Foul-mouthed Shangguan Niao

[Cheap bitch? She's the cheap bitch! What a filthy mouth.]

Shen Yuxi remained perfectly calm, while the system stamped its feet furiously inside its space.

If it had not been a consciousness unable to come out, it would have torn Shangguan Niao's mouth apart.

"Did whoever's in that carriage hear me? Get out of the way! Can you bear the consequences if you delay our young lady's business?"

The maid was equally arrogant.

No wonder people said that like master, like servant.

Anyone would be in a foul mood after suddenly having someone point at their nose and berate them, and Shen Yuxi had never been good-tempered.

She briskly lifted the curtain and met Shangguan Niao's eyes.

At the sight of her face, Shangguan Niao's brow darkened sharply.

She hated women more beautiful than herself most of all. They made her feel inferior.

Shangguan Niao's gaze fell on Shen Yuxi's official robes, and her expression grew uglier still.

A woman in official robes-her identity went without saying.

Minister Shen's youngest daughter, Shen Yuxi.

The Mo Kingdom's only female official, personally appointed by His Majesty.

"So it's Lord Little Shen. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Shangguan Niao, the second young lady of Duke Dingguo's Residence."

Though outmatched, Shangguan Niao refused to lose face and put on every ounce of her airs.

She raised her chin and said haughtily, "I didn't know Lord Little Shen was in the carriage. My words just now were rather unpleasant, but you're generous enough not to hold them against me, aren't you, Miss Shen?"

"However..."

She feigned sympathy, but her words dripped with malice. "Is the Shen household short of money? To think they'd let Lord Little Shen ride in such a shabby carriage. Even the carriages my servants travel in are more luxurious than this."

"Miss Shen, why don't you visit Duke Dingguo's Residence? I'll give you a few carriages. They'll certainly be roomier than the one you have now."

[Aaah! This system is furious!]

The system raged.

[Dig up the dirt! Dig deep! I'm going to ruin Shangguan Niao's reputation!]

Shangguan Niao thought she was hearing things. She clearly had not seen anyone speak.

Who had made that sound?

The system worked extremely efficiently. In just a few seconds, it had dug up everything about Shangguan Niao.

[Host, this Shangguan Niao is an intensely jealous person. Above all, she can't stand other girls being prettier than her.]

[Even the maids serving at her side have to look plain and utterly unremarkable.]

[Throughout Duke Dingguo's Residence, any maid she considers even somewhat attractive has been sold off through one scheme or another.]

[Her elder sister Shangguan Qing's face was the result of her deliberately setting her up...]

Shangguan Niao's foot slipped, and she nearly fell out of the carriage.

Fortunately, her maid caught her in time and cried, "Second Young Lady!"

System, this isn't a good place to enjoy gossip. Tell me when we get home. Let's deal with Shangguan Niao first.

Shangguan Niao's eyes widened, as though someone had dumped a basin of ice water over her head.

She stared at Shen Yuxi in horror, her mouth opening, but for a long while she could not make a sound.

She clearly had not seen Shen Yuxi open her mouth, so why could she hear her speaking?

And where had that unfamiliar voice come from?

How did it know about Shangguan Qing's face...

Clearly, no one but her knew the inside story. The beggars involved back then were all dead, leaving nothing to investigate.

The unknown was what inspired the greatest dread and unease.

Her father's warning surfaced in Shangguan Niao's mind: she could provoke anyone, but she must never provoke Shen Yuxi.

She had merely assumed her father despised her for being useless and unable to bring glory to the family like Shen Yuxi, and had never taken his words to heart.

Now it seemed her father must have known what was special about Shen Yuxi, which was why he had warned her so sternly and repeatedly.

Shangguan Niao panicked, her palms sweating.

She had no idea what means Shen Yuxi possessed.

The revelation of her role in disfiguring Shangguan Qing's face alone would be enough to make her father break her legs.

"Go! Hurry, go!"

Shangguan Niao could not stay another moment. Only one thought remained in her mind: get far away from Shen Yuxi.

"Quick! Drive!"

Supporting Shangguan Niao's nearly limp body, the maid urgently ordered the coachman.

Shen Yuxi watched the entire inexplicable scene unfold. Shangguan Niao did not even give her time to strike back before fleeing back the way she had come as though for her life, her carriage disappearing from sight.

Did Shangguan Niao suddenly grow a conscience? She ran away?

Then she shook her head. Rather than expect someone like Shangguan Niao to grow a conscience, she might as well believe a sow could climb a tree.

The system guessed:

[Did she go back for reinforcements?]

Maybe she realized she couldn't meet Lu Song on her own and went to ask her father for help.

[She can't be naive enough to think the duke can save Chen Shisong, can she?]

Shangguan Niao knows perfectly well that the duke won't intervene, but she won't give up until she asks and gets an answer.

Shen Yuxi tapped her fingertips lightly on the table and said unhurriedly, Shangguan Niao hooked up with a married man and got tangled up in a murder case. She'll be lucky if the duke can protect her.

This time, the duke has lost both substance and face. The way I see it, Shangguan Niao is bound to suffer.

Duke Dingguo's Residence.

"Where's Father? I want to see him."

"His Grace is dining with the eldest young lady. Second Young Lady, you..."

Shangguan Niao's gaze cooled, and she headed straight for Shangguan Qing's courtyard.

No matter how busy the duke was, he often made time to dine with Shangguan Qing and her mother.

But what about her?

Her father never offered to dine with her. Even when she invited him, he made excuses about being busy and declined. How could she not hate that?

"Father!"

The moment she entered, the sight of the family of three enjoying themselves together met her eyes.

The duke was placing food in Shangguan Qing's bowl, a loving father and a filial daughter.

Though she had seen it countless times, jealousy still rose in her heart.

At the sight of her, the duke's smile faded somewhat.

His voice was stern. "What are you doing here?"

"Father, Chen Shisong has been arrested by the Court of Judicial Review. Could you save..."

Bang!

The bowl and chopsticks struck the tabletop heavily with a sharp, furious clatter.

The duke might have been fine without the mention of Chen Shisong, but hearing his name filled him with anger.

Lu Song had already sent someone to explain the entire affair to him.

Given the lack of evidence, and since Lord Little Shen's thoughts indicated that his second daughter had not participated in the murder, Shangguan Niao had not been arrested.

But after this incident, the duke was even more disappointed in this daughter.

He had lived his life upright and honorable, his bones as unyielding as iron. How had he fathered such a shameless daughter?

"You dare mention that bastard? Shangguan Niao, it seems I haven't disciplined you enough, letting you grow so reckless that you don't know what matters."

The duke's expression abruptly darkened, sharp and fierce. "A human life was at stake, yet you dared pretend ignorance and let Chen Shisong murder his wife."

"I didn't!"

Shangguan Niao hastily denied it. "Father, I knew nothing about Chen Shisong's plans, much less that he already had a wife. If I'd known, I would never have been with him."

"I'm a victim too, Father!"

"You wretched creature! You still dare quibble!"

The duke slammed the table repeatedly in fury, frightening Shangguan Qing and her mother so badly that they did not know what to do.

Shangguan Qing stroked his back to soothe him. "Father, please calm down. Let Little Sister explain. Perhaps there's more to this."

The duke let out a heavy snort through his nose. "You'd best behave yourself. Just because there wasn't any evidence to use against you this time doesn't mean you'll always be so lucky."

"If there's a next time, I'll drive you out of Duke Dingguo's Residence and sever our father-daughter relationship."

He would be better off without a daughter like this.