Chapter 103

Meanwhile, curses continued to ring out from Liyue Court.

“How dare you leave the residence without permission again? You’re becoming bolder by the day—even daring to defy my orders!”

“You were born a troublemaker. You’ve disgraced the Du family, humiliated my son, and now you’ve even sneaked out to cause more trouble!”

“If I don’t teach you a lesson today, who knows what you’ll do next!”

The woman seated in the place of honor was dressed in elegant robes, her face carefully powdered. Yet the spite and malice between her brows ruined any semblance of dignity.

Below her, the woman being poked in the forehead knelt on the floor with her head lowered. “The winery was built with my blood and effort. I heard that Du Kang Pavilion was competing against the other wineries, and that the matter concerned its honor and disgrace. I couldn’t help wanting to go and see…”

Du Kang Pavilion had not originally been called Du Kang Pavilion. It had been the Mo Winery, part of Mo Xiaozhi’s dowry when she married into the Du family.

And Mo Xiaozhi herself had once been far different from the powerless, resentful wife trapped in the inner residence and left to suffer at everyone’s hands.

But later…

As she remembered what had happened, Mo Xiaozhi’s eyes dimmed. Her back, which had been held straight, bent a little farther.

The moment she heard Mo Xiaozhi mention the winery, Third Madam Du grew even more furious. “And what good did your going there do? You still lost! My son turned Du Kang Pavilion into the foremost winery in the capital, only to lose to some unknown place called Cup Immortal. I say it was your bad luck that brought about this defeat!”

“You’re useless at accomplishing anything and skilled only at ruining things!”

With that, Third Madam Du smashed the teacup in her hand onto the floor.

Shards flew everywhere, one of them slicing across Mo Xiaozhi’s face. Thin streams of blood began to trickle down her cheek.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Third Madam Du’s face. She gave a cold snort. “A woman belongs to her husband after marriage, and she must treat her mother-in-law’s words as sacred law. Since you disobeyed me and left the residence without permission, I’ll establish some rules for you today!”

“Nanny An, bring it here!”

A burly older woman immediately brought over a pair of red embroidered shoes and placed them in front of Mo Xiaozhi.

Scorching heat washed over her. When she looked carefully, she saw that the shoes had been specially made—the soles were iron, glowing red from the flames.

“Since your feet refuse to follow the rules, then we’ll cripple them.” Third Madam Du accepted a freshly brewed cup of tea from a servant and took a sip. “Put them on!”

“Mother!”

A wailing child rushed out of the room, trying to stop them, but a maid quickly covered his mouth and dragged him back inside.

Third Madam Du furrowed her brows, looking even more displeased. “You gave birth to a useless sickly child after entering the Du family, and you’re no use yourself. We should never have let you through the door! We should have married my son to an official’s daughter!”

At those words, Mo Xiaozhi tugged the corners of her lips into a mocking smile.

When I first entered this family, you didn’t speak this way.

The Du family was wealthy and powerful, a noble household—but your son had none of the ability to match it. He had no talent for the imperial examinations, no aptitude for officialdom, and no standing within the family. All he could do was conduct business.

Back then, you welcomed me with open arms because you coveted the Mo family’s commercial holdings and my talent for business. Before the wedding, you treated me like your own daughter, claiming that we were closer than mother and daughter. He, too, had been passionately devoted to me.

But after the wedding, you became entirely different people. You imposed rules and subjected me to harsh discipline. The maids and older women who had accompanied me to the Du residence were, under one pretext or another, sold off, driven away, or beaten to death. The abundant businesses in my dowry were greedily divided between that calculating mother and son.

As for the man who shared my pillow, he had already been eager to bring more women into his bed.

How tragic. How laughable.

Before the wedding, I had been filled with a young maiden’s joy and hopes for the future. I never imagined I was marrying a vicious beast that devoured people without even spitting out their bones.

Mo Xiaozhi let out two bleak, bitter laughs. But what power did she have to resist the Du family?

The child’s wailing drifted faintly from inside the room.

Mo Xiaozhi’s headache and tightness in her chest grew worse. She truly couldn’t hold on any longer.

A past full of regret. A present filled with suffering. A future shrouded in darkness.

Perhaps she should simply accept her fate.

She closed her eyes, took off her shoes, and placed her feet inside the red embroidered ones.

In the next instant, Mo Xiaozhi’s entire body began to tremble. Cold sweat poured from her skin, and her already bloodless face turned deathly pale. Her tightly clenched lips could not suppress the cries of pain that escaped them.

Third Madam Du watched coldly, already making her calculations.

Huan now wielded considerable influence in the capital’s business world. This merchant’s daughter was no longer of any use. To divorce her openly would invite gossip, but an accidental death would be ideal.

She only hoped that after being punished this time, Mo Xiaozhi would fall seriously ill and die with dignity, leaving everyone satisfied.

Only then could Huan marry an official’s daughter and gain the support he needed for the next step in his advancement.

At that moment, Yun Yaoyao and the others arrived outside the courtyard.

Looking at the small, secluded courtyard, Yun Yaoyao casually asked, “As the legitimate wife of the Du family’s Fourth Young Master, why is she living in a place like this?”

Yun Yaoyao had taken a liking to the clever woman who had sought her help the day before. If she truly had the ability, Yun Yaoyao even intended to recruit her.

Du Guanliu shook his head. “This subject normally handles matters concerning the Ministry of Personnel and has little time to concern himself with every detail of the household. I’ll send someone to investigate later.”

The soldiers from the Ministry of Justice had already surrounded the entire courtyard, while the Dragon Shadow Guards had taken up defensive positions.

Usually, the attention-seeking Gao Chongguang would have been the first to kick down the gate. But after being beaten at the orphanage, he had learned an important lesson:

Never kick open the door of an unfamiliar residence. You might be greeted by a fist the size of a sandbag.

A soldier kicked the courtyard gate open, and the troops swiftly rushed inside to seize the occupants.

Yun Yaoyao was just about to step through when Gao Chongguang hurriedly blocked her path. “Your Majesty, Xiongnu death riders are hiding inside. The Ministry of Justice’s men are enough to handle them. Your Majesty needn’t put yourself in danger!”

“It’s fine. With Minister Gao here, I’m at ease.” Yun Yaoyao smiled faintly.

Those words instantly filled Gao Chongguang with delight. He knew it! His Majesty valued him above all others!

The day when the Gao family genealogy began with his name was within reach!

Thus, with a proud and confident swagger, he stepped in front of Yun Yaoyao to clear the way.

Everyone entered the courtyard.

Gao Chongguang sniffed. “Why does it smell like charred meat? Who’s sneaking a snack?”

Then he took a closer look and realized that it was no roasted meat at all. A vicious woman was torturing a frail woman, forcing her to wear shoes with red-hot iron soles.

He immediately flew into a rage. “Well, I’ve seen plenty of living bodhisattvas, but this is my first time seeing a living King of Hell!”

“Did she commit some unforgivable crime? What kind of venomous woman are you, to treat her like this?”

“I’m not cursing anyone today—I’m only cursing you, a stray dog who slipped through the net of propriety and morality! A blooming garlic bulb that gained sentience!”

Third Madam Du was stunned by the barrage of abuse. She pointed at him in disbelief. “You… How dare you curse at me?!”

“If I want to curse, I’ll curse. Do I need to pick a lucky day?” Gao Chongguang lifted his chin disdainfully.

Suppressing her anger, Third Madam Du sensed that something was terribly wrong with the sudden arrival of so many people. But when she saw Du Guanliu walking in, she seemed to find her support. “Master, who are these people? How dare they barge in without reporting to us?”

Unexpectedly, Du Guanliu glared fiercely at her. “What an embarrassment! You…”

Yun Yaoyao turned her head and signaled for him to say no more. She had left the palace in secret, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

Du Guanliu had no choice but to swallow his warning. He said displeasedly, “They’re conducting a search. Hurry downstairs.”

“Wait.” Yun Yaoyao glanced at the figure on the floor, tortured beyond recognition, and tightly knitted her brows. “You still haven’t answered me. What crime did she commit to deserve this treatment?”