The courtyard became lively again for a moment.
Everyone’s gaze focused on Wen Lingrao.
What reaction would this Heir’s wife, who had just intimidated the entire scene, have at this moment? Panic? Fear? Or would she kneel on the ground and beg for mercy like the Heir?
However, Wen Lingrao merely lifted her eyelids slightly.
She didn’t even stand up, remaining seated in that armchair. Hearing the urgent report of “Someone from the palace has come,” she didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
She gently picked up the teacup at hand, blew on the floating foam, and took a small sip.
The tea had gone somewhat cold.
She frowned and placed the teacup back onto the table.
Chu Qirui’s laughter caught in his throat, and the clan elders’ discussions also ceased. Everyone looked at her.
“Are you done speaking?” Wen Lingrao finally opened her mouth. “If you’re done, then quiet down. When people from the palace arrive, there is a proper etiquette to observe. Making such a loud racket, what kind of decorum is this?”
Chu Qirui turned green with anger at her attitude. Just as he was about to curse again, footsteps could already be heard from the courtyard entrance.
It was not the footsteps of a single person.
It was the footsteps of many people, uniform and orderly. The steps were steady and powerful, showing that those arriving were well-trained.
The originally noisy courtyard fell instantly dead silent.
Everyone turned their heads to look at the courtyard gate.
A figure walked in unhurriedly.
It was a young man, in his early twenties, with a tall and straight posture. What made it impossible to look away were his eyes.
The outer corners of his eyes tilted up slightly; his gaze was calm and so deep that one could not see the bottom.
His gaze swept lightly across the courtyard. Everyone who met his eyes felt a chill in their hearts and subconsciously lowered their heads.
Behind the young man followed two pairs of saber-wielding personal guards.
With long sabers at their waists, they looked straight ahead without glancing sideways.
An aura of killing intent instantly permeated the air. A few timid ones quietly shrank back.
These were true Prince’s estate guards, the kind who had been on the battlefield and seen blood. They were not on the same level at all as the guards who watched over the Marquis’s estate.
That young man, Chu Qirui naturally recognized him. Or rather, anyone with a bit of status in the entire capital recognized this face.
Prince Min, Su Qi.
The seventh son of the late Emperor, and also the true master behind their Chu family.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, save me!”
Chu Qirui threw himself at Prince Min’s feet, hugging his thigh tightly, crying until snot and tears flowed freely.
Prince Min looked down and saw that it was the Heir of the Marquis of Changning’s estate. Seeing the red and swollen patch on his face, he couldn’t help but frown.
“What happened here?” Prince Min asked.
Chu Qirui knelt on the ground, refusing to let go of Prince Min’s leg, and cried out, “Your Highness, you must seek justice for your subject! That venomous woman, Wen Lingrao, she wants to kill your subject! She wants to confiscate the entire Marquis’s estate!”
As he spoke, he raised his face, presenting his swollen, beaten cheek for Prince Min to see. “Your Highness, look, this is what she did! Your subject is the Heir of a Marquisate. She, a mere woman, actually dared to lay a hand on her own husband; she is rebelling against the heavens!”
Prince Min’s frown deepened.
He raised his eyes to look into the estate and saw a group of people walking out.
Walking at the very front were several white-haired elders being supported by others. Leading them was precisely the Chu family’s chief clan elder, Third Uncle.
Third Uncle led the group of clan elders to Prince Min and fell to his knees with a thump.
“Your Highness!” Third Uncle cried, his voice trembling. “You must seek justice for the Chu family! That woman, Lady Wen, disrespects her elders and fails to observe womanly virtues. She actually dared to strike her own husband! If she is not punished, the ancestors of the Chu family will not find peace in the netherworld!”
The group of clan elders behind him also kowtowed, crying out, “We beg Your Highness to seek justice.”
Prince Min looked down at the people kneeling all over the ground, then looked at Chu Qirui, who was tightly hugging his thigh. A trace of disgust flashed in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, bent down, and helped Chu Qirui up.
“The Heir need not act like this; if you have something to say, speak properly.” Prince Min wore a smile on his face. “This King was merely passing by today. I didn’t expect to run into such a matter.”
As he spoke, his gaze bypassed Chu Qirui and looked into the courtyard.
Wen Lingrao stood at the very front, her face devoid of expression.
Behind her stood two maidservants, Hong Ying and Ban Xia, both wearing faces full of indignation.
Further back was the guard Tong Meng, tall and burly, standing there like an iron tower.
There were also several household servants, all standing on Wen Lingrao’s side.
In the corner stood another person, wearing ordinary servant’s clothes, with his head lowered so his face couldn’t be seen clearly.
The hidden guard, Ling Ji, blended into the crowd, remaining completely inconspicuous.
On this side, they stood perfectly straight; not a single one was kneeling.
Prince Min’s gaze lingered on Wen Lingrao for a moment before shifting away, landing on the kneeling clan elders.
“Third Uncle, please rise quickly.” Prince Min took a step forward and personally helped Third Uncle up. “With your advanced age, how can your body endure kneeling on the ground?”
Even after being helped up, Third Uncle was still covered in snot and tears. “Your Highness, you don’t know! That Lady Wen pushes people too far!”
“Third Uncle,” Prince Min interrupted him, smiling, “don’t be anxious just yet. Allow this King to ask clearly.”
As he spoke, he looked at Wen Lingrao and stepped toward her.
“Older Cousin.” Prince Min walked up to Wen Lingrao and cupped his hands in greeting.
Wen Lingrao gave a slight nod in return. “Your Highness.”
Prince Min said, “Older Cousin, this King originally shouldn’t meddle much in today’s affairs. But look, there’s crying and kneeling; with things escalating to this point, it won’t sound good if word gets out. The royal family’s dignity is the most important thing, wouldn’t you agree?”
Wen Lingrao looked at him and didn’t speak.
Prince Min continued, “Living as a family, how can there not be bumps along the way? The Heir is young and sometimes acts without due consideration, but you are his wife; when you should be tolerant, you still need to be tolerant. It is best for a family to be harmonious and amiable. If things really blow up, it will hurt your affections and damage your dignity as well.”
Saying this, he glanced back at Chu Qirui, then turned back and smiled. “Older Cousin, you are a reasonable person. How about we just drop today’s matter? Let the Heir apologize to you, and you can calm your anger and live your days well together from now on. What do you think?”
Upon hearing this, the corners of Wen Lingrao’s lips curled up slightly, revealing a trace of a smile.
The smile was faint, carrying an indescribable meaning.
In the next moment, a translucent light screen appeared before Wen Lingrao’s eyes.
[Ding— Detected that the important supporting character ‘Hypocrite Su Qi’ has come online. Triggering Hidden Quest: First Confrontation.]
[Please select your response method:]
[Option A: Play weak. Switch to the ‘Weak and Pitiful’ state, walk toward Su Qi, retreat in order to advance, and secretly mock his true purpose. Reward: Access permissions to the mysterious organization ‘Lotus Pavilion’.]
[Option B: Face him head-on to the end. Maintain your current attitude, clash directly with Su Qi, and completely ruin the relationship. Reward: One Random Acting Skill Book.]
Wen Lingrao’s gaze swept over the light screen.
Lotus Pavilion?
She had heard this name before.
The most mysterious organization in the jianghu. No one knew where it was, and no one knew who its master was. They only knew that whenever the Lotus Pavilion took action, there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish.
The weight of this reward was quite heavy.
As for Option B, a random acting skill book, it sounded nice too. But the word “random” was just too unreliable.
With almost no hesitation, Wen Lingrao silently chose Option A in her heart.
[Option A selected. Switching states… Switch complete. Wishing you a successful performance.]
The light screen disappeared.
Wen Lingrao blinked, and her entire aura instantly transformed.
The cold and detached Wen Lingrao from a moment ago was gone. In her place was a weak and frail woman with slightly red-rimmed eyes, looking as though she could burst into tears at any second.
Standing to the side, Hong Ying and Ban Xia witnessed this scene with their own eyes, both of them stunned.
“M-Miss?” Hong Ying called out tentatively.
Wen Lingrao ignored her and walked toward Su Qi.
Su Qi looked up and saw Wen Lingrao walking toward him.
She took very small steps, her body leaning slightly forward, one hand clutching her chest and the other hanging by her side. She looked as though a single gust of wind could blow her over.
Su Qi raised an eyebrow.
This woman was definitely not like this just a moment ago.
Wen Lingrao walked up to him and raised her head, tears welling in her eyes.
She looked at Su Qi, her lips trembling slightly, and it took a good while before she finally spoke.
“Your Highness…” Her voice was also very soft, laced with a hint of a sob. “Your Highness’s willingness to come today fills this concubine with boundless gratitude.”
Su Qi looked at her.
“What is wrong with Older Cousin?” he said. “Weren’t you perfectly fine just a moment ago?”
Wen Lingrao shook her head, her voice dropping even lower. “Earlier, this concubine was just forcing myself to hold on, not wanting to let others see a joke. My heart is truly suffering.”
As she spoke, she raised her hand and wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.
Su Qi watched her perform without speaking.
Wen Lingrao continued, “This concubine knows that Your Highness is a good person. Your Highness is right. A family should be harmonious and amiable; we shouldn’t have caused such a scene.”
Su Qi smiled. “It’s for the best that Older Cousin can think this way.”
Wen Lingrao nodded, wiped the corners of her eyes again, and suddenly shifted the topic. “Speaking of which, this concubine also made a trip to the palace last time.”
Su Qi’s smile froze slightly.
Wen Lingrao continued as if she hadn’t noticed, “This concubine went to pay respects to the Emperor and happened to bump into Her Highness, Imperial Consort Xi. Her Highness Imperial Consort Xi truly has such a good temper; she is gentle, kind, and polite to this concubine. This concubine was just thinking in my heart that Your Highness is truly blessed to have such a younger cousin.”
As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at Su Qi, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Your Highness must treat Her Highness Imperial Consort Xi very well too, right?”
All expression froze entirely on Su Qi’s face.
As if completely oblivious to the change in his expression, Wen Lingrao continued talking on her own. “This concubine was just thinking earlier, for Your Highness to treat your younger cousin so well and to also be so attentive to an older cousin like me, you truly are a rare and good person. The moment this concubine returned from the palace, Your Highness arrived; it’s clear that Your Highness truly cares about this concubine.”
Saying this, her eyes grew redder, and her voice became even softer. “This concubine will remember Your Highness’s sentiments in my heart.”
Su Qi could no longer maintain his smile at all.
He looked at Wen Lingrao, his gaze turning several degrees colder.
Wen Lingrao was still chattering away on her own. “Your Highness, rest assured, this concubine is not someone who doesn’t know what’s good for her. This concubine understands that Your Highness came today for my own good. This concubine will definitely live her days well with the Heir from now on and won’t cause any more trouble.”
With that, she let out another sigh, her voice laced with self-blame. “Actually, speaking of which, today’s matter is also this concubine’s fault. The Heir only treated this concubine that way because he was angry. This concubine shouldn’t have hit back, and especially shouldn’t have said those things.”
She looked up at Su Qi, her eyes brimming with sincerity. “Your Highness, wouldn’t you agree?”
Su Qi looked at her, remaining silent for a good while before finally opening his mouth. “What is the meaning behind Older Cousin’s words?”
Wen Lingrao blinked, looking utterly innocent. “This concubine doesn’t mean anything. This concubine just feels that Your Highness is right, it’s my own fault. If the Heir is angry and wants to beat or scold me, this concubine should bear it. He is this concubine’s husband, how could this concubine lay a hand on him?”
As she spoke, her voice dropped lower again, carrying a bit of a sob. “Even if he wants to kill this concubine, that is simply this concubine’s fate. I accept it.”
Su Qi’s expression shifted multiple times.
He finally understood—this woman was mocking him.
On the surface, she was thanking him, blaming herself, and admitting her faults. But every single sentence was jabbing right at his sore spots.
She said he treated his younger cousin well, yet Imperial Consort Xi had just been beaten by this woman in the palace. She had just beaten someone, and he arrived immediately after. Everyone knew exactly what that meant in their hearts.
She said he arrived in a timely manner. But wasn’t it timely? He came right after the fight ended, claiming he was just passing by—who would believe that?
She said she accepted it even if the Heir wanted to kill her. This was implying that when someone forced a knife on her, he didn’t care about the person holding the knife, but instead came to urge her not to cause trouble.
Su Qi looked at the weak and frail woman before him and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
This woman was far too good at pretending.
She clearly knew everything, and clearly every word was mocking him, yet her face wore an expression of overwhelming gratitude, making it impossible for anyone to find a single fault.
Wen Lingrao was still talking. “Your Highness, this concubine will definitely reform well from now on. No matter how angry the Heir gets, this concubine will kneel and let him beat me and scold me, and will absolutely not fight back. As long as his anger subsides, anything is fine.”
She rubbed the corners of her eyes again. “This concubine only begs for one thing.”
“Do not let outsiders bully this concubine. How the Heir treats this concubine is a family matter, and this concubine accepts it. But if outsiders take advantage of the Heir being angry to run over and bully this concubine, then that would be too unjust.”
Having said that, she raised her head, looking at Su Qi with tear-filled eyes. “Your Highness, wouldn’t you agree?”
Su Qi’s face completely blackened.
Outsiders.
He could hear exactly who she was referring to.
Looking at Wen Lingrao’s innocent face, he wished he could rip her mask right off.
But she was the daughter of the Grand Princess and the Emperor’s older cousin. If he dared to lay a hand on her, word would spread throughout the entire capital by tomorrow.
What’s more, looking at her current state, if he lost his temper, she could immediately start crying even louder, making everyone think he was bullying a weak woman.
Su Qi took a deep breath and forced out a smile.
“Older Cousin is right,” he said. “Rest assured, Older Cousin, no one will dare bully you.”
Wen Lingrao nodded, her face full of gratitude. “With Your Highness’s words, this concubine is relieved.”
She turned around. The frailty on her face had vanished entirely, and she suddenly let out a laugh.
“Please wait a moment, Your Highness. This concubine still has a few more words to say.”
Su Qi, who was just about to leave, pulled his foot back and looked back at her, his eyes carrying a hint of vigilance.
What was this woman trying to do now?
Without waiting for his reply, Wen Lingrao walked straight up to the pile of items in the courtyard.
Those were the gold, silver, and treasures confiscated from Chu Huan’s room just earlier. They hadn’t been cleared away yet and were piled chaotically on the ground.
She bent down, pulled a small box from the pile, opened it, and tipped it onto the ground.
Clatter, clatter. Silver, copper coins, and several bank notes rolled all over the ground.
The crowd was stunned.
Wen Lingrao pointed at the wealth on the ground. “Please look, Your Highness. Do you know where these things were searched out from?”
Su Qi didn’t speak.