Chapter 10

The answer to this doubt came quickly.

Zhao Jingcheng glared at me with hostility and shouted angrily, “Zhao Yunshu, Qingzhou has been short of grain for a long time, but you went to the capital and didn’t even step inside the Treasure Pavilion! The heir and my sister solved this big problem overnight-now the Treasure Pavilion is willing to send merchant ships to transport grain for us! I think you’re just a crude, ignorant fool!”

As he spoke, maybe too agitated, his finger even scratched across my face.

I lazily grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard behind his back.

Amid Zhao Jingcheng’s screams, I kicked him on the butt, sending him sprawling face-first to the ground.

Zhao Mingyue hurried over to help Zhao Jingcheng up, her eyes misty with tears.

She first glanced at Xie Yun, then quickly bit her lip and said softly, “Your Highness, sorry to have let you see such a joke. My sister has been wandering outside for so long, suffering a lot. My brother and I owe her; whatever trouble she stirs up, it’s what we deserve.”

Here we go again.

In the year since I returned to the Zhao family, Zhao Jingcheng always found ways to bully me, but never got the upper hand.

Zhao Mingyue always puts on this weak, pitiful appearance, as if I had actually wronged her.

Everyone in the Zhao family gossips behind my back, saying I’m a female bandit.

My grandfather, though, is perfectly clear about what’s going on, but he can’t be bothered to interfere.

He’s already grown gray-haired from worrying about the mess with the Northwest Army, and truly has no strength for family affairs.

My mother spoke calmly: “Zhao Yunshu, wasn’t it enough that you caused your father’s death? Do you have to tear this family apart before you’re satisfied?”

Leaning against the doorframe, I looked at her and said softly, “You know perfectly well how Father died.”

My mother’s eyes instantly widened, and she raised her hand to strike me.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yun suddenly lifted his hand and steadily blocked my mother’s arm.

He spoke gently and politely: “Madam, you have lived as a widow in the Commander’s Mansion for many years. My uncle has always respected you greatly and even lent you Fanghua Garden to live in. I suppose you have lived quite comfortably these ten years. Since you have had no worries about food or clothing, why did you never think to send someone to look for Yunshu? Miss Zhao, on the other hand, is thoughtful-she knows Yunshu suffered a lot outside, and that you owe her much.”

Look for me? When my mother returned to Qingzhou back then, she directly told my grandfather I had died on the road.

Xie Yun knows this full well, and is deliberately bringing it up to embarrass my mother.

Zhao Mingyue stopped wiping her tears and looked up at Xie Yun.

My mother was even more interesting-first her brows shot up in anger, then she quickly bit her back teeth, her face extremely unpleasant.

Only that fool Zhao Jingcheng kept shouting, “How do we owe her anything! She has hands and feet, couldn’t she find her own way home? I think she’s just pretending to be pitiful! Your Highness, don’t be fooled by her! Now she’s clinging to you-who knows how she’ll bully us in the future!”

“Shut your filthy mouth.” I kicked Zhao Jingcheng aside impatiently. “If Zhao Mingyue wants to marry Xie Yun, let her. Don’t come bothering me again about these things! And Zhao Jingcheng, before I come home, fix everything you broke in my room, or I’ll castrate you myself.”

I walked out, paused for a moment, then turned my head to look back.

Xie Yun was standing on the other side of the door, watching me all along.

“Come out with me for a bit,” I said to Xie Yun calmly.

Zhao Jingcheng went wild like a mad dog, instantly shouting, “You say you don’t want to marry the heir, but here you are seducing him!”

I drew the dagger from my sleeve and, with a flick, hurled it at Zhao Jingcheng.

With a sharp thud, the dagger stuck into the threshold, leaving a bloody mark across Zhao Jingcheng’s face.

He was so frightened his legs went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

Xie Yun pulled out my dagger and slowly walked over toward me.