Qiao'er's body swayed. Frightened and anxious, she began to cry, but she still stubbornly stood in the reception hall. She was afraid that this cousin would harm her mistress.
After she had left in the past, her mistress always bore injuries. This time, no matter what, she would not go out.
In the reception hall, Yun Xiao and Li Ruoyun faced each other, sizing each other up. Neither spoke. Qiao'er, who had been crying and refusing to leave, was forcibly dragged away by the palace maid Xiuxiu. Now, only the two of them remained.
Li Ruoyun, with a forced smile, spoke, "How has my cousin been in the palace?"
Seeing her feigned demeanor, Yun Xiao felt a chill. This woman was such a good actress. She calmly gazed at her, waiting to see what she would do next.
Li Ruoyun did not expect Yun Xiao to make any move. She was merely surprised that Yun Xiao was not as afraid as usual and could look at her with a calm expression. A sneer curved her lips.
After all, she was a fool. A trip to the palace made her forget the suffering she had endured. Today, she would not let her off.
As Li Ruoyun thought of her triumph, she became agitated, her face flushing, her mouth slightly askew. She lost all semblance of gentle beauty, appearing like a ferocious demon.
"Do you know? From childhood, I was separated from my parents and taken to my aunt's side to keep her company. Back then, even if my uncle was not the current Regent, he was still a Great General who protected the nation.
My aunt always told me she would arrange the most unparalleled marriage for me. Later, the Emperor decreed that the Yun family would enter the palace to be Empress. Do you know how happy I was?
Because that was my rightful place; I was a member of the Yun family. But who would have thought that when the imperial decree was issued, it would be you entering the palace? You fool, you ruined my dream. I hate you, I hate you."
As Li Ruoyun spoke, her eyes turned blood red, and she glared at Yun Xiao fiercely.
Yun Xiao's pupils deepened, a coldness rising in her heart. This Li Ruoyun was truly ignorant and laughable. Did she think entering the palace was a good thing? Ignorance was not shameful, but it was shameful that she actually hated her.
Although she disliked Li Ruoyun, she showed no sign of it. Instead, she put on a sweet and innocent smile.
At this moment, she was rather grateful for her identity as a fool. Having witnessed all kinds of human behavior, no one would have guessed that she was not a fool at all.
Everyone before her revealed their truest selves, allowing her to easily discern who was genuinely good to her and who had ulterior motives.
Seeing that the fool could still smile, Li Ruoyun was already furious. She shifted her body and lunged towards Yun Xiao. However, before she could reach Yun Xiao,
A dark object flew past her face, whistling through the air, and with a bang, struck her forehead before falling to the ground.
Li Ruoyun froze. She looked down at the ground, only to see a black brocade shoe embroidered with golden phoenixes lying before her. It was this embroidered shoe that had hit her face, and her forehead still ached faintly.
Although she was a guest living in the mansion, who dared to provoke her? To think that today she would be struck by a fool. Li Ruoyun was driven mad.
She looked up and saw the fool elegantly lift the hem of her skirt, one foot propped on the chair. Where was the shoe on that foot?
"You fool, how dare you hit me? I'll fight you to the death."
As Li Ruoyun's words fell, she rushed forward again. Yun Xiao gave her no chance. She spun 180 degrees, creating a gust of wind.
The foot without the embroidered shoe kicked out directly. A cry of "Aiyah" was heard, and Li Ruoyun was sent flying backward, knocking over a chair with a loud crash.
Those outside the reception hall were all startled. Xiuxiu and Xiao He's scalps tingled. They knew without a doubt what was happening inside.
Qiao'er, however, felt differently. Her hands were slick with cold sweat from anxiety. She struggled forcefully, trying to break free from Xiuxiu's grasp.
"Sisters, please, save Mistress. She must have been beaten by Cousin. Please!"
As soon as her words fell, a cold snort sounded from her side. It was Li Ruoyun's maid, Xiao Qi, who was now looking at Qiao'er with a sneer, triumph evident in her eyes.
Xiuxiu and Xiao He exchanged glances, a mocking smile appearing on their faces. This foolish servant. Her mistress was about to be beaten to death, and she was still triumphant. Did she think the Empress was a fool?
Outside the reception hall, several people cautiously leaned by the door, listening to the commotion. But there was no further sound.
After a long while, Xiuxiu poked her head out to peer into the reception hall. Xiao He and Qiao'er followed closely behind. The three maids' eyes widened in horror at the scene within the hall, their mouths agape, unable to speak.
Because the two behind pressed against Xiuxiu in front, making her unable to bear the weight. She stumbled into the hall with a thud, and the three of them fell in a heap.
Inside the reception hall, the previously arrogant cousin lay disheveled on the floor, staring blankly and with horror at the woman sitting at the head of the hall, calmly sipping tea.
Her dark eyes were filled with belated fear. Five clear finger marks were imprinted on her face, her hair was messy, with a small tuft lying on the floor. Her mouth was stuffed with an embroidered shoe, preventing her from uttering a sound even in her pain.
No wonder the room had been so quiet. Her mouth had been stuffed shut.
Xiuxiu, Xiao He, and the other two were speechless. The reception hall was deathly silent.
Xiao Qi, who entered last, was the first to react. With a wail, she rushed to Li Ruoyun's side, pulled the shoe from her mouth, and cried out in distress.
"Mistress, what happened to you? Mistress, what happened to you?"
When had the proud and imperious Li Ruoyun, who did as she pleased in the mansion, ever suffered such hardship? To be beaten so miserably in front of these servants, how could she face anyone again? Thinking of this, she could no longer bear it and burst into tears.
"Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi, this fool hit me, she hit me, I don't want to live."
After speaking, Li Ruoyun struggled to get up, acting as if she wanted to die.
Yun Xiao, while sipping her tea, watched coldly. Seeing Li Ruoyun begin to make a scene, she unhurriedly put down the teacup and suddenly burst into laughter. Everyone in the hall looked at her in terror, their eyes filled with dread. She pointed at Li Ruoyun as she laughed.
"If you cry any louder, I'll let you eat shoes."
At these words, Li Ruoyun immediately shut her mouth. Unusually obedient, she steadied herself with Xiao Qi's support and hurried out as if being chased by wolves.
Only after she had gone a considerable distance could she hear her crying out again. A voice drifted back from afar.
"I'm going to find Aunt. This fool actually dared to hit me."
This was something she could not comprehend. Why was this fool so powerful? Her strength was immense.
And she fought without any discernible pattern, kicking left and right, seemingly chaotic, yet Li Ruoyun had no ability to fight back.
And her strength was so great. She hadn't even touched her side before being beaten like this.