Chapter Eleven: Blade at the Throat, Seething Fury

When Qin Wanru awoke again, it was already night. Beneath the dim, yellow glow of the lamp, an elderly woman sat with her head bowed, gently lifting the wick flower with a pair of scissors.

This was her grandmother, the only person in the household who truly cared for her.

Her arm seemed to have been freshly bandaged.

“Grandmother, are you feeling better?” she whispered softly. Yet, Lady Qin seemed to sense her awakening, and upon seeing Wanru’s open eyes, she rose in delight, hurried to her side, and spoke tenderly, “Zhuozhuo is finally awake. Someone, prepare supper!”

Qingyue emerged from behind the screen, hastened forward to help Qin Wanru sit up, and placed a cushion behind her. The wound on her hand had been freshly wrapped; no blood seeped through, and the pain was much diminished.

A maid entered, setting a bowl of porridge and some light dishes before Qin Wanru.

Truly famished, Wanru picked up the porridge and drank more than half the bowl before pausing.

“Madam, the General, his wife, and the eldest miss have arrived!” a matron announced respectfully as she entered.

“What are they here for? Tell them to leave. There’s no need for them to come again. From now on, Zhuozhuo and I will manage on our own!” Lady Qin’s face darkened as she snorted coldly. She refused to believe that Qin Huaiyong could be ignorant of what had happened.

“Madam, the General says he has come to seek your forgiveness and has matters to explain,” the matron hesitated, troubled.

“Grandmother, let Father in,” Qin Wanru gently urged, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief. Her grandmother was elderly; though her father was indifferent, she herself cared deeply. In her previous life, her grandmother died early, consumed by shame and sorrow over Wanru’s misfortunes. This time, she would not repeat those mistakes; she would protect both herself and her grandmother.

At her words, Lady Qin sighed and nodded in resignation. She knew well that her earlier words had been spoken in anger; how could she truly estrange herself from her only son?

“Mother, how is Wanru?” The General of Ningyuan, a robust middle-aged man, entered, first bowing to Lady Qin, then turning to Qin Wanru with gentle concern.

Behind him, Lady Di and her daughter followed with heads bowed. Both had clearly been crying; their eyes were red and swollen, evoking pity.

“How could she possibly be well? Look at the injuries—she nearly lost her life!” Lady Qin replied coolly, her gaze falling on Lady Di. She snorted, “So, what do you intend to do about this?”

“Mother, send Yuru to the capital,” Qin Huaiyong coughed awkwardly.

“To the capital? For her to marry the heir of the Yongkang Marquis?” Lady Qin eyed Lady Di and her daughter with biting sarcasm. “Are you so certain the Yongkang Marquis would accept a bride who’s lost her virtue before marriage?”

At these words, Qin Yuru immediately covered her face with a handkerchief, weeping in humiliation.

“Mother, Yuru hasn’t done anything wrong! This is all Qi Tianyu’s slander. Our Yuru would never behave so improperly!” Lady Di protested, dabbing tears as she cried.

“So you plan to go to the Qi family and argue your case?” Lady Qin retorted with a cold snort.

The question left Lady Di speechless; she was stunned. At this point, the General’s residence was clearly at fault—how could they face the Qi family to argue?

“Wanru, please… save your sister, won’t you?” Lady Di, after a moment’s pause, turned to Wanru with a face full of supplication.

As expected, it all fell upon her once more.

“Mother, I don’t understand what you mean. Isn’t this enough? Must I offer my life to help my sister?” Wanru raised her head, her tear-filled eyes tinged with anger. She seized the scissors Lady Qin had used for the lamp and pressed them to her neck. “If Mother wishes it so, then let me return this life to her!”

In her previous life, she learned only later that she was not Lady Di’s biological daughter. She had treated Lady Di with genuine affection, never comprehending the depth of Lady Di’s bias.

Yet, many in the household knew the truth; it was only hidden from her.

“Zhuozhuo, put it down—do you want to break your grandmother’s heart?” Seeing Wanru’s resolute gesture, Lady Qin paled, turning to berate Qin Huaiyong in a loud, harsh voice, “If anything happens to Zhuozhuo, I’ll have no wish to live. I’ll leave with her, and clear the way for you all!”

In this dynasty, filial piety governed the land; such words carried immense weight. Qin Huaiyong could not withstand it, and whatever his intentions, he dared not press further. He glared fiercely at Lady Di and rushed to say, “Wanru, put the scissors down! If you frighten your grandmother, what then?”

“Father, are you here to persuade me to take responsibility, to claim this was all my doing?” Wanru’s gaze was calm and cold as she looked at Qin Huaiyong, as if she saw through their true purpose. Her childish eyes held both sorrow and stubbornness.

“Wanru, rest assured. You have suffered enough; I will not let you endure further injustice,” Qin Huaiyong replied, guilt tightening his chest.

His words nearly made Lady Di and her daughter leap in protest. They had painstakingly convinced Qin Huaiyong to come and persuade Wanru to shoulder the blame. If Wanru admitted to orchestrating the scandal against Yuru, Yuru’s reputation would be saved.

Yet Wanru’s brief words had changed Qin Huaiyong’s mind before they could even state their request.

Lady Di tried to speak, but Qin Huaiyong silenced her with a fierce glare.

Lady Qin took the opportunity to snatch the scissors from Wanru’s hand.

“How does Father intend to deal with Madam Chen?” Wanru let Lady Qin take the scissors, then steadied her grandmother’s trembling form. Her gaze, calm and icy, turned toward Madam Chen, who lurked nervously behind Lady Di.

She meant to sever one of Lady Di’s arms.