Riding Roughshod

If the engagement between the Second Prince and Lu Zhaoyun is true, wouldn't Lu Zhaoyun have the Second Prince backing her up from now on? Won't she be even more inclined to bully their young miss?

Qingbao was also somewhat worried.

She just didn't know if their Prince would protect their young miss.

"Are all these things for Second Sister?" Lu Zhaoyun walked over, looking at Qingyin and Qingbao.

"They are for our young miss," Qingyin said.

"Are these rewards from the Prince of Jin?"

"They were given by Mama Qing from our Prince's Manor."

Qingyin had no choice but to speak the truth, mainly because they could not make decisions on behalf of the Prince. After all, these were truly not bestowed by the Prince.

Lu Zhaoyun rolled her eyes and glanced at the items again.

"Where is Second Sister? Is she not coming out to receive the gifts?" She said this and made a move to knock on the bedroom door.

Qingbao immediately blocked her path.

"Our young miss is still resting." She must not be disturbed.

"But Mama Qing sent so many gifts over, and she refuses to get up to receive them or express her gratitude? When word gets out, people will say our father and mother failed to raise us properly!"

Saying this, Lu Zhaoyun bypassed Qingbao, banged heavily on the bedroom door, and shouted loudly.

"Second Sister! Hurry up and get up! Mama Qing from the Prince of Jin's Manor has sent you a lot of gifts!"

"Third Young Miss!" Qingbao and Qingyin were startled and stepped forward to block her again. "Do not disturb our young miss!"

Why was it that everyone in the Lu family seemed incapable of understanding human speech?

"Second Sister, hurry up and get up! Can't you sleep at night? Why are you sleeping in broad daylight? Get up!"

Lu Zhaoyun paid no attention to the two maidservants. The more they tried to stop her, the more determined she was to wake Lu Zhaoling up.

"Third Young Miss, if you keep making a fuss, we won't be polite!" Qingbao brandished her fist.

"You actually dare to use violence against me?" Lu Zhaoyun said, incredulous. "Even if you came from the Prince of Jin's Manor, right now you are merely maidservants of the Lu family. I am Second Sister's younger sister, which makes me your mistress as well. How dare you make a move?"

With that, she struck the door again. "Second Sister, hurry up and get up! Your two maidservants are going to beat me!"

Qingbao reached out and shoved her backward.

Not expecting that this maidservant would actually dare to lay a hand on her, Lu Zhaoyun stumbled back a few steps and nearly sat down hard on the floor.

She had already been forcibly suppressing her arrogant temper, but now she could no longer hold it back.

"You vile maid!!!"

Lu Zhaoyun lunged at Qingbao, raising her foot to kick viciously at Qingbao's stomach.

"You actually dared to push me?!"

Qingbao instinctively dodged, and Lu Zhaoyun's foot struck the wooden door with a loud bang.

Lu Zhaoling had already woken up when Lu Zhaoyun was screaming and shouting outside, but she was exhausted and too lazy to get up. Now that the door had been kicked, how could she possibly continue lying there?

"You still dare to dodge? You vile maid!"

Having kicked the door and nearly split her legs in the process, Lu Zhaoyun's anger flared even higher. She spun around to lunge forward again, fiercely reaching out to scratch Qingbao's face with her sharp fingernails.

Her nails were filed to a point; if she managed to scratch her, Qingbao's face would undoubtedly be disfigured.

"Zhaoyun, calm down."

"Third Sister, they didn't mean it, please don't be angry."

Lu Zhaoyun and Lu Zhaohua both ran over as if to persuade Lu Zhaoyun to stop, but neither of them actually reached out to pull her back.

Seeing that Lu Zhaoyun was acting like a madwoman, Qingbao reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Third Young Miss!"

"You still dare to fight back against me?! Ah, I'm going to beat you to death, you vile maid! This is the Lu family! How dare you lay a hand on me!"

With her hand tightly imprisoned, Lu Zhaoyun grew even angrier, kicking wildly at Qingbao's shins.

Qingbao gritted her teeth. Remembering the phrase "this is the Lu family," she knew that grabbing Lu Zhaoyun's hand and pushing her away already constituted insubordination; she didn't dare to actually strike her.

Qingyin blocked the doorway, also reaching out to stop Lu Zhaoyun.

However, Lu Zhaoyun was like a furious little lion, punching, kicking, and even attempting to bite.

"I'll have my mother sell you both to a brothel!"

Lu Zhaoyun and Lu Zhaohua stood anxiously to the side like ants on a hot pan, putting on a show of not knowing how to intervene.

"Lu Zhaohua, slap her!" Lu Zhaoyun shrieked.

A cold flash crossed Lu Zhaohua's eyes, and she immediately cried out in a panicked voice, "Stop fighting, stop fighting, Third Sister! They were sent by the Prince of Jin and only take orders from Second Sister..."

These words were like pouring oil on a fire.

Consumed by rage, Lu Zhaoyun felt a surge of even greater jealousy and hatred. How could a country bumpkin like Lu Zhaoling, fresh from the countryside, possibly win the favor of the Prince of Jin?

"The Prince of Jin didn't want them, so he tossed them away to this country bumpkin Lu Zhaoling! Slap her for me! Otherwise, I won't let you off either!"

Lu Zhaoyun wailed shrilly.

Caught in a dilemma, Lu Zhaohua knew that if she actually stepped in to do it, she would likely be the one to suffer the worst consequences in the end. Yet if she didn't act, Lu Zhaoyun would never let her off the hook—after all, she was only a concubine-born daughter.

Biting her lower lip, she suddenly clutched her head. "I—I feel so dizzy..."

Lu Zhaoyun glared at her. Why did she have to feel dizzy at a time like this? She also felt that she could only rely on Lu Zhaohua for help, as doing it herself was out of the question.

While Lu Zhaoyun was still screaming, the door suddenly swung open.

"Qingyin, Qingbao, step back."

Hearing Lu Zhaoling's voice, Qingyin and Qingbao swiftly released Lu Zhaoyun and retreated a few steps.

Lu Zhaoyun's reaction wasn't fast enough, and a cup of cold water was splashed squarely into her face, causing her to jolt violently.

Lu Zhaoling stood just inside the doorway holding a cup, looking at her with cold eyes.

"Have you finished your tantrum?"

With cold water streaming down her face and soaking into the collar of her robes, Lu Zhaoyun finally snapped back to her senses. Her eyes blazed with fury as she shrieked, "Lu Zhaoling, how dare you..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Lu Zhaoling grabbed her by the collar with one hand and yanked her forcefully toward herself.

Lu Zhaoyun suddenly found herself staring directly into Lu Zhaoling's eyes and instinctively held her breath.

"When I was in the countryside, I caught snakes, hunted insects, and chased rats; I've done it all. If you don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to share your bed with snakes and rats, go ahead and keep making a scene."

*Hiss—*

Lu Zhaoyun's eyes widened in disbelief, wondering if she had misheard.

"Y-Y-You, what did you say?"

"Didn't understand? Push me too far, and there is nothing I won't do."

The corners of Lu Zhaoling's lips curved upward slightly, carrying a momentary air of wickedness. The intense aggressiveness and hostility in her gaze caused Lu Zhaoyun's brain to buzz as a chill surged straight up from the bottom of her heart.

She began to tremble, her previous arrogance instantly extinguished as if doused by water.

With a push of her hand, Lu Zhaoling shoved her directly toward Lu Zhaoyun.

Lu Zhaoyun had no time to retreat; Lu Zhaoyun's foot stepped heavily onto the top of her foot, causing such sharp pain that her expression distorted.

"Second Sister, you..."

How could she frighten people like this?

Before she could finish, Lu Zhaoling swept her clear, piercing gaze over them.

"Get out of here, all of you."

"I am your elder sister, and you dare tell me to get out?" Lu Zhaoyun said, utterly incredulous.

"Lu Zhaoyun, have you already forgotten what it feels like to be slapped across the face?"

Casually rolling up her sleeves, Lu Zhaoling made a move to step across the threshold.

Seeing this, Lu Zhaoyun was genuinely frightened. She grabbed Lu Zhaoyun's hand and retreated several steps in a hurry.

"You are simply boorish, barbarous, and devoid of upbringing! Third Sister, Fourth Sister, let's go."

The three sisters fled the Listening Warmth Tower in disarray.

"Eldest Sister, you are the future Consort of the Second Prince! How can you let Lu Zhaoling walk all over you?" Lu Zhaoyun yanked her hand away, fuming.