Xiang Yi paused: “The letter didn’t mention your Second Sister would return.”
Yu Wanyun seemed somewhat disappointed: “Why isn’t she coming back?”
Wei Shuimei covered her mouth with a handkerchief and giggled: “Little Yun’er, it’s not that your Second Sister doesn’t want to return, but that she has no face to come back.”
Yu Wanyun showed a puzzled expression. Wei Shuimei explained: “You don’t know yet, do you? Your Second Sister’s fiancé, having just achieved the rank of Tanhua, traveled thousands of miles to Wangchuncheng to break off the engagement. It’s clear he looks down on your Second Sister.”
With Yu Ange’s instigation, the matter of Cen Jiashu breaking off the engagement for the sake of Vice Minister Song’s illegitimate daughter had recently become a widespread scandal.
Xiang Yi said earnestly: “This matter was Cen Tanhua’s discourtesy in the first place. What does it have to do with Ange?”
Wei Shuimei rolled her eyes at Xiang Yi: “Tsk, how is it unrelated? That little girl Ange has been playing with swords and sticks since childhood, without any semblance of a proper young lady. Cen Tanhua is full of literary talent, refined and courteous—it would be strange if he could take a liking to her.”
Xiang Yi flared up, speaking sharply: “Sister-in-law, watch your words!”
Wei Shuimei, displeased, deliberately adjusted the silk flower in her hair and sneered: “Ultimately, if a woman can’t keep a man’s heart, it’s because she lacks ability.”
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yi’s face flushed red and pale in turns. Everyone in Yu Fu knew that Xiang Yi was plain-looking and not favored by her husband. In over a decade of marriage, Second Master Yu had visited her room fewer times than could be counted on ten fingers, and she had only given birth to one daughter, Yu Wanyun.
Old Madame Yu, without distinguishing right from wrong, cursed her as a hen that couldn’t lay eggs, taking in one concubine after another for Second Master Yu. Now, with a crowd of illegitimate sons and daughters, Xiang Yi, the legitimate wife, had long become a laughingstock.
Xiang Yi’s family was the wealthiest in Jiangnan, sending countless silks and silver to the Yu family every year, allowing Xiang Yi to close her doors and live separately with her daughter. Otherwise, who knows how much she would have been tormented by Second Master Yu and Old Madame Yu.
Wei Shuimei felt pleased seeing Xiang Yi’s humiliated expression. She was beautiful; even as a woman over thirty, she could still retain Third Master Yu’s favor with her looks and tactics, and had even borne him two sons. A few days ago, the physician diagnosed her as pregnant again.
Thinking of this, Wei Shuimei became even more arrogant, speaking more recklessly: “But the daughter of the mighty Shenwei Dajiangjun, in the end, can’t even compare to a mere illegitimate daughter from the Vice Minister’s household. It’s truly laughable. It shows that being born with a mother but raised without one means lacking proper upbringing.”
“I didn’t hear clearly just now. Third Aunt, who did you say was born with a mother but raised without one?”
A voice suddenly appeared behind Wei Shuimei, startling her.
She turned around and saw a group of people emerging from around the corner.
At the forefront was a person dressed in white, with an elegant and graceful demeanor, transcendent and refined. The light in their eyes resembled the faint luster on precious jade, appearing gentle but actually bone-chillingly cold.
Beside them stood someone slightly shorter, clad in dark robes, tall and slender, with jet-black hair tied up in a silver crown, looking dashing and neat. However, the pair of dark eyes looking at her held a chilling coldness. The words just spoken had come from this person’s mouth.
The group had not waited for the Yu family to receive them and had entered directly, just in time to overhear this conversation.
It was Xiang Yi who reacted first. She glanced at Yu Ange, then bowed to Shang Qingyan: “This humble wife pays respects to Your Highness.”
Wei Shuimei also scrambled to pay her respects in a flustered manner: “Your subject, your subject’s wife pays respects to Your Highness.”
Shang Qingyan did not speak, merely glancing at Yu Ange. Yu Ange stepped forward and repeated the earlier question: “Third Aunt, who did you say was born of a mother but raised without one?”
Wei Shuimei was instantly thrown into panic. It was all Old Madame Yu’s fault—whenever the Yu siblings were mentioned, she would always curse them as “little beasts born of a mother but raised without one.” Having heard it so often, Wei Shuimei had unconsciously let it slip.
Since Shang Qingyan had not permitted her to rise, Wei Shuimei could only maintain her half-kneeling posture, looking up at Yu Ange with a strained smile: “Nephew must have misheard. What ‘born of a mother but raised without one’? Your aunt has never said such a thing.”
Yu Ange stared coldly at Wei Shuimei, saying nothing.
Before Liangguo invaded, the Emperor had listed several charges against the Yu family, intending to strip his father of his general position and military authority. One of the charges was forming cliques for personal gain and accepting bribes.
It was laughable—his father had been stationed at the border for over twenty years, seeing only his comrades daily, eating and living alongside the soldiers. Where could he possibly form cliques or accept bribes?
It was only later that Yu Ange learned that it was the third branch of the family who had been busily maneuvering in official circles, currying favor from all sides and accepting bribes.
Yet this debt was not settled on the third branch but was instead pinned on the first branch.
Thinking of this, Yu Ange smiled faintly. The third branch was a malignant tumor, and since it was a tumor, it should be excised.
Wei Shuimei trembled from the depths of her heart. The once simple-minded Yu Anhe from childhood now carried such an intimidating presence, like a blade yet unsheathed—outwardly calm, but inwardly she knew that once drawn, it would surely draw blood and seal throats.
Wei Shuimei could no longer even form coherent words: “Nephew must have misheard. We are family—how could I say such a thing?”
Yu Ange turned his head and asked Shang Qingyan: “Did Your Highness hear it just now?”
Shang Qingyan rolled his prayer beads in his hand, looking down at Wei Shuimei with an indifferent expression: “I heard it. Not only that phrase, but I also faintly heard something about ‘a mere concubine-born daughter of a Vice Minister’s household.’ This prince is curious—what is Third Madam’s family background that she dares to belittle the origins of Her Majesty the Empress?”
“What? I didn’t…”
If Yu Ange’s words had made her nervous—after all, Yu Ange bore the Yu surname, and no matter how angry he was, he wouldn’t do much to an elder like her—then Shang Qingyan’s statement terrified Wei Shuimei out of her wits.
In her momentary slip of the tongue, how could she have forgotten that the current Empress’s maiden family was the Cui family, the Vice Minister of Revenue, and Empress Cui was also a concubine-born daughter of a Vice Minister’s household.
Shang Qingyan said: “Did all the envoys hear it?”
Pan De, following behind Shang Qingyan, wore an unpleasant expression. This Third Madam Yu’s maiden family was merely a Hubu Yuanwailang of the fifth rank, yet she looked down upon the daughter of a Vice Minister.
Pan De replied to Shang Qingyan: “This servant heard it.”
Shang Qingyan asked: “What is the punishment for disrespect toward the Empress?”
Wei Shuimei hastily explained in panic: “This subject’s wife did not mean it that way. This subject’s wife absolutely holds no disrespectful thoughts toward Her Majesty the Empress.”
Pan De cursed her inwardly as an ignorant fool. Even if the “concubine-born daughter of a Vice Minister” she referred to was not the Empress, the word “mere” alone belittled the Empress.
Pan De said: “According to palace rules, the light punishment is slapping the mouth; the severe punishment is death by hanging.”
Wei Shuimei had never imagined that a single sentence could bring such disaster. Immediately, she broke down in tears, kowtowing to Shang Qingyan and pleading for mercy: “This subject’s wife misspoke in a moment of carelessness. I beg Your Highness to spare my life.”
Shang Qingyan remained silent, and Wei Shuimei said to Yu Ange, “Nephew! Your aunt knows she was wrong. Please help plead for me. I won’t dare do it again.”