Chapter 218: Demonstration or Show of Weakness?
Tears welled in Hu Yu'er's eyes as she bit her pale lips and nodded slightly.
Su Zhenzhen took a deep breath to calm herself. "Is it someone we know?"
Hu Yu'er nodded with tears in her eyes.
How are your father and mother now?
"Two days before the incident, my father stayed at the county government academy, and my mother spent her days in tears."
Su Zhenzhen felt a surge of anger rush to the top of her head. Two days ago, wasn't that exactly what happened on the day she fell into a coma?
Even if Madam Hu unintentionally found the portrait, and Hu Wen fled in a fit of rage, Chunzhi should not have allowed him to stay at the county government office.
"Go help your mother with her makeup and dressing up. We're going to the county government office."
Hu Yu'er's beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief. "You... are you really serious?"
If Hu Yu'er were a proper eighteen-year-old young lady, she would naturally be completely unaware of these open and covert attacks.
But she doesn't know how long she's existed in this world, or what filthy things she hasn't seen?
On the day of the incident, she was determined to support Madam Hu, and the hard work she put in to be reborn as a human was mainly due to Madam Hu.
But now the woman in charge in Yangcheng is the one in charge. How can she, a mere mortal, make decisions for her mother?
Furthermore, Su Zhenzhen is still unconscious. Since she has to do this for herself, she has to stay by her side until she wakes up.
Su Zhenzhen answered Hu Yu'er's question directly with her actions, getting up from the bed nimbly, slipping on her shoes, all in one smooth motion.
"Go quickly. Although debt collection can happen anytime, if you are slow, you will arrive at lunchtime. It's not good to argue on an empty stomach. I have been lying down for three days and three nights."
Hu Yu'er immediately went to find Madam Hu, and at the same time, she did not forget to instruct the kitchen to prepare a meal for Su Zhenzhen.
After Su Zhenzhen finished eating, Madam Hu, supported by Hu Yu'er, came in.
As soon as she entered, Madam Hu knelt down and bowed to Su Zhenzhen.
"I will never forget the great kindness and virtue of the immortals."
Su Zhenzhen didn't tell her to get up immediately. "I'm just here to support you. Whether you can save face or not is up to you."
Today, Madam Hu is wearing a scarlet long jacket with a front opening, paired with a pale yellow long skirt, and covered with a crimson wide-sleeved blouse.
Her hair was meticulously styled, all her black hair tied into a high bun, secured firmly with a phoenix-shaped hair ornament. Three pairs of pearl hairpins were symmetrically placed on either side of the bun, and an exquisite forehead chain adorned her smooth, full forehead.
Her entire appearance exudes an air of grandeur, showcasing the elegance and majesty of a high-ranking matriarch.
"Since the immortals can support me, I will fight for this honor no matter what." Madam Hu raised her head, her eyes burning.
When the Prefect's wife travels, it is naturally the grandest affair in Yangcheng.
Tall horses with gleaming saddles and bridles, and luxurious carriages exuding a subtle fragrance, were escorted by servants who cleared the way. As the procession passed, pedestrians parted to make way, and the entire street fell silent, with only the sounds of hooves, wheels, and the loud shouts of the servants clearing the way audible. The procession was imposing and impressive.
Everyone in Yangcheng knows that the Prefect's wife is personally visiting the Prefect, who has been on official business at the yamen for the past two days.
Immediately, someone noticed something. Hadn't the county government office long been the place where that lady stayed? The prefect was still the prefect, but his power had diminished considerably. He was now essentially a clerk in the old government office. Why was he working in the government office for two days in a row instead of going home?
Something's not right, something's very wrong.
The people along the way craned their necks, even stopping their business to witness the secrets of these wealthy and powerful families. It was exciting to think about, and they never thought they would actually see it with their own eyes one day.
The carriage traveled smoothly and arrived at the county government gate without any hindrance.
Madam Hu's calves trembled; with such a commotion, the people in the yamen would surely know.
Throughout the journey, she was constantly worried that a group of officials might suddenly appear and "invite" her back to the prefect's mansion.
If that's the case, then there's nothing to worry about. The servants accompanying us today are all top-notch, handpicked from the best.
Instead, the fact that they arrived at the county government office without any hindrance made Madam Hu uneasy.
In the grand mansions, the host can invite people in and then beat or kill them at the slightest word. They can then give any excuse to outsiders to cover it up. Who would dare to come and reason with them?
Hu Yu'er seemed to see what her mother was thinking and patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Mother, there's no need to worry. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the people of Yangcheng saw you, the wife of the prefect, enter the county government office. The highest official in Yangcheng is the prefect. In this land, who can do anything to you beyond Father's authority?"
Hu Yu'er made no attempt to lower her voice, so that the people in the county government office could hear her.
The common people respectfully address her as "Madam," but since she has not been officially appointed by the imperial court, her title is ultimately not legitimate.
Lady Hu was an official's wife. Although the Jiang Dynasty existed in name only, as long as the person sitting on the dragon throne still bore the surname Jiang, no one would dare to openly act as a rebel in the city.
No one would be so foolish as to kill an official's family member while being a commoner.
Madam Hu was still deeply troubled, "But what if it were your father..."
Hu Yu'er was confident. "Mother has not committed any of the seven grounds for divorce. Can Father really kick Mother out of the house? Mother should just act like the wife of an official. In Yangcheng, will Father be able to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children and between superior and inferior?"
Hu Yu'er then added a final, strong dose of advice: "Besides, with Miss Su around, and she on Mother's side, what is Mother afraid of?"
Madam Hu finally felt completely relieved. She gently pushed away her daughter's hand that was supporting her and walked calmly into the county government office.
As she walked, her clothes fluttered lightly, but the pearl hairpins on her head remained perfectly in place, exuding the composed demeanor of a noblewoman from a prominent family.
Hu Yu'er and Su Zhenzhen followed closely behind, one on the left and one on the right, like two great protectors.
Inside the county government office, no one dared to stop them. The three went straight to the courtroom where the case was being heard.
Chunzhi sat at the head of the table, flipping through a book, while Hu Wen was nowhere to be found.
Interestingly, Chunzhi, who usually wore coarse linen clothes and had her hair simply styled, was now wearing a new lake-blue dress and her hair was styled in a fashionable lady's bun. Although there were no pearl hairpins, the white ribbon wrapped around her bun was exceptionally eye-catching.
Lady Hu was furious. She had always thought that the King of Xiang had a dream but the goddess had no feelings for her, but she never knew when the goddess had developed feelings for mortals.
Knowing full well that they were coming in a big way, they still made a point of dressing up.
Moreover, the white cloth on her head indicates that she is still observing mourning for her deceased husband.
According to old customs in Yangcheng, widows often became mistresses in wealthy households in order to support their children and earn a living.
The matriarch of a household usually wouldn't want to argue with such a pitiful person, and would often give them some money to send them away.
However, there were also those who were ignorant of their own limitations, who dared to use their seductive skills to enter the household, become a concubine, or even covet the position of the mistress, attempting to usurp the throne.
Mrs. Hu was momentarily unsure whether the other party was demonstrating a show of strength or weakness.
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