Several matrons stepped forward, forcibly pressing Su He down to make her kowtow to Madam Su.
“Aren’t you going to thank the mistress?” one of the matrons mocked.
“Pah, you wretched thing!” Su He spat, sneering coldly. “Once I’m over there, I’ll have the marquis throw your son into prison.”
Madam Su’s face darkened. She rushed down the steps in quick strides, charging up to Su He and raising her hand to slap her.
Su He showed no courtesy either. She thrust her head forward and rammed it hard into Madam Su’s stomach.
Old Marquis Pei’s place was a hellish den of demons. Once carried in, it would surely be a death sentence. Since death was inevitable either way, she might as well kill this venomous woman first!
Madam Su let out a cry of pain as she was knocked to the ground, immediately starting to shout.
“Go and fetch Father at once! Bring the family discipline! If we don’t properly teach her manners, sending her to the marquis’s household will only bring disgrace upon the Su family.” Su Jinlan arrived, frowning with displeasure as she glared at Su He. “You vile creature! You’re inherently unruly and disrespectful to your elders, and now you dare lay hands on your legal mother? Someone, seize her!”
Su He sneered. “If I’m a vile creature, then the two of you are vile beasts.”
“How dare you defy heaven itself!” Madam Su, her face ashen with rage, scrambled to her feet, snatched the paddle from a servant woman, and swung it toward Su He’s mouth.
“Mother, you mustn’t hit her face. The marquis still wants her.” Su Jinlan immediately stopped her.
Madam Su composed herself, saying hatefully, “Pin her down! Strip off her skirt!”
The matrons forced Su He onto the scorching, sharp-edged gravel, lifted her skirt, and began tugging at her undergarments to strip them off.
Su He struggled desperately.
The paddle was specially made—when it struck the body, it left no obvious marks on the skin or flesh, but inflicted excruciating pain by injuring the bones.
“Hit her hard, make her remember this lesson,” Madam Su coldly snapped. “A wretched thing born of a wretched woman, a creature with no manners.”
Su He raised her reddened eyes, glaring hatefully at Madam Su. “Madam Su, you always curse my mother as a wretched thing, but don’t forget… it was Lord Su who deceived and lured her here back then! Lord Su and you are the most wretched things of all!”
“How dare you defy heaven itself! Beat her, beat her to death!” Madam Su flew into a rage, snatched the paddle back, and swung it fiercely at Su He’s body.
Su He would rather be beaten to death than be sent to Old Marquis Pei. He was a pervert—countless young girls died under him every year. It was said that when the bodies were carried out, not an inch of their skin remained intact.
“Second Sister, your birth mother came from a lowly background. Being able to enter the Su household was her fortune. How dare you insult Father like this?” Su Jinlan remarked sarcastically from the side.
“I hope you have such fortune in the future too,” Su He spat forcefully.
Her birth mother was originally the daughter of a small merchant family in Jiangnan. Su Heng had deceived her, claiming he was unmarried, and brought her to the capital. Only after entering the Su household did her mother learn that he was already married with children and had several concubines. But Su He was about to be born, and her mother couldn’t bear to let Su He be called a bastard, so she endured the humiliation and stayed.
At first, Su Heng still enjoyed visiting her mother, but he was soon lured away by a newly taken concubine, leaving her mother to struggle bitterly in the inner quarters.
Her mother’s death later was truly tragic.
Su He remembered the day her mother died in childbirth—the entire bed was soaked in blood, a vivid, glaring red that stung her eyes.
It happened to be her sixth birthday that day, but from then on, no one ever remembered her birthday again. She was like a wild weed, left to grow alone in the rear courtyard of the Su residence.
“Beat her! Beat her to death!” Madam Su’s face was livid with rage as she pointed at her and shrieked.
The wooden board fell again and again on her legs.
Her bones ached terribly!
“Please stop, I beg you, Madam, I beg you, Eldest Miss, please stop.” Granny Liu rushed over and knelt before Madam Su, kowtowing repeatedly with a thudding sound.
She had been brought from Jiangnan by Su He’s mother back then. After realizing she had been deceived, Su He’s mother gave Granny Liu her deed of servitude and allowed her to leave. But Granny Liu couldn’t bear to leave her mistress and insisted on staying. After Su He’s mother died, her deed was seized by Madam Su and has been held in her hands ever since, turning Granny Liu into Madam Su’s servant. For Su He’s sake, Granny Liu endured the humiliation and stayed.
“Granny Liu, I think it was you who spoiled this Third Miss. Beat her too,” Madam Su sneered.
Granny Liu was already over fifty—how could she withstand such a vicious beating?
Su He laughed. “Go ahead and beat me. But if you don’t kill me today, I’ll go whisper in the old marquis’s ear and have my sister sent over too! My sister and I will serve him together—one for the first half of the night, the other for the second.”
Su Jinlan’s face flushed crimson with anger, and she kicked Su He’s leg. “You’re just like your mother—shameless and lowly.”
“You’re so noble. Your mother dug you out of a rock—you weren’t made by your mother and a man,” Su He spat forcefully.
Just as Su Jinlan was about to kick her again, her expression suddenly changed. She looked toward the courtyard gate and withdrew her foot.
“Mother, Ye Lang is here,” Su Jinlan immediately tugged at Madam Su’s hand, giving her a meaningful look.
Madam Su looked toward the entrance and saw a tall figure striding over, clad in gleaming silver armor. It was none other than Ye Lang.
Su He turned her head with difficulty toward the courtyard gate. Ye Lang had already crossed the threshold and lifted his gaze to look in her direction.
Wasn’t he supposed to be at the border? When did he return?
“Stop beating her,” Ye Lang pushed aside the woman who was still striking Su He, his face dark with anger. “Are you trying to kill her?”
Su He looked at him but remained silent.
She liked Ye Lang—she liked him very, very much. Ye Lang was the moon in her sky, hanging brightly in her world for fifteen years, ever since she first laid eyes on him at the age of two.
Unfortunately, he was a dragon among men, destined to marry a princess someday—someone she could never aspire to.
“They’re urging us outside,” the steward rushed in again in a flurry. Seeing Su He lying on the sharp stones, he hurriedly urged, “Hurry up!”
“Where are you going?” Ye Lang frowned, puzzled.
“To take care of some matters,” Madam Su forced a smile and said gently, “General Ye, the master is waiting in the study. You should go quickly.”
“Don’t beat her anymore,” Ye Lang bent down to help Su He up, frowning as he spoke. “Sometimes you shouldn’t be so stubborn. You can’t always fight back so hard.”
“If I soften, will they stop beating me?” Su He curled the corner of her mouth, struggling to force out a smile.
She didn’t want to ask Ye Lang for help. He had helped her before, but every time he did, his mother would come and scold her. Over time, she stopped seeking his aid.
“Hurry and change your clothes, and apply some medicine,” Ye Lang took out the wound medicine he carried with him, placed it in her palm, and said gently, “I’ll wait here for you.”
“Why were you waiting for me?” Su He sniffled, forcing a smile as she asked him.
“I brought you some treats, I’ll take you to get them later.” Ye Lang released her hand, lowering his voice. “You go first.”
Watching Ye Lang stride away, Su He felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
“He was summoned back to the capital by His Majesty to be betrothed. Guess which noble family’s daughter it is.” Seeing Su He’s sorrowful expression, Su Jinlan cruelly twisted the knife in her heart.
So that was it—he returned to the capital for an arranged marriage.
Disheartened, Su He returned to her room to change clothes. She tucked the medicine bottle Ye Lang had given her close to her chest, then took a sharpened hairpin from a drawer and fastened it in her hair.
Outside, a small green-canopied sedan chair awaited her. Escorting it were several black-armored Guards, who clasped their fists in salute before lifting the curtain for her to enter.