Chapter 56: Just Let Her Go

In the Ministry of War’s Grand Secretary’s residence, a most unusual group of guests arrived that day.

In the main hall, Lady Scarlet Whisk sat primly in the seat of honor.

On her left, a noblewoman in her middle years, clad in embroidered finery, sat with a face as dark as storm clouds, her mind weighed down with worry. This woman was none other than Lady Zhangsun, the wife of Zhangsun Wuji and mother of Zhangsun Chong.

She had come to the Li residence today to seek justice for her son, who had been beaten.

Out of courtesy as the hostess, Lady Scarlet Whisk ordered the maids to serve tea. Smiling, she gestured politely to Lady Zhangsun, “Madam, please have some tea.”

“There’s no need. I am not thirsty,” Lady Zhangsun replied coldly, not touching her cup.

Despite such open disregard, Lady Scarlet Whisk took no offense. Instead, she simply smiled, sipped her own tea in leisure, and did not inquire after the reason for her guest’s visit.

As the saying goes, one does not visit the temple for no reason.

Besides, Lady Scarlet Whisk knew well that her husband, Li Jing, had no social dealings with the Prime Minister Zhangsun Wuji. She had already heard rumors of why Lady Zhangsun brought an entourage to her home and understood the situation.

Seeing that Lady Scarlet Whisk refused to speak first, Lady Zhangsun could no longer contain herself.

“Lady Li, it is only natural for young men to have their squabbles, and minor scuffles are not unusual,” she began, her brow furrowing as she shot an icy glance at Lady Scarlet Whisk. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, she said, “However, your son has injured my Chong’er, who still lies bedridden. How do you explain this?”

Her eyes narrowed as she fixed Lady Scarlet Whisk with a piercing gaze, her smile twisting into a sneer. The matter of her son’s beating consumed her thoughts, and with the current empress being a member of the Zhangsun clan, Lady Zhangsun acted with utter boldness, showing no courtesy and holding neither Lady Scarlet Whisk nor the Li family in any regard.

Yet Lady Scarlet Whisk remained unhurried. Instead of answering the accusation, she affected a look of surprise. “Oh? Is there such a matter?”

“Hmph!” Lady Zhangsun snorted, refusing to reply. She was curious to see what tricks Lady Scarlet Whisk might play. If she did not receive a satisfactory answer and her son’s beating went unpunished, she would take the matter straight to the Empress. She refused to believe that the Empress, her own kin, would side with an outsider.

Just then, Lady Scarlet Whisk’s voice sounded again.

“Madam Zhangsun, perhaps there has been a misunderstanding?” she asked with puzzled expression, setting down her cup. “I heard you sent someone to the Cheng residence yesterday to confront them. Was this incident not caused by the Cheng family’s boy?”

She continued lightly, as though discussing household gossip, “I also heard that the Cheng boy received quite a beating because of it.”

She deliberately made no mention of whether Li Yi had struck Zhangsun Chong. Even if that were true, she would not rush to admit it; after all, the full story had yet to be revealed. If her own son had indeed been involved, she was sure he had his reasons. She trusted that Li Yi would never act recklessly without cause.

“You—!” Lady Zhangsun was livid at these words. Her brows knit tightly, nearly standing upright with anger. Yesterday, she had already made a spectacle of herself by sending her steward to the Cheng family in error, and now Lady Scarlet Whisk brought it up to her face. It was tantamount to a slap.

“Lady Li!” she snapped, her face growing darker than the bottom of a pot as she grit her teeth and changed the subject. “Are you telling me you do not intend to give me a proper explanation? Is my son to be beaten for no reason?”

Her anger burned in her chest as she glared at Lady Scarlet Whisk.

“Madam Zhangsun, please calm yourself,” Lady Scarlet Whisk replied gently, her manner unruffled. “I have not yet asked my son about the matter and do not know the details. Rest assured, when he returns, I will ask him for the truth. If it was indeed his doing, I will certainly give you a satisfactory explanation and will not let your son suffer in vain.”

She smiled sincerely at Lady Zhangsun, but her rival was unmoved, responding with a cold laugh.

A mere explanation—was that all? Her Chong’er would still have been beaten for nothing. If this wrong went unavenged, what honor would remain for the Zhangsun family?

“It seems my visit here today was in vain,” Lady Zhangsun said with a chilling smile.

She rose slowly, her face set in icy lines, and declared, “In that case, I will have no choice but to bring this before Her Majesty the Empress and let her judge.”

With these words, she turned to leave. She had decided: if Lady Scarlet Whisk would shelter Li Yi, then she would simply inform the Empress, who would surely take her side.

Seeing this, Lady Scarlet Whisk frowned, sensing trouble. She quickly called out, “Madam, please wait!”

Although she had anticipated that things might come to this, she had not expected Lady Zhangsun to be so unreasonable. If the matter reached the palace, even the Emperor’s intervention would not spare her family from harm.

As expected, Lady Zhangsun paused at the door upon hearing Lady Scarlet Whisk’s plea. Turning slightly, she looked down at her hostess with a triumphant air and said coldly, “Well then, Lady Li, is there anything else you wish to say to me?”

She found it amusing to see Lady Scarlet Whisk, so composed a moment ago, now anxiously trying to keep her. Did she think she could outmatch the Zhangsun family in power? With the Empress supporting them in the palace, even the Emperor would not dare cross them.

But before Lady Scarlet Whisk could answer, a deep male voice suddenly rang out from outside, shattering Lady Zhangsun’s arrogant composure.

“Mother, if she is so determined, let her go!”

The words cut through the tension in the hall, reaching the ears of Lady Zhangsun, Lady Scarlet Whisk, and all the gathered servants.

As one, all eyes turned toward the source of the voice.

And in that brief instant, everyone saw who had arrived—it was none other than Li Yi, who had hurried home.

(End of chapter)