Two maidservants with bowed heads flanked a young, beautiful woman seated in a chair to one side.
The woman was tall and strikingly beautiful, wearing a red-gold hair crown and an exquisite crimson robe densely embroidered with golden floral patterns. A silk sash hung from her waist, adorned with gemstones of various colors, enhancing her noble and haughty demeanor.
Perhaps irritated by Li Qiushuang’s gaze, the woman’s arrogance and disdain became even more pronounced. She rhythmically tapped a horsewhip in her hand, as if ready to lash out at any moment.
Li Qiushuang almost instantly guessed the truth, but she refused to believe it.
“Who are you? Who are you calling… husband?!”
Before the young woman could respond, Tang Dayong’s face darkened. He shoved Li Qiushuang aside and positioned his tall frame protectively in front of the young woman.
“Direct your questions to me! Don’t bully Wulan!”
The young woman immediately curved her lips into a smug smile, her expression brimming with triumph.
Caught off guard, Li Qiushuang staggered backward. No one in the Tang family moved to support her—only Tang Tian, who had rushed over just in time, cushioned her fall.
Mother and daughter tumbled to the floor in a heap!
“Mother, are you alright?” Tang Tian asked with concern.
Li Qiushuang stared blankly at her daughter before suddenly snapping back to reality, tears finally spilling uncontrollably.
“Tang Bao’er, she called your father ‘husband’! Your father… your father…”
Tang Tian quickly scanned the faces in the room, her suspicions fully confirmed.
Without a doubt, her father had returned from the dead—not for a tearful reunion with his wife, but to stage a heartless drama of abandoning his devoted spouse for a new love!
When Tang Dayong went off to war, Li Qiushuang had just become pregnant. This was, in fact, his first time meeting his youngest daughter, and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.
But the little girl’s wolf-like glare swiftly transformed his guilt into anger. He decided to lay everything out plainly.
“Qiushuang—no, Li Shi,” he coldly switched to a formal address, “During my campaign against the Tiele Tribe, I faced grave danger and nearly died in the northern lands. Fortunately, Princess Wulan arrived with the White Wolf Tribe cavalry to rescue me. She even took a blade for me, saving my life. Thanks to her, I not only survived but also earned military merits and was appointed Zhaoyong General.
“As a man of honor, I must repay such a profound debt. Moreover, the princess and I fell in love at first sight. During the victory banquet, I petitioned the Loyal and Filial Prince, commander of the northern forces, to officiate our betrothal. I will marry the princess as my official wife!
“As for you… although you have failed in your duties toward my parents, mistreated my siblings, and committed numerous errors over the years, you did bear me three children. You may remain in the Tang household, but henceforth… you shall be a concubine.
“As long as you dutifully serve my mother, care for the children, and know your place, I will ensure you are provided for in old age and have someone to mourn your passing…”
Deathly silence filled the room. Everyone stared at Li Qiushuang, who sat frozen on the floor, their expressions tinged with unease.
While many had heard tales of men favoring concubines over wives, demoting a wife to concubine…
Such a thing was rare throughout history!
Shock and despair threatened to overflow from Li Qiushuang’s eyes.
She had assumed her husband brought this woman home as a concubine—never imagining she would be the one reduced to that status!
Her lips trembled as she struggled to speak, but no words emerged.
Yet Princess Wulan heavily struck the table with her horsewhip, her disdainful gaze sweeping over Li Qiushuang’s sallow and emaciated face. She didn’t even bother to take a closer look at Li Qiushuang’s tattered clothes or the dried grass stalks stuck in her hair. Instead, she haughtily reminded him:
“Husband, don’t forget to tell her. You promised me you would no longer be intimate with her from now on. Giving her the status of a respectable concubine is already generous enough. A lowly village woman has no right to share a husband with me, a princess! Otherwise, where would my dignity be? Our people would not be pleased either!”
“Alright, I remember. I will keep my promise to you!” Tang Dayong turned to the princess, his stern expression melting like spring snow, even tinged with a hint of doting affection as he coaxed her softly.
“You are the most kind and magnanimous, Princess. In the future, we will live in the capital, and she can stay here with the children. I will never return, and you won’t have to see her, sparing yourself the annoyance.”
He was about to say more when Li Qiushuang unexpectedly tugged at his sleeve.
“Brother Dayong, this must be a nightmare, right? You wouldn’t be so cruel to me! When you went off to war, you begged me to take care of your family. I never forgot—I worked tirelessly every day, never slacking off! Even when everyone said you were dead, I refused to believe it. I kept waiting, waiting for you to return… You can’t treat me like this…”
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment!
In just a few moments, Li Qiushuang had plummeted from the heaven of her husband’s miraculous return to the hell of being abandoned and trampled upon. She was nearly driven mad, tears gushing out like a spring.
“You can’t do this to me! You said your heart would belong only to me for the rest of your life. You said you would earn a noble title and secure an official rank for me…”
Tang Dayong tried to pry Li Qiushuang’s hands away, but her words made him hesitate with a guilty conscience.
Tang Laotai, standing nearby, grew frantic. Her son had risen in rank and fortune and was about to marry a foreign princess—what an immense honor! She couldn’t let it be ruined.
Especially not by that useless jinx, Li Qiushuang!
“Li Qiushuang, why are you clinging to Dayong? Let go of him!” She rushed over, kicking and hitting Li Qiushuang while screaming at the top of her lungs. “How dare you hold Dayong back from his prosperous future? You jinx! You gave birth to three little brats, and not one of them is any good! It’s already merciful that Dayong hasn’t divorced you and thrown you out! How dare you make a scene? Who gave you the nerve? I’ll beat you to death!”
Tang Tian couldn’t stand by and watch her mother being beaten. She rushed forward to intervene, but her small frame was no match—she ended up being slapped several times!
“Don’t you dare hit my daughter!” Li Qiushuang, forgetting her sorrow, pulled her daughter into her arms and kicked Tang Laotai hard in the stomach.
“Ouch! That hurts! How dare you! A daughter-in-law hitting her mother-in-law—there’s no justice!”
Tang Laotai fell to the ground, yelling at her sons, “Are you all dead? Your mother is being beaten, and you’re just standing there? Hurry up and avenge me!”
Tang Laoer and Tang Laosan immediately rolled up their sleeves and moved to attack their sister-in-law.
Tang Tian was utterly enraged. Her eyes fell upon Princess Wulan, the root of all this trouble, sitting to the side watching the spectacle with a look of disgust.
She lunged at the princess, grabbing her robe with all her might.
The princess, never expecting anyone to dare lay hands on her, nearly had her clothes torn off.
Her composure shattered, and she shrieked, “Husband, my dress! Kill her! Kill her!”
“Oh no, Princess! Let go of her, you wretched girl! Hurry, save the princess!”
Tang Dayong and the Tang family were terrified, rushing over together to help, but Tang Tian opened her mouth again and bit the princess’s belt!
Seeing the princess’s robe half-slipped off, her belt fallen, nearly half-naked, Tang Dayong completely panicked!
He grabbed the slender Tang Tian, lifted her high over his head, and was about to slam her fiercely onto the ground!