Before anyone appeared, a shrill voice rang out, "Just where did this penniless nobody come from, trying to seek refuge in our Hua Mansion? I've never even heard of any Miss Shen."
Upon hearing this, Jiaoyue couldn't hold back her temper. She seemed ready to rush out and fight. Shen Li quickly grabbed her, "Don't cause trouble. We've just arrived in Yangzhou."
The First Lady was dressed in gold and silver. Her face was full of charm as her eyes fluttered, but there was always a hint of meanness in her eyes.
"You claim to be the cousin of our Hua Mansion. How can you prove it? How do I know you're not just eyeing our family's wealth and trying to take advantage of us?"
The First Lady straightened her back, looking extremely arrogant. Every word she said was like a barb.
Jiaoyue beside Shen Li was so angry that her face turned red. But remembering Shen Li's words, she held back from rushing up to slap the First Lady.
She lowered her head, gritting her teeth, "What does our Hua Mansion have left for our miss to take advantage of? You should know that in your heart! Our miss came to the Hua Mansion simply because she misses her grandmother. How could you say such insulting words?"
The First Lady had never been talked back to like this before. She immediately raised her hand to slap Jiaoyue. To everyone's surprise, when her hand got close to Jiaoyue's face, it couldn't move any closer.
The First Lady could pick on her, but no one was allowed to touch her people!
Shen Li's face was cold, as if she had just stepped out of an ice cellar, "What? Does the First Lady want to teach my maid a lesson on my behalf? Isn't that a bit overstepping your bounds?"
A maid behind the First Lady suddenly popped out from somewhere. With a scared but still arrogant look on her face, she said, "Our Hua Mansion's First Lady has an imperial edict from the emperor. She's equivalent to a sixth - rank official in the court. What's wrong with punishing your evil servant for you?"
Shen Li squinted her eyes and without hesitation slapped the maid across the face. She even used a bit of her inner strength. It was quick, accurate, and ruthless. The clear red mark and the swollen face made the maid cry uncontrollably. Even the crisp sound left the First Lady stunned on the spot.
No one had ever dared to discipline someone in the Hua Mansion over her head. Even the old lady gave her some leeway.
Shen Li wiped her hand. Her hand was a bit numb from the slap, "Then I'll, as the cousin of the Hua Mansion, discipline your evil servant on behalf of my grandmother."
The First Lady was so angry that she was breathing heavily through her nostrils. She stared at Shen Li but couldn't say a word. She knew Shen Li knew martial arts and she definitely couldn't beat her.
She pointed at the servants behind her, "Come! Throw this shrew out! She's just a refugee trying to extort money from our Hua Mansion. Now that I've caught her, she even dares to try to turn the world upside down in our Hua Mansion!"
The servants of the Hua Mansion naturally only listened to the First Lady. They surrounded Shen Li one by one. At first, Shen Li thought there weren't many servants in the Hua Mansion, but now she felt there were a lot. It turned out they had all been guarding the First Lady.
One or two of the bolder servants rushed up directly, trying to grab Shen Li's sleeve and pull her away. Some of them were being inappropriate, trying to touch Shen Li.
Jiaoyue and Mingyue couldn't stand it. They punched and kicked anyone who came close. The servants finally realized that Jiaoyue and Mingyue knew martial arts. Many of them were beaten black and blue.
One of the servants shivered and walked up to the First Lady, "First Lady! We... we can't beat them. Look, they're so good at martial arts. One of them can take on five or six of us."
The First Lady was both shocked and angry when she saw this scene. She couldn't stop scolding them as useless. She rolled her eyes at the servant, "Don't care about her fancy moves. She's just a weak woman. If you all go together, I don't believe you can't handle her!"
The First Lady was still a bit worried about Shen Li's identity, but then she thought that as long as she did it cleanly, who would find out? She tightly clenched her fists. She wouldn't let anyone who offended her go.
She motioned for the servant to come closer and whispered to him, "Later, take them outside, as far away from the Hua Mansion as possible. It's up to you how to deal with them, but just make sure it's clean. No one can find out! Do you understand?"
The servant rubbed his hands. As soon as he heard there was something good in it for him, he couldn't stop smiling lewdly. He nodded repeatedly and agreed to the task.
He sized up the three women in front of him. Their looks and figures were all top - notch. He thought he was really in luck. He couldn't help but drool.
He shouted, "Guys, go together! Throw them out of the Hua Mansion. There'll be a reward for you later."
Shen Li squinted her eyes. She didn't expect to run into such a big problem as soon as she arrived at the Hua Mansion. She held Jiaoyue and Mingyue's hands, "If necessary, we'll just fight our way out. These servants are no match for us. We'll be fine once we see my grandmother."
Hearing there was a reward, the servants went crazy and rushed up. Some of them were like hooligans, just trying to hug Shen Li and the others regardless. Shen Li and the others were in a bit of a bind. Jiaoyue even took out her dagger. For a moment, the situation was at a stalemate.
Suddenly, the butler rushed over in a hurry, "Stop fighting! Stop fighting! What you break is still the property of the Hua Mansion. We're all part of the Hua Mansion. Aren't you all heart - broken?"
The servants looked at the First Lady blankly, asking with their eyes if they should continue. Just as the First Lady was about to give the order to completely subdue Shen Li and her group, the old lady walked in leaning on her walking stick, "I didn't expect that while I was at the temple, the Hua Mansion would become so lively. Eldest daughter - in - law, come and tell me what's going on?"
For some reason, the First Lady felt a chill down her back. The old lady's aura today was extremely sharp, not as gentle as usual.
She turned around nervously, "Old lady, by chance, there are a few girls pretending to be the cousin of our Hua Mansion. I was going to give them some money and let them go and settle down outside. I don't want them to come to our Hua Mansion and deceive people."
This speech made Jiaoyue clench her fists in anger, "You're really good at lying without blinking an eye..." But before she could finish, Shen Li pulled her behind her, "Grandmother is talking. Don't talk too much..."
These little actions naturally didn't escape the old lady's eyes. She couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for Shen Li. She was indeed her granddaughter, very sensible.
The old lady snorted, "Really? Then why did you ask these servants to surround these unarmed little girls?"
Jiaoyue nervously retracted her dagger into her sleeve. The First Lady was startled by the old lady's snort. Although the old lady had been very accommodating to her since she came to the Hua Mansion, after all, she was once the wife of a general. Her dignity and aura were there, making people feel afraid for no reason.