“If Li Weisu is really forcing the issue, then it must be with Duke Cao’s support. Have someone from your family go hang a rope on their front gate. Say the Duke’s family has pushed someone to the point of suicide. If this gets to the emperor, they’ll be the ones in the wrong. Dealing with a shameless pest like this requires a trick just as shameless.”
All four girls: “…”
Xu Nanxi was so shocked she dropped her handkerchief. Oh my god, she thought—compared to what her mother did back then, Mingxi had really shown mercy.
Chu Qingying also thought back to the advice Mingxi had given her earlier—at the time, she thought it harsh, but now she realized that Mingxi had actually left her father and brother with a way out. Compared to suicide threats, lowering her head a bit was nothing.
Liu Yunhua gave her a big thumbs-up.
Yao Yunyi’s eyes lit up. She looked at Mingxi eagerly. “Then I’ll go!”
“You?” Mingxi looked at her. “Do you not want to get married anymore?”
“If not me, then who?”
Mingxi tapped her on the forehead. “Silly girl. Your reputation is worth more than Li Weisu’s. Have one of your brothers do it. If they take the stand, people will only praise them—saying the young masters of the Guangxiang Marquis’ family are brave, loyal, and upright.”
“But if you go hang a rope on Duke Cao’s gate, people will think you’re hot-tempered, impulsive, and suicidal. Who would dare marry a girl like that? I’m not helping you—I’d be ruining you. Your family would come for my life.”
Realization dawned on Yao Yunyi. “You’re right. Since they’ve got a third son, I’ll send my third brother!”
She was too fired up to sit still another second. “I’m going back right now to talk to him. He’ll agree—Li Weisu has already disgusted the whole family.”
The others didn’t try to stop her.
Xu Nanxi warned, “Just make sure it’s a fake scene—have your brother’s bodyguard follow him. Don’t let anything really happen.”
“Of course,” Yunyi said, waving goodbye as she rushed off.
The four of them remained, and Chu Qingying said, “Now this should settle things, right?”
Liu Yunhua replied, “It definitely will. Even if Duke Cao’s household has the Empress backing them, they wouldn’t dare push the third young master of Guangxiang Marquis’s household to death. That would truly be a mortal feud.”
“This whole thing was disgusting from the start, and now with Mingxi’s idea, Duke Cao’s reputation is ruined for good. Even the Empress in the palace will have a headache over this,” Liu Yunhua sneered.
“But why would Duke Cao’s household target Yunyi in the first place?” Chu Qingying asked, puzzled.
With the Empress as a connection, Li Weisu shouldn’t have had trouble finding a well-born bride. Why insist on Guangxiang Marquis’s daughter?
Xu Nanxi thought for a moment. “Have you all forgotten? Yu Wang is still exiled and can’t return to the capital.”
“You mean, Duke Cao’s household wants to use this marriage alliance to ease Guangxiang Marquis’s anger? But wouldn’t that just add fuel to the fire?” Chu Qingying shook her head. “That’s such a foolish move.”
“You’re being too naive. The two families already have a grudge, so there’s no way the marriage would happen. They’re just trying to use crooked tricks—thinking once the marriage is arranged and Yunyi marries over, the old grudges would be hard to bring up again between in-laws.”
“What a shameless, calculating move,” Liu Yunhua scoffed.
The three of them chatted a bit more before dispersing.
The next day, sure enough, the third young master of Guangxiang Marquis’s household, Yao Xin, brought a hemp rope to Duke Cao’s residence—causing an instant uproar.
Everyone in Duke Cao’s residence was shocked. They never imagined the Marquis’s household would go this far.
Yao Xin, who had been holding back his anger for days, clung to the rope hanging from the main beam and wouldn’t let go no matter how much they tried to persuade him. As the crowd gathered, he began revealing all the nasty things Li Weisu had done.
The faces of Duke Cao’s family turned dark. In the end, their servants had to rush forward and forcibly drag Yao Xin down.
But of course, the Marquis’s servants weren’t going to stand by and watch their young master get manhandled—they rushed in too.
And just like that, it turned into a brawl.
The whole capital was soon buzzing about it. The Emperor summoned both Guangxiang Marquis and Duke Cao into the palace. Duke Cao, knowing he was in the wrong, naturally denied all knowledge and blamed it entirely on his son, pleading his case before the Emperor.
Seeing Duke Cao’s shamelessness, Guangxiang Marquis, reminded of how his daughter had been forced into such desperate measures, couldn’t let him get away with it.
He pinched his thigh hard, tears instantly springing to his eyes. He threw himself onto the palace floor, weeping bitterly, begging the Emperor to bring justice for his daughter.
Marriage had always been a matter of mutual consent—who ever heard of forcing someone like this?
His poor daughter had done nothing wrong, yet her reputation in the capital was being ruined by Li Weisu.
Since Duke Cao was pushing everything onto his son, Guangxiang Marquis latched onto Li Weisu as the target, vowing not to rest until he was thoroughly punished.
Soon, both the Empress and Consort Xian heard about the incident. Consort Xian was so furious she almost passed out. She cried all the way to the Chongzheng Hall, kneeling beside her brother and unable to say a word.
The Emperor, upon seeing her, was reminded of Yu Wang and the whole scandal from before. Though Yu Wang had been reckless, it was Xingan Marquis that had fanned the flames behind the scenes.
And who stood behind the Marquis family?
The Emperor had sided with the Crown Prince back then and punished Yu Wang—but seeing Duke Cao’s behavior today, his face darkened with rage.
Meanwhile, Consort Shu was leisurely sipping her tea. If Consort Xian were smart, she’d take this chance to speak on Yu Wang’s behalf.
Though it was the Emperor who had punished Yu Wang, Duke Cao’s current conduct had clearly crossed the line.
“Niang Niang!” Hu Momo entered quickly and curtsied. “Song Momo from Consort Gui’s palace is here. She says Consort Gui invites you to tea at the Yuchen Palace.”
Consort Shu raised her eyebrows and slowly got up. “Then let’s go.”
It seemed Consort Gui had sensed an opportunity to strike at the Empress. Of course, Consort Shu wouldn’t miss out on the fun.
This farce ended with Li Weisu being flogged thirty times and Duke Cao apologizing to Guangxiang Marquis.
Upon hearing the outcome, Consort Gui’s expression soured. “That’s it? Consort Xian really is…”
…Incompetent!
Consort Shu sighed. With such a golden opportunity, Consort Xian failed to seize it. Looks like Yu Wang’s return to the capital would be delayed again.
“The Empress really is formidable,” Consort Shu said with a smile. “None of us can match her.”
Consort Gui frowned and looked at her. “So we just let this go?”
“What else can we do? His Majesty favors that side. What power do we have?” Consort Shu’s face turned a little bitter. “They say Jin Wang isn’t favored and Duan Wang risks his life at the front lines. People say how glorious it is, but as his mother, I spend every night sleepless. I’d rather he stay safe in the capital.
“Sister Gui, look at them—they gain glory without lifting a finger, people just hand it over. Compared to that, our children…”
She sighed softly.
Consort Gui, though she recognized the attempt to sow discord, had to admit those words rang true.
“I have an idea,” Consort Gui said, beckoning Consort Shu closer and whispering a few words in her ear.
Consort Shu’s eyes lit up instantly.
