The room fell into dead silence for a moment.
Su Yuan was stunned. Concubine Yun and her daughter, who had been watching the drama unfold, changed their expressions, looking at her with suspicion and shock. Su Ziyuan, on the other hand, sprang to his feet, his emotions running high as he asked, “Wu’er, what… what do you mean by that?!”
Su Yuewu, struggling to contain her excitement but unable to hide it completely, curved her lips into a smile. “Exactly what you think, Father.”
She admitted frankly, “Father, Brother, I have been selected.”
Concubine Yun, seeing Su Yuewu’s triumphant expression, clenched her fingers so tightly she nearly drew blood from her palms. Yet, her face still maintained a gentle and graceful appearance. “Child, didn’t you tell Nanny Zhou earlier that you had failed the selection? Why have you changed your story now? Could it be that you’re making up lies to avoid marrying my nephew because you look down on him?”
She still didn’t believe it!
Men in this world were all the same—they liked gentle, obedient women who could please them without causing trouble.
Su Yuewu’s temperament was anything but gentle and obedient. Even though she had a beautiful face, did the emperor lack beauties?
Given Su Yuewu’s past actions, it would already be magnanimous of His Majesty not to seek revenge on her. How could he possibly take her into the harem?
It must be nonsense! It must be!
Su Yuewan chimed in sweetly at the right moment, “Elder Sister, I know you look down on Cousin, but you can’t joke about the emperor’s will. One moment you say you failed, the next you say you were selected. If this spreads, it would be a grave crime of slandering His Majesty for being fickle. It might even implicate the family. Have you not thought about Father and Brother?”
As soon as she said this, the two men in the room exchanged glances, their expressions shifting repeatedly. When they looked at Su Yuewu again, there was a hint of suspicion in their eyes.
Su Yuewu looked at her concubine-born sister, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Su Yuewan had truly inherited Concubine Yun’s talent. With just a few words, she had blocked all possible paths. Whether Su Yuewu had been selected or not, the crime of slandering the emperor’s will had already been pinned on her.
Unfortunately, she was destined to be disappointed.
“Yuewan, when did I ever say I failed the selection?”
Su Yuewu mimicked her tone, feigning innocence and surprise. “Words should not be spoken carelessly. Even though everyone in this room is family, who knows if some heartless, shameless creature might spread it outside? If that happens, I would be guilty.”
This was almost an open insult.
Su Yuewan’s face flushed with anger. “What do you mean by that, Sister? It was clearly what you told Nanny Zhou. Why are you denying it now?”
“Nanny Zhou said it, did she?” Su Yuewu’s voice suddenly turned cold, her gaze shifting. “Concubine Yun, please summon her for me. I want to ask her properly when she ever heard the word ‘failed’ from my lips. Daring to falsely accuse her master with such matters—she should be dragged out and beaten to death!”
Concubine Yun’s face paled.
She remembered now—when Nanny Zhou reported to her, the little wretch had indeed never explicitly said she had failed.
So it was premeditated all along. Had she really been selected…?
Concubine Yun felt as if struck by lightning. She swayed slightly, barely managing to conceal the venom in her eyes.
Why… why was Jiang Fu’an’s daughter so lucky…?
“Mother, what’s wrong?” Su Yuewan cried out in alarm, quickly supporting her, then turned teary eyes toward Su Yuewu, pleading, “Sister, why must you be so aggressive? Whatever you said, Mother and I will pretend we never heard it. Mother’s health is poor, and only Nanny Zhou serves her most properly. I beg you to spare her and leave Mother a way out.”
Concubine Yun also regained her composure, biting her lip as she looked toward Su Ziyuan. Her almond-shaped eyes glistened with tears, appearing delicate and pitiful, silently echoing her daughter’s words.
Yet she received only what could be described as a perfunctory, reassuring glance in return.
At this moment, Su Ziyuan truly couldn’t spare much thought for his beloved concubine.
Having been immersed in the officialdom for many years, he could naturally tell that his eldest daughter was not lying—otherwise, how could she have such confidence?
Excitement, agitation, regret…
A mix of emotions swirled within him, but ultimately, joy prevailed.
He stroked his beard, a doting smile spreading across his face. “A Wu, your father believes you. I’ve known since you were young that you were destined for greatness. Among my three daughters, you are the one I cherish most.”
Even Su Yuewu couldn’t help but marvel at her father’s thick skin.
One moment he was glaring coldly, and the next, he had transformed into the world’s most affectionate father.
She deliberately replied, “What greatness do I possess? My conduct is improper, and my reputation is utterly ruined. I should just obediently wait to marry Cousin Yun.”
Having his own words thrown back at him, Su Ziyuan showed no embarrassment, merely chuckling twice. “Wasn’t I doing it for your own good? Think carefully—if you hadn’t been selected this time, could you have found a better husband than your cousin?”
“A Wu, you’ve grown up. You should understand right from wrong and the ways of the world. That’s why, even though I love you dearly, I can no longer indulge you as I did when you were a child. But you must remember—we are bound by blood. You bear the surname Su, and you are my daughter, Su Ziyuan’s child. That will never change.”
His words, filled with emotion and sentiment, carried a subtle undercurrent of coercion.
Since they were father and daughter, their fates were intertwined—glory and disgrace shared.
Su Ziyuan had thought it through clearly.
If Su Yuewu gained favor in the palace, even if she didn’t assist him directly in the next two years, his status as the father of a favored consort would smooth his path in officialdom. Correspondingly, if he rose swiftly, achieving titles and high office, wouldn’t Su Yuewu also share in the glory?
Su Yuewu looked at her father, whose eyes gleamed with calculation, and sighed softly.
He seemed to be thinking only of the best possible outcome.
But what if she failed to win the emperor’s favor this time? What if she remained unnoticed or even incurred his wrath?
Su Yuewu didn’t need to think twice to know that her father would surely withdraw like a turtle retracting its neck, distancing himself to protect his own interests, then angrily blame her for her lack of ambition.
“Father, rest assured. I, too, studied the classics with my brother for several years. The Book of Rites says, ‘A son does not speak of his father’s faults.’ Moreover, you have not truly done anything wrong. I left the Eastern Palace without permission and incurred the Crown Prince’s displeasure—that was an act of disobedience and filial impiety. Your anger was justified. Yet even so, you never once struck me, nor did you stint on my food, clothing, or allowances. I remember all of that.”
Su Ziyuan hadn’t expected her to speak with such insight. Before he could feel gratified, Su Yuewu continued, “But the Book of Rites also says, ‘One who bears a grudge against one’s parents cannot share the same world with them.’ My mother’s death is inextricably linked to Madam Yun.”
Concubine Yun looked up in disbelief, a flicker of terror flashing in her eyes.
Su Ziyuan’s face instantly darkened. “Wu’er, what do you mean by this?”
Su Yuan, who had remained silent all this time, also frowned and spoke up. “A Wu, do not be impertinent.”
Su Yuewu completely ignored Su Yuan and only gave Su Ziyuan a gentle, graceful smile, like the most filial daughter imaginable. “Father, what are you thinking? I know how deeply you care for Madam Yun. Even for your sake, I would not take her life. It’s just that with her managing the household, I can never feel at ease. After all, she is not the only concubine in this mansion. Why not have her hand over the household authority?”
The other concubine in the mansion, Madam Feng, was the dowry maid of Su Yuewu’s mother.
Back then, after her mother had been married into the Su family for a year without conceiving, she took the initiative to promote Madam Feng to become Father’s chamber maid. The eldest illegitimate brother, Su Yuze, was born to Madam Feng.
Madam Feng was a well-behaved woman, loyal and devoted to her mother. Father did not like this kind of temperament, and by extension, he also disliked the dull and reticent eldest illegitimate son. Over the years under Madam Yun’s management, the mother and son had become practically invisible.
Su Yuewu knew that with her current status as a newly selected candidate, she was not yet in a position to make Father deal with Madam Yun, the apple of his eye.
So, she would do what she could, step by step, biding her time. One day, she would make Madam Yun and her daughter pay in blood for their debts.