Chapter 164: Who Did This?

Chapter 164: Who Did This?

Tang Shuyi did not personally take part in the renovation of the Lakeview Pavilion, but she still controlled many aspects of it. Additionally, she had to annotate books for Li Jingyi, which kept her very busy during this period.

After the completion of the Lakeview Pavilion's renovation, she gave both Qi Er and herself a holiday. She spent the whole day doing nothing but playing with Xiao Yuzhu and the maids, Cui Yun and Cui Zhu. On this fine day with warm breezes and sunlight, Tang Shuyi had a table set up in the pavilion in the garden where the four of them played Mahjong.

Enjoying the scenery and playing Mahjong, the days passed by leisurely and comfortably.

Just as they finished the final round and were about to stop, a steward hurried over, bowed to Tang Shuyi, and reported, "Madam, you must come quickly. The second young master has been beaten and carried back home."

Tang Shuyi stood up abruptly, her face instantly filled with worry and anger. She strode towards the front courtyard, questioning the steward, "What happened? Is it serious? Who did this to him?"

"This servant is not entirely sure," the steward replied hurriedly, "as soon as Butler Zhao saw the second young master being carried back, he instructed me to report to you immediately."

"Where are Qi Er and Yan Wu?" asked Tang Shuyi.

"Those two young masters are fine; they came back with him," answered the steward.

Tang Shuyi quickened her pace, and soon she reached Xiao Yuming's courtyard just as the physician arrived. She entered Xiao Yuming's bedroom with the doctor and saw him lying prone on the bed, his clothes dirty and torn, grimacing and gritting his teeth with cold sweat on his forehead – clearly in great pain.

Qi Er and Yan Wu stood anxiously by the bed.

"Doctor, come quickly and examine him," Tang Shuyi urged the doctor, too preoccupied to inquire about the assailant.

The doctor responded and moved beside the bed to gently press on Xiao Yuming's back, causing him to let out a pained scream and beads of sweat to drip steadily from his forehead. Tang Shuyi's eyes reddened at the sight.

She took out a handkerchief and tenderly wiped the sweat from Xiao Yuming's brow, softly saying, "If it hurts, just cry out. No one will laugh at you."

Xiao Yuming shook his head, "Mother, it doesn’t hurt."

The more he denied his pain, the more Tang Shuyi's heart ached for him. She turned to the doctor and said, "Please, be gentle."

The doctor replied with an understanding "Alright," although he was already being as gentle as possible. After a while, he finished the examination and looked at Tang Shuyi with furrowed brows, saying, "The whip has caused superficial skin injuries which are not serious; they will heal with some medicine in a few days. However..."

Tang Shuyi's heart leaped, "However, what?"

"However, two of his ribs are broken, and he needs to rest well," the doctor explained.

Seeing the increased worry on Tang Shuyi's face, he hurriedly added, "But the second young master is strong. With some time, he will recover completely without any residual effects."

Tang Shuyi exhaled in relief, "Doctor, please prescribe the medicine quickly."

The doctor nodded briskly and proceeded to write the prescription. Tang Shuyi lowered her head to ask Xiao Yuming, "Who did this?"

Without inquiring about the cause, she directly asked who was responsible, which showed her genuine concern. But Xiao Yuming, lips pursed and eyes closed, said nothing, stubbornly silent.

Seeing this, Tang Shuyi narrowed her eyes and turned to Qi Er and Yan Wu, "Tell me, who did it?"

Before the two could speak, Xiao Yuming shouted at them, "And you are not to say anything."

Then he forced a smile at Tang Shuyi and said, "Mother, please don't ask anymore. Didn't the doctor say? I am fine; I will recover after some rest."

Tang Shuyi gazed at him deeply, then rose to her feet and walked out without a word. Passing by the inkstone stand, she commanded, "Inkstone stand, come with me."

The servant at the inkstone stand was terribly conflicted. He looked back at Xiao Yuming on the bed, then at Tang Shuyi, and finally knelt before her, his voice trembling, "Madam, I... I am too afraid to say."

Tang Shuyi snorted, "Get out."

As she walked away, the servant looked at Xiao Yuming with a howl, "Second young master, what should I do?"

Xiao Yuming pointed at him and warned, "If you dare to speak, you're no longer mine."

The servant at the inkstone stand hummed an acknowledgment and stood up to leave, understanding what he should do. The second young master had threatened to disown him many times before, but it had never come to pass. So, he could tell the truth to the madam.

Once he was out of the bedroom, Qi Er said to Xiao Yuming, "It can't be kept secret forever; she will find out sooner or later."

Yan Wu looked guilt-ridden, "It's all because of me."

Xiao Yuming waved it off, "I was also careless; I didn't expect her to be so skilled."

Then the three fell into silence. After so many years in the capital, it was their first time suffering such a setback.

Outside, Tang Shuyi sat in the central chair of the small hall, while the servant at the inkstone stand knelt properly before her. Tang Shuyi let him kneel for a while before saying, "Stand up and answer me."

"Thank you, madam," the servant stood up, still standing respectfully to the side.

"Speak, who did it?" Tang Shuyi demanded, her voice carrying an undertone of danger.

Inkstone's tension heightened, he shrank back and whispered, "It's... Miss Xiang Wu."

Upon hearing his reply, Tang Shuyi latched onto one particular word, "Xiang."

She asked, "Miss Xiang Wu?"

Inkstone nodded, and Tang Shuyi continued, "A young lady from General Xiang's family?"

Inkstone nodded again, prompting a sudden laugh from Tang Shuyi, "Good, very good!"

"What relation does this Miss Xiang Wu have with General Xiang?" Tang Shuyi inquired further. Sharing the Xiang surname and both being young ladies of the Xiang family, their statuses could vastly differ.

Inkstone then revealed, "Miss Xiang Wu is General Xiang's legitimate daughter."

"Excellent, fantastic!" Tang Shuyi couldn't help but clap her hands in glee, fretting over the lack of opportunity, and here it was, delivered right to her.

The anger in her heart subsided significantly. If Xiao Yuming, gritting his teeth through the pain, wouldn't disclose who had struck him, it indicated that the incident might not entirely be the other party's fault. Regardless of whether or not Miss Xiang Wu was to blame, she had beaten someone and even broken two ribs; she must accept responsibility for that. And if the young lady couldn't bear the consequences, wasn't it perfectly normal for the father to step in and clean up the mess?

"Tell me, what exactly happened?" Tang Shuyi asked Inkstone, sipping her tea.

Though timid, Inkstone was articulate and swiftly recounted the events, leaving Tang Shuyi at a loss for words. When young kids get together, it's truly remarkable how quickly things can escalate into a brawl!