Feng Jia knelt down and reported to Chu Tianjiao: She had followed Granny Zhang and Chu Yun'er all the way, watching as Chu Yun'er entered a side room at Falling Flowers Pavilion. When Granny Zhang tried to lock the door, Feng Jia appeared and knocked her unconscious.
When Feng Jia pushed open the door, Chu Yun'er was wrestling with Lady Sun's nephew, Sun Yongfu.
Although Chu Yun'er's skills were not as good as Chu Tianjiao's, she was still stronger than Sun Yongfu and hadn't suffered much.
However, the room was filled with aphrodisiac incense. Chu Yun'er had inhaled a bit, so Feng Jia grabbed her and threw her into the lake behind to sober her up.
"Despicable!" Chu Tianjiao clenched her fists.
"Feng Jia, take Second Miss to Lingering Fragrance Courtyard to change clothes."
"Sangzhen, come with me!"
Chu Tianjiao entered Falling Flowers Pavilion and found no sign of Granny Zhang outside. She asked Lu Dingfeng, "Where's that old woman?"
Lu Dingfeng sheepishly pointed inside the room.
Hearing this, Chu Tianjiao's expression cracked. Indescribable sounds came from within.
"Sun Yongfu and Granny Zhang?"
Lu Dingfeng nodded while glancing sideways at Chu Tianjiao, somewhat afraid she would scold her for messing around.
After all, she had done something similar to Lu Zhaoling not long ago.
"This is too easy on him!" Chu Tianjiao's tone was fierce.
Lady Sun had tried to scheme against her sister, so letting her nephew fool around with an old woman, while insulting, didn't cause any real harm to the Sun family.
Hearing this, Lu Dingfeng raised her head sharply, straightening her back, eyes lighting up with excitement at the prospect of causing more trouble.
"Big Miss, it's indecent in there. Don't worry about it. Lend me your dagger, I'll take care of it."
Chu Tianjiao took out her dagger but hesitated: "Killing him would be satisfying, but it would cause a lot of trouble."
"Don't worry, I won't kill him. Making him a eunuch will suffice."
Lu Dingfeng took Chu Tianjiao's dagger, examined it to ensure there were no markings, then entered the room with it.
Shortly after, the lustful sounds inside stopped, replaced by a scream of agony.
All the servants around Falling Flowers Pavilion had been sent away beforehand, so despite the loud noise, no one came to check.
Lu Dingfeng came out empty-handed, with a few traces of blood on her skirt.
"Big Miss, I'll slip away first. For the rest, just pretend you don't know anything."
By the time Lady Sun arrived at Falling Flowers Pavilion with her people, Chu Tianjiao had already reunited with Chu Yun'er.
After quietly instructing Chu Yun'er, the two went to the back garden to play with the other noble ladies.
After the "crying poverty" drama that morning, the other ladies felt that Chu Tianjiao wasn't as domineering and unapproachable as rumored.
A few of the bolder ones came over to greet the Chu sisters.
Chu Tianjiao exchanged pleasantries for a few moments before pushing Chu Yun'er forward to deal with the ladies.
Chu Tianjiao saw Ye Tinglan and Zhou Tongyun composing poetry with a group of noble ladies under a flowering tree.
Today, Ye Tinglan felt she had lost face due to Chu Tianjiao's actions, so she was working hard to repair her image, composing several poems in a row and earning applause from everyone.
Chu Tianjiao didn't go over to disturb them, as she was still waiting for the results from Lady Sun's side and didn't have the energy to deal with Ye Tinglan at the moment.
Unfortunately, while Chu Tianjiao wanted to let Ye Tinglan off for now, Ye Tinglan didn't feel the same way.
She wanted to regain the face she had lost to Chu Tianjiao.
When Ye Tinglan spotted Chu Tianjiao from afar, she sent a maid to invite her over.
"Sister Chu, we were inspired earlier and formed a poetry society. Given your noble status, I'd like to nominate you as our president."
Beside her, Zhou Tongyun wore an expression of anticipation, looking challengingly at Chu Tianjiao, as if to say:
"You illiterate bumpkin, we're inviting you to be the president of a poetry society. Do you dare accept?"
The other noble ladies were surprised that Ye Tinglan would nominate Chu Tianjiao as the society's president.
Due to Chu Tianjiao's reputation for being domineering, they didn't dare openly object.
Chu Tianjiao knew well that Ye Tinglan wanted to make a fool of her, but she acted as if she hadn't noticed at all, responding roguishly:
"It seems you truly admire me. This proposal is not bad, I approve!"
Ye Tinglan had originally thought Chu Tianjiao would most likely refuse, giving her a chance to cement Chu Tianjiao's image as an uncultured boor in everyone's minds.
Who knew Chu Tianjiao would actually agree, and even say something about Ye Tinglan admiring her. What the hell kind of admiration was that for an illiterate fool!
Ye Tinglan had offered the ladder herself, so she couldn't very well object now. She laughed awkwardly and turned to ask the other ladies, "Miss Chu has agreed. Does anyone else wish to be the president?"
Ye Tinglan's intention was for someone to nominate themselves, allowing her to demand a poetry competition between them and Chu Tianjiao, thus exposing Chu Tianjiao's true colors.
Unfortunately, Chu Tianjiao's long-standing reputation as a "little tyrant" was too strong. The noble ladies looked at each other, and no one dared to speak up.
The ladies all cast reproachful glances at Ye Tinglan, blaming her for causing trouble.
Their poetry society hadn't even officially started, and they'd already chosen an illiterate bumpkin as president. What was the point of continuing?
Chu Tianjiao swept her gaze around the group, then spoke seriously: "Since this is a poetry society, it should have a name. I propose we call it the 'Green Pine Society'!"
Green Pine Society? Everyone felt the name sounded familiar.
Finally, Prime Minister Wang's daughter, Wang Xingran, couldn't hold back anymore and was pushed forward to ask:
"Sister Chu, is this poetry society called the Green Pine Society because your courtyard is called Green Pine Courtyard?"
Wang Xingran had been to the Marquis of Liyang Mansion before. She strongly suspected that Chu Tianjiao was treating the poetry society like her own backyard.
So what did that make the rest of them? Her harem? Or her maids?
Chu Tianjiao gave Wang Xingran an approving look. The Wang family were indeed stubborn.
Wang Xingran's full brother was that son of Prime Minister Wang who had been beaten up by Chu Tianjiao since childhood.
Wang Xingran had grown up listening to her brother's sob stories.
Yet she still dared to jump out and question Chu Tianjiao, which was quite courageous.
Chu Tianjiao raised her head proudly: "Since you've chosen me as president, let me explain it to you!"
Ye Tinglan couldn't help but roll her eyes. I was wrong, I must have been crazy to choose you.
Chu Tianjiao clasped her hands behind her back and paced around the group of noble ladies, adopting the posture of a superior lecturing subordinates:
"Although we are women, we don't need to spend every day composing frivolous verses full of affected lamentations."
"Just now, some of you must have been comparing yourselves to falling flowers or flowing water again, right?"
"Don't you think that one's poetry reflects one's character? There's no need to write those self-deprecating verses!"
Ye Tinglan's face instantly paled. Chu Tianjiao hadn't even come over earlier, how did she know that Ye Tinglan had just composed verses about falling flowers and flowing water?
The way she spoke, she might as well have been pointing at Ye Tinglan's nose and scolding her directly.
The other noble ladies also looked uncomfortable, as they had been praising Ye Tinglan's poems just moments ago.
Chu Tianjiao continued speaking plainly:
"Although we are women, we should have the character of green pines - upright and resilient - to make our time in this world worthwhile. Don't you agree with my choice for the society's name?"
Wang Xingran hadn't expected Chu Tianjiao to expound such profound principles. Feeling impressed, she took the lead in applauding:
"Sister Chu, I support you as president. Let's call our poetry society the Green Pine Society!"
As the daughter of Prime Minister Wang, Wang Xingran's words carried much more weight than Ye Tinglan's.
With her endorsement, the other noble ladies couldn't very well object to Chu Tianjiao being president anymore.
Moreover, Chu Tianjiao's words just now had stirred their blood.
They might not wholeheartedly approve of Chu Tianjiao as president, but their initial aversion had disappeared.
Ye Tinglan saw Chu Tianjiao's arrogant smile and secretly hated her.
Just as everyone was discussing the specifics of the "Green Pine Society," screams and shouts came from the distance.
Soon after, Lady Sun led a group of old women, angrily rushing towards the Chu sisters.
As soon as she got close, Lady Sun tried to slap Chu Yun'er.
How could Chu Tianjiao let her succeed? She pulled Chu Yun'er nimbly out of the way and kicked Lady Sun to the ground.
Lady Sun sat up from the ground, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Chu Tianjiao and Chu Yun'er, cursing furiously:
"You pair of bitches!"
Chu Yun'er timidly hid behind Chu Tianjiao's back.
