Chapter 44: Whether He Has the Fortune to Survive, It’s Up to Him

Chapter 44: Whether He Has the Fortune to Survive, It's Up to Him

Before coming to Chongguang Temple, Mrs. Wu was full of confidence and hope.

She thought she had everything under control, but little did she know that while she was using others as pawns, she too was a piece on someone else's chessboard. And she was the one in the light while others operated in the dark; this game was destined for her defeat.

She had come to some realization now, starting to scream and shout at Wu Jingyun, but how could Wu Jingyun let her dictate? She coldly said to Mrs. Wu, "Even if you don’t tell father about today’s events, I will ensure he seeks justice for me."

"You..." Mrs. Wu, trembling and pointing at Wu Jingyun with tears in her eyes yet filled with hatred, exclaimed, "How can you be so vicious? That’s your sister, not of the same mother, but you share a father."

"Wu Jingshu is shameless and willingly degraded herself. She acted promiscuously in a temple guest room; what does that have to do with me? Why are you screaming and shouting at me, is it because I am a stepdaughter, not your own flesh and blood?"

Wu Jingyun naturally pushed the blame completely away; after all, Mrs. Wu had no evidence. Moreover, if she wanted to interrogate her maids like Lady Tang did, Wu Jingyun had plenty of ways to evade.

"Wretch, wretch, I will kill you!" Mrs. Wu was nearly out of her mind; her daughter's incident meant that all was lost.

She lunged at Wu Jingyun again, but before she could get close, she was blocked by Xing'er and Tao'er. Just as she ordered people to pull Xing'er and Tao'er away, Liu Dayong, the son of Wu Jingyun's wet nurse, arrived. Tall and burly, he stood in front of Wu Jingyun.

Seeing Liu Dayong, what else could Mrs. Wu not understand? Wu Jingyun had been prepared for today’s events. It was just unknown if Lady Tang and Lord Xiao were the same. Only now did she realize she was just a laughingstock.

Meanwhile, Lady Tang and Xiao Yuchen were slowly descending the mountain.

"Mother, how did you know that Miss Wu wouldn't let you interrogate her two maids?" Xiao Yuchen asked, puzzled.

In his view, Wu Jingyun was indeed clever, leaving no handle to be caught. Who would have thought that her people were not just the two maids she brought along, but also the son of her wet nurse.

He had thought that without catching Wu Jingyun red-handed, the marriage would likely not be called off today. Unexpectedly, his mother forcibly detained Wu Jingyun’s maids and pretended to interrogate them, causing Wu Jingyun to actually fear.

Lady Tang didn’t answer his question but said, "Send someone to inform Monk Changjing to flee immediately, and it’s best not to seek revenge for now. He can’t touch the Wu family."

Xiao Yuchen was startled, "They want to kill Monk Changjing?"

Lady Tang: "If the Liang family can kill a beggar boy to vent their anger, why can’t the Wu family kill a monk to cover up a scandal?"

Xiao Yuchen understood and hurriedly instructed Changming to handle it. He had always studied the classics and held himself to the standards of a gentleman, but now he truly understood the treacherous nature of the human heart.

"We lack concrete evidence, yet we all know that Wu Jingyun is the perpetrator," Tang Shuyi began answering Xiao Yuchen's earlier query.

"Indeed," Xiao Yuchen concurred.

"That's sufficient," Tang Shuyi declared. "As long as we're certain it was her doing, there are myriad ways to unearth evidence."

Observing Xiao Yuchen's contemplative demeanor, Tang Shuyi continued, "In fact, my intent in seizing Wu Jingyun's maids wasn't to interrogate them, but rather to probe Wu Jingyun herself, because I'm certain she'd never dare let her father discover what she's done today."

"Why so?" Xiao Yuchen queried, perplexed. "He's her father, after all. Even if he learns of her actions, the worst she'd face would be a harsh punishment, surely preferable to our threats and coercion?"

"Were she a man," Tang Shuyi expounded, "she'd undoubtedly opt for her father's punishment over threats from outsiders like us. After all, it's better to have the dirt in one's own hands rather than in those of strangers."

"Ah, but why is it different for a woman?" Xiao Yuchen inquired.

Tang Shuyi glanced at him and elucidated, "Were she a man, the worst aftermath would be a beating or confinement. Once the incident blows over, he could resume his studies, military training, or even business ventures without further implications.

"But for a woman, the situation diverges drastically, directly affecting her marital prospects. With her biological mother long deceased and her matrimonial fate in the hands of her father and stepmother, how do you suppose she'd fare should her father grow disappointed or resentful due to this incident, especially with a stepmother who loathes her to the bone? Unlike men, women have far fewer avenues open to them. A poor marriage could very well doom the rest of her life."

Tang Shuyi couldn't help but sigh towards the end, reflecting on the plight of women in ancient times. In modern days, an unsuitable marriage could be remedied by divorce and a fresh start. However, in ancient times, although divorce was possible, a divorced woman would face a life significantly more challenging than that of her peers.

Xiao Yuchen, however, mistook her sigh as one for herself. Recently, his mother had harbored deep grievances about his father taking a concubine, and with his early demise, the entire estate's affairs had fallen on her shoulders. Could it be she also regretted her own marriage?

He pondered deeply on how to console Tang Shuyi before finally stating, "Mother, you still have us, your three children."

Tang Shuyi paused, then replied, "Indeed, I find the three of you quite wonderful, and I harbor no dissatisfaction with my current life."

Her words were heartfelt; she genuinely appreciated her current circumstances. With high social standing and no financial worries, what was there to be discontented about?

Though she had three unruly children, none were egregiously wicked or malicious. With time and education, they would improve. Despite some chaos within the household, it was all within her capacity to resolve.

After all, what life is utterly perfect? Hers was very good as it was.

As they reached the foot of the mountain and boarded the carriage, Changming returned and reported in a hushed tone, "I found Changjing. He's detained in a room with Wu family guards outside. I informed him through a rear window to escape. He seemed incredulous that the Wu family would harm him."

"Well, we've done what we could. Whether he survives now is up to him," Tang Shuyi remarked.

As the carriage clattered along, Xiao Yuchen suddenly voiced, "I still fail to understand why Miss Wu would cancel our engagement over my feelings for Qinyin. Does she truly expect to marry a man who will never take a concubine?"

Tang Shuyi shot him a sidelong glance, "Whether or not she marries a man who won't take concubines remains uncertain. However, she's acutely aware that with Liubi Qinyin in the picture, she'd never hold a place in your heart."

Detecting a hint of displeasure in Tang Shuyi's tone, Xiao Yuchen refrained from mentioning Liubi Qinyin any further.