Hearing Xue Wanyi's voice, Zhenzhu hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered.
At a glance, she saw Concubine Qiu viciously choking her mistress's neck, veins bulging on her forehead—clearly using great force.
Zhenzhu wanted to rush forward to save her mistress but was stopped by the matron beside Concubine Qiu.
Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted outside.
Seeing this, the matron hurried to the doorway and shouted loudly to those outside, "Stop her!"
By the time the few people in the courtyard reacted, Zhenzhu had already run out of Qinghe Courtyard.
The matron, seeing the situation, hastily returned and pulled Concubine Qiu away.
Seeing Xue Wanyi lying limp on the ground, Concubine Qiu snapped back to her senses, feeling only that disaster had struck.
Why hadn't she been able to restrain herself?
And had that wretched servant girl found out?
She couldn't be allowed to live. Absolutely not.
Thinking this, she hastily shook off the matron and moved forward, intending to kill Xue Wanyi.
Xue Wanyi, of course, had done this on purpose.
She was gambling.
Betting her own life against this venomous woman's life.
Her throat hurt terribly; every shallow breath felt like fire scorching her.
Her head throbbed painfully, her vision blurred, making it hard to see clearly.
Yet she still smiled.
Lying on the ground, she could hear hurried footsteps approaching from afar.
"Hahaha, Concubine, I must be your own flesh and blood, right? Why are you so determined to kill me for the sake of the legitimate eldest sister?"
Concubine Qiu, both enraged and worried that Xue Wanyi had discovered the truth, paid no attention to the commotion outside.
She knelt on the ground, her hands gripping Xue Wanyi's slender neck.
Gritting her teeth, her voice dripping with venom, she said, "How dare you, a wretched servant girl, compare yourself? I should have strangled you to death back then, to keep you from hindering the eldest young lady's future."
She suddenly tightened her grip.
As she looked at Xue Wanyi's delicate face, she felt both exhilaration and fear.
This wretched servant girl was growing more and more like Madam Jiang.
Xue Wanyi pushed against Concubine Qiu, trying to avoid actually dying here.
"You… are not my… birth mother. You only love… the legitimate eldest sister…"
Just as Xue Wanyi was on the verge of losing consciousness, Xue Chong entered with others from outside.
Seeing the scene before him, his eyes widened in fury.
"Venomous woman!"
He raised his foot and forcefully kicked Concubine Qiu away.
"Ah—"
Concubine Qiu screamed as she crashed into a distant table, tumbling beneath it.
The others present, witnessing this, felt the situation was utterly absurd.
Even Xue Mingfei felt that things had spiraled out of control.
In her past life, had Concubine Qiu ever been this deranged?
Zhenzhu, tears streaming down her face, stepped forward to help Xue Wanyi up.
Looking at the marks on Xue Wanyi's neck, it was clear Concubine Qiu had intended to kill her.
Xue Chong was furious, and the matron trembled like a leaf in the wind.
Too terrified to help her mistress, she knelt on the ground, trembling.
"Even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cubs. You venomous woman, as a lowly concubine, you dare to plot against your mistress? Don't think that just because my mother stands behind you, I won't dare to have you executed."
Turning to look at his youngest daughter, who could barely stand, Xue Chong felt some displeasure toward her as well.
"She was under house arrest. What were you doing coming here for no reason?"
If she hadn't come, wouldn't this have been avoided?
"Cough, gasp…"
Xue Wanyi clutched her neck, which felt as if she had swallowed burning coals, and stared at Xue Chong in shock.
Beside her, Zhenzhu hastily knelt and spoke on her behalf.
"Replying to the master, the young lady was uneasy. She said that Concubine Qiu's house arrest was because of her…"
She didn't need to finish her words; everyone present understood.
What could Xue Chong do?
Was it to say that Xue Wanyi should not have come?
"What was that about just now?"
If they had not arrived in time, the fate of the Xue family would have been completely altered.
In truth, Xue Chong had never wanted his di-daughter to marry into the Zhenguo Gong Mansion.
The women in the inner quarters had limited information, but court officials like him knew much more about the situation at the Zhenguo Gong Mansion.
The current Zhenguo Gong Mansion was a dragon's den and tiger's lair, comparable to hell.
If anyone in the higher ranks had even the slightest intention, the imperial decree of marriage would never have fallen upon a third-rank official family like the Xues.
First-rank, second-rank, and noble households—there were at least thirty to fifty such families in the capital.
Even if there were the slightest benefit to be gained, it would not have been his family's turn.
To put it bluntly.
The Emperor's marriage decree was selecting a woman to send to the Ye family as a "sacrifice."
This "sacrifice" had an extremely high probability of dying, gaining no advantage whatsoever, and instead earning Ye Zhuo's resentment.
While a concubine-born daughter indeed carried less weight than a legitimate daughter, she was still a resource carefully cultivated by the family. How could she be wasted?
Xue Wanyi endured the surging pain, her voice hoarse as she spoke.
"Father, Concubine Qiu was worried that if I married into the Duke's Manor, I would overshadow my elder sister…"
With the focus now on herself, Xue Mingfei looked at Concubine Qiu with a complicated expression.
"I am already betrothed, so naturally, I will not marry into the Duke's Manor. Why would Concubine Qiu go to such futile lengths?"
Xue Chong stepped forward and overturned the table.
He grabbed Concubine Qiu and lifted her up. "Foolish and malicious."
Dragging her to the front hall, he threw her out directly.
"Guards, thirty lashes!"
Concubine Qiu, who had been pretending to faint while waiting for Xue Chong's pity, abruptly opened her eyes.
She scrambled over to Xue Chong, clutching the hem of his robe.
Assuming the most pitiful posture she could muster, she wept and pleaded.
"No, Master, please! I know I was wrong. I beg you to spare me this once…"
Thirty lashes would kill her.
"She is just a concubine-born daughter. How could she marry more gloriously than the eldest young lady? The second young lady has shown disrespect toward the eldest young lady in private. I was only afraid that if she married into a higher status, she would harm the eldest young lady…"
Xue Mingfei’s gaze toward Concubine Qiu also turned somewhat strange.
Which family’s concubine could be so obedient?
Her mother had often sulked in anger because Concubine Qiu enjoyed their father’s favor.
The young man who had remained silent until now finally spoke.
He was Xue Muzhao, born of Madam Jiang and the only male heir of the Jiang family.
"Concubine Qiu, the marriage between Second Sister and the Duke of Zhenguo is an imperial decree."
"Have you ever considered that if Second Sister were to die by your hand, our entire Xue family would, at best, be charged with contempt for the Emperor’s grace, leading to Father’s dismissal or even exile. At worst, we would be accused of defying the imperial decree and face execution of the entire family."
The soft, pitiful weeping came to an abrupt halt.
Concubine Qiu looked up, bewildered, at Xue Chong’s stern and cold expression.
Belatedly realizing the gravity of the situation, she was utterly terrified.
She was not foolish beyond redemption.
No matter how much she acted out in the household, Xue Chong, captivated by her beauty, would not kill her unless she committed a grave offense.
But if she threatened his career or endangered the entire Xue family, her life would be over.
The thirty lashes were already Xue Chong sparing her life.
If she pleaded further, she might die here today.
Seeing that Concubine Qiu was about to be punished, Xue Mingfei approached Xue Wanyi.
"Are you just going to watch?"
After all, they were mother and daughter. "Thirty lashes could kill someone."
Their voices were low but not concealed.
Both Xue Chong and his son could hear them, and naturally, so could Concubine Qiu.
The next moment, through tear-blurred vision, she looked at Xue Mingfei, her lips trembling with emotion, eyes filled with boundless gratitude and… affection.
Even Xue Chong and Xue Muzhao turned their gaze toward Xue Wanyi.
Concubine Qiu was, after all, Xue Chong's beloved concubine, truly cherished.
The order for thirty strokes had been spoken in a surge of anger, words blurted out without thought.
Regret followed immediately.
In front of the servants, it was difficult to retract the command, yet he hoped Xue Wanyi would show some discernment.
"Father…"
Xue Wanyi stepped forward, meeting Concubine Qiu's gaze, which concealed hidden resentment.
"Please show mercy."