The leftover food and liquid slid down Wei Chenghui’s robe. This action was so sudden that everyone, including Wei Chenghui, hadn’t expected her to be so bold. Even though Wei Chenghui was the dignified Minister of War and quite brave, he still looked rather disheveled.

He laughed in extreme anger and strode to Wuyan’s face. In front of everyone, he slapped this unfilial daughter!

Naturally, Wuyan couldn’t dodge Wei Chenghui’s punishment. She hadn’t intended to dodge anyway. After being struck, her expression remained unchanged, still looking at everyone calmly.

This completely exceeded Wei Chenghui’s expectations. In extreme rage, he laughed coldly, “Good! Consort Wei is truly excellent, so imposing, so formidable!”

Wuyan’s mother saw her husband’s eyes and brows flashing with cold light and couldn’t help trembling all over, crying out in terror, “Master, Wuyan just… just made an unintentional mistake. Please spare Wuyan…”

Wuxia’s lips curved up slightly as she exchanged glances with Madam Wei, standing aside to watch the show.

The other household wives and Wujun and Wulei, who had spoken earlier, all cleverly kept their mouths shut, following the example of the first household wife and eldest daughter, waiting for father’s decision.

It turned out that Wuyan’s mother came from the lowest background. Although the other households couldn’t compare to Madam Wei, whose father was a famous wealthy merchant of the Great Zhou, they were mostly decent – either managing their own businesses or securing minor official positions. Though far from matching son-in-law Wei Chenghui’s power, they still had some status. Who would have thought that among all the children, this fifth household daughter Wuyan would turn out the most beautiful? Who could feel comfortable seeing this? Later, when Fifth Aunt gradually aged and lost her beauty, no longer able to win Wei Chenghui’s favor, gradually everyone inevitably began making things difficult for this mother-daughter pair. After all, Wei Chenghui wouldn’t say much about it.

Unexpectedly, this Wei Wuyan, relying on her beauty, was selected for the palace and rose to prominence overnight. How could these households not feel even more aggrieved? But given her changed status, they naturally didn’t dare offend easily. Except for Madam Wei and her daughter, the others usually showed considerable flattery when they met her. Now hearing that this Wuyan had contracted some women’s ailments and needed to recuperate outside the palace, and hearing Madam Wei say she probably had body weakness and womb coldness that would make it difficult to bear children in the future, weighing both sides, they concluded she had fallen from favor.

Moreover, seeing that Wei Chenghui didn’t perform the usual ceremonies today further confirmed this fact. Everyone felt a sense of vindication, eager to make things difficult and vent all their past resentments.

The eldest son Wuya was born to the second household wife. His nature was quite kind, and seeing the situation, he became urgently anxious, walking to Wuyan’s side and lowering his voice to persuade, “Sister, elder brother is speaking for your own good. You’re not the same as before now. If you want to return to the palace in the future, you’ll still need to rely on the family and father’s influence. Acting so rebelliously just now – how can you still return? Quickly apologize to father and hope he’ll calm his anger and speak on your behalf at court—”

“Thank you, eldest brother,” Wuyan smiled softly, but understood in her heart that it was useless. Wei Chenghui had intended to make things difficult today.

“Let Wuyan guess – father is so angry today because Wuyan obstructed elder sister from selling favors to Consort Zhen in the palace.” She looked at Wei Chenghui and spoke bluntly.

So this bowl was well-thrown. At the very least, it vented some anger for her mother.

Hearing this, Wuya was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say. If this were true, how could father spare her!

“What a sharp tongue! How dare you interfere!” Wei Chenghui sneered and struck again with his palm, showing no mercy.

Wuyan was beaten until her hair became disheveled and her cheeks swollen, looking quite wretched. Her mother Fifth Lady knelt on the ground, muddy tears flowing down her withered cheeks, pleading bitterly, “Master, Master, please spare this poor daughter of your concubine…”

Everyone watched with secret laughter. They heard Wuyan speak softly, “Wuyan deserves death. If father hasn’t finished punishing me, please continue. If the punishment is sufficient, please allow Wuyan and mother to return to our room to pack a few belongings. Wuyan will take mother out of the mansion tomorrow to stay temporarily at a nunnery, to avoid constantly making you angry.”

The children from several households sneered even more, laughing louder, as if they could foresee her future miserable circumstances.

Wei Chenghui didn’t speak for a moment. Wuxia feared that father might find Wuyan disgusting and simply drive her and her mother out like this, which would be disadvantageous. She picked up the broken bowl from the ground, her lips curving slightly, “The meal isn’t finished yet. How can sister leave so soon? Wuyan, come, first finish eating this bowl of rice before leaving.”

She gestured to Wujun and Wulei, and the three stood in front of Wuyan, blocking her path, clearly intending to humiliate her before letting the matter rest.

Madam Wei gave a slight signal, and two serving women who had been arranging food grabbed Fifth Lady’s arms and dragged her aside.

Wuyan didn’t step forward to rescue her. She knew very clearly that even if she risked her life, she still couldn’t win. She had known early on that after offending Wuxia in the palace, returning home would definitely not end well. No matter what, she would have to endure a round of suffering before she could leave. It was just a blood relationship – she had ultimately underestimated her father and sister’s ruthlessness.

One year of seeming prosperity, now that prosperity was exhausted – this was her fate.

“I, Huo Chang’an, will protect you from worry for life.” Remembering that initial promise, her dried-up senses seemed filled with fresh blood.

If she were alone today, she would definitely expose Wuxia’s secret feelings in public. After all, they had once loved the same person surnamed Huo – a youthful folly.

Now that no one could protect her, but her mother needed her protection, she nodded and said, “Fine.”

“Yan’er, don’t…” Fifth Lady cried heartbrokenly. She didn’t understand how things had suddenly evolved to this situation. She cried and begged Madam Wei, “Madam, I kowtow to you. Please beg the master to have eldest daughter spare my poor daughter.”

Madam Wei sighed, but her eyes showed a trace of mockery. “Fifth Lady, if I hadn’t spoken on your behalf, you two would probably be in much worse condition now.”

“What…” Fifth Lady didn’t understand. Wuyan looked at her mother and felt utterly sorrowful. Sometimes she really hated this weak and confused mother, but she was still her mother. She hated her yet loved her deeply. Though she was actually full of fear, she still looked over with a calm expression, “Mother, is submission useful? I used to be like you, but later I understood it’s useless. In this kind of household, only winners have the right to speak. Only by fighting and winning can one be free. If we can’t win in the end, what we can do is accept the outcome.”

Wei Chenghui didn’t stop her, which actually meant he was giving tacit approval. Why didn’t she understand?

Fifth Lady shook her head desperately, her voice hoarse, “Yan’er, please beg the master and eldest daughter. Eldest son, please persuade the master, will you?”

Hearing this, Wuya trembled. His second mother grabbed him tightly, lowering her voice and gritting her teeth, “If you want to die, go ahead and plead for this girl. If you anger your father and first madam, neither of us will have a good ending.”

Madam Wei’s gaze swept over slightly. Wuya shuddered violently and finally pressed his lips tightly, looking at Wuyan with guilt.

Wuyan was already grateful in her heart and nodded lightly at him. Wuxia pursed her lips in a smile, “Wuyan, hold it carefully. Don’t get cut.”

She turned the sharp broken edge of the bowl toward her.

Wuyan knew what she wanted to do. Her wrist had been previously injured by Huo Chang’an and she had always feared porcelain and pottery – not because she was afraid of pain, but because she feared this kind of torment. But she moved her sleeve and still reached out her hand.

“Eh, when did Minister Wei’s household become so poor that they have to use broken bowls for meals?”

With a light, mocking laugh from outside the door, the porcelain bowl in Wuxia’s hand was knocked to the ground by a gust of force, and a silver ingot rolled on the ground.

Her wrist hurt extremely, as if it were about to break. Wuxia looked up in great shock and saw a man with rebellious features leading two attendants walking leisurely in from the doorway. He tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes seeming to smile but not smile, clearly asking her the question.

“Marquis Huo…” she murmured. His expression was normal, but she suddenly trembled, feeling her throat dry and unable to speak.

“Wasn’t eldest daughter quite imposing just now? How come you’re suddenly not talking?” Huo Chang’an clasped his hands behind his back, seeming to find her very boring. He no longer looked at her, his gaze sweeping over Wei Chenghui’s face, “Minister Wei, did this marquis come at a bad time, disturbing your household’s meal?”

What kind of scheming did Wei Chenghui have? His face showed no unusual expression as he spoke lightly, “There was a small matter in the household that made the marquis witness something embarrassing. I pay my respects to the marquis.”

Although Marquis Xiao Yao currently didn’t control military power, in terms of bloodline and noble rank, he was imperial clan. When Wei Chenghui met him, he had to pay respects according to protocol. The entire room suddenly seemed to fall into bleak disarray as everyone hurried to pay respects as well.

“Oh, no need for such ceremony. I, Huo Chang’an, am just a rough person who doesn’t understand etiquette. Eh, why is Fifth Madam kneeling on the ground? This courtesy is rather excessive – Huo cannot accept it.”

Huo Chang’an raised his eyebrows slightly and walked to Fifth Lady, grasping her arms as if to help her up. The two serving women beside her felt a tremendous force strike them, their hands’ tiger’s mouths suddenly going numb, their lower bodies instantly unstable as they fell backward to the ground.

“Useless things! Get up quickly!”

Wei Chenghui shouted loudly. The two serving women quickly rose, looking at Huo Chang’an with trembling fear.

But Huo Chang’an narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over everyone in the room one by one. Though this man was clearly dressed in fine silk robes without a trace of fierceness, everyone he looked at felt terrified. It was said that when this man fought in battles, he had once torn enemies in half with his bare hands.

Everyone’s thoughts varied as they stared intently at this unexpected visitor. But Huo Chang’an’s gaze finally landed on Wuyan’s face.

—

My sincere apologies. I’ve been staying up all night quite often recently, and these past two days I’ve been somewhat out of sorts. I’ve just recovered now. This is the October 19th update. Tomorrow I’ll make up the updates for the 20th and 21st.