Granny Xia looked at the two old women who had fled in panic, then at the corpse lying sprawled on the ground. With deep concern, she said to Su Hua, “Miss, when the Prime Minister comes later…”
“It’s fine. I’ll handle everything,” Su Hua said firmly. She lifted her gaze to Granny Xia and Yun Shuang and declared, “I’ve returned from the gates of hell. The old Su Hua is dead. This Su Hua has been reborn. Anyone who dares bully us will be repaid with thunderous retribution.”
Yun Shuang said innocently, “Miss is so decisive and resolute now. It must be the protection of the gods and Buddhas that has transformed you. No matter what you become, as long as you’re safe and I can stay by your side to serve you, I’ll be happy.”
Hearing Yun Shuang’s words, Granny Xia nodded. The earth-shaking change in Miss truly could only be explained as a miracle. After a brief pause, she said warmly, “Miss, Yun Shuang is right. As long as you’re safe and well, we’ll be content.”
Su Hua smiled brightly. “Not just me—we will all live safely and well.”
Before the time it took to brew a cup of tea had passed, a large crowd appeared at the entrance of the small courtyard, escorting two figures inside.
At the front was a middle-aged man dressed in splendid robes, imposing and dignified—her father, the current Prime Minister, Su Bingyan.
Beside him walked a lavishly dressed woman, dripping with luxury—the vicious stepmother, Madam Zhu.
The moment Madam Zhu stepped into the courtyard and saw Granny Sun lying dead in a pool of blood, her brows knit tightly, her eyes filled with cold fury. Useless trash. She had sent her to confirm whether Su Hua was dead, yet she had been killed instead.
At the same time, seeing Su Hua still alive left her deeply unsettled. After being pulled from the lotus pond, Su Hua had been hanging onto her last breath. Even the family physician had said she wouldn’t survive three days. Yet not only was she alive now—her vitality looked better than before. It was downright eerie.
Su Bingyan glanced at the corpse on the ground, then looked toward Su Hua, who sat calmly beneath the corridor, unmoving. If Madam Zhu hadn’t informed him two days ago that Su Hua had fallen into the lotus pond and was unlikely to survive, he might have forgotten he even had such a daughter.
Yet just moments earlier, two servants had reported that Su Hua had killed someone. The sequence of events left him perplexed.
Granny Xia and Yun Shuang stepped forward together and bowed respectfully. “Greetings to the Prime Minister and Madam.”
Su Bingyan ignored them entirely. His cold gaze fell on Su Hua, his voice carrying suppressed anger.
“When you see your father and elders, you don’t even know basic etiquette. No wonder your mother says you’re withdrawn, disobedient, and lacking ambition. It’s no surprise Prince Jing requested to annul the engagement with you. Why can’t you learn from your second sister?”
Su Hua sat steady as a mountain. What a fine father. No concern upon meeting her—only scolding and reproach.
“My mother?” Su Hua let out a mocking laugh. “Father seems to have forgotten—my mother passed away when I was eight. That woman is merely a concubine promoted to wife. Does she deserve my respect?”
“My mother has been dead nearly ten years. In all that time, did Father ever truly care about me? The number of times you’ve seen me could be counted on one hand. Look at my food, clothing, and daily provisions—do they resemble what the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prime Minister’s household should receive?”
“As for learning from Su Xuan,” Su Hua sneered, “learning how to seduce her sister’s fiancé? Learning how to sleep with a man without proper marriage rites? Rest assured, that kind of trash man isn’t worth wanting. If Su Xuan enjoys picking up garbage, she can have him.”
Madam Zhu was already displeased; now her fury erupted. “Insolent! You were useless yourself—that’s why Prince Jing lost interest and broke off the engagement! Now he has already petitioned His Majesty to marry Xuan’er as his wife. How dare you slander him like this! Not only did you kill a long-serving servant of the household, you even dare to defame Prince Jing—your audacity knows no bounds!”
Su Hua understood perfectly well. Su Bingyan favored Madam Zhu and her children. He had never cared about her—and that was precisely why Madam Zhu had dared to torment, humiliate, and even attempt to kill the original Su Hua.
Unfortunately for them, she was here now.
Trying to control her? In their dreams.
“A servant who oversteps her place deserves death,” Su Hua said coldly, casting Madam Zhu a look of pure disdain. “As for slander—whether it’s true or not, you know best. If you don’t mind the embarrassment, why not bring it before the public and let the world judge?”
Madam Zhu immediately turned to Su Bingyan. “Prime Minister, look at her! She has no decorum whatsoever. Such reckless speech will bring disaster sooner or later.”
Su Bingyan’s brows furrowed as he barked, “If you dare speak nonsense and damage the Su family’s reputation, I’ll beat you to death!”
Granny Xia and Yun Shuang knelt to the side, trembling. Afraid that Miss would anger the Prime Minister further, they were about to plead when Su Hua’s voice sounded again.
Unbothered, Su Hua said casually, “Father, I’m not seven years old—I’m seventeen. Do you really think I’m still a clueless child? Or have you forgotten about my mother’s maternal family—the Shen clan?”
Madam Zhu shouted sharply, “The Shen family has long declined! If you disgrace the Prime Minister’s household, beating you to death would be justified. Does the Shen family dare interfere in our affairs?”
Su Hua let out a soft scoff and met Su Bingyan’s cold stare. “Is that so?”
She knew precisely where his concern lay. The Shen clan, a great family with generations of legacy—even if they had withdrawn from the capital, their foundation was not something to be taken lightly.
Su Bingyan shot Madam Zhu a side glance. After the emperor ascended the throne, many officials who had supported rival princes were purged. The Shen clan had remained neutral, supporting no one. After the ascension, the emperor had actually intended to continue employing the Shen family—but they had voluntarily distanced themselves from the court to avoid suspicion.
The Shen family was a lineage of great scholars, revered among scholars throughout the realm. Their influence could not be dismissed lightly. Moreover, Su Bingyan knew the emperor had long intended to restore the Shen clan to prominence.
Could this girl have learned something?
Su Bingyan fixed Su Hua with a cold stare and said in a deep voice, “Behave yourself. What happened today is not to be spread. As for Granny Sun’s death—find any excuse to explain it away.”
At once, several servants dragged the corpse away.
Madam Zhu stared in disbelief. The Prime Minister was letting the matter end just like that? Seeing him turn to leave, she had no choice but to follow.
As Su Bingyan flicked his sleeve and turned away, Su Hua called out, “Since Father is already here, there are some matters we might as well settle properly.”
Su Bingyan turned back, his face dark. “What else do you want to settle?”
Su Hua’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. “Naturally, to settle the shameless deeds committed over the years by the woman Father dotes on—the current matriarch of the Prime Minister’s household.”
The moment these words fell, Madam Zhu felt as though her face had been viciously slapped—burning with pain.
That little bitch Su Hua!To dare call her shameless in front of everyone—this wretch truly had a death wish.