“In the past, I immediately hit it off with Jiang Jujin. Seeing his humble origins, I wanted to lend him a hand and specially hired him as my Shiye, taking him with me when I was appointed as Zhifu.
When he took a knife for me during that critical moment, I was indeed grateful.
But as a subordinate, that was his duty.
During that assassination attempt, over ten people were killed or injured, all with wives and children. It was only because of my friendship with Jiang Jujin that I brought you and your mother back to the Huo Family.
For eight years, I treated you like my own relatives, yet you’ve caused Ningyu such great humiliation. She is my own flesh and blood.” Huo Pengcheng’s attitude was resolute.
Today’s events had wounded him deeply. His good intentions had only raised a pair of ungrateful wretches.
Jiang Ning’s already pale face turned vicious and terrifying upon hearing these words.
Enduring the pain in her body, she struggled to rise from the ground and helped Yang Shi up as well.
“Huo Daren, you are heartless and unjust. How dare you call yourself Shangshu Daren? You are unworthy of being an official. My father was only your Shiye, not a constable. Why did you take him to investigate cases? That wasn’t his duty to begin with.
If my father hadn’t died, he could have gone to the capital next year to take the imperial examinations again.
He studied late into the night every day, saying he wanted to earn a Gaoming for my mother.
He said he was confident he could become a Jinshi.
If he hadn’t died, my mother would be an official’s wife, and I would be an official’s daughter.
But all of this ended because he took a knife for you.
My and my mother’s futures were completely destroyed.
We even had to suffer the humiliation of living under someone else’s roof.
I could only marry a petty official, never entering an official’s family, let alone a noble one.
You caused all of this.
So what if I stole your daughter’s marriage? It’s what I deserved, what the Huo Family owed me.”
Jiang Ning no longer pretended to be pitiful. She knew she and her mother could no longer stay in the Huo Family.
With nothing left to fear, she wanted them to know all the suffering she had endured over the years.
The Huo Family had always owed them.
So what if she stole Xie Zhengyang? He was the man she deserved to marry.
She just couldn’t understand how the Huo Family had found out.
But she was confident that Xie Zhengyang wouldn’t abandon them.
Even without the Huo Family, she could still live well.
However, her words struck like a bolt from the blue.
So this was what they had really thought all along.
The Huo Family’s kindness had truly been wasted on vile ingratitude.
“Fine, very well. So this is what you’ve always believed. Let me tell you, if I hadn’t often tutored your father back then, with his meager knowledge, he wouldn’t have passed the Jinshi even after ten more years of arduous study.
Go now. Throughout my life, I’ve been worthy of both heaven and earth, and of your father too.”
Huo Pengcheng waved his hand, signaling for them to be escorted out.
So this mother and daughter had never been grateful to him at all.
He slumped back in his chair.
The dimness in his eyes revealed his physical and mental exhaustion.
Rong Huazhi called in several sturdy maids to drive the mother and daughter out.
She personally supervised them as they packed, ensuring they couldn’t take anything that wasn’t theirs.
She had never seen such shameless people in all her life.
“Father.” Huo Ningyu softly approached Huo Pengcheng from behind and began massaging his shoulders.
“My child, your father has failed you. I brought these ungrateful wretches into our home and made you the laughingstock of the capital.
I never should have taken them in back then. Giving them some silver each year to live comfortably would have been the better choice.”
Huo Pengcheng sighed with profound emotion.
His good intentions had only brought about such great disaster.
“Father, it’s not too late to know now.”
“Though the failed engagement wasn’t your fault, your reputation may still suffer.” Huo Pengcheng’s heart ached for his daughter.
“Father, are you just worried I won’t be able to marry later? Then I simply won’t marry. Staying with you and mother would bring me the greatest happiness. With my elder brother and younger brother around, why should I fear being bullied?” Huo Ningyu remained optimistic.
As long as her family remained safe and sound, nothing else mattered.
“What nonsense are you speaking? A grown woman should marry. Don’t say such things in front of your mother, or she’ll surely blame me.”
Huo Pengcheng patted his daughter’s hand.
“By the way, what deal did you make with Minister Zhao to gain his assistance?” Huo Pengcheng recalled his daughter seeking Zhao He’s help.
“Father, may I tell you another time?” Huo Ningyu didn’t yet know how to explain to her father that she was reborn and knew many future events.
“Father, I’ve returned!” An excited voice broke the brief silence between father and daughter.
A tall figure, dusty from travel, hurried in. Sweeping his robes aside, he knelt with a heavy thud.
“Your son pays respects to Father.” His forehead touched the floor in a deep bow.
This was the Huo Family’s eldest son, Huo Mingxian, just twenty years old.
After two years of travel, his face was tanned to a shining darkness, but he appeared vigorous and more masculine than ever.
His face, bearing fifty percent resemblance to Huo Pengcheng’s, was bright with joyful smiles.
“Just returning is good enough. Rise.” Seeing his eldest son improved Huo Pengcheng’s mood considerably.
“Elder Brother!” At the sight of her brother, Huo Ningyu felt overwhelming joy, yet tears instantly welled in her eyes.
Her elder brother, like her parents, was alive and well before her.
In her previous life, when their family was wrongly imprisoned, her spirit had drifted into the prison where she witnessed her brother being tortured.
Lash after lash struck his body, each whip tearing flesh.
Yet her brother stubbornly refused to confess under duress.
Watching from above, she wept tears of blood.
But she was powerless to help.
Helpless, mournful, and furious.
All these emotions found no solace, transforming solely into hatred for the Xie Family and Jiang Ning.
Without another thought, Huo Ningyu threw herself into her brother’s embrace.
“Elder Brother, you’re back. It’s truly wonderful.” Her tears truly uncontrollable, dampening Huo Mingxian’s lapel.
But her heart whispered: Elder Brother, you’re still alive. It’s truly wonderful.
Huo Mingxian was momentarily stunned by his sister’s fervor.
“Little Sister, ever since receiving the family letter, I rushed back as fast as I could, finally making it home before your wedding to see you married.”
“I’m no longer the frail scholar you used to tease. I’ll carry you to the wedding sedan with steady steps.” Huo Mingxian emotionally wrapped his arms around her.
This was his first study tour, broadening his experiences and knowledge considerably.
Remembering propriety between men and women, he gently tried to push his sister away.
Why wouldn’t she budge?
His sister held him too tightly.
“Little Sister, are you so excited to see me? Don’t worry, even after marriage, you’ll always be part of the Huo Family and can visit anytime. If Xie Zhengyang dares bully you, I’ll never forgive him.”
Wait—his sister’s body was trembling.
“Little Sister, what’s wrong?” Only then did Huo Mingxian sense something amiss.
“Ah, your sister suffered great humiliation today.” Huo Pengcheng proceeded to explain the day’s events.
“Outrageous! Did Xie Zhengyang think he could act like this while I was away? Father, let me gather our servants and teach that scoundrel a lesson!” Huo Mingxian’s fury surged.
“Since His Majesty has taken action, there’s no need for us to interfere further. From now on, the Xie Family and our Huo Family shall have no contact until death.” Huo Pengcheng saw no reason to complicate matters unnecessarily.
Some things were clear to him.
In truth, the Emperor never wished for an alliance between the Huo and Xie families through marriage.
The Emperor had long intended to suppress the noble houses. Today’s events gave him the perfect opportunity to strip Xie Zhengyang of his Shizi title—whether there would even be a Shizi in the future remained uncertain.
Pushing further would be excessive.
Outside the main gate of the Huo residence.
Rong Huazhi ordered servants to toss several bundles out the gate.
“Foster Mother…” Jiang Ning wanted to say something to further provoke Rong Huazhi.
“Don’t call me Foster Mother. I have no foster daughter as venomous as you.
Let everyone see clearly—this mother and daughter pair are nothing but ungrateful wolves.
Our Huo Family sheltered them for eight years, yet they show no gratitude, even claiming our family owes them something.” Rong Huazhi raised her voice to address the gathering onlookers.
Her words drew pointed fingers and murmurs from the crowd toward Jiang Ning and her mother.
Seeing the growing number of spectators, the pair dared not linger. They gathered the bundles from the ground and supported each other as they hurried away from the Huo estate’s entrance.
They hadn’t gone far when a young man stepped forward to block their path.