Su Zhouyue caught her arm.
Xiong Shuiyao said, "Sister, don't stop me..."
Su Zhouyue said, "I'm going with you. Uncle Zhao, prepare the carriage."
Uncle Zhao answered and headed outside.
In the carriage, Su Zhouyue's knitted brows never relaxed. She had long known her eldest brother was a bastard, but she had never imagined he could sink this low.
Tong Aning and Tong Fengye sat in the carriage, not daring to breathe too loudly. Though their mother was usually gentle and kind, they both knew it was best not to provoke Su Zhouyue when she was truly angry.
When they arrived at the General Who Guards the Nation's residence, a nanny came down to welcome Su Zhouyue. She looked rather surprised to see Xiong Shuiyao alight as well. "Eldest Madam, the eldest master was just about to send us to fetch you."
Xiong Shuiyao snapped, "What does he want to fetch me for? Isn't he busy bringing his darling into the household?"
The nanny said nothing, likely feeling that the eldest master had behaved disgracefully too.
A commotion came from the gates.
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
Su Zhouyue's mother, Yu Ya, brandished her walking stick, striking Su Mingxing once, then the woman beside him.
Yu Ya used less than a tenth of the force on the woman that she used on Su Mingxing, yet the woman collapsed weakly against him. Su Mingxing hurriedly caught her and said furiously, "Mother, you're going to beat Yuanniang to death!"
The second son's wife beside Yu Ya frowned. "Eldest Brother, how can you speak to Mother like that?"
The walking stick struck the ground heavily, startling Su Mingxing. Yu Ya said expressionlessly, "Good if she dies. Carry her away at once, so she doesn't sully my general's residence. And you-get out too."
Su Mingxing grew anxious. "Mother, no matter what, I'm your own son!"
Yu Ya snorted. "Now you remember I'm your mother and you're my son? Too late, unfortunately. Our family has no son who defies our ancestral precepts."
Su Mingxing grew even more anxious. "Mother, when has our family ever had an ancestral precept forbidding concubines? Besides..."
Su Mingxing stiffened his neck and declared stubbornly, "This is the general's residence. You don't have the final say."
Her hand trembled around her walking stick. This unfilial son was truly about to anger Yu Ya to death.
"Who says Mother doesn't have the final say?"
Su Zhouyue walked over to Yu Ya and supported her, her sharp gaze falling on Su Mingxing. "In our household, Mother has always had the final say."
Su Mingxing was a little afraid of his younger sister.
After all, his younger sister had truly fought on the battlefield and killed enemies. He could not compare to the murderous aura she carried.
Tong Aning and Tong Fengye obediently greeted their grandmother and second aunt.
Liu Zhenru nodded. Yu Ya stroked Tong Aning's little face, her expression softening considerably. She smiled. "Now that you two are here, Grandmother feels much better."
Tong Aning nuzzled affectionately against Yu Ya. As they headed inside, Su Mingxing, who was holding the woman, was stopped.
He stamped his foot where he stood. "Mother!"
Yu Ya did not even look at him. "Didn't you say I had no say in this general's residence? Go beg your father."
Su Mingxing gritted his teeth and steeled himself. "Mother, if you won't let Yuanniang enter, are you going to leave the Su family's flesh and blood wandering outside too?"
Xiong Shuiyao looked at Su Mingxing in disbelief, her heart twisting in pain. It was true. Everything Aning had said was true.
"Eldest Aunt."
Tong Aning hurriedly reached out to support Xiong Shuiyao. Seeing this, Liu Zhenru ran over too. Supporting her on either side, Tong Aning suddenly felt that her eldest aunt had aged so much.
Tong Aning leaned close to her eldest aunt's ear. "Eldest Aunt, Eldest Uncle is the one who wronged you. You don't need to make yourself suffer."
After speaking, Tong Aning gently patted Xiong Shuiyao's back.
Xiong Shuiyao met Tong Aning's eyes. They were like a clear spring, its gentle streams flowing into her heart. Liu Zhenru added, "Aning is right. Why torment yourself?"
She had once disliked Su Zhouyue and Liu Zhenru, needling Liu Zhenru at every turn and disparaging Tong Aning as utterly worthless.
Yet she had never imagined... never imagined.
Xiong Shuiyao closed her eyes briefly and steadied herself with their support. "Don't worry. I'm all right."
Whatever happened, she could not fall and let that shameless pair benefit.
Tong Aning glanced at Su Mingxing and Yuanniang in her arms.
[Strange.]
[Host, what's strange?]
[Why does Yuanniang look a little guilty?]
The last person to look guilty had been Mei Xiangyu's father.
[Huh? Seriously? Her child isn't Eldest Uncle's?]
Tong Aning looked at Su Mingxing again and suddenly felt that the green above her eldest uncle's head was practically glowing.
Su Mingxing was still utterly oblivious, cooing sweet nothings with Yuanniang.
The child actually wasn't Su Mingxing's?
Xiong Shuiyao clenched her hands, suddenly feeling a rush of satisfaction. He deserved it. Su Mingxing deserved every bit of it!
With that thought, Xiong Shuiyao said magnanimously, "Mother, since the child is my husband's flesh and blood, he's part of our household too. We shouldn't leave him wandering outside. Why not bring him here and perform a blood test to establish kinship?"
At least Xiong Shuiyao knew how to read the situation. Su Mingxing said, "Don't worry. Once Yuanniang and her son enter the household, your position and our son's won't be affected."
Xiong Shuiyao gave a perfunctory smile. Tell that to the ghosts. However much Su Mingxing doted on Yuanniang now, he would regret it just as much shortly!
Yu Ya said, "Then bring him here for a blood test."
No!
They couldn't perform a blood test.
Yuanniang fell to her knees, weeping. "Master, Master, I won't enter the general's residence. The old madam doesn't like me, and I imagine the general feels the same. Just let me drift about outside."
Su Mingxing supported her and looked at Yu Ya through gritted teeth. "Mother, are you trying to drive Yuanniang to her death?"
Yu Ya said, "? Didn't I say we'd perform a blood test? What does her wailing and making a scene have to do with me?"
[Grandmother is mighty!]
To show her sincerity, Yu Ya even sent her trusted nanny. "Nanny Feng, take two servants and bring that child to the residence."
"Yes, Old Madam."
"Master, Master, don't let her go. Our Le'er will be frightened."
Su Mingxing patted the back of her hand. "Don't worry."
Yuanniang gave him a resentful look. This idiot!
[Don't worry? I'm about to die, and he tells me not to worry.]
Su Zhouyue and the others wanted to laugh but forcibly held it in.
Yu Ya looked at Tong Aning and praised her. "Aning is just as clever as you were."
Su Zhouyue said, "That's all thanks to your teaching, Mother."
Su Mingxing seized the opening. "Mother, Yuanniang's and my Le'er is very well-behaved too."
Yu Ya's expression chilled. "Who asked you? And didn't you say Yuanniang was a hunter's daughter who saved you? Where did the child come from?"
Su Mingxing stammered, "I... I got together with Yuanniang more than ten years ago..."
"You bastard!"
Yu Ya struck Su Mingxing with her stick again.
"Mother, this is all because of you! Because you made me marry Xiong Shuiyao, I had to wrong Yuanniang by making her my mistress."
Fine, fine, fine. Now he was blaming her.
"Before we went to the Xiong residence to propose, I asked whether you had a girl you liked. Weren't you the one who said no?"
Su Mingxing said quietly, "You're my mother. How would I dare object to a marriage you arranged?"
"Don't blame your mother for your own spinelessness."
"Father, Second Brother, why have you come back?"
Su Huahan and Su Mingye walked past Su Mingxing without so much as a glance at him.
Su Huahan sat down beside Yu Ya and said coldly, "If I hadn't come back, the heavens over this general's residence might have changed."
Su Mingxing gave an awkward smile. "Father, I wouldn't dare."
Su Huahan ignored him. Yu Ya said, "I've already sent Nanny Feng to bring the child back for a blood test."
Su Huahan nodded. His gaze softened as he looked at Su Zhouyue and her two children. "Ayue, stay for dinner today with Aning and Fengye."
Su Zhouyue nodded. "As you say, Father."
Half an incense stick later, Nanny Feng returned with the child.
Yu Ya had someone bring a bowl of clear water.
Seeing that she could no longer stop it, Yuanniang burned with anxiety. If Su Mingxing learned that Le'er wasn't his child, would he kill her?
At this thought, Yuanniang suddenly rushed forward, only for Xiong Shuiyao to stop her. Xiong Shuiyao smiled. "Sister, what's the hurry?"
Yuanniang stammered, "I'm just... just too worried to think straight."
Su Mingxing said, "Exactly. Xiong Shuiyao, why are you picking on Yuanniang over this?"
Xiong Shuiyao snorted and turned away. Now, merely seeing him disgusted her.
Nanny Feng announced loudly, "The blood has not mingled."
"How is that possible?" Su Mingxing lunged toward the bowl of water, his face deathly pale. "Le'er actually isn't my child."
Xiong Shuiyao burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha! Su Mingxing, the Yuanniang you treasured so dearly put a green hat on you! Hahahahaha! Su Mingxing, this is retribution!"
She laughed until tears seeped from the corners of her eyes.
"Mother."
Xiong Shuiyao's son ran over. She hastily lowered her head and wiped away her tears. "Why did you come here? This is the adults' business. Stay out of it."
Su Haosi said, "Aren't Sister Aning and Brother Fengye here too? I'm staying with Mother."
Looking at her well-behaved son, Xiong Shuiyao finally felt somewhat comforted.
"You bitch!"
Su Mingxing slapped Yuanniang.
Le'er shoved Su Mingxing away and helped Yuanniang up. "Why did you hit my mother?"
Su Mingxing was so angry that his voice shook. "You bastard!"
Yuanniang shielded Le'er and snapped viciously, "Don't call my Le'er a bastard! You're the useless one. Why are you blaming Le'er?"
In disbelief, Su Mingxing staggered over to Xiong Shuiyao and clutched the hem of her clothes. "Shuiyao, it was all my fault. Will you forgive me?"
Xiong Shuiyao slapped Su Mingxing.
Su Mingxing raged, "You actually dared to hit me?"
[Well hit! On the night Eldest Uncle married Eldest Aunt, after consummating their marriage, he went to Yuanniang and performed the rites of the Duke of Zhou with her too. He said Yuanniang should have everything Eldest Aunt had.]
[Honestly... even a dog would shake its head.]
Xiong Shuiyao's hand was still red. She truly felt that one slap had been far too few.
Yu Ya and Su Huahan could bear no more. Su Huahan said, "Mingye, go invite the clan elders. I'm opening the ancestral hall and striking this unfilial son from the clan register."
Su Mingxing panicked. "Father, Father, I'm your own flesh and blood! You can't cast me aside!"
"You're Ya'er's and my first child. Your mother and I have always placed great hopes in you. But you? You said you were too frail to fight on the battlefield. Your second brother and your younger sister followed your mother and me into the army without hesitation. You haven't suffered much hardship, nor have you achieved anything in martial arts. We could let that pass. Your mother and I thought serving at court as a civil official would be fine too, but you actually..."
Yu Ya said, "You actually did something like this. How can you face Shuiyao? Your conduct has brought shame upon our entire household."
Though her heart ached, Yu Ya still gritted her teeth and said, "The ancestral hall must be opened today!"
After Su Mingxing, Yuanniang, and the child were driven out, Yu Ya took Xiong Shuiyao's hand. "It's all my fault as your mother. I've made you suffer."
Yu Ya was a reasonable mother-in-law. Since marrying into the household, Xiong Shuiyao had never suffered at her hands.
Her nose stung. "Mother, this has nothing to do with you."
Su Huahan put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Shuiyao, if you're still willing to stay here, we'll treat you as our own family. If you aren't..."
Xiong Shuiyao hurriedly said, "I am. Haosi and I both are."
Su Huahan and Yu Ya smiled in relief. "Good."
After dinner, Su Zhouyue took Tong Aning and Tong Fengye home.
Tong Aning lifted the carriage curtain and looked out at the capital after nightfall. Suddenly, she said in puzzlement, "Mother, there are some monks outside."
Su Zhouyue looked out too. Seeing that they were heading toward the General Who Pacifies the Distance's residence, she said, "I heard that the general's eldest daughter-in-law has gone mad. Perhaps they've been invited to summon her soul back."
Su Zhouyue sighed. She was a pitiful woman too.
[But these are all lecherous monks.]