The matron went before Old Madam Xiao and quietly opened the brocade box—inside lay a silk handkerchief stained with dark blood.
Old Madam Xiao frowned in disgust, lightly covering her mouth and nose as she instinctively recoiled.
After a few moments, her face turned ashen, yet she forced a smile: “Quickly take this proof of consummation to the ancestral hall at once, to announce to the ancestors of the Xiao Family—Pingyang Hou Xiao Lin has married a pure and chaste woman.”
“Yes!” The servant took the box and withdrew.
The hall instantly fell into silence.
The Xiao family elders nodded inwardly, thinking that the ancestors of the Xiao Family were indeed biased, always protecting the Pingyang Marquisate!
Thus, it seemed Pingyang Hou would have descendants after all…
Everyone simultaneously cast looks of contempt toward Xiao Yunhe.
The Hou Furen and the Hou Ye were deeply affectionate; this wretch Xiao Yunhe must have been wishfully thinking all along, which led him to drunkenly barge into the Hou Furen’s bridal chamber with others to cause trouble!
Utterly improper!
Absolutely preposterous!!
Xiao Yunhe staggered back, forced by Old Madam Xiao’s words. How could he dare believe that Su Mingyue had actually consummated the marriage with that good-for-nothing!?
Fortunately, a servant was quick to support him, preventing him from falling to the ground in disgrace like Liu Ying.
The farce seemed about to end…
Old Madam Xiao raised her hand and wearily pinched the bridge of her nose: “It’s been late enough with all this commotion today. I am tired as well; everyone may leave now.”
“Wait…”
“Hold on.”
A deep male voice sounded unexpectedly, just covering Su Mingyue’s voice.
The surroundings suddenly fell into dead silence again, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
At the entrance of Qingshen Tang stood a man of unparalleled handsomeness, as if he had stepped out of a painting.
Though dressed in a red robe, it did little to improve his complexion; his face still bore a sickly pallor.
Su Mingyue frowned slightly, thinking to herself: “Why has he come?”
Her gaze shifted gracefully as she unhurriedly rose to give him her seat.
Xiao Lin seemed not to see her, directly taking the chair she had vacated.
His eyes swept over the crowd, chillingly cold, his expression detached as if he were an outsider.
“Bring them in.”
As soon as Xiao Lin spoke, the servant named Shuisheng and several stewards of the mansion were escorted in by guards, stumbling to their knees.
Liu Ying trembled violently in fright, her pupils contracting sharply.
She had thought to feign fainting to escape quickly but suddenly remembered Su Mingyue’s proficiency in medicine, forcing her to remain standing.
The servants’ faces bore injuries, and their fingertips were mangled and bloody, clearly having been severely tortured in a very short time.
“Spare us, Hou Ye! Have mercy, Hou Ye!” Shuisheng kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling. “It was the young mistress who ordered this servant to lure the young master to the bridal chamber! As for the rest… I know nothing else!”
Before the servant finished speaking, Liu Ying, who had just gotten up from the ground moments earlier, fell to her knees again with a thud, tears streaming down her face.
“No! Hou Ye, please see clearly, I did not do this!” She lifted her pale, paper-like face, her voice filled with anguish.
Then her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Xiao Yunhe, full of pleading: “Brother Yunhe, believe me… how could I… how could I do such a thing to ruin my own reputation…”
Xiao Yunhe looked at her familiar, pitiful appearance, but instead of feeling the usual sympathy, an unprecedented dislike welled up in his heart.
If it weren’t for Mother constantly teasing him with Liu Ying, Yue’er wouldn’t have repeatedly become jealous of him, nor would she have completely lost patience with him…
Without Liu Ying’s interference, he wouldn’t have suffered this series of humiliations and embarrassments today!
Yue’er wouldn’t have publicly arranged his marriage as an elder, repeatedly drawing clear boundaries with him!
This good cousin of his… was clearly scheming against him on purpose! She wanted to force him to marry her!
Hah…
That once kind and well-mannered cousin truly disappointed him greatly!
Xiao Yunhe closed his eyes, exhaled a heavy breath, and turned his head away, unwilling to look at Liu Ying’s hypocritical face any longer.
Su Mingyue observed Xiao Yunhe’s reaction, her lips trembling slightly, her eyes filled with satisfaction.
Tsk!
They haven’t even fallen in love yet, and already there’s hatred?
This makes it even more interesting!
What she wanted to see was the two tormenting each other, intent on destroying one another!
Su Mingyue intended to have Liu Lingyi take the person away, after all, she still wanted Liu Ying to achieve her wish as in the previous life, to let her taste the bitterness of being humiliated and scorned by a loved one!
She was too eager to see them torment each other, fighting to the death…
Just as she was about to speak, Xiao Lin coldly addressed the steward: “Send Miss Liu home. In the future, if the third branch marries a woman from the Liu family, the dowry and all related expenses will only be half covered by the public funds.”
“Yes.”
Liu Ying, completely limp, was dragged out by two maids. Faced with the head of the household’s authority, Liu Lingyi, though dissatisfied, dared not speak up and was powerless, only feeling anxious in her heart.
Having missed the spectacle she wanted to see and instead being disgusted by what she didn’t want to witness… Old Madam Xiao’s face turned ashen, and without a word, she stood up to leave.
With a crisp “crack,” the teacup lid in Xiao Lin’s hand fell to the ground, unexpectedly shattering into two pieces.
“This Marquis’s matters are not yet settled. Where does Tai Furen think she’s going?”
“Outrageous! I am your legal mother!!”
“Tai Furen is overwhelmed with anger and unwell… does this Marquis need to summon Xiao Xun back to the estate to take care of you?”
“You…”
The cryptic exchange between mother and son left everyone confused and bewildered.
To others, it seemed as though Tai Furen had too many guilty secrets… while Pingyang Hou’s voice remained gentle, low, and as calm and composed as ever.
Only Su Mingyue frowned slightly, clearly sensing the threat in Xiao Lin’s voice and the deep-seated fear emanating from Old Madam Xiao.
Xiao Xun was of the same generation as Xiao Lin, the deceased Old Marquis Xiao’s eldest son by a concubine, now in his fifties, who had never been in the estate… she had never met him in her previous life either.
Could it be… there’s a story here?
Hah, she would have to send someone to investigate this carefully later.
Seeing the two at a standoff, Madam Lü, who had been standing behind Old Madam Xiao, grew increasingly pale and hurriedly knelt before Xiao Lin, trembling with fear.
“Marquis, please calm your anger! It… it was your niece-in-law’s mishandling of affairs, neglecting the estate’s security on such an important day, which allowed the young master to mistakenly enter Xuanmao Hall… please forgive this offense, Marquis!”
“In that case, from now on, you need not involve yourself in public affairs!”
“What?!” Old Madam Xiao’s eyes widened abruptly, her chest heaving violently.
Xiao Lin looked up at her, his sinister eyes filled with intimidating pressure: “Tai Furen is advanced in years. If you find managing the household beyond your strength, you may hand it over to Madam Su at any time.”
“…” Old Madam Xiao clenched her fists tightly, her teeth grinding audibly.
To let all her years of forbearance and scheming go to waste? Not a chance!!
Seeing the old lady glaring with eyes that could devour someone yet remaining silent, Xiao Lin withdrew his gaze and his voice suddenly turned cold: “Guards, escort Madam Lü to the ancestral hall to kneel. She is not to rise before dawn!”
Madam Lü: “!?”
Old Madam Xiao: “…!”
Xiao Lin, in front of everyone, then ordered the disposal of those trusted aides of Old Madam Xiao who were on the ground, ensuring they would never set foot in the Pingyang Marquisate again. How could this not be considered a light punishment for a severe warning?!
He rose slowly, originally thinking Su Mingyue would step forward to support him, but instead, she slightly furrowed her brows, turned her gaze away with a hint of disgust…?
Xiao Lin’s brows imperceptibly twitched.
Did she dislike him this much?
Then why did she take the initiative to marry him?
Recalling what she had said earlier when she tried to force herself on him, Xiao Lin suddenly sobered up—
He had almost forgotten, whom did Su Mingyue marry? It wasn’t him, Xiao Lin… She married the title of Pingyang Hou, and what she coveted was his inheritance!
Hah, what a mercenary woman!
And here he was, coming to back her up!
Ungrateful little wretch!!
Seeing his master standing motionless, the guard Liunian, braving the increasingly chilling aura around Xiao Lin, quickly ordered someone to lower the threshold and personally pushed the wheelchair forward.
He always remembered: his master was a sickly man, weak and powerless!
…
The group dispersed.
Watching Xiao Lin’s figure gradually fade into the distance, Su Mingyue lightly linked arms with her two maids and quietly slipped behind the rockery.
With eyes everywhere in the mansion, she only wanted a moment of freedom.
“Madam,” Xiao Tao, the most perceptive of the two, asked, “are you unhappy?”
“With so much trouble on what should have been a perfect wedding night, how could Madam be happy?!” Xiao He’s face was full of anger. “It’s all that Xiao Yunhe’s fault, sticking to us like a piece of dogskin plaster!”
“But at least Madam has consummated the marriage with the Marquis. Surely he won’t come looking for trouble again in the future!”
Xiao He and Xiao Tao looked down on Xiao Yunhe from the bottom of their hearts.
Seeing the joyful expressions on the two maids’ faces, Su Mingyue said lightly, “The Marquis and I did not consummate the marriage.”
Xiao Tao was stunned: “Then… then the handkerchief…”
Xiao He was also shocked: “Yes! Wasn’t that matron sent by the Marquis? We haven’t even made arrangements yet!?”
Su Mingyue’s tone was calm: “I intended to consummate the marriage with the Marquis, but he was unwilling… After all, it’s an Imperial Marriage Grant. I suppose he wanted to give me the proper respect!” And also to make her behave in the future!
Remembering how Xiao Lin had desperately tried to pull the bell cord to call for help on the bed, Su Mingyue felt her face burn with shame!
Really… who cares about that!?
Xiao He stomped her foot in anger: “Our mistress is young and beautiful as a flower. Where does she fall short of him!?”
Xiao Tao, however, was deeply worried: “If there are no heirs, Mistress, how will you establish yourself in the Marquisate in the future…”
Seeing the two maids anxious and angry, Su Mingyue instead chuckled.
“What’s there to fear!? A rooster that lays eggs is hard to find, but finding a man to have a child with isn’t difficult. As long as I remain the Pingyang Hou Furen for a day, any child I bear will be the heir to the Pingyang Marquisate!”
“Wow…”
Xiao He and Xiao Tao widened their eyes and simultaneously gave a thumbs-up: “Madam is mighty!”
“Enough! Although Xuanmao Hall is not comfortable, we shouldn’t stay outside for too long, lest more trouble arises.”
“Moreover, while the Marquis may show disrespect to his lawful mother, as a daughter-in-law, I cannot be too presumptuous… Tomorrow there is still the ceremonial washing and offering of food, so we must return early to prepare.”
Judging by today’s situation, it seems tomorrow’s challenges will not be easy to overcome!
The master and her two maids whispered and joked a few more words before quietly slipping away along another small path.
Completely unaware that from behind the rockery, a tall figure emerged.
Under the cold moonlight, Xiao Lin toyed with the throwing knife in his hand, a murderous aura unmistakably radiating from him!