“You, wicked girl, kneel down for me.”
Mu Zhenfeng hadn’t expected her to respond like this. His already displeased face grew even angrier as he stood up coldly, towering over her and roaring.
“Kneel? Haven’t I knelt enough before? What good did it do? You still don’t treat me as your daughter. So I won’t kneel again.”
Facing Mu Zhenfeng’s furious growl, Wanqing frowned and casually picked at her ear before looking up at him with a light, mocking tone.
“You—”
The familiar face and voice, but now with a completely different personality. Mu Zhenfeng trembled with rage, pointing at her, unable to speak for a long time.
“What? Standing tall, being loud—does that scare me? Let me tell you, I’m not afraid. Say what you want. If there’s nothing else, I have things to do and won’t keep you company.”
Seeing Mu Zhenfeng’s livid face and eyes brimming with anger, and Lady Liu’s equally unpleasant expression beside him, Wanqing gave a cold smile. Without even glancing at them, she turned to leave.
“You—stop right there! Since you’re being direct, I’ll ask you: what happened yesterday? Why was your face covered in red spots? And why did you hit Yu’er and those maids?”
Originally intending to vent his anger on her, Mu Zhenfeng found himself even more infuriated by her defiance. As she turned to leave, he spoke coldly, watching her slowly turn her head back, his eyes burning with rage as he demanded answers.
“Has the General finally grown a conscience and decided to care for his daughter?”
Facing Mu Zhenfeng’s interrogation, Wanqing smiled faintly and even playfully blinked at him, her expression deceptively intimate. Yet her words only stoked his fury further.
“You—how dare you speak to your father like that? What happened to your face? And Yu’er’s face, and the maids’—”
Lady Liu hadn’t expected her to be so brazen. Despite knowing the girl had changed after last night’s events, she couldn’t suppress her anger and scolded her sharply.
“Is Madam interrogating me? Wasn’t it you who ordered Xianglan to drug me? Or has Madam forgotten so quickly?”
Lady Liu’s question only provoked Wanqing further. Though Xianglan was already dead, Wanqing looked at her coolly and confronted her directly.
“You—you’re lying! When did I ever tell Xianglan to drug you?”
Lady Liu was renowned in the household and noble circles for her grace and virtue. Hearing this accusation, she panicked, glancing at Mu Zhenfeng, whose suspicious gaze now turned toward her. She lashed out indignantly.
“If not under your orders, would Xianglan have dared to drug me? Madam should focus on disciplining her own daughter instead of coveting what isn’t hers. Some things can’t be stolen, and not everyone’s belongings are fair game.”
Wanqing smirked at Lady Liu’s flustered rage. She spoke softly, but each word was a needle, hinting at deeper implications.
Though Wanqing’s voice was low, Lady Liu was stunned. She had spent years maintaining her image of virtue in Mu Zhenfeng’s eyes. If he learned the truth, she didn’t know how he’d view her.
“You’re spouting nonsense! It was all Xianglan’s doing—what does it have to do with us?”
Lady Liu snapped impulsively.
Faced with her outburst, Wanqing merely smiled. Though she preferred swift retribution, she wasn’t in a hurry to finish off this mother and daughter. Life was dull—why not have some fun with them first?
Watching Lady Liu’s agitation, Wanqing chuckled mockingly, enjoying her growing panic.
“Oh, so I was mistaken. Though Xianglan is dead and can’t testify, she was still your servant. With her gone, you can say whatever you want. But the truth is clear to both of us. Why so nervous, Madam? Guilty conscience?”
“You—Master!”
Lady Liu hadn’t expected Wanqing to become so bold and sharp-tongued in just a day. Left speechless, she turned to Mu Zhenfeng for help.
“Enough! Is this how you speak to your mother? If your face was Xianglan’s doing, what about Yu’er? What did she do to provoke you? Look at how you beat her!”
Mu Zhenfeng had watched as Wanqing’s words sent Lady Liu into a fluster. Though puzzled by their exchange, with Xianglan dead and Lady Liu pleading for his intervention, he coldly pressed the issue again.
“Her? Seems I didn’t hit her hard enough if she’s still spreading lies. Ask her yourself—I was sleeping peacefully in my room when she barged in with her lackeys, threatening to beat me to death. So I hit her back. Are the lives of others in this household so cheap that any concubine’s daughter can decide who lives or dies?”
Wanqing met Mu Zhenfeng’s questioning gaze with a faint smile, ignoring the furious glares from Concubine Xu and the tearful, swollen face of Mu Wanyu beside her. She spoke with unshaken confidence.
“This—” Stumped by her retort, Mu Zhenfeng faltered.
“If the General has nothing to say, then as the younger one, she brought this on herself by disrespecting her elder sister. If not for our blood ties, I’d have killed her outright instead of just bruising her face. Let me make this clear: I won’t dwell on the past, but from now on, whoever crosses me won’t find me merciful.”
Wanqing’s arrogance only grew as Mu Zhenfeng hesitated. Though she stood below him, her demeanor was one of superiority.
“You—how dare you defy me? No matter what, she’s your sister! You were wrong to treat her like this, and yet you act justified? Stay where you are! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I’m not your father!”
Mu Zhenfeng hadn’t expected his daughter to become so bold and sharp-tongued in just a few days. Hearing Concubine Xu and Wanyu’s louder sobs, and seeing the instigator turn away with a smirk, he erupted in rage.
Her blatant disrespect pushed him over the edge. Eyes blazing, he stormed forward and raised his hand to strike her as she paused at his command.
“You can hit me—even kill me. But don’t forget what the Crown Prince said last night: whoever bullies me bullies him. Go ahead, strike my head—end my life, and no one will defy you again. Though I may mean little to him, killing me now would be defying his word.”
Mu Zhenfeng’s murderous fury loomed over her. As he approached, Wanqing realized her father’s martial prowess—no wonder the court had made him a general.
She was no match for him in strength. Yet faced with his rage and killing intent, she didn’t flinch. Tilting her head up defiantly, she pointed at her own temple, taunting him.
“You—but what you did to your sister was unforgivable! I may not be able to punish you, but you will apologize to her. Otherwise, don’t even think of leaving today!”
Mu Zhenfeng’s raised hand froze mid-air. He wanted nothing more than to crush this insolent daughter, but her words—and her mother’s final plea—stopped him. Trembling with suppressed fury, he gritted his teeth and issued his command.
His helpless, seething tone made Wanqing burst into laughter.
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