Su Mingpei waited at Imperial Physician Wang’s residence for over an hour without seeing anyone and finally lost his temper. “What is wrong with you servants? How dare you neglect this Heir?!”
The little maid replied politely, “Young Master, our master is busy today and not receiving guests.”
Su Mingpei scolded, “So undisciplined! How dare you speak so casually before this Heir? No ‘this servant’ or ‘that servant’—what kind of decorum is that?!”
The maid gave a snort of laughter. “Young Master, who even are you?”
A surge of humiliation rushed through Su Mingpei.
“I am Su Mingpei, Heir of the Marquis of Weiyuan!”
The maid answered crisply, “Young Master Su, our master said he doesn’t know you. Please leave.”
Even if the master of the Marquis Residence fell ill, Imperial Physician Wang wouldn’t make a house call—let alone for this Heir, who came requesting treatment for a courtesan. Was he mad?
“If the young master doesn’t need a physician, perhaps call a Daoist priest to exorcise whatever evil is clinging to him!”
Su Mingpei’s chest heaved with fury. “Insolent! Kneel before this Heir at once!”
The maid gave him a cold glance and walked away without a word.
Just a destitute noble begging for a consultation, and yet he dared to throw his weight around at the physician’s estate? Her eyes were filled with unmistakable ridicule.
Su Mingpei trembled with rage.
Good, Physician Wang. In his past life, he had saved the man’s life, and now he sent a mere maid to humiliate him? In this life, if Wang ever faced danger again, he could forget about getting help.
Su Mingpei flung his sleeve and left in a huff.
He had made bold claims about calling in an Imperial Physician for Litang, but now that he failed, he couldn’t go back to the Courtesan House empty-handed. He ordered Shuqi to get a regular doctor from a clinic and returned to the residence.
Though Su Mingpei was reborn, he couldn’t remember the exact questions from the last life’s Imperial Exam. It seemed he still had to study.
In the past life, he had become the final disciple of the renowned scholar Li Daren. Thinking back to what happened at Physician Wang’s estate, Su Mingpei resisted the urge to go seek out the scholar right away and decided to return to the residence to prepare first.
Li Daren didn’t accept just anyone as a disciple.
In his previous life, he had written an essay that amazed the scholar and earned his mentorship. This time, he would write the same essay again before visiting him personally.
…
Meanwhile, Su Shuyao only chuckled when she heard that Su Mingpei had gone to summon an Imperial Physician for Litang.
According to her calculations, around this time in her previous life, Su Mingpei should have been seeking mentorship from Scholar Li.
Li Daren had once been the Crown Prince’s tutor and rarely accepted disciples.
He was obsessed with chess. In the past life, Su Shuyao had spent a fortune on a set of white jade chess pieces and collected rare chess manuals to gift him.
Even then, Li Daren had refused to accept her brother as a disciple—he had only agreed to critique three of his essays.
By sheer coincidence, Su Shuyao had once saved Li Daren’s daughter, and only then did her brother gain entry as his final disciple.
So her brother’s success in apprenticing under the scholar had entirely depended on her.
But in the end, he had claimed it was his own Autumn Chrysanthemum Essay that had moved the scholar.
That ridiculous essay wasn’t even worth a glance.
This time, he was bound to fail.
Then, Su Shuyao had the Yuan family’s token returned, clearly stating her intent to dissolve the engagement.
It was best to sever ties with Yuan Zu early.
As soon as the Yuan family received the token, they sent someone to inform Madam Wan.
Soon, a maid arrived to summon her. “Eldest Miss, Madam requests your presence.”
“Right away.” Su Shuyao closed her ledger with a calm tone.
Just as she stepped into the gate of Chunjing Garden, a familiar scent of sandalwood hit her nose.
A small prayer hall had been set up in the garden, where Madam Wan burned incense and chanted daily.
When Su Shuyao entered, Madam Wan was copying scriptures.
“Madam, Eldest Miss is here,” the maid announced.
Madam Wan didn’t stop writing, nor did she look up. Su Shuyao stood there for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before Madam Wan finally put down her brush.
“Shuyao, are you still angry at your mother?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” Su Shuyao lowered her head.
Madam Wan sighed. “Mother didn’t want to be harsh, but your sister’s reputation was at stake. I struck you in a moment of panic.”
“Come here. Let Mother see—does it still hurt?”
She extended her hand.
Su Shuyao hesitated.
It had been like this in the last life too—Madam Wan would slap her one moment and offer a sweet date the next, keeping her tightly controlled.
“Thank you for your concern, Madam. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Her voice was light.
Madam Wan picked up her prayer beads again and smiled kindly. “Since it doesn’t hurt, then what’s the meaning of returning the betrothal token to the Yuan family?”
“Next, are you going to slander Mingzhu everywhere?”
Su Shuyao smiled.
Madam Wan didn’t care about her engagement at all—what she worried about was the shame the broken engagement might bring to Su Mingzhu.
This was clearly a veiled threat.
Madam Wan’s favoritism had no bounds.
She wondered what expression Madam Wan would wear once she discovered that Su Mingzhu wasn’t her biological daughter at all—but the child of the Marquis’s concubine.
After she was beaten to death in the previous life, her resentful spirit lingered around the residence. She had seen with her own eyes a well-dressed middle-aged woman approach Su Mingzhu and tell her she was her real mother.
While she was lost in thought, Su Mingpei supported Su Mingzhu out from behind the screen.
Su Mingzhu’s eyes were red—clearly, she had been crying.
“Su Shuyao, how could you spread such slander!” Su Mingpei glared as if he wanted to tear her apart.
“Just because things didn’t work out between you and Yuan Zu, how can you blame Mingzhu?!”
In the past life, it had been the same. Because of Yuan Zu, Su Shuyao had always targeted Mingzhu.
Poor Mingzhu.
“You must apologize to her today. Otherwise, Mother will invoke the Family Law, and I won’t stop her!”
Madam Wan said, “Shuyao, don’t blame your mother for being harsh. This isn’t the first time you’ve slandered Mingzhu. If this continues, how will she ever marry? She’s already suffered enough…”
“Very well. I apologize.”
Su Shuyao lowered her head, looking docile. Madam Wan was pleased with her attitude and continued belittling her, “Even though your engagement with the Yuan family was arranged by the old madam, to be fair, it should’ve been Mingzhu’s. She is the rightful eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis Residence. You just made a fuss and refused to yield, and the whole family gave in to you. Mingzhu merely spoke a few words with Yuan Zu, and you wouldn’t let it go…”
“Don’t worry, Madam. I won’t speak of it again.” Her tone was icy and emotionless. “I simply don’t want this engagement anymore.”
“Please don’t be like this, Sister!” Su Mingzhu twisted her fingers and stamped her foot. “Sister, I never meant to break you and your fiancé apart!”
“He’s not my fiancé if we’re not married yet.” Su Shuyao’s voice was calm. “The engagement was nothing more than a casual promise from the elders—hardly binding. The birth documents were never exchanged. As of today, let’s never mention the Yuan family again.”
Su Mingzhu asked softly, “Sister, do you really not want this engagement?”
Truthfully, she quite enjoyed being the favored one, the darling of the household.
Stealing someone Su Shuyao cared about was great fun.
Watching Yuan Zu being completely smitten while Su Shuyao fumed had been hilarious.
If Su Shuyao voluntarily backed out of the engagement, life would lose much of its amusement.
Su Shuyao lowered her head and gave a soft laugh. Her voice was firm. “I don’t want it.”
She didn’t want anything from the Marquis Residence anymore.
Madam Wan said, “Without the Yuan family, where will you find a better match?”
In short, marrying into the Yuan family was above your worth.
Su Shuyao gave a serene smile. “Even courtesan girls can marry the Heir of the Marquis Residence. Why can’t a decent and clean girl like me find a husband?”
Su Mingpei exploded, “Su Shuyao, what did you say?! Are you looking to die?!”
He rushed forward and raised his fist.
Su Shuyao calmly looked up. “If you hurt me, who will smooth things over with the Tang family when they break off the engagement?”
His fist stopped mid-air. Su Mingpei clenched his teeth and withdrew his hand. “Speak to the Tang family properly. Don’t offend anyone.”