Chapter 41: Leaning on the Bridge to Watch the Flowing Water

Blood had been drawn; this was going too far. Zuo Li, who had remained silent all the while, finally signaled to Yulan. Only then did Yulan step forward to restrain Li Changping tightly.

The child, however, was incredibly stubborn. Her small body thrashed incessantly in Yulan’s arms. Finding her strength insufficient, she resorted to her old trick: lowering her head and biting down fiercely on Yulan’s wrist.

A dull, stinging pain shot through her. Yulan’s instinct was to fling Li Changping away, but she dared not. She simply endured it, forcing the child’s face upward.

The crying of Li Chang, who was in her arms, had gradually subsided. Su Jin’s heart felt as if it were being wrung; she wished she could have taken the injury for Li Changjiu herself.

Su Jin handed the child to the wet nurse behind her to be taken away, while Zuo Li sent someone to fetch a physician.

"How can there be such cruelty? Even if Your Ladyship wishes to be a benevolent mother, you must exercise some discipline over the children. At such a tender age, what has she been learning? Her heart is full of malice. They are siblings, yet she acts like this—what will become of her in the future?"

Su Jin’s delicate willow-leaf brows were tightly knitted together. She looked at the young child still held in Yulan’s arms, whose face remained twisted with indignation. The child’s crisp voice uttered an icy retort: "You dare hit me! I will tell my father and mother! I will have the snow lion tear you to pieces!"

At these words, Su Jin’s chest heaved; she was clearly furious. Wang Ling, who sat to the side, wanted to mediate. She glanced left and right, but seeing no reaction from Zuo Li, she hurriedly stepped forward with a conciliatory smile, trying to appease both sides.

"Why must you argue with a toddler, Sister? She is young and knows no better. You really should..."

Before she could finish, Su Jin, having lost her patience and still deeply concerned for Li Changjiu, stood up abruptly. She glared fiercely at Li Changping and then scoffed at Wang Ling.

"It is easy for you to say, since it is not your child suffering this humiliation. If it were your child, do you think you could be so magnanimous and forgiving? It is not your flesh and blood that was hurt, so you can afford to be merciful."

Having been rebuked despite her good intentions, Wang Ling’s face flushed red, then turned pale, and finally ashen. She felt deeply embarrassed.

After a long silence, Zuo Li straightened her back and slammed her red jadeite prayer beads onto the table. The "bang" startled everyone back to their senses. Her brows knit with displeasure as she looked at the resentful Su Jin. "Enough. Who are you directing your anger at? Consort Wang was speaking for your benefit, yet you put on airs. Look at what you said to her—you have truly lost your heart."

Su Jin choked on her words. Realizing that her previous outburst was indeed discourteous, she felt a wave of guilt. The anger that had built up within her gradually subsided, and she slowly sat back down.

Zuo Li pursed her lips, shot a sidelong glance at Su Jin, and then looked at Yulan’s arm, which was still pinning Li Changping down. "Release her quickly. Do not stifle the Second Young Mistress; look, her face is already red."

Yulan finally let go, thinking to herself that this unruly child was truly formidable; she had bitten her hard, and though it was through her sleeve, she guessed the skin underneath was likely bruised.

"Ping’er, do you know you were wrong?"

Zuo Li sat on the edge of the heated brick bed. The light from the window shone from behind her, leaving her face in shadow. Her deep, dark eyes were filled with an interrogating gaze.

Even an adult would have felt a chill under such a stare, let alone a child. In truth, the little girl felt a flicker of insecurity, but she stubbornly held her ground, unwilling to be looked down upon. Raising her voice, she declared, "My mother said that my brother will be the Crown Prince! When that day comes, he will surely kill everyone who bullies me!"

With that, she turned and bolted out of the room.

Though she was gone, her words hung in the air like a thunderclap, leaving everyone stunned. As they exchanged uneasy glances, both Su Jin and Wang Ling secretly mused that Gu Tan was truly reckless to speak so freely in front of a child. Moreover, her ambitions were far-reaching; Li Qian had not yet ascended the throne, yet Gu Tan was already eyeing the position of the future heir.

Zuo Li scoffed inwardly. A fool so dull, yet daring to covet such a high position—she was simply preposterous. Her cold, clear eyes swept over the spot where Li Changping had stood, striking terror into the hearts of those present.

"Enough. It is merely the ramblings of a child. If I hear a single word of what was said today repeated outside, I will know who it was, and they shall lose their tongue."

Su Jin and Wang Ling hurriedly bowed, acknowledging the order. They dared not look up, their fear of Zuo Li—whose silhouette remained blurred against the backlight—growing even deeper.

"The Second Young Mistress was indeed the one to be rude first, and she harmed A’nian. I had always been lenient because of her youth, but it seems I was the one at fault." Zuo Li spoke calmly, gently rubbing her prayer beads.

For a time, no one dared to speak. They sat with heads bowed, not daring to let their eyes wander.

The atmosphere was heavy, thick with hidden currents. Su Jin, for some reason, suddenly realized how poorly she had behaved today. Instinctively, she looked up at Zuo Li again, gritted her teeth, and knelt down. "My words were truly reckless and improper today. To act so before Your Ladyship is an unforgivable sin. I beg Your Ladyship to punish me."

Even though she was kneeling on a soft carpet, Su Jin felt as if her knees were being pierced by needles, the pain shooting straight to her heart.

"Though your behavior was improper, I know it was out of concern for your child, so I will not punish you. However, as a minor consort, you laid hands on a young child; that is a failure of your duty as an elder. You shall transcribe the 'Buddha Mother Sutra' one hundred times and offer it before the shrine of the Goddess of Mercy."

Su Jin’s heart skipped a beat, but she bowed her head and dutifully accepted. Zuo Li raised an eyebrow and cast a light glance toward Wang Ling. Wang Ling understood, smiled awkwardly, and rose to take her leave.

The room was suddenly left to the two of them. A look of sympathy appeared on Zuo Li’s fair face as she personally leaned over to help Su Jin up. "I know A’nian suffered a great grievance today. I will send some things over later. The injury on her hand will certainly not leave a scar, so you may set your mind at ease."

Su Jin was helped up but did not sit back down.

"As for the punishment, I cannot be too harsh. After all, the Secondary Consort is pregnant. If news of this were to reach her and startle her, affecting the fetus, it would be most unfortunate."

Zuo Li’s tone was full of difficulty. Fortunately, Su Jin was a sensible person. She raised her head slightly, forcing a smile onto her pale face. "I am not ignorant of the situation; I naturally understand Your Ladyship’s intentions. I have already troubled you for some time, and my heart is full of worry for my child. I beg your leave to withdraw."

Zuo Li nodded, and Su Jin bowed and exited.

Setting down her teacup, Zuo Li finally let her expression darken. She leaned back, rubbing her temples, while Yulan stepped forward to massage her, easing her fatigue.

"A child is a mother’s lifeblood. Even the most cautious of people will lose their composure when it comes to their children."

The weariness on Zuo Li’s face gradually faded, and her dark eyes flashed with a glint of light. "It was not in vain, though. This courtyard... it should always be lively, after all."

Yulan smiled from the side. "Consort Su regards the First Young Mistress as her very life; she will certainly not swallow this insult so easily."