Chapter 4: If You Won't Drink the Toast, You'll Be Forced to Drink the Forfeit

Li Shi, having received the news, suppressed her excitement and headed straight for Zhaohui Courtyard with the Dali Temple bailiffs.

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion had actually filed a lawsuit against Cheng Xi, and Cheng Xi had even had the audacity to claim the Zhenguo Duke would not take action against her; it was truly laughable.

"My Lord, this is Cheng Xi."

Cheng Xi was sitting in the courtyard, with three Copper Coins laid out on the table, one facing up and two facing down.

Hearing the sound, she raised her head unhurriedly to look at the newcomers; the lead bailiff had a fierce expression, a tall build, a sword hanging at his waist, and his gaze toward her was very unkind.

"Eldest Miss, I advised you long ago not to act on impulse and to be kind to others, but you refused to listen to me, causing such a huge mess. Now I cannot protect you either, and you must go with the bailiffs."

Listening to Li Shi's hypocritical words, Cheng Xi had no reaction, only looking at the bailiff and asking, "Let's go."

Li Shi's expression stiffened; she did not see any look of terror or fear on Cheng Xi's face. Was she just going to leave like this?

Was she not afraid?

The bailiff probably had not expected the person to be so cooperative; he was stunned for a moment, and upon coming to his senses, he saw that Cheng Xi had already walked out, so he immediately followed.

This... is different from what the Zhenguo Duke Mansion said?

This Eldest Miss Cheng looked gentle and weak, and very sensible; how did she look like a villain who would chop off someone's arm?

"Eldest Miss!" Zhao Mama hurriedly chased after her.

Cheng Xi stopped and looked at Zhao Mama, instructing her with a gentle expression, "It is fine, tidy up the room and wait for me to return."

Perhaps because the Eldest Miss's gaze was too firm and steady, Zhao Mama nodded involuntarily, inexplicably believing the young lady's words.

No matter the place, a prison is never a comfortable place.

The smell was foul, and although wall lamps were burning on both sides, the light remained dim. The guard opened the cell door, pushed Cheng Xi inside, and with a bang, the cell door was locked with a Chain.

Cheng Xi took a look; the cell had clearly been tidied up and was still quite clean. She sat cross-legged on the straw and closed her eyes.

Guard:...

Having been a guard for so many years, this was the first time he had seen such a calm prisoner, and a young lady at that.

However, remembering the rumors that she had chopped off Jiang's arm with one strike, he couldn't help but shiver all over.

Jade-Faced Rakshasa indeed.

Not long after, footsteps came from afar, light, slow, and steady.

"Is the person inside?"

"Yes, Madam."

"Open the door."

"Madam, Cheng Xi chopped off your son's arm with one strike, which shows her temperament is cruel. Are you sure you want to go in?"

"I know, open the door."

Seeing that he could not dissuade her, the jailer stepped forward to open the dark, heavy door lock, reached out, and pushed the door open, "Madam, please!"

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam raised her eyes to look at Cheng Xi, who was sitting cross-legged, "Xi Xi, long time no see."

Cheng Xi opened her eyes, observing the woman before her: her hair was styled in a high bun, gold hairpins were inserted into her temples, and beneath the gold-woven floral-patterned skirt hem, only the tips of her small shoes were visible, with bright pearls inlaid on the tips shining brilliantly.

Fragrance spread through this decaying, dark prison, and the two scents clashed, making one feel even more uncomfortable.

Cheng Xi looked at the other party with a smile that was not a smile, "Long time no see, Madam of the Duke."

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam sighed softly, "You used to call me Aunt when you saw me."

"Our two families were related, so naturally we treated each other with courtesy. Now that we have severed our ties, we must draw a clear line."

Hearing these words from Cheng Xi, the Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam's expression finally changed slightly, "Three years have passed, and your temperament has changed greatly."

Cheng Xi did not respond. She was thinking that because of the engagement, the original owner had always treated the Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam with filial piety as an elder, being respectful and thoughtful in every way, yet when she left Cheng Fu for the countryside for three years, the Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam had not sent anyone to visit her even once.

Seeing that Cheng Xi did not answer her and was so dismissive, the Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam gave a light huff and said, "Now you don't even have an elder in your eyes?"

"Madam of the Duke, you and I have not seen each other for three years. During these three years, I sent holiday gifts to the Zhenguo Duke Mansion every year, but I never received a return gift from you. I kept thinking if I had done something wrong, but now I think it is not that I did something wrong, but that you had long wanted to break off the engagement and were deliberately giving me the cold shoulder, wanting me to realize the difficulty and withdraw the engagement voluntarily, right?"

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam's face changed instantly, and then a look of helplessness appeared on her face as she sighed softly and said, "Xi Xi, it is not that I do not like you, but the future wife of the heir of the Zhenguo Duke Mansion is the future mistress of the clan, which is of vital importance. Since you have no talent, even if I agreed to let Weiran marry you, the Jiang clan would not agree."

"Madam, why bother saying these high-sounding words? In the final analysis, it is because Jiang Weiran is fickle and had an illicit affair with Cheng Fenglan."

"Xi Xi, must you make things look so ugly?"

"So you want me to lose face alone to satisfy your reputation? Madam, your calculations are too clever; do you take everyone else for a fool?" Cheng Xi sneered.

"You..."

"The Zhenguo Duke Mansion sued me for intentional injury and deliberately locked me in prison to force me to bow my head, right? Madam, do not forget that Jiang Weiran's life was saved by my mother. Now that he is ungrateful, I only took one of his arms; that is already showing mercy."

"Cheng Xi! Do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

"Instead of threatening me here, Madam, you should think of a way to reattach your son's arm. Has Cheng Fenglan's rescue arrived yet? I am afraid there is still no news, right?"

"How do you know?" The Madam of the Duke's face changed completely.

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam came today to force Cheng Xi to acknowledge this engagement; it was originally Jiang Weiran and Cheng Fenglan's engagement, mainly because Cheng Fenglan said she had a way to reattach her son's arm.

How could she not believe it?

Cheng Fenglan was highly regarded by Yuan Dashi, and Yuan Dashi was one of the most powerful Talisman Masters in Tianshuo Kingdom. If she could get Yuan Dashi's help, her son's severed arm could be reattached.

Cheng Xi closed her eyes and remained silent, no longer paying attention to the Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam.

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam's face turned pale, and for a moment she had no mood to continue entangling with Cheng Xi. She only wanted to figure out whether Cheng Fenglan could really reattach her son's severed arm, so she turned and walked out.

She rode the carriage all the way back to the Zhenguo Duke Mansion, and upon entering the door, she asked, "Has the reply from the Second Miss Cheng been received?"

"Madam, not yet."

The Zhenguo Duke Mansion Madam stumbled, and Cheng Xi's words echoed in her mind. She trembled all over and asked loudly, "Then has the Duke invited the Supervisor Fan to come?"

"No... no."

The Madam of the Duke felt a darkness before her eyes. She had thought that Cheng Fenglan was confident and had the favor of Yuan Dashi, so it would not matter if Supervisor Fan refused to help.

But...

The Madam of the Duke turned and walked out, "Where is the Duke now?"

The severed arm has been treated with medicine, but it can only be preserved for three days; if it cannot be reattached after three days, it will be lost forever.

A day has already passed, so how could the Duchess not be anxious?

"The Duke has taken the young master's severed arm to the residence of Supervisor Fan."

"To the Fan Mansion!" the Duchess said urgently as she climbed back into the carriage.