It seemed as if thunder was rumbling in the skies.
Madam Wang’s hands and feet turned ice-cold. She pointed at Qi Yuan, unable to utter a single word.
It was true—her relationship with her maiden family had not been pleasant.
Back then, this marriage was actually not meant for her, but for her elder legitimate sister. But she had fallen in love with Qi Zhen at first sight and forced her father to swap the betrothal by threatening her life, seizing the marriage for herself.
No one knew about this.
Old Madam Wang and the rest of the Madam Wang family would never speak of it.
And she herself would never mention it!
So how did Qi Yuan know?!
“You… who are you really?” Madam Wang stared at Qi Yuan, trembling as she pointed at her.
Qi Yuan’s expression remained cold as she gestured at her own face. “What? Even this face can’t prove it to you? Madam, I once respected you as an elder, which is why I never said these things before.”
Madam Wang clutched at her chest, feeling breathless and suffocated.
Qi Yuan grabbed her wrist, her face dark as she said coldly, “But now, I feel I can’t even see you as an elder anymore. Have you ever thought about why Qi Jin is so heartless, repays kindness with ingratitude, and why Qi Yunting is so arrogant and lawless? It’s because when the beam is crooked at the top, the lower beams will also be slanted!”
When the upper beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked!
Madam Wang’s face went deathly pale. It felt as if someone had gripped her heart tightly—she could barely breathe.
There was only Baizhi in the room, whose face had gone as white as paper. She glanced at Qi Yuan, then at Madam Wang, her heart pounding wildly as she unconsciously moved closer to Qi Yuan’s side.
All of Madam Wang’s arrogance collapsed in an instant.
She pointed at Qi Yuan again, but this time, her voice was low and trembling, no longer commanding and overbearing.
“You… you’re saying… that I, with a crooked heart, raised children just like me?”
This was the most vicious judgment a mother could receive.
Qi Yuan didn’t answer. She simply let out a cold laugh and asked, “Aren’t you?”
Aren’t you?
Qi Yunting had a proper engagement, yet was entangled with Qi Jin, who wasn’t even related by blood.
He was violent towards his sister, abusive towards servants, and always shouting and hitting.
Qi Jin had two faces—one in public, one in private—beneath her Buddha-like appearance was a snake’s heart.
And who taught them to be like this? Wasn’t it Madam Wang?
Madam Wang could no longer bear it. She closed her eyes and staggered out of the room like a broken soul.
Baizhi looked at Qi Yuan worriedly. “Miss, is it really alright to let Madam leave like this?”
Qi Yuan calmly sat down and sipped her tea. “It’s fine—if she peacefully goes back to her hometown to accompany her son in his studies.”
Everyone should pay the price for their actions.
Madam Wang and Qi Yunting had been stirring up trouble repeatedly. Qi Yuan was thoroughly tired of it.
If she had to kill, she would.
But for Madam Wang, she thought that rather than killing her, it was better to strike her heart.
Letting her open her eyes and truly see what she had become would be more painful than death.
Madam Wang should really spend some time reflecting on what she had done over the years.
Compared to Qi Yuan’s cold detachment, the old madam’s attitude was equally indifferent.
When the second and third madams of the Qi family came to ask what had happened, the old madam sighed and said, “What else could it be? Yunting, that useless fool, ruined such a good marriage. It’s good that his mother takes him back to his hometown to lay low.”
Qi Yunting’s scandal with Qi Jin had indeed spread.
The Xiang family may have said nothing on the surface, but gossiping onlookers cared little about propriety.
So when the old madam spoke this way, the second and third madams simply sighed in response.
The old madam glanced at them and warned coldly, “You’d better keep your children in check. Watch their words and actions carefully!”
The departure of Qi Yunting’s mother was like a stone sinking into the sea—it caused no waves at all.
Meanwhile, in the palace, the delicately made-up Noble Consort Xiao Zou slammed her hand warmer onto the table and angrily scolded, “You’re far too impatient!”
Across from her, Qi Wang sat lazily on his beauty couch, casually laughing, “Royal Mother, it’s not a big deal. Besides, what does it have to do with me?”
A spoiled child couldn’t tolerate even the smallest grievance.
Noble Consort Xiao Zou frowned. “What was the rush?! The imperial marriage was granted just yesterday, and today your future Wangfei is already dead. Even if it’s not officially connected to you, do you think the rumors sound good?”
Qi Wang’s expression turned cold. “What do I care about rumors? Wasn’t the one who quarreled with her the eldest miss of the Qi family?”
He leaned lazily on the couch, his face carrying a trace of icy arrogance. “She fell and died in front of everyone’s eyes. I didn’t say a single word.”
Noble Consort Xiao Zou closed her eyes in irritation. “Don’t play tricks with me! I know what you’ve done. You’ve always been like this—anything you dislike, you destroy and toss aside, unwilling to see it again. But this time, you’ve been too rash!”
Qi Wang remained indifferent. “I didn’t want to see her for even one more second. That fool.”
The two of them held their stalemate for a moment before Noble Consort Xiao Zou snorted. “That Qi Yuan—what sort of person is she?”
At the mention of Qi Yuan, a strange smile crept onto Qi Wang’s face. “She’s the type who thinks she knows the past and the future, who believes she can change things—an arrogant fool.”
What nonsense.
Noble Consort Xiao Zou scoffed. “What’s the point in fussing over a little girl? The Emperor’s investigation is tightening—have you extracted anything from Qi Zhen yet? You’d better hurry, or someone else will beat us to it. If that happens, everything we’ve worked for will be ruined!”
Speaking of serious matters, Qi Wang stopped bickering and nodded. “I’ll find another way. That cunning old fox Qi Zhen… maybe it’s time to teach his daughter a lesson.”
Noble Consort Xiao Zou didn’t care who he taught a lesson to. She massaged her temples lightly and said coldly, “As long as you understand the stakes. This must never be exposed.”
Just then, a palace eunuch entered cautiously and reported in a low voice, “Your Highness, the Emperor has summoned His Highness.”
When she heard it was Emperor Yongchang, Noble Consort Xiao Zou immediately gave Qi Wang a warning look. “Don’t escalate the matter any further.”
They couldn’t afford to make a big scene right now.
If the Emperor kept digging, they might even unearth the matter of Han Yue’e’s past.
That would be like smashing their own feet with a rock.
Qi Wang agreed with a smile.
As Noble Consort Xiao Zou watched her son leave, she exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Qi Yuan… what an interesting little thing.”
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