Su family?”
Yunxiao bowed.
“Reporting to Your Highness: It’s said that the Master Su is ill, and the eldest son of the Su family is demanding a division of the household assets.”
Xiao Yi was taken aback.
“Ill? Truly ill or faking it?”
“According to our people’s investigation, he was angered into illness by the old madam and the second son of the Su family,” Yunxiao replied.
Xiao Yi pondered for a moment.
“Interesting. Her husband is sick, and instead of staying home to nurse him, she brings her granddaughter all the way to the capital.”
“What about her grandsons? None of them came?”
“One did: the legitimate son of the second branch. He came along with them,” Yunxiao answered.
Xiao Yi rubbed his fingers together, lost in thought.
“Once this person arrives, assign someone to tail him.”
“And the same for the rear courtyard.”
“How is the search for those women skilled in martial arts coming along?”
A look of shame flashed across Yunxiao’s face.
“Reporting to Your Highness, I haven’t found any yet.”
“However, I have found a few maids with very strong hands and feet.”
“I’m currently having them taught some basic combat moves.”
Xiao Yi nodded.
“That works. When that’s done, assign these maids to the rear courtyard.”
“Understood.”
The next day at noon, Duoduo, accompanied by Lüdou, went to the Kunning Palace as usual for lunch.
Today, Nanny Li was feeling unwell and had taken the day off.
Halfway there, Duoduo spotted a richly dressed woman surrounded by a large entourage of eunuchs and palace maids heading straight toward her.
Seeing no way to avoid them, Duoduo had no choice but to pull Lüdou down to kneel.
The woman stopped and studied Duoduo.
Duoduo had no idea who she was, so she simply kept her head lowered.
After a moment of appraising Duoduo, the woman touched her temple with one hand.
“Men! Seize them! Take them to the Shenxing Office!”
Startled, Duoduo looked up and saw the disdain plain on the woman’s delicate face.
Lüdou reached out to shield Duoduo. “How dare you! This is the emperor’s personally appointed Princess Changlo!”
A sneer curled the woman’s lips.
“Heaven knows what assassin this is, pretending to be Princess Changlo!”
“Guards, arrest them! Slap their mouths!”
“Yes, Lady Consort Shu!” The eunuchs and maids immediately closed in.
The moment she heard that, Duoduo stopped kneeling. Pulling Lüdou up with her, she began to back away slowly.
“Lüdou, do you still remember the way to Cining Palace?” Duoduo asked in a low voice.
Lüdou nodded. “This servant remembers.”
“Good. Go to Cining Palace and find the Empress Dowager.” Duoduo pushed Lüdou, urging her to leave quickly.
Lüdou looked like she was about to cry.
“This servant won’t go. This servant wants to stay with the Commandery Princess!”
After saying this, Lüdou tightly grabbed Duoduo’s hand and refused to let go.
Duoduo looked around. Consort Shu had brought at least a dozen people with her.
She quietly pulled out a paper packet and pressed it into Lüdou’s palm.
“If anyone attacks you, just throw this out!”
Lüdou nodded, clutching the paper packet tightly in her hand.
Duoduo straightened herself up.
“Consort Shu, are you bullying me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my imperial grandfather?”
Consort Shu froze for a moment, then pretended not to hear and turned around.
“Why aren’t you all moving? The Commandery Princess is supposed to be at the Imperial Academy—how did she end up in this Cold Palace?”
“If you don’t capture her, every one of you will be flogged!”
Hearing this, the maids and eunuchs all lunged toward Duoduo.
Duoduo raised her hand, and a puff of powder flew into the air.
“It’s poison!” she shouted.
The maids and eunuchs panicked and scrambled back.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Duoduo slipped behind Consort Shu and tossed another packet of powder at her.
Consort Shu saw the servants running everywhere and turned around in surprise.
The powder, carried by the wind, blew straight into her face.
Remembering that Duoduo had just yelled “poison,” Consort Shu was terrified. She frantically wiped at her face with both hands.
“Someone, come! An assassin! Protect Her Ladyship!”
Spotting the chaos, a eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs.
Instantly, a dozen guards appeared from nowhere, raising their swords as they charged at Duoduo.
Duoduo grabbed Lüdou and yanked Consort Shu toward them.
Consort Shu’s eyes were blinded by the powder, so she couldn’t see. Suddenly feeling someone grab her skirt, she screamed in terror.
“Ah! Get off me!”
Duoduo kicked Consort Shu behind the knee, making her collapse to the ground.
Duoduo pulled out the hairpin from her bun, twisted it slightly, and pressed it against Consort Shu’s neck.
The guards never expected that a mere child would dare to show such disrespect to Consort Shu right under their noses.
They froze, not daring to move.
“Drop your swords! Or I’ll scratch her face up!”
Consort Shu was terrified.
“Drop your swords this instant!”
The guards exchanged glances, hesitating.
Duoduo lightly tapped Consort Shu’s neck with the hairpin.
Consort Shu felt a numb sting and was nearly scared to death.
“Are you all deaf? Didn’t you hear my orders?”
Only then did the guards drop their swords.
“Make them leave!” Duoduo tapped Consort Shu again with the hairpin.
Consort Shu, trembling, shouted, “Get out of here! All of you, get out now!”
Hearing this, the guards, maids, and eunuchs scattered like birds and beasts. Within moments, they were all gone.
Duoduo quickly twisted the hairpin back into its original shape and tucked it into her bun.
This hairpin was hollow. She had placed a silver needle soaked in medicinal liquid inside it.
She had prepared it just in case of an emergency—she never expected to actually use it.
Consort Shu, now blind, was panicked.
She had come here because her subordinates reported that the Commandery Princess visited the Cold Palace every day for some time. She had deliberately come looking for trouble.
Yet, she never expected that she would be defeated by a mere little child.
Consort Shu was filled with deep resentment.
