A Fight Breaks Out
"Mother, I reckon she wouldn't dare come into the manor to cause trouble. With Grandmother and you here, she won't gain anything by making a scene, and it won't damage my reputation or achieve her goal. Beining is unfamiliar with this place, and the people at the painting academy and the academy are biased towards me, so she probably wouldn't dare go there."
"The perfect place for her to cause trouble is this alleyway in front of our house. The time will probably be around when I get out of school in the evening. People are coming and going then; if she corners me at the alleyway, yells at me, and slaps me a few times, she can vent her anger and ruin my reputation."
Upon hearing this, Lady Zhu became anxious. "Then why not send a few more people to accompany you? Or perhaps you could simply stay in the residence or academy in Beining for the time being to avoid trouble?"
Zhao Ruxi laughed, "If I avoid it, wouldn't Third Aunt be pleased? Besides, there's no such thing as a thief who can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. If we don't let Third Aunt cause a scene here, Third Uncle might cause trouble all the way to Beining once he's able to move around. At that point, you won't be able to catch him, so it's better to cause trouble here."
The three elders thought about it and agreed.
Zhao Yuankun was still bedridden and unable to move. No matter how resentful Lady Su was, she dared not joke with her husband's health or move him. The two children of the third wife were still young. Therefore, the only one who could cause her trouble was Lady Su herself.
Lady Su was a woman confined to her home and dared not venture into the unfamiliar Beining; nor did she dare cause a scene on the streets of the capital, fearing that the Crown Prince would find out and misunderstand her resentment. She could only make a scene at the alley entrance.
But Zhao Yuankun was different.
Since we're going to make a scene anyway, let the Lady Su make a scene at the alley entrance.
Since they arrived in time, it wouldn't be difficult for Zhao Ruxi to deal with the Lady Su.
Zhao Ruxi said, "Mother, you just need to have someone keep an eye on the entrance to the third house, and also have someone watch the alley entrance when I get out of school. If my third aunt leads a group of people out of the mansion to guard this place, you can come out of the mansion to support me when she makes a scene."
"Okay, I understand."
"Don't be afraid, Grandma will be there too. I'll make sure that Su fellow doesn't bully you," the old lady said.
Zhao Yuanxun's lips moved, but he swallowed the words "I'll go too" back down.
If only Lady Su from the third branch of the family were to participate, it would be a war among women, and he, as the eldest brother-in-law, couldn't very well step in, otherwise it wouldn't look good.
Zhao Ruxi shook her head. "Grandmother, please don't go. At most, you can send Matron Jin or Matron Ruan with my mother. There's no need for you to personally deal with Third Aunt."
"Alright. We'll see when the time comes," the old lady said.
After reaching an agreement, Zhao Ruxi returned to Slender Bamboo Courtyard, and the night passed without incident.
The next day, she went to class as usual, then trained the accountants, arranged workshop affairs, and spent more than an hour at the art academy. She was busy without stopping for a moment, and another day passed by.
She still returned to the capital with Kang Shilin, Wu Zong, and others. After entering the city, they parted ways and went their separate ways.
Although Uncle Lu and Gao Weiqiang were unaware of Zhao Yuankun's situation, Uncle Lu still subconsciously slowed down as the carriage entered the alley, scanning his surroundings. Gao Weiqiang, on the other hand, was extremely focused.
This alleyway is a hotspot for accidents. Once, Zhao Jingli came to stop the car, and another time, Zhao Ruyu came to stop the car. The first time, Zhao Jingli had been drinking and suddenly rushed over, almost hurting the girl. So, Uncle Lu and Gao Weiqiang are extra careful every time they come here.
Upon closer inspection, Gao Weiqiang noticed that one of the servants from the third branch of the family suddenly emerged from behind the wall, got up, and ran forward, as if he were lying in ambush to gather information.
He quickly rode to the carriage window and reported, "Miss, a servant from the third branch seems to be here gathering information."
Lady Luo and Gao Sheng immediately tensed up.
Ma Sheng was still busy with the workshop, and Zhao Yuanxun was also worried about his daughter, so he left Gao Weiqiang with Zhao Ruxi. The new guards, including Lady Luo, who had been chosen, started their duties immediately.
In the past few days, Lady Zhu has been reorganizing and cleaning up the servants in the mansion and has revised the rules of the mansion. The news of Zhao Yuankun being beaten did not reach the ears of the servants of the main branch last night. No one would have thought that Zhao Yuankun's beating was related to Zhao Ruxi. This matter is very serious, and Zhao Yuanxun, Lady Zhu, and Zhao Ruxi could not tell Gao Weiqiang and others about it.
But taking advantage of the Jia Family's affair, Zhao Yuanxun had also given Zhao Ruxi's guards a warning last night, and now everyone is on edge.
Zhao Ruxi calmly instructed, "Mama Luo, you stay by my side for a while. Gao Sheng, find a chance to go back to the manor later and greet the Earl and Madam."
With her reminder last night, Lady Zhu must have known about Lady Su's actions.
If she didn't go through some maneuvering before Gao Sheng, it would seem too fake. Once Lady Su went back and described the details to Zhao Yuankun, Zhao Yuankun's wariness of her would reach its peak, and he wouldn't use such sophisticated methods to deal with her next time.
When putting on a show, you have to be thorough; no detail can be overlooked.
Everyone was baffled by her instruction, unsure of what would happen next, but they still nervously agreed.
"Young lady, would you like to hurry up?" Uncle Lu asked from ahead.
"No need, just keep your normal speed, you can slow down a little. Be careful not to bump into anyone if someone rushes towards you."
Just as Zhao Ruxi finished speaking, Lady Luo, riding a horse, exclaimed from outside the carriage window, "Oh, look!"
Just as Zhao Ruxi was about to roll up the carriage window, she heard Lady Luo say, "Miss, it's the Third Madam, who has blocked the intersection with a group of people."
Uncle Lu's carriage also slowly came to a stop.
Gao Weiqiang had already instructed Gao Sheng: "You ride back, turn around at the other end of the alley, and return to the manor to report to the Earl and Madam."
Gao Sheng responded and turned his horse around to ride back.
"Stop him." Lady Su's voice came from the front.
Several people appeared at the entrance of the alley, blocking it completely.
Gao Sheng was unsure whether he should force his way out. If he did, someone would inevitably get hurt—either him or the others.
He turned to look at his father for instructions.
Zhao Ruxi had already alighted from the carriage and immediately instructed Gao Sheng, "Come back."
She looked at Lady Su.
Lady Su led a group of people over quickly. When she reached Zhao Ruxi, she raised her hand to slap her, but Lady Luo, who had dismounted and was prepared, grabbed her wrist.
"Hit him!" Unable to hit him herself, Lady Su gave the order to the maids and servants behind her.
Before she could finish speaking, an old woman rushed forward and slapped Zhao Ruxi across the face. Lady Luo, who had just stopped Lady Su and hadn't even turned around yet, cried out in alarm, "Miss, be careful!"
Qingfeng and Dianjiang were caught off guard when Lady Su suddenly launched into a fight without saying a word, and they were too slow to react or provide immediate medical assistance.
Gao Weiqiang, however, was prepared and kicked the old woman away.
Whether it was Lady Su's idea or the third housekeeper's, their cooperation was remarkable; they were determined to give Zhao Ruxi a good beating today.
Just as the old woman rushed over, someone else rushed over alongside her. By the Gao Weiqiang kicked the old woman away and couldn't stop in time, another burly woman had already rushed in front of Zhao Ruxi.