Chapter 30 Su Jinghao
The study in the Su family mansion.
Su Xin had been kneeling on the ground for half an hour, his legs and feet were numb and unbearable. His father, Su Wenyi, was sitting in the seat of honor directly in front of him, staring at him with deep eyes, his anger hidden in his eyes.
Standing next to Su Wenyi was a plump woman wiping away tears, her face filled with sorrow.
Su Xin moved his numb legs and was about to complain when suddenly an inkstone came crashing down on him. He braced himself on his arms and rolled over, and the inkstone fell and shattered on the ground. Su Xin immediately knelt down on the ground, not daring to move again.
The plump woman beside Su Wenyi was startled and quickly blocked Su Xin's path, glaring at Su Wenyi, "Try hitting my son again!"
Su Wenyi frowned, slamming his fist on the table in exasperation: "It's all your fault! A doting mother spoils her son. Look at the state you've raised him!"
The plump woman was Su Wenyi's second wife. She came from a prominent family. After marrying Su Wenyi, she had two sons and one daughter: Su You, Su Xin, and her youngest daughter, Su Jingxian.
She was fiery and doted on her children. She was beautiful and came from a powerful family, so she was used to getting whatever she wanted in the Su family. She couldn't stand being treated like this.
With one hand protecting Su Xin behind her, Madam Wu immediately retorted angrily, "Bah! It's as if I'm the only one who gave birth to our son. You're busy pursuing your career every day, but have you ever cared about your children? How dare you come and scold me now!"
Su Wenyi's beard trembled with rage. Standing up, he pointed at Su Xin and roared, "He's dragged the entire Su family down with him! Can't I even scold him a couple of times? He's caused my brother to lose his official position, and the Su family's century-old wealth and reputation are ruined in an instant! This unfilial son deserves to die!"
Before Wu could retort, Su Wenyi glared at her, pointed at her nose, and cursed, "You forced me to pay to redeem this rebellious son, but you, Wu, haven't paid a single penny. You only talk the talk. If it weren't for the help of the Crown Prince and the Pei family, this old house would have to be sold to raise money, and my Su family would be homeless and a laughingstock!"
After being thoroughly scolded, Wu realized she was in the wrong. Seeing that Su Wenyi looked like he was about to collapse in anger, she quickly went over and hugged his arm, comforting him in a sweet voice.
Su Wenyi was furious. He pushed her away from the brocade mat she was sitting on and sneered at Su Xin, "Once this storm passes, you can go back to your hometown and never come back."
Su Xin looked incredulous. "Father, what did you say?"
"Are you deaf? I told you to get lost, the farther the better!" Su Wenyi glared at him and shouted angrily.
Su Xin clenched his fists, his cheeks flushed with anger. Ignoring the frequent glances from Madam Wu, he stood up and retorted, "Now you're blaming me? It's clearly your fault for being useless. You killed Madam Xiao, but you couldn't even kill Pingzhen. When things were exposed, you immediately pushed me out to take the blame. Do you even deserve to act like a father in front of me?"
He threw down those words, turned and ran out, bumping right into Su Jinghao who was waiting at the door. She was holding a lacquered tray with a bowl of nourishing soup inside.
Su Jinghao looked at Su Xin with concern and asked, "Brother, are you alright?"
Feeling utterly humiliated, Su Xin slapped the lacquer tray out of Su Jinghao's hand, shattering the medicine on the ground and splashing it onto her clothes. He pushed Su Jinghao away and shouted, "Get out of my way!"
When Su Wenyi and Wu Shi, who had chased after them, saw this scene, Wu Shi only glanced at Su Jinghao lightly before lifting her skirt and chasing after Su Xin out the door.
Su Wenyi looked at the shattered pottery bowl on the ground, his face grim, and questioned Su Jinghao, "What are you doing here?"
Su Jinghao lowered her head. The soup was simmered for an hour by someone she had instructed. It was still piping hot when it came out of the pot, and she poured it all over her legs. Perhaps she was burned, because it burned and hurt.
She spoke softly, "My brother has been in prison for a few days. His daughter was worried about his health, so she specially asked someone to make him a pot of soup and send it over."
Su Wenyi smelled the medicinal fragrance in the air, and his complexion improved considerably. He walked forward with his hands behind his back, gesturing for Su Jinghao to follow.
As the saying goes, with a stepmother comes a stepfather. Ever since Wu entered the household, Su Jinghao, the original legitimate daughter, has seen her status plummet.
Wu is not an easy person to get along with. Over the years, she has been wary of Su Jinghao at every turn, and has used countless underhanded tricks behind her back. She also doesn't allow Su Jinghao to show her face in public.
The father and daughter didn't spend much time together to begin with, and after Wu gave birth to her youngest daughter, Su Wenyi's attention was completely taken away, and Su Jinghao was completely forgotten. If it weren't for the Song family's constant care, she probably wouldn't have survived to adulthood.
It was only in recent months that Su Wenyi began to pay attention to this daughter again. He gazed at Su Jinghao's quiet and gentle face and instructed her, "Now that you are engaged to the Crown Prince, the most important thing is to win him over. Do you understand?"
Su Jinghao looked up and smiled, obediently nodding: "Daughter will remember."
"Very good." Su Wenyi finally smiled, nodded in satisfaction, and walked away.
Su Jinghao stood there, watching Su Wenyi's departing figure. She lowered her head and straightened her skirt. Her dress was light-colored today, but after being stained with soup, the color darkened and became very conspicuous. However, her father did not show any concern.
Over the years, such things have happened frequently; she has been ignored by the Su family from beginning to end.
Her father only cared about profit. He would praise anyone who could bring him benefits, like Wu and Su Xin.
Conversely, once that person loses their usefulness and gets in his way, he will not hesitate to kick them aside, including her mother and her.
——
Su Xin rushed out of the Su residence with his head down and ran all the way to Chun Lane. When he entered the door, he found that he was penniless. He squatted down in the dark alley with his head down and angrily stomped on the yellow soil on the ground.
He only had sex with a woman, but these people just had to go against him. In Chang'an, this kind of thing happened all the time, so why was he the only one who was so unlucky?
No! Su Xin suddenly looked up. After the incident, he was imprisoned in the Court of Justice. He was in a daze and his mind was a mess. Only now did he have time to think carefully. Pingzhen was a fool. How could he have such great ability to appeal at the palace gate? Who taught him those words when he was in court yesterday?
Su Xin felt increasingly uneasy. This wasn't just targeting him; the mastermind behind it was after the Su family. If he were that person, where would he be targeting them now?
Su Xin's throat went dry. He was now the only one left in the Su family, without any servants or retainers. If he was the person behind it all...
He suddenly stood up and ran quickly towards the alley entrance, a whooshing sound coming from behind him.
Su Xin stopped, lowered his stance, and threw a punch backward. Unexpectedly, the other person had already figured out his moves. With a light step, he flipped in front of Su Xin and knocked him down with a sweeping leg kick.
Just as Su Xin was about to shout, the man leaned down and struck him on the side of the neck. His vision went black, and he uncontrollably fell into a coma.
When he woke up again, he was jolted awake, his head was facing downwards and his blood rushed to his head. He was being carried on a horse on a mountain road, and the jolting was so intense that he almost threw up his dinner from the night before.
Su Xin strained to look up and saw the man who had grabbed him leading a horse ahead, with a man dressed as a martial artist chatting with him beside him. The two men were unfamiliar with each other and had ordinary appearances, but they were powerful and imposing, clearly skilled in martial arts. With his thin arms and legs, he was no match for them.
People like them mostly do things for money. To get to the bottom of things, Su Xin said, "Brothers, how much did the person behind you pay you? I'll pay double!"
The two men stopped talking and turned around at the same time. The martial arts man laughed and said, "Ah Zheng, is this kid trying to bribe us?"
Old Zheng, who was arresting the man, also laughed: "Brother Kui, the Su family has already gone bankrupt trying to raise his ransom. Where would he get the money?"
Su Xin quickly replied, "Brothers, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The Su family is just short of money for the time being. My elder sister is still the future Crown Princess."
Kui stepped forward and patted Su Xin's face, revealing a set of white teeth. "We brothers are not something money can buy. As for you, stay put and wait until that person sees you, then he will send you down to apologize to Pingzhen and his wife."
Upon hearing this, Su Xin realized it was indeed the work of the person behind the scenes. When he heard the two of them say they were going to send him down, he immediately panicked and struggled wildly, making it impossible for the horse to move forward.
Na Kui was hot-tempered. Upon seeing this, he immediately pulled Su Xin off his horse, threw him to the ground, and beat him with his fist, which was as big as a bowl.
Su Xin took several blows. This man was a veteran fighter who always targeted people's weak points, beating him until he knelt down and begged for mercy.
He didn't let him off the hook, giving Su Xin a severe beating. Su Xin was bruised and swollen, and every part of his body ached. After being hung on the horse again, Su Xin couldn't hold it in any longer and vomited.
After finally managing to dismount, they were thrown into a dilapidated wooden hut in the mountains. Ah Zheng found a thick hemp rope and hung Su Xin upside down from the roof beam. The two of them even lit a fire below Su Xin to warm him up. Afterwards, they went outside to cool off and drink under a big tree.
Although it's not yet the hottest time of the year, the heat is already intense, and being roasted by the blazing fire below makes you sweat profusely; it's so hot you feel like you could peel off a layer of skin.
Su Xin felt like he was living a life worse than death, and wished he could call those two in to give him a quick death.
——
As dusk fell, on the second floor of the Linshui Pavilion, Yan Niang helped Huiyin get dressed. Unlike the elaborate and complicated quju robes she usually wore, today Huiyin was only wearing a narrow-sleeved rupei (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a light blue long skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head with a red ribbon. Judging by her figure, she was no different from the maids in the mansion.
Yan Niang escorted Huiyin to the West Corner Gate. She bribed the gatekeeper there to secretly send Huiyin out of the mansion.
A plain carriage was parked not far from the alley. Yan Niang was filled with anxiety and pulled Huiyin back, "Why don't you let me go with you? I'm really worried about you."
Huiyin gently patted Yanniang's hand, took out a white veil to cover her face, and explained, "Tonight is dangerous, and I'm afraid it will frighten Madam Fu. Madam Fu also needs to help me conceal myself in the manor so that Madam Pei doesn't discover that I left the manor."
Yan Niang understood the reasoning behind it. She looked back and saw two tall men standing outside the carriage, sent by Feng Langjun. With Feng Langjun's men accompanying her, Yan Niang felt relieved and said nothing more, watching Huiyin leave.
Su Xin was hanging upside down, feeling extremely dizzy. To make himself feel better, he had to strain in the air to stick his body out, like a curled-up shrimp or crab.
He endured for two hours, feeling hungry and exhausted, with waves of pain coursing through his body. Su Xin couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Once I'm free, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
Su Xin went all out and cursed and swore, but there was still no sound from outside. That shouldn't be the case. Given that Brother Kui's temper, if he cursed so rudely, Brother Kui would definitely come in and beat him up to vent his anger.
The sound of horses neighing came from outside. Su Xin shuddered and listened intently. Could someone be coming to rescue him? He exerted force in his abdomen, swaying his body back and forth in the air. As he approached the window, he looked out and saw a carriage outside. A beautiful young woman stepped out of the carriage, her face obscured, but her figure looked familiar.
Two guards followed behind her; it seemed the five of them were a group. A moment later, they pushed open the door and entered the room, four of them forming a protective circle around the young woman.
Su Xin's eyes widened. The more he looked at the woman, the more familiar she seemed. Before he could speak, A Zheng drew his sword and cut the rope. Su Xin fell to the ground in a sorry state and was grabbed by the collar and thrown in front of the woman by A Zheng.
Su Xin sat up, glaring fiercely at A Zheng. Once he was freed, he would kill the guy to vent his anger. He snorted coldly, looked up at the woman in front of him, and said arrogantly, "You're the one who captured me. Do you even know who I am?"
Judging from the young woman's appearance and demeanor, she seemed to be of noble birth, so he decided to threaten her. Unexpectedly, the woman simply removed the white veil from her face, revealing a face that could never possibly be there.
Su Xin's eyes widened in disbelief, "You... how could it be you!"
Huiyin slowly squatted down to face Su Xin. She stared at his effeminate face and slapped him hard across the face.
Su Xin's head snapped to one side from the force, his body stiffening in place. He covered his face and slowly turned his head, "You..."
Snap snap—
Three slaps echoed through the wooden house. Ah Zheng involuntarily took a step back and hugged himself. He never expected that this beautiful woman would be so ruthless.
Huiyin's drooping palms were red. She stood up and looked down at Su Xin, who was stunned by the slaps. "These three slaps are for your older sister, for the humiliation you caused her over the years."
Su Xin sat there dumbfounded. Before he could react, he saw Huiyin turn her back and order the men, "Cripple him."
Ah Zheng suspected he had misheard. He rubbed his ears and asked, "What did the young lady say?"
Huiyin smiled and said, "Please help me cripple him, so that he can never be a man again."
Ah Zheng and Chao Kui nodded. They were originally men who lived a life of danger, and they had received a favor from Feng Cheng when they were down on their luck. Yesterday, Feng Cheng asked them for help, saying he wanted to do something for his sister. The men naturally agreed without hesitation, but they never expected Feng Cheng's sister to be so "fierce".
Kui stepped forward to restrain Su Xin, and the two Feng family guards who came with Huiyin also stepped forward to hold down Su Xin's legs on the left and right. A Zheng drew the short dagger from his waist, feeling heartbroken. It was made from the fine iron he had finally obtained, which could cut iron like mud, but now it was going to be contaminated.
Seeing that Huiyin was serious, Su Xin was so frightened that she burst into tears: "Sister Huiyin, what are you doing?!"
Huiyin tilted her head back. The stars were bright tonight, and tomorrow would be another sunny day. She heard the voice behind her and said without turning her head, "You caused my brother to fall off the cliff, and you forced Xiao Fen'er. This is what you deserve."
Su Xin shook his head and cried, struggling wildly. A Zheng held down his thrashing body. The gleaming blade flashed past Su Xin's eyes. He watched helplessly as A Zheng placed the knife against his lower abdomen. He could even feel the cold, hard blade.
"No! No, please let me go, Sister Huiyin, I really know I was wrong!"
Su Xin struggled to his feet, and several people could hardly hold him down.
Huiyin chuckled softly, her laughter melodious, yet utterly chilling in this context. Su Xin's palms sweated as he heard Huiyin's indifferent voice: "You're afraid too?"
"Continue to cripple him."
He screamed in disbelief, but Kui Ge grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth tightly. The next moment, a sharp pain shot through his lower body, and blood stained his lower body crimson. Su Xin howled in agony, unable to accept it. The men who had restrained him released him and stood beside Huiyin.
Su Xin clutched his lower body and curled up on the ground, unable to make a sound from the pain. The bloody, mangled mass on the ground was the flesh that had just been cut from his body.
He screamed in agony, his eyes fixed on the expressionless Huiyin, gritting his teeth as he said, "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!"
Huiyin listened to her insults until he was too pained to speak, then she gave the order, "Send him on his way."
Su Xin lay prostrate on the ground, his face stained with blood, staring fiercely at Huiyin's back and shouting, "Song Huiyin! You're a fool! You let a wolf into the house without even realizing it, and now you're standing up for her!"
Huiyin turned around and said, word by word, "What did you say?"
Su Xin struggled to sit up, his hair disheveled, his lower body stained with blood, and he looked utterly wretched. He chuckled softly, "You don't know anything about how your Song family was destroyed, or how your father died?"
Huiyin stepped forward, bent down and grabbed Su Xin's collar, her eyes cold. "Explain yourself clearly, what tricks did your Su family play in the Song family affair?"
Ignoring the pain beneath him, Su Xin laughed heartily, tears welling in his eyes. He had already fallen to this state and was not going to live today. Before he died, he would make Song Huiyin taste the pain.
"Your father was framed and killed by the Su family."
He looked at Huiyin and said, word by word, "The mastermind is your dear sister, Su Jinghao."
Huiyin's face turned pale. "You're lying to me."
"You're deceiving yourself!" Su Xin struggled to break free from Huiyin, his face contorted with rage. He knelt upright and roared, "Our two families have lived in peace for many years, neither of us able to do anything to the other. Why is it that your family has suffered misfortune just when news spread in the palace that you would be chosen as the Crown Princess? Think again, who is the current Crown Princess!"
Huiyin suppressed her discomfort, frowning and remaining silent.
She couldn't believe it. How could it be? How could it be Su Jinghao? She had been so good to her; they had grown up together like sisters.
Huiyin still remembers when they were young, the two of them were playing mischievously by the pool. She accidentally slipped and fell into the pool. Su Jinghao, who was not even as tall as her, grabbed her hand tightly and risked being swept away by the water to pull her ashore. She then hugged her and comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid, Huiyin. I will protect you."
Huiyin didn't believe she would do that.
Su Xin continued, “That secret letter was forged! Who do you think could steal the Imperial Censor’s seal from inside the Imperial Censor’s residence? Who else could it be but Su Jinghao, who has free access to the Su residence? She didn’t even need to steal the seal; she could simply sneak into your father’s study and stamp it when no one was looking.”
"Let me tell you, this idea was brought up by Su Jinghao herself. Otherwise, why would she, who has always been out of favor, suddenly gain my father's favor and be chosen as the Crown Princess? All she wanted was the position of Crown Princess. You're the only one who's foolish enough to be kept in the dark, thinking she's a good person. Little do you know, you're the one who brought the wolf into the house!"
Huiyin closed her eyes, listening to the sound of horses' hooves carried on the wind. Someone was coming, but she didn't know if it was the person she was thinking of.
Ah Zheng raised his torch and hurried out of the house. He saw a procession of about thirty people coming up the long mountain path. It was already curfew, so this group must be of high status and have powerful backers. He strode back to the wooden house and stopped in front of Huiyin to report.
Huiyin glanced at Su Xin one last time, ordered someone to gag him, and turned back to ask, "Are the people coming from the Su family? Who is leading them?"
Ah Zheng nodded: "It is indeed the Su family. I didn't see the leader, but there was a two-horse sandalwood carriage among them."
"I understand. You all wait here until I call you to come out."
Huiyin walked outside, not caring about the muddy mess on the ground. She patted her dress, sat on the wooden plank, and watched the approaching convoy.
The carriage canopy was draped with twelve layers of crimson gauze curtains, and the gold ornaments on the front of the carriage gleamed in the firelight. Clearly, this was a carriage used by a noble lady from a prominent family.
They stopped a short distance outside the wooden house, and the Su family's retainers, holding torches, dispersed and surrounded the entire wooden house.
In the very center of the carriage, the wooden door was pulled open, and a richly dressed young woman stepped out—it was Su Jinghao.
Su Jinghao, unlike her usual gentle and elegant self, got out of the car with a blank expression. She didn't seem surprised that Huiyin would appear here, or rather, she had come here following Huiyin's trail.
Huiyin chuckled self-deprecatingly and said helplessly, "After thinking it over and over, I never imagined it would be you."
Su Jinghao did not respond. The maid behind her brought brocade and spread it on the muddy ground. Only then did she get down and slowly walk forward with the maid's arm. Her figure was graceful and elegant, truly a model of a noble lady.
Looking at the face that was both familiar and unfamiliar, Huiyin couldn't help but ask, "My father treated you so well, why did you frame him?"
Su Jinghao stopped a short distance away, covered her mouth and laughed, "Didn't Su Xin tell you? It's for the position of Crown Princess."
Unable to bear it any longer, Huiyin burst into tears. She stood up and approached Su Jinghao, "Does the mere position of Crown Princess make you lose all your conscience?!"
Before he could even get close to Su Jinghao, he was stopped by the guards beside her, who drew their swords. Su Jinghao chuckled and murmured, "A mere Crown Princess position?"
Her expression turned cold. "To you, it's nothing, but to me, it's an unattainable dream."
Su Jinghao's eyes suddenly turned sad again, and she looked at Huiyin painfully and said, "Why do you have to go back to Chang'an? Wouldn't it be better to go back to Jingzhou? That way we can still be good sisters, just like before. I won't hurt you."
Huiyin laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her arms trembled uncontrollably as she let her hands fall. Something seemed to be sinking heavily into her heart, a heavy weight that seemed to sink deep into the depths.
She wiped away her tears, stared at Su Jinghao, and said, word by word, "I will kill you."
Su Jinghao was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. That's right, this was the Huiyin she knew.
She stepped back to the carriage and smiled, "In that case, let's leave none behind!"
Her men drew their swords and approached the wooden hut. Huiyin retreated back into the hut and ordered Azheng and the others to bring Su Xin out. She brushed aside Su Xin's disheveled hair to reveal his face and shouted at Su Jinghao, who was not far away, "Your men, get out of the way, or Su Xin will die."
The leader of the troops recognized Su Xin and rushed to Su Jinghao's side, saying, "Young lady, you mustn't hurt the young master."
Su Jinghao glanced at him sideways, and the leader of the troops immediately lowered his head and remained silent. The next moment, the bow and arrow in his hand were snatched away. Su Jinghao drew the bow and aimed it at Huiyin and the others. Seeing this, A Zheng and Kui Ge immediately stood in front of Huiyin and stared intently ahead.
Whoosh—
The sound of something cutting through the air rang out, and the feathered arrow pierced straight into the chest of the kneeling Su Xin. Su Xin's eyes widened, and the joy of being saved in his eyes turned into shock. He never imagined that the one who would take his life in the end would be Su Jinghao.
He had a strip of cloth stuffed in his mouth and didn't even have time to make a sound before he died.
This scene shocked everyone present. The leader of the troops was sweating profusely. The young man had been shot dead by the woman right under his nose.
He felt dizzy and shouted, "Young lady, what are you doing?"
Su Jinghao threw down her bow and arrows, raised her hand and slapped the head of the guards hard across the face, her expression vicious: "If word gets out of what happened today, the entire Su family will be buried with you. I now order you to strangle them all immediately, leaving no one alive. If you don't go, you'll be next!"
The leader of the troops' faces twitched. He dared not disobey any longer, swallowed hard, drew his sword, and charged towards Huiyin and the others, shouting, "Kill them all!"
Ah Zheng and Kui Ge exchanged a glance, grabbed their weapons, and rushed forward to block Hui Yin's path. They turned back and shouted at the two Feng family guards, "We'll hold them off. You take Miss Song away quickly."
Huiyin pulled the two of them back and whispered, "No need, reinforcements are here."
Puzzled, the two followed Huiyin's gaze and saw that on the mountain path where the Su family and others had just walked, a fire dragon had appeared again. However, this fire dragon was faster and louder, with the thunderous sound of hooves. A-Zheng seemed to hear the sounds of iron horses and clashing weapons.
The Su family's retainers also saw this situation and asked Su Jinghao for instructions. Su Jinghao stared at the cavalrymen who were faintly visible in the firelight, her face extremely ugly. Ignoring her subordinates' advice, she ordered everyone to rush forward and kill Huiyin and the others as quickly as possible.
Huiyin hid under the eaves, facing a cacophony of swords and spears, the yellow mud stained with blood. Even though A-Zheng and Kui-Ge were skilled in martial arts, they were gradually struggling against the onslaught of so many people, and several knife wounds appeared on their bodies.
Someone rushed towards Huiyin with a knife, while the other four were caught in a fierce battle and unable to come to her aid. Huiyin retreated, tripped over a corpse, and fell uncontrollably to the ground. She saw the person in front of her raise his knife and suddenly slash at her.
Warm blood splattered on her face. Huiyin stood there, stunned. Just now, an extremely fast arrow had pierced through her head and embedded itself powerfully in the wooden door. The man in front of her had a hole in his chest, and blood stained his clothes. He knelt down in front of Huiyin with his eyes wide open in death.
Huiyin looked ahead past him. The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as a troop of black-armored cavalry closed in like a dark cloud pressing down on the mountains, their torches illuminating the area as bright as day.
The leading general stood in the center of the circle, clad in dark fish-scale armor with ferocious beast head patterns cast on his shoulder armor. In his hand he held a long halberd made of black iron, its entire body jet black. His tall black horse slowly moved forward, revealing his clear face.
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