Superficial love

In a dimly lit study room…

Prime minister Su Tian was looking through the letter he received from his shadow guard with candlelight when the study door was pushed open. Madam Su rushed inside like someone that was being chased.

"How many times have I told you not to rush into my study room without prior notice?!"

Prime minister Su Tian demanded with his face turning dark. This woman is starting to get bolder and bolder by the day and he isn't pleased with that.

"I'm sorry master, but Yanyan needs your help," She said with urgency. Her words didn't register at first as the master was thinking of the etiquette his wife had missed. She didn't bow in greeting which was a surprise to him.

The tradition of Hua Xia kingdom takes respect for husbands and parents seriously.

He could hear the nervousness in her voice which piqued his interest that made him put her act of disrespect to rest.

Madam Su is a scheming woman who is hardly scared of anything because she has her powerful family behind her. Seeing her looking like her world was about to be turned upside down, he knew that her problem was great, so he calmed his raging heart to listen to her. "What happened to Yanyan?" he asked with disinterest while still sitting nonchalantly.

What could possibly happen to that girl? Isn't she the one causing trouble for people? Although, he liked that daughter of his, but she has become too presumptuous of late and he wasn't finding it funny anymore.

What he hated the most was someone challenging his authority and that is exactly what Su Yan has been doing lately. If not because she was still very useful in building an intermarriage relationship with the royal family and also the fact that her maternal family is not one to be messed with, he would have clipped her wings long ago.

"Her face has been ruined, please talk to the crown prince and have him send the imperial physicians over to have a look at her." Madam Su cried while begging her husband.

"What did you say?!" Prime minister Su Tian jolted from his chair while pushing the chair in the process. "Where is she? Lead the way!"

Although he said for her to lead the way, he was in front as his blue robe flew everywhere with the cool morning breeze caressing their skin, but no one has the time to appreciate the blessing.

******

The prime minister and madam Su got into their daughter's room which had been arranged by the maids.

Seeing the state his daughter was in, prime minister Su Tian was so angry that his face alternated between red and white. "Who did this?!!" He thundered.

Silence followed his question and the maids present, shivered. Who would dare to admit they did it?

The maids knew they were done for this time. No mistakes were allowed in the minister's manor and those who had made mistakes in the past were either sold off or beaten to death, depending on the gravity of their mistake. However this time, they knew they would definitely get it worse.

"Guards!!" He roared when he heard no answer from the maids. "Have these malicious servants whipped to death!" He commanded.

Following his order, four strong guards rushed in and dragged out the four maids who were in attendance the night before.

The cry of Innocence rang in the room, but none of the masters listened. Even though they knew that the servants were innocent, what of it? someone has to bear the brunt of the stick and servants are the best option.

Silence ensued after the maids were dragged away and the other maids felt their knees turning jelly from narrowly escaping death.

"How did this happen?" prime minister Su Tian asked Su Yan, although he was still furious which was evident on his face and tone.

"I don't know father, I remembered using my facial product before going to sleep last night." Su Yan answered amidst sobs.

Prime minister Su glanced around the room and spotted the facial products arranged on her dressing table. He pointed at the products and ordered: "keep an eye on those things, I'll have someone come and test them later."

"Yes, master!" The maids chorused with their hearts in their throats.

He turned to his daughter on the bed and said: "I'll have the crown prince invite the imperial physicians for you. You have to learn from this and be more careful next time. Your engagement with the crown prince will be annulled if your face is ruined and I don't want such a terrible thing happening."

He turned to Madam Su and chastised: "How do you run the manor? investigate and find out who had the gall to scheme in my prime minister's manor." With that said, he stormed off angrily.

"Mother, will my face ever be restored? father will abandon me if I become useless. Mother, please help me." Su Yan cried louder after her father left. From his words just now, she knew that he wouldn't think twice before casting her away if it wasn't for something holding him back.

Just then a thought struck her. "I think I know who did this to me, it's that witch, Meimei and her concubine mother! They don't want my marriage with the crown prince to hold. Mother, kill them all, I want them all dead!" Her voice became louder the more she cried.

She took the bronze mirror she had dropped beside her in shock earlier and looked at her face again. Seeing that some of the blisters were shrinking and pores were coming out, she screamed and threw the mirror at one of the maids standing not far away from her, injuring the maid on the forehead in the process.

Madam Su hugged her daughter while feeling sorrowful. "Calm down, Yanyan, they do not have the guts to do something like this, but if after investigation and I find out they are responsible…" her face turned sinister, letting the maids in the room finish her incomplete statement with the vicious look on her face.

The maids shuddered when they saw the bloodthirsty look on the Madam's face. 'Whoever did this to the second young Miss has gotten themselves in trouble.' They thought.

******

Eastern wing of the prime minister's manor...

"Concubine mother, what happened to my second sister's face?" Su Meimei asked her mother when they got inside her mother's chambers.

The room was not as big nor was it as lavishly decorated as Su Yan's, after all, she was just a concubine.

"Karma," the third concubine answered.

"Concubine mother, don't tell me you did it!" Su Meimei covered her mouth and her eyes widened. "You...you..."

"Don't spout nonsense, unless you want to get us in trouble. Where would I have the nerve to do that? even if we want to start going against them, it can't be now that the Xie family is getting stronger and stronger by the day. Master can't even afford to offend them let alone me that has no better standing." The third concubine said regrettably.

If only she had a strong family backing her like madam Su and the second concubine, her daughter wouldn't have been deprived of her dreams.

"Concubine mother, will her face be alright?" Su Meimei asked.

"What do you think?" She smirked and Su Meimei giggled. She hoped Su Yan's face would never be cured so that the crown prince will choose her instead.