Chapter 413: Punishing Qin Shaojing Severely

Chapter 413: Punishing Qin Shaojing Severely

"Taking advantage of my illness and coma, you manipulated others and used me as your pawn!"

Lady Qin scolded her word by word.

Upon hearing this, Qin Shaojing widened her eyes in shock, "Aunt, you... woke up?"

"Slap!"

Lady Qin slapped her again, "This slap is for scheming against the Ningyang Marquis's household!"

"The Ningyang Marquis's household has treated you well. Your uncle prepared a lavish dowry for you, and your sister-in-law showed you great affection. Yet, you exploited our household's crisis to take advantage of our misfortune and scheme to seize our property!"

"Aunt..."

"This slap is for your shamelessness, tarnishing the century-old reputation of the Qin Duke's household!"

"The Qin Duke's household raised you with care, yet you shamelessly violated propriety and ethics, seducing your father-in-law, disgracing everyone in the Qin Duke's household! You've become a total disgrace!"

"Slap!"

"Slap!"

"Slap!"

Lady Qin continued to deliver several resounding slaps to Qin Shaojing, "I slap you for being disloyal and unfilial, for being heartless and ungrateful, for forgetting your roots for the sake of profit. In your eyes, there is only your own petty schemes, no gratitude, no family, no bottom line! Qin Shaojing, you are unworthy of being called human!"

Lady Qin spoke word by word, each word punctuated by a slap, the last slap directly knocking her to the ground.

Lady Qin, clutching her red, stinging hand, shaking with rage, looked at Qin Shaojing lying on the ground, closed her eyes, and spoke her final words to her.

"These slaps sever the bond between aunt and niece. From now on, I am no longer your aunt! You are forbidden from appearing before me again!"

"Servants, cast her out of the Ningyang Marquis's household!"

After saying this, Lady Qin did not look at her again, turning and walking towards her own courtyard.

"Aunt, Aunt..."

In the courtyard, others witnessing this scene, Qiu Ling was the first to stand up with eyes shining with joy, she exclaimed excitedly.

"What are you all waiting for! Do as Lady Qin says, expel her!"

"No, no, you mustn't treat me like this, Aunt, Aunt... I was wrong!" Qin Shaojing was grabbed and dragged away, her eyes fixed on Lady Qin's departing figure, her face swollen, she stammered out her apologies.

"Aunt, I was wrong!"

"Aunt!"

"I was wrong!"

Amid Qin Shaojing's apologies, she was cast out of the Ningyang Marquis's household.

After being expelled, passersby quickly recognized her.

"Isn't this the Qin woman whom the Liu family divorced!"

"Yes! That's the Qin woman who committed adultery with her former father-in-law!"

"What a vile and shameless woman!"

"Disgusting! Such indecency, she has completely disgraced us women!"

"Hit her! Hit her!"

The children brought out rotten vegetables and eggs from their homes and hurled them at Qin Shaojing.

Soon after, Nanny Qin was also thrown out. Seeing this scene, she cried and crawled towards her mistress, shielding her while lamenting.

"Oh, my lady! My poor lady!"

"Oh heavens, how did we end up like this!"

Lu Lingyun didn't know how Qin Shaojing and Nanny Qin returned to the General's estate. She only heard about Qin Shaojing again when Cheng Qi asked her to return to the border with him.

He volunteered to request the Emperor for permission to return to the border to guard against the barbarians.

The Emperor granted it with a stroke of his pen, without hesitation.

According to Lu Kuan, when the Emperor saw Cheng Qi's petition, his face twisted in disgust.

Fortunately, Cheng Qi was wise enough to volunteer to guard the harsh and cold borderlands. Otherwise, if he had made any other demands, the Emperor would have banished him to some remote corner.

It was truly disgusting to see.

Before leaving, Cheng Qi approached Lu Lingyun.

"Sister-in-law..."

Cheng Qi couldn't bear to look her in the eye.

"Is there anything else, Second Master?"

After a long silence, Cheng Qi said, "Sister-in-law, I really have no right to face you."

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun let out a soft laugh, "What kind of talk is that?"

"I was indeed... misguided before." Cheng Qi clenched his fists, "I have betrayed you, Hui Hui, and everyone in the Ningyang Marquis's household."

From beginning to end, the Ningyang Marquis's household had never done him any harm. In fact, everyone had repeatedly warned him, but he had...

Cheng Qi was utterly ashamed to face anyone.

"Second Master, don't say that. You were just deceived by Qin Shaojing," Lu Lingyun said calmly.

Hearing this, Cheng Qi lapsed into silence again.

Seeing him like this, Lu Lingyun knew he was deeply tormented.

How could his heart not be shattered!

He had gambled everything, betrayed everyone to protect that woman, only to lose so completely in the end.

Most importantly, it destroyed all the beauty he once had.

What could be more devastating than the fact that the goddess he once held in his heart, as bright as light, had turned into something more disgusting than the filth in a cesspool.

Everything he had done for Qin Shaojing now felt like a cruel joke.

He was further disgraced because of her, despised by everyone, abandoned by his family, and utterly ruined...

"Second Master, are you returning to the border?" Lu Lingyun broke the silence at the right moment.

Cheng Qi nodded, looking up at Lu Lingyun with guilt-filled eyes. "I’ve come to you, sister-in-law, with no shame, to ask you to look after Hui Hui for me once more."

"When Hui Hui is older, you can arrange a good marriage for her. As for me, her brother... consider it done."

Lu Lingyun blinked and nodded in response.

"Won’t you see Hui Hui one last time?"

Cheng Qi clenched his fists. "No, I’m nothing but a disgrace to her as a brother."

After saying this, he turned and left.

Lu Lingyun watched him walk away and asked again, "Second Master, are you still taking her with you?"

Cheng Qi knew Lu Lingyun meant Qin Shaojing without her saying the name.

He stood frozen, his fists tightening even more, and said nothing, only releasing an incredibly long sigh.

In that sigh, Lu Lingyun sensed helplessness, resignation, and an unspoken regret.

"May you have a safe journey and a lifetime together."

No, a lifetime of suffering.

Lu Lingyun nodded and bid him farewell.

It seemed like the end, but in truth, it was only the beginning.

Even if he accepted Qin Shaojing, who was utterly unworthy and left him no choice, she would still not be grateful, love, or respect him.

Human nature is such that regret only comes when something is completely out of reach. As long as the other party can still yield, it proves they can still be bullied.

Cheng Qi remained entirely under her thumb.

Taking her back to the border, the harsh conditions would only fuel Qin Shaojing’s resentment and dissatisfaction.

Their days were just beginning.

But the cunning Lu Lingyun wouldn’t bother to warn him or pity him.

Because people’s choices deserve their suffering.

If he could endure, let him continue to endure until the day he could no longer bear it.

Qin Shaojing was taken by him and returned to the border.

Meanwhile, the inheritance of the Ningyang Marquis's estate was settled.