Clang!
The prison door opened. Madam Zhao did not rush to leave; instead, she glanced at the women in the cell.
Suddenly, she knelt down and kowtowed to the Old Madam at the head. “Mother, forgive this unfilial daughter-in-law—I can no longer serve you!”
The Old Madam looked at Zhao coldly, pressing her lips tightly together.
Her daughter-in-law was unwilling to share the Wang family’s hardship—of course she was angry, even resentful.
But she also knew that this was only human nature.
And—
Just as the Old Madam’s gaze flickered and she was about to speak, Zhao cut in first: “Mother, please rest assured. I will return home today, and tomorrow I will definitely go to the city gate to see everyone off.”
She would find a way to prepare silver, clothing, food, and other necessities for the Wang family.
This was not only for the sake of past ties, but also for her children.
Hearing this, the Old Madam’s cold expression softened slightly.
Her tone eased as she suppressed her resentment and said, “Very well. What Seventh Girl said earlier is correct—the Wang family’s misfortune has nothing to do with you. Even if you hadn’t taken the initiative to divorce, I would have let you go.”
“Return to the Zhao family. Don’t worry too much about us. Take good care of Seventh Girl and live your life well.”
Though her tone was still somewhat stiff, her words were reasonable.
Madam Zhao was deeply moved. Over a decade of conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, all the resentment and curses she had once held in her heart, seemed to dissipate in this moment.
With tears in her eyes, Zhao said with guilt and emotion, “Mother! I have wronged you—I have wronged the Wang family!”
Seeing her like this, a trace of satisfaction flashed quickly in the Old Madam’s eyes.
She then looked at Wang Si. “Seventh Girl, Sixth Girl only said those harsh words earlier so that you could stay in the capital without burden. Don’t hold it against her.”
“She is the elder sister, so she should take care of the younger one. But as the younger sister, you should also yield to your elder sister.”
“You must remember this kindness of yielding.”
“When you live in luxury and peace at the Duke of Wei’s residence, don’t forget your sister, who suffers hardship on the road of exile and struggles to survive in the harsh frontier for your sake…”
The Old Madam adopted the posture of a fair and upright elder, lecturing Wang Si at length.
Wang Si lowered her eyes, concealing the coldness within them.
In her previous life, she had gone into exile and lived with the Old Madam for years—she had already seen through her true nature.
Back then, she only thought the Old Madam was unkind; she hadn’t realized just how biased she truly was.
No—there had been signs even in her previous life.
It was just that when the Wang family later returned in glory while Wang Jiao, who stayed in the capital, lived miserably, the Old Madam and the rest of the family favored Wang Jiao more. Wang Si had assumed it was out of sympathy and compensation.
Now, reborn, Wang Jiao was scrambling to go into exile, even insulting Madam Zhao to achieve her goal.
And the Old Madam, for Wang Jiao’s sake, twisted the truth and tried to whitewash her.
She even attempted to place a moral burden on Wang Si, forcing her to accept Wang Jiao as her “benefactor.”
Heh! Dream on!
Having lived three lifetimes—one through transmigration, another through rebirth—Wang Si was no longer a naive fool.
With a thud, she knelt beside Madam Zhao, forcing out a couple of tears. “So Sister insulted Mother for my sake!”
“Since Sister treats me so well, I cannot let her suffer!”
“Sister, you should go with Mother. I will stay behind to serve Grandmother and take care of Father—”
Before Wang Si could finish, Wang Jiao shouted, “No! I don’t want to stay in the capital—I want to go into exile!”
Wang Jiao hadn’t expected things to nearly be settled, only for her usually doting grandmother to interfere.
She quickly glanced at the Old Madam, sending her a frantic look: Grandmother! Stop talking—you’ll ruin everything!
The Old Madam understood her look and was nearly angered to collapse.
What was wrong with this child?
Before she could question her, Wang Jiao rushed to her side and whispered quickly into her ear, “Grandmother, you don’t understand. I’ll explain later!”
The Old Madam felt both anger and frustration.
As if she hadn’t noticed their interaction, Wang Si continued, “Sister, Grandmother is right. As the younger sister, I should yield—”
“No! I don’t need you to yield!”
Wang Jiao grew anxious, fearing something might change, and blurted out recklessly.
The other women looked at her strangely.
Realizing her mistake, Wang Jiao hurried to correct herself. “We’re family—there’s no need to yield to each other!”
“I… I can’t bear to leave Grandmother, and you care more about Mother. I’ll go into exile while you stay in the capital—isn’t that the best of both worlds?”
Wang Si nodded slowly and said softly, “So, Sister, it’s not that you’re letting me stay in the capital to enjoy a good life—it’s that between Grandmother and Mother, you chose Grandmother. Is that right?”
In other words, Wang Jiao was not some noble elder sister sacrificing herself for her younger sibling, nor a devoted daughter.
Wang Si, Madam Zhao, and the Duke of Wei’s household owed her nothing.
Madam Zhao was not unaware that her eldest daughter had always been closer to her grandmother.
It had been this way since childhood. For over a decade, she had grown used to it.
She even understood that Wang Jiao’s earlier accusations of her being selfish were not just words spoken against her will.
Wang Jiao truly believed that she, Zhao Wan, was greedy for wealth and unwilling to suffer alongside her husband and children.
Madam Zhao knew all this. Yet as a mother, even with her heart broken, she could not bring herself to hate her daughter.
If Wang Jiao was at fault, then it was because she had failed to raise her properly.
She had always endured it in silence.
But today, Wang Jiao’s repeated refusals made her realize something—her eldest daughter truly felt no affection or filial piety toward her. She truly despised the mother who had given birth to and raised her.
Her heart was completely shattered, slowly dying.
“Sister is right! I do care more about Mother—about how she risked her life to give birth to us, how she raised us with such hardship, how she endured everything for us.”
At the very moment Madam Zhao’s heart turned cold, Wang Si spoke firmly, “Even if it meant going into exile with Mother, I would still be willing!”
As she spoke, Wang Si held her hand. “Mother, don’t be sad. I will stay with you, take care of you, and be filial to you!”
“…Alright!”
Madam Zhao tightened her grip on her daughter’s small hand. She lifted her head—there was no longer guilt in her eyes. The invisible moral chains had been broken by her younger daughter.
She owed nothing to the Marquis of Wuchang’s household, nor to Wang Yong.
Only to her children… she would find ways to prepare more for them.
She would also beg her father and brothers to send people to follow them along the journey.
At the very least, to ensure they reached the frontier safely and settled down.
As for the rest, she would not force it.
She only needed to have a clear conscience.