Cui Yingshu didn’t know how much Old Master Li knew about this matter, but it didn’t prevent him from feeling disgust toward the Li family members at this moment.
He rose to his feet and stood in front of Song Chuyi, laughing coldly at Old Master Li: “I’ve only heard of men telling women not to interrupt when they’re talking, never heard of not allowing victims to speak during an investigation. The Li family has such heavy rules—the Cui family is ashamed of its inferiority!”
When it came to rules, who could be more proper than the Four Great Families that had endured for hundreds of years? Old Master Li’s face turned purple with rage, and he flicked his sleeve to rebuke Old Madam Li: “You shut your mouth!”
However, Old Madam Li refused to let matters rest. She even threw Li Shi aside, strode forward several steps, grabbed Song Chuyi’s sleeve, jerked her violently to her side, and began scratching and clawing wildly.
Cui Yingshu couldn’t react in time. By the time he did, he was furious to the extreme, yet his upbringing wouldn’t allow him to strike a woman, so he trembled all over with rage.
“How much suffering has your mother endured for you, how many hardships has she eaten?! You heartless little wretch, who knows what few words of instigation you heard, joining with outsiders to frame your mother… I’ll beat you right now on behalf of the Song family, you unfilial daughter whose elbow bends outward!” Old Madam Li jabbed her finger into Song Chuyi’s forehead, poking her until she kept leaning backward.
Old Madam Song had already stood up in shock, saying angrily: “What are you doing?!”
First Madam supported Old Madam Song, her face also showing dissatisfaction and disdain.
In that split second, only Madam Cui immediately reacted, pouncing at Old Madam Li like an eagle, fiercely grabbing Old Madam Li’s hair and yanking it backward.
Old Madam Li’s scalp was pulled so tight it went numb, and she had no choice but to release Song Chuyi.
Madam Cui immediately seized the opportunity to kick viciously at the back of her knees, then heavily pushed her to the ground.
Everyone in the room was dumbstruck. Only Old Madam Song repeatedly called for Yulan to bring Song Chuyi over, personally examining her from top to bottom, then looking at Old Madam Li with uncontrollable fury: “Just now we were speaking of rules, and now I’ve truly witnessed firsthand the Li family’s so-called great rules! Could it be that In-law Old Madam has forgotten that this is not your Li family’s reception hall, but our Earl’s residence! What reason is there for beating our household’s young lady in our Earl’s residence?!”
Old Madam Li had long since stopped fearing Old Madam Song. Hearing this, she laughed coldly while supporting herself on First Madam of the Li family who had rushed over to help her stand, asking almost maniacally: “Old Madam speaks so nicely! Right now my daughter is about to be wrongly accused to death—how can I care about rules?! These several years since she married in, everyone has seen how she’s conducted herself. Toward the children left behind by Cui Shi, she’s been so careful she feared they’d melt in her mouth or fall from her hands. How many people in this world could achieve this?! Yet even so, Old Madam, your heart is biased. Whatever people say is what it is. The Cui family brings out a few people to say Jingshu harmed Cui Shi, and you actually believe it. I truly feel cold-hearted for my daughter—raising a daughter for so many years, only to raise an ungrateful wretch!”
Old Madam Song was so angry her heart and liver trembled. She pointed at Old Madam Li with a trembling finger, grinding her teeth with rage: “In-law Madam need not mock me for being biased. If I were truly biased, all these years of finding fault with your precious daughter would have been enough to divorce her!”
Song Chuyi’s patience had reached its limit. She suddenly stepped past Old Madam Song and walked to Old Master Song’s side, staring coldly at Old Master Li: “Old Master, you want evidence—I have evidence here. It’s just that with your household’s old madam making such a scene, no matter how much evidence there is, she’s muddling it all away with her unreasonable behavior. You needn’t think that by letting her create chaos, you can sweep this matter under the rug…”
Madam Cui quickly glanced at Old Madam Li, cursing “old fox” in her heart, then raised her chin and took over from Song Chuyi: “Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to enter the palace and lodge an imperial complaint!”
Old Madam Li wanted to keep making a scene until the matter was swept away, but she had to see whether the Cui family would take her bait.
Old Master Li couldn’t help but stare again at this young girl he had never taken seriously before. His gaze remained gloomy as he watched for quite a while, yet this young girl showed no sign of fear. Secretly alarmed inside, on the surface he could only cough a few times and force himself to remain composed: “Since there’s evidence, present it all.”
Song Chuyi brushed her loose strands of hair behind her ear and calmly waved at Nanny Huang.
Nanny Huang had already presented the signed and sealed testimonies of Li Gui and the others, along with Lianyi’s testimony and the testimonies of that group of thugs and ruffians identifying Li Gui.
There were even signed and sealed testimonies from the several nuns at Qingliang Temple who had kept watch for Song Yi and Li Shi back then.
The more Old Master Li read, the colder his heart became. Finally, unable to contain his震怒, he waved his hand and heavily slapped his daughter across the face.
“How dare you do such things that disgrace the Li family’s门楣!”
Li Shi was struck so hard her head turned to the side. On her jade-white face, a clear handprint appeared instantly, quickly swelling up high. Her face ashen as death, she looked at Old Madam Li, hoping her mother could save her from such dire straits.
First Madam of the Li family coldly watched the scene before her, couldn’t help but reveal an expression of contempt as if she’d expected this, and looked at her husband beside her as if in demonstration.
Old Madam Li rushed forward to shield her daughter, clinging to her husband’s hands through tears: “Enough! These testimonies could also be confessions extracted under torture… With the Cui family’s power and influence, what couldn’t they do?! They’re just bullying our daughter…”
“No one wants to bully your daughter!” Old Madam Song finally regained her senses, laughing with disdain at Old Madam Li: “Rather, she’s been the one bullying Little Yi all along. With so much evidence laid before you and you still don’t believe it—do you really want to go clarify everything before His Majesty?!”
Right now the matter could still be contained. The Cui family hadn’t insisted on making it public. The best course was to come up with a solution privately, rather than letting the matter become a laughingstock throughout the capital.
Otherwise, once it spread that Li Shi had been involved with Song Yi before marriage, and had even dared to harm Song Yi’s legitimate wife to death for the position of principal wife, not only would the Li family be infamous and lose all face, but Song Yi and even the Song residence would be disgraced as well.
Old Madam Li remained unconvinced and wanted to argue further, but Old Master Li clearly knew the Cui family wouldn’t let this rest. If they didn’t make some gesture today, the Cui family truly would dare to lodge an imperial complaint.
And if they lodged an imperial complaint… Cold sweat kept flowing down. He felt the clothes under his arms were soaked through.
Song Chuyi knew that the one who truly made decisions in the Li family was still Old Master Li, so she turned to look at him: “If you and Old Madam feel the evidence isn’t sufficient, I have two more witnesses here. I wonder if you two would like to see them as well?”
Old Madam Li snorted coldly, her eyes blurred with tears as she laughed in extreme anger: “See them, of course we want to see them! Who are they?”
“His Highness the Grand Prince and the second son of Prince Zhennan, Ye Jingchuan.” Song Chuyi’s lip curve deepened: “Since Old Madam wants to see them, I’ll have someone go invite them.”