Wei Shuwan hadn't slept properly during that hour. As soon as dawn broke, she got up to wash and change, then went to the government office with the carriage escorting Cai Die. Wei Ping also went along, but was stopped outside the government office.
After Wei Shuwan recounted the entire incident in detail, Cai Die resigned herself to her fate and offered no rebuttal. After a few words of questioning at the court, Lord Rong temporarily imprisoned Cai Die and told Wei Shuwan to return home, with sentencing to be announced at a later date.
As soon as Wei Shuwan got into the carriage after leaving the yamen, she saw Wei Ping waiting inside.
When they arrived, Wei Ping did not ride in the same carriage as her. It was only when Wei Shu went to court that Wei Ping gave the gatekeeper a tael of silver to inquire about some information, which is why she was so eager to reconcile with the second wife.
The constable told her that in cases like this, the final judgment depended mainly on whether the victim was forgiving. If they could provide a letter of forgiveness, the magistrate would give a lenient sentence, usually requiring only a small ransom. However, if the victim insisted on not forgiving and requested a harsher sentence, they would certainly go to jail or even face exile.
Wei Ping understood perfectly what it meant for a young woman to lose her temper. Therefore, after much deliberation, she concluded that given the temperament of the second wife and her daughter, even if she went back to plead with the old lady and asked her to pressure the second wife, they wouldn't back down. She would have to do her best to mend relations with the second wife and ease tensions before the matter could be discussed.
Therefore, Wei Ping was no longer as unreasonable as she had been the night before. Instead, as soon as she saw Wei Shuwan come in, she handed her a hand warmer and then took a thin blanket to cover her up, showing great thoughtfulness and care.
Wei Shuwan had never seen her aunt like this before. Knowing that she wanted to ask for her forgiveness, she confided in her: "Aunt, my sister has made a really big mistake this time. If I don't send her to the authorities, this matter will not have a proper ending. But you don't need to worry too much. She didn't really kill anyone, and the officials won't sentence her to death."
Upon hearing the words "death penalty," Wei Ping's heart trembled. Sun Lurong and Wei Shuwan were both perfectly fine, without even the slightest lingering illness. Why should her daughter be sentenced so severely? And to mention "death penalty"—this mother and daughter from the second branch of the family were truly ruthless!
However, she only grumbled inwardly, but on the surface she still forced a bitter smile: "Wanwan, Caidie is completely wrong in this matter, but it's all my fault..."
Wei Shuwan raised an eyebrow and glanced at her: "Could it be that your aunt is the mastermind behind this?"
“Of course not!” Wei Ping quickly explained: “It’s because Die’er and I were used to living a hard life on the estate. Suddenly being taken back by your grandmother and living a life of luxury that we never dared to dream of before, I became a bit lost. I tried to make up for Die’er and me in every way… I tried to use the best food and drink for her and spoiled her in general, which made her more and more unruly and raised her to have such a heart.”
Wei Ping wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. Wei Shuwan could tell that no matter how insincere she usually was, she had finally revealed a few heartfelt words.
But that alone is not enough to forgive Cai Die. No matter the reason, people always have to pay the price for their foolish deeds.
Throughout the journey, Wei Ping sobbed and poured out her heart, while Wei Shuwan listened silently without interrupting or offering any opinion. It wasn't until the carriage returned to the Wei family mansion that she said indifferently, "Aunt, get out of the carriage."
Seeing Wei Shuwan's calm yet resolute expression, Wei Ping sobbed a few times, wiped away her tears, got out of the car, and went straight to Songheju.
When Wei Shuwan got out of the carriage, Miaoxiang, who had been waiting on the veranda, quickly came over, helping her up while whispering, "Miss, your uncle is back."
"Uncle?" Wei Shuwan was slightly surprised. When her uncle left, he said he was going to Pingyang to handle some funeral arrangements for her maternal grandfather and that it would take at least a month or two before he returned. But he had already returned after only half a month.
"Could he have heard the news?" Wei Shuwan could only guess.
Miaoxiang nodded: "As soon as my uncle came back, he asked anxiously how you and Madam were. He was relieved to learn that you had both woken up and were alright. You are still in Madam's courtyard now."
"Okay, then I'll go check on my mother."
Wei Shuwan and Zi Qiao had just reached the gate of Fukangyuan when they saw Sun Xingjian coming out. Upon seeing her from afar, he quickened his pace and walked towards her.
"Wanwan, how are you?" Sun Xingjian put his hands on his niece's shoulders and looked her up and down.
Wei Shuwan smiled helplessly, then simply turned around in front of him, stopped, and said, "All right, perfectly fine!"
Sun Xingjian finally felt completely at ease and asked her how she planned to handle the situation. Wei Shuwan then revealed her true intentions: "I sent Caidie to the authorities so that she would understand that even within a family, wrongdoing will have consequences. However, my mother and I are both well now and have no lingering health problems, so I don't expect the authorities to give us a harsh sentence. In any case, I hope that after this incident, she will be less resentful and more respectful."
Sun Xingjian nodded: "I'm relieved that you're so open-minded. By the way, I heard that your fiancé was the one who saved you and your mother this time?"
Wei Shuwan's solemn expression suddenly changed, and she hesitated when Li Qingchen was mentioned: "Yes, it's him."
Sun Xingjian smiled and said, "At first, I wasn't very optimistic about this marriage, but now it seems he cares a lot about you. With him backing you up, your uncle can rest assured even if he goes back to the border."
Wei Shuwan felt extremely uncomfortable listening to these words, so she tried to change the subject: "By the way, Uncle, did everything go smoothly when you went back to Pingyang this time? When I went with Mother last time, I saw that my maternal grandfather's two sons were not easy to deal with. The two of them fought tooth and nail for the title, but then a Cheng Yaojin came out of nowhere. I'm afraid they are not willing to give up."
At this point, Sun Xingjian's expression turned serious. "Actually, besides the letter your maternal grandfather left for your mother and me, he also left a letter for the two of them."
"What is it?" Wei Shuwan couldn't help but wonder how her maternal grandfather would deal with his two good-for-nothing sons.
"Your maternal grandfather stated in his letter that after he passed away, his two unfilial sons were not allowed to inherit any of the Pingyang Marquis's property, nor were they allowed to continue living in the Marquis's mansion."
Wei Shuwan couldn't help but show a surprised expression: "I didn't expect my grandfather to act so decisively!"
But that wasn't all. Sun Xingjian continued, "When I arrived, the two of them were packing their bags and leaving with their families. The steward told me privately that although your maternal grandfather left behind some instructions, he also left another verbal statement, saying that the final decision on how to arrange things for the two of them would be up to me."
Upon hearing this, Wei Shuwan understood and admired her grandfather's skill.
"It seems that my maternal grandfather is trying to help my uncle establish his authority. It is said that when the late emperor was on his deathbed, he dismissed several important officials from their posts, but left instructions for the crown prince, telling him that the first thing the crown prince should do after he ascends the throne is to reinstate these important officials. In this way, they will be grateful to the new emperor and swear to be loyal to him to the death."
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