Shopkeeper Zhang swiftly bowed and was about to offer some auspicious words when Chu Ruoyan asked, "Have you seen my aunt?"
After a brief pause, Shopkeeper Zhang quickly replied, "Yes, yes! Mrs. Cao is a regular at my shop. I originally wanted to greet her, but when I saw the Xue family carriage pass by, I didn’t dare speak up."
"The Xue family? The Marquis of Chengen's Mansion?" Xue Ling covered her mouth in shock.
Shopkeeper Zhang nodded. "Exactly, it was Marquis Xue himself. He boarded the carriage and helped Mrs. Cao in, along with her maid..."
"What? It was Zhu'er!" Xue Ling never imagined that despite all her precautions, the betrayal had come from within their own household.
Shopkeeper Zhang confirmed, "Yes, at the time, Mrs. Cao appeared unconscious. I considered asking, but I feared it might be a private family matter, so I kept quiet..."
"What family matter?! My mother has already severed ties with him!" Xue Ling felt her heart shatter.
Her despicable father had long been scheming against her mother. While her father was conscious, he hadn’t dared act, but now that he’d abducted her mother, the consequences were all too clear.
Xue Ling immediately wanted to chase after them, but Chu Ruoyan stopped her. "Report it to the authorities."
"Report it?" she hesitated. "Won’t this damage Mother’s reputation?"
Without another word, Chu Ruoyan turned her head. "Nanny Zhou, go—report this to the Ministry of Justice, the Board of Punishments, and the Shuntian Prefecture, one by one."
Nanny Zhou hurried off.
Xue Ling grabbed Chu Ruoyan’s hand in alarm. "Cousin, you’re making this a huge scandal! What if—"
Chu Ruoyan curled her lip.
Why were people always so restrained?
From what she remembered, Xue Gui should have been dealt with centuries ago, but with Consort Xue shielding him, it had dragged on until now!
Even her past self had thought revealing Xue Gui’s crimes to Empress Pei would suffice, but Empress Pei had failed too. Now, she had to take matters into her own hands.
"Yulu, go to Fourth Master Cao’s residence and relay the situation—especially to Lady Cao, the Fourth Wife."
Lady Cao, née Wang, was the adopted daughter of Old Censor Wang.
Whether he was upright or not didn’t matter. With such a disgrace occurring in his in-law’s family, he ought to lend a hand, shouldn’t he?
Xue Ling grew increasingly terrified, sensing Chu Ruoyan’s intent to stir up a storm.
She couldn’t help but ask, "Cousin, what exactly are you planning?"
Chu Ruoyan arched a brow and smiled faintly. "I want to destroy the Xue family."
---
Pingkang Lane, Xue Family Private Residence.
When Chu Jing regained consciousness, she found herself bound to a bed.
Her hands and feet were tied, and a cloth gagged her mouth. Then, a figure appeared outside the bed curtains...
"Madam, please don’t blame this servant..."
It was Zhu'er!
Chu Jing immediately recalled the tea Zhu'er had handed her in the carriage and seethed with rage.
How dare she?!
"This servant knows Madam feels betrayed, but it’s only because you refuse to see reason! How many times have I privately urged you? Lord Cao will never wake—he’s a useless cripple! Clinging to him will only bring you ruin! Think about it—the Cao family was once so glorious, but now? Barely anyone visits!"
"A household without a man to uphold it will collapse sooner or later! I begged you to reconcile with the Marquis, but you wouldn’t listen. This servant had no choice but to secure her own future!"
"The Marquis promised me a hundred taels of silver for helping him abduct you. I’ve already received the money. I’m only here to bid you farewell. Please don’t hold it against me..."
With that, Zhu'er fled.
Chu Jing was so furious her stomach ached, but the gag stifled her screams.
Forcing herself to stay calm, she glanced around. The place felt familiar—it resembled the residence where Yinghong had been caught in adultery.
Thankfully, Chu Ruoyan had warned her to always keep a golden hairpin hidden in her sleeve.
Silently, she worked the pin against the ropes. Just as they were about to snap, footsteps approached.
BANG!
The door was kicked open, revealing Xue Gui’s repulsive face.
"You wretched woman! Never thought you’d fall into my hands again, did you?"
Hatred flashed in Chu Jing’s eyes. Xue Gui strode forward, gripping her chin with glee. "Go on, glare! I love seeing you despise me yet powerless to stop me, you bitch!"
He slapped her hard across the face, drawing blood from her lip.
"Hahaha! When you left our Xue family, you were so proud, so triumphant! And now? You’re at my mercy!"
Finding one-sided taunts unsatisfying, he yanked the gag from her mouth—only for her to spit in his face.
"Disgusting!"
"Disgusting? A woman who’s served two husbands—who’s really disgusting here?" Xue Gui forced her chin up, trying to kiss her. Chu Jing resisted fiercely, earning another brutal slap.
Her once delicate cheek swelled instantly.
Xue Gui sneered, tightening his grip on her throat. "Chu Jing, do you still think you’re the esteemed Lady Cao? Cao Yang’s a vegetable! Stop pretending to be some chaste martyr. Today, I’ll find out what makes you so special after being tainted by him. Rumor has it you’re carrying his child?"
His lecherous gaze made Chu Jing’s stomach churn.
How many times had she been blind to marry such a beast—no, something worse than a beast!
Xue Gui couldn’t wait any longer. He tore her shoulder garment open.
Chu Jing clenched her teeth—the ropes were nearly cut.
She endured his groping hands until he bent to undo his belt. Then, in one swift motion, she struck—
"AHHH!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air as the golden hairpin plunged into Xue Gui’s right eye, blinding him.
Chu Jing scrambled off the bed and fled, but the moment she reached the courtyard, Xue family servants surrounded her.
Behind her, Xue Gui clutched his bleeding eye, bellowing in rage, "Take her! Every last one of you—have your way with her until she’s dead!!!"
The servants leered, their expressions vile. The mistress of a noble house—a woman they’d never dare dream of touching.
One immediately lunged, ripping her outer robe open.
"How dare you?!"
Chu Jing shielded her chest in terror. She knew these men obeyed only Xue Gui, but she couldn’t die—not when she had to protect Cao Yang’s child!
Yet another pair of greasy hands tore away her shawl.
Piece by piece, they stripped her, reveling in her pleas and sobs like predators toying with prey.
"No... NO!!"
"Please... don’t!!"
"My child, forgive your mother!!"
Outside, by the wall—
Nanny Zhou could bear it no longer. "Miss, we can’t wait any longer! We must save her!"
Chu Ruoyan had intended to delay further—without the right timing, Consort Xue, who’d just lost her son, wouldn’t be destroyed.
But then she reconsidered. If she stood by and let her "family" suffer, would Yan Zheng be displeased again?
That man was always so easily displeased!
"Move in!"
