Chapter 8: The Wicked Stepmother

Chapter 8: The Wicked Stepmother

Marquis Xuanping had grown up with the finest silk and jade, never knowing the meaning of hunger or hardship. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he feasted on the most exquisite delicacies this world had to offer. Not only was he accustomed to luxuries like bird's nest and sea cucumber, but even more extravagant foods were mere common fare in his eyes.

Bird's nest came in various grades, affordable even for wealthy commoners.

In his life, he had never experienced the frustration of craving something unattainable. He could hardly fathom the day when he would hear from his own daughter that she would rather endure abdominal pain and high fever than give up a certain food.

This reminded him of the famine scenes he had read about in historical records, where impoverished families resorted to eating dirt, poisonous mushrooms, and toxic herbs just to stave off hunger, aware of the potential fatal consequences yet with no other choice.

In times of peace and prosperity, they were the esteemed House of the First Rank Marquis.

Their daughter, the noble lady of the marquis's household, had only enjoyed bird's nest soup twice in her entire life. Despite knowing that consuming the delicacy mixed with papaya would make her ill, she still indulged in it due to her craving. How could this not pierce his heart with agony?

"Is the estate so impoverished that we can't even afford bird's nest?" he asked, his voice restrained yet deep, directed at Madam Shen.

Madam Shen had just been moved to tears by Pei Yuanxi's words. She didn't understand why such remarks affected her so deeply, as if her heart was shattered to the point of near-death.

This pitiful child, her foolishness tugged at one's heartstrings in sympathy.

With a quivering voice, she said, "No, all the concubines in the household receive their monthly portions of bird's nest. Aunt Zhao, with her two children, gets twelve superior-grade servings and twenty inferior-grade servings for her eldest son each month. Aunt Li and Aunt Qiu have the same allocation: six superior-grade servings and ten inferior-grade servings. There's an account book to verify these, so no one would dare to deduct anything."

Knowing that his legal wife governed the household fairly, Marquis Xuanping was at ease. If his daughter had been given bird's nest every month, why hadn't she ever tasted it? His sharp gaze shifted over; if looks could kill, Aunt Li would've perished long ago.

Aunt Li prostrated on the ground, her clothes disheveled and hair in a mess. A concubine in a marquis's residence was living worse than a servant, and anyone who saw her would pity her plight.

"Li, is what the madam said true? Since there's bird's nest every month, why hasn't Sanniang ever had any?" If Sanniang had consumed it before, she would have known about her allergy to papaya and wouldn't have been ignorant during her illness.

Aunt Li kept kowtowing. "My lord, it's my fault. I dared not give Third Young Lady any... I was afraid it might harm her."

Again with that excuse, about some nonsense destiny. Marquis Xuanping laughed out of anger. In this woman's eyes, his daughter wasn't even worthy of a mouthful of bird's nest.

"My daughter isn't worthy, but you are?"

"I'm not worthy either."

"You're indeed unworthy!" Marquis Xuanping gritted his teeth. "How can a woman like you deserve to eat bird's nest? How can a woman like you give birth to a daughter as brilliant as my Sanniang? My Sanniang is so intelligent, able to speak at one, read at two, understand books at three, and compose poems at four. Had it not been for your negligence, how could she end up like this!"

Aunt Li dug her nails into her thigh, her disheveled hair covering her face, hiding her expression from everyone. Speaking at one, reading at two, understanding books at three, composing poems at four. If not for Sanniang's remarkable intelligence, why would she have done such a thing?

The pain sharpened her senses, and she began to regret not doing enough. Her slender figure, clad in sorrow, only elicited feelings of pity and anger in Madam Shen.

"Marquis, Rulan was just momentarily confused. Please consider her good intentions..."

Marquis Xuanping glanced at her coldly, silencing Madam Shen instantly.

"My daughter desires a taste of bird's nest. Clearly, the food you've been giving her is subpar. If you think she's unworthy of bird's nest, do you also believe she deserves only plain meals?" He bellowed, veins bulging on his neck and forehead.

Madam Shen was terrified. "Marquis, it's not that bad. Our household follows a strict rationing system for meals. Even if the concubines don't add extra money for better dishes, they still ensure a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables. I've also occasionally rewarded Rulan with snacks. Surely Sanniang hasn't deprived her of food."

She believed that even if Rulan had momentarily lost her senses, she wouldn't mistreat her own flesh and blood. Besides, their marquis residence wasn't an ordinary family; there was no lack of food here.

"Precious snacks? I've never had any." Pei Yuanxi looked at Marquis Xuanping with a wronged expression. "Father, I haven't!"

"Sanniang, think carefully. Have you really never tasted them? Just the other day, Mother gave your aunt a new kind of snack, as beautiful as a flower and sweet to the taste," Madam Shen gently guided, fearing that Pei Yuanxi might forget what she had eaten due to her childlike nature.

"No, I've never had snacks from Aunt Li." Pei Yuanxi's face was still slightly flushed, perhaps because Madam Shen's description had made the snacks sound too delicious. She swallowed, "I've never had the kind Mother described either. They must be incredibly tasty."

Now, Madam Shen found herself unable to defend Aunt Li. If you say bird's nest is too precious, then surely snacks aren't. Why hasn't Sanniang been given any snacks? Could it be, as Marquis said, that Sanniang lives on plain meals every day?

Seemingly aware of her thoughts, Pei Yuanxi pouted and said, "I want snacks, not plain rice without any dishes."

"Are you feeding my daughter plain rice?" Marquis Xuanping erupted, kicking Aunt Li who was pretending to be unconscious. Fueled with rage, he searched for something to throw, grabbing a stool and smashing it down onto Aunt Li's body.

Aunt Li didn't make a sound as blood trickled down from her head.

Madam Shen said, "Rulan, what are you doing? It's just some snacks. How could you not even give them to Third Young Lady? I don't know how to scold you anymore. You're going too far and being overly cautious. There's no need for such stubbornness."

"Aunt, for Third Young Lady, this servant is willing to endure anything," Aunt Li cried bitterly, like a withered leaf in the wind, pitifully helpless and misunderstood. "This servant isn't afraid of hardship or being misunderstood. As long as Third Young Lady lives well and grows up safely, that's all this servant desires."

"You're talking nonsense! Who says my daughter can't live? Who says she can't grow up? Where is that monk who talks rubbish? Find him for me. I want to confront him face-to-face and see if he's just a fraud pretending to be a wise man!"

Madam Shen was shocked. She had never heard her husband use such crude language before. Clearly, he was furious.

Assuming he had reached the pinnacle of his anger, Marquis Xuanping didn't expect his fury to escalate even further upon hearing his daughter's words. He felt a murderous intent welling up inside him!

He stood up and paced around the room. Pei Qing had just returned after sending Doctor Gong away. Seeing his lord in such a state, he knew that his master must be in a great turmoil and searching for his sword.

"Where is my sword? Where is my Marquis' sword?"

"Marquis!" Shen exclaimed in horror, collapsing to her knees, followed by Chunyue and the others.

Marquis Xuanping's eyes bulged with rage as he stepped on Aunt Li's fingers with his sharp-toed black gold boots. He exerted all his strength, gritting his teeth tightly.

"I truly want to kill you!"

Shen crawled over and clung to his leg. "Marquis, please calm down. Rulan has made a mistake, but she did it all for Sanniang. It was wrong of her to trust the monk's words, but please forgive her this once for her good intentions. In the future, I will take care of Sanniang here, and I promise to look after her well. You must not let a momentary impulse lead you to commit a great error. You cannot kill Rulan!"

While killing a concubine wasn't considered a severe crime, it would ruin a man's reputation.

Moreover, such a trivial matter was hardly worth taking a life.

On the bed, Pei Yuanxi seemed frightened. She climbed up and, mimicking Shen, hugged the other leg of Marquis Xuanping. Her abnormally flushed face was filled with confusion.

"Father, don't be angry. Sanniang doesn't want her snack."

Marquis Xuanping was overwhelmed with pain. Why had such a thing happened to his daughter? Wasn't it just bird's nest soup? Just a snack? Why should Sanniang suffer like this? He refused to believe that there could be such a frail fate!

This woman, Lady Li, must not be spared mercy.

"Sanniang, your father isn't angry," he said, bending down to personally lift his daughter from the ground. "Tell me, besides denying you snacks, what else has this woman done?"

Pei Yuanxi didn't dare look at Aunt Li, instead lowering her head to fiddle with the corner of her dress.

Upon seeing her demeanor, Marquis Xuanping's heart sank. With a swift kick, Aunt Li was sent sprawling backward. Her head hit the ground with a resounding thud.

Madam Shen covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound. The Marquis was in a rage, and even if she wished to defend Rulan, she knew it was not the time to speak. She had never imagined things would escalate to such a point.

Aunt Li struggled to her feet, her disheveled hair mingling with the blood on her face as she cried out, "Third Young Lady, everything I've done has been for your own good. I don't ask for anything else but for you to grow up safely. Do you understand why I scolded you, forbade you from eating snacks, and restricted your playtime? It was all out of fear for your safety. I wish I could divide myself into two, one to accumulate blessings for you and one to endure your hardships. I would willingly rip my heart out for you, do you know that?"

Each word was soaked in sorrow, every syllable a tear.

Not only Madam Shen, but the entire household believed her. Perhaps Aunt Li had made mistakes or acted improperly, but everyone knew her intentions were rooted in concern for Third Young Lady.

If not for Pei Yuanxi, she wouldn't have ended up in such a state. She could have lived a life of luxury like Aunt Zhao or Aunt Qiu, with servants attending to her every need.

Pei Yuanxi's large eyes were blank, as if she didn't comprehend what was being said. She looked at Marquis Xuanping, a rare glimmer of clarity flickering in her confused gaze before it deepened into further perplexity.

"FATHER, what does it mean to do something for my own good?"

Marquis Xuanping was at a loss for an answer, so Madam Shen stepped in to clarify.

"Sanniang, doing something for your own good means always thinking of you, cherishing and protecting you. Even if she herself is suffering, she would not wish for you to experience any hardship. You are the flesh from your Aunt Li's body, and she would rather endure pain and exhaustion than see you harmed. Yes, she may have done some things wrong, but it was all out of love for you."

"No," Pei Yuanxi pouted, on the verge of tears. "Aunt Li didn't do anything for my own good. She hit and scolded me. She's a bad aunt."

"He hit and scolded you?" Marquis Xuanping made as if to move, only to be held back by Madam Shen's firm grip. Madam Shen wasn't defending Aunt Li, but believed that it was best to seek clarity in all matters.

Aunt Li wept, almost fainting from the intensity of her emotions. Clutching her chest, her face was etched with unspeakable disappointment and heartache. "Third Young Lady, yes, Auntie scolded you because I was afraid something might happen to you when you kept trying to leave. Do you think Auntie didn't feel terrible? After every scolding, I would slap myself. Auntie had no other choice!"

Madam Shen could empathize and felt that Aunt Li's actions were not entirely unjustified.

Marquis Xuanping suppressed his rage. He told himself that Li's actions were not necessarily wrong, but he couldn't help feeling extremely angered. Alongside his anger came a sense of powerlessness, making him avoid Sanniang's eyes. Deep down, he felt like he had failed as a father.

"Sanniang, was she right?"

All eyes turned to Pei Yuanxi, with Aunt Li's gaze especially expectant.

Pei Yuanxi felt highly uncomfortable under such scrutiny and subtly took refuge behind Empress Xuanping, whispering her grievance. "No, she's wrong. She hit me. See, Father..."