Li Yishu now harbored a venomous hatred for her aunt.
It was all that old hag’s fault! She was the one who said her cousin and that merchant’s daughter were at odds, which is why Li Yishu had rushed over, hoping to step into the position of Young General’s wife.
Not only had that wretched merchant’s daughter bullied her, but even her cousin had raised his hand against her.
What was even harder to accept was that her doting aunt actually blamed her for not having the skill to seduce her cousin and had slapped her hard across the face twice.
Now her cheeks were red and swollen, with two clear handprints visible for all to see. She was too ashamed to face anyone, and on top of that, her aunt was starving her!
It was clearly her aunt who, over the years, hadn’t known how to plan properly. She had extorted so much silver from the merchant’s daughter but never thought to actually build a lavish courtyard to appease her cousin.
Making her live in a dilapidated side courtyard? Wasn’t that just asking for the lies to be exposed?
In previous years, her cousin had been busy fighting on the frontier and had no time to look into things. But now he was back—did her aunt really think she could fool him with just a few words?
The more Li Yishu thought about it, the angrier she became.
Hadn’t her aunt seen the murderous look in her cousin’s eyes yesterday? Her aunt was his mother; he wouldn’t do anything to her. But if Li Yishu didn’t extricate herself, wouldn’t she become the perfect scapegoat for her cousin’s wrath?
Hmph, you old hag! How dare you hit me! The capital isn’t short on noble families besides your precious Huo family.
A light flickered in Li Yishu’s eyes as she twisted the handkerchief in her hands. She had to secure her footing in the Huo Manor to have a chance to meet other high officials and nobles in the capital.
Suddenly, she heard commotion outside her door from the guards—something about the Young General returning in a fury and even the highly-favored Matron Yu Zhu being severely punished.
A sudden inspiration struck Li Yishu.
Her aunt might walk around with her nose in the air all day, thinking she runs the General’s Manor, but in reality, her cousin has the final say.
As long as she acted obediently, avoided provoking her cousin, stayed out of that merchant’s daughter’s way, and played the pitiful card, her cousin surely wouldn’t drive her away.
The most important thing right now was to attract her cousin’s attention.
So, she swept the room’s furnishings onto the floor, and just as the guard peeked through the window, she恰到好处地 fainted onto the ground.
She felt quite pleased with herself. No matter how much Cousin dislikes me, he wouldn’t let things go so far as to cause a death, right? Once he arrives, I’ll cry. I’ll cry until I’m utterly pitiful and heart-wrenching.
Creeak.
The door opened.
Li Yishu’s heart leaped into her throat. She listened as footsteps approached. It must be Cousin!
Splash!
“Ah!” Li Yishu screamed and scrambled up from the floor.
She was drenched from head to toe, a bucket of cold water having doused her with soul-chilling thoroughness. She wiped the water from her eyes and saw a servant boy standing before her, holding the empty bucket, delivering his final verdict: “The Young General orders you to reflect on your mistakes here in the side courtyard. From now on, you will receive the same meals the Young Lady used to eat. If you dare cause any more trouble, the Young General will personally send word to your uncles and brothers to come collect you.”
Li Yishu shuddered violently.
Her maternal family was a den of monsters. Who knew how fearfully she had managed to survive the two years of her mourning period? If she hadn’t been hiding under the Huo family’s banner, her uncles would have long since sold her off to the simpleton son of some local landowner.
If they found out she had fallen out of favor with the General’s Manor… she didn’t dare think of the consequences.
Pale with terror, Li Yishu immediately knelt respectfully on the ground, pleading pitifully, “Young sir, I beg you, please tell my cousin… ah, no, tell the Young General that Yishu knows she was wrong. I beg him not to send me away! Yishu will stay quietly in the side courtyard and reflect properly on her mistakes!”
She pressed her forehead to the floor, her eyes gleaming with poisoned resentment.
One day, I’ll make you all kneel and beg for mercy before me!
——-
Jiang Xingyan hadn’t gone to the side courtyard to personally douse Li Yishu with cold water. She was afraid that, wearing Huo Ci’s face, she might actually enjoy dousing her cousin-in-law a little too much.
After Li Yishu’s betrayal, Old Madame Huo had indeed taken over the shops, but she hadn’t initially thought to banish Jiang Xingyan to the side courtyard. She had simply started funneling all the good things to her niece.
Li Yishu, adorned in the silks, satins, and gold jewelry that should have been bought with Jiang Xingyan’s money, often came to the main compound to flaunt her status, always trying to assert her superiority. Seeing Jiang Xingyan remain unmoved, she grew furious and ultimately persuaded her aunt to drive Jiang Xingyan and her four maids out of the main living quarters.
It seemed seeing Jiang Xingyan suffer and toil brought her immense satisfaction.
Now, let her taste a bit of that medicine herself.
“Young General, the slavers are here. I was concerned one slaver might not be able to handle so many people at once, so I brought a few others along,” the servant reported.
Jiang Xingyan nodded with satisfaction. She had to admit, this carriage driver she’d picked up off the street was more capable than any of the manor’s servants. He had found exactly what she needed in the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Not only was he efficient, but his considerations were thorough.
“Bring them all in. Have them sort out the people. I will go to the main courtyard to fetch the deeds of sale myself.”
Jiang Xingyan walked alone from the main hall, through the moon gate, and into the main courtyard. The compound, which usually had at least twenty or thirty servants attending it, was now eerily empty and desolate.
From the main room, she could hear Yu Zhu’s pained whimpers and, if she listened closely, Madame Huo’s hushed, scolding voice: “Serves you right! It’s all your fault for suggesting such a terrible plan! Now we’ve lost everything! Are you satisfied?! If it weren’t for your years of service, I would have you beaten and thrown out!”
Jiang Xingyan lifted her foot and kicked the door open.
“My, my, Mother. Shouting about beatings and killings so soon after waking up?”
The vicious expression hadn’t yet faded from Madame Huo’s face. Staring at her tall, imposing son, she froze mid-action.
This scene is too priceless, Jiang Xingyan thought with dark amusement. I really should let her precious son see this.
Bao Zhu threw herself to her knees with a thud, burying her head low, hiding her handless arms behind her back, not daring to speak.
Yuzhu was afraid that the major general would find a reason to punish her again, so she ignored the tearing pain in her back, struggled to get down from the bench, knelt on the ground, and saluted incoherently.
Madame Huo squeezed out some crocodile tears, playing the weak for her son. “Ci’er, it was all Mother’s fault. I was the one who couldn’t stand that merchant’s daughter entering our family, so I made things difficult for her. Although Yu Zhu suggested many of the harmful ideas, if I hadn’t harbored such malicious thoughts myself, how could such grave mistakes have occurred! Even today, I was still deluded, foolishly thinking I could use His Majesty’s authority in court to make you obey me again. Ending up in this state is entirely my own fault, no one else’s.”
Madame Huo thought that if she took all the blame upon herself, letting Ci’er see her sincerity, he would surely soften. He’d be angry for a few days and then forgive her.
She never expected “Huo Ci” to stare directly at her, his gaze like a sharp arrow piercing through her disguise, laying her filthy, unrepentant heart bare under the clear sky.
For the first time in a staring contest with her son, Madame Huo guiltily averted her eyes.
Jiang Xingyan had no desire to delve deeper with her. She said lightly, “Since Mother recognizes her wrongs, she should stay in the main room and worship Buddha to atone. By His Majesty’s decree, you are stripped of your title of First Rank Lady of the Court, confined to the General’s Manor, and forbidden to leave without summons. From now on, Mother will have plenty of time to copy Buddhist sutras and repent for your sins.”
“What?! My title—!” Madame Huo’s eyes widened in disbelief, her whole body beginning to tremble as she stared at “Huo Ci.”
“Don’t get excited, Mother. I haven’t finished. From this day forward, Jiang Xingyan will be the head of the Huo household. This is not up for debate.”
Madame Huo’s pupils constricted. Her hypocritical mask finally crumbled, unable to hold any longer.
“Huo Ci! You unfilial beast! Your mother isn’t dead yet! How dare you let that little tramp take charge! How dare you commit such sins! Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?!”
A smile curled Jiang Xingyan’s lips as she looked calmly at her mother-in-law, who now resembled a madwoman. An indescribable sense of satisfaction filled her heart.
“If Mother finds it so unacceptable, you could always consider dying sooner.”
“You… you! Beast! Bastard! You don’t even respect your own mother! You don’t deserve to be called human!”
Madame Huo had now completely torn apart, shrieking curses without restraint.
Jiang Xingyan paid her no mind. After all, she was cursing Huo Ci, not her.
She tilted her chin towards Bao Zhu. “Fetch the deeds of sale for all the maids and servants in the manor. These slaves are too lazy and useless. I am selling them all off today. Another day, I will select some better ones and send them over for you, Mother.”
Bao Zhu didn’t dare disobey. She stood up and gestured with her arm towards a pearwood carved cabinet. “General, they are all inside the red sandalwood box there.”
Amid Madame Huo’s roars, Jiang Xingyan retrieved the box and carefully looked through the deeds.
Bao Zhu broke out in a cold sweat.
Finally, the Young General’s icy voice asked, “It seems four are missing?”
Her already suspended heart plummeted, dead. Utterly dead.
It seems the Young Lady has told the Young General everything. Nothing can be hidden now.
She hurriedly knelt again, kowtowing like a chicken pecking at rice. “Spare me, Young General! This old slave’s memory is poor, I forgot for a moment. The deeds for the Young Lady’s four personal maids are in a hidden compartment within the box.”
Jiang Xingyan opened the compartment. Seeing the long-lost deeds, her heart ached with sorrow. Those four girls suffered so much following me. Just the other day, they were slapped by Yu Zhu.
Now, all the shackles were broken. Everything was clear and open.
Every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. It’s time to settle the accounts.
Jiang Xingyan threw the red sandalwood box down in front of Bao Zhu.
“Mother committed evils, and you all were her accomplices. Starting tomorrow, I will have the newly appointed instructing matron slap each of you in the face daily at high noon, right in front of Mother. This will continue for three years.”
As soon as Jiang Xingyan stepped out of the main room, a figure threw themselves to their knees with a solid thump before her, kowtowing repeatedly.
“Young General, this old slave knows her crimes are unforgivable! I beg the Young General to grant permission for this old slave to go to the side courtyard and atone for her sins together with the Young Miss!”