"I only have one question: Did Lu Muran provoke you, or did you provoke him?"
Bai Ze gave the beautiful woman a cold, sharp look, awaiting her response.
“I am Fang Qingyu. Although I want to marry into a higher social class, I would never provoke a man who is already married. It was your father who found me and used some tricks to lure me to his side. Now that I have become his concubine, I naturally want more.”
“I’ve never been one to willingly submit to anyone, so naturally your mother is someone I hate. Killing her or taking her place is my goal. But the reason it went so smoothly is because your father desperately wanted her dead, and I was just a tool in his hand. So, brat, the person you should hate the most is your father!”
Madam Lu raised her head proudly, and every word she spoke was precious and eloquent, while also carrying an inflammatory tone.
She probably didn't know that Lu Muran was already dead, so her words were very provocative.
"Yes, that's right! Even my grandfather was someone he schemed against, so I cut off his head and hung it on the city gate to show him off. I've chopped his body into minced meat to be used as fertilizer for my grandfather's and mother's graves. And do you know what will happen to you? Lu Xuwang, do you want to know too?"
After looking at Fang Qingyu and saying a lot of things, Bai Ze finally threw the question to Lu Xuwang.
"Brother, I was wrong! I want to live! Please spare my life!"
Lu Xuwang had been nervous ever since he entered the room, and now that he heard Bai Ze was going to referee him, his legs trembled even more violently, and his voice was filled with urgent sobs.
"Don't you know that if you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring? Now, only your mother, Fang Qingyu, can live, while you can only die."
Everyone used to say he was a simple-minded brute, and he thought so too. Only now did Bai Ze realize that he wasn't stupid; he had just had his IQ lowered by scheming fools.
The Bai family's ancestors were all extremely intelligent; the only two things that lowered his IQ were Lu Muran.
"No, no! If you're going to kill someone, kill me! Don't touch my Xuwang! He has done nothing to you. Why are you trying to harm him? He has never hurt you. All those things were done by me, his mother. Please! Please spare Xuwang's life."
Seeing her son about to suffer, Fang Qingyu was the first to object. How could her own flesh and blood accept his death? She would rather give her own life in exchange.
"Can't you understand human language? Huh? Lu Xuwang is Lu Muran's son, so he must die."
Bai Ze glanced coldly at Fang Qingyu, gave a signal to the two subordinates standing outside the door, and then Lu Xuwang was dragged away right under Fang Qingyu's nose.
Fang Qingyu shouted anxiously at the two men who had taken her son away:
"Put it down, put it down quickly! Don't hurt my son."
But she wasn't in charge here. The people from Feifeng Mountain only listened to Bai Ze and their masters; they wouldn't listen to the shrewish ravings of a woman.
So before Lu Xuwang could even cry for help, someone covered his mouth and dragged him out.
"Ah! Ah!"
Fang Qingyu screamed twice, heart-wrenchingly, to express her resentment, but unfortunately, she was now powerless to protect her son.
Bai Ze found the words grating, so he shoved a pill into Fang Qingyu's mouth and left. He didn't know what kind of pill it was, but it was definitely something that would make a person wish they were dead.
After dealing with Lu Muran's remaining followers, Bai Ze tried to find some of his grandfather's old subordinates, but unfortunately Lu Muran had gone too far and there wasn't a single familiar face in the military camp.
In the following days, after paying respects to his grandfather and mother, he united the soldiers of Baicheng and led them out of Baicheng to sweep away the rebels.
Because of their unique training methods, the Bai family army regained its former glory after half a year. Rebels from all over the country were terrified of them, and the Great Banquet finally returned to peace after a year of integration.
But that's all in the future. Right now, it's the third day of the Lunar New Year after the holiday. In Beijing, some restless people can't stand the loneliness anymore and want to cause trouble.
While at the Shen residence, Shen Qinghua thought about how Shen Jinchen had appeared at the palace banquet on New Year's Day with that shameless woman in full regalia, and how all the civil and military officials had been praising how harmonious their marriage was. She didn't know where to vent her anger.
That was the honor she was entitled to; how could a country bumpkin like her enjoy it? A grand banquet reserved only for the royal bloodline?
Can the royal bloodline of today's grand banquet still be considered of noble lineage?
Even the emperor could only be a docile canary, so why was she able to stand beside the most noble man?
"Xiaoyu, have Shen Qingying and the others made any moves lately?"
Lost in thought, Shen Qinghua really wanted to stir things up, so she lay lazily on the chaise lounge and spoke softly.
“Miss Qingying, go to the Princess’s residence in three days to personally deliver the invitation. She has learned her lesson and should be able to invite that person to our Shen residence this time. However, if we do this, I’m afraid it will put Master in an unjust position. Do we really have to do this?”
Xiaoyu stood respectfully to the side, glanced up at the person on the soft couch, and asked softly.
"Why not? Father threw us out of the manor like trash, so why can't we cause him some trouble? Maybe we can even help him out. Xiaoyu, sometimes if we're not ruthless, only we ourselves will know the grievances we suffer."
"Forget it, perhaps Shen Qingying doesn't have the ability to persuade that country bumpkin. Let Father step in. After all, Father raised my eldest brother. We daughters are all getting married now. It's always good for us to come back and get together."
After a glint of darkness flashed in Shen Qinghua's beautiful eyes, she smiled gently, dismissing Xiaoyu's unease. She then rose slowly, intending to add another bargaining chip to Xiaoyu's long-planned scheme.
With so many daughters in the Shen family, they all ultimately belong to Shen Youji. Now that they're all getting married, they should ask him for some interest, right? There's nothing wrong with asking him for help.
When Xiaoyu saw her mistress get up, she hesitated for a few moments, opening her mouth several times, but ultimately didn't say anything. She was just a maid, and she had no right to interfere in her mistress's affairs.
In the study of the Shen family mansion, Shen Youji was wearing a long robe and practicing calligraphy with a frown on his face.
Shen Qinghua went in and glanced at his handwriting, which was twisted like an earthworm, and gave him a compliment that wasn't entirely sincere:
"My father's calligraphy has improved a bit."
"I think so too. It is a bit better than before. My daughter has good taste."
Shen Youji glanced at his own handwriting, becoming more and more satisfied, and accepted Shen Qinghua's compliment.
"Did your elder brother's mother really like scholars?"
Shen Qinghua glanced around the study and suddenly asked a question.
"She... really likes scholars, especially those who have good handwriting. Your elder brother's father was such a person. Thinking about it, I didn't lose out. I practiced calligraphy for most of my life, and in the end, I could only barely make it passable. It's quite normal that she didn't choose me back then."
Shen Youji couldn't hide the tenderness on her face whenever she mentioned Shen Jinchen's mother.
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