TPGA - 56

Chapter 56: Clash of Wills

Madam Du, unaware of these truths, paused briefly before bursting into shrill laughter. After calming down, she mocked, “You say my family isn’t worthy of you? Meixue, have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten who you are? In this Shuangqiao Village, everyone knows your family is dirt poor, owning nothing of value. And you—you don’t even know who your real parents are! With such humble origins, how dare you claim others aren’t worthy of you? That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard!” As she spoke, she extended her long, sharp-nailed index finger and jabbed it toward Yunyi’s forehead. “Before you open your mouth again, take a good look in the mirror and see what kind of person you are… Ah! What are you doing?! Let go of me!”

Midway through her tirade, Yunyi suddenly grabbed the finger Madam Du was using to poke her forehead. Despite Madam Du’s attempts to pull away, she couldn’t free herself. Instead, Yunyi bent her nail backward, causing sharp pain.

Yunyi stared emotionlessly at Madam Du. She had endured as much as she could, but this woman refused to stop, spewing increasingly vile insults.

From Wu Laosan’s earlier words, Yunyi knew this wasn’t the first time Madam Du had insulted Meixue. She couldn’t imagine how Meixue—or Wu Laosan—had tolerated such abuse for fifteen years.

With a barely audible snap, Madam Du’s heavily powdered face twisted in agony, her body hunching over. At the same time, the finger Yunyi had been gripping finally slipped free—but now, the long, carefully manicured nail had broken off at the root.

Yunyi released her grip, and a crimson-painted nail fell to the ground. She had forcibly snapped off one of Madam Du’s nails. Ten fingers connected to the heart—it was no wonder Madam Du was in such excruciating pain.

The steward rushed to support Madam Du while shouting furiously, “You wild girl! Have you grown a tiger’s heart and leopard’s guts? How dare you injure my mistress! Do you think I won’t drag you to the authorities and charge you with assault?!”

Meanwhile, Wu Laosan had turned deathly pale, unsure of what to do. He had always been submissive and deferential in front of the domineering Madam Du, too afraid to utter a word of protest. Now, faced with this situation, he feared the consequences would fall heavily on them. Why had Meixue acted so impulsively? But then again… he couldn’t blame her. Their once-promising engagement had been ruined by Madam Du’s interference, and now she had further humiliated them. It was only natural for Meixue to lose her temper. Ultimately, it was his fault for being useless as a father. If anything happened, he would bear the responsibility for Meixue.

With that thought, he steadied himself and forced a smile. “Meixue didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ll make sure she apologizes. Please, Madam Du, show mercy and forgive her this time.”

Before Wu Laosan or Yunyi could speak further, Madam Du, having recovered slightly from the pain, glared at them with hatred, grinding her teeth. “She hurt me, and you expect me to forgive her? Wu Laosan, you’re quite the smooth talker!” Turning to the steward, she ordered, “Take her to the authorities and press charges of assault! Let the magistrate punish her severely!”

“No! No!” Wu Laosan had never encountered such a situation before and pleaded desperately, “Meixue is still young and doesn’t know any better. Please, Madam Du, don’t take offense. She hurt you, and we’ll compensate you for it.” As he spoke, he frantically searched through his pockets, trying to find some money. Unfortunately, all the money Meixue had given him was at home, and he only had two copper coins on him. Sweating profusely, he stammered, “At home... there’s money at home! I’ll go get it!”

Madam Du, cradling the now-bare tip of her right index finger, said coldly, “No need. Just send her to the authorities!” Among all her fingers, this one had the most beautiful nail, which she had always carefully protected from harm. Now, it had been snapped off by a wild girl she despised the most. How could she not be enraged?

Before Wu Laosan could plead further, Yunyi pulled him back and said, “Father, I haven’t committed any crime. Even if I’m taken to the authorities, there’s no need to fear. Don’t worry.”

“How can there be no consequences? Once you’re brought to the authorities, who knows what will happen?” For someone like Wu Laosan, who lived at the bottom rung of society, the mere mention of the authorities filled him with instinctive dread.

Yunyi consoled him briefly, then turned to Madam Du and asked, “You accuse me of assault. Where’s your evidence?”

Madam Du thrust out her finger and said with disgust, “Isn’t the evidence right here? Let me tell you, you can’t deny it.”

Yunyi smiled faintly and replied, “Assault refers to harming someone’s body using hands, feet, or tools, causing injury or disability. But you...” She gestured toward Madam Du. “From head to toe, you’re completely unharmed, without a single scratch. Where’s the assault?”

Madam Du was left speechless for a moment. After a while, she managed to squeeze out through gritted teeth, “You broke my nail! Both the steward and I saw it with our own eyes.”

The steward chimed in, “That’s right! We both witnessed it. You can’t deny it!”

“I didn’t realize that under the laws of the Sui Dynasty, accidentally breaking a single nail constitutes assault,” Yunyi said, rubbing her slightly reddened forehead. “And what about you poking my forehead with your nail? Wasn’t that an attempt to murder me?” Before Madam Du could respond, Yunyi continued, “If you insist on taking this matter to the authorities, I’ll gladly accompany you. But I’m afraid once the magistrate learns the full story, he’ll charge you with disturbing the court and fabricating accusations. In that case, the one receiving punishment will be you.”

“How dare you threaten me?!” Madam Du’s face flushed red, then turned pale. She had never known “Meixue” to be so sharp-tongued.

Yunyi gave a slight bow and said, “What kind of person am I to dare threaten Madam Du? I’m merely stating the facts. Also, there’s one more thing I’d like to remind you of. If I don’t return to the governor’s mansion before nightfall, the steward will send people to look for me. When they find out it was you who deliberately caused trouble and prevented me from returning...” She stared at Madam Du with a mocking smile. “What do you think will happen?”

Madam Du felt a chill but retorted fiercely, “Do you think mentioning the governor’s mansion will scare me? Don’t forget, you’re just a lowly maid. The governor’s mansion has plenty of maids. Even if you die, no one will care.”

Yunyi smiled sweetly. “Madam Du is absolutely right—I’m just a maid. However, coincidentally, I happen to be acquainted with both Master Jiancheng and Master Shimin. If something happens to me, I believe they won’t remain indifferent.” This statement was meant to intimidate Madam Du, as Yunyi understood human nature’s tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong.