Cui Momo stopped her. "Our Empress says this is a token of her regard. Second Miss has already been punished and is forbidden to enter the palace. We implore Little Miss to be magnanimous."
Su Yunmo saw the exquisite box of pastries and finally understood why Ye Jingyu hadn't finished speaking in the cold palace before.
She had initially thought it was solely the Empress's arrangement, but it turned out Consort Qin was also involved.
"Tell your Empress I like the pastries very much, and I won't dwell on today's events," Su Yunmo said generously, waving her hand.
After all, Qin Mingyan's troublemaking would only bother Ye Jingyu, and it had nothing to do with her. Let them sort it out themselves.
"Little Miss is truly magnanimous. This old servant thanks you on behalf of the Empress," Cui Momo said, relieved after completing her task.
She had servants help Su Yunmo carry the pastries to the carriage and returned to report only after the carriage had departed.
Su Yunmo sat in the carriage, thinking that Cui Momo was being overly humble towards her.
Anyone else would have thought she could bring down the Qin family with a single word.
She opened the food box and saw that the pastries were ten times more exquisite than any she had eaten before.
"Perfect, I'll take them back for Third Brother to eat."
She hoped it would lift his spirits a little.
The carriage swayed all the way back to the manor.
As Su Yunmo alighted from the carriage, she noticed another carriage parked at the entrance.
She walked towards the inner courtyard with the pastry box, her steps light and quick.
The servants at the gate saw her struggling and quickly took the pastry box from her.
"Was there a guest today?" Su Yunmo asked casually.
She remembered that her father was supposed to go to the military camp today, and her mother had mentioned visiting the Xie family. They shouldn't be home at this hour.
"Replying to Miss, it's the second young master from the second branch of the family. He said he had something to discuss with the General and Madam. He went in and hasn't come out since."
Su Yunmo's steps faltered. "Second branch? Su Xingzhe!"
Oh no!
She frowned fiercely and hurried towards Su Siyuan's courtyard. Before she could reach it, she saw a crowd of servants gathered at the courtyard gate.
One of them, a servant named Xiao Zhuozi, who was Su Siyuan's personal attendant, rushed forward upon seeing Su Yunmo.
"Little Miss, please hurry and take a look. That Second Master has been causing trouble for quite some time."
It was particularly troublesome that none of the masters of the manor were present today.
Su Yunmo pushed through the crowd, quickening her pace towards the courtyard, and ordered, "All of you, guard the courtyard entrance. No matter what happens inside, do not enter."
Inside the courtyard.
Su Xingzhe stood with his hands on his hips, his foot resting on a stone stool, pointing at someone and scolding them.
"You scoundrel, you did something and refused to take responsibility. If everything could be resolved so easily, what would be the point of the yamen?"
Su Siyuan stood by the door, his fists clenched. "Father has already rescued you from prison as agreed. What more do you want?"
"Rescuing me was the right thing to do, and it has nothing to do with Yin Yin! You touched my sister, so you have to pay the price," Su Xingzhe said arrogantly.
His demeanor suggested he wasn't here to seek justice for his sister but rather to extort money.
"I'm not asking for much. Just have your General's manor pay fifty million taels of silver, and this matter will be settled. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
He had merely toyed with a daughter from a common family, and in the end, he hadn't even gotten to play with her and had lost five million taels.
Su Siyuan touching his sister meant they were getting off lightly by paying fifty million taels.
Su Siyuan's eyes turned red. "You're clearly using this as an opportunity to blackmail us!"
His father's entire annual salary didn't even amount to ten thousand taels.
An amount like this could only be produced by the national treasury.
"Call it blackmail if you want, but you did something that gave people leverage," Su Xingzhe sneered.
"Either hand over the money obediently, or I'll spread the word that you forcibly occupied my sister."
Su Siyuan stared intently at Su Xingzhe, resentment gradually gathering in his eyes, blurring them with tears.
He had merely gone to a meeting that day. Why! Why had things turned out like this!
"Then you are welcome to try. If Father had the ability to get you out of prison, he has the ability to send you back!" Su Yunmo stepped through the doorway.
Upon seeing her, Su Siyuan instinctively retracted his fingers, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Su Yunmo, with her short legs, strode forward and stood opposite Su Xingzhe, blocking him from Su Siyuan.
Su Xingzhe sized her up with disdain. "So it's you, little girl. You'd best get out of here quickly. This is not a place for you to interrupt when adults are talking."
Su Yunmo didn't reply. She turned to Su Siyuan. "Third Brother, this is not your fault. As long as you say the word, Father and Mother will definitely help you."
Su Siyuan opened his mouth, then finally gave a bitter smile. "Momo, you shouldn't bother with me anymore. Go back. I'll handle things here myself."
His gaze flickered, as if his light was about to fade and plunge into darkness at any moment.
Su Yunmo knew he was just trying to be strong.
Su Xingzhe raised his voice. "I don't have time to waste with you. Hand over the money quickly, or I'll smash this General's manor."
Su Yunmo bent down and tied her sleeves and skirt tightly, also securing her ankles.
After finishing, she looked up and coldly faced Su Xingzhe. "If you want to touch my Third Brother, you'll have to get past me first."
She had given her Third Brother three days to calm down, and it was time for him to wake up today.
Su Xingzhe laughed sarcastically. "What can you, a little kitten, possibly do? Do you think you can spar with me?"
Beating her would be no different than beating a dog.
"Momo, please don't get involved anymore," Su Siyuan said anxiously, instinctively reaching out to stop her.
But his hand quickly retracted before touching Su Yunmo.
Su Yunmo noticed his reaction and no longer waited. She walked towards Su Xingzhe. "Leave the General's manor now, or choose to be carried out."
"I'll carry you, you little brat, out first!" Su Xingzhe casually grabbed the teapot from the stone table and threw it at Su Yunmo.
Su Siyuan's heart leaped. "Momo!"
Su Yunmo dodged, narrowly avoiding it.
The teapot shattered against the wall, the commotion drawing the servants guarding the entrance.
"Oh dear, they're about to fight. What are we to do!"
These three were all masters, and it was inappropriate for them, the servants, to side with anyone.
Moreover, the young lady had ordered them not to intrude.
"You stubborn little girl, you're quite agile. I'll teach you a lesson today!" Su Xingzhe rubbed his fists together.
He had wanted to hit her for a long time. The last time at the academy, if it hadn't been for Zhou Wanyou interfering, he would have already skinned this little brat alive!
He strode forward, raising his hand to slap Su Yunmo across the face.
Su Yunmo jumped up, wrapped her arms around his waist, and climbed onto him, simultaneously raising her hands and clenching her fists to punch him.
The little dumpling, not even reaching Su Xingzhe's waist in height, clinging to him like an ant trying to shake a tree.
"You little imp!" Su Xingzhe grabbed her collar and threw her away.
Ziyuan heard the commotion and rushed over, seeing Su Yunmo fall to the ground from a distance.