Wang Qin, clad in a pink Confucian dress, sashayed into the hall, her already unattractive face smeared with a thick layer of foundation that made her look like she'd been whitewashing a wall.
She ignored everyone and sat directly opposite Feng Jin, instantly filling the hall with a pungent scent of cosmetics.
Feng Jin covered her nose with disgust, "Who stepped in dog shit? Why does it stink so much!"
"Dog shit..." Wang Qin exclaimed, startled, and quickly looked at the sole of her shoe. It was clean, with nothing on it.
Realizing Feng Jin was toying with her, Wang Qin's heavily powdered face contorted instantly.
"You have such audacity to toy with me. My father is a minister, and my aunt is the Empress. Do you believe I will report you to my aunt and make your entire Ling family suffer!"
Wang Qin had always been arrogant and overbearing, relying on her status to bully others. But today, she had run into Feng Jin, someone even tougher than herself.
"Is that so? You certainly have a big mouth, threatening to make the Ling family suffer. The Ling family is full of merits and achievements, defending the borders of Southern Chu with their lives, and only then did they secure your current comfortable life. I'd like to see how you'll make the Ling family suffer when this reaches the Emperor!"
"You... you're relying on the Ling family's power to humiliate me and completely disregard the Empress. If the Empress finds out..."
Feng Jin rolled her eyes, "Humiliating you? When doing things, one must always be reasonable. You say I humiliated you, but who witnessed it or heard it? On your word alone, you wish to pin this crime on me? There's no such easy thing!
"Besides, you are merely a mere concubine, a mere妾室. When you entered earlier, you did not perform the proper礼 to the Princess Consort, showing disrespect to the main wife and disregarding hierarchy. This is a grave offense. I, on the other hand, am the Jiàníng County Princess, personally enfeoffed by the Emperor, and my status is above yours. My husband holds a first-rank official position, while your father is merely a first or second-rank minister. There is a distinction in status. You pointing fingers at me and engaging in verbal conflict, even if it reaches the Empress Dowager, I am not afraid!"
Wang Qin immediately panicked. She hadn't expected Feng Jin to be so formidable, that with just a few words, she had her completely cornered with no room to retort.
Hadn't the rumors always said Feng Jin was a country bumpkin, vulgar and ignorant, and utterly unlettered? Yet seeing her today, how could the difference be so great?
Feng Jin gave Lin Yuwei a look, signaling it was her turn to act.
"Concubine Wang, disregarding hierarchy, the family law dictates ten strokes of the rod." Lin Yuwei sat regally in the main seat, her voice steady, truly possessing some of the demeanor of a main wife.
"You dare to hit me? My aunt is the Empress, she will uphold justice for me and will not let you go!"
Even at death's door, Wang Qin continued to cry out, repeatedly dragging the Empress into it as a shield, as if afraid others wouldn't know the Empress was her aunt.
The Empress, such a profound and scheming individual, would actually send such a foolish person to gather information. Was her mind clouded, or was her confidence so high that she believed everyone else was foolish?
"Even if the Empress were here today, she would uphold reason. Guards, hold her down and strike her hard!"
Lin Yuwei had already been harboring anger, and now that she had the opportunity, she would not miss the chance to punish Wang Qin.
Two nannies who had accompanied Lin Yuwei as dowry stepped forward, firmly restraining Wang Qin and dragging her to the punishment bench.
"You insolent servants! I will tell the Empress and have her behead you!"
"My aunt is the Empress, and my father is a minister. Who dares to hit me?"
Wang Qin, despite being held down, remained restless, shouting incessantly.
"Strike!" Lin Yuwei commanded, and the rod fell heavily upon Wang Qin.
Instantly, the hall was filled with Wang Qin's pained cries.
"Ah..."
"Lin Yuwei... Feng Jin, ah... I'm not finished with you..."
"Ah..."
After ten strokes, Wang Qin had already fainted from the pain, her pink long dress stained with blood.
"Reporting to the Princess Consort, the ten strokes have been administered!"
Feng Jin stepped forward and felt Wang Qin's pulse, "She's fine, just fainted from the pain."
Truly fragile, she couldn't even withstand ten strokes and was already collapsing. Useless.
"Drag her away and send for a doctor to treat the concubine."
Lin Yuwei waved her hand, signaling for Wang Qin to be dragged away.
"Since the concubine is injured, it would be inconvenient for her to serve the Prince, so let her rest and recover well."
With these ten strokes, Wang Qin would hopefully be well-behaved for some time.
When Chu Chenyi arrived, he saw the half-dead Wang Qin being carried out.
"What happened?" Chu Chenyi asked the two of them, confused.
"She slandered Sister Feng Jin and disrespected this Princess Consort. I merely administered family law punishment to teach her a lesson. Why... judging by the Prince's expression, are you perhaps feeling pity?"
Lin Yuwei's tone was displeased. If Chu Chenyi dared to say he felt pity, she would have both of them beaten.
"No." Chu Chenyi immediately denied it without a second thought.
Chu Chenyi's gaze fell upon Feng Jin, who was smirking with schadenfreude, and he knew that Feng Jin must have instigated this incident.
Otherwise, given Lin Yuwei's temperament, she would never have administered such severe punishment. However, teaching Wang Qin a lesson was good, lest she continue to leverage the Empress's power and stir up trouble.
"After she recovers, she will definitely run to the Empress to complain. Have you two thought of how to deal with it?"
Chu Chenyi asked them, looking at them.
"She is your concubine now. Don't you even have the ability to discipline your concubine?" Feng Jin looked at Chu Chenyi with disdain, thinking him utterly useless.
"I..." Chu Chenyi was rendered speechless by Feng Jin's words, his face losing its color. He said stiffly, "Of course, I can control her. But this matter was instigated by you, so you go deal with the Empress. Don't involve our Jing Prince's Estate."
Chu Chenyi pushed all the responsibility onto Feng Jin. He had witnessed Feng Jin's cleverness and ability to twist words. Having Feng Jin deal with the Empress would be much better than having Lin Yuwei do it.
"Your conscience has been eaten by dogs. If Sister Feng Jin hadn't kindly saved you, your life would be in danger now. To say such things now is truly excessive. Today, I gave the order to beat Wang Qin. Even if it reaches the Empress Dowager, I dare to take responsibility for this matter."
One does what one does, and though she is a woman, she still has this integrity, unlike some people who retreat out of fear.
Chu Chenyi looked helpless, truly stubborn.
"A dignified Prince, yet so cowardly!" Feng Jin looked at Chu Chenyi with contempt, "If I had known you were so useless, I wouldn't have bothered to save you."
"You have backbone, you act impulsively and without considering the consequences. Don't let this Prince clean up your mess!"
"Your Highness Prince Jing, rest assured, I will protect my wife from any trouble she causes."