Chapter 57: Blunder After Blunder After Blunder...

Fang Jun said to Zhao Fuzhong, "Very well, lead the way then. I'm going to offer an apology to Lady Cao."

Zhao Fuzhong was taken aback. Weren't you here to pick a fight? Why are you apologizing all of a sudden? And apologizing on behalf of the Princess consort, no less? This rhythm is completely off...

"Second Young Master, it is getting late, and Lady Cao is a member of the inner household, which might cause much inconvenience. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow morning, after His Highness the Prince returns to the estate..."

This Second Young Master Fang is probably going to raise absolute hell. I should stall for as much time as possible, Zhao Fuzhong thought to himself.

Ignoring him, Fang Jun squinted at the ornately painted and carved main hall of the Prince's estate and said softly, "If I said I wanted to burn this main hall to the ground right now, would you believe me?"

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Zhao Fuzhong's forehead. He looked at Fang Jun with a forced, miserable smile, "Second Young Master, please be calm, calm down..."

If you, Second Young Master Fang, said you wanted to burn down the Taiji Palace, I would believe it. Who are you? The number one brawler in Chang'an City...

Fang Jun sneered, impatiently flicking the riding crop in his hand, and said, "If you don't lead the way, I'll burn it right this instant!"

Zhao Fuzhong forced a bitter smile, "How could I possibly dare to lead the way to that..."

If Fang Jun pulled off some outrageous stunt like that, would he, Zhao Fuzhong, still have a future working in the Prince's estate?

Fang Jun glanced at Zhao Fuzhong, nodded, and turned back to tell Cheng Chubi, Li Siwen, and the others, "Since Steward Zhao is unwilling to lead the way, we'll just find it ourselves. Even if we break a few pots and jars along the way, don't mind it. My brother-in-law is a Prince of the First Rank after all, he's loaded, he won't care about a little loss..."

Li Siwen never feared things being too chaotic. He immediately let out a loud roar, raised his arm, and shouted, "Search the place!"

Scared out of his wits, Zhao Fuzhong lunged forward to grab Fang Jun's horse reins, pleading bitterly, "This is the inner residence of the Prince's estate! Many female family members are already resting, how can you do this?"

Fang Jun snorted coldly, "Are you going to lead the way or not?"

Zhao Fuzhong felt like choking Fang Jun to death. Defeated, he said, "I'll lead..."

This damn Second Young Master Fang is an absolute demon. Your Highness, I really have no other choice left. Why haven't you returned to the estate yet...

********

In the rear courtyard, Lady Cao's bedchamber.

Ever since entering the Prince's estate, Lady Cao had enjoyed the special favor of the Prince of Han, receiving an exceptional private courtyard with its own gate, boasting exquisite scenery complete with pavilions and terraces. Although it was the dead of winter, with white snow blanketing everything and nature in a state of decay, the rugged rockeries and winding corridors still maintained a classical elegance and serenity.

Lady Cao was blessed with a face like a blossoming flower, skin surpassing snow, and a slender, graceful figure. Especially her eyes, which were like tranquil lakes rippling with endless amorous charm, could intoxicate anyone at a single glance.

At this moment, Lady Cao was sitting straight on the couch, her spine held rigidly upright. A finely tailored embroidered long gown outlined her slender, flexible waist, while her raven-black hair was pinned up high into a bun, revealing a section of snow-white, tender neck.

Merely this simple kneeling posture exuded a stunning beauty.

Opposite her, her eldest brother was whispering something. Suddenly, Lady Cao furrowed her pretty willow-leaf eyebrows, assumed a listening expression, and asked in surprise, "Why is the front courtyard so chaotic?"

Her second brother, Cao Song, said with a look of utter disdain, "In my opinion, this Li Yuanjia is nothing more than a coward. He holds the title of a Prince, but lacks the slightest bit of dominance. The servants in this estate are bolder than the heavens. This afternoon, I merely brushed against the maid who was tidying the guest room, and she actually dared to give me attitude. Truly ungrateful bastards..."

Helplessly looking at her unruly second brother, Lady Cao forced a bitter smile and said, "Second Brother, no matter what, I am now a concubine in this Prince of Han's estate. You must not act so recklessly and ruin my reputation."

The taciturn eldest brother, Cao柏 (Cao Bai), suddenly said in a deep voice, "They all say that a bed of ease is the grave of heroes. Could it be, Third Sister, that you too have been mesmerized by this superficial wealth and glory?"

Though his words were low, his tone was extremely heavy, carrying a strong sense of reprimand.

Lady Cao's delicate body trembled slightly. She bit her red lips and said, "How could I forget..."

A commotion outside the door interrupted her.

Startled, Lady Cao stood up. Ever since the Princess consort had returned to her maternal home, she couldn't think of anyone in the estate who would dare to barge into her residence uninvited. Weren't they afraid of incurring the Prince's wrath?

Cao Song had already leaped to his feet, cursing angrily, "Impudent wretches! How dare you make a racket outside the mistress's door? Tired of living?"

Cursing as he ran angrily toward the door, he had just pulled the main door open a crack when a large foot abruptly thrust through the gap, landing squarely on Cao Song's chest. The impact knocked the wind right out of him before he could even let out a cry. His body flew backwards through the air like a soaring immortal for four or five meters before slamming onto the ground with a heavy thud, curling up tightly like a shrimp.

Cao Bai was utterly shocked. Although his second brother's martial arts skills weren't top-tier, he had at least received guidance from renowned masters. Even if he had been careless, an ordinary person couldn't have knocked him down with a single kick. Jolting to his feet, Cao Bai roared, "Who is it?"

The main doors swung completely open. A black-faced youth wearing brocade robes and a sable hat sauntered in leisurely, speaking as he walked, "Apologies, apologies. I was just knocking on the door, but who knew a face would suddenly pop out looking just like a ghost? It startled me so much I lashed out with a kick. Purely a reflex, an absolute accident..."

Lady Cao's face turned green with anger, her heaving bosom rising and falling rapidly as she raged, "Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Princess consort's inner quarters? Have you grown tired of living?"

This person's dark face was plastered with a mocking smile that made anyone who looked at him itch with hatred. An accidental kick? That kick must have carried hundreds of pounds of force. If you hadn't already been coiled and ready to strike, how could you possibly deliver such power?

With his hands behind his back, Fang Jun strolled into the room, followed by Li Siwen, Cheng Chubi, and the Fang family retainers.

Fang Jun cast an appreciative glance at Lady Cao, silently praising in his heart: My cheap brother-in-law certainly has a good eye. He's quite blessed...

Lady Cao possessed a flowery visage and a seductive physique. Judging by Fang Jun's extensive experience with women—and adult films—she was undoubtedly a rare stunner.

Yet, lurking beneath her gorgeous and charming appearance was an aloof and distant haughtiness, a temperament that vaguely felt familiar to Fang Jun, as if he had seen it somewhere before...

As he pondered this, a smile bloomed on his face. "You must be Lady Cao, right? I'm Fang Jun. I heard my eldest sister gave you a beating with the paddle, so I'm here on her behalf to apologize to you."

Lady Cao was slightly stunned. She had indeed heard the name Fang Jun before—he was the younger brother of the Princess consort Fang. But what was this about an apology?

Cao Bai gave Fang Jun a deep, searching look without speaking, then walked over to help his groaning second brother, Cao Song, up from the floor.

Unable to figure out Fang Jun's intentions, Lady Cao bit her red lips, glaring at him with sparkling eyes while keeping silent.

Pacing back and forth at his leisure, Fang Jun inspected the room's decorations and furnishings, clicking his tongue in mild admiration. "Oho! The Cao family is truly wealthy. All these items in the room must be part of your dowry, right? Tsk tsk tsk, what a lavish display, truly impressive!"

As he spoke, he walked over to a rosewood display rack against the wall.

The rosewood display stand was crafted with extreme exquisite detail, featuring hollowed-out floral carvings and lifelike auspicious cloud patterns. The entire rack occupied an entire wall, stretching out horizontally and vertically into numerous small compartments, each holding various bizarre little trinkets.

Casual as could be, Fang Jun picked up a crystal-clear, milky-white small plate, examined it closely, and exclaimed in wonder, "Could this be a tribute piece from the Xing Kiln?"

Lady Cao let out a delicate huff, slightly raising her dainty chin with an air of proud arrogance, "At least you know your stuff!"

Fondling the item as if he couldn't bear to put it down, Fang Jun praised, "It truly is a treasure. I've heard the Xing Kiln only fires one batch of tribute items a year, and every single piece is the pinnacle of meticulous craftsmanship. How lovely..."

Lady Cao thought to herself: Could this fool actually be awed by the things in this room? What an absolute bumpkin...

The very next moment, she watched as Fang Jun flipped the Yue Kiln white porcelain dish upside down to inspect the seal on the bottom. Suddenly, his hand slipped, and the dish dropped from his fingers, plunging straight toward the floor. Fang Jun appeared startled, flailing about in a flurry of panic, but failed to catch it.

With a sharp crack, the dish hit the floor and shattered into fine pieces, scattering sparkling shards everywhere...

Looking apologetic, Fang Jun said, "My bad, my hand slipped..."

Lady Cao stood dumbfounded. You can even slip while holding a plate? Before she could utter a word, she saw Fang Jun casually pick up an autumn-colored porcelain swan brush washer sitting nearby, flip his wrist, and let the exquisitely shaped brush washer fall into a free-fall drop toward the floor...

*Crack.*

It shattered again...

Fang Jun shrugged, looking helplessly at Lady Cao with an innocent expression, "Sorry about that, my hand slipped again..."