"What consequences did Second Brother intend to cause?" Zhu Changle sat up straight, casually picking up her grandmother's cane to support herself as she stood to face her family. She tilted her head towards Zhu Changning, "What consequences did Second Brother and his wife want to create? I didn't hit them. Did they want the consequence of family members dead or injured? Or perhaps the consequence of Second Brother being hurt or killed while trying to protect his wife and child during the ensuing pursuit?"
Zhu Changning's heart skipped a beat. Embarrassed and feeling his authority as an older brother challenged, his tone hardened, "Zhu Changle, no matter how angry you are, you can't talk about family members' lives like this!"
"Zhu Changning!" Zhu Maonian warned his second son with a look.
Zhu Changle laughed, looking up at the sky. "Who's really talking about family members' lives here, me or you?"
Zhu Changning knew he had made a mistake today. He was well aware that if it weren't for his little sister and her capable friends, their whole family would likely be dead by now. He felt he deserved whatever reprimands his father and brother gave him, and he felt guilty. But how could his younger sister criticize her older brother like this!
He frowned, "What happened today was our fault, but my wife and I absolutely had no intention of harming the family."
"So, Second Brother means to say... that I did?"
"You know that's not what I meant."
Zhu Changle nodded, "You think I would harm your child, so you didn't dare use the medicine I gave you, is that right?"
"...No, that's not it."
"That medicine was given to me by the world-renowned master physician Zhiqing. It's meant to calm the mind and focus one's thoughts. Six years ago, I replaced all the medicinal herbs in our family's storeroom. The herbs you've been using these past few years, the medicine your wife has been taking, what she used to protect her pregnancy - it's all from the herbs I brought home. What now, do you want to empty all those herbs from your stomachs and give them back to me?"
"I said I didn't distrust you."
"Whether your words are true or false, I can't be bothered to argue. Your actions, however, seem to follow your true feelings quite well." Zhu Changle slowly walked closer, dragging the cane. She suddenly turned to Madam Xu, "Second Sister-in-law, are you happy watching us siblings argue? Are you satisfied? Your husband is on your side, helping you! You're not fighting alone, you know! Doesn't that make you feel particularly good?"
Madam Xu, who had just secretly breathed a sigh of relief, was suddenly called out. Having her innermost thoughts so plainly stated made her heart race. She quickly shook her head in denial, "Changle, I'm really not that bad. Please don't think of me that way."
"Oh? Then teach me, how should I think of you?"
Madam Xu was stumped by this questioning. Instinctively, she looked towards her husband again. Zhu Changning was about to speak when Zhu Changwang smacked his knee with a fan, hard enough that he almost cried out in pain.
Looking down to meet his older brother's gaze, he closed his mouth, not daring to say more.
"Let me ask in a different way then. When you allowed Anan to cry, Second Sister-in-law, had you already thought of how to deal with the enemy? I'm too foolish to figure it out, so why don't you teach me?"
Madam Xu lowered her head, wringing her hands in her lap, her silence serving as her answer.
"I suppose Second Sister-in-law must have a plan but doesn't want to reveal it now lest the enemy finds out. In that case, I'll be waiting for Second Sister-in-law to come protect me." Zhu Changle whistled, and her horse Xiaowei came over, swishing its tail. "This horse of mine is gentle and obedient. Let it carry Second Sister-in-law. Come, let me help you mount."
Seeing Zhu Changle's outstretched hand, Madam Xu's already pale face turned even whiter. She bit her lip and shook her head repeatedly, backing away, looking pitiful and innocent.
"Changle, your Second Sister-in-law is still in her postpartum month. You should be more considerate of her condition," Zhu Changning finally couldn't help but speak up for his wife.
This angered Zhu Changle even more. She swiftly brought her cane down on her second brother's backside. No one had expected her to actually hit him. Zhu Changning jumped up, clutching his bottom, and shouted angrily, "Zhu Changle, have you gone mad?"
"I wasn't considerate of her? When she spoke thoughtlessly, I placated Grandmother and Mother. She doesn't like me, so I avoid appearing in front of her. She doesn't want me near the child, so I haven't held Anan even once until now. Second Brother, tell me, how much more considerate should I be?"
With each sentence, Zhu Changle gave her second brother another whack. She hit his calves, then his thighs. When he stopped protecting his bottom with his hands, the cane headed there. He couldn't protect everything at once, wishing he had several more hands. Moreover, he couldn't refute a single word she said. If it weren't for Changle smoothing things over on both sides, Hanmei wouldn't have so easily gotten past Mother and Grandmother's objections.
"We've already covered more than half the journey. The further we go, the more dangerous it becomes. If we can successfully lure them away, we'll have two or three days without being in danger. Even if they discover the trick midway, their forces will be scattered, greatly reducing the risk. Second Brother, you've studied for so many years, and you couldn't even think of this?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and the less merciful her strikes. Zhu Changning was forced to hop around, but out of pride, he stubbornly held back his cries of pain, his face turning red from the effort.
Madam Xu, feeling sorry for her husband, crawled forward to intervene. Zhu Changle gave a cold laugh, "Does Second Sister-in-law think I won't dare accept your obeisance just because you're my elder brother's wife? Well, you've only been part of the family for two years, so you don't know that my nickname is 'Daredevil'. There's nothing I don't dare to do. Those noble family rules don't constrain me. I dare to hit Second Brother, and I dare to accept your obeisance. Even if your knees bleed from kneeling, I won't bat an eye."
Madam Xu froze in place, overwhelmed by this forceful attitude. She had no idea how to deal with a sister-in-law of this temperament, nor did she know how to handle the current situation.
Watching her husband being beaten and unable to defend himself, Madam Xu looked towards her father-in-law and mother-in-law, then to her elder brother-in-law. They were all just watching the scene unfold. The Old Madam, not far away, hadn't even turned her head. They were completely allowing Zhu Changle to act as she pleased, as if they couldn't see that the person she was hitting was her own brother.
What... what should be done?
"Zhu Changle, you're being disrespectful—ouch!" Zhu Changning, angered by the beating, tried to grab the cane, but received another blow to his arm, making him hiss in pain.
"Yes, I am being disrespectful! I'm hitting you because you got a wife and stopped caring for your sister! I'm hitting you for being short-sighted and lacking awareness! I'm hitting you!"
Zhu Changle's strikes became more precise. When she aimed for his calf, she wouldn't hit his thigh. She never hit his hands. She was careful not to injure the hand he used for writing, but that was the extent of her restraint. She realized she had been wrong before. There was no point in enduring or yielding. When dealing with stubborn people, you can't reason with them. They're all blind and deaf. You have to beat them into submission until they feel the pain and behave. If she couldn't hit her sister-in-law who had married into the family, couldn't she at least hit her own family members?
"I'll hit you, I'll hit you! Zhu Changning, let me tell you, if you don't shape up, I'll beat you three times a day! What can you do about it? You can't beat me in a fight, you can't outrun me, you can't out-argue me, and your voice isn't even as loud as mine. Apart from splashing me with ink, what can you do to me?"
Not far away, perched in a tree, several people had varying expressions. Tunhu was silently laughing so hard he nearly bruised his thighs from slapping them. Lan Ping stood with her arms crossed, holding her sword, a hint of amusement in her eyes. Ban Lian was more reserved, her face red from holding back laughter, her lips tightly pressed together to maintain her composure. As for Qiuli... he lay on a tree branch, swaying with the wind, his fan covering his face, his expression unknown.
