Chapter 372: Slap in the Face 2

A second later, the shop assistant’s demeanor changed completely. He looked as if he wanted to kneel and grovel before them.

"I was muddled just now, my judgment completely clouded!" he exclaimed. "Esteemed guests, please wait a moment. I’ll pack everything up for you right away!" With that, he scurried off to find a box with utmost diligence.

Just as he had carefully placed all the hairpins into the box, Xia Ruqing suddenly said, "Your filthy hands have touched them. I don’t want them anymore!" Turning to Zhao Junyao, she added, "Sir, let’s take back the Silver and go!" After speaking, she snatched the Silver Note and headed for the exit.

What a joke! Did he really think I’m so shallow that I’d be unable to walk away from these trinkets? No matter how beautiful the designs, could they compare to the tribute items in the palace? I can pick anything I want from my husband the Emperor’s treasury, let alone from here. I just wanted to buy some jewelry for novelty and amusement, but I didn’t expect to encounter this. My mood is ruined. I don’t want them anymore!

"Alright! Let’s go!" Zhao Junyao composed himself and walked out, leaving the shop assistant standing there, dumbstruck.

They were so wealthy yet so low-key. Who on earth were they? Could he really afford to have offended them?

He wanted to stop them but didn’t dare. Regret gnawed at him.

If only I’d changed my attitude earlier! The streets of the Capital City are teeming with nobles; I can’t afford to offend any one of them! But it’s too late now.

「Outside.」

Standing on the street, Zhao Junyao glanced back, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Zhenbao Pavilion, is it? Very good!"

Xia Tingfeng, who had been waiting by the entrance, hurried forward. "What happened? Why didn’t you buy anything?"

Xia Ruqing pouted, looking rather aggrieved. "I didn’t like them. I didn’t like any of them!"

Zhao Junyao’s expression was much the same as usual—a stoic mask, showing little change. "Let’s go."

Xia Ruqing nodded, still feeling wronged. Xia Tingfeng didn’t press further, and the three of them departed.

「Inside Zhenbao Pavilion」

The women who had been mocking Xia Ruqing were now standing by the window. Their glares were so intense it was as if they wanted to bore holes into Xia Ruqing.

One woman said indignantly, "That woman looks like a vixen! Her belly is so big, yet she’s still seducing two men!"

"Exactly! Look at her foxy ways, so shameless. I wonder what those two gentlemen even see in her?"

While two of them were gleefully slandering her, the third woman was unusually quiet. When the other two turned, they saw her gazing at the two men, her face flushed with infatuation.

"Those two men are so handsome. I wonder if they’re married...!"

The other two were speechless. "..."

"Hey, you haven’t fallen for that poor scholar, have you?"

"Don’t tell me it’s the fierce-looking one?" they asked, their faces alight with gossip.

The woman glared at them and said disdainfully, "That young master casually offered One Thousand Taels of Silver. How is that poor? Besides... I don’t believe you two weren’t smitten as well!" She added, "Anyway... it’s the first time I’ve ever seen such handsome and dashing men!" After saying this, her face flushed red again.

The other two women pursed their lips and said no more, their expressions somewhat unnatural. When they looked up again at Xia Ruqing’s receding figure, a hint of jealousy crossed their faces.

That woman is just too lucky!

「...」

Even though she hadn’t bought any jewelry, when Xia Ruqing returned to the palace, her carriage was still stuffed with bags of all sizes. They were all new and interesting trinkets from outside the palace walls.

Zhao Junyao wasn’t very skilled at winning a woman’s heart; his methods were rather straightforward. Whatever she liked, he bought it all.

If anyone makes her unhappy, too bad for them, Zhen will make them pay the price.

That very night, the young assistant from the jewelry shop was thrown out. Carrying his meager belongings, he stood on the bustling street, utterly bewildered.

Who am I? Where am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

He stood stunned for a long while before he finally remembered why. It seemed he had offended someone during the day.

But the Capital City is so vast; they say if you throw a leaf in the air, it’s likely to land on a third-rank official. How could I possibly know who I offended?

After thinking for a long time, it finally dawned on him.

Could it be... that pregnant woman? That’s right, if I remember correctly, she was accompanied by two men. A woman, shopping with two men. No matter how you look at it, she didn’t seem like a respectable lady.

Realizing he had lost his job because of her, his resentment deepened.

Holding such a grudge over such a trivial matter? And they call themselves nobles? Pah!

In truth, Zhao Junyao would likely not have bothered with such a trivial matter ordinarily. An Emperor haggling with a mere shop assistant? That would be a joke. But this time was different. Qingqing had been wronged, and he wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest injustice towards her. Therefore, even a lowly shop assistant had to be dealt with. It didn’t need to be severe; making him lose his livelihood was torment enough.

「...」

Xia Ruqing returned to Qingya Residence laden with bags, big and small. She made no effort to be discreet. The women of the Harem couldn’t leave the palace, nor could they easily get news from the Emperor’s side. They had no idea where all those things came from and simply assumed they were gifts from the Emperor.

The Harem was instantly abuzz, as if waking from a dream.

"So, Xia Jieyu is still standing strong!"

"Exactly... She seems so quiet, but who knows what schemes she’s used behind the scenes to keep the Emperor doting on her!"

"Isn’t that the truth! Just the other day, a Little Eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen was beaten to death. Rumor has it he offended Xia Jieyu..."

"And that’s not all! Several Little Eunuchs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were also banished to the Laundry Bureau!"

The women discussed this indignantly.

Though they spoke with indignation, they were secretly gleeful. How had the Empress tormented them just days before? She had cut back on all their food and drink. Now, the Empress herself had fallen, and at the hands of Xia Jieyu no less. The thought brought them a certain satisfaction.

In the Harem, there are no permanent enemies, and certainly no permanent friends.

「...」

That evening, Xia Tingfeng returned to his residence late. Tiger had already returned from the Yamen (government office) much earlier. Rat and Monster told him that a man and a woman—the woman heavily pregnant—had come looking for their "Big Brother." This sparked a flurry of questions in their minds:

Who was that woman? Whose child was it? Did she have anything to do with Big Brother?

They discussed it endlessly but reached no conclusion.

As soon as Xia Tingfeng returned, they bombarded him with these questions. Xia Tingfeng frowned, looking incredulous. "That’s my sister! Haven’t you all met her before?"

Rat looked skeptical. "Big Brother, don’t try to fool us!" he said. "You only have two sisters. One entered the palace, and the other is still at your family home in Jiangnan. Where would another sister come from?"

Monster nodded in emphatic agreement. "Exactly! Besides, I’ve met both your sisters. Each of them is so..." Monster had been about to say "like a sickly chicken," but realizing how unflattering that sounded, he quickly corrected himself, "...so sallow and thin, as if they’ve never had a proper meal in their lives..."

"That woman yesterday, although her clothes weren’t fancy, had a rosy complexion and a vibrant spirit. You could tell at a glance she came from a wealthy background..."