BDSMST -Chapter 55 The Noblewomen Flee in Disgrace

Gu Xuan’s icy voice was like a bucket of cold water poured over Madam Li’s chaotic mind.

Apologize?

She looked down at her body, smeared in filth, breathing in the nauseating stench that made her nearly retch. Then she glanced at her equally wretched “allies” nearby. A tidal wave of humiliation and fury swept away the last thread of her rationality.

“Mad! You’re all mad!” she shrieked, pointing at Gu Xuan, then at Jiang Suisui. “Just you wait! The Marquis of Anyuan’s household will never let this go! Gu Xuan, you unfilial wretch! Jiang Suisui, you venomous woman with a serpent’s heart! Just wait—wait for the Marquis and His Majesty to punish you!”

She hurled her threats but did not dare linger a moment longer. Turning, she staggered toward the courtyard gate. She paid no heed to the high threshold; her skirt caught, and she tumbled headfirst onto the gravel path outside, landing flat on her face.

Instantly, the earthy taste of dirt filled her mouth.

“Madam!” her maids and old attendants finally reacted, rushing forward in tears to help her up.

Madam Wang and Madam Zhang were already scared out of their wits. Caring about nothing else, they cried and stumbled after Madam Li, scrambling away in terror, afraid that if they were too slow, those little demons would “entertain” them with something even worse.

“Leaving? It’s not that easy!” Wei Ziqian wiped a splatter of mud from his face and made as if to chase after them.

“Enough.”

Jiang Suisui spoke calmly, stopping him.

Her voice was not loud, yet it instantly quieted the exhilarated boys.

“Do not pursue a desperate enemy.” She looked toward the lavish carriages parked not far away, watching as the noblewomen, with the help of their servants, clambered aboard in frantic disarray.

The coachmen stood pale-faced, pinching their noses, not daring to glance into the carriages. All they wanted was to flee this dreadful place as quickly as possible.

With a series of sharp whip cracks and the rumbling of wheels, the carriages—now radiating a dense aura of “blessings”—hurriedly escaped Woniu Village, leaving crooked wheel tracks along the dirt road.

At last, calm returned to the estate gate.

The distinctive odor still lingered in the air, long refusing to dissipate—an announcement of the glorious outcome of the recent “battle.”

“Pfft—”

Someone could not hold back their laughter.

Then the boys erupted into thunderous guffaws.

“Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!” Wei Ziqian plopped down on the ground, slapping his thigh and laughing until tears streamed from his eyes. “Did you see Madam Li’s face? More spectacular than our compost heap!”

“And Madam Wang—wasn’t she the one who called our snacks crude? That ladle I gave her was specially selected. Premium ingredients, guaranteed!” Qian Duoduo boasted proudly, gesturing animatedly.

They teased each other and compared “achievements,” filling the courtyard with carefree joy.

Shen Qinghe stood nearby, shaking his head helplessly. Though he did not approve of such rough methods, seeing the genuine smiles on the boys’ faces—their instinct to protect their own—warmed his heart.

Jiang Suisui watched them, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

She walked to the well in the courtyard and personally drew up a bucket of fresh water.

“All right, enough laughing,” she said. “Each of you looks like a mud monkey. Go wash up and change into clean clothes. We’ll be serving lunch shortly.”

At the mention of “serving lunch,” the boys cheered immediately.

“What are we having today, Madam Jiang?”

“We won a battle—we deserve extra dishes! I want braised pork!”

“I’m eating two big bowls of rice!”

Laughing and splashing water around the well, they washed off the mud, then dashed back to their rooms to change.

Soon, the courtyard returned to its usual order, as though the dramatic “manure war” had been nothing more than a harmless farce.

Chunxing approached, her face still tinged with lingering fear and worry.

“Madam, this… we’ve thoroughly offended them. The Marquis of Anyuan’s household won’t let this rest. Once they return to the capital and stir things up, what if the Old Marquis and Old Madam…”

She dared not finish. After all, in the eyes of society, Gu Xuan and the others’ behavior today had been outrageously improper—tantamount to dragging the dignity of the aristocracy through the mud.

Jiang Suisui rinsed her hands with clean water, then took a cloth and dried them unhurriedly.

“It’s fine,” she said calmly. “When soldiers come, we block them; when water rises, we dam it. If they wish to make trouble, let them. The capital is not a place where a few wagging tongues can overturn the heavens.”

She lifted her gaze toward the direction of the capital.

She knew this storm was only just beginning.

But she also knew she was not fighting alone. Behind her stood this group of seemingly mischievous yet utterly reliable boys. And farther still, the Marquis of Yongning’s household, which had already made its stance clear.

She would like to see, this time, who would have the last laugh.

Gu Xuan emerged after changing his clothes and saw Jiang Suisui standing in the courtyard, lost in thought. He walked over and stood beside her, clasping his hands behind his back like an adult.

“Don’t be afraid,” he muttered. “If they dare trouble you, I… I’ll take people and overturn the latrine at the Marquis of Anyuan’s estate!”

Jiang Suisui turned to look at him.

The flush had not yet faded from the boy’s face, but his eyes were utterly sincere.

She could not help reaching out to ruffle his hair.

“All right, I’ll remember that. If anyone bullies me in the future, I’ll send you to overturn their latrine.”

Gu Xuan flushed even more at the intimate gesture, his ears reddening. Yet inside, he felt a sweetness bloom.

He thought that as long as he could protect her, let alone overturn a latrine—even overturning the imperial palace—he would dare to do it.