Two voices echoed simultaneously.
One was Helian Wei Wei’s, languid and indolent, a smile on her lips.
The other one was Baili Jia Jue’s, he stood straight with head tilted, a silver face like a perfect ice sculpture, leisurely rolling up the cuffs of his sleeves as the corners of his mouth curved in an enchantingly cold manner, his voice sexily deep and low, yet emotionless.
Wei Wei actually didn’t expect that Third Prince wanted to say the same thing she did and glanced sideways to take a look at the man.
Third Prince actually appeared indifferent and only faced her with a raised eyebrow.
Head Abbot Fang Zhang, however, stared eyes wide. What did he say, this girl and this stinky fellow were truly a bit alike!
Look, the arrangement that they suggested was astonishingly exactly the same!
Retired Emperor also stared blankly, after which he laughed. “Then just as what this lass, Wei Wei has said, let’s have Madam Su suffer instead of her daughter.”
“Retired Emperor.” Wei Wei unsurprisingly glanced back to salute him with with honor.
Su Yan Mo held tightly onto Helian Jiao Er’s fingers, the light in her eyes brimming with hatred. To have her, a grand official’s wife, retained at the temple to chant the sutra and abstain from meat, if this wasn’t extraordinary shame and humiliation, what was!
She forced herself to remain calm as she turned to face Retired Emperor and was going to speak.
When Wei Wei interrupted her. “Madam Su shouldn’t have a competition to participate in, right?”
Su Yan Mo slowly breathed, the corners of her mouth rigid. “No.”
This vile spawn was purposefully using the words she’d just spoken to stop her up. She’s already so old, how could she still have any competition to participate in!
Wei Wei seemed as if she didn’t see Madam Su’s fury as she said levelly. “Since it’s like that, a mother paying her child’s debt is more than fitting.”
Helian Jiao Er was filled with so much resentment, all of her teeth hurt. She truly wanted to gather all of the martial qi within her body and immediately dash over to slaughter Wei Wei!
However, on the surface, she only gripped Madam Su’s hand, and shook her head back and forth. “How can I have Mother take the punishment in my place. The one who was wrong was clearly me.”
Her pair of eyes were reddened, her eyelashes drooped down as a layer of tears moistened them. In spite of everything, it kind of made people feel like they didn’t have the heart to watch.
Wei Wei knew that Helian Jiao Er was acting again.
However, things having reached this stage, no matter how she’s acting, she still couldn’t cover up the true cause of her existing misfortune. Everybody weren’t fools. Having witnessed this incident, everybody more or less knew that Helian Jiao Er certainly wasn’t as naive or magnanimous as she appeared on the surface.
Of course, some people were still misled by her appearance, especially those who easily felt sorry for beautiful damsels, such as the young lords.
Wei Wei straightened her collar, and inclined her head as she laughed. “Then what Younger Sister mean is that you want to be the one to stay at the temple? Such filial piety is truly moving.”
“I…” Helian Jiao Er’s complexion changed as she choked on Wei Wei’s words, her lips scarlet from getting bitten, she gnashed her teeth with hate and resentment.
How was that her intent. What she wanted was to weep for a bit until maybe someone would help her mother and daughter plea for leniency. After all, the people standing here were all young lords from the capitol. No small number of them got along well with the Su family, if they opened their mouths, Retired Emperor more or less would have to reconsider.
Yet without waiting for anyone to open their mouths, this lowlife already took away any escape route she might have had.
After this, she truly didn’t know what else to do.
Helian Jiao Er clenched both hands at a loss for what to do and turned to look at Su Yan Mo. “Mother…”
Su Yan Mo heavily closed her eyes then opened them again after having carefully weighed her gains and losses.
This daughter of hers was important to the four great clans.
Someday in the future, she’s bound to the indescribably exalted.
If she were to suffer today’s punishment, Madam Su’s afraid that Helian Jiao Er wouldn’t be able to cleanse herself of today’s humiliation for the rest of her life.
Also, she’s already somebody’s wife. Even if she lost face, and would feel as if needles prick at her flesh everytime she left the house in the future and recall today’s events, however, that’s but a trivial matter. As long as the Su family was strong enough, no matter how many rumors there’d be, no one would dare speak of them in front of her, same as when she dealt with that Helian loser at the time.
That’s why Su Yan Mo finally still chose to save her own beloved daughter. She humbly looked down, her intent was as it’d been pointed out. “Jiao Er grew up to be what she is all because this mother of hers failed to teach her how difficult it is to fathom a person’s heart. If Wei Wei, you just won’t consent to forgive me, then let me take the blame on her behalf.”
On the surface, these words seemed to represent that she’d acknowledged her mistake. However, people who didn’t understand the circumstances, when they heard this, would feel that Wei Wei wasn’t magnanimous enough in this matter, being firmly set on punishing Helian Jiao Er.
Wei Wei coldly laughed, her eyes on Su Yan Mo’s face, pausing after each word. “Madam, I think you must have been mistaken in regards to the circumstances. Right now, it’s not a question of how difficult it is to fathom a person’s heart, rather, it’s a matter of Younger Sister’s dishonorable behavior, of her attempt to frame another person. Did Madam say all of that because you felt that Retired Emperor judged unjustly?”
“Of course not.” Su Yan Mo’s fingers stiffened, saw the gaze Retired Emperor cast in her direction, and was afraid of saying something wrong, allowing Retired Emperor to find another pretext to punish Helian Jiao Er more severely. She had no choice this time. In order to protect her beloved daughter as much as possible, she could only soften her attitude before Wei Wei. “What I wanted to say is that you can blame me and can also blame your Second Sister for being wrong this time, however, we still look upon you as a member of the family.”
After she finished speaking, Su Yan Mo only felt that she’d lost her whole face.
But what other way was there!
There wasn’t any other way!
This affair had already progressed to this point, this is the only thing she could do!
She hadn’t anticipated that this little vile spawn would be clever and eloquent to this extent!
Unexpectedly, even she was finally forced by her to a spot where she could neither advance nor retreat.
If she knew earlier that this vile spawn was still struggling against her fate like this, at that time, she wouldn’t have set her mind on that bit of Helian blood in her body. In keeping Wei Wei alive, she failed to completely eliminate a weed at its roots. She only disabled her martial qi and broke her meridians, with the thought that Wei Wei already became a cripple who could live peaceably with them until Jiao Er needed to advance. That way, it’d be easier for them to draw Helian blood from that cripple’s body anytime it’s needed to help Jiao Er make a rapid breakthrough.
Looking at it now, she shouldn’t have spared this little bane of their existence who’d been giving them heartburn. She should’ve killed her with poison the way she killed her lowly mother and have her fall together with her mother!
The light in Wei Wei’s eyes fell on Su Yan Mo’s pair of brimming with maliciousness eyes, and very lightly, very lightly laughed. “Madam, you’re overthinking it. I’ve never blamed you guys.”
I hated you. I wish I could have all of you stripped of your bones and turned to ash and offered as a sacrifice to the hundreds and thousands of loyal souls who were persecuted by you guys in order to take over the clan!
“Madam took care of me for such a long time, I’d still like to repay Madam.”
In those days, the way you angered my Mother to the point of falling gravely ill, I’ll have you taste the very same flavor!
“When you speak of forgive or not forgive.”
This was what’s called putting things in their place. Without having unmasked you guys and exposing the truth, putting you in a tight spot, how could it be worthy of the humiliation you’ve piled on me for so many years!
“I’m truly being regarded as too much of an outsider.”
This was merely just the beginning. Having only slapped your face once, having only cracked your reputation once, how’s that enough.
What I wanted was for your Su family to repay blood with blood!
Wait a bit longer. Wait for me to ascend step by step and hollow out your Su family. Your expression at that time would surely be interesting to see…