Previously, it was only under absolute power and fear that Qin Rulian had obediently eaten the pastries. Now that she had regained some strength, she was unwilling to kneel before Feng Yinwan.
She dawdled, refusing to move. Seeing this, Yuping directly kicked her behind the knees.
"Does Miss Qin not understand the concubine's orders?"
In the past, at the prince's manor, Qin Rulian had often tormented them. After hearing the news of her lady's death three years ago, she had become even more arrogant and displayed her ugly, smug face every time she visited the imperial mausoleum.
Although she knew that person was not her lady, Qin Rulian's disrespectful behavior, which was directed at the name on the memorial tablet, was unbearable to her. She wanted to stop her.
Once or twice, Qin Rulian would curse a few words and leave. But with repeated offenses, hatred festered in her heart.
While Ye Tinglan was present, she dared not act directly. She waited for opportunities when no one was watching and secretly tormented herself in the shadows.
She was scratched, clawed, cut with hairpins and daggers, and even soaked in saltwater. The wounds on her arms were from these torments.
Since they were always just a few small wounds and not inflicted openly, making them difficult to display, she could only endure them in silence.
After delivering the kick, Yuping felt a slight stirring in her heart. Feng Yinwan's gaze met hers, and in her eyes, she saw nothing but approval.
While maintaining one's original intention and being kind to others is important, unwavering kindness will only lead to the intensified oppression of wrongdoers.
When kindness makes one a victim, yielding becomes weakness. How tragic and how detestable this is!
Qin Rulian cried out in pain as she fell heavily to the ground.
This area was a pebble-strewn path specifically laid out when the flower garden was built. It was beautiful, but the uneven surface made walking uncomfortable, and falling on it was even more painful.
Almost the moment she landed, the sharp edges of the pebbles scraped her palms, drawing blood. She looked up at Feng Yinwan, her eyes filled with humiliation and resentment.
Feng Yinwan, however, couldn't be bothered to look at her. She poured herself some tea and spoke indifferently.
"There is a distinction between superior and inferior, and propriety must not be abolished. Miss Qin, as you are new to servitude, you may be unclear about 'who is the master and who is the servant.' You will kneel here for two hours and feel it properly."
The cold wind was bleak, and Qin Rulian was only wearing a thin dress. On such a path of loose stones, two hours would surely wear her knees to the bone.
Upon hearing this, Qin Rulian's face turned pale, and she immediately tried to get up. However, before she could move, a row of silver needles appeared before her eyes, piercing the ground upright.
The sharp points of the needles were aimed at her, merely half an inch from her knees!
The cold wind blew, stirring up a cold sweat.
Trembling, a teacup was placed on her head. Feng Yinwan's voice drifted down, several times colder than the wind.
"Kneel properly. If you spill it, you will have to start the two hours again."
The stones beneath her knees were cold and hard. Qin Rulian fainted after only half an hour. Feng Yinwan glanced at her and said, "Splash water on her to wake her up, and make her continue kneeling."
After this ordeal, it had been far more than two hours.
After lunch, Feng Yinwan called two guards to watch over the situation and returned to her room to rest.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep in a daze, the door was suddenly thrown open, and a startled cry immediately broke her slumber.
Feng Jinchen ran in quickly, grabbed her arm with his small hands, and shook her vigorously.
"Mother! It's not good, it's not good... They're fighting!"
Feng Yinwan pressed her forehead and opened her eyes. "Who is fighting whom?"
"Uncle Song... Uncle Song and that bad old man!"