Chapter 55: Nurturing a Tiger That Will Bite Its Master

Yang Siqiu looked at Su Jin’s darkened expression, seemingly sensing that something was amiss. She offered an awkward, nervous smile and unconsciously twisted the handkerchief in her hands tighter.

"It was merely some harmless children's play, just a few trivial scratches."

Su Jin’s voice was calm, yet Shen Quanyi, sitting opposite her, caught a fleeting glint of malice in her eyes.

"Even so, there was no sense of proportion. The Second Miss is the beloved youngest daughter of the Noble Consort, accustomed to being immensely spoiled. But they are siblings by blood—how could she inflict such injuries on her own sister?" Yang Siqiu murmured, nervously clutching her handkerchief while casting cautious glances at Su Jin's face.

"Elder Sister Liangdi is truly kind-hearted, but children's misbehavior must be strictly disciplined. Otherwise, it will only worsen with time. Once they grow up with a temperament like the Noble Consort's, then..."

Yang Siqiu’s words choked off in her throat. Shen Quanyi’s brow furrowed slightly as a wave of dread washed over her. She reached out to grab Yang Siqiu's arm, gently shaking her head to signal her to stop speaking immediately.

Noticing Shen Quanyi's warning, Yang Siqiu fell silent, though her face had turned somewhat pale.

Su Jin remained silent after listening for a long time. Her ink-black, gem-like eyes radiated a strange, uncanny light as she stared at Yang Siqiu with a half-smile. The look made Yang Siqiu unable to sustain the pressure and force her gaze downward. A cold, rustling breeze swept through the plum blossom grove, carrying a faint floral fragrance that pierced straight through the collar into the skin.

It filled one with a bone-chilling cold.

Su Jin withdrew her gaze, her expression remaining indifferent. She lifted her chin toward the wet nurse standing beside her. The nurse immediately understood, taking Li Changjiu by the hand to play in the deeper parts of the grove.

"Conubine Yang is certainly protective of children. No doubt when you bear a child of your own in the future, you will cherish them like a precious pearl."

Su Jin raised an eyebrow and smiled, her slender fingernails gently scraping across the marble tabletop, producing a harsh, grating sound.

"According to Conubine Yang, what do you suggest I should do then?"

Shen Quanyi felt a jolt of alarm. She tried to tug at Yang Siqiu’s sleeve, but failed to stop her in time as Yang Siqiu spoke up once more of her own accord: "Liangdi ought to properly discipline the Second Miss. While the Noble Consort dotes on her, her own methods are truly vicious. She merely indulges the child blindly without proper guidance..."

Su Jin slammed her palm down hard on the table, cutting Yang Siqiu's words short and choking them back in her throat. She straightened her posture and cast a cold, condescending glare down at Yang Siqiu.

By this point, Yang Siqiu was terrified into dropping to her knees. Her slender neck drooped helplessly, looking frail and vulnerable against the biting cold wind.

"I beg Liangdi to forgive her! Conubine Yang has been shut away for too long and knows nothing of outside affairs. She... she simply has a straightforward tongue..."

Shen Quanyi could not go on. Yang Siqiu's implications were crystal clear—it was blatantly obvious she was trying to instigate Su Jin into confronting Gu Tan.

Su Jin took a step forward. Her eyes were dark and profound, yet her expression remained utterly serene. The sight sent shivers down Yang Siqiu's spine. Overwhelmed with anxiety, Yang Siqiu lowered her head once again, her white teeth biting down on her pale lower lip.

"I used to think that among the three concubines, your mind was relatively steady and your nature timid. Looking at you now, I realize I misjudged you completely. It turns out your ambitions are quite grand."

The icy voice from above made Yang Siqiu choke back sobs as she pleaded for mercy: "This concubine spoke out of turn today. I beg Liangdi to spare me on the grounds that this is my first offense. This concubine will surely watch her words and actions carefully in the future."

Su Jin let out a soft, cold hum. This was the first time she had carefully scrutinized Yang Siqiu: excessively slender, with a pale, delicate face, a sharp, pointed chin, and doe-like eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her appearance could hardly be called breathtaking—merely neat and delicate.

Her gaze gradually drifted to Yang Siqiu's forehead, pausing abruptly before she continued, "I heard that when you first arrived, you were startled and injured your forehead, leaving a scar. How is it that now not a trace of it remains?"

Faced with the abrupt change of subject, Yang Siqiu was slightly startled before recovering to answer, "Yes... Younger Sister Shen pitied me and procured scar-removal medicine for me."

Shen Quanyi secretly frowned, her heart tightening in dread. Just as she was about to speak, her back was gently poked by Husheng standing behind her. Understanding the hint, she clamped her mouth shut and remained silent.

"Since Concubine Shen happens to be here as well, I will speak quite frankly with you both right before my eyes. Even true sisters often fail to get along, let alone those who cross paths halfway through life."

Su Jin narrowed her eyes, glancing casually at Shen Quanyi with a deep, meaningful look. "I only hope you are not raising a tiger that will eventually turn on you."

Stopping there, her tone paused for a moment. She walked over until she stopped right in front of Yang Siqiu. Instinctively, Yang Siqiu raised her head to look up, and just as Su Jin lowered her eyelids, their eyes met. Yang Siqiu hurriedly averted her gaze as if she had been scalded.

Suppressing the primitive unease in her heart, Shen Quanyi spoke with steadfast resolve: "This concubine appreciates Liangdi's kind intentions. However, Younger Sister Yang and I share the same courtyard, and I know her character well. She has always been kind to me. Treated both as a confidante and a sister, neither of us harbors any suspicion toward the other."

Su Jin looked at Shen Quanyi and gave a slight sigh. "I only hope you will not live to regret the words you speak today."

Hearing this, Shen Quanyi finally let out a breath of relief as Su Jin personally reached out to help her up. Shen Quanyi offered her thanks, meeting those dark eyes that concealed a multitude of unfathomable emotions.

"Since I am now aware of such ambitions, I cannot simply turn a blind eye. The Eastern Palace has no room for such scheming minds. While I will not deal with you personally, I will relay your words today, word for word, to the Crown Princess."

Su Jin’s final words felt akin to a slow slicing of flesh. Yang Siqiu’s heart hammered frantically against her ribs, threatening to leap right out of her throat as a cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

Her limbs turned to jelly, and tears welled up and spilled over, her pleading gaze turning desperately toward Shen Quanyi.

Su Jin shook her head at Shen Quanyi first, preventing her from speaking. Shen Quanyi’s hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves.

With weak legs utterly lacking strength, Yang Siqiu was practically hoisted up by her personal maid. Stifling the contempt in her heart, Su Jin cast her one last cold glance and turned her head away, unwilling to look any longer.

Shen Quanyi hurried forward to lend a hand. The moment she touched Yang Siqiu’s arm, she saw the other woman burst into tears, gratefully pressing her hand onto Shen Quanyi's outstretched palm.

For some unknown reason, Yang Siqiu’s hands were freezing cold. Pressing them against Shen Quanyi’s warm, feverish palm, she gradually began to calm down.

Seeing those torrential tears, Shen Quanyi could do nothing else but use her sleeve to gently wipe them away.

While the two women were still immersed in their mutual solace, the wet nurses who had accompanied Li Changjiu finally returned. Following closely behind them was Ziyan, Su Jin’s personal maid. Ziyan’s face was etched with intense anxiety and solemnity, her pace noticeably faster than the others. As soon as she rushed into the pavilion, she hurried to Su Jin’s side and whispered something urgently into her ear.

As the words were spoken, Su Jin’s expression grew increasingly grave. She smoothed her robes, turned around, and spoke in a deep, heavy voice.

"Come with me to the Chunya Courtyard. The Noble Consort has suffered a shock and is bleeding heavily. The female physicians from the Imperial Medical Service and Senior Official Lu have both arrived."