Chapter 250: with translation of chapter title

Duan Qingqing had grown accustomed to acting arrogantly in Shang Jing, and the noble ladies there all feared this woman, after all she was the legitimate daughter who came from the Duan Guo Gong Fu.

Her aunt is the Noble Consort, her cousin Xiao Wei is a hot contender for the throne, her father is a pillar-of-the-state general, and she has three older brothers above her, all outstanding figures in the military.

These days, her eldest brother Duan Yun and second brother Duan Feng have both returned to Jing Cheng, while only her third brother is stationed at the frontier.

The matter concerning her cousin dealt a sudden blow to the Duan family; each day her father and two brothers, along with many others, hold discussions in the study of the mansion.

Even the ladies of the mansion could feel the heavy pressure; her mother repeatedly warned her not to run about recklessly these days and not to cause trouble.

Duan Qingqing felt especially ill at ease; only after the princess's manor finally sent out an invitation inviting the noble ladies of Shang Jing to a plum-blossom viewing banquet could she leave the mansion to catch her breath.

Now she already had a stifled feeling in her chest, and when Madame Zhao snapped at her with a few sharp words, her face instantly darkened.

She sprang to her feet, coldly glaring at Madame Zhao, and shouted loudly, "How dare you rebel! What do you think you are?"

"I am, after all, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Guo Gong Fu; you, an old hag from the countryside, have you grown tired of living?"

"Someone! Slap her!" Duan Qingqing suddenly flew into a rage, ordering the two maidservants beside her to rush at Madame Zhao.

This instantly caused an uproar; even the clever and perceptive Qin Ke Xin was somewhat stunned.

Even though Duan Qingqing came from the Duan Guo Gong Fu and herself held the title and imperial decree of a county mistress, she still could not so casually beat the ladies of court officials!

She had not expected Duan Qingqing's temper to be so violent that she could no longer control herself; she hurried to mediate, but it was already too late.

The two maidservants who attended Duan Qingqing usually relied on their mistress's influence and were extremely arrogant.

Whatever the mistress said to do—strike or slap—they would do it.

Moreover, the Duan family is a military lineage; the several lords, great and small, are all generals by background, and the maidservants assigned to Duan Qingqing also possess some martial skill.

These days the mistress had been locked up in the mansion by the Duan matriarch, already feeling suffocated; now seeing Madame Zhao dare to collide with her own mistress, she must be seeking death.

Having received the mistress's order, they paid no heed to who it was, charging straight at Madame Zhao and raising their hands to strike.

Madame Zhao also had some martial ability, but being elderly and having been pampered by Master Zhao these years, her fists and kicks had grown rusty.

She barely managed to block the arms of those two vicious servants lunging at her, but then her footing gave way and she toppled backward.

Jinzhi had just steadied Madame Zhao when another vicious servant came at her from the side, lunging at Madame Zhao.

Seeing that a slap was about to land on Madame Zhao's face, Jinzhi, in a panic, hurried to shield her in front.

By now this side had already descended into chaos, a noisy uproar, and Qin Er Xiao and several other noble ladies had been frightened stiff.

The pavilion for enjoying the scenery was originally by the lake, but in the commotion, without realizing it, several people had been driven to the water's edge.

In her panic, Jinzhi shielded Madame Zhao in front, took a solid slap from that servant, and as her steps retreated backward she lost her footing and fell into the water.

Immediately shouts rang out all around; Madame Zhao's face changed drastically, and she hurried to follow and jump in to rescue, but was blocked by a tall figure.

When she made out that the tall figure blocking her view was none other than her own son Zhao Lang, Madame Zhao grabbed him and shoved him toward the lakeside.

"Hurry and save her! Hurry!"

Zhao Lang was also terrified at this moment; earlier at the banquet he had waited a long time for his wife and mother to return, but they had not come back.

He had spoken awhile with the Crown Prince, then returned to the banquet hall, not wanting to wait left and right, yet still could not see his mother and Jinzhi.

He hastily asked the princess manor's grandmother, who said they had gone to the courtyard where Princess Consort of Rui was resting.

Zhao Lang still felt uneasy about the people of Rui Wang Fu; hearing this, his heart fluttered with slight anxiety.

He hurriedly took a shortcut toward the Ke Yuan where Gu Jiu Ling was staying, but before he even reached that side of the cottage he heard clamor from the lake, and looking off in that direction it seemed his mother and Jinzhi were there.

He hastily lifted his robe's hem and quickened his pace, rushing over here.

And it was in this split second that the accident occurred.

Zhao Lang first saw a maidservant slap his wife, then his wife fell into the water, and immediately his mother also tried to jump in after her.

At that final step, Zhao Lang barely managed to hold back his mother by using a lightness technique; seeing Jinzhi struggling in the water, he jumped in without a second thought.

The icy, bone‑chilling lake water instantly flooded Jinzhi's mouth and nose; at that moment a powerful sense of suffocation struck, and Jinzhi was on the verge of losing consciousness.

Suddenly a tearing pain split her head, as if it were ripped open, and those cruel images flooded her mind one after another.

The image of her mother, before dying of illness, urging her to go to Shang Jing to find her father, General An.

The image of the old grandmother accompanying her on the arduous journey, master and servant both covered in dust.

In that village, the image of Zhang Xihua taking her hand to play with her.

She watched helplessly as the grandmother was burned to death in the fire, and she trembled in terror at the sight of Zhang Xihua's bloody, twisted face.

Zhang Xihua fiercely drove the burning‑red fire‑stick into the plum‑blossom mark on her neck.

A heart‑rending pain surged, and she wanted to open her mouth to cry for help.

Zhang Xihua then thrust the red‑hot stick into her mouth.

She did not know what she had done wrong to make a girl her own age hate her so much.

She had not even harmed her; indeed she had sent her own ornaments to her, and sent the handkerchief she herself had embroidered to this playmate…

She wanted to shout, but an even greater sense of suffocation came over her.

The cruel memories and the icy reality overlapped, and Jinzhi could bear it no longer, fainting completely.

Her body slowly sank in the water, continually falling toward the abyss.

Suddenly a strong force wrapped around her waist and hauled her up with all its might.

That person seemed to have split apart myriad darkness, clutching her tightly and desperately pulling her out of the depths.

Blazing, piercing sunlight scorched her eyes, and everything came back to her—past events too painful to bear, so she instinctively wanted to forget.

That lingering fear coiled in her heart was now fully released.

She wanted to wail loudly, but her voice was ruined, so it became a desperate lament.

"Jinzhi! Jinzhi! Wake up! Wake up, please!"

In her ears came Zhao Lang's urgent shouts, mixed with Madame Zhao's weeping from the other side.

Jinzhi slowly opened her eyes; tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, as if bidding farewell to that terrifying nightmare just moments ago.

Zhao Lang held tightly to the woman in his arms, not knowing why, but seeing the tears at her eyes' corners, a dull ache welled up in his heart.

These few days of interaction have considerably changed his impression of this woman; he actually has some liking buried deep in his heart.

Seeing her be filial to her mother and getting along so well with her, he feels utterly relieved.

Seeing her being pushed into the water by someone, he actually felt a murderous impulse in that instant.