Chapter 22: Who Does He Think He Is?

“Please, Elder Sister, Brother-in-law An.”
“Second Younger Sister, hello.”

Every time Yun Zhaozhao saw the two of them solemnly bowing to each other, she felt a pang of discomfort.

Seeing Xiang Lian’er and Xiang Zhu’er following behind, about to repeat the same ritual, she hurriedly urged, “Let’s go, hurry inside. Don’t be late.”

With that, she grabbed Yun Chuchu’s hand and quickened her pace.

The two sisters chatted as they walked.

“What’s going on with those two behind us? Since when did they become so meek? Weren’t they quite arrogant the last time we visited?”

Yun Chuchu pursed her lips and smiled. “Sister, you just got back to the capital, so it’s normal you don’t know them well yet.

Don’t be fooled by their bluster in front of us; that’s only because they have the backing of their legitimate grandmother.

But outside, whenever they meet someone of higher status, they immediately become obsequious, trying to curry favor.

After all, the Bo family has no real power; even a third-rank official in the capital could easily put them in their place.”

“Tsk, looks like they’re not stupid, just bully the weak and fear the strong. You’ll have to stand firm from now on—don’t let them look down on the Xiang family.”

“Don’t worry, Sister, I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you still remember the common tactics I told you about for palace and household struggles?”

“Mm, spilling wine, tripping and falling into water… I remember them all and have taken precautions. You can rest easy.”

“That’s good.”

The two sisters continued chatting as they soon arrived at their destination.

Men and women were hosted in separate gardens, so Sheng Xingye parted ways with them here.

As the sisters entered the garden, someone greeted Yun Chuchu.

“Chuchu, you’re here.”

“Xinyue, Zhitong.”

Yun Chuchu took Yun Zhaozhao’s hand and approached their young female friends.

Xiang Lian’er and Xiang Zhu’er followed closely behind.

“Sister Zhaozhao.”

Xinyue and Zhitong greeted Yun Zhaozhao warmly, though with some restraint.

“Hello.”

Noticing their unease, Yun Zhaozhao smiled and said, “Chuchu, you chat with them. I’ll look around.”

But just a few steps away, a young palace maid blocked her path.

“Madam Sheng Liu, the Duchess of Sheng Guogong requests your presence.”

Yun Zhaozhao looked in the direction the maid pointed and saw Lady Liang staring at her expressionlessly.

So she’s really looking for me?

“All right, thank you.”

After expressing her thanks, Yun Zhaozhao headed straight toward where Lady Liang was.

The palace maid stared at her retreating figure in surprise.

She hadn’t expected the legendary Miss Yun, known for cutting down enemies like chopping vegetables, to be so polite and even say thank you.

“Mother, are you looking for me?”

Lady Liang glanced at her coldly, then at another woman, saying, “That’s your maternal aunt-in-law. She’s the one who asked for you.”

“Aunt-in-law?”

Yun Zhaozhao looked at the woman with a mole at the corner of her mouth and disdain in her eyes.

What exactly does she want?

“She’s my maternal eldest sister-in-law.”

“Oh.”

So what does that have to do with me?

“Yun, now that you are married into the Sheng family, you belong to them. Everything must be put before the Sheng family, even your natal family cannot come before ours…”

Watching the so-called aunt-in-law’s mouth open and close, Yun Zhaozhao laughed inwardly.

What kind of nonsense is this?

[Notification: Task assigned—please proceed to the side chamber to assist the Fourth Prince who has a recurrence of an old illness to gain his favor. Time limit: one hour. Reward: 1 cubic meter of storage space. Failure penalty: three electric shocks.]

Yun Zhaozhao’s first reaction: great, might as well lock down both Sheng Hongfei and the Fourth Prince.

She definitely didn’t want Chuchu to marry into the ruthless imperial palace in the future, even if it meant becoming the exalted Empress.

But… a reward of one cubic meter of storage space!

Stop!

That must be taken.

Looking up at the incessantly babbling so-called aunt-in-law, she said firmly, “Aunt-in-law, this is a palace banquet, not your family ancestral hall. If you want to scold someone, go back to your own ancestral hall.”

Without waiting to see Lady Liang’s reaction, Yun Zhaozhao strode away.

Sheng Hongfei, under the pretense of finding her young friends, hurried after her.

Yun Zhaozhao thought she had taken the lead, but after searching the side chamber thoroughly, she found no one.

Just as she grew frustrated, she saw Sheng Hongfei looking around furtively, wearing a sly expression.

Yun Zhaozhao quickly leapt aside to hide.

The next moment, Sheng Hongfei tripped over her own feet and stumbled into a nearby flower bed.

A pair of feet sprawled right in front of her eyes.

“Ah—”

Sheng Hongfei nearly lost her mind from fright.

Luckily, having been reborn once, she quickly regained composure.

Trembling, she parted the flowers to reveal a pale, weak face.

Her heart leapt—there was indeed the Fourth Prince.

“Fourth Prince, wake up, wake up! I’ll take you to the Imperial Clinic.”

Just as the Fourth Prince was about to slowly open his eyes—

“Whoosh—”

Two small stones suddenly flew from Yun Zhaozhao’s hand.

The Fourth Prince, just about to open his eyes, closed them again.

Sheng Hongfei was not spared and fainted on the spot.

Yun Zhaozhao stepped forward, dragged Sheng Hongfei aside, picked up the Fourth Prince, and darted away along another path.

Unexpectedly, near the corner, she heard Sheng Xingye’s voice.

Without a word, she dropped the Fourth Prince in the middle of the road and quickly scuttled away, tail between her legs.

Meanwhile, the fainted Sheng Hongfei was startled awake by the system’s voice.

[Task failed. Three electric shocks will be administered tonight at midnight.]

Sheng Hongfei’s face went pale. “Failed? That’s impossible! I clearly found the Fourth Prince. Where is he now?”

[Unknown.]

[Unknown, unknown—what use are you besides punishing me?]

Just hearing the voice, one could sense Sheng Hongfei’s breakdown.

Yun Zhaozhao listened to the one-sided conversation with a hidden smile.

The one cubic meter of storage space had already been credited and combined with her previous space, totaling two cubic meters.

Simply marvelous!

Feeling elated, her steps became lighter.

When she returned to the garden, she happened upon Yun Chuchu embroiled in a dispute.

“Oh, isn’t this the newly crowned top talent of the capital, Miss Yun Er? By the way, where’s your useless sister? Don’t tell me you’re so ashamed of her coarse behavior that you refuse to acknowledge even your own sister.”

“Kong Yuling, please watch your words. My sister is no fool; on the contrary, she is a hero who goes to battle to protect our country.”

Yun Chuchu clenched her fists with resolute strength.

“Pah! Hero? Fighting is for men. Women should be chaste, gentle, and demure…”

“Chaste, gentle, demure?”

Yun Zhaozhao let out a light snort. “Sorry, I see none of that in you—just a gossipy and jealous nature, plain as day.”

“You—”

Before Kong Yuling could speak, an announcement from a eunuch was heard outside.

“Consort Hui has arrived!”

Everyone hurried forward to pay respects.

Soon after, Consort Shu and the Empress arrived.

The last to come was the Empress Dowager.

“Alright, alright, everyone rise.”

With the Empress Dowager’s command, the crowd stood.

Yun Zhaozhao brushed the dust off her knees and couldn’t help but grumble inwardly about the tyrannies of the feudal society.