TSWRLM -Chapter 194 Madam Sent Me to Check on the Young Mistress

Today, Xiao Qinghe also attended Yun Wantang’s banquet.

Yun Wantang treated her very well, and the ladies from the prominent families liked her too, but listening to their conversations, Xiao Qinghe’s heart grew heavy.

Every household had its own troubles: some husbands grew cold and took concubines, with the favored concubines wielding power and pride; some mothers-in-law were harsh, forcing their daughters-in-law to follow strict rules and endure daily torment; some sisters-in-law engaged in open or hidden rivalries, exhausting themselves mentally.

Everyone had their own worries, yet everyone continued with life. Compared to them, her suffering seemed almost trivial.

If anyone knew she wanted a divorce, they would surely call her overly dramatic.

The longer she stayed, the more silent Xiao Qinghe became. She even began to doubt whether she was overreacting. At that moment, Chun Xi and Princess Hengyang appeared.

They had no guards, each riding a horse freely under the night sky, utterly graceful.

When the conflict broke out, the two of them displayed the spirit of taking on a hundred opponents.

There was no pretense of nobility, no decorum—only shouting, striking, and kicking, unconcerned with how others perceived them, caring only about their own satisfaction.

The suffocating restraint that had bound Xiao Qinghe during the day vanished under the shock of this vivid scene.

She thought: she was different. Others could compromise and keep up appearances, but she could not.

She wanted to live freely, just like the young aunt and the princess.

Wei Lingze noticed Xiao Qinghe in the corner of the main hall.

Her sleeves were torn, her hairpins had fallen out, and though her black hair had been roughly tidied, a bruise marked her face—she looked disheveled.

Having grown up together, this was the first time Wei Lingze had seen Xiao Qinghe in such a state.

He quickly approached and asked gravely, “Who hit you?”

Xiao Qinghe looked up at him.

Contrary to his expectations, her stunning face showed no panic or fear, no delicate suffering. Instead, her eyes shone brightly, full of a vibrant energy completely different from the disciplined girl she had been for over a decade.

“At that moment, there were too many people; I didn’t see who struck me. I just wanted to rescue the young aunt and the princess,” Xiao Qinghe replied softly.

Though her tone sounded normal, Wei Lingze could detect a faint excitement beneath it.

She actually enjoyed fighting?

Wei Lingze frowned, about to question further, when Shen Qingyuan and the inspecting officer entered the hall.

Among the other ladies, many had suffered worse injuries than Chun Xi. Some had bitten arms, scratched faces, or injured waists from kicks—the worst off was Yun Wantang.

During the chaos, Yun Wantang had been closest to Princess Hengyang, soon falling to the ground as the princess used her as a human shield. Her ribs hurt badly—she wasn’t sure if they were broken—and she had been stepped on in several places. Her face was pale and her appearance utterly ruined, far from her usual beauty.

Seeing Shen Qingyuan, the others immediately crowded around, demanding he hand over Chun Xi to answer for the incident.

If they couldn’t deal with Princess Hengyang, how could they manage Cao Chun Xi?

The group of women was loud and chaotic. Shen Qingyuan did not respond immediately. Once they tired of speaking, he calmly said, “Tonight’s events involve many people. To prevent anyone from taking advantage and harming the princess, everyone must be questioned individually. Any inconsistencies in statements will be considered highly suspicious and require further interrogation to verify the truth.”

Shen Qingyuan spoke seriously, not defending Chun Xi, treating it as a major case, leaving everyone stunned.

These women were all of high status. Being beaten like this tonight was humiliating enough; if they were questioned and left a record, how could they explain it at home or face others later?

Instinctively, they looked to Yun Wantang.

They had come out for Yun Wantang’s banquet, and tonight’s fight had been to help her. Now that the situation had escalated, she should take responsibility.

Yun Wantang gritted her teeth.

She had invited many prominent ladies: to reconnect, to subtly show Xiao Qinghe that appearances could be deceiving, and to make herself look better compared to Princess Hengyang.

She had planned everything well, and the banquet had been a success—but she never expected Princess Hengyang and Cao Chun Xi to appear and disrupt everything.

Tonight, everyone had been beaten. If a record remained, they would hate her. Not only had the banquet failed, but the relationships she had nurtured over ten years were also ruined.

Yun Wantang’s thoughts raced. She didn’t know what to do when Shen Qingchi suddenly stepped forward, shielding her.

“Tonight, clearly, it was my sister-in-law and the princess causing trouble while drunk. Even if big brother likes my sister-in-law, he can’t ignore right and wrong, can he?”

This immediately turned everyone’s anger toward Shen Qingyuan, suspecting bias.

Shen Qingyuan raised his eyes coolly, looking at Shen Qingchi: “You mean they got drunk and attacked you for fun? Did they have weapons or anything handy?”

The others: “……”

It wasn’t like there was some deep hatred; how could the princess purposely come drunk to hit them?

Shen Qingchi bit her lip, hesitating before saying, “I had previously conspired with mother against sister-in-law. She had held a grudge all this time. Tonight, drunk, she saw me and remembered those things, so she attacked me. Other sisters tried to intervene, but once her drunken rage was triggered, she wouldn’t recognize anyone, and that’s how this escalated.”

Almost everyone present had been hit by Chun Xi. Shen Qingchi trusted no one would expose her lie. By blaming Chun Xi, she protected Yun Wantang and everyone else.

Everyone hurriedly nodded in agreement. At that moment, Xiao Qinghe’s gentle voice rang out: “It wasn’t like that. The young aunt and the princess didn’t start it; someone made fun of the princess first, and that’s when the conflict began.”

Shen Qingchi clenched her handkerchief, frustrated.

She had forgotten Xiao Qinghe was present.

But the Fifth Aunt was Wei Lingze’s biological aunt and treated Xiao Qinghe kindly; how could Xiao Qinghe side with Cao Chun Xi?

Wei Lingze hadn’t expected Xiao Qinghe to speak now. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold, when a tall figure suddenly blocked him.

Xiao Yecheng stood in front of Xiao Qinghe, completely cutting off Wei Lingze’s line of sight. In a gentle voice, he said, “Madam heard that the young mistress had an accident and specially sent me to check on her.”