Chapter 452: A Slap to the Mouth
The beautiful young madam had clearly suffered a setback at Li Shu’s hands, yet she herself had not said a single word. Instead, it was the maids following at her side—along with those accompanying Second Miss Yan—who could no longer hold back. One of them, a freckle-faced girl who held her chin high like an arrogant little hen, stepped forward. She lifted her brows, looked Li Shu up and down with open disdain, and sneered:
“You girl are exceedingly rude. Do you even know who my madam is? Asking you to call her ‘elder sister’ was already showing you favor. And yet here you are, gossiping and making snide remarks, utterly ignorant of what’s good for you.”
As the maid mocked Li Shu, Second Miss Yan was busy using her gaze to flay Zhu Ping’an alive, slicing him apart a thousand times over in her mind. This despicable man had not only peeked at her while she was bathing, but had even dared to loosen his trousers in front of her, striking such a vile and shameless pose… All for nothing, she had been made to lose her good name and spotless reputation. Such a deep and bitter grudge was not something that could be settled lightly.
Zhu Ping’an naturally did not dare meet Second Miss Yan’s eyes. Though those matters had all been misunderstandings, the one who had truly suffered was, after all, Second Miss Yan herself.
All of this, when reflected in Li Shu’s eyes, became something else entirely:
‘Shameless vixen! Flirting with that ugly toad right in the street, right in front of me, no less!
But thankfully, that stinking toad didn’t take the bait—he didn’t even glance at her. Hmph. Good thing you didn’t look. If you had, I wouldn’t even cook anything tasty for you once we’re on the boat.
Your mistress is brazenly seducing my ugly toad in public, and you, a mere little maid, still dare to ridicule me?!’
When had Li Shu ever been pointed at and scolded like this? When had she ever swallowed such humiliation—especially at the hands of a servant girl?
“Hehe…” Li Shu let out a light, silvery laugh. “Madam, is this maid from your household?”
She smiled faintly, her soft pink lips curving just so. Her naturally beautiful face carried a healthy flush, her watery eyes resting on the beautiful young madam. Her breath was like hidden orchids, her voice as clear and melodious as a lark’s song—sweet as honey. There was not the slightest trace of anger or displeasure on her face.
The beautiful young madam nodded. Though she did not quite understand why Li Shu was asking this, the maid was indeed from the Yan household.
At that moment, Second Miss Yan finally shifted her gaze away from Zhu Ping’an and looked toward Li Shu. With just one glance, her small mouth fell open in astonishment.
She had never imagined that the girl beside that lecher would be so breathtakingly beautiful. She had always thought that her close friend, Princess Anyang, was already one of the greatest beauties in all of Great Ming. Yet the girl before her was three parts more beautiful than even Princess Anyang. Beyond her innate loveliness, the girl carried a pure, elegant, and noble aura that did not lose out to Princess Anyang in the slightest.
This girl must be the lecher’s fiancée—the Fifth Miss Li Shu of the Linhuai Marquis’ residence.
Second Miss Yan had once had someone investigate Zhu Ping’an. She knew that in his neighboring village he had a childhood sweetheart, a betrothed fiancée—someone from the third master’s branch of the Linhuai Marquis’ residence, a man who had once been driven from the family and reduced to living in the countryside because of a woman. Among the young ladies of the Marquis’ household, she ranked fifth.
When she had first learned of this, Second Miss Yan had secretly rejoiced, thinking heaven had eyes at last—letting that lecher reap his just deserts by being engaged to some rustic village girl.
But who would have thought that this so-called country girl would be such a peerless beauty, with such extraordinary bearing?
What a waste. Truly a bargain handed straight to that lecher.
“Madam, I did look at you,” Li Shu said suddenly, blinking.
“Huh?” The beautiful young madam was momentarily thrown off balance, unable to follow Li Shu’s rhythm, completely unsure why she would suddenly say such a thing.
But she soon understood.
“Slap her.” Li Shu’s gaze turned faintly cool as she calmly gave the order behind her, her tone light and unhurried. The tassels in her hair swayed gently as she turned her face.
The moment the words left her mouth, the old serving women following Li Shu immediately rolled up their sleeves. Without caring in the slightest who the people opposite them were, they strode straight past the beautiful young madam and Second Miss Yan, grabbed the freckle-faced maid who had mocked Li Shu, and delivered several resounding slaps straight to her face.
These old women were used to heavy labor back in Shanghe Village; their hands were strong and merciless. After just a few slaps, the once-proud little hen was beaten into a daze—her hair disheveled, her eyes unfocused, completely stunned.
This little wretch really had some nerve, daring to ridicule their young miss. She must have eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall. From the day their miss was born until now, even the old master had never spoken a harsh word to her, never shown her a dark face. And yet this maid dared to mock her…
The old women did not care who Second Miss Yan and her companions were. Even if they knew these people were from the Yan residence, they would still carry out Li Shu’s orders without the slightest hesitation.
Not to mention the many methods Li Shu possessed that made them afraid to waver—even her habitual generosity alone, those rich rewards of silver she handed out, were enough to keep their loyalty firmly in place.
During their time at the Linhuai Marquis’ residence, they had received no small number of rewards from Li Shu.
So the moment they heard the words “slap her,” they rushed forward eagerly—some grabbing arms, some yanking hair, others striking faces. Their division of labor was clear, their cooperation seamless. One glance was enough to tell they were well-practiced and utterly at ease.
Of course, they did not hit her many times. Left hand, right hand—slow and deliberate—only three slaps in total.
This, too, was something Li Shu had instructed them on before. When slapping someone, what you strike is their dignity. Once the message is delivered, that’s enough. There was no need to hit too hard. It was sufficient to slap their face into the dirt—though stepping on it a couple more times would be even better.
Having followed Li Shu for so long, they had learned to read her eyes. Whether to strike lightly or heavily—they knew perfectly well.
“Little sister, don’t you think you’ve gone too far?” the beautiful young madam asked, her voice low as she looked at Li Shu. Her expression darkened slightly, her face difficult to keep composed.
It wasn’t that she was unreasonable. Anyone in her position would feel the same. Her own maid had been slapped in public—how could her face possibly hold up? As the saying goes, even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner.
She had originally planned to give this girl a warning, to establish her authority. But before she could even display her might, the girl had already dragged the horse away and butchered it for soup.
Naturally, the beautiful young madam’s face sank as she sought an explanation from Li Shu.
“But I did look at you just now,” Li Shu said, blinking again, her expression utterly innocent as she looked at the beautiful young madam—innocent like a little white rabbit that ate nothing but grass.
For a moment, the beautiful young madam was left utterly speechless.
Only then did she fully understand what Li Shu’s earlier, seemingly inexplicable words—“Madam, I did look at you”—had meant. They had been laid down precisely for this moment, for her own line about “beating a dog while looking at its owner.”
This girl was young, yet her schemes ran deep. Just how had she been taught?
Such a girl would be extremely difficult to deal with.
She had often heard Second Miss Yan speak of the newly crowned top scholar, Zhu Ping’an. Though Second Miss Yan spoke of him with threats and curses, the beautiful young madam was someone who had been through it all. Women often said one thing with their mouths while thinking another in their hearts. To claim Second Miss Yan had no feelings for Zhu Ping’an—she did not believe it.
She had even considered speaking to Donglou, seeing if something could be done on the Grand Chancellor’s side, perhaps helping to bring Second Miss Yan and Zhu Ping’an together.
But now, it seemed things were far more complicated than she had imagined.