Old Master Li decisively made his decision: “That won’t be necessary!” He gritted his teeth and thought for a moment, then suddenly bowed deeply to Old Master Song: “To have raised such a daughter is truly my fault. I dare not shirk responsibility…”

He would have to be insane to dare drag Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan into this whirlpool. Now that the facts were laid bare before them, further struggle was useless and would only deepen the Cui family’s hatred and intensify the Song family’s resentment.

He had no choice… but to abandon this daughter. He sighed slightly in his heart. Although he hadn’t participated in the events back then, he had been happy to see them happen, always feeling that if they could connect with the Earl’s household, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

It was just that the situation back then had been too difficult. He was merely the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, still without support or backing. If he could have a powerful in-law, many things at court would be much more convenient. In fact, over these years he had indeed gained many benefits from this marriage connection, becoming increasingly smooth and successful at court.

Old Madam Li, having lived with her husband for so many years, understood her husband’s decision almost instantly. She couldn’t help but stare at her daughter in shock.

Cui Yingshu threw all the testimonies in front of Old Master Li, not allowing him to plead further with Old Master Song: “Since you’ve admitted it, then provide an explanation!”

Old Master Li couldn’t and didn’t dare continue ignoring Cui Yingshu’s presence. Now that his daughter had harmed this man’s sister, he could only lower himself to the lowest posture, smiling bitterly as he begged for mercy: “Yes, that’s as it should be. It’s just that I don’t know… I don’t know how you wish to deal with her?”

He seemed to have aged many years all at once, his voice hoarse as he implored Old Master Song: “I don’t have many children under my knees, and she is my only legitimate daughter… My wife regards her as her lifeblood. If something happens to her, I fear my wife won’t be able to survive either. Moreover…” He cursed himself somewhat shamefully in his heart, but brazenly continued: “After all, she has also genuinely and sincerely cared for the two children left behind by the first wife.”

How utterly shameless!

Madam Cui couldn’t help but tear up, saying angrily through her crying voice: “Are the Cui family’s legitimate daughters worthless then?! Out of five entire households, we only have two legitimate daughters… Since Tingting’s death, the old madam at home has washed her face with tears day and night, nearly crying herself blind. Moreover, if it weren’t for your daughter being so ruthless and vicious, Tingting would naturally have taken meticulous care of her own children. Where would there be need for her to ingratiate herself?! To harm someone, then care for their children to offset the crime?! What an enormous joke!”

Cui Yingshu had also never seen such a brazenly shameless person. He fiercely held up that stack of confessions before Old Master Li and laughed coldly: “Sending people to Tongzhou to kill her—this is your daughter’s genuine and sincere care?!”

“Then what do you want?!” Old Madam Li wiped her tears and looked viciously at Madam Cui and Cui Yingshu: “Must she pay with her life before you’ll stop?! Even if you kill her now, Cui Shi won’t come back to life!”

Li Shi no longer dared to cry. She stared blankly at her parents, like an ant floating in the middle of a lake, waiting for the people on shore to either extend a leaf or strike her down into the depths.

“Yes, she must pay with her life!” Madam Cui was resolute and unbending as she interrupted Old Madam Li: “Otherwise how can we face Tingting’s spirit in heaven?!”

Clearly there was no benefit to be gained from speaking with Madam Cui, so Old Madam Li turned instead to plead with Old Madam Song: “Cui Shi has been dead for so many years—must Jingshu really pay with her life?! Her health wasn’t very good to begin with. Being frightened and having a difficult labor could happen… Perhaps, perhaps that midwife didn’t even have time to act before she had already passed…”

Her honeyed words only made Madam Cui’s anger flare even higher. She shouted furiously: “Shut your mouth! Where in the world can anyone find someone as shameless as you?! Do you think your unreasonable behavior can help her escape punishment?! You should worry about yourself instead! If it weren’t for you indulging her from behind, your daughter wouldn’t have developed such character!”

Li Shi, who had been sitting there in stunned silence all along, suddenly burst into loud laughter, laughing until tears and mucus ran together.

When she had laughed enough, she stood up and stared at Song Chuyi.

“I certainly have my faults,” she looked at Song Chuyi without blinking, with mockery and pity: “But what about your father?! If he hadn’t been unable to resist temptation, repeatedly taking risks to abandon your pregnant mother to come see me… If he hadn’t obeyed my every word, how could I have lured your pregnant mother to Qingliang Temple to catch us in our affair?!”

Song Chengru and Old Madam Song’s faces turned iron blue.

Li Shi clearly had nothing left to fear. Laughing loudly, she pointed at Song Chengru, Old Madam Song, and all the Song family members one by one: “And that I could successfully become your mother—wasn’t that also thanks to all of you enabling it?! Everyone says I put on a good act of being virtuous, but I don’t believe that First Madam with her sharp eyes couldn’t see what intentions I harbored toward you. Yet didn’t she and Third Madam still stand by and watch you suffer without caring whether you lived or died? You hate me—but do you hate your father? Do you hate your grandfather and grandmother? Do you hate your eldest aunt and third aunt?!”

The thing Old Madam Song and Madam Cui had feared most had finally happened. Both looked worriedly at Song Chuyi.

Li Shi’s words were truly malicious, clearly intended to drive a wedge between Song Chuyi and the Song family.

Song Chengru could no longer bear it. He flicked his sleeve and looked at Old Master Li in fury: “Enough! What’s the point of saying all this now?! If you truly refuse to accept this, then let’s… go to the Court of Judicial Review and have them determine right from wrong!”

To push Song Chengru, who so valued his reputation, to the point of wanting to see officials, it was clear there was no longer any room for reconciliation. Old Master Li didn’t dare further provoke Old Master Song’s wrath. He finally made up his mind to sever his own arm: “Having raised such a daughter, I have no face left and dare not make more of a spectacle for people to laugh at. Since it’s come to this, in-law, give us a clear answer. We’ll do as you say.”

Old Madam Li wanted to speak further but was glared at fiercely by Old Master Li. She could only close her mouth unwillingly.

Old Master Song looked at the Cui couple. Cui Yingshu laughed coldly without hesitation: “Naturally, open the ancestral hall to divorce the wife, and then she pays life for life!”

Given that the Cui family could spend five years investigating Cui Tingting’s death, their regard for her was evident. First Madam had long anticipated this outcome.

Madam Cui looked at the displeased faces of Old Master Li and Old Madam Li, her tone full of mockery: “And this old madam here—so decisive in killing, even fiercer than bandits. I fear that someday she might corrupt her granddaughter again and raise another Li Shi. Then our Cui family truly would have no defense against it.”

Old Master Li dared not negotiate further conditions. He knew that just now Old Madam Li and Li Shi had already exhausted the Cui family’s patience. The fact that the Cui family was still willing to settle this privately was only because Song Chuyi and Song Yan both carried the Song surname. If they were pushed too far…