Considering the lack of a suitable reason to take action and the high likelihood that Zhou Huizhen would defend Han Liao, Lu Zhuo decided to tell Wei Rao what had happened at the banquet.
This was the third time Han Liao had insulted Wei Rao in front of him.
The first time was when Han Liao had just begun marriage discussions with Zhou Huizhen. He had stopped Lu Zhuo in the palace and insulted both Wei Rao and her cousin in a single sentence. The second time was earlier this year when Lu Zhuo accompanied Wei Rao to the palace to pay respects to the Imperial Consort. Han Liao had presumptuously called Wei Rao "cousin." Today at the banquet, if Lu Zhuo hadn’t preemptively silenced Han Liao, there was no telling what he might have said.
Even before taking action, Han Liao had suggested that they swap wives to sing for entertainment.
If Lu Zhuo continued to tolerate this, he would no longer be himself.
Wei Rao had long known that Han Liao was no decent man, but she never imagined he would go so far as to suggest that her cousin sing for Lu Zhuo. It was utterly humiliating.
After parting with Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao went straight to find Zhou Huizhen.
Zhou Huizhen and Wang Shi had just sat down together.
Zhou Huizhen was tearfully pouring out her grievances. She had moved to the Secluded Manor over ten days ago, and Han Liao hadn’t visited her once. Today, her younger sister was getting married, and if Han Liao was returning, he should have taken her with him. Instead, he had left on his own, embarrassing her in front of all her relatives.
Wang Shi also felt deeply sorry for her eldest daughter. She had supported her daughter’s marriage to Han Liao, hoping that he would treat her well because of her beauty and forget about his messy affairs with concubines. But none of her hopes had come true. Instead, everything she had feared had happened.
Wang Shi could only console her daughter with self-deception: "He was drunk, so drunk he forgot everything. When he sobers up tomorrow morning, he’ll surely come for you."
Zhou Huizhen’s sobs paused. Would Han Liao really come?
"Madam, the County Mistress is here."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shi and Zhou Huizhen sprang into action—one sat up abruptly, the other hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief to tidy herself up. After quickly composing themselves, they invited Wei Rao in.
Liu Momo was waiting outside and gestured to Wei Rao, mimicking wiping tears.
Understanding, Wei Rao deliberately waited a moment longer before entering the inner chamber.
"What brings you here so late, County Mistress?" Wang Shi asked with a smile. Ever since Little Zhou became the Imperial Consort, Wang Shi’s attitude toward Wei Rao had grown even more respectful, even bordering on fawning.
Wei Rao replied, "I have something to discuss with my cousin."
Zhou Huizhen looked at Wei Rao in confusion.
Wang Shi wanted to stay and listen, but seeing that Wei Rao showed no intention of speaking in her presence, she tactfully withdrew. Once outside, she noticed Liu Momo standing by the door and abandoned any thought of eavesdropping.
"What did you wish to tell me, County Mistress?" Zhou Huizhen invited Wei Rao to sit beside her.
Wei Rao sat down next to her and glanced at Zhou Huizhen’s tear-reddened eyes. Her feelings were complicated, but she knew she had to speak up: "Cousin, Han Liao didn’t leave on his own because he was drunk. He is so lecherous that he treated us sisters like singing girls, insulting us. The Heir had him taken to the garden and, when no one was around, beat him up. He even knocked out one of Han Liao’s teeth. That’s why Han Liao slunk away through the side gate."
Zhou Huizhen covered her mouth in shock. Han Liao had been beaten by Lu Zhuo?
Wei Rao continued, "You know very well how Han Liao treats you, cousin. As long as he doesn’t say it out loud, we can pretend not to know. But today at the banquet, he actually proposed a contest with the Heir, saying that if he lost, he would have you sing for the Heir, and if he won, I would have to sing. He insulted you, me, and the Heir. How could the Heir tolerate that?"Singing girl? Performing songs?
Zhou Huizhen stared blankly at Wei Rao.
Wei Rao gave a bitter smile, took Zhou Huizhen's hand, pointed to her own face, then gently touched Zhou Huizhen's cheek: "Cousin, we look so much alike, more like sisters than real sisters could be. Grandmother has always been proud of us, and we both pride ourselves on our beauty. But back when Mother lived far away in the detached palace, both our reputations in the capital were poor. How could someone like Han Liao ever respect us?"
Tears streamed down Zhou Huizhen's face.
She knew—knew she had no official father to protect her, no brothers to support her, and knew Han Liao only desired her beauty. But she was still a pure girl from a respectable family, and her grandmother was none other than Shou An Jun, personally enfeoffed by the Emperor—the only female lord in the capital. How could Han Liao view her as nothing more than a singing girl?
No wonder, no wonder Han Liao only showed her passion at night—wasn't that exactly how he treated her, like some lowly servant meant to please men?
Why should this be?
Overwhelmed by anger, humiliation, and grievance, Zhou Huizhen threw herself into Wei Rao's arms and wept bitterly.
Wei Rao held her shoulders and said coldly, "I've never cared how others look down on us, but I won't look down on myself. Cousin, you should show the backbone of a Zhou family daughter. If you can endure even what happened today, then I'll act as if I never had you as a cousin. No matter how Han Liao humiliates you, it will have nothing to do with me. But if you don't want to endure it anymore, if you want to break things off with him, then I will definitely help you leave that wolf's den."
Zhou Huizhen continued to cry.
Wei Rao hardened her heart and pushed her away, standing up. "I'll be staying here until Huizhu returns for her home visit. Let me know when you've made a decision."
With that, Wei Rao walked out.
After whispering a few words to Liu Momo, Wei Rao truly left.
Lu Zhuo was indeed still waiting for her in the same spot. The bright early summer moonlight stretched his shadow long. From a distance, Wei Rao couldn't make out his expression clearly, but as she drew closer, she met his gentle gaze.
Lu Zhuo reached out his hand to her.
Wei Rao smiled and placed her hand in his.
"Did you make everything clear?"
"Yes. If she still chooses to endure it this time, I can only feel heartbroken for Grandmother."
Grandmother wasn't even afraid of the late Emperor or the Empress Dowager—how could her cousin be so spineless?
Her temper might be soft, but her backbone shouldn't bend.
By the time Zhou Huizhu and Zhang Xian, the newlyweds, came to the Secluded Manor for the home visit, Han Liao still hadn't appeared.
Zhou Huizhen hadn't gone to Wei Rao to say anything either, remaining secluded in her small courtyard. Today, she finally showed her face, but makeup couldn't conceal her haggard appearance.
Zhang Xian went off to speak with Lu Zhuo, while Zhou Huizhu asked Zhou Huizhen with concern, "Sister, what's wrong with you?"
Before she got married, her sister had been fine. How had she become so listless in just two or three days?
Zhou Huizhen hung her head without speaking. Wang Shi didn't know the details, and those who did—Shou An Jun, Wei Rao, and Liu Momo—didn't want to talk about it.
After the home visit rituals concluded and the family lunch was finished, Wei Rao prepared to return to the capital with Lu Zhuo.
"Just focus on living your life well. Don't worry about her," Shou An Jun said calmly, cutting off Wei Rao before she could speak.
Wei Rao was most concerned about whether Han Liao might hit Zhou Huizhen. This was also why she had been angry when she first heard Lu Zhuo say he had beaten Han Liao. With Han Liao's despicable character, unable to defeat Lu Zhuo and unable to vent his anger publicly, Zhou Huizhen was highly likely to bear the brunt of his frustration upon her return.
"I have my own arrangements. Hurry up and get in the carriage," Shou An Jun urged.
Wei Rao had no choice but to board the carriage and leave with Lu Zhuo.Zhou Huizhu and Zhang Xian, the young couple, had also left. Among the three married sisters, only Zhou Huizhen remained behind, lonely and desolate.
That evening, Shou An Jun had one last long talk with Zhou Huizhen.
"You are my first granddaughter. When you were young and had the slightest fever or headache, I was more anxious than your own mother."
"From the very beginning, I told you Han Liao was not a good match. You insisted on marrying him. When I disagreed, you resented me. I had no choice but to let you go, so you could experience for yourself what life in such a household is like."
"Now that you've tasted enough bitterness, if you wish to return, I will make sure the Han family writes the divorce agreement. If you still want to marry again, I will find you a husband who will cherish you like a treasure. Your dowry will be given in full, just as it should be. But let me be blunt: if you remain stubborn and insist on staying with the Han family, enduring their contempt, then we will sever our grandmother-granddaughter ties completely. Our Zhou family has no daughter like you."
Zhou Huizhen hung her head, tears streaming down her face.
Shou An Jun remained unmoved. "Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to take you back. I'll give you one month to think it over. If you don't give me an answer after a month, I'll consider that you no longer acknowledge me as your grandmother. You can stay with the Han family then, and I will have Liu Momo return to keep me company."
Zhou Huizhen fell to her knees with a thud, clutching Shou An Jun's knees as she wept.
Shou An Jun patted her head and said finally, "If he dares to lay a hand on you, invoke my name. If he refrains from hitting you, that's fine. But if he truly dares, your grandmother will enter the palace and seek an audience with the Emperor."
With that, Shou An Jun returned to her room to rest.
Liu Momo helped Zhou Huizhen away.
Early the next morning, Zhou Huizhen took a carriage back to the capital.
West Pavilion Marquis Estate.
Since returning from the Secluded Manor, Han Liao had not left the estate for several days.
With high-quality medicinal ointment applied, the swelling on Han Liao's face had subsided, leaving no trace of the punch Lu Zhuo had landed. However, the third tooth from the inside on his upper right side had been knocked out. Though barely noticeable to others, it greatly affected his ability to eat. Every time he struggled to chew, Han Liao would remember Lu Zhuo and the humiliation he had suffered that day.
Just the thought of it ignited a bloodthirsty hatred in Han Liao's eyes.
From the time he could remember until now, Han Liao had never been struck in the face. How dare Lu Zhuo, a mere junior, do such a thing!
"Young Master, the young mistress has returned," a servant announced outside the study.
Han Liao's pent-up rage over the past few days seemed to have finally found an outlet. With a dark expression, he headed to the rear courtyard.
Zhou Huizhen had just entered her room when she heard the servants outside greeting Han Liao.
Zhou Huizhen began to tremble. She feared her grandmother's prediction would come true, that Han Liao would indeed strike her.
She was merely a vain girl who had dreamed of marrying into a noble family. Her ambitions were lofty, but her body was still that of a fragile, pampered young woman. How could she not be afraid when faced with a burly military man like Han Liao?
Liu Momo helped her sit in a chair and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Miss. Think of the Dowager, think of the Imperial Consort. You are not a girl from an ordinary family. You have people backing you up."
Zhou Huizhen lifted her pale face. Liu Momo had always been strict with her, lecturing and criticizing her, showing disdain and sarcasm when she chose to endure hardships passively. But at this moment, she saw only affection and determination in Liu Momo's eyes.
With a loud rustle, the inner room's curtain was violently yanked aside.
Zhou Huizhen shuddered violently.Liu Momo turned and saw the menacing Han Liao. She calmly bowed, half her body shielding Zhou Huizhen.
Han Liao could see Liu Momo’s protective stance. From the beginning, he knew she was Shou An Jun’s person, but since she only guarded Zhou Huizhen from being bullied by the concubines without obstructing him, Han Liao had never paid her any mind. Today, however, Liu Momo dared to adopt this fearless posture, fueling his rage threefold.
“Get lost,” Han Liao said coldly, glaring at Liu Momo.
Behind her, Zhou Huizhen tugged at Liu Momo’s clothes, her slender, beautiful hands trembling even more violently.
Liu Momo glanced back briefly before lowering her head and addressing Han Liao, “Has the Young Master come in such fury because the Young Mistress has stayed too long at her maternal home?”
Han Liao let out a scornful laugh, then suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Liu Momo by the shoulder, and flung her aside.
Liu Momo crashed onto a small table like a ragged sack, both her and the table sliding forward before toppling to the ground together.
Zhou Huizhen stared in horror as Liu Momo coughed up two mouthfuls of blood. Even so, when Han Liao reached out to seize Zhou Huizhen’s collar, Liu Momo glared fiercely at him and declared, “The Eldest Miss is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Zhou Family and the blood niece of the Imperial Consort. Does the Young Master truly believe the Zhou Family has no one to stand for her?”
Han Liao’s hand paused.
If not for his fear of the bond between Shou An Jun and Emperor Yuanjia, his mother would have dealt with Liu Momo long ago.
Now, Little Zhou had even become the Imperial Consort.
Gazing at Zhou Huizhen’s tear-streaked, deathly pale face, Han Liao smirked and abruptly tossed her back into the chair.
He couldn’t lay a hand on Zhou Huizhen, but if he killed a defiant servant like Liu Momo, even if Shou An Jun and Little Zhou complained to the Emperor together, His Majesty could not punish him for it.
Han Liao firmly believed that Shou An Jun and Little Zhou would not be foolish enough to trouble Emperor Yuanjia over a mere servant, nor did he think the Emperor would hold a grudge against the Han Family because of a servant.
Han Liao strode toward Liu Momo.
Wiping the blood from her lips, Liu Momo watched his approach fearlessly. She was a woman, but she had lived four or five decades—she was not afraid. If her life could awaken the Eldest Miss, if her death could send the Eldest Miss back to the Old Matriarch’s side, then it would be worth it.
Liu Momo looked at Han Liao with contempt.
What prospects could a man so enraged that he only knew how to strike women have? A family led by such a man, commanding the Soaring Dragon Army—forget surpassing the Lu Family’s Divine Martial Army; given time, the leading house of the Soaring Dragon Army would surely change hands!
Liu Momo despised Han Liao from the bottom of her heart.
Han Liao had reached her. Just as he was about to kick her, a sharp shatter of porcelain sounded behind him.
Han Liao turned with a darkened expression.
Zhou Huizhen had picked up a large shard of broken porcelain and pressed its sharp, jagged edge against her neck. Though she wept, her body no longer trembled. Through blurred vision, she said to Han Liao, “If you dare lay another hand on Momo, I will take my own life. If I die, my grandmother and aunt will surely demand your life in return!”
“Miss, you must not!” Liu Momo cried out in anguish.
Han Liao merely sneered coldly, turning back as if watching a play. “Then go ahead and kill yourself. If you die, I promise I won’t touch her.”
Did he not know Zhou Huizhen? She was spineless and worthless—if not for her striking beauty, he would never have married her.Tears welled in Zhou Huizhen's eyes, yet she still couldn't clearly see Han Liao's face. When Han Liao casually told her to go die, her vermilion lips trembled as two fresh trails of tears rolled down.
Over two years of being together day and night had merely been her own wishful thinking. In their intimate moments, she had yearned for Han Liao's affection, while he had only coveted her body.
Closing her eyes, Zhou Huizhen pressed the sharp edge of the porcelain shard against her neck.
Her skin, more delicate than flower petals, immediately showed a glaring flow of blood.
"Don't!" Liu Momo cried out, rushing over to pull down Zhou Huizhen's hand and snatch away the porcelain shard, throwing it aside.
Zhou Huizhen wiped the blood from her neck and cast a cold, tearful gaze toward Han Liao: "Does the heir still wish to gamble?"
Han Liao narrowed his eyes—in this moment, even Zhou Huizhen's spirit resembled Wei Rao's strikingly.
With a cold snort, Han Liao stormed off in anger.
The curtain he had flung aside had barely settled when Zhou Huizhen collapsed weakly into Liu Momo's embrace.
Liu Momo wept and laughed through her tears: "Good girl, this is the true daughter of our Zhou family!"
OpenNovel