Zhou Mama brought in hot tea. Mrs. Liu personally offered it to him right in front of his eyes. "Prince, what brings you here to our place?"
Zhao Changdu lazily took the teacup and lifted the celadon lid with his slender, bony fingers. He brushed away the white tea foam on top and took a sip, his eyes lowered.
Gu Ying was anxious, carefully peeking at the man's picturesque eyebrows and eyes, afraid that he would get angry at the slightest displeasure and implicate the entire Gu family.
Zhao Changdu spoke unhurriedly and calmly with an icy and extremely powerful aura. "The bowstring of LiWang Bow was cut. Since it was caused by a servant in the household, does Madam Gu think some explanation should be given to the young lord?"
Su Huanfeng unnaturally touched his nose. Oh dear, he was just a messenger... Ahem.
"What?!" When Mrs. Liu heard that LiWang Bow was damaged, she paled in fright and glared at Qingfeng and Ming Yue who were kneeling below, pointing her finger at them and cursing angrily, "You few lowly beasts even dare to touch LiWang Bow?! Not only will the Prince and young lord be angry about this matter today, even I will not let you off easy, you little beast!"
Qingfeng was both shocked and afraid, kneeling there with an ashen face. Her mind was numb with fear and she couldn't even utter a word of defence...
Ming Yue kept her head lowered gloatingly without saying a word.
"Qingfeng is usually sensible. How could she be so muddled this time!" Seeing Qingfeng trembling all over, Mrs. Liu was both angry and resentful, wishing she could drive this fool away immediately.
She had sent her to Twilight Snow Studio to act as her eyes and ears, to keep an eye on Gu Ying and make Gu Ying die quietly if necessary. She didn't send her there to get taken away in less than a month!
This stupid, useless wench!
Gu Ying saw that Zhao Changdu didn't seem to blame her, so she seized the opportunity and deliberately put on a helpless expression. "Qingfeng works steadily, so I thought she was a prudent maid. That's why I let her help manage Twilight Snow Studio and take care of LiWang Bow. I didn't expect her to do such a thing... Aunt, you specially sent Qingfeng and Ming Yue to me. For them to end up like this must have hurt your feelings... But I can't let her off for the sake of the Prince and young lord, so Ying is really in a dilemma..."
This was undoubtedly forcing Mrs. Liu into the fire.
She didn't want Qingfeng to leave, but with Zhao Changdu and Su Huanfeng present, she could only reluctantly say, "Then find a tooth-woman and sell Qingfeng off later!"
Gu Ying pretended to wipe tears from her eyes. "The young lord sent me so many things... In the future, Ying won't dare to let people touch them carelessly anymore... This is Ying's fault for not teaching them properly. I will be more careful in supervising the servants in the future."
Zhao Changdu said lightly, "Is this how Second Miss Gu supervises servants in the household?"
Gu Ying was taken aback, and Mrs. Liu was also stunned.
Zhao Changdu coldly laughed. "LiWang Bow is a divine bow, priceless and a national treasure. Since Second Miss Gu is soft-hearted and unable to discipline servants, then this prince has no choice but to intervene."
Mrs. Liu forced a smile. "But... the Prince is an outsider after all. The affairs in my brother's household..."
Zhao Changdu looked down on her condescendingly. "This concerns LiWang Bow, not your household."
Mrs. Liu felt a chill creep up her spine and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Zhao Changdu glanced at her disdainfully, knowing about the sinister scheming between women of wealthy families. He suspected that the two maids Qingfeng and Ming Yue were deliberately sent to Gu Ying by this malicious aunt Mrs. Liu, and Gu Ying had no choice but to set up this scheme today to get rid of both of them.
His gaze turned cold as he looked at the people below and continued, "I grew up in the military under Old Duke's caning in the Duke's residence since young, so I have always enforced military law and showed no mercy, whether towards men or women, for any mistakes made. Without rules, a large household cannot function. Since the bowstring of LiWang Bow is broken, all who have touched it except Second Miss Gu will receive twenty heavy strokes of the cane. Qingfeng the ringleader will be sold off. Her accomplice Ming Yue will also be sold off and not allowed to remain in the household, to prevent them from damaging LiWang Bow again in the future. As for Yanzhi, she will be spared punishment this time since she was framed, and will be dealt with as Second Miss Gu sees fit."
His expression was tranquil as if discussing today's weather, but this made him even more frightening.
Qingfeng had already accepted her fate, but Ming Yue raised her head in shock. "Your Highness, spare me! I didn't touch LiWang Bow. I was fooled by sister Qingfeng for a moment!"
Zhao Changdu looked at her lazily and smiled languidly, though there was no smile reaching his eyes. "Still daring to quibble? Twenty more strokes."
Ming Yue's breathing hitched as she slumped limply to the ground.
Forty heavy strokes would be the death of a frail woman like her!
She looked blankly at the handsome and proud man on the main seat. She couldn't believe that in just an afternoon, she had thought Qingfeng could be gotten rid of and she would reign supreme in Twilight Snow Studio. But in the end, she didn't even enjoy a good day before ending up like this!
"Madam Gu, bring them out to be punished."
As expected, the man's methods were ruthless without hesitation.
Mrs. Liu had no choice but to obey the order to drag Qingfeng and Ming Yue away.
Soon, the sounds of caning on flesh and the women's shrill cries of agony could be heard from outside.
It took Gu Ying some time to recover from her daze and shock before realizing that Zhao Changdu was helping her.
She smiled and said, "Many thanks to the Prince for upholding justice on Ying's behalf."
Zhao Changdu's expression was still indifferent as he listened to the screams outside without a ripple on his face. "It's nothing, just for LiWang Bow."
Gu Ying became strangely more fearful yet grateful towards him. "Your Highness, please let Ying escort you and the young lord out..."
Zhao Changdu stood up. His tall and upright figure was especially striking in the tent. "Alright, let's go."
Gu Ying thought about the bow with its severed string and sighed, before seeing them off.
Watching their departing figures, Mrs. Liu was so angry her complexion kept shifting between green and white. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt the whole incident today was suspicious. How coincidental that the Prince and young lord of the prestigious Duke's household would condescend to visit the Gu family's tent!
She vaguely felt there was a hand pushing things behind the scenes, but when she looked again, Gu Ying had such a pitiful and helpless expression with an aggrieved look, that she didn't think this fool could have arranged it.
After all, if the young lord really wanted to blame someone for LiWang Bow being damaged, none of the Gu family could afford to bear it.
Gu Ying wasn't foolish enough to use LiWang Bow as a raft to drive away her people, right?
"How unlucky! How did she get the Prince to look upon her differently? I noticed the Prince kept his eyes on her the whole time. Could the Prince have taken a liking to her?" Mrs. Liu was so anxious she couldn't sit still, and felt even more irritated as she thought about it.
Zhou Mama massaged her shoulders and quickly said, "The mistress jests. What kind of man is the Prince? How could he be interested in the Second Miss?"
