Chapter 166

Qin Bi had grown accustomed to indifference in the Hou Fu; her sudden outburst left the womenfolk astonished.

Some were even taken aback.

Qin He had grown used to smooth sailing these years; two days prior, she had lost face for Qin Bi at the Yan Guogong Fu, leaving her seething with no outlet, fearing accusations of discord with her sisters.

Now that Qin Bi struck first, Qin He instantly exploded with rage, sneering coldly.

"Sister Qin Bi," Qin Han turned toward Qin He, attempting to mediate, yet rebuked Qin Bi: "Your words are excessive. We are sisters; why make relations so strained?"

Qin Bi looked at Qin Han and spared her no face: "Your sister is Qin He, not me."

"You..." Qin Han was incensed, retorting: "Incomprehensible."

Others also felt Qin Bi had gone too far; Qin Han merely tried to mediate, yet Qin Bi rebuked her as well. Though Qin Han and Qin He were close, Qin Han ran a shop with Qin He; given their shared interests, their closeness was understandable.

"I knew you were jealous of my good relations with my sisters; now you no longer hide it?" Qin He sneered. With a sister wiping tea leaves from her face, Qin He grew angrier, pushed the sister away, and stared at Qin Bi: "Does being a Wang He Shizi's wife make you so superior? What are you strutting about? You've been a Wang He Shizi's wife for only a few days and already forgotten when you couldn't bear to stay in Jingcheng."

Qin He sought to strike Qin Bi's sore spot, provoking her anger so the Hou Fu would favor her.

Whether the Hou Fu, the Rong Wang Fu, or the Yan Guogong Fu, none would permit Qin Bi to bully her sisters; such a reputation would see great families reject Qin Bi as ill-mannered.

Just as the He family had viewed her when she went to the Yan Guogong Fu.

Ladies and young ladies would say, "As expected of a concubine-born daughter; she has no manners whatsoever."

But to Qin He's disappointment, Qin Bi did not anger; instead, she said to Lin Shi, Qin Xun's wife beside her: "Second Sister-in-law, may I borrow your handkerchief?"

Lin Shi handed her handkerchief to Qin Bi. Qin He chuckled coldly: "So you dare order me to leave? Hah. Look at your status in the Hou Fu. I am the family's genius; I can earn silver for the Hou Fu and offer strategies. What can you do? You only bully your sisters. We should never have let you return to Jingcheng."

Qin Bi wrapped her hand neatly with the small handkerchief. Regardless of whether contact with Qin He posed any hindrance, just as Qin He finished speaking, Qin Bi walked over slowly and slapped Qin He. A thousand words are no match for a good beating to make one behave.

The womenfolk gasped in unison, each caught off guard and panicking.

"How can you resort to violence?" the Wang He Shizi's wife said. "Stop immediately."

Qin He shrieked, her eyes filled with hatred: "Qin Bi, you dare strike me?"

Qin He exploded with rage. She only wanted to provoke Qin Bi into a confrontation, then accuse Qin Bi before the elders, causing the entire Hou Fu to reject Qin Bi, just as when Qin Bi married the He Wang He Shizi and paved the way for her, becoming the one the Hou Fu abandoned.

The Hou Fu should abandon Qin Bi; it must abandon Qin Bi.

Qin He would not allow any Hou Fu sister to tread over her, especially this person, Qin Bi, whom she disliked most.

Enraged beyond measure, Qin He drew out her summoning magic treasure. She had no choice; Qin Bi clearly was not someone to be trifled with, especially given Qin Bi's aura. Qin He was intimidated and could only resort to the summoning magic treasure.

"Qin He," the Wang He Shizi's wife roared angrily: "Put away your summoning magic treasure."

Qin He, eyes red, shouted angrily: "She struck me."

The Wang He Shizi's wife spoke with unyielding tone: "Even so, you cannot use a summoning magic treasure."

Qin He reluctantly put away her summoning magic treasure and made a demand: "Qin Bi bullied her sisters; she must apologize to me and Qin Han before everyone. Otherwise, I will not agree."

Qin He would not let the matter drop. Several ladies in the main hall heard the commotion and came out.

Under the tree shade, tables and chairs were cleared. Qin Yan Hou's wife and her sisters-in-law sat with stern faces. Qin He's legitimate younger sister ran to Cui Shi to complain: "Mother, Sister Qin Bi struck Sister Qin He."

Cui Shi looked at Qin Bi: "You struck her?"

As Qin He's legitimate mother, she could not stand idly by and let Qin He be beaten.

Qin Bi did not care: "I struck her."

Cui Shi glanced at the annoyed-looking Qin Bi. No need for beating around the bush; she admitted it outright. Whether she was emboldened or simply confident, Cui Bi did not know.

Qin He, this concubine-born daughter, was not trustworthy to Cui Shi.

Qin He dared to speak recklessly before her; before Qin Bi, who knows what arrogance she displayed. Cui Shi was not unreasonable and would never blindly favor the second branch's concubine-born daughter without discerning right from wrong.

"Why did you strike your cousin?" Cui Shi asked.

Qin Bi might disregard Qin He, but Cui Shi could not. This was an elder; there was nothing to apologize for to her. She possessed far more depth than the second branch's legitimate daughter, truly the capable mistress of an ancient household.

The He Shi and others remained silent, unsure of the situation and hesitant to blame anyone.

"Speak up. Why did you strike Sister Qin He?" Qin He's legitimate sister said. "You were so formidable just now."

Wang He Shizi Qin Yan was summoned, accompanied by Qin Xun of the fourth branch and Qin Jue of the second branch. With a flower-viewing banquet held in the household, a fight among the Hou Fu young ladies could not be handled lightly.

Besides, Qin He would not agree otherwise.

Qin Bi is the Wang He Shizi's wife of the Rong Wang Fu; Qin He is also a Wang He Shizi's wife of the Xue Wang Fu. Qin Yan wished to hear the details. The guests were all in the garden, unaware of the situation in the first branch's courtyard.

"What shall we discuss first? That Qin He spread rumors that I secretly bore the He Wang He Shizi's child, or that Qin He mocked my departure from Jingcheng?" Qin Bi showed no emotion; if anything, she felt only annoyance toward Qin He. She said: "Others may not know why I left Jingcheng, but does Qin He not know? Bringing up my departure from Jingcheng, is it not natural for me to strike Qin He?"

The faces of Qin Yan Hou's wife and others changed; Qin Yan also frowned.

The reason Qin Bi left Jingcheng was that Qin He stole the marriage arrangement between Qin Bi and the Yan Guogong Fu. Unable to remain in Jingcheng, Qin Bi left with the third branch's family.

As for Qin Bi secretly bearing the He Wang He Shizi's child?

The Yan Guogong Fu would have been overjoyed; the He family would be grateful to Qin Bi. Yet in Qin He's case, she maliciously fabricated that Qin Bi secretly bore the He Wang He Shizi's child.

Qin Yan Hou's wife asked: "Qin He, did you say such things?"

Qin He felt a pang of guilt, then immediately lifted her chin: "I merely asked a question. I had no other intent. If others were discussing it, what's wrong with me asking out of concern?"

At this moment, Qin Bi stood beside Jiang Shi, slightly farther from Qin He. Pointing at Qin He, Qin Bi said to Qin Xun: "Brother, you strike her."

Qin Xun did not hesitate; he swung his hand and slapped Qin He. A man's strength is incomparable to a woman's. Caught completely off guard, Qin He was knocked to the ground.

Qin Jue stepped forward: "Qin Xun, you have gone too far."

"Fourth Sister-in-law," Cui Shi turned and said to He Shi: "If Qin He is at fault, I will deal with her. But having your fourth branch's children strike her is unreasonable."