Chapter 823 - 825 Ruin Her Reputation_1
Meng Hanhong shook off Wang Miaoshuang’s hand, annoyed, he said, "Mother, how can you still talk like this? If you hadn’t always been this way, perhaps we could have lived in peace, with everyone in the family getting along. How would we have reached this point? Regardless of what Grandma is like, you shouldn’t have drugged her - moreover, she has already been quite good to us. In other residences, it’s common for the old ladies to hold on to their power, and daughters-in-law have to set the rules every day. When has Grandma ever treated you like that?"
Wang Miaoshuang was livid. How could her own son not be close to her?
"You must be siding with Grandma because she raised you. Now you’re always defending her, but I’m your real mother!" Wang Miaoshuang yelled.
"Mother, brother is right. Please see reason," Meng Jinse pleaded helplessly.
Wang Miaoshuang had never been one to read people’s faces, let alone her own children’s. She waved her hand impatiently and said, "You all go. Just stay with your grandma and never mind me, your real mother."
Infuriated, Meng Hanhong pulled Meng Jinse by the hand and left.
For the next three days, Wang Miaoshuang stayed in her yard sorting through her dowry. According to Danliang Country’s law, women, whether divorced or abandoned, were allowed to take their original dowries with them. Wang Miaoshuang used the excuse that her dowry was too substantial, delaying her departure and even troubling the second lady a few times. However, the second lady did not make an issue of it - what was there to argue about with someone who was about to be kicked out?
On the fourth day, Wang Miaoshuang finally lost her patience. She left the Meng Residence and strolled through the streets, claiming she wanted to buy gifts for her relatives in the Capital. She quickly headed towards Hua Xiangrong, and without hesitation, sauntered in.
Bai Ruozhu had already notified Fusa to keep her temper in check upon seeing Wang Miaoshuang and to act as if nothing had happened.
As expected, Wang Miaoshuang called for her and inquired about the new designs, even making some purchases. However, seeing that Fusa remained composed, exhibiting no signs of anger or annoyance, Wang Miaoshuang grew restless. Several times she wanted to ask, "Is your young master dead?" But if she asked that, wouldn’t it be admitting her guilt?
In the end, Wang Miaoshuang felt incredibly frustrated and perused the new designs with displeasure, then stood up and left.
Once Wang Miaoshuang was out of sight, Fusa secretly stashed the album she had looked at into a bag and replaced it with another album, noticeably older and with signs of frequent handling. After the shop closed that afternoon, Fusa quietly took the hidden album home and returned it to Bai Ruozhu.
"Ruozhu, I did as you said, and she looked at it too," Fusa said, still feeling her heart pounding as if she had done something unspeakable.
Bai Ruozhu smiled and reassured her, "Don’t go getting the wrong idea. This isn’t poison. We won’t be involved in a life-endangering lawsuit, but make sure not to let this get out. We don’t need unnecessary trouble."
"That’s a relief, that’s a relief," Fusa sighed with great relief.
"I will go with you to the shop tomorrow. She will probably come again," Bai Ruozhu said, smiling.
"Ah? She’s still not giving up, determined to see Zepei get into trouble?" Fusa said indignantly. I almost couldn’t help but beat her up today.
Bai Ruozhu pursed her lips and chuckled, "You have to restrain yourself. Wasn’t she very uncomfortable when she left?"
The next day, Bai Ruozhu went to the shop and, as expected, saw Wang Miaoshuang pass by the entrance. Deliberately glancing inside and seeing Bai Ruozhu, she walked in without hesitation.
"Oh, Bai Ruozhu, you seem to have lost some weight after a few days. You don’t have any worries, do you?" Wang Miaoshuang said with a smile, her tone mocking and sarcastic.
Bai Ruozhu didn’t even raise her eyelids, "Thanks for your concern, Princess Wang. I heard you were just divorced. How come you’re still wandering around? It seems you’re not as heartbroken as the rumors suggest."
"What did you say? Do you believe I could order someone to smash your shop right now?" In just one exchange, Wang Miaoshuang lost her temper and composure, suddenly finding herself at a disadvantage.
"I believe you, do as you please," Bai Ruozhu said airily.
Grinding her teeth, Wang Miaoshuang ordered the guard behind her, "Smash it, smash as much as you can, I’ll take responsibility for any trouble!"
"Yes, Princess," the guard accepted the command and was about to smash things, while Bai Ruozhu remained calm, displaying no emotion. Even Fusa, who was standing by her side, was sweating bullets, but Bai Ruozhu seemed quite unconcerned.
After the guard smashed a few samples and damaged some display shelves, Bai Ruozhu’s expression finally changed, as she said coldly, "Jianqi, throw them all out."
A shadow flashed in, tossing out the guards one by one.
Wang Miaoshuang’s guards were sprawled out in front of Hua Xiangrong’s shop door, each one crippled by pressure points and unable to move, instantly drawing the attention of passersby. People crowded around to look inside the shop, saw the mess, and understood what had happened.
"Send someone to report to the officials. Say that Princess Wang ordered her subordinates to smash my business, and we’ve caught the culprits. Please ask Magistrate Lu to deal with it." As Bai Ruozhu spoke, she even sneered at Wang Miaoshuang, "You can’t escape the compensation, Princess."
Wang Miaoshuang was so angry she itched, "You—you did this on purpose!"
Bai Ruozhu shrugged, "Who else could command you? Wasn’t it you who just ordered people to smash my shop? Can’t you, a noble princess, even admit to that much?"
Fusa watched from the side, dumbfounded. Ruozhu had planned this all along; she really was carefree, not even pained by the loss of her shop.
Bai Ruozhu had long been plotting. She wanted Wang Miaoshuang to leave Beiyu City in disgrace, to have a notorious reputation upon returning to the Capital, and then she would have her suddenly...
So, what was smashing a few things? As long as it tarnished Wang Miaoshuang, these small sacrifices meant nothing.
"There’s no need for everyone to watch. Princess Wang has just been divorced by her husband’s family and is prone to violent rages. Don’t crowd around—what if the Princess takes her anger out on you? We commoners can only suffer from bullying," Bai Ruozhu addressed the onlookers outside loudly.
"You—you lowlife, slap her for me!" Wang Miaoshuang, infuriated that Bai Ruozhu had publicly revealed her divorce, commanded, but then realized that her men were all lying at the doorway. Only a nanny, trembling, approached to slap Bai Ruozhu—what threat was there in that?
But as soon as the nanny got close to Bai Ruozhu, she screamed, "The Princess is hitting people!"
Her expression was as fearful as it could be; thus, out of "fear," she "instinctively" pushed the nanny, who cried out and tumbled backward, crashing into Wang Miaoshuang. Both of them fell to the ground together.
"Ah, that scared me to death." Bai Ruozhu patted her chest, pretending to be shaken, while both Jianqi and Fusa twitched at the corners of their mouths—Miss was really getting into character.
"Bai Ruozhu, you—you dare assault an Imperial Court Princess?" Wang Miaoshuang screamed from the ground, clutching her waist.