The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Then, Sheng Mingzhu crumpled to the floor, her left cheek already red and swollen.
Sheng Minmin’s palm felt numb and burning hot.
Yet the satisfaction surging in her heart was like a tidal wave—fierce and unstoppable.
She had wanted to do this for so long.
Back then, when Sheng Mingzhu’s true identity hadn’t yet been exposed, Sheng Minmin, as her “birth mother,” couldn’t afford to be too harsh with her “daughter” without raising suspicion.
Later, when everyone learned Sheng Mingzhu was actually Tao Niang’s daughter, Sheng Yong and Prince Qi still protected her.
Then Huang Yaning returned and tormented Sheng Mingzhu so viciously that Sheng Minmin hardly had a chance to do anything herself.
Until this very moment.
This slap was just a small down payment.
At the moment of her death in her past life, Sheng Minmin had wished she could slice Sheng Mingzhu into a thousand pieces and devour Tao Niang alive.
After transmigrating into this body, she discovered that as time passed, the hatred within her had only continued to ferment and fester.
She was no longer satisfied with simply letting her enemies die. Take Sheng Mingzhu, for instance. If she died now, wouldn’t she still pass away cherished by those ungrateful Sheng siblings, by Lin Zhijing, by Prince Qi, and by Tao Niang?
How could that be allowed?
When Sheng Minmin died in her past life, no one had loved her anymore.
So this time, she would make sure that every enemy who had harmed her the most fell from grace, tumbling from the clouds into the mud, spat upon and trampled by thousands.
She would take away everything they desired most! Destroy every last shred of their hope.
She would make them loathe each other.
When death finally claimed them, their hearts would contain only boundless pain and hatred—not a trace of tenderness or love.
Only then would Sheng Minmin feel she had done justice to the child she had carried in her past life.
She knew Sheng Mingzhu desperately wanted to marry into a prestigious family, to possess power, status, glory, and love.
So her first step was to ruin Sheng Mingzhu’s reputation.
She had a gut feeling that for Sheng Mingzhu, watching her name sink into the mud would hurt far more than a slap across the face.
“Madam Huang, how could you resort to violence?
“Even if Junior Sister isn’t your biological daughter, this is still unacceptable—”
Sheng Minmin watched Lin Zhijing glare at her with barely contained fury, murderous intent flickering in his eyes.
He bent down to help Sheng Mingzhu up, but she neither dared nor wished to rise, keeping her head bowed, her face covered, obediently kneeling.
Sheng Minmin let her impatience show and retorted.
“Young Master Lin, this—is not the Lin residence. This is the Sheng household.
“As long as Sheng Mingzhu still bears the name Sheng and calls me Mother, I have every right to discipline her. Outsiders have no business interfering.”
Sheng Minmin wore an expression that brooked no challenge.
Filial piety was paramount. By invoking her status as mother, who would dare reproach her for a single slap?
She hadn’t struck before simply because the timing wasn’t right and she didn’t want to arouse Sheng Yong’s suspicion.
Her gaze swept across the faces in the room one by one.
Lin Zhijing seemed choked, his expression rigid, but in the end, he said nothing.
The County Princess sat stunned, mouth agape. Sheng Mingbo shrank his shoulders, his posture and expression a mix of surprise and nervousness.
Sheng Mingyi kept his eyes downcast, his expression unreadable.
Huang Yaning had a faint smile on her lips. Sheng Yong’s gaze was dark and unfathomable.
Sheng Mingjian was breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot.
Whether it was anguish over Mingzhu being struck or fury that Sheng Minmin had dared to do it, she couldn’t tell.
Ordinarily, Sheng Mingjian would have defended Sheng Mingzhu without hesitation. But after his outburst against Huang Yaning earlier, perhaps shame kept him silent now.
“Mother, please calm down. If Sixth Sister has done something wrong, you can correct her with kind words. She’s still a young girl; such treatment… benefits no one…”
After a few breaths, it was Sheng Mingyi who finally spoke, a fawning smile tugging at his lips.
Sheng Minmin’s face hardened instantly. “Are you trying to teach your mother how to do things?”
The smile on Sheng Mingyi’s face froze. “…This son wouldn’t dare… This son knows his mistake…”
He then turned to Sheng Yong, silently pleading for help.
“My Lady, your temper seems rather excessive today…”
Sheng Yong finally spoke, his tone heavy with disapproval.
“My Lord.”
Sheng Minmin shifted slightly, her expression turning serious. Not the impatient look she had directed at Lin Zhijing, nor the dismissiveness she had shown Sheng Mingyi.
“All the evidence today points to Sixth Girl. Qiuju and Dongkui are her own sisters, connected by blood, yet she could still do such harm to them.
“I raised her since she was young. I taught her to be dignified and proper, but I certainly never taught her to be so ruthless and cruel.
“If her character isn’t disciplined now, what happens next? If someone in this household displeases her in the future, will she also send us all off with a packet of poison?”
Hearing this, even Sheng Yong’s brow furrowed involuntarily.
Dongsheng, his trusted aide, had gone to investigate but still hadn’t reported back.
That meant either everything “Huang” had uncovered was true, or the person behind today’s scheme had ample manpower in the residence and meticulous foresight.
Sheng Yong leaned toward the former. Because if it were the latter, only he or “Huang” could have orchestrated something so elaborate while evading so many eyes.
But “Huang” had always been foolish, lacking such deep cunning.
Thus, this death was most likely Mingzhu’s doing.
How could Mingzhu be so impatient?
Sheng Yong was furious that Mingzhu had done something so stupid and gotten caught—especially with the County Princess witnessing everything.
At the same time, he was angry at “Huang” for using public means to settle private scores, deliberately humiliating Mingzhu.
Then he looked at his youngest daughter, whose face practically radiated smug satisfaction, and felt a piercing ache in his temples.
Not a single person in this household was free of trouble.
Still, Dongsheng understood him best and would handle things properly. Sheng Yong just needed to wait a little longer.
Listening to all this, Sheng Mingzhu’s eyes nearly split with fury. Her nails dug deeply into her palms. She wished she could bite that old hag to death.
Sheng Mingzhu had never felt so wronged in her life.
She hadn’t done anything.
Why should she be burdened with a murder charge? And on top of that, be slapped by that old witch?
She absolutely could not let this murder charge stick.
Otherwise, that little wretch would surely spread the news across the entire capital. The County Princess wouldn’t help cover it up either.
What would be left of her reputation then?
Her reputation couldn’t withstand another blow.
At the thought of those consequences, fear instantly eclipsed both the anger of being struck and the injustice of being framed.
“Father, Mother, it’s not like that.
“Your daughter doesn’t know Xiao Ye. I’ve never exchanged a single word with her.
“Truly, I didn’t orchestrate this. I never bought any poison. Father, Mother, you can inquire at the medicine shops outside.
“And I would never, ever, be so insane as to harm my own sisters.”
Sheng Mingzhu lifted her head, displaying her swollen left cheek, and wept.
“If you truly have a clear conscience, I’ll send someone right now to invite Magistrate Jiang from the Capital Prefecture over for a thorough investigation.
“We can also have Xiazhi’s wounds examined, prove once and for all that you never intended to harm your own sisters, clear up the misunderstandings the common folk outside have about you, and restore peace to the Sheng residence.
“Two birds with one stone. Do you dare?”
Sheng Minmin’s voice rang out loudly.
