Su Da Ren sneered coldly: “Are you still playing dumb? Then let me ask you, did you know about your dear younger brother selling examination answers?”
Su Fu Ren’s face instantly turned pale, her legs weakened, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
“Master, I… I… My brother said it was just to earn a little money and that nothing would happen.”
Su Da Ren gritted his teeth: “Nothing would happen? Hah, of course nothing will happen to him! The one in trouble is me!! Cheating in the imperial examinations, and as one of the Ministry of Rites officials overseeing this Spring Examination, if my brother-in-law sells answers without my knowledge, who would believe it? Would Your Majesty believe it?”
Su Fu Ren fell to her knees with a thud, weeping and pleading.
Su Da Ren looked at her for a long time, his heart filled with disappointment.
“You married me, but your heart has always remained with your natal family. Do you know that if this matter is exposed, not only will I lose my official position, but the entire Su family will suffer! Have you considered the fate of Hua’er and Shuang’er?”
Su Fu Ren cried even louder: “Master, please save my brother. If he is caught, he will surely die.”
Su Da Ren slammed the table in anger: “He committed this wrongdoing and must face the consequences. Do you think he can escape?!”
Su Fu Ren slumped to the ground, her eyes vacant. She had only helped with a small favor—how could it have come to this?
Had she been wrong…
Initially, her younger brother had said it was just a small favor, so she had agreed…
Just then, the door suddenly burst open, and Su Gongzi and Su Xiaojie rushed in.
Seeing their mother kneeling on the ground and their father’s furious expression, Su Gongzi also knelt and said:
“Father, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on Mother. Uncle begged her repeatedly, and Mother, being inherently too kind-hearted, agreed out of softness. Now that things have come to this, I beg Father, for my sake, to give Mother another chance. Even if we end up wandering and destitute, I am not afraid of hardship. I only hope our family can stay together.”
Su Xiaojie also knelt beside Su Fu Ren, supporting her, trying to offer her mother some comfort.
Feeling the warmth of her daughter’s palm on her arm, Su Fu Ren looked at her children kneeling beside her, feeling somewhat dazed, and stared intently at Su Da Ren…
Su Da Ren listened to his son’s words and saw the hopeful look in his daughter’s eyes. He closed his eyes for a moment, then coldly said: “Leave.”
Unable to guess whether Su Da Ren had forgiven her or intended to divorce her, Su Fu Ren stood up desolately and went to the Su family ancestral hall.
She knelt down with a thud.
Su Gongzi and Su Xiaojie also knelt beside Su Fu Ren.
“Hua’er, Shuang’er, you need not do this. It is I who have made a mistake.”
“Mother, you are our mother. We are willing to bear this with you.”
Su Xiaojie tightly held her mother’s hand: “Mother, as a family, we should share both joy and hardship.”
Seeing the determined backs of her young children kneeling upright, Su Fu Ren’s tears streamed down once again.
She had been wrong, mistaken in her thoughts…
The Steward returned to the study: “Master, the Madam, Young Master, and Young Miss are all kneeling in the ancestral hall.”
“Then let them kneel.”
After a long while, Su Da Ren’s voice sounded again: “Steward, go and invite a certain official over.”
The Steward then left the Su residence and went to the Xiao Mansion but found that Xiao Yaozu had not returned home.
After making inquiries, he learned that Xiao Yaozu had gone to the Wangye Residence and immediately rushed back to inform Su Da Ren.
……
Wangye Residence
Xiao Yaozu was currently dining with the Eighth Prince.
Of course, the Eighth Prince didn’t invite Xiao Yaozu to stay for dinner—she simply relied on her thick skin to stubbornly remain for the meal.
She had originally intended to sit by the entrance, a more peripheral spot that wouldn’t appear too conspicuous.
Somehow, Yuan Bo seated Xiao Yaozu right beside the Eighth Prince.
[System, do you think the dishes at the Wangye Residence taste better than those at the Xiao Family’s?]
[Host, didn’t you say eating at the same table with the boss is as uncomfortable as being tortured?]
[The Eighth Prince is different.]
[How so?]
[The Emperor is the capital, the Prince is my superior. Besides, we’re both overseeing the exams this time—it’s a good chance to get familiar and make an impression for the future…]
[What future?] The System didn’t understand.
[To commute to court together and become real work buddies.] Xiao Yaozu concealed a subtle, private thought.
The Eighth Prince, however, misunderstood the meaning of “work buddies,” thinking Xiao Yaozu wanted to be with him and cherish every moment they attended court together.
Six maids orderly served the evening’s dishes. The kitchen had specially prepared yellow croaker soup, Qingyuan tofu, lamb trotters with bamboo shoots, raw shredded Jiangyao, Ruyi cakes, and a pot of pear blossom wine.
The aroma of the food wafted around her nose. This time, Xiao Yaozu was quite perceptive: she first poured wine for the Eighth Prince, then picked up her chopsticks and quietly waited for the signal to begin the meal…
The man elegantly lifted the wine from the table and took a small sip.
Immediately, the person beside him ate as if swept up in a whirlwind. From her puffed-out cheeks, it was clear the evening’s dishes suited her taste perfectly.
Half an hour later, a servant brought tea for rinsing mouths.
Xiao Yaozu leaned lazily against the chair back, rubbing her slightly full stomach. She had planned to head back to her residence but suddenly remembered something she needed to bring up:
“Your Highness, today I saw someone secretly selling exam answers. Are you aware of this?”
Openly selling exam answers was no small matter.
If ignored, it could later be exposed and used to blackmail the exam supervisors—either to force them into assisting with “minor favors” or to make them act against their conscience.
The Eighth Prince set down his teacup, his voice low and serious. “I was not aware of this. Do you know who the person selling the answers is?”
Xiao Yaozu: “He somewhat resembles Su Da Ren’s brother-in-law.”
Eighth Prince: “If it truly is Su Da Ren’s brother-in-law, Su Da Ren, as a supervising official, may not escape responsibility. Do you have any evidence?”
Xiao Yaozu: “Your Highness, I was cautious and managed to obtain a copy of the answers.”
She pulled out a “five-tael exam paper” from her sleeve and handed it to the Eighth Prince.
The Eighth Prince took it, unrolled it, and upon seeing the contents, his expression stiffened slightly. This was likely more complicated than it seemed.
When Su Da Ren learned that Xiao Yaozu had not returned to the Xiao Mansion but had gone to the Wangye Residence instead, he grew restless. He immediately left his residence and hurried straight to the Prince’s estate.
“Your Highness, Su Da Ren requests an audience,” a servant suddenly announced.
“Let him in,” the Eighth Prince said without looking up.
Su Da Ren hurried in, knelt on both knees to pay respects to the Eighth Prince, and urgently said, “Your Highness, this official is guilty.”
“Su Da Ren, you’ve arrived quite promptly.” The Eighth Prince placed the exam paper on the table, lifted his gaze, and said calmly, “Explain. What is your crime?”
Xiao Yaozu sat to the side, watching the drama unfold. She noticed that whether it was the Emperor or the Prince, their aura was truly intimidating.
[System, do you think Su Da Ren has changed out of those torn underpants yet?]
[No, he hasn’t. If you look closely, Host, you can still see the marks.]
“…” Su Da Ren subtly shifted his sitting position.
He also noticed the scroll on the table, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
That was likely the exam answers his brother-in-law had been selling.
“Your Highness, my wife was deceived…” Su Da Ren took a deep breath: “My wife was misled by her younger brother. He secretly sold exam answers behind my back. I only just learned of this matter…”
As he finished speaking, sweat dripped from Su Da Ren’s forehead, his voice trembling slightly.
Eighth Prince’s gaze was cold: “Su Da Ren, the imperial examination exists to select talents for the nation. There is no room for any fraud. Do you know how this should be handled?”
Su Da Ren immediately kowtowed: “This humble official wishes to atone for my faults. I am willing to accept any punishment to apologize to the nation. I beg Your Highness to protect my wife and children.”
Is this the cruelty of ancient times?
Xiao Yaozu understood that Su Da Ren couldn’t escape punishment for this matter.
If he could ask the Prince to protect his wife and children, the two must share some connection…
[System, System, what kind of person is Su Da Ren? Is he close with the Prince? Then didn’t I just expose the Prince’s weakness earlier?]