Chapter 10: Disfigured, Coming Prepared

The sky was still hazy and not yet fully bright; the entire Prime Minister’s residence was plunged in deep slumber. Ziqing walked back to her courtyard alone, lost in her own thoughts. Now, the only clue she had was that the man came from the royal family. Should she make a trip to the palace?

Just as she was pondering this, flames suddenly shot up from all directions. Archers who had been lying in ambush for a long time instantly surrounded her, each with their bows fully drawn and ready to fire!

Ziqing’s eyes sank abruptly. What was going on?

Prime Minister Han strode out from the side, his hair bristling with rage. "Rebellious daughter! Your mother was kind and virtuous, yet you are so vicious and ruthless! If I don't deal with you today, I, this old man, will no longer bear the name Han!"

Ziqing swept a glance around the surroundings and said quite earnestly, "Qing'er does not understand what Father is talking about."

Who would have thought that as soon as the words left her lips, a cold arrow whistled through the air with lethal force, striking Ziqing squarely in the shoulder.

Han Xi'er, her face covered by a light veil and protected by two black-clad archers, stepped out. She ripped off her veil and said sharply, "Han Ziqing, if you don't understand, then take a good look! Today, this young lady will return this face to you!"

The two cheeks on her face were still swollen and red, with inch-long scars split open on both sides. The wounds had turned black, looking nauseatingly ugly. Coupled with Han Xi'er’s ferocious expression at this moment, it was terrifying.

Ziqing gripped the sharp arrow in her shoulder, her sharp eyes cold and heavy. There was poison on this arrow! She could clearly feel her limbs beginning to go numb. It seemed this group had come prepared today; if she went head-to-head, she would only be at a disadvantage.

"It was just a small matter of two slaps, does Father need to make such a big fuss?" She remained calm, looking at Prime Minister Han.

"A small matter?" Prime Minister Han was furious. "You ruined your sister's face, and you call this a small matter!"

"The wounds are not deep; they will heal in a month or two. Before, it was Sister who took the initiative to admit her fault and asked Ziqing to strike her. Father was also present; did you not hear it?" Ziqing retorted.

"You call a month or two a small matter? I see you are vicious and ruthless, taking the opportunity to ruin your sister's face! Bumps and misunderstandings are inevitable between sisters, but I never expected you to be so snake-hearted and devoid of sisterly affection. What use do I have for you?" Prime Minister Han snorted coldly!

Ziqing smiled. Enduring the numbness, she suddenly rolled up both sleeves and raised her arms high. New and old whip scars covered her arms, a shocking sight to behold.

Her sharp eyes swept over the somewhat flustered Han Xi'er and locked onto Prime Minister Han, coldly asking, "Father, all these wounds were inflicted by Sister's hand. Some are even older than a month or two. Qing'er also felt it was just a small matter, so I didn't report it. What does Father think?"

If it were she who had been disfigured today, would these people still be talking to her about sisterly affection?

How many times had the real Han Ziqing been beaten and scolded by Han Xi'er to vent her anger? Back then, had anyone ever spoken of sisterly affection to the timid, cowardly, and helpless Han Ziqing?

Prime Minister Han was rendered speechless for a moment. Facing Ziqing’s scrutinizing, sharp gaze, his eyes involuntarily darted away. After all, no matter how biased he was, she was still his own flesh and blood.

Han Xi'er, however, was righteous and indignant. "Father, that was because she didn't follow the rules, so I was disciplining her. Second Mother passed away early; if I didn't teach her often, who knows what she would have become? At the Guose Tianxiang, who knows if she was the one who took the initiative to seduce others!"

Ziqing didn't even glance at Han Xi'er’s ugly face, staring straight at Prime Minister Han, questioning him repeatedly, "Father, when Sister was 'teaching' me, did she show any sisterly affection? Did she cherish me, a younger sister who had lost her mother, or did she just bully me because I had no mother to love or protect me? Did she ever consider that I still had a father, or has Father long since ceased to acknowledge me?"

These words forced Prime Minister Han to retreat repeatedly. Seeing this, Han Xi'er couldn't care about anything else and said coldly, "You bitch, you have no respect for your elders and are arguing with twisted logic! Today, this young lady will teach you a proper lesson!"

With that, she immediately lunged forward and gave Ziqing a fierce shove. Ziqing’s limbs were actually already numb and weak, and she couldn't help but fall backward and collapse.

A sinister glint flashed in Han Xi'er’s eyes. She suddenly grabbed Ziqing by the hair and whispered, "You’ve managed to hold out for a long time against the Ten-Fragrance Soft Bone Powder! Let me tell you, I am the future Princess Yao. Before long, even Father will have to listen to me!"