Not Your Typical Villianess

Madam Zhu's courtyard

Madam Zhu laughter and said calmly "why should I believe you, there is no one that can vouch for you. It is only your word and based on your current actions, I can't trust you. I am even being kind by not killing you and arranging a good match for you!"

"This is not a good match for me! I can not be a concubine! Not ever" Zhu Fenfang shouted.

"You dare raise your voice at me" Madam Zhu glanced at the heavy-duty maids "slap this unruly bitch".

The maid walked forward and slapped Zhu Fenfang hard on her right cheek. The force made her head turn to the side sharply. Zhu Fenfang bent a little to the left but pulled herself up and glared at madam Zhu. 

"Again!"

On Madam Zhu's instruction, the said slapped her again. This time on her left cheek, in the end, both cheeks throbbed in pain. She was already far gone, there was no need to pretend. Zhu Fenfang decided to go all out, 

"you dare to slap me, can you handle the repercussions of this. How would you explain this to his highness the Crown Prince?" 

Zhu Feifei laughed when she heard Zhu Fenfang prideful comments, "hey! Don't throw around the crown prince's name like he can save you because even though he can, you are the last thing in his mind. You see the Crown Prince is getting married and you are not the bride"

"What do you mean, that can't be! You are lying!"

Madam Zhu clocked her tongue, "why would feifei lie to you, you attach too much attention to yourself. The Crown Prince is getting married to commandery Princess Xia because like all men of good standing, he will marry women of similar stations as him. No matter anything you do, it doesn't excuse the fact that you are the daughter of a concubine."

Zhu Fenfang felt the breath get knocked out of her, she just looked blankly as the mother and daughter ridiculed her.

Zhu Feifei laughed louder on seeing her expression, she should her head, " tsk tsk, you poor girls. I bet you thought you would break the mould and get married to the Crown Prince, you shouldn't dream so big. You can never get married into the royal family as the main wife, you should have just stock with Lu Yaozhu.

"Madam Lu had high hope of you marrying the General, which was a lot given your background. Yet you got greedy and look at what that got you. It is funny, isn't it? Commandery Princess Xia who was meant to marry Lu Yaozhu is engaged to the Crown Prince. All your well-laid plans are ruined and everything is back to normal except for you"

Tears ran down her face, the news of the Crown Prince's marriage pulled the may off the ground. She couldn't form a single sentence to defend herself, she had taken a risk all for nothing. Madam Zhu gazed at the young girl kneeling and shook her head, she glanced at the heavy-duty mamas, "take this slut away, no one is to let her out of her rooms without my permission. I will handle her after speaking with the minister".

"Yes," the heavy-duty mamas held her as tightly and dragged her out of the room.

***************

Back at Lu Yaozhu and Su Liya's end.

After travelling for 12 days they were now at the borders of Ningzhuo. Apart from the assassination attempt on Su Liya at Yul, their journey so far was uneventful. The weather at the north was a sharp contrast from that of the capital. It got colder as they got closer to Ningzhuo, soon they swapped their light summer clothes for ticker clothes that suited the weather conditions of the North.

They made camp at a wide part of the woods, before night just outside Ningzhuo's borders. The servants set up a few temporarily house tents while the soldiers stood guard. Lu Yaozhu and Su Liya both had their single tents, Su Lita wiped her body down with a wet towel and changed into some fresh clothes before coming out for Dinner.

Everyone sat around the big campfire set at the centre of the camp while the makes in charge of their food passed the bow of noodles and meat around. The meat was from the game caught by the soldiers at their last rest stop, Su Liya and Lu Yaozhu sat with everyone else.

They were different from other members of noble families who never associated with the commoners. Throughout their journey, they ate with the servants and soldiers. It was awkward the first few days but after some time everyone got used to the abnormalities. After eating, the maids took the plates away and washed them before going to bed.

Late that night, a small group of men dressed in black and wearing half marks surrounded the camp. The men had been following them for a while but had lost track of their Convoy at Yul village. Luckily a scout a few villages away sent word as their convoy passed the village.

The group of men travelled hard a finally caught up with them. They had a mission to stop the general from arriving at Ningzhuo. They were paid handsomely by their client to get rid of the newly appointed military Governor and his party. No one was to survive, the group of men who were dressed as bandits quickly identified the tents belonging to the Governor and his wife.

They lit a few torches and threw them at the tents set in the camp but concentrated on the two tents belonging to the Governor and His wife. Su Liya woke up to the shouts from maida and the smell of burning leather. She jumped out of her fur sleeping bed, one end of her tent was on fire. 

There were sounds of steel hiring steal and fighting from around her. They were being ambushed, Su Liya could hear her maids try to put it the fire. It was smoky and the smoke was starting to disturb her, she looked around quickly.