If this were truly the case…
“Xie Zhengyang, you have quite the audacity to treat Our imperial decree as nothing.” The Dragon Countenance flared with anger.
The Xie family members turned ashen with fear.
“Your Majesty, please calm your wrath. It is entirely my failure in disciplining my son. I will certainly teach him a proper lesson.” Xie Xun, terrified that the Emperor might strip their family of the nobility title in a fit of rage, kowtowed repeatedly.
“Your Majesty, your subject acknowledges his wrongdoing. I have no intention of disobeying the imperial decree and will marry the Huo Family’s Da Xiao Jie as scheduled. It is merely that I could not control my emotions and developed an illicit relationship with Jiang Ning, the Huo Family’s adopted daughter, which was… discovered by my fiancée.” Xie Zhengyang promptly admitted his error.
“Oh?” Emperor Qiande cast a stern glance at him. “Since you have already consummated a relationship with the Jiang girl, how do you intend to marry the daughter of Minister Huo?”
“Jiang Ning… could become a concubine.” Xie Zhengyang made the difficult choice.
Upon hearing the word “concubine,” Jiang Ning’s eyes first went vacant, then gradually turned sinister.
But in the presence of the Emperor, she dared not act out, silently kneeling behind the others to minimize her presence.
Xie Xun’s anxiously elevated heart settled—his son hadn’t foolishly jeopardized the family’s future.
“Minister Huo, what is your view?” Emperor Qiande then turned to Huo Pengcheng.
“Your Majesty, I have only one daughter, cherished like a pearl and raised with utmost care. Having suffered such humiliation, how could she still become Xie Zhengyang’s wife? Moreover, my daughter says that once a man’s heart changes, not even ten oxen can pull it back. I deeply agree with this.” Huo Pengcheng’s words were measured yet pointed.
His aim was to remind the Emperor of his own younger brother, Prince Jing.
The most notorious case in the capital was that of Prince Jing from the imperial family, who fell in love with a courtesan.
After marrying his princess consort, he paid her no heed, neglecting the son they had. The Emperor, unable to stand by, took the child into the palace and raised him personally.
Emperor Qiande glanced at Zhao Bingyu standing nearby.
Indeed, when a man’s heart is not with his wife, the wife often dies of sorrow—eight or nine out of ten cases.
Bingyu’s mother was one such example.
“Your Majesty, Xie Zhengyang has no place for me in his heart. I truly do not wish to marry into the Xie Family and ruin my entire life. I beg for Your Majesty’s compassion.” Huo Ningyu kowtowed heavily once more.
“The marriage decree was issued three years ago. How do you expect Us to retract it?” Emperor Qiande deliberately posed a challenge, curious to see what quick wit this girl possessed.
Since Bingyu had personally brought her into the palace, there must be something about her that he valued.
“Your Majesty, the imperial decree does not specify a wedding date, only that the marriage should take place on a selected day. Therefore, I could marry just before my death.” Huo Ningyu would rather remain a spinster her whole life than wed into the Xie Family.
What harm was there in staying with her parents forever?
She could also occupy the position, preventing Xie Zhengyang from ever taking a proper wife.
Did Jiang Ning think she could marry into the Xie Family as the principal wife? Not even a window of opportunity would she get.
“Haha… Minister Huo, your daughter is quite interesting. This is an excellent solution—neither defying the decree nor marrying into the Xie Family.” Emperor Qiande was very pleased with Huo Ningyu’s response.
“Your Majesty, men should marry when they come of age, and women should wed. My child spoke in anger. I beg for Your Majesty’s understanding.” Huo Pengcheng’s tightly clenched fist relaxed.
His daughter’s reply had far exceeded his expectations.
“Xie Zhengyang, knowing you had a fiancée, you engaged in an improper affair with another, lacking in virtue and integrity, disgracing the esteemed name of the Zhongyi Bo Fu ancestors. You are unworthy of being the Zhongyi Bo heir.
Today, We strip you of your position as heir.
Since We originally bestowed the marriage upon the Zhongyi Bo heir, and you are no longer the heir, this marriage is hereby annulled.”
“But you and the Jiang woman have violated moral codes and tarnished the reputation of Southern Chu’s noble youth. Without punishment, discipline cannot be upheld. You are sentenced to thirty heavy strikes.
Jiang Ning, for disregarding feminine virtues and privately interacting with men, you are sentenced to ten heavy strikes.
Xie Xun, for failing to properly educate your son and neglecting paternal duties, you are sentenced to ten heavy strikes.
Huo Pengcheng, as the adoptive father of the Jiang woman, you bear the responsibility of guiding her yet allowed her illicit relations. For neglecting paternal duties, you are penalized with one year’s salary suspension.”
Emperor Qiande pronounced each punishment in turn.
Xie Zhengyang received the severest penalty.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace. I accept the punishment,” Huo Pengcheng declared with unusual resonance.
The Xie father and son appeared as if bereaved of both parents.
Yet they dared not voice any objection.
Upon hearing she would also receive ten strikes, Jiang Ning’s body trembled instantly.
Her resentment deepened, her venomous gaze sweeping rapidly across the Huo family members.
Huo Ningyu noticed this and returned a challenging stare.
She would exact revenge step by step. The tragedies of her past life—she would surely prevent them.
The punishments were carried out immediately outside the imperial study.
Soon, the sharp cracks of bamboo rods echoed, accompanied by agonized cries that penetrated the study walls.
Huo Ningyu listened with visceral satisfaction.
Throughout the entire process, Zhao Bingyu had only spoken once upon entering the study, yet the Emperor had truly revoked the marriage decree.
Clutching his coattails had indeed yielded remarkable results.
This demonstrated how deeply the Emperor favored him.
Huo Ningyu felt profound gratitude.
She intended to approach and thank him, but the man departed without so much as glancing her way.
Apart from Imperial City Guard members, he truly associated with no one—the rumors were accurate.
The Huo family returned to their residence with Jiang Ning, who had endured ten strikes.
Jiang Ning’s mother, Yang Shi, received the news.
Supported by her maid, she stumbled forward unsteadily.
“My child!” she wept with delicate fragility, evoking pity in all who saw.
Only after death had Huo Ningyu realized this mother-daughter pair deceived everyone with their feigned vulnerability.
In truth, their hearts were blackened and unyielding.
Moreover, Yang Shi was a profoundly scheming woman—what capabilities she possessed remained undetected even during Huo Ningyu’s ghostly wanderings.
But Huo Ningyu now regarded this seemingly obscure Yang Shi with heightened vigilance.
“Mother!”
Mother and daughter embraced, weeping bitterly.
Huo Pengcheng waited with frosty countenance for their tears to subside.
“Sir, you promised to treat my daughter as your own. I beg you—let them be united,” Yang Shi pleaded, sinking to her knees.
In the past, Huo Pengcheng would never have allowed her to kneel.
But today’s events had wounded him deeply.
He refused to believe Yang Shi had been completely unaware.
“Aunt Yang, you wish tomorrow’s wedding to proceed with Jiang Ning replacing the bride, correct?” Huo Ningyu exposed her scheme.
“You want to treat the Huo family as fools, but my father hasn’t sunk to such stupidity.”
“Sister Yu, I’ve wronged you. But matters have reached this point—Young Master Xie and I have gone this far. If I don’t marry him, who else would take me? I beg your mercy.” Jiang Ning endured her physical pain to kneel on the ground.
Her tearful appearance would stir compassion in nine out of ten men.
No wonder she had seduced Xie Zhengyang into disregarding all moral principles.
“Mercy? What gives you the audacity to demand mercy from the Huo family?
If not for your family lodging in our residence, if not for my parents recognizing you as an adoptive daughter out of respect for your father—would you and your mother even have footing in the capital?
Instead of gratitude, you covet status beyond your reach, using me as your stepping stone.”
Burning with fury, Huo Ningyu abandoned her former demeanor, each word piercing Jiang Ning’s schemes.
Recalling how her spirit had drifted and witnessed that woman clad in vibrant red wedding robes, blissfully marrying into the Xie Family, their first words upon drinking the Nuptial Wine on their wedding night were: “Now that Huo Ningyu has finally vacated her position for me, we can at last be complete.”
She yearned to slash the treacherous couple with a blade, yet when she swung her palm, it carried less force than a wisp of wind.
“Ningyu, sit down at once. Let your father handle this,” Rong Huazhi intervened, stopping her daughter who was poised to continue cursing.
This matter was better left for the adults to resolve.
“Yang Shi, all these years I have believed I’ve done nothing to wrong you. I have fulfilled my duties to the utmost. You must leave now. The Huo Family is but a small temple, no longer able to accommodate you,” Huo Pengcheng declared, his eyes briefly closing as he reached his decision.
“No! You cannot treat us this way! My husband died saving you! You promised him you would care for us mother and daughter, and find Ning’er a good marriage. You cannot be so ungrateful!” Yang Shi screamed, her earlier fragility entirely vanished.
Without the Huo Family’s support, her daughter would lose her backing and never enter the Xie Family.