The cold, heavy iron chain clicked shut on her wrist. The unfamiliar and humiliating touch sent a shiver down Qin Xuehua's spine, and also shattered the last shred of hope for Zhang Heng and the others.
Their eyes widened, their faces filled with absurdity and disbelief.
The high and mighty mistress of the Marquis's Marquis Estate, the future Marquis, was actually shackled in public and became a prisoner?
Qin Xuehua took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
In the face of dramatic changes, panic is of no use.
However, Zhang Wanning, standing to the side, was completely unable to accept this sudden humiliation and fear.
She, a pampered young lady from a noble Marquis Estate, had never been treated like this before.
When the rough, cold shackles touched her delicate skin, she screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, twisting her body frantically, trying to shake off the guard's hands, and screaming incoherently:
"Let me go, you lowly creatures."
My father was the Marquis Yong'an, in charge of 100,000 border troops in the Northern Frontier.
My maternal grandfather is Duke. If you dare to lay a finger on me, my father and maternal grandfather will never let you get away with it.
This was her invincible talisman, her greatest source of confidence in dominating the Capital City.
In the past, whenever she mentioned these titles, whether the other party was a son of a powerful family or Yamen official, they would all turn pale and back down. Even some Imperial Clan would give her some face.
But this time, she was utterly disappointed.
Prince Qi, Xiao Jingyan, merely glanced at her coldly, his gaze as if he were looking at a noisy ant.
The two Black Armored Guards who held her down seemed not to hear her threat; their movements did not falter in the slightest, but instead tightened their grip even more.
One man twisted her arm behind her back, while another man, showing no mercy, used his knee to press down on her lower back, forcing her to the ground.
The rough ground rubbed against her delicate cheeks, and the heavy wooden yoke clattered around her neck, suppressing all her unwilling screams into whimpers.
"Ah--! You guys... ugh!"
Zhang Wanning had never been treated so brutally; the pain and extreme humiliation almost made her faint.
Seeing his sister being humiliated, Zhang Heng's blood boiled, and he struggled frantically, shouting, "Stop! Let go of my sister! You... Ah!"
Before he could finish speaking, a large, fan-like hand, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, slapped his already swollen face hard once more.
"Smack!"
It was crisp, loud, and powerful.
It was none other than Prince Jing, Xiao Jingfeng.
After he finished hitting me, he shook his hand and cursed:
What's all the noise about?
If you keep making a sound, believe me, I'll knock all your teeth out right now and send you to Heavenly Prison to drink porridge.
This slap completely stunned Zhang Heng and terrified him.
Half of his face swelled up visibly, and he dared not make a sound anymore; his body trembled uncontrollably with fear.
Just as the people from the Marquis Estate were struggling and arguing, Jiang Luohan, who had been observing coldly, felt a sudden alarm bell ringing in her heart.
Seeing that the situation was completely out of control, and that the two Princes were determined to establish their authority by taking over the Marquis Estate's residence, she knew that there would be no benefit for her to stay here any longer.
She quietly moved her feet, taking advantage of everyone's attention being on Qin Xuehua and the others, and slowly retreated towards the side door.
"Miss Jiang, where are we headed?"
Two clear, yet distinctly mocking and cold female voices blocked her path, one from the left and one from the right.
Jiang Luohan's heart sank. She looked up and saw two beautiful young women in gorgeous clothes, but with unfriendly eyes, blocking the doorway with a half-smile.
It was none other than Xiao Fenghua, daughter of Prince Jing, and Xiao Meier, daughter of Prince Qi!
They had quietly arrived nearby without anyone noticing, and were now looking at Jiang Luohan with the same eyes that would be eyeing prey.
Jiang Luohan recognized the two, and old grudges surged up in her heart. In addition, she was eager to get away, so she scolded, "So it's you two little bitches! Get out of my way! A good dog doesn't block the way."
"Presumptuous!"
Xiao Meier's eyes turned cold. Before she could speak, a Female General accompanying her shouted sharply, "How dare you utter such foul language to the Imperial Family County Princess! You deserve to die!"
Before she could finish speaking, the Female General had already taken a step forward, giving Jiang Luohan no chance to explain. She raised her leg and delivered a fierce side kick, aiming straight for Jiang Luohan's lower abdomen!
This kick was powerful and merciless, clearly intended to teach her a lesson!
"Puff!"
That Female General possessed Ninth Rank Cultivation, while Jiang Luohan was only Seventh Rank; how could they possibly escape?
Jiang Luohan was immediately kicked and sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the center of the hall.
She suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, curled up on the ground, and was too painful to speak.
Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier slowly walked forward, looking down at the disheveled Jiang Luohan.
"County Princess... you... you're actually County Princess?"
That's impossible!
Jiang Luohan clutched her aching lower abdomen, her face filled with shock and disbelief that were even greater than the physical pain she was experiencing.
"Are you blind? Standing before you are Princess Fenghua, the eldest daughter of Prince Jing, and Princess Mei, the eldest daughter of Prince Qi."
The Female General shouted sternly, her face cold and menacing.
Jiang Luohan struggled to lift her head, looking at the two elegantly dressed and poised women before her, and felt her entire understanding of life crumble at that moment.
She had always thought that the two women who shared Zhang Yu's husband were nothing more than prostitutes found somewhere.
But now, cruel reality has slapped her hard in the face.
Xiao Fenghua! Xiao Meier!
The eldest daughter of Prince Jing! The eldest daughter of Prince Qi!
Two genuine, highly respected Imperial Family County Princess!
They... they all became Zhang Yu's women?
And yet... they serve each other regardless of their status?
This realization drove Jiang Luohan to the brink of madness.
An indescribable sense of absurdity and a chilling despair instantly overwhelmed her.
Zhang Yu... what exactly makes him so special?
What terrifying power or charm did he possess that could make two County Princess of noble birth lower themselves to do such an astonishing thing?
Looking at the two County Princess before him, he was completely outclassed by them in every way, whether in appearance, temperament, or status.
Xiao Fenghua's radiant beauty and Xiao Meier's charming liveliness, coupled with their innate royal nobility... her own pride in her looks and family background seemed so pale and laughable in comparison.
Ever since she realized Zhang Yu's hidden potential and power, Jiang Luohan's rekindled ambition and desire for future glory have driven her to try every means to get back on Zhang Yu's good.
She thought that with her past relationship, beauty, and cunning, she still had a chance.
But now, looking at Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier, her pitiful confidence shattered like ice being hit by a boulder.
With these two County Princess as shining examples, what does she have to compete with?
"No... it's impossible..."
Jiang Luohan muttered to herself absentmindedly, her eyes unfocused, as if her faith had collapsed.
Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier were too lazy to waste any more words on this distraught woman.
Their target was never Jiang Luohan, or rather, Jiang Luohan was just a minor character they dealt with casually.
"Take him away and keep him under guard."
Xiao Fenghua gave the order casually, as if she were dealing with an insignificant trifle.
Female Guards immediately stepped forward, roughly lifted the distraught Jiang Luohan, and took her away along with the ashen-faced Qin Xuehua, the trembling Zhang Wanning, and the half-dead Zhang Heng.
Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier exchanged a glance. The coldness and contempt they had shown when facing Jiang Luohan faded away, replaced by a complex and vague expectation.
"Sister, what do you think Zhang Yu's reaction will be if we take this woman away as well?"
Xiao Meier asked in a low voice, her eyes gleaming with cunning and inquiry.
Xiao Fenghua's gaze was deep as she looked towards the Heavenly Prison: "Hard to say?"
She paused, a barely perceptible tension in her voice. "Sending her along with everyone from the Marquis Estate serves two purposes: firstly, to get rid of these eyesores, and secondly... it could also be a test."
"Testing the waters?"
Xiao Meier blinked.
"Um."
Xiao Fenghua nodded, "Let's test whether Brother Yu still has feelings for this woman, whether he's soft-hearted. We're also testing him... whether he's satisfied with how we handled this matter."
Although they benefited greatly from Zhang Yu, the more this happened, the more they wanted to know how much they meant to Zhang Yu.
This rescue of Li Dagang and suppression of the Marquis Estate were not only a way to curry favor with Zhang Yu by following the Old Ancestor's orders, but also an opportunity for them to demonstrate their abilities and win favor.
How to deal with Jiang Luohan, who has had an emotional entanglement with Zhang Yu, is undoubtedly a delicate test.
Xiao Meier understood her sister's meaning, and a meaningful smile curved her lips, "Very well!"
They all wanted to see how Zhang Yu would deal with Jiang Luohan.