After yesterday’s events and Su Bingyan’s intervention, the Lan Yue Pavilion where Su Hua resided underwent a complete transformation overnight.
From the courtyard furnishings to the decorative pieces, even down to Su Hua’s clothing and daily expenses, everything was restored to reflect her status as the legitimate eldest daughter.
They even wanted to assign her more maids and servants to attend to her, but she outright refused.
The servants arranged by Zhu Shi could never have pure intentions.
The people around her were carefully selected and approved by Su Hua herself—no longer puppets under someone else’s control.
Having just finished her morning meal, Xia Mama entered and reported, “Miss, the Grandmother has sent for you. She requests your immediate presence at Fuxi Hall.”
Su Hua knew that her usually indifferent grandmother summoning her to Fuxi Hall likely had to do with her marriage decree. Though everyone knew Prince Ning was a disabled man, his princely status was still far above ordinary people.
Su Hua left Lan Yue Pavilion and made her way to Fuxi Hall.
Inside Fuxi Hall, the Grandmother sat at the main seat. Su Bingyan and Zhu Shi flanked her, while Su Xuan sat beside Zhu Shi.
Su Hua stepped forward, greeting them simply: “Grandmother, Father.”
The Grandmother’s face carried a kindly smile, but her tone was cold: “The emperor has issued a marriage decree for you and Prince Ning. Your father has received the decree. From now on, you need only wait to be wed.”
“The emperor’s decree is no trivial matter. Guard it carefully,” Su Bingyan said sternly. “Also, your grandmother is correct. During this period, you should remain in your own residence, cultivate yourself, and prepare for your marriage.”
Su Hua took the decree, snorting in amusement. “Father, the way you say that makes it sound like I’m being placed under house arrest.”
Su Xuan spoke gently, “Big sister, Father’s advice comes from goodwill. Why twist his intentions?”
“Oh, really? Perhaps I overthought it,” Su Hua replied, deliberately glancing at Su Xuan. “After all, the second sister goes out daily to meet men, and neither Grandmother nor Father ever says a word.”
Su Xuan’s brow tightened, words choking in her throat.
The Grandmother and Su Bingyan’s faces also reflected discomfort.
Seeing this, Zhu Shi quickly interjected, “Xuan’er meets Prince Jing because he is her fiancé, and they will marry next month. Big sister’s words are unnecessarily cruel.”
“Cruel? I merely speak the truth,” Su Hua said coldly. “Grandmother and Father haven’t said anything. Why rush to defend them? Feeling guilty?”
“You…” Zhu Shi gritted her teeth, furious, wishing she could kill the little brat immediately.
Su Hua smiled lightly, her casual tone full of irony. “Grandmother, Father, if there’s nothing else, I’ll return to my residence to ‘cultivate myself’.”
She cast a glance at Zhu Shi, a subtle reminder: “And don’t forget to organize my mother’s dowry and return it to me promptly.”
Zhu Shi’s anger flared—Su Hua’s deliberate mention of Shen Shi’s dowry was like a knife to her throat.
As Su Hua turned to leave Fuxi Hall, the Grandmother called out:
“Wait!”
“Grandmother, you have something to say?” Su Hua turned.
The Grandmother spoke solemnly: “We have indeed been negligent toward you over the years. After your father learned of this, he immediately arranged for matters to be corrected to make amends. Regarding your mother’s dowry, your request is reasonable, and your father has assured me it is just.”
Su Hua looked at Zhu Shi and said bluntly, “Then Grandmother, make sure she follows through.”
“Of course,” the Grandmother said firmly. “Your stepmother manages the affairs of the entire Xiang residence. Your second sister’s marriage also requires preparation. Organizing your mother’s dowry completely is not something that can be done in a day or two. It will all be yours eventually. And since you are also to be wed, it can be added to your dowry list at that time.”
Zhu Shi quickly echoed, “Grandmother is right.” The profits from Shen Shi’s dowry had been generously offered to the Grandmother, who would never willingly hand such a ‘fat sheep’ to this little brat Su Hua.
For now, they would just stall. As long as Su Hua’s marriage had not yet occurred, they could scheme anew. If she died before her wedding, all would still be theirs.
After all, the emperor’s decree arranging Su Hua’s marriage to Prince Ning was seen as inconsequential. Her life or death in the Ning residence would matter little.
Su Hua observed their intentions. Was she blind to their scheming? Certainly not.
“Since Grandmother has spoken, I will follow her instructions,” she said, and left Fuxi Hall.
The Grandmother’s gaze followed her. Her eyes then shifted to Zhu Shi.
Zhu Shi met the gaze, nodding in acknowledgment. This time, she swore, Su Hua would have no chance to survive.
Outside Fuxi Hall, Su Hua immediately encountered a crowd—her father’s concubines and illegitimate daughters, here to pay respects to the Grandmother.
Their laughter froze upon seeing Su Hua.
One voice, tinged with schadenfreude, spoke:
“Big sister, I heard you’ve received another good marriage match. Congratulations!”
Su Hua looked. The speaker was Su Die, daughter of the second concubine Yang—third young lady of the Xiang residence. Yang had long been under Zhu Shi’s influence, and her daughter was known to flatter Su Xuan and trouble the original mistress.
Her younger sister, Su Rui, the fourth young lady, sneered: “Third sister, what’s so worth congratulating? Prince Ning is a cripple, confined to a wheelchair—marrying him would be sheer misery. Just thinking about it…”
Slap!
Before she could finish, a sharp slap struck her face.
Su Rui clutched her reddened cheek in fury, only to feel another hot smack on the other side.
Yang exclaimed sharply, “Young lady, speak properly! Why are you striking?”
“Speak properly?” Su Hua snorted. “Did you not hear what Su Rui just said? No matter his condition, Prince Ning is a son of the late emperor, a royal prince. How dare a mere illegitimate girl speak out of turn! Father is in Grandmother’s hall. Shall we ask him to judge if I struck Su Rui wrongly?”
Yang fell silent, while Su Rui clutched her stinging face, too afraid to argue.
Everyone present stared in disbelief at Su Hua’s ferocity.
They had heard rumors of the previous day’s events in Su Hua’s courtyard—that even the matron had been outmaneuvered. Could it really be true?
After all, the doctors had said that after falling into the lotus pond, she would not survive two days. Could it be that some divine intervention had truly renewed her?