As Qu Tong and Qu Zhao passed by Tang Moying, they couldn’t resist gloating at her.
“Some people’s daughters are so delusional. They actually dream of becoming a general’s wife, yet they don’t even know that the position is merely a backup option for our Eldest Sister.”
“Even if it’s something our Eldest Sister doesn’t want, it’s still not something you people can dream of having!”
“Hahaha… Hahaha…”
They laughed loudly as they walked away, leaving Tang Moying fuming with anger.
…
Inside the room, only Old Madam Qu and Qu Sheng remained.
Under the dim light of the oil lamp, Old Madam Qu sat in a pearwood chair.
Behind her was a wall lined with ancestral tablets.
She blinked her cloudy eyes and placed her thin, bony hand over the back of Qu Sheng’s hand.
“Tell me everything that happened today, in detail.”
Qu Sheng immediately recounted the entire incident without leaving anything out.
By the time he finished, he was gritting his teeth in anger.
“It was my negligence. I never expected that unfilial daughter to turn the tables on us! The death exemption token, the official promotion and noble title, Zhao’er should have had a limitless future ahead of him, and our Marquis’s household should have regained its former glory. But now, everything is gone!”
At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to strangle Qu Jinshu.
However, the Old Madam remained remarkably calm.
She shakily used her cane to support herself as she stood up and turned to light some incense.
“I still remember when your grandfather was alive. Back then, our Marquis’s household held such prestige that even the founding Emperor had to show us considerable deference. But after certain events, our household gradually declined. By your generation, all we have left is an empty noble title.”
Qu Sheng lowered his head awkwardly at his mother’s words. He muttered, “But we still have Zhao’er, don’t we?”
However, thinking about him only made Qu Sheng more troubled.
“Mother, what should we do about the wrestling competition a month from now?”
“Isn’t there still a whole month? If something happens to Zhao’er in the meantime and he becomes unwell, then he simply won’t have to participate in the competition, will he?”
Old Madam Qu glanced coldly at Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng immediately understood. “Mother, you’re still the cleverest! That’s right. Zhao’er can simply claim to be ill and withdraw from the competition when the time comes.”
“And there’s also Zhao’er’s marriage…” Qu Sheng furrowed his brows again.
“Tomorrow, send someone to investigate everything about Commandery Princess Zhao Hening. Make sure you find out every little detail. Also, have Qionghua prepare herself. Once Prince Pingnan returns, she must bring generous gifts and meet with him, regardless of the circumstances.”
“As for Qu Jinshu, the one who caused all this trouble…”
Old Madam Qu paused. Her eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a chilling glint.
“If she weren’t a woman and didn’t have such a disgraceful mother, I might actually consider putting her to use…”
“Mother, what do you mean?” Qu Sheng asked, somewhat confused.
However, Old Madam Qu didn’t explain. “You don’t need to ask too many questions. Quickly arrange for people to secretly search for a more reliable substitute. Whatever means you use, find someone trustworthy. We cannot let her continue impersonating Zhao’er.”
“Outsiders aren’t reliable,” Qu Sheng said, clearly disagreeing.
In the next instant, Old Madam Qu reached out and shoved him.
“If outsiders aren’t reliable, then was the Qu Jinshu you chose reliable? If things continue like this, I’m afraid she’ll destroy the entire Qu family!”
“Mother, isn’t that a little too extreme? No matter what, she’s still my daughter, Qu Sheng’s daughter. Does she really dare to kill me? Besides, what trouble can a woman possibly cause? I still have her mother under my control. She’ll never amount to anything.”
“Does she really think that just because she’s hiding outside, I won’t dare do anything to her?”
Seeing Qu Sheng’s arrogant expression, Old Madam Qu merely sneered.
“I think she’s already slipping beyond our control…”
“Mother!”
“Listen to me. Once you find her, make sure it’s done without anyone knowing…” Old Madam Qu made a throat slitting gesture.
Qu Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Mother, do we really have to go that far?”
“A puppet that can no longer be controlled is better off dead. Otherwise, she’ll only become a threat.”
…
The He Family
When the people from the Eldest Princess residence brought He Xiujun back covered in blood, along with the news that he had been demoted and had his salary reduced, Madam He nearly fainted. If no one had been supporting her, she might have collapsed right there.
“My poor son! Why has life been so cruel to you?”
She cried all the way as she followed them.
He Yuexin trailed behind with a pout.
When Old General He was young, he had sustained an injury to a vital part of his body during a battle, leaving him unable to father any more children.
Fortunately, he already had two children before leaving for war, He Xiujun and He Yuexin.
The enormous General’s residence had very few family members. This was also the main reason Madam He was so devastated upon learning that He Xiujun had been seriously injured.
He Xiaojing, He Xiujun’s paternal aunt, wore an unpleasant expression.
She spoke to Madam He in a displeased tone. “Sister-in-law, stop crying. Listening to you is depressing enough. The Eldest Princess had originally thought highly of Xiujun and believed he would be useful to her in the future. But what he did today was truly disappointing.”
“I begged her repeatedly and tried every possible way to persuade her to intervene. Otherwise, Xiujun would have died at Yunwu Mountain.”
“Elder Brother has been bedridden and paralyzed for years, and now Xiujun is in this condition. You’ll have even more responsibilities to shoulder in managing the General’s household.”
Being scolded by her sister-in-law, Madam He was extremely displeased.
However, thinking that her son still needed He Xiaojing’s help, she could only swallow her resentment.
“Enough. I’ve said everything I needed to say. Xiujun is a member of the He family. I won’t just stand by and let him die. I’ll think of a way to help him regain the Emperor’s trust. But before that, you must make sure he recovers from his injuries.”
“It’s not appropriate for me to stay here any longer. I’ll return to the Eldest Princess’s residence first.”
Only after He Xiaojing finally left did Madam He breathe a sigh of relief. She hurriedly pushed open the door and entered.
“Xiujun, how could you be so foolish? How did you manage to anger the Emperor? Tell your mother exactly what happened!”
She sat beside the bed, looking at He Xiujun with a heart full of concern.
From the waist down, He Xiujun had almost completely lost sensation. Although medicine had been applied to his wounds, it couldn’t mask the strong smell of blood.
This was the most wretched state he had ever been in throughout his life.
However, when his mother questioned him, He Xiujun gave a vague answer.
“Mother, serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. When the Emperor is displeased, he can do whatever he wants. I was simply unlucky.”
“Brother, why won’t you tell the truth? The news has already spread everywhere! You abandoned Prince Jing to save Qu Ya, which is why the Emperor punished you!”
He Yuexin voiced her dissatisfaction loudly.
Their family had always depended on her elder brother. Now that something had happened to him, what were they supposed to do?
She used to like Qu Ya very much. She thought Qu Ya came from a respectable family, was proficient in the four arts of the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was a famous talented young lady in the capital. She believed Qu Ya was worthy of becoming her sister-in-law.
She had even followed Qu Ya around, calling her ‘Sister-in-law.’
But now that the General’s household had suffered such a disaster because of Qu Ya, she couldn’t help blaming her.
“What… Ahem…”
Upon hearing He Yuexin’s words, He Xiujun hurriedly tried to sit up. Unfortunately, he accidentally pulled at his wounds, making him gasp in pain.
He hadn’t expected being beaten to hurt this much.
But back then, when Qu Jinshu had taken the military punishment on his behalf, she hadn’t reacted so strongly. She had even told him that her injuries weren’t serious.
Forget it. Why was he thinking about her?
He had clearly told her that from now on, they would go their separate ways and have nothing more to do with each other. He would leave her to fend for herself, and they would never interfere in each other’s lives again.
“How did this news spread? I clearly didn’t reveal Ya’er’s involvement in front of the Emperor. If everyone finds out that I left because of her, she’ll be burdened with a terrible reputation.” He Xiujun muttered to himself.
Madam He trembled with anger. “You fool! At a time like this, you’re still thinking about Qu Ya! Which is more important, her or your career and your health?”
“If you had simply told the Emperor about her today, he wouldn’t have punished you so severely.”
The more Madam He thought about it, the angrier she became.