The Imperial Sword!
That was an item bestowed by the Emperor himself; seeing the sword was akin to seeing the Emperor. It wasn’t that they didn’t know Wen Lingrao had the Imperial Sword in her possession, but over the years she had never once used it. As time passed, everyone had simply forgotten about this matter.
Now that she mentioned it, the several old men suddenly remembered.
This Heir’s wife was no ordinary young lady of a general’s estate; she was the daughter of the Grand Princess, the older cousin of the Emperor, and she held an item bestowed by the Emperor!
Wen Lingrao watched their ever-changing expressions, sneering in her heart.
She leaned forward a bit more and lowered her voice, “Third Uncle, I still want to ask you one thing—”
“Are the necks of you old fogeys, combined together, harder than the face of the current Imperial Consort Xi?”
As soon as these words came out, Third Uncle’s face instantly turned the color of pig liver.
Imperial Consort Xi was the current Emperor’s most favored consort and the most powerful woman in the inner palace.
But it was exactly this kind of woman who was slapped across the face by Wen Lingrao last time. Afterwards, not only did the Emperor not punish Wen Lingrao, but he even reprimanded Imperial Consort Xi!
This matter had long spread throughout the capital’s aristocratic circles.
If even a figure like Imperial Consort Xi could only swallow her anger after being struck by Wen Lingrao, what the hell were these old fogeys?
Third Uncle’s lips trembled; he couldn’t utter a single word.
The clan elders behind him didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. One by one, they shrank their necks back, wishing they could completely hide themselves.
Wen Lingrao looked at their cowardly states, took a step back, and spoke lightly, “What? Weren’t you just saying you were going to drown me in a pig basket? Why is no one speaking now?”
No one dared to speak.
Wen Lingrao’s gaze bypassed the group of old men and landed on Chu Qirui behind them.
This Heir was currently shrinking in a corner, wishing he could embed himself into the wall. Meeting Wen Lingrao’s gaze, he shuddered, the expression on his face looking worse than if he were crying.
“Husband,” Wen Lingrao called out to him, her voice incredibly gentle.
Chu Qirui trembled all over.
Wen Lingrao smiled and said, “Did you just say you wanted me to kneel, kowtow, and confess my guilt?”
Chu Qirui shook his head desperately, rattling it like a pellet drum.
Wen Lingrao added, “And that you wanted me to hand over my dowry to the public treasury?”
Chu Qirui continued to shake his head, even more violently now.
Wen Lingrao smiled faintly, her tone indifferent: “Then tell me now, what exactly are the rules of your Chu family?”
Chu Qirui opened his mouth but couldn’t squeeze out a single word.
What could he say?
Right now, Chu Qirui’s intestines were green with regret.
If he had known this woman was so difficult to deal with, he never would have listened to those old fogeys and caused such a scene.
Now look, instead of putting her in her place, he had hoisted himself over an open fire to be roasted.
Seeing his cowardly state, Wen Lingrao couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on him.
“I have put down this ledger today,” she pointed at the ledger on the ground. “If you want to read it, look at it carefully. If you don’t, then burn it. It is up to you.”
Third Uncle lowered his head, not daring to look at her.
Wen Lingrao smiled, her tone airy: “However, there is something I must say up front.”
She paused, her voice suddenly turning cold. “From now on, if anyone dares to bring up clan rules or womanly virtues in front of me again, go ask Imperial Consort Xi first if her face still hurts. Once you’ve asked clearly, then you can come speak to me.”
The clan elders were so shocked by Wen Lingrao’s words that they were left speechless.
Wen Lingrao, however, acted as if nothing had happened and turned to walk toward Chu Qirui.
Seeing Wen Lingrao approaching him, Chu Qirui subconsciously backed away until his back hit a pillar with a thud.
“What is the Heir hiding from?” Wen Lingrao smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “We are husband and wife talking, why be so distant?”
She had already stepped right in front of Chu Qirui, the distance between them no more than a foot.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to speak, but found his throat completely dry.
Wen Lingrao leaned in a bit more, almost right against his ear.
“Guess, among the killing methods my father taught me, which one is the most suitable for you?”
Chu Qirui stiffened all over.
He abruptly raised his head and met Wen Lingrao’s eyes. Those eyes still held a smile, but the amusement didn’t reach the depths of her gaze; inside, it was pitch black.
“You dare!” Chu Qirui squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, though his voice trembled violently.
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Wen Lingrao chuckled softly, her voice still incredibly gentle. “During the years my father guarded the Northern Borders, he dealt with no less than eighty, if not a hundred, spies and traitors. There are certain methods that do not harm a person’s flesh, yet can make them beg for life and pray for death, unable to attain either.”
The clan elders couldn’t hear what the two were saying; they only saw Chu Qirui’s face turning whiter and whiter, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
One clan elder wanted to speak, but the person next to him tugged at his sleeve and shook his head, signaling him to stay out of it.
Wen Lingrao continued speaking, her voice so low that only the two of them could hear: “For example, there is a type of poison. After consuming it, it won’t take your life immediately. It will slowly erode your internal organs. At first, it’s just a stomachache, like you ate something bad. Three to five days later, the pain will grow stronger and stronger, hurting so much that you can’t sleep for nights on end. Yet, from the outside, you look no different from a normal person.”
Chu Qirui’s pupils abruptly shrank.
“And further on,” Wen Lingrao said with a beaming smile, “the bones all over your body will start to itch. From the phalanges to the spine, a piercing itch that you cannot scratch. A person won’t be able to help but smash into walls or use a knife to slash their own flesh, but the itch is inside the bones and nothing can stop it. At this time, the mind remains clear, fully and vividly experiencing every fraction of the agony.”
“After a month, when your internal organs are just about completely rotted through, you will start coughing up blood. At first, it will be streaks of blood, then mouthfuls of blood clots. Your eyes, ears, and nose will also seep blood. But you just won’t die. You have to endure this for three to five months, and in the end, amid excruciating pain and unbearable itching, you will claw yourself alive until your entire body is festering before you finally breathe your last.”
“During this period, no matter how many doctors you invite, they won’t be able to find the cause of the illness, only calling it a strange disease.” Wen Lingrao reached out and gently brushed away nonexistent dust from Chu Qirui’s shoulder. “My father said this method is best suited for dealing with those ungrateful traitors who cannot be killed openly. Does the Heir feel this method is worthy of you?”
Chu Qirui began to tremble all over.
“You… you’re talking nonsense!” Chu Qirui violently backed away. “How could there be such a drug! You’re lying to me!”
“Is that so?” Wen Lingrao tilted her head and pulled a tiny porcelain bottle out of her sleeve. The bottle was entirely snow-white, only the size of a thumb, and its mouth was sealed with red wax.
“Does the Heir want to try it? I brought this medicine out from my maternal home. My father said to use it for self-defense.”
Chu Qirui stared fixedly at that bottle, his breathing growing increasingly rapid.
He remembered the rumors about Wen Lingrao’s father, the Great General Defender of the State.
It was said that Great General Wen employed troops like a god, and was incredibly ruthless and merciless toward his enemies. The barbarians in the Northern Borders would tremble in fear at the mere mention of him.
If such a person had some dark, underhanded methods in his possession, Chu Qirui didn’t doubt it one bit.
“If you dare to drug me, my mother will not let you off! The Marquis of Changning’s estate will not let you off!” Chu Qirui hissed hoarsely.
“What is the Heir saying?” Wen Lingrao tucked away the porcelain bottle, her smile turning even sweeter. “It’s not as if I am forcing you to take this medicine. If you accidentally ingest it yourself, or if someone with ulterior motives drugs you, what does that have to do with me?”
“Besides, my mother is the Grand Princess, and my father commands an army of three hundred thousand. Tell me, would the Marquis of Changning’s estate tear all face with my maternal home over an Heir who died from a sudden, violent illness?”
This sentence from Wen Lingrao acted like the final straw, completely crushing Chu Qirui.
His mind buzzed, and his vision went black.
“No… don’t…” Chu Qirui’s lips quivered, and his legs began to go weak.
Wen Lingrao watched him quietly, no longer speaking.
“I… I was wrong…” Chu Qirui suddenly spoke, his voice thick with sobs. “Lingrao, I was wrong… I shouldn’t have treated you like that… I shouldn’t have favored the concubine and destroyed the wife… I shouldn’t have…”
He babbled incoherently. His legs gave out, and with a thump, he dropped to his knees on the ground.
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.
The Heir who was just so arrogant and domineering a moment ago was now kneeling before Wen Lingrao like a stray dog, trembling all over like a sifting husk.
“Don’t drug me… I beg you… I know I was wrong…” Chu Qirui sat on the ground and began to bawl his eyes out like a child. “I don’t want to die like that… It hurts too much… It’s too itchy… I don’t want to…”
He cried so hard it seemed to tear his heart and lungs apart, haphazardly wiping his face with his hands as he wept.
The clan elders were dumbfounded.
Having lived to such an old age, when had they ever seen such a scene?
The dignified Heir of a Marquisate was actually frightened into kneeling and begging for mercy by a few words from his wife.
Wen Lingrao stood there at leisure, watching Chu Qirui wail with great interest.
She tilted her head slightly, as if admiring some entertaining performance.
After a good while, she clicked her tongue lightly, her tone carrying a bit of regret. “You can’t hold on anymore already? I haven’t even finished speaking. My father still has seventeen or eighteen other methods. There is one that makes a person break out in pustules all over that ooze yellow pus, one that makes a person’s bones slowly shatter from the inside out, and also—”
“Stop! Please stop saying it!” Chu Qirui lunged forward abruptly, wanting to hug Wen Lingrao’s legs.
Wen Lingrao took a half-step back, avoiding his touch, her brows furrowing slightly as she revealed an expression of disgust.
Right at this moment, the system notification sound rang in her mind:
[Ding! Drama Queen Quest ‘Intimidate the Scumbag’ completion rate 100%! Distributing rewards…]
[Acquired Special Item: ‘Truth Feather Duster’ x1! Instructions: Using this duster to whip a target can compel the other party to involuntarily blurt out the truth. The harder they are whipped, the more they will speak. Effect lasts for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Note: The feather duster is merely a vessel; its essence is the power of rules. Therefore, please do not dwell on philosophical questions like why a feather duster can make people tell the truth.]
[Host’s Exclusive Aura ‘Crazy Beauty’ permanently activated! Passive Effect: Beauty value is deeply bound to the degree of craziness; the crazier you act, the more beautiful others will find you. Current Level: Beginner (In the eyes of the public, you are just a somewhat unique beauty). Advancement Method: Continue your performance!]
A trace of a smile flashed across the depths of Wen Lingrao’s eyes.
This reward was quite interesting. A Truth Feather Duster? She suddenly felt a bit tempted to test its effects. However, now was not the time.
She gathered her thoughts and looked back down at Chu Qirui, who was crying until snot and tears ran down his face. “Has the Heir cried enough? Get up when you’re done crying, don’t make a public spectacle of yourself here.”
Chu Qirui sobbed, but didn’t dare to move, only staring up at her eagerly.
Wen Lingrao sighed, looking very helpless. “Forget it, with so many elders present today, I will not hold this against you. I will keep that medicine put away for now. If the Heir behaves himself properly in the future and does a good job being the Heir, I naturally won’t have any use for it. But if you harbor any more crooked thoughts?”
She didn’t finish her sentence, merely offering a smile.
That smile, in Chu Qirui’s eyes, was more terrifying than any threat.
He nodded hastily like garlic being pounded in a mortar. “I don’t dare! I won’t dare ever again! From now on, I will listen to everything you say!”
“That won’t be necessary,” Wen Lingrao said indifferently. “You are the Heir, and I am the Heir’s wife. The dignity we ought to have cannot be lacking in the slightest. Do you understand?”
“Understood! Understood!” Chu Qirui responded repeatedly.
Only then did Wen Lingrao nod in satisfaction. She raised her eyes to look at the clan elders who were still in a daze, her smile gentle and accommodating. “Uncles, you have all seen it. The Heir was momentarily muddled just now and spoke some nonsensical words. Now that he realizes his mistakes, this family matter will not trouble you all to worry about.”
The clan elders finally snapped back to reality. Each of them looked embarrassed as they echoed her with dry laughs.
“Yes, yes, yes. How could there be overnight grudges between a husband and wife?”
“It is good that the Heir knows his mistakes and can correct them, it is good.”
“Then we will not disturb you any longer…”
Right at this moment, the gatekeeping servant boy stumbled inside. “Someone from the palace has come!”
“Hic—”
Chu Qirui let out a loud crying hiccup. He jerked his head up, the expression on his face instantly shifting from pure terror to wild ecstasy.
“Someone from the palace has come?” he muttered, repeating the phrase. Suddenly, he scrambled up from the ground on his hands and knees.
“Hahahaha! They’ve come! They’ve finally come!”
Chu Qirui burst into maniacal laughter. He haphazardly wiped his face with his sleeve, smearing his appearance even worse. Paired with his crazed smile, he looked exactly like a clown who had just run off a theatrical stage.
“Wen Lingrao! You are finished! Did you hear that! Someone from the palace has come!” He pointed at Wen Lingrao. “It must be someone sent by Her Highness, Imperial Consort Xi! Or perhaps Prince Min! I knew Her Highness and His Highness the Prince wouldn’t just ignore me! All those things you just said, those threats—hahaha, wait until you are thrown into the palace’s Imperial Prison, let’s see how arrogant you can be then!”
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became.
The clan elders were also startled by this sudden turn of events, freezing for a moment before snapping back to life, each of them looking as if they’d been injected with chicken blood.
“Just as I thought! This old man was just saying, how could the palace possibly ignore this!”
“The Heir is, after all, the successor of the Marquis of Changning’s estate and a relative of Her Highness, Imperial Consort Xi. How could he be bullied by just anyone?”
“Lady Wen, you threatened the Heir so fiercely just now, did you ever think this day would come?”
The few old fellows chimed in one after another, their backs straightening up perfectly straight. They exchanged glances with one another, their meaning clearer than ever.
Look here, in the end, it is still the palace that has the final say. No matter how formidable you, Wen Lingrao, are, can you be more formidable than the noble personages in the palace?
One clan elder stroked his beard, shaking his head back and forth as he said, “Lady Wen, this old man advises you to apologize to the Heir right now. When the people from the palace arrive shortly, we might be able to put in a few good words for you. Otherwise, hmph, the palace has ways of torturing people too, and it’s not just your father who knows them.”
Hearing this, Chu Qirui became even more smug. He tilted his chin up high, looking at Wen Lingrao through his nostrils. “Do you know fear now? It’s too late! I’m telling you, when the people from the palace come to take you away in a moment, neither your Great General father nor your Grand Princess mother will be able to save you! Prince Min is the Emperor’s most doted-upon prince, in the future…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly realized something and snapped his mouth shut.