Chapter 52: The Noble Consort's Fury, Ah Li Unleashes His Power

Noble Consort Rou's words caused a turbulent wave in everyone's hearts. They looked at her with worry, their hearts in their throats, terrified that the next name she called would be their own. Having arrived with such a menacing aura, Noble Consort Rou certainly brought no good intentions!

Among us... among us......

Yan Ziyu slightly frowned, thinking that the person referred to by Noble Consort Rou should not be herself. She had not yet obtained what Noble Consort Rou wanted, which meant she still possessed utility and value; therefore, her target for this trip shouldn't be her. She carefully scrutinized the various women present.

"If Her Ladyship has someone in mind, she should simply name them. As a mere mortal, this concubine truly cannot fathom Your Ladyship's thoughts." Consort Qian was naturally of an impatient disposition, and after becoming pregnant, her pampered arrogance made her even more haughty and restless. How could she endure such torment?

Noble Consort Rou raised an eyebrow, casting a side-long glance at her with seductive, phoenix-like eyes. "Does the Princess Consort share this thought?" Ignoring Consort Qian's outburst, she turned her gaze instead to Yan Ziyu.

Seeing the problem tossed back to her in the blink of an eye, Yan Ziyu was not annoyed. With a hint of helplessness between her brows, she spoke, "This concubine is truly ignorant; I beg Your Ladyship to make it clear." She thought she probably knew the purpose of Noble Consort Rou's visit now.

With that, out of the corner of her eye, she carefully observed Secondary Consort Yu, her gaze carrying a complex mix of emotions!

Perhaps she had underestimated her all along; when it came to killing with a borrowed knife, Secondary Consort Yu was the true master. She herself had been far too soft-hearted.

"Sister has always been clever. I wonder if you might have guessed the purpose of Her Ladyship's visit today?" Yan Ziyu looked directly at Secondary Consort Yu, her delicate and beautiful face bearing a faint smile, her tone as gentle as that of deeply affectionate sisters.

Knowing that Yan Ziyu suspected her, Secondary Consort Yu glanced at her, shook her head, and smiled. "This younger sister is utterly foolish and has disappointed Elder Sister." As the words fell, she gave a subtle signal to the maid beside her.

"Sister is far too modest. You have single-handedly managed the chaotic affairs of this Prince's estate for five years without a single flaw, which is more than enough to prove your exceptional competence. No wonder the Prince dotes on you so deeply. Should you bear the Prince a son or daughter in the future, he will surely be overjoyed... Speaking of which, Elder Sister cannot help but remind you of two things: even the fairest beauty cannot withstand the fleeting flow of time! No matter how exquisite one's appearance, there will come a day of twilight. Sister should take advantage of her youth to continue the Prince's lineage so that you have something to lean on in the future. That is surely better than facing a desolate and helpless old age!"

Hiss——

Everyone present, including Noble Consort Rou, drew in a sharp breath of air, staring in absolute shock at Yan Ziyu, who continued speaking!

"Look at Elder Sister—am I not a living example? As the saying goes, suffering comes before sweetness. After enduring so many years of hardship, my days are peaceful now, and I have a son as considerate and sensible as Rui'er by my side. If not for that, to be entirely alone without even a soul to confide in—that kind of existence is true torment, worse than death itself. My sisters must think very carefully..."

To strike a person, strike their heart first! Everyone has weaknesses and pain points, and Secondary Consort Yu's greatest pain point was—children!

Yan Ziyu had instructed Ziyi to make inquiries: Secondary Consort Yu had entered the Prince's estate five years ago and had never conceived the Prince's heir. For the first two years, the Prince had continuously ordered medicine to be administered to her; for the two years after that, it was discontinued. Secondary Consort Yu had once conceived a child, but before two months had passed, she was startled by a cat, and from the extreme fright, the child was lost. She had never conceived again since. Consequently, she despised nothing more than hearing others mention children in her presence, and was even more sensitive to anyone implying she was barren. Once, when two maids had gossiped behind her back and she overheard them, she had them beaten to death on the spot.

Now, Yan Ziyu was tearing open her wound bleeding and raw right in front of everyone, scattering salt upon it, handful by handful......

Suddenly, everyone felt a chilling, eerie breeze circulating around them, and the atmosphere instantly turned bizarre!

Noble Consort Rou sighed silently, casting a complicated look at Yan Ziyu, her slightly furrowed brow marked by contradiction and inner conflict.

Secondary Consort Yu's cold gaze carried burning hatred as she stared fixedly at Yan Ziyu. Her delicate and charming visage twisted into a hideous expression, resembling a vengeful ghost!

"Yan—Zi—yu! How dare you humiliate me like this—" Lacking all reason from being provoked by Yan Ziyu's words, Secondary Consort Yu glared fiercely and let out a low roar.

Kill Yan Ziyu, kill her... kill her......

A voice inside her howled unceasingly, and her remaining reason was being devoured piece by piece by boundless hatred and murderous intent——

"Oh, Sister, why does your complexion look so terrible? Are you feeling unwell?" Yan Ziyu exclaimed in feigned surprise, her profound eyes as calm as an ancient well, completely unruffled, even tinged with a hint of wickedness.

To make someone reveal their flaws, the best timing is when they lose their reason—her master had taught her that.

Actually, what she most wanted to see was Noble Consort Rou losing her reason, but unfortunately, she couldn't achieve that for the time being. She had to settle for second best and start with Secondary Consort Yu. The reason she did this in front of so many people was because she needed to—establish her authority!

And the best means to establish authority was none other than killing the chicken to frighten the monkeys!

"Bitch! I'll kill you—" With an angry roar, Secondary Consort Yu lunged fiercely toward Yan Ziyu......

"You're not allowed to bully Little Yu——" Before anyone could react, Ah Li suddenly darted out to shield Yan Ziyu, casually grabbing a pastry plate from the nearby table and hurling it ruthlessly at Secondary Consort Yu—

"Stop—"

"Get lost—"

......

One delicate, one fierce—two voices rang out almost simultaneously.

"Puff——"

Just as the plate thrown by Ah Li was about to strike Secondary Consort Yu, a figure suddenly dashed out to block it for her. Ah Li unceremoniously kicked the person, sending them flying and causing them to vomit blood.

Catching the pungent scent of blood in the air, Yan Ziyu tugged at Ah Li's sleeve. Ah Li turned his head, and she asked, "How much strength did you use?"

She assumed Ah Li must have seen someone trying to harm her and acted with all his might out of panic, which was why he had beaten the man to the point of vomiting blood. However, his reply almost made her vomit blood as well.

"I didn't use any strength at all, just kicked him casually. Didn't Little Yu tell me not to cause trouble for you?" In his tone, he actually seemed to feel wronged, gazing at her with melancholy.

Puff——

He hadn't used any strength and yet beat someone into such a state? The corners of Yan Ziyu's mouth twitched—damn it, her liver hurt!

"Little Yu, was I handsome just now?" Tossing his hair, Ah Li smugly thrust his face forward and asked.

Prompted by this, Yan Ziyu suddenly remembered something. She raised her hand and gave him a light rap on the head, glaring fiercely at him. "You are not allowed to curse!"

Everyone cupped their foreheads in disbelief. Was that really the main point to focus on right now?

While they were speaking, Secondary Consort Yu and the person who saved her had been helped up. Protected by that individual, Secondary Consort Yu was unharmed. That person was a palace guard brought by Noble Consort Rou, possessing exceptional martial arts; vomiting a mouthful of blood was of no great consequence.

Yan Ziyu actually had such a martial arts expert by her side!

Noble Consort Rou felt that this trip had not been in vain after all. Among the guards, Nangong's martial arts skills were among the very best; for someone to send Nangong flying and vomiting blood with a single move meant their martial arts must be truly unfathomable. Fortunately, she had not acted rashly.

Amidst her lingering fear, she also felt immensely fortunate!

"Who are you? How dare you injure someone in public? Do you have any regard for the law?" Noble Consort Rou demanded sternly.

Ah Li curled his lips, turning his head away entirely to act as though he hadn't heard. This woman looked truly ugly; he wouldn't pay her any mind!

"Little Yu, what is 'the law'? Is it delicious?" Ah Li tilted his head and looked at Yan Ziyu.

Ah Li's personality also possessed a wicked streak; he liked what he liked, and wouldn't even spare a glance for what he disliked. His sole reverse scale was Yan Ziyu. If anyone uttered a single syllable against her, his expression would instantly turn sour. Mild offenses resulted in physical beatings, while severe ones led to murder without a second thought.

"Stop talking, don't talk nonsense!" Yan Ziyu glared at Ah Li. "Ah Li has the mind of a child and doesn't know any better. Please forgive him for any offense, Your Ladyship, and do not lower yourself to his level. This concubine will be endlessly grateful." Her face wore a smile, but her gaze was cold and piercing.

Noble Consort Rou glanced at Yan Ziyu, then turned her gaze toward Secondary Consort Yu, who had just been terrified, a flash of cold light crossing her eyes. "Since Consort is feeling unwell, why have you not summoned a physician? Do you expect this Consort to do it for you? If you are unwell, return to your quarters to rest!" Secondary Consort Yu wanted to say something, but met with a chilling stare from Noble Consort Rou, she could only nod and leave, supported by her maid.

"Nangong, you withdraw as well." Noble Consort Rou dismissed Nangong, who had been accidentally injured by Ah Li, clearly unwilling to pursue the matter of Ah Li's assault.

"Understood." Nangong left, clutching his chest.

Useless piece of trash——

Noble Consort Rou cursed inwardly. Huan'er's performance today far exceeded her expectations, actually losing her temper and reason over a mere three sentences from Yan Ziyu. Fortunately, Yan Ziyu was unharmed; had she suffered any injury, aside from the troublesome simpleton at her side, neither the Emperor nor the Prince would have let her off!

"Considering this person is a first-time offender and the Princess Consort of Xiao has interceded for him, this Consort shall not pursue the crime of injuring someone today. Let this be an exception!" Noble Consort Rou cast a calm glance at Ah Li, whose disguised appearance was utterly ordinary, though her words were directed entirely at Yan Ziyu.

"This concubine thanks Your Ladyship on behalf of Ah Li." Yan Ziyu smiled faintly at her, completely ignoring the meaningful look in Noble Consort Rou's eyes.

"Enough, this Consort has no time for idle chatter. Guards, bring him forward!" Annoyance flashing across her face, Noble Consort Rou waved her hand, ordering the guards to bring the person in.

Before long, a man bound tightly in ropes was escorted forward by the guards. He was dressed in black, with disheveled hair, and a striking scar across his face made him look exceptionally fierce. His entire body bore numerous accumulated scars, clearly having undergone torture before arriving here, and his footsteps were unsteady and wretched.

Who could this person be......

Frowning, everyone looked at Noble Consort Rou in confusion, unable to understand why she had brought this man here.

Yet Noble Consort Rou's very next sentence left them utterly astonished!