MFURCC -Chapter 66 Severing Her Finger

Du Panpan’s face went pale as she suddenly realized she had misspoken.

Her feud with Ruan Liuzheng should not have involved the Crown Prince.

“I didn’t mean it that way…” she hurriedly tried to explain. “It’s Ruan Liuzheng who abuses her status as a general to bully people excessively.”

What a blatant inversion of black and white—turning the blame around.

Liuzheng said coldly, “Miss Du, you can eat recklessly, but you cannot speak recklessly.”

Du Panpan glared at Liuzheng with deep resentment.

“This Wangxue Room has always been mine! You took it, and now it’s my fault?”

Indeed, every time Du Panpan came, she would sit in this elegant room called Wangxue.

Even if someone else was already inside, when she appeared, people would automatically yield to her.

Over time, she came to believe that Wangxue was her private room.

Only when she wasn’t there could others use it.

Once she arrived, anyone who didn’t yield was “stealing” from her.

Liuzheng looked toward the waiter.

“You tell us. If this room truly belongs to Miss Du, we are willing to give it back to her.”

Madam Yuan also nodded. “We are not unreasonable. If that’s truly the case, we can choose another room.”

The waiter had already guessed Liuzheng’s identity from their conversation.

A woman, yet called a “government official”—who else could it be besides the female general of Zhao Yong?

The waiter, who had long admired the female general, and knowing the room didn’t exclusively belong to anyone, replied fairly: “All rooms except Tianzi Room can be reserved. It’s first come, first served.”

“How dare you treat me like this? Do you want this restaurant to go out of business?!” Du Panpan’s anger flared.

She could accept Liuzheng, but the waiter dared to disrespect her too?

Looking for death!

“Guards! Grab him and slap him!”

“Yes, madam!”

An elderly maid behind Du Panpan immediately stepped toward the waiter, raising her hand to slap him.

Liuzheng was about to intervene when suddenly she heard a buzzing sound.

Something flew past her ear at incredible speed.

The next moment, a scream rang out from the maid.

Looking up, Liuzheng saw that one of the maid’s fingers had been severed, blood gushing.

It had been cut cleanly by the object that had just flown past Liuzheng’s ear.

“Pain! It hurts! Miss! Save me!” The maid rolled on the floor in agony.

Du Panpan rushed forward to check.

Seeing the severed finger, she got goosebumps all over.

Anger flared inside her.

“Ruan Liuzheng! How dare you hurt my people!”

Liuzheng frowned.

“It wasn’t me.”

“You’re the only one here with martial skills—if it wasn’t you, who else?”

Liuzheng glanced around—there was truly no one else.

But a window in a nearby room was slightly open.

She looked up and caught a glimpse of a corner of blue clothing and a side profile inside.

From her angle, the side profile was clear enough to recognize.

It was the heir of the Rongxi Marquisate, Shen He’an, friend of Prince Su.

He clearly had no intention of coming out.

Liuzheng couldn’t betray Shen He’an, so she quickly withdrew her gaze and turned to Du Panpan. “My hand didn’t move at all. Madam Yuan and the waiter can vouch for me.”

Madam Yuan said, “Liuzheng was right beside me; she didn’t move at all.”

“Ridiculous! You must have used some hidden weapon!”

“Then find it. If it really was mine, I’ll admit it.”

Du Panpan searched but saw nothing.

“It must be some kind of sorcery!”

She wanted to make trouble for Liuzheng, but the maid had already fainted from pain.

This maid had been with her since birth and was very close to her. Without any proof of Liuzheng using a weapon, Du Panpan had no choice but to have someone carry the maid away.

“Take her back for treatment!”

Then she turned to Liuzheng. “I will settle this with you one day—you just wait!”

Liuzheng isn’t the only one who can play dirty; she can too!

Liuzheng met her gaze.

“I’ll be waiting anytime.”

“Hmph!” Du Panpan snorted through her nose, her face dark, and walked off.

Just as she reached the stairs, she bumped into Nanny Jiang who was climbing up.

Du Panpan shoved her aside and went downstairs.

Nanny Jiang almost fell but managed to grab the railing.

Liuzheng quickly stepped forward and held Nanny Jiang.

“Nanny, are you okay?”

Nanny Jiang’s lower back hurt from hitting the railing, but to avoid troubling Liuzheng, she feigned ease: “Miss, don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Liuzheng didn’t notice anything unusual and relaxed.

“That’s good.”

Madam Yuan approached with concern.

“Liuzheng, this means the two of you are now thoroughly at odds.”

Liuzheng said, “Even if today hadn’t happened, she would have caused trouble for me because of Shen Tinglan. Why worry about adding a little more hatred? I only worry about you, lest she also bear a grudge against you.”

Madam Yuan said, “It’s fine for me. I rarely go out anyway. Even if you weren’t here, I’d clash with her. I was the one who reserved this room; if you weren’t here, she’d hate me more and direct all her anger at me.”

Madam Yuan was reasonable.

She patted Liuzheng’s hand gently.

“Alright, let’s not dwell on this. Come, the balcony here has a great view, and the dishes are exquisite. We’re out to enjoy ourselves—don’t let her spoil our mood.”

“Mm.” Liuzheng nodded. “Madam Yuan, you go in and order first. I have a friend here I need to greet.”

“Okay.”

Madam Yuan didn’t ask who the friend was. She was very sensible.

Liuzheng had Nanny Jiang go in with them, and the waiter followed into the room.

Once the room door was closed, Liuzheng took a few steps forward and bent down to pick up a fallen leaf.

On it was a drop of blood.

It was the blood of Du Panpan’s maid.

Du Panpan had been searching the floor for the hidden weapon that injured her, and it was this leaf.

Ordinary people would never think that a mere leaf could sever a finger.

That’s why Du Panpan had instinctively ignored it.

Liuzheng recognized it because the deceased Xiao Hengzi could also use this move.

Unexpectedly, Shen He’an had such skill too.

This was a skill even Liuzheng couldn’t achieve; at most, she could use a stone to hurt someone.

Liuzheng picked up the leaf and approached the room with the slightly open window.

She looked up and saw the signboard above the room read “Tianzi Room.”

The waiter said that except for the Tianzi Room, other rooms could be reserved.

This meant that the Tianzi Room had an owner; no one else could reserve it.

So, Shen He’an was the owner of the Tianzi Room.

Liuzheng knocked twice on the door.

A deep voice replied, “Enter.”

Liuzheng’s body stiffened slightly.

That voice… it was Prince Su?

He was here too?

Liuzheng remembered glimpsing a carriage with the Wangfu insignia in the rain, but she had thought she was mistaken.

But if it really was Prince Su in the carriage, why didn’t he take her along?

Did he even consider her one of his own?

Feng Lunian had already been demoted to a commoner. She considered she had done a great service for Prince Su, yet he hadn’t fully accepted her?

Just because she was a woman?

Suppressing her slight displeasure, Liuzheng pushed the door open. Once inside and the door closed, she looked up.

Her gaze met Su Heng’s dark eyes.

“Liuzheng greets Prince and the heir.” Liuzheng controlled all her emotions and bowed respectfully.

“Stand up.”

“Yes.” Liuzheng rose, and Shen He’an stepped forward.

“General Ruan, are you unharmed? Did the leaf hurt you?”

Liuzheng opened her palms. “No. Thank you for your help, heir. I didn’t expect your skill to be so formidable. I’m truly impressed.”

Shen He’an glanced at Su Heng and half-smiled. “I have many skills you don’t know about yet.”

Su Heng looked at Shen He’an with disapproval.

Shen He’an covered his cough, saying, “Du Panpan is only the daughter of a minor official. If she provokes you again, just tell me.”

Liuzheng thanked him again.

“Thank you, heir.”

“No need! From now on, we’re on the same side.”

Liuzheng smiled. “Mm.”

The heir was much easier to get along with than Prince Su.

Su Heng saw the smile on Liuzheng’s face and felt inexplicably displeased.

He coldly said to Shen He’an, “Weren’t you supposed to get the wine from the cellar?”

Shen He’an was about to argue, but felt a cold, watchful gaze behind him.

Knowing Su Heng was watching, he swallowed his words. “I’ll go get it now.”

Liuzheng, seeing Shen He’an leave, also took her leave.

“I won’t disturb Prince and the heir’s drinking then.”

Madam Yuan was still waiting for her.

But just as she finished speaking, she hadn’t turned when a voice called out:

“Wait, I have something to say to you.”

Liuzheng: “…Yes.”

Shen He’an had already gone out and politely closed the door for them.

Su Heng’s gaze fell on Liuzheng, who lowered her eyes and stared at her toes.

“Do you have a mark on your toes?”

Liuzheng raised her eyes. “No…”

“Then sit and speak.”

“Yes…”

Liuzheng sat down opposite Prince Su.

“Have you heard about Feng Lunian?” Su Heng asked.

Liuzheng nodded. “General Fu told my deputy as soon as he left the palace. He was demoted to commoner and received several dozen lashes. He’s been crippled.”

“Mm.” Su Heng nodded. “You handled this well. I should reward you. Ask for anything you want.”

Liuzheng shook her head. “No need, Prince. I only did it to recover the Chang Sui Army’s tiger tally.”

Su Heng frowned slightly, as if displeased.

Liuzheng hurriedly added, “Moreover, serving you is my honor. How could I accept a reward?”

Su Heng said nothing, still frowning.

Liuzheng tried to guess his thoughts and cautiously said, “Prince, I don’t need a reward. If you could lend me a small troop, I would be deeply grateful.”

Prince Su’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

“You want troops for what?”

Liuzheng glanced around.

Prince Su understood her concern. “Don’t worry. The materials used to build the Tianzi Room are all custom-made. Even if someone is outside, they won’t hear us.”

Only then did Liuzheng speak.

“My scouts have discovered something.”