Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Miss Xiaoyi, she..."

"What's up with her?"

Shen Ningzhu was shocked and suddenly realized what had happened with the herbs she had just stepped on.

That was one of the ingredients in contraceptive medicine; she had seen it before, no wonder it seemed unfamiliar. And Xiao Yi's main purpose in leaving the manor today was to buy contraceptive medicine for her, just in case.

The medicinal herbs are now inexplicably scattered at the doorway, which means something must have happened.

Paper Kite gasped for breath and cried, “It is said that Miss Xiaoyi offended the princess and was taken to her Qinghe Residence by the princess.”

"When did this happen?"

"It's been quite a while now, and Miss Xiaoyi is probably nearing her end."

Shen Ningzhu's forehead veins throbbed, and a chilling glint appeared in her fox-like eyes. "Do you have a tinderbox?"

"Does anyone have a tinderbox? I can borrow it."

A guard at the door took out a tinderbox from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Please use this, Your Highness."

Shen Ningzhu gripped the paper kite tightly and said, "Go and invite His Highness the Crown Prince to Qinghe Residence. Tell him that I will only wait for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If he is late, I will burn down the entire Qinghe Residence."

The kite and the guards beside it were greatly alarmed.

By the time they realized what was happening, Shen Ningzhu had already vanished in a flash.

The guard who lent Shen Ningzhu the tinderbox stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

This woman has gone mad; she actually wants to burn down the Crown Prince's residence.

Oh no! He just lent her a tinderbox. If she really sets a fire, won't he be implicated too?

Given that, how could he dare to stay here?

Without waiting for the kite, it dashed off towards the main courtyard.

When they arrived at the entrance of Qinghe Residence, the people inside had already received the news that Shen Ningzhu and the Crown Prince had returned.

So, they sent maids and servants to wait at the door. When they saw Shen Ningzhu trying to barge in, they stopped her from entering.

"What is Concubine Shen doing? Don't forget, this is our princess's courtyard. Not just anyone can barge in."

Without saying a word, Shen Ningzhu slapped the person who spoke. "Where did this old witch come from? How dare you talk nonsense in front of me? Get your facts straight, this is the Crown Prince's residence, and I am the only mistress of the Crown Prince's residence."

"Do I need anyone's permission to enter my own yard? Get out of my way, all of you!"

The old woman covered her cheek, her triangular, upturned eyes staring intently at Shen Ningzhu like a venomous snake.

The group stood in a line without saying a word, blocking the way and showing no intention of making way.

Shen Ningzhu lit a tinderbox and threw it at the group of people, who screamed and jumped around in a chaotic mess.

Shen Ningzhu took advantage of the chaos and slipped inside.

He ran around the yard frantically, but couldn't find Liu Zhiyi. He became even more anxious.

"Jiang Qingyi, Jiang Qingyi, where are you?"

"Where did you hide Xiaoyi? Get out here now, or I'll burn down your Qingheju."

Shen Ningzhu quickly took off her outer garment, lit it with a tinderbox, and threw it in front of a door frame.

Some servants tried to go and put out the fire, but she stopped them firmly. Anyone who dared to step forward would be burned with a tinderbox.

For a moment, the courtyard was in chaos, but Jiang Qingyi did not come out at all.

Shen Ningzhu was anxious, and an old woman took advantage of the situation, knocking the tinder out of her hand. The others seized the opportunity and swarmed forward.

Shen Ningzhu was being ridden on, with others grabbing her hands and feet.

At this moment, Shen Ningzhu fully experienced the despair of living in a secluded mansion.

Within these high-walled courtyards with their red walls and vermilion tiles, the other party, with their power and influence, could kill someone as easily as crushing an ant.

The fire has been extinguished.

Jiang Xuan Yan had not yet arrived when Jiang Qing Yi finally appeared in front of Shen Ning Zhu with a smile, accompanied by Shen Ning Xue.

"Oh dear, Miss Shen, what happened? Why are you in such a disheveled state?"

Shen Ningzhu spat a mouthful of saliva hard onto Jiang Qingyi's face with a "pfft".

The other person's face instantly turned pale and then red, filled with uncontrollable rage. "You're asking for death, Granny, do it!"

Having suffered a loss at Plum Blossom Garden last time, Jiang Qingyi realized that the servants of the Crown Prince's residence were unreliable, so she secretly brought over some trusted confidants from the Princess's residence.

Today, Qingheju is entirely her people. She wants to see how Shen Ningzhu can still act so arrogantly here.

Those people were all old hands around her, and they were most skilled in the ways of the inner quarters. As soon as they received the order, they quickly began to pinch and twist her body hard.

Chest, waist, and groin.

In short, these are all places that are not suitable for public display.

Don't even think about making her suffer in silence. Someone who's worn bikinis before wouldn't be afraid to show a little skin.

Despite enduring excruciating pain, Shen Ningzhu struggled with all her might, but she was no match for those burly, strong women.

Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a loud bang. Jiang Xuan Yan strode in with a dark expression, his tone icy as he looked at the scene before him.

"What are you doing?"

Thankfully, that jerk arrived quickly.

Hearing the commotion, the men holding Shen Ningzhu quickly released her. As soon as she was free, Shen Ningzhu slapped each of them twice without saying a word.

He flashed in front of Jiang Qingyi, pulled out the hairpin from his head, and pressed it against the carotid artery in Jiang Qingyi's neck. With a gentle force, the sharp hairpin pierced her fair neck.

Bright red blood flowed down, a shocking sight.

"what--"

"Murder—"

"Shen Ningzhu, stop! Release the princess immediately!"

Shen Ningzhu's eyes shone with an alarming intensity. Ignoring the reactions of others, she stared directly into Jiang Qingyi's eyes and said, word by word:

"I'll count to three. If you still don't tell me where Xiaoyi is, you can go see the King of Hell. One,"

"Shen Ningzhu, don't do anything rash. I'll help you find someone."

"two,"

"Ah Yan, save me—"

"Shen Ningzhu, stop right now."

"three."

With a "ding," a pebble struck Shen Ningzhu's wrist, causing her to stagger backward in pain. Her vision blurred, and the gold hairpin in her hand fell to the ground.

"pat-"

The precious gems and pearls hanging from it fell down, rolled a few times on the ground, and settled into the dust.

Jiang Qingyi was out of danger and rushed into Jiang Xuanyan's arms without a care in the world, crying her heart out.

"Ah Yan, what did I do wrong? Shen Ningzhu is so scary! She actually tried to kill me! Ah Yan, I'm so scared! If it weren't for you, I might be dead already! Waaah~"

Jiang Xuan Yan's expression was grim. He gently patted Jiang Qing Yi's back and softly comforted her.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

When he looked up at Shen Ningzhu again, his eyes were filled with rage.

"Shen Ningzhu, I have really spoiled you. You even dared to kidnap the current princess and injure her. One day, will you even dare to kill me?"

Jiang Qingyi nestled in Jiang Xuan Yan's arms, sobbing softly. But from an angle unseen by others, she smiled provocatively at Shen Ning Zhu and mouthed:

You're too green to mess with me.