Becoming the Mother of the Trashy Romance Novel's Heroine

by Usui Takumii

not mine, asia novel . Beware edited mtl. Total: 46 chapters.

3. 21 to 30

Chapter 21

The Second Daughter [Bug Catching]

Jing Xiangyao's birthday banquet was a grand affair.

Emperor Jiayang personally decreed a banquet in the palace, with all the court officials and their families commanded to attend. Jiang Su was also woken up early by Mamma Ma and her attending maids to wash and change.

The original Mrs. Ye held a first-rank imperial command, and the Ye family's first and second ladies also had ranks. Despite the Ye family's efforts to keep a low profile and seldom attend high-society banquets in recent years, they had to attend this celebration in the palace for the Crown Princess, who was expecting the imperial heir.

"Madam, the fourth lady and General Zhong have arrived," reported a maid while Mamma Ma was still doing Jiang Su's hair.

The fourth lady mentioned was actually the fourth daughter-in-law of the original Mrs. Ye. Although the original Mrs. Ye's personality had changed after the death of General Ye and the Ye family's four sons, her heart remained the same; she never forced her daughters-in-law to remain widowed for her sons.

Being a woman herself, Mrs. Ye understood their hardships, so she did not make things difficult for her daughter-in-law.

However, the first and second ladies of the Ye family were resolute in their thinking. Having been married to their husbands for the longest and having children to think of, they had no intention of remarrying, wishing only to spend their lives in the Ye family, raising their children well.

As for the third lady of the Ye family—she had always been grateful to the Ye family. Not only did the Ye family's third son treat her very well, but despite her humble origins, the Ye family never looked down on her. Compared to her dreadful original family, the Ye family felt more like home to her.

Therefore, when the news of the Ye family's defeat reached them, and the third lady's natal family demanded a divorce, she defied them, even threatening death and vowing to sever ties with her own family to stay with the Ye family.

The youngest, the fourth Mrs. Ye, also decided to stay with the Ye family through thick and thin after the family's crisis, even willing to break with her own family. However, fate had its own plans.

Four years ago, upon Ye Tong's return to court, accompanied by many former soldiers of the Ye family army, several young officers who had been promoted by General Ye were rewarded for their service.

—Zhong Yi was among them.

After receiving his reward, remembering General Ye's kindness, he visited the Ye family and fell in love with the fourth Mrs. Ye at first sight.

Initially, the fourth Mrs. Ye was reluctant to remarry, but Zhong Yi proposed to marry into the Ye family, which she eventually accepted. She thought that despite having Ye Tong, after the incident Ye Tong caused, the Ye family still needed a man to uphold its honor.

However, the elder Mrs. Ye disagreed with their decision. It was enough that Zhong Yi remembered the Ye family's kindness and that the fourth Mrs. Ye had observed widowhood for three years for the Ye family's fourth son. They owed the Ye family nothing, so she firmly refused to allow Zhong Yi to marry into the Ye family under any circumstances.

Unable to persuade the elder Mrs. Ye, and with Zhong Yi worried about their differing opinions, he proposed a compromise: he would recognize the elder Mrs. Ye as his adoptive mother and then marry the fourth Mrs. Ye.

At that time, the fourth Mrs. Ye had married out from the Ye mansion. Since then, the relationship between the two families remained unchanged.

The fourth Mrs. Ye often returned to the Ye mansion, and occasionally, like for this palace banquet, she and Zhong Yi would return to the Ye mansion and enter the palace with the Ye family.

"Mother."

"Adoptive mother."

Zhong Yi and the fourth Mrs. Ye greeted Jiang Su as they entered the room.

Jiang Su smiled warmly, "We're family; no need for such formalities."

Then, voices were heard from outside again, as the other three ladies also arrived.

For this visit to the palace, the first and second Mrs. Ye were to go together, but the third Mrs. Ye, without a rank and as usual, stayed home to take care of the children.

"Everyone's here." Jiang Su, seated in the room, looked at the younger generations with a dignified and joyful smile.

Soon, everyone casually chatted for a while before leaving the residence to enter the palace.

As the Ye family set off on their journey, the Dingbei Prince's Mansion was also preparing to depart, albeit with a minor mishap.

Chu Mu pressed down on Ye Tong's hand on the horseback, displeased, "Your wounds haven't healed; you can't ride. Take the carriage instead!"

"No need," Ye Tong withdrew her hand and glanced at him, saying, "I'm fine."

"Whether you're fit to ride is for the doctor to decide! I said no riding, and that means no riding! Steward! Prepare a carriage for the princess!" Chu Mu strained to keep his face stern.

Ye Tong calmly observed him. As Chu Mu held his breath, anticipating her refusal, Ye Tong surprisingly remained silent and even distanced herself from her horse.

Seeing this, Chu Mu was somewhat taken aback, and the nearby steward, understanding the implication, promptly went to prepare the carriage.

This time, only Chu Mu and Ye Tong attended the palace banquet from the Northern Dynasty Palace. Since the old king's death, the dowager queen seldom ventured out, always claiming illness during such events;

And Chu Lei, who also typically avoided palace banquets, wasn't the brightest but was no fool either. Having been bullied by royal scions in his youth, without any means of retaliation—since, regardless of who was bullied, he always ended up having to apologize—he grew to detest dealings with the highborn. After the death of the old king, under Ye Tong's management, he followed his own inclinations, steadfastly refusing to attend palace banquets.

The steward quickly brought around a carriage, and after Ye Tong and Chun Rui boarded, Chu Mu paused while watching Ye Tong's retreating figure before following them into the carriage.

"You..." Ye Tong was slightly surprised to see him lift the curtain and enter.

Initially anxious, Chu Mu felt a sudden calm upon seeing Ye Tong's demeanor. He settled into the carriage: "Riding is too tiring, the carriage is more comfortable."

"..." Ye Tong gave him a glance.

Chu Mu sat up straight, maintaining a dignified posture.

Chun Rui, after observing both Chu Mu and Ye Tong, covered her mouth to suppress a giggle, then said, "My lord, my lady, I shall go and drive the carriage."

With that, she didn't wait for Ye Tong's response and left the carriage with a joyful expression.

Ye Tong slightly furrowed her brows at this but chose not to comment, merely closing her eyes to rest.

Chu Mu frequently glanced at her, feeling an unusual stir within. These days, with Ye Tong ill, he had been more attentive to her well-being, only to realize she had been burdened with so much to manage each day.

Listening to Chunrui's reports couldn't compare to seeing with his own eyes. Chu Mu felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he watched Ye Tong, despite her illness, emotionlessly handling all the affairs of the Northern King's Mansion.

These days, he had reflected a lot on the past and gradually realized his previous disdain for Ye Tong seemed utterly unreasonable. After all, he had married her to use her, so why did he hate her so much if he had entered the marriage with that mindset?

Was it just because of the way she announced their marriage?

No, that wasn't it. In reality, that was just his excuse, his way of projecting his unfulfilled longing for Xiangyao and his resentment and anger for not being able to keep his promises to her, all onto Ye Tong.

Over the years, due to the precarious situation of the Northern King's Mansion, his father's sudden death, and his feelings for Xiangyao, he had been a coward, weakly avoiding reality and the responsibilities he should have borne.

The Northern King's Mansion was supposed to be his responsibility.

Yet, because of his cowardice, all these responsibilities had fallen on Ye Tong.

Chu Mu even wondered, what right did he have to dislike Ye Tong these years? And why did he hate her?

Suddenly, the carriage jolted fiercely, throwing Chu Mu off balance. He almost fell forward, but Ye Tong quickly reached out to pull him back, preventing him from falling.

With her high martial skills, Ye Tong easily pulled Chu Mu towards her, causing him to collide with her. Face to face, very close, Ye Tong's eyes flickered, instinctively leaning back and then letting go, ready to push Chu Mu away. However, Chu Mu caught her hand, looking intently at her, saying, "...us..."

Ye Tong tensed up. With her skills, it would have been easy to break free from Chu Mu, but at that moment, she acted as if she had forgotten her martial abilities, looking at him without struggling.

Chu Mu paused, then as if gathering courage, said in one breath, "Let's live well together from now on, Ye Tong."

Ye Tong's expression flickered, then she reverted to her cold demeanor, withdrawing her hand and coldly saying, "All along, the only one causing trouble was you."

Chu Mu was taken aback, then gave a sheepish smile, touching his nose before saying, "I'll change. From now on, I'll make sure we live well together."

It felt as though Ye Tong's heart was struck hard. She took a deep breath, looking up at Chu Mu, "What about Xiao Yao?"

Chu Mu felt as if he had been hit hard. He instinctively wanted to explain, "It's not what you think with her..."

But meeting Ye Tong's gaze, he seemed to realize.

Her question was never about Xiao Yao but about Jing Xiangyao.

Chu Mu found himself at a loss for words.

Ye Tong scoffed softly, closing her eyes as if to continue resting, but only she knew the bitterness in her eyes made her feel an unbearable sense of being wronged.

Ye Tong wondered, how else could Chu Mu humiliate her?

There was a time when he drunkenly held her, calling out the name of Jing Xiangyao. Later, he brought back woman after woman who resembled Jing Xiangyao into the palace's rear court. And now, on Jing Xiangyao's birthday, he tells her he intends to live well with her from now on?

"Chu Mu, there's no need for this. What I've done for the Northern Dynasty Palace was out of my own volition, so you needn't feel guilty or force yourself."

"I haven't..."

Chu Mu wanted to argue, but seeing Ye Tong's icy demeanor, he paused. After a long while, he continued, "I know nothing I say now will make a difference, but I will prove it to you. Ye Tong, you are my wife, the one I am to spend my life with. I understand that now."

"..." Ye Tong didn't respond.

Chu Mu watched her for a long time before dejectedly lowering his head.

In the Grand Jin Imperial Palace.

Many court officials with their families had already arrived in the banquet hall by the time Ye Tong and Chu Mu entered, with Ye family members already present.

Without a second thought, Ye Tong headed towards the Ye family. Chu Mu reached out to stop her, remembering the strained relations between Ye Tong and her family, fearing they might embarrass her in such a setting.

But Ye Tong paid no heed to his intervention or thoughts, effortlessly sidestepping Chu Mu's hand and briskly walked up to the Ye family to greet each member.

With a calm demeanor, Jiang Su slightly nodded her head. Even her impassive expression stirred speculation among the attendees.

Ye Tong, upon her triumphant return from battle, had captured the gaze of the nation, including these noblewomen.

Even the highest-born ladies face many inevitabilities and often seem to lag behind their male counterparts in strength.

Yet, Ye Tong, at just fifteen, set out as a female soldier, and by eighteen had repelled the Huns, becoming an icon even men looked up to. Her glory was like a soaring sword, cutting through the clouds overhead, a beacon for all women.

Perhaps Ye Tong herself did not realize how many women admired her—not in a romantic sense, but as a figure of faith, a hero in their world.

Over the years, despite Ye Tong's actions overshadowing her past glories with her folly, people still focused on her. Thus, almost everyone in the capital knew of the poor relationship between Lady Ye and Ye Tong. These years, they had no contact.

But seeing Lady Ye and the Ye family like this today, could it be that they had reconciled?

People couldn't understand, and later, seeing Ye Tong still sitting next to the Ye family's seats, they were even more surprised.

Chu Mu was surprised too, but given the occasion, it wasn't the time to inquire about the situation. Thus, when Ye Tong chose to sit at the Ye family's table, he thickened his skin and sat down as well.

The palace banquet began, with the birthday star, the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince entering the hall together. The Crown Prince, supporting the Crown Princess, looked at her with a tenderness that was evident to all, confirming the rumors of his deep affection for her.

Chu Mu felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart, thinking that this was for the best. After all these years, it was time for him to let go. Xiangyao had someone who cherished her by her side; he shouldn't cling to senseless persistence anymore.

The palace banquet was lively, and it was well-known that Emperor Jiayang favored the Crown Prince despite his frail health, showing affection not just to him but also to the Crown Princess, who had won the Crown Prince's heart.

Not only did he decree a palace banquet to celebrate her birthday, but he also presented her with lavish gifts.

About twenty folk performers were introduced to the stage, surprising the attendees, and even the Empress couldn't help but voice her concerns: "Your Majesty, this... this is irregular."

In the palace, strict rules were always observed to protect the emperor from harm, even the entertainers at banquets were from within the palace. When had folk troupes ever been allowed to perform?

"Every year it's the same performers from the Music Bureau, and I'm tired of it. Today, for Xiangyao's birthday, let's give the young people something new to see. The Empress needn't worry," Emperor Jiayang dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"But..." The Empress started to say something but stopped upon noticing Emperor Jiayang's slight frown of displeasure, swallowing her words.

Seeing the Empress relent, Emperor Jiayang's mood lightened, and he addressed the court officials: "Every year, the palace banquet features performances by palace entertainers. Today, for the Crown Princess's birthday, I've specially arranged for folk performers. Let us all appreciate together and see whether the palace's Music Bureau or these folk performers are more impressive."

The court officials were delighted, with one of the emperor's close officials jesting, "In my view, these folk performers cannot compare to our palace entertainers. The palace's Music Bureau is full of carefully selected talents; this folk troupe is likely no match for them."

Emperor Jiayang laughed, "You speak too soon, Minister Jing. The ancients have said, 'True masters come from the common folk.' These folk performers might not necessarily be inferior to those from the palace."

Other close officials chimed in, and for a moment, the banquet was filled with laughter and harmonious conversation, with no further mention of the palace's strict regulations.

The folk performers began their act, their novel routines and daring stunts drawing gasps of amazement from the audience.

"Excellent!" Emperor Jiayang applauded, clearly pleased.

At that moment, the performers formed a human wall, with the person at the very top leaping into the air.

Gasps filled the hall. Many women covered their eyes, fearing they would witness the performer fall to his death.

However, the performer did not fall but instead caught a hanging silk ribbon and spun through the air.

As the audience applauded his performance, the situation suddenly changed—

The spinning performer flew towards Emperor Jiayang, and before the onlookers could react, a flash of cold light appeared, and the previously empty-handed performer now held a short sword, thrusting it directly at Emperor Jiayang!

"Your Majesty!"

"Danger! Assassin! Protect the emperor! Quick, protect the emperor!"

The banquet instantly descended into chaos, as the dozens of performers who had initially dazzled the audience suddenly turned into murderous demons, unleashing slaughter within the hall.

At the first sign of the assassin's move, Ye Tong was already by Jiang Su's side for protection, while Zhong Yi safeguarded the other ladies of the Ye family.

"The assassin's target is His Majesty. Ye Tong, you're the best martial artist here, quick! Protect the emperor!" Jiang Su urged in a stern voice while being shielded by Ye Tong.

Ye Tong hesitated, concerned for the safety of the Ye family's elderly and weak, fearing they'd be unprotected if she left Zhong Yi to fend for them alone.

During Ye Tong's moment of indecision, Chu Mu suddenly stepped forward with a sword, positioning himself in front of Jiang Su, "Leave the elder madam to me. Go, Ye Tong."

Ye Tong felt a jolt in her heart, gave him a deep look, murmured a thank you in a low voice, and then quickly drew her sword and rushed towards Emperor Jiayang.

By now, the banquet hall was in utter disarray, the bloody massacre stripping these high-ranking officials and nobles of their usual calm and dignity.

They screamed, cried, and begged for mercy, each one scrambling for safety like prey being hunted.

Jing Xiangyao watched Emperor Jiayang, the Crown Prince, and Prime Minister Jing panic, feeling somewhat vindicated.

The nobles, royal relatives, and high officials... all those who stood so high above others on normal days, in the face of death, were nothing but decaying flesh...

"—Your Majesty, be careful!"

Someone screamed in the hall.

Suddenly, a long sword thrust towards Emperor Jiayang. He was horrified, his body too slow to dodge, when suddenly another figure threw itself in front of him.

"Your Highness!" Bi Rou screamed in horror upon seeing Jing Xiangyao struck by the sword.

"Xiangyao!"

Emperor Jiayang embraced the falling Jing Xiangyao, overwhelmed with grief.

"Someone! Quickly fetch the imperial physician! The imperial physician!"

At this moment, he had forgotten the need for propriety, as well as the official status of Jing Xiangyao as his daughter-in-law. His eyes and heart were filled only with the woman who, despite her apparent fragility, had selflessly thrown herself in front of a sword for him.

"Clang—"

Chu Mu parried the assassin's sword, about to deliver a fatal blow, when he suddenly heard the commotion near Emperor Jiayang. Turning his head, he saw Jing Xiangyao, her chest stained with a spreading patch of blood.

Xiangyao!

Xiangyao!

Chu Mu was thrown into complete disarray, feeling as if a piece of him had been hollowed out. Without thinking, he rushed towards Jing Xiangyao.

"No!"

Ye Tong's voice was filled with endless despair and pain.

Chu Mu was jolted back to reality and instinctively turned around, only to see Ye Tong flying towards Elder Mrs. Ye.

At Elder Mrs. Ye's side, the assassin Chu Mu had spared took advantage of his momentary distraction to thrust his sword into Elder Mrs. Ye's body.

"Mother!"

Ye Tong returned with her sword, cleaving the assassin in two, blood and flesh flying. She, drenched in blood, rushed to Jiang Su, embracing her with a face full of regret.

Zhong Yi and others also saw Jiang Su injured and were shocked. They hurried to her side, urgently inquiring what had happened.

Ye Tong didn't answer. Her eyes reddened as she swiftly applied pressure points to stop Jiang Su's bleeding, then carefully handed her over to Zhong Yi before picking up a blood-stained sword and slowly walking towards the assassins fighting with the guards.

"Ye Tong, I—" As he passed by Chu Mu, he hesitated greatly but still wanted to apologize to her in a low voice, filled with guilt.

Yet, Ye Tong didn't want to hear it.

She didn't even look at him, simply slapping him across the face and saying, "Get lost!"

Chu Mu staggered from the slap, staring at Ye Tong somewhat dazedly, but all he saw was her resolute killing intent... and her lonely, desolate back...

Chu Mu's eyes reddened, his vision blurring. "...I'm sorry..."

Here's the face-slapping you asked for.

No pretense.

Yes!

More face-slapping coming tomorrow.

Chapter 22

The Second Daughter

The banquet hall was still in chaos, with guards rushing in to confront the assassins.

However, the palace guards were clearly no match for the carefully selected assassins, so even though they outnumbered them ten to one, they struggled to subdue all the assassins quickly.

Since witnessing Jiang Su's injury, Ye Tong had been emotionally unstable, confronting the assassins with full rage and murderous intent. Ye Tong's martial arts skills were considered superior within the court; she had been practicing martial arts since she was young. Despite being a woman, her skills were remarkably formidable, even the late General Ye once praised: "My sister surpasses men."

Now, with her anger reaching the heavens and her aura fiercely intimidating, her joining the battle dramatically shifted the stalemate.

The assassins, who had been a tough match for the guards, were significantly weaker against Ye Tong. After she severely wounded several of them, someone among the assassins made the decisive call: "Retreat!"

Therefore, the assassins who were originally attacking Emperor Jiayang and others in the banquet hall began to withdraw their forces, preparing to leave. Such assassination attempts usually involved death-row prisoners acting as assassins, coming with the mindset of facing death. But if they could live, nobody wanted to just die.

"Thinking of leaving? Not so easy!" The captain of the imperial guards saw the assassins attempting to flee and showed a frosty expression. The imperial palace, the emperor's residence, had witnessed such a significant assassination attempt. No matter what, as the commander, he couldn't shirk his responsibility. The only way now was to capture all these people and then find the mastermind behind all this, only then might there be a chance to make amends and save his life!

"General Ye! I implore you, don't let these villains escape!"

The commander shouted at Ye Tong. At this moment, all concerns about pride, manly valor were damn nonsense. Clearly, only Ye Tong had the capability to capture all these people without letting any escape! For the sake of his life, what was wrong with asking her?

Besides, how many men in the entire Jin Empire could boast of valor in front of Ye Tong? They were known to be weaker than her, not just from today, so asking for her help wasn't shameful!

Ye Tong didn't know what the commander was thinking, and actually, she didn't need his reminder; she had no intention of letting these assassins go. These assassins attempted to assassinate Emperor Jiayang and severely injured Jiang Su. If it weren't for the need to keep them alive to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes, she wouldn't have just injured them previously, let alone consider letting them go?!

A cold light flashed, and blood was spilled. Soon, the situation in the field was nearing its end, with dozens of assassins, except for those already dead or unconscious from severe injuries, only one was still struggling. But he too was terrified by Ye Tong's appearance, looking at her, bloodied and standing with a sword, like a reincarnation of Asura, he couldn't help but think of the name of the female Rakshasa that had always circulated in his clan.

Before coming, they were told she had been crippled, so why was this happening? Could it be... could it be that they were deceived?!

It must be! It certainly is!

Damn those Jin people! It must have been false information deliberately spread by them! No, he must return; he must report back to the Khan! The demoness still lives! The matter of starting a war needs further contemplation!

But even with deep thought, escaping was something he couldn't achieve. The imperial guards had tightly surrounded the banquet hall, with Ye Tong inside and them outside, not even a mosquito could escape.

In the end, he couldn't even take his own life.

After Ye Tong incapacitated the last assassin, the commander came over to bow with fists clasped: "Thank you for your hard work, General Ye."

Ye Tong nodded slightly, then strode over to Jiang Su, lifted her up, and said to Zhong Yi and the others, "Back to the mansion!"

Zhong Yi nodded, and several Lady Yes with teary eyes followed them. Suddenly, Chu Mu chased after them, blocking Ye Tong's path: "Ye Tong, the imperial physicians are skilled in their art. You should stay in the palace for the imperial physician to treat the elder lady. Leaving now, not only wastes time but might also worsen the elder lady's condition..."

He intended to kindly remind her, fearing Ye Tong might lose her senses due to the elder lady's serious injury.

But Ye Tong completely disregarded his words, holding Jiang Su and coldly said one word: "Scram!"

Then she passed by him.

Chu Mu was shocked to his core, suppressing the embarrassment and sorrow in his heart, he tried to persuade again: "Ye Tong..."

"Prince," as Ye Tong walked away, Zhong Yi stayed behind, his face taut as he spoke to Chu Mu, "This assassination in the palace injured countless, including His Majesty and various princesses and ladies. Even if the palace physicians are skilled, their numbers are limited. Even if we stayed, the physicians might not be able to attend to our mother. Ye Tong knows what she's doing, so, Prince, you needn't worry about our mother. Your concern would be better reserved for your nobles!"

Zhong Yi's words were calm but pierced like needles and arrows, causing Chu Mu's face to lose all color, showing embarrassment.

"General Zhong, I..."

"Farewell!" Zhong Yi curtly interrupted Chu Mu, then turned to catch up with Ye Tong.

Chu Mu wanted to follow, but he stopped in his tracks. He had made another mistake, and at this moment, he didn't know how to face Ye Tong. Even thinking about pursuing her, just the thought of Ye Tong's cold and disdainful look made his heart ache immensely.

He thought, maybe wait a bit. The elder lady's serious injury was his fault, and no matter the outcome, he would definitely come to apologize, bearing the consequences. But for now... he couldn't help but look back at the palace, where another person also suffered severe injuries...

Ye Tong, Zhong Yi, and the others quickly took Jiang Su and hurried back to the Ye residence.

Upon seeing Jiang Su return seriously injured, the residents of Ye Mansion were shocked, but fortunately, under the old lady's discipline, despite their deep concern, they did not panic. The mansion's physician was immediately summoned to treat Jiang Su, while Mama Ma also sent people to find more doctors from the city.

The mansion's physician hurried over to examine Jiang Su and sighed in relief after taking her pulse, as the Ye family inquired about her condition.

He said, "The elder lady is blessed; the sword seemed dangerous but did not damage the internal organs. And because the general stopped the bleeding right after the injury, the elder lady's condition is not severe."

Hearing this, the people of Ye Mansion breathed a sigh of relief, their heightened worries finally easing. However, the Lady Yes still looked at Jiang Su with red-rimmed eyes, their hearts aching for her; even if the injury wasn't life-threatening, she had still suffered greatly.

"How did this happen, mother? What exactly happened when you went to the palace today?" Previously worried about Jiang Su's injury, Lady Ye III hadn't thought to ask, but now, remembering how they had left for the palace in good health only for Jiang Su to return injured, she was filled with both heartache and questions.

The Lady Yes shared with her what had happened in the palace, mentioning how Chu Mu's carelessness led to Jiang Su being stabbed, which made Lady Ye III almost tear her handkerchief in anger, cursing, "Useless!"

Hearing that Chu Mu later advised them to stay in the palace for treatment, she added, "Stupid and harmful!"

If not for the circumstances, Jiang Su would have applauded her daughter-in-law for her precise and insightful words to describe Chu Mu, perfectly fitting.

"I didn't expect Lady Ye III, who usually seems gentle and weak, to speak so decisively when angry," Jiang Su chatted and laughed with V0 in her mind.

V0 has upgraded now, emmmmm... Although it's still not of much use, it's slightly better compared to the first world, at least—like this time when Jiang Su got injured, it could separate her body and consciousness, making her not feel the physical pain.

However, the slightly more useful V0 was still in a bad mood, shutting itself off since Jiang Su got stabbed, aside from immediately blocking the pain.

No matter how Jiang Su teased it, it wouldn't respond.

"Still angry?" Jiang Su called out to V0 in her mind, getting no response, she chuckled helplessly, "I can explain."

V0 finally reacted, its tone petulant and sullen, "You tell me!"

Jiang Su laughed, feeling like she had gained a baby since meeting V0. She explained to V0, "You know how devoted Ye Tong is to Chu Mu, right? If we don't stir things up a bit, how can we separate the two?"

Jiang Su knew V0 was upset because she could have avoided that sword but chose to take the hit. Although the situation was urgent, V0 had warned her about the assassin early in her mind, but she intentionally didn't dodge.

"But... even so, you didn't have to use such a method... Do you know how painful it would have been for you if I hadn't upgraded?" V0 was still upset.

Jiang Su explained, "I've told you before, to change someone like Ye Tong, we need to leverage her strengths, which are also her weaknesses. The original Lady Ye might have severed ties with her over the years, but Ye Tong still admires her and feels guilty about the past. Such complex emotions place the original Lady Ye in an important position in Ye Tong's heart. When Chu Mu, because of his past love, causes harm to Lady Ye, it naturally impacts Ye Tong and Chu Mu's relationship."

"..." Although still not fully understanding, it sounded very logical.

Indeed, Su Su is the smartest!

V0: "...So you're saying that after doing this, Ye Tong and Chu Mu will part ways?"

"Not enough," Jiang Su said. "This will cause Ye Tong to be disappointed in Chu Mu, but disappointment is only temporary. It might spur Ye Tong to leave Chu Mu, but as long as Chu Mu refuses to let go, given time and his persistence, Ye Tong will eventually be moved by Chu Mu—wasn't that what happened in the original storyline?"

In the original storyline, there was indeed such an instance, but the person who was stung wasn't Old Madam Ye but rather Lady Ye.

Then, because of a relative's injury, Ye Tong's disappointment in Chu Mu turned to despair, leading her to coldly agree to divorce him.

But if the story ended there, it wouldn't follow the clichéd narrative.

After Ye Tong and Chu Mu divorced, when border conflicts flared up again, Ye Tong requested to go to war, and Chu Mu, having had a change of heart and realizing his faults, followed her. On the battlefield, Chu Mu constantly showed his devotion to Ye Tong, who initially kept her distance. However, after surviving several life-and-death situations together, she eventually let down her guard and they reconciled with a happy ending.

"The task of this world is to separate them, so this alone isn't enough. We need to cut off all possibilities of Ye Tong and Chu Mu rekindling their relationship."

"But..." V0 was confused, "If Ye Tong would return to Chu Mu once he sincerely repents, then what can we do to ensure they have no chance of reconciling? We can't possibly follow them around forever, can we?"

Jiang Su said, "Don't worry. It won't take that long. Soon, Jiang Su's feelings towards Chu Mu will be more than just disappointment."

The assassination attempt on the Crown Princess during her birthday celebration was a grave matter.

Not only were many nobles injured or killed at the banquet that day, but more critically, Emperor Jiayang himself was wounded, and Jing Xiangyao also suffered severe injuries and fell into a coma for several days.

Emperor Jiayang was furious, and many had been executed within the palace, including the commander of the Imperial Forest Army. Had it not been for someone's plea on his behalf, and the need for a thorough investigation into the assassin matter, he might have lost not just his official hat but his life as well.

Emperor Jiayang issued three imperial edicts in quick succession, commanding the Imperial Forest Army, the Ministry of Justice, and the Department of Punishments to thoroughly investigate the assassin matter within three days.

The Imperial Forest Army, the Ministry of Justice, and the Department of Punishments dared not delay, almost spending day and night in the imperial prison interrogating the assassins.

Among the assassins, some were identified as Xiongnu due to their different physiques and features from the people of Great Jin. After rigorous interrogation, it was confirmed that they indeed were Xiongnu.

Under severe torture, the assassins confessed they were former subordinates of Modu Chanyu, sent to assassinate the Emperor of Great Jin upon Modu's orders. Furthermore, they revealed that a prince from the current dynasty was also involved in the assassination attempt.

The news enraged Emperor Jiayang even further, causing shock and fear among the court officials and warriors.

It was uncertain which was more shocking: the involvement of a royal family member in patricide or Modu Chanyu, who once led the Xiongnu to a significant victory against the Ye family army only to be defeated by Ye Tong, making a terrifying comeback.

Upon learning of this, Ye Tong immediately requested Emperor Jiayang's permission to lead troops to the frontier again.

Despite being furious, Emperor Jiayang set aside the past incident of Ye Tong marrying into the King of Dingbei's family without permission, preparing to approve her petition.

However, another petition from the Ye family was submitted to the palace at this time, causing a great stir among the court officials and warriors.

The elderly Madame Ye, who had been attacked in the palace days before, personally submitted a petition criticizing Ye Tong as unworthy to accompany the army or serve as a general!

Jiang Su's action was not only incomprehensible to the court officials and warriors but also to everyone in the Ye family.

Ye Tong knelt outside Jiang Su's door, begging for an audience. After leaving her waiting for half a day, Jiang Su slowly emerged and coldly asked before Ye Tong could speak, "What makes you think you still qualify to go to war?"

Ye Tong was taken aback.

"In these four years, Zhong Yi has been training day and night with the Ye family army. The soldiers who once fought alongside you have also been honing their skills daily in the camp. Even Modu, who once defeated you, has been lying low until now, making a comeback. But you, only you—" Jiang Su's gaze at Ye Tong was filled with anger and disappointment, "have been trapped in the inner house all these years, running around for the King of Dingbei's family, pouring your heart out for that family! Yet, you never focused on the battlefield!"

"Four years, over a thousand days and nights, how many times have you visited the military camp?! How much do you know about the changes in the Ye family army? Even now, do you know how many colonels, majors, or military inspectors are in the army?!"

Ye Tong's face gradually turned pale.

Jiang Su did not stop there: "Yes, martial skills can be practiced, organization can be learned, and people can be met! But Ye Tong, just because you once carelessly let Modu go due to personal feelings, you are not fit to return to the battlefield!"

Saying so, she threw an envelope harshly at Ye Tong's face.

Ye Tong wanted to retort, but Jiang Su cut her off, saying, "In the thirty-ninth year of Jiayang, you returned victorious over Modu, praised by all. Yet, at the victory banquet, you declared your marriage arrangement with Chu Mu, forcibly tying yourself to the King of Dingbei's family. I thought you were just too concerned about Chu Mu, willing to trade your glorious reputation for a quagmire! But I never expected you to be so blindly misguided! Modu's comeback is indeed due to his capability, but you, who had once let him go pretending to be dead because of a letter from the King of Dingbei, not pursuing victory to eradicate the roots hastily ending the battle, you too are an accomplice!"

Ye Tong's hands trembled as she read the letter, word for word the same as the one the King of Dingbei had written to her years ago, begging her to protect his family. She didn't know how this letter ended up in her mother's hands, but

"Great Jin needs a general who stands tall and holds the welfare of millions in his heart; the Ye family army needs a leader who is wise, decisive, and undefeated in battle; I need the daughter who is intelligent, resilient, and carries the Ye family on her shoulders!" Tears fell as Jiang Su looked at Ye Tong with a sorrowful voice.

"—But you are not!"

"You are not..."

Chapter 23

The Second Daughter

Sometimes Jiang Su wonders how Madame Ye would feel if she knew the full story just like her. Madame Ye has always been a stubborn and obstinate person, which is evident from the time Ye Tong insisted on marrying against her advice, leading Madame Ye to truly sever ties with her.

And if Madame Ye herself were standing here today, facing this letter and all its implications, she probably would never forgive Ye Tong for the rest of her life.

Although blaming Ye Tong for Modu Chanyu's actions might seem a stretch, since his escape from death was due to his own luck or destiny not yet fulfilled, the fact remains that Ye Tong ordered the troops to retreat for the King of Dingbei's sake without pursuing victory, which is indisputable.

Such a fact, when presented to Madame Ye, would magnify Ye Tong's fault immensely.

This is not only because Madame Ye had already been thoroughly disappointed in Ye Tong, but also because Modu Chanyu killed members of the Ye family, making him a sworn enemy bathed in their blood.

Without the involvement of the King of Dingbei's family, Madame Ye might have just lamented Modu's luck in escaping death. But with the addition of the King of Dingbei's affair and the events from four years ago, Madame Ye might literally be angered to death by Ye Tong.

Jiang Su thought to herself that the letter she had just taken out was actually copied directly from the world background material by V0.

The whole story behind Chu Mu and Ye Tong's marriage, apart from the late Old King of Dingbei and Ye Tong, was only known to V0 and Jiang Su, who have a god's-eye view.

And this letter was the one the Old King of Dingbei wrote to Ye Tong at the frontier.

In that year, the thirty-ninth year of Jiayang, the old King of Dingbei was stricken with a serious illness, knowing his time was short. Concerned for the precarious state of Dingbei's household, he felt compelled to secure a path forward for it.

Ye Tong was the old King of Dingbei's last hope. When he sent her the letter, he was hopeful yet anxious, uncertain whether Ye Tong truly harbored affection for Chu Mu, or if her feelings for Chu Mu were strong enough to accept his almost unreasonable request.

—Indeed, it was an unreasonable request.

The old King of Dingbei was acutely aware of his household's plight and knew better than anyone the burdens Ye Tong would have to bear by marrying into it. The current Emperor's disdain for Dingbei's household meant that even if Ye Tong agreed to marry into it, the Emperor would never allow it, especially with the King of Dingbei's passing.

Thus, Ye Tong was left with no choice but to take the most extreme measures to gamble, essentially forcing the Emperor to acknowledge their marriage.

This decision meant that upon marrying into Dingbei's household, Ye Tong would not only have to deal with a husband whose heart was not with her but also bear the heavy responsibility of the entire household's lives. Additionally, she would face the Emperor's wrath, along with royal disdain and a myriad of slanders.

Upon learning of Ye Tong's acceptance, the old King of Dingbei realized that his blind and heart-blind son had finally been blessed with good fortune, hoping he would cherish this blessing until his dying breath.

But those blind in both sight and heart are ultimately unworthy of teaching others about sincerity.

Despite all the old King's earnest advice and Ye Tong's efforts, it all ended in vain.

After berating Ye Tong, Jiang Su sent her away from the Ye household.

Her actions were meant not only to show her genuine anger but also to stimulate Ye Tong to make a change by shifting her "battlefield."

At this moment, her rightful place was not within the Ye household.

Even after being sent away from the Ye household, Ye Tong did not leave but chose to kneel at its gates, just as before.

Passersby from the nearby market, both shocked and curious, gathered around Ye Tong, pointing and whispering among themselves while glancing at the Ye household's gates.

"What's going on here? Didn't they just reconcile a few days ago? Why is she kneeling again today?"

"I don't know. Just saw General Ye come out from the Ye household and then kneel down here."

"Sigh, if you ask me, Madame Ye's temperament is somewhat harsh. General Ye is her daughter, after all. How could she bear to treat her like this?"

"That's not entirely fair to say. Every family has its own difficulties. We're not Madame Ye, and perhaps General Ye really did something to upset her again?"

"Could any issue be as significant as that of the past? Madame Ye blamed General Ye for four years over that incident. Just when I thought they had finally reconciled some days ago, here they are, at odds again. Sigh..."

The bystanders were abuzz with discussion regarding Ye Tong and the Ye household. In one corner of the crowd, a servant sent to spy on the situation quickly turned to report back upon witnessing this scene.

Soon after, Chu Mu hurried over following the servant.

He pushed through the crowd, quickly reaching Ye Tong's side and grabbed her shoulders, asking anxiously, "Ye Tong, what's wrong? Why are you kneeling here?"

Ye Tong slowly lifted her eyes to look at him. Chu Mu was taken aback by her gaze, his heart tightening as he hurriedly added, "Is it because of what happened at the palace banquet last time that Madame Ye is blaming you? It's all my fault, I'll go and apologize to her!"

Chu Mu thought that Madame Ye was taking her anger out on Ye Tong because of the assassination attempt at the palace banquet that endangered Madame Ye, so he made to rush towards the Ye household.

Ye Tong grabbed him.

Chu Mu stopped and hastily explained, "I'll go and apologize to Madame Ye. It's all my fault, not yours. You shouldn't be blamed!"

"There's no need." Ye Tong still held onto him, preventing him from going towards the Ye household. After a pause, her eyes darkened as she slowly said, "Chu Mu, take me to Dingbei's household."

Chu Mu's heart leaped with joy upon hearing this. Ye Tong had not returned to Dingbei's household for some days. Since the day of the palace banquet, she had gone straight to the Ye household and hadn't returned since. Chu Mu had been worried all this time that Ye Tong wouldn't forgive him for what happened at the banquet and would sever ties with him.

Hearing Ye Tong herself suggest going to Dingbei's household, his joy was even greater, so much so that he overlooked the fact that she said "go" and not "return."

Ye Tong and Chu Mu walked to Dingbei's household together.

Chu Mu wanted to prepare a carriage, but Ye Tong refused.

Over the years, every time she traveled between Dingbei's household and the Ye household, she walked. No fast horses, no sedan chair, just as on the day of her wedding in white, without a wedding procession or a bridal sedan. Alone, step by step, under the gaze of the people in the streets, she walked to Dingbei's household.

Ye Tong could no longer remember what her feelings were that day, going to her wedding alone in white. She imagined she couldn't have been happy, for her marriage was not only unblessed but also scorned and questioned by many.

Yet despite this, she persisted on her path. But now, she no longer knows whether her years of dedication to Dingbei's household, confining herself within its walls and placing both the Ye family army and the Ye family outside, was right or wrong...

Ye Tong and Chu Mu returned to Dingbei's household, but before they even reached the Southern Garden, they could already hear the noise and commotion.

Chu Mu was startled; he hadn't been in the household these days either. Since the palace banquet, Ye Tong hadn't come home, and his mother kept pressing him about Xiao Yao's status, which annoyed him to no end, so he chose to stay away, only sending people to keep an eye on the Ye household and Ye Tong's movements.

He didn't know what caused the commotion in the Southern Garden, but he had a bad feeling it wasn't anything good. So, he was thinking about how to dissuade Ye Tong, but she was already striding towards the Southern Garden.

"Steward, you're becoming bolder by the minute. Not listening to me anymore, are you planning a rebellion?!"

Before they reached the main entrance, they heard the sharp voice of the old princess consort and the sound of a teacup smashing to the ground.

"Please forgive me, Madam, please forgive me. It wasn't my intention, it's just that... the accounts of the household have always been managed by the princess consort, and I, I really don't know where she keeps the account books..."

Another teacup hit the ground, and Chu Li said, "Who are you trying to fool? You've been in cahoots with Ye Tong for so many years, and you're telling me you don't know where the account books are?!"

The steward, pale-faced, didn't know what to do when suddenly Ye Tong stepped over the threshold and said, "The household's account books are in my storeroom. Go, take out all the account books from these four years."

"Princess Consort!"

The steward and all the servants in the Southern Garden looked at Ye Tong with joy on their faces.

Chu Li and the old princess consort sneered upon seeing Ye Tong appear, and the old lady coolly said, "Don't say I didn't inform you beforehand. We know you're busy. Now that the Xiongnu are attacking, you, as the General of the Nation, must be restless and too busy to return home or attend to household matters. But our household still needs someone in charge. Since you're too busy, you should hand over the stewardship to someone who has the time and capability."

Suppressing the joy in his eyes, Chu Li looked at Ye Tong unyieldingly and said, "And that's not all! Over the years, we haven't meddled in the household's affairs. This time, we need to thoroughly check everything to prevent anyone from embezzling and keeping us in the dark!"

The old princess consort nodded slightly in agreement, "Indeed, Li is right. We haven't inquired into the steward's matters for years. It's a good opportunity to clear up the household's income over these years and prevent any evil spirits from causing trouble under our roof!"

"Mother!" Chu Mu found his mother and brother's words extremely harsh.

Ye Tong, however, didn't seem bothered; she had grown accustomed to their veiled insults over the years. She looked at the mother and son duo on the dais, her eyes calm but her inner mockery even sharper.

Soon, a desk was brought out, with the household's account books laid out in order, and a rosewood abacus placed beside the desk.

Ye Tong, with one hand flipping through the account books and the other on the abacus, spoke in a cold, measured tone, "In the thirty-ninth year of Jiayang, after the old lord's passing, the treasury had eight shops: three dealing in grains, four in silk, and one in medicinal herbs, netting an income of five hundred and thirty-two taels for that year. After deducting taxes and contributions, the surplus was over two hundred taels. Additionally, there were six farms and twenty acres of land, yielding an excess of two hundred stones of grain, equivalent to four hundred and twenty-one taels."

The beads on the abacus clacked under Ye Tong's swift manipulation, drawing surprised attention from the old princess consort and Chu Li, who, though not sensitive to much else, were keenly aware of matters involving silver.

They were unclear about the household's financial state over the past decades, but they remembered the recent years well enough. The mere hundreds of taels were insufficient for their daily expenses, so how could the household's surplus have been so meager back then?

Ye Tong glanced at them and knew what they were thinking. She coolly said, "The old lord was astute and shrewd. If he wished, the household's surplus could have been much more substantial. However, Dingbei's household has always been a thorn in the Emperor's side. Even with his talents, the old lord dared not show off, keeping the household's finances modest—enough for sustenance but not wealth."

These matters were never spoken of by the old lord or Ye Tong before. They were alike, accustomed to bearing burdens alone to spare their families from worry.

But now, since they were no longer a family, it was better to clarify everything.

"What nonsense are you spouting!" The old princess consort immediately rebuked Ye Tong.

Chu Li retorted angrily as well.

However, Ye Tong's words stirred something in them. Even if they had been oblivious, they had had inklings over the years but refused to accept them, leading to their hasty rebuttal.

"Whether it's nonsense, you know very well." Ye Tong slowly lowered her gaze, truly tired of arguing with these people. Her fingers danced on the abacus, and she began flipping through the account books of the past years...

"In the fortieth year of Jiayang, there were twenty shops: fifteen selling grain, five selling silk, two hundred acres of fertile land, bringing in a total of two thousand one hundred taels. After deducting taxes and contributions, the surplus was one thousand six hundred forty taels..."

"In the forty-first year of Jiayang, there were fifty shops: thirty for grain, ten for silk, ten for medicinal herbs, plus two hundred acres of fertile land, totaling thirteen thousand two hundred taels. After deductions, the surplus was eleven thousand one hundred taels..."

"In the forty-second year of Jiayang, seventy-seven shops, including seven pawnshops, ten for medicinal herbs, thirty for grain, thirty for silk, plus three hundred acres of fertile land..."

"In the forty-third year of Jiayang, eighty-two shops, five hundred acres of fertile land..."

"Enough!" Chu Mu abruptly came forward and grabbed her hand flipping through the account books, "What are you implying, Ye Tong?!"

He was panicked, truly panicked.

Ye Tong's demeanor frightened him; his grip on the account books felt like he was suppressing their entire past. It seemed if this didn't end, they would be trapped forever: "You are my princess consort, the lady of this household. This responsibility is yours, and you owe no explanations to anyone. I trust you, Ye Tong. Please, stop talking. I beg you, no more. Is that okay...?"

Ye Tong paused, then slowly withdrew the account book from his grasp. Looking at him, she felt a sense of melancholy. It had only been four years, yet it seemed so long. She had thought she could stay here forever, by his side, but now it seemed it was all ending after just four years.

"My lord," Ye Tong called Chu Mu 'my lord' for the first time, causing his heart to jolt before he could react. She continued, "At eighteen, I was commanded in a crisis to marry into the household. Four years have passed, and I have lived without regret. Now, with the household's wealth in abundance and the family flourishing—"

"I ask for nothing more but for you, my lord, to grant me a decree of divorce, freeing me from this bond."

Divorce then~

Chapter 24

The Second Daughter

Under the warm winter sun, with a gentle breeze blowing, Ye Tong's voice was not loud but exploded like thunder within the room.

The crowd was astonished; the old princess consort and Chu Li were initially shocked, then overwhelmed with joy. They had always wished to drive Ye Tong out of the household but never had their wish fulfilled due to various reasons. Now, hearing Ye Tong herself requesting a divorce, they were ecstatic.

But Chu Mu couldn't feel any happiness.

Chu Mu was increasingly understanding his feelings for Ye Tong, not just guilt but also the affection he had deeply hidden over the years. He wanted a new beginning with Ye Tong, to be truly together. Thus, hearing Ye Tong speak of divorce, he felt nothing but shock, sorrow, and heartache.

Without thinking, Chu Mu grabbed Ye Tong's arm: "No! Ye Tong, I won't let you leave me..." he babbled incoherently, "I know I was wrong, I truly do. I'll change, I'll treat you so well... please give me another chance, please... one more chance, okay?"

Ye Tong was expressionless, silently.

She had given too many chances, only to be met with repeated heartbreak. This time, she truly didn't want to continue anymore.

She gradually pulled her arm from Chu Mu's grasp, as if withdrawing from their shared past.

Chu Mu's expression was one of despair, "No, Ye Tong, I won't divorce. You will always be my wife! I won't agree to a divorce..."

The old princess consort and Chu Li, initially pleased to hear Ye Tong mention divorce, were taken aback by Chu Mu's reaction, wondering what was happening. Mu'er [big brother], wasn't he the one who disliked this woman the most? Why is he begging her to stay?!

"Mu'er! Have you lost your mind?!" The old princess consort scolded sharply.

Chu Mu shook his head, looking at the old princess consort and Chu Li firmly, "Mother! I know what I'm doing! Ye Tong is my wife, she was in the past, she is now, and she will be in the future! My wife can only be, and will only be her!"

The old princess consort was left gasping with anger, and Chu Li looked at Chu Mu in disbelief, "Do you even understand what you're saying, brother?! Have you forgotten how Ye Tong married into this household? How she forced you? And how she treated me and mother?! What she has done to our family over the years, and now you're actually begging her to stay?! Brother, have you gone mad?!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Li," said Chu Mu, "I don't know why you hate Ye Tong so much, but I can assure you that Ye Tong hasn't done anything wrong to us over these years. In fact, she's been a benefactor to our entire Dingbei household."

After a pause, he continued, "Li, mother, the one who truly did wrong is me. I'm the one who has wronged Ye Tong, not the other way around. I won't divorce. I want to be with her properly and make up for everything in the days to come!"

"Mu'er!" The old princess consort was pained by Chu Mu's assurances, looking between her increasingly determined son and the expressionless Ye Tong, her finger trembling as she pointed at Ye Tong, "It's you! You did this on purpose, you venomous woman! Home-wrecker! Speaking of divorce, but you're actually trying to drive a wedge between Mu'er and me, causing unrest in our household!"

Hearing the old princess consort, Chu Li's frustration seemed to clear up, glaring at Ye Tong venomously, "Exactly! You did this on purpose! I wondered why you'd so kindly bring out the account books, only to use divorce as a threat against my brother!"

He then turned to Chu Mu, "Brother, you see? This is her true nature! Mother merely asked her to relinquish the stewardship, and she's causing such a scene. Why would you still want such a woman? Not divorcing her, are we to keep her so she can continue to harm our family?!"

"Chu Li!" Chu Mu rebuked, surprised by the deep prejudice his brother and mother held against Ye Tong. His assurances not only failed to convey his care for Ye Tong but made them target her even more, misconstruing her actions.

"Ye Tong has done no wrong to the household, nor to us! Regardless, I will not divorce nor disown my wife!"

"You unfilial son!" The old princess consort was livid, her robust health the only thing keeping her from fainting with rage and trembling with tightness in her chest.

"I didn't mean..." Chu Mu still cared deeply for his mother, his heart souring at her distress, torn by the dilemma. Why did it have to be this way? He simply wanted to live well with Ye Tong; why wouldn't anyone give him a chance to make amends?

"...Mother, please, don't force me..."

Ye Tong watched the drama unfold with cold eyes, observing the old princess consort and Chu Li's frantic anger, and Chu Mu's heart-wrenching difficulty, feeling neither joy nor sorrow.

After a moment, she exhaled softly and walked away.

"Princess Consort!" Chun Rui, who had been watching Ye Tong, called out instinctively as she saw her leaving.

Ye Tong paused slightly, then continued walking. Chu Mu, reacting, hurried to catch her but was evaded by Ye Tong.

"Chu Mu, let it be. From now on, you and I, let's part ways amicably, each to our own happiness," she left Chu Mu with her departing figure, her voice lingering in the courtyard.

"No, Ye Tong!" Chu Mu wanted to pursue her.

Suddenly, the old princess consort shouted, "Chu Mu, if you dare take another step, I'll kill myself right here today!"

"Mother..." Chu Mu stopped in his tracks, looking at the old princess consort with pain and helplessness.

Chu Li added fuel to the fire, "And me, brother! Today, if that woman stays, mother and I are out!"

Chu Mu looked at his only two remaining relatives, heart full of bitterness. How did it come to this? Why must they push him? Why...

"Such lively scenes at your esteemed household."

A voice laden with irony suddenly sounded.

Just as Ye Tong was about to leave the Southern Garden, she ran straight into the arriving crowd from Ye household.

She was startled, then looked at Jiang Su, who was supported by the third and fourth Mrs. Ye, with shock and concern, "...Mother, why have you come..."

"Useless creature." Jiang Su, wielding a whip, lashed it across Ye Tong with a cold voice, "If I hadn't come, were you planning to just let it go? Letting them insult you, bully you, and trample over you, while you were planning to just walk away?"

Jiang Su was very angry.

She hadn't initially planned to come. She prepared herself only for the part involving the Ye household, thinking it would be enough for Ye Tong to awaken and leave Chu Mu.

But she didn't expect that, even when deciding to leave, Ye Tong would still end up being a scapegoat. Hearing the conversation relayed back to her by V0, who returned to the household with them, her frustration surged, and she couldn't maintain her composure any longer, heading straight over.

"You planned for them for years, preserved their name, earned wealth for them, and protected their reputation and status! You've done everything you could, you owe them nothing! On the contrary, it's they who have wronged you—insulted you, humiliated you, slandered you, betrayed you! It's their ignorance and ingratitude, they are the ones who have wronged you! Divorce? Disownment? Do they even deserve it?!" Jiang Su said.

She really found it odd. In the previous world, Lin Le, with her gentle and serene demeanor, showed plenty of backbone when facing Qin Yan, at least managing to slap him several times, doing what needed to be done.

But what about Ye Tong?

Supposedly a female general who had been to battlefields, yet lacking any vigor whatsoever.

Indifferent? Nonchalant?

All of that was useless pretense, not seeing how the Dingbei household spoke of her, how she could still bear it.

Honestly, Jiang Su despised people like Ye Tong the most, who despite having a good hand, played it terribly, not even knowing the rules of the game. Sometimes, Jiang Su doubted whether her daughter had ever been on a battlefield or served as a general.

She truly saw no spirit in her, constantly bullied yet still acting so meek and soft. Couldn't she be a bit tougher?! Didn't she see how others treated her?!

Jiang Su lashed Ye Tong with the whip again, "Today." She pointed at Ye Tong, "Ye Tong, if you still consider yourself a member of the Ye family, if you still think of yourself as my daughter, Jiang Pingjun, you should point at them and tell everyone in Dingbei's household—that you, Ye Tong, want a divorce!"

As soon as Jiang Su finished speaking, the fourth Mrs. Ye clapped her hands in agreement, "Mother is right! That's exactly what should be done!"

Following this, Zhong Yi touched his nose wanting to speak, but upon seeing his wife's expression, he swallowed his words.

Ye Tong was somewhat stunned and slow to react. Hearing the commotion, everyone from the Prince of Dingbei's mansion rushed out, and because Jiang Su made no attempt to hide, every word she said was clearly heard by everyone in the Nanyuan.

Although the customs of the Great Jin were open, allowing women to divorce and remarry if they did not get along with their husband's family, the notion of a woman divorcing her husband was unheard of. If Ye Tong were to do this, then Chu Mu and the entire Prince of Dingbei's mansion would become the laughingstock of the Great Jin.

Chu Li immediately flew into a rage, pointing at Jiang Su and shouted, "You old harlot! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Upon hearing those words, the faces of the Ye family members turned cold. Zhong Yi was about to make a move when Ye Tong swiftly stepped in front of Chu Li, slapping him across the face and knocking him to the ground, her eyes ice-cold as she commanded, "Watch your mouth!"

Everyone has their limits, and for Ye Tong, her limit was her family. She could tolerate the people from the Prince of Dingbei's mansion being reckless in front of her, but she could not stand them insulting Jiang Su. Not in the slightest!

Chu Li, lying on the ground, felt an intense pain on his left cheek. He had intended to cause a scene, but upon meeting Ye Tong's gaze, a chill seeped from the bottom of his heart, leaving him speechless.

"Li'er!" The Dowager Princess rushed to Chu Li's side, lifting him up. With one hand covering his left cheek, Chu Li looked up at her, whimpering, "Mother."

The Dowager Princess was heartbroken. She glanced at Jiang Su and others, then at Ye Tong, and said harshly, "No wonder such a venomous woman as Ye Tong was raised. It turns out the entire Ye family is a nest of snakes and rats—"

"—Ah!"

Jiang Su suddenly stepped forward and lashed the old queen mother with a whip, causing her to cry out in pain and in disbelief, "You, you dare to hit me?!"

Jiang Su's response was another lash, but this time, Chu Mu blocked it, holding the old queen mother and glaring at Jiang Su, "Elder Lady! I have tolerated you out of respect for being Ye Tong's mother, but do not go too far!"

Hearing this, Jiang Su snorted coldly, "Even if I go too far, what do you think you can do to me?"

Chapter 25

The Second Daughter

Jiang Su whipped Chu Mu again, "Though the Ye family are subjects, we have been loyal and patriotic, earning countless military merits and the deep affection of His Majesty through generations. Even this golden whip was bestowed upon our family by the founding emperor. With it, the people of the Ye family can strike down a negligent sovereign and corrupt officials! Today, I use it to strike at you, the treacherous members of the royal family! What can your Northern King's estate do to me?!"

"You, you..." The old princess consort trembled with anger, "With your arrogance, aren't you afraid of the Emperor's blame?!"

"Blame?" Jiang Su scoffed, "Even if there's blame, it would only come after I've dealt with you!"

If the situation weren't so inappropriate, she would have loved to strip the Dingbei household of all its pretenses right there and then!

Such fools! Still thinking of the current Emperor? The person who most desires their downfall is the Emperor himself; he'd probably be delighted to see Ye Tong and the Ye family turn against Dingbei's household. Expecting him to stand up for Dingbei's household? Dream on!

The old princess consort was infuriated by Jiang Su's relentless onslaught, feeling pain in every organ, and yet Jiang Su didn't stop. The golden whip she wielded seemed to crack with authority, each strike making it feel like bones were breaking.

Chu Mu wanted to step in and stop Jiang Su but was blocked by Ye Tong.

Chu Li, enraged by being hit, also tried to confront Jiang Su but was quickly restrained by Zhong Yi.

The old princess consort on the ground, her clothes in disarray and her hairpin, intricately designed, painfully pulling at her hair.

"Rebellion, all of you!" She stomped her feet in frustration, her sons restrained, she angrily scolded the servants of the Southern Garden, "Are you all blind? Seeing your masters being bullied and not helping!"

The servants were in a dilemma.

Though they were servants of Dingbei's household and should protect their masters, they were also facing the family of the princess consort, their masters too. And who in the entire land didn't know of the Ye family's reputation?

Known throughout Da Jin for their brute strength and fierce loyalty, they had cut ties with the princess consort in recent years, so the servants hadn't seen them defend their own. Now that they had, they dared not step forward.

While the servants hesitated, Jiang Su no longer provoked the old princess consort but instead lashed out with her whip at Chu Mu and Chu Li.

Every single one in Dingbei's household, dumb and venomous to the core!

"You blame Ye Tong for the celebratory banquet, for marrying during mourning, for taking the place of your beloved! But have you thought, if she hadn't done that, even if the old King of Dingbei had arranged the marriage, do you think you could have married? Could you have lived so peacefully after the old king's death?!" Jiang Su threw the letter she had given Ye Tong at Chu Mu's face.

"Back then, it was you who sought to marry Ye Tong. Over these years, she's given almost everything for a promise, but what about you? Taking advantage of her on one hand, while insulting and humiliating her on the other. People like you, ungrateful, what right do you have to talk about divorce?"

Chu Mu, initially filled with anger at Jiang Su, was taken aback by her words, frozen in thought.

Jiang Su gave Chu Li one last lash, then sheathed her whip and coldly declared, "The debts of gratitude owed and promises made by Ye Tong have all been fulfilled! Today, I, Jiang Pingjun, declare that from this day forth, my Ye family and your Dingbei household are entirely severed, with no further connection! Ye Shi Ye Tong is no longer a woman of your Chu family! Should you entangle us further, the Ye family will fight to the death!"

With that, she turned to the Ye family members and said, "Let's go!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yi immediately let go of Chu Li, and Ye Tong, taken aback, also released Chu Mu.

The Ye family members left openly and boldly, leaving the old princess consort, Chu Li, and others from Dingbei's household seething with anger but clueless on how to react. Never had they imagined the Ye family would be so bold, barging into Dingbei's household and confronting them without restraint.

"Outrageous... Absolutely outrageous! I will report this to the authorities, I want to see the Emperor! I refuse to believe that there's no one in this world who can control the Ye family," the old princess consort, as if possessed, tugged at Chu Mu, "To the palace! Mu'er, go, to the palace to see the Emperor! Let the Emperor give us justice!"

Chu Mu remained silent.

Furious, the old princess consort berated him, "You unfilial son! Have you forgotten how the Ye family just treated us? Are you still soft-hearted towards Ye Tong?!"

Chu Li, fuming from the whipping, kicked away a servant who came to help him, filled with resentment, "Brother, have you lost your mind? I've always said Ye Tong was no good. Look at their family; do they even consider us? Are you still trying to protect them?!"

The old princess consort and Chu Li believed Chu Mu's reluctance to report the Ye family to the Emperor was because of Ye Tong. But in reality, Chu Mu had spent these years indulging in pleasures and neglecting court affairs, with his daily attendance at court being negligible.

The current Emperor also had little desire to see him, showing indifference towards his negligence. Thus, over the years, Chu Mu had rarely seen the Emperor, knowing all too well what Dingbei's household meant in the Emperor's eyes, and...

Chu Mu, looking at the letter in pain, wondered what right they had to seek justice.

After leaving Dingbei's household, Jiang Su did not head back to the Ye residence but went to the palace instead.

If the people of Dingbei's household wanted the Emperor to grant them justice, she would show them what true justice was.

When the imperial attendant announced that the elder madame of the Ye family requested an audience, Jiayang Emperor was feeding medicine to Jing Xiangyao at her bedside. Ever since Jing Xiangyao took a sword strike for Jiayang Emperor, his affection and trust in her had deepened significantly.

These days, had it not been for Jing Xiangyao's insistence, Jiayang Emperor would have almost recklessly made their relationship public.

To Jiayang Emperor, the ethics of human relationships mattered little. In his view, as the sovereign, all under heaven belonged to him; if he favored Jing Xiangyao, then she should be his.

However, what Jiayang Emperor could think, Jing Xiangyao could not afford to. Reputation, though she cared little for it personally, was necessary for her.

"Your Majesty, Elder Madame Ye, General Zhong, and General Ye request an audience," the imperial attendant reported with bowed head and eyes.

Jiayang Emperor, holding a medicine bowl, frowned and asked, "What are they here for?"

The petition of Ye Tong for battle and Jiang Su's reprimand of Ye Tong had caused quite a stir recently, giving Jiayang Emperor quite a headache concerning this family.

"Your Majesty," the attendant replied, "Madame Ye says they have come to admit their faults."

"Admit their faults?" Jiayang Emperor raised an eyebrow, "What faults are they admitting to?"

The attendant hesitated, then said, "It is said... that the King of Dingbei intends to divorce General Ye, and Madame Ye has beaten the people of Dingbei's household."

"Ha?" Jiayang Emperor laughed, "Weren't they at odds? What, they've reconciled now?"

Jiayang Emperor knew about Madame Ye driving Ye Tong out of the household. When Ye Tong married Chu Mu, Jiayang Emperor was also angered. Ye Tong, with her capabilities and the Ye family army, was an excellent chess piece, yet she chose to marry into Dingbei's household of her own accord. Because of the past events, Jiayang Emperor had been cold towards Ye Tong for years, allowing her to perform duties but never favoring her.

If it hadn't been for the resurgence of the Xiongnu and the disturbance caused by assassins, he wouldn't have allowed Ye Tong to go to the frontier.

However, he didn't expect Madame Ye to submit a petition reprimanding Ye Tong.

Jiayang Emperor previously thought Madame Ye still hadn't forgiven Ye Tong, hence her opposition to Ye Tong leading troops.

But now, just a few days later, there's an incident of the Ye family standing up for Ye Tong.

Jiayang Emperor found this interesting, stirring his spoon with a cold laugh.

"Your Majesty?" Jing Xiangyao called out to Jiayang Emperor.

Jiayang Emperor set down the medicine bowl, tenderly caressed Jing Xiangyao's cheek, and said, "I'll go see what they're up to. Rest well."

Jing Xiangyao obediently nuzzled his palm in response. As Jiayang Emperor's expression softened and he was about to leave, Jing Xiangyao suddenly grasped his hand again.

Jiayang Emperor: "Xiangyao?"

With emotions swirling in her heart but displaying only gentleness on her face, Jing Xiangyao softly spoke, "Your Majesty, before I was married, I had received many kindnesses from General Ye. When I heard she was determined to marry into Dingbei's household, I too felt saddened. Over these years, even though I did not pay much attention to General Ye, I knew that the King of Dingbei was not a good man. Now that he intends to divorce, if possible, I wish to ask you, Your Majesty, to assist General Ye."

Jiayang Emperor's eyes cooled slightly, chuckling, "So Xiangyao also admired Ye Tong once? Why haven't you told me before?"

Jing Xiangyao's eyes sparkled clearly, and with a gentle smile, she said, "Which girl of our age didn't admire General Ye back then? Surely, Your Majesty, you wouldn't begrudge even this?"

Jiayang Emperor laughed heartily upon hearing this, "It seems I was being narrow-minded. Rest assured, Xiangyao, if Ye Tong truly wishes to separate from Chu Mu, I will indeed assist her."

Jing Xiangyao: "Xiangyao thanks Your Majesty."

Jiayang Emperor returned to the main hall through a secret passage from the Eastern Palace, about the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

Soon after, his attendants brought in Jiang Su and others. Upon entering the hall, Jiang Su immediately called for punishment, asking Jiayang Emperor to penalize her.

Jiayang Emperor feigned ignorance about why she was requesting punishment.

Jiang Su, holding the golden whip high above her head, stated that she misused the golden whip for personal matters, failing the high hopes of the ancestral emperor.

Jiayang Emperor asked, "What crime has Madame Ye committed?"

"Your Majesty," Jiang Su knelt, "My first crime is failing in my duties as a mother, allowing her to be misled by love, disappointing Your Majesty and the people."

She knelt again: "My second crime is knowing Ye Tong was on the wrong path but, due to my resentment, not stopping her, allowing her to remain lost for years."

And knelt once more: "My third crime is that the late emperor graciously gifted the Ye family the golden whip, which I today used for family matters. Please, Your Majesty, punish me."

Jiayang Emperor, with a slightly raised eyebrow, knowingly asked, "Why did you use the golden whip?"

"Your Majesty," Jiang Su suddenly became overcome with grief, "I know I am at fault, but the Dingbei household's bullying is too much..."

Jiang Su sorrowfully recounted everything Ye Tong had done for Dingbei's household over the past four years and how the household's people treated her.

The world always sympathizes with the underdog, but when someone known for their strength suddenly cries out in sorrow, it evokes even greater sympathy.

Jiayang Emperor had once feared the Ye family and disliked Ye Tong, but seeing the once glorious and renowned Ye family reduced to the frail and weak, he felt a pang of sorrow.

Jiang Su's visit was a strategic retreat, requesting punishment as a means to have Jiayang Emperor personally grant Ye Tong a divorce decree.

There was no precedent in Da Jin for a wife to divorce her husband, and it was impossible for Jiayang Emperor to issue such a decree to Ye Tong. Despite Dingbei's household's diminished standing, Chu Mu was still a Chu, a member of the royal family. Jiayang Emperor wouldn't do such a thing, as it would be a direct affront to the royal family.

Jiang Su initially thought convincing Jiayang Emperor to grant a decree of divorce would take some effort—especially since Ye Tong's marriage to Chu Mu had angered him, so she wept sorrowfully.

But the Jiayang Emperor they faced today was unusually amenable.

Of course, this amicability was relative.

Jiayang Emperor, while amiable about Ye Tong's separation from Chu Mu, issued a mild reprimand for Jiang Su's use of the golden whip before openly confiscating it.

As the reigning emperor, he was most annoyed by ancestral gifts of power like the imperial swords to old officials.

These swords, although not always a threat to the emperor, could be a source of annoyance. Jiayang Emperor was pleased that the Ye family voluntarily surrendered it.

After spending roughly half an hour in the palace, Jiang Su and others left, and an imperial decree regarding Ye Tong's separation followed soon after.

News of Ye Tong's imperial decree for separation quickly spread throughout the capital.

When the news reached Dingbei's household, the old princess consort, who had remained unaffected by anger until then, finally fainted from rage.

Historically, separations, though a matter between spouses, often led to more controversy for the woman. Now, with it widely known that the Ye family sought the emperor for the separation from Dingbei's household, even if a separation decree was sent, it might as well have been a dismissal in the eyes of the public.

People in Dingbei's household fretted over their lord and the household's reputation, fearing they would become the empire's laughingstock.

Those who understood the emperor's intentions and the imperial heart thought that becoming a laughingstock was just the beginning for Dingbei's household. Without Ye Tong's mediation, how could they withstand the emperor's displeasure?

Chapter 26

The Second Daughter

The capital was abuzz with the news of Chu Mu and Ye Tong's separation.

The incident of Jiang Su making a scene at Dingbei's household on the day of the separation also spread.

In taverns and tea houses, where diverse crowds mingled, patrons loved to gossip about such fresh news.

Those who favored the Ye family and were indifferent to Dingbei's household lamented the situation.

"To say the Ye family is truly Da Jin's fiercest, Madame Ye even dared to strike the King of Dingbei. That's bold."

The speaker, a robust man who made a living as a bodyguard, had seen much of the world. He paid little attention to the separation but was intrigued by Jiang Su using the whip on Dingbei's household.

A colleague at his table responded, "What's so surprising? That's nothing. Considering the grievances General Ye suffered in Dingbei's household over the years, had it been the old General Ye, not caring for any lord or prince, he would have broken their legs!"

"True," the man poured himself another bowl of wine, "but still, the King of Dingbei is royalty. If the Ye family causes too much of a stir, wouldn't the emperor be displeased?"

"Displeased about what?" His companion scoffed, waving his hand, "After all the commotion the Ye family caused in Dingbei's household, did you see the emperor take any action against them? Sure, there was a reprimand, but compared to the whipping the people in Dingbei's household received, wasn't it as if nothing happened?"

The man paused, seeming to consider the logic, and then stopped drinking, staring at his companion, "Hey, by your logic, is our emperor actually siding with the Ye family? Why is that? The King of Dingbei is royal blood, isn't he?"

His companion made a face, pretending to be profound, "Well, that's a long story..."

Similar scenes unfolded in various tea houses, taverns, and even in the brothel districts, but people had many different opinions on the matter.

Those who admired the Ye family thought their actions were commendable, exactly what they should have done. Meanwhile, those of a softer disposition or who disliked the Ye family felt that the Ye family had gone too far, arguing that no matter what the Northern King's estate did, they shouldn't have been so presumptuous.

Besides these voices, another group criticized the Ye family, particularly Ye Tong, for disregarding moral principles. As a woman, she dared to petition the emperor for a divorce and boldly claimed she would leave her husband, which was considered extremely audacious.

"In my opinion, Ye Tong should now go to the Northern King's estate and serve tea to admit her guilt to the Northern King and the old queen mother. Regardless, she has been married into the Northern King's estate for four years; the Northern King is her husband, and the old queen mother is her elder. Even if she wanted a divorce, there could have been another way. But she escalated the situation to such an extent that it's become unmanageable, which is really inappropriate!" said a young scholar.

His companions also chimed in agreement.

Although the customs of Jin were liberal, granting women some status, it was ultimately a male-dominated society. Especially in the eyes of some conservative old-timers and scholars with outdated views, women were expected to depend on men, to see their husband as their principle, and not even mention divorce, let alone initiate it.

And if a couple were to divorce, it was seen as the husband's family being generous and tolerant towards the woman.

So, in their eyes, the Ye family, and particularly Ye Tong, acting in a way that overrode her husband and his family, was utterly inappropriate and wrong.

Upon hearing their extreme comments, which were even somewhat harsh, someone couldn't help but rebuke them, "You say General Ye Tong's divorce from the Northern King is wrong, but their divorce decree was personally granted by His Majesty. Are you suggesting that His Majesty is also wrong?"

The group of men, who had been speaking loftily moments ago, suddenly fell silent as if their throats were clutched, taking a while before someone said, "We're not saying General Ye Tong shouldn't divorce the Northern King, but that she shouldn't have escalated matters to this extent. A day as a couple grants a hundred days of grace. She and the Northern King were husband and wife for four years, yet she let the Northern King's estate lose face so thoroughly, which really shouldn't be."

"Ha." The person laughed coldly at the man's words, "What a saying, 'a day as a couple grants a hundred days of grace!' When the Northern King kept taking concubines into the estate, where was this grace? When he frequented the pleasure districts, leaving General Ye Tong to fend for herself in the estate, where was this grace? When he talked of divorcing General Ye Tong, where was this grace?!"

The man was left speechless by the questioning.

"You all are nothing but villains!" The person scoffed coldly and walked away.

His accompanying handsome young servant hurried after him, almost slipping up and calling him "miss."

"Young master, why bother getting angry with those people? They're just some conservative scholars; their words won't affect General Ye Tong," the maid disguised as a pageboy comforted her mistress.

"What bothers me isn't that..." the mistress, dressed as a man, started to explain but bit her lip and swallowed her words upon seeing her maid's expression, "Never mind, you wouldn't understand."

The maid looked somewhat puzzled, just as the sound of horses approached. She quickly pulled her mistress to the side of the road, cautioning her to be careful.

Her mistress didn't respond, but the maid followed her gaze and was surprised to see two people riding past them, exclaiming, "Eh! That looks like General Ye Tong! Where is she going?"

An owner of a nearby stall laughed and joined the conversation, "Looking at the direction, she's probably heading to the military camp outside the city. The Xiongnu have been restless these past days, General Ye Tong is likely setting out on a campaign!"

"I see..." the maid realized, about to discuss Ye Tong with her mistress, but then she saw her mistress staring longingly at Ye Tong's departing figure, even appearing somewhat envious.

The maid was shocked, "Miss, your father only has you as his sole heir! You can't possibly join General Ye Tong in battle!"

Jiang Wanyin: "..."

Her myriad worries were dispelled by her maid's admonition.

The turmoil in the capital and the gossip among the common folk might disturb the peace of Dingbei's household but had no impact on the Ye family.

The Ye family continued their lives as usual, while Ye Tong, after submitting another petition to Jiayang Emperor and finally receiving his approval, excitedly headed to the military camp outside the capital.

Zhong Yi gathered everyone and introduced Ye Tong publicly.

Some in the military camp had ranks and had fought alongside Ye Tong in past battles. Having personally witnessed the miracles she created, they were thrilled to see her.

However, most of the camp's soldiers were either newly recruited in the past four years or transferred from other places. Their respect for Ye Tong was limited to what they had heard, and due to her affair with Chu Mu, they didn't hold much reverence for her. Some were even resentful upon learning she would be their commander.

Ye Tong said, "I know many of you have doubts about me. No matter how much I say, it won't change your minds. So today, I'll follow the rules of our military camp—" she picked up a spear and pointed towards a large platform in the center of the camp, "—on the training ground, anyone who can defeat me can take the commander's position!"

The soldiers who were already dissatisfied with Ye Tong as their commander were thrilled at this challenge, while those who had followed Ye Tong into battle before watched these eager brothers with a look of anticipation for the show that was about to unfold.

Ye Tong arrived at the training ground, chose a great sword taller than herself, and stood commanding the view, asking, "Who's first?"

"I am!" came a voice from the ranks. A young man of sturdy and tall stature stepped forward, bowed to Ye Tong, and also chose a heavy sword as his weapon.

"Come on, I'll give you three moves," Ye Tong said.

The soldiers below the stage buzzed with discussions, thinking Ye Tong was overly arrogant, truly too presumptuous.

However, the young man on the stage didn't show any emotion towards Ye Tong's attitude; he thanked Ye Tong gravely, then charged at her with the great sword swinging!

Although the man was large and muscular, his movements were extremely agile, wielding the cumbersome great sword with fluidity, earning cheers from the crowd. But for Ye Tong, this was not enough.

After three moves, Ye Tong used the back of her sword to knock the man to the ground.

The young man slowly stood up, admitted defeat to Ye Tong with a bow, and Ye Tong returned the gesture, then continued to stand with one hand on the great sword, looking around, "Who else wants to try?"

There was a moment of silence among the soldiers; the young man who had just gone up was well-known in the camp, with many defeated by his great sword. Yet now, Ye Tong had defeated him with just one move.

This was a powerful deterrent to those who had been clamoring in dissatisfaction, questioning how a woman could be their commander.

After a moment's pause, another unbeliever declared, "I'll go!"

But the outcome was swiftly the same; within three moves, they too were defeated by Ye Tong.

Subsequently, seven or eight more people went up in succession. Without exception, all were defeated. As the battle royale progressed, the morale of the soldiers waned, while Ye Tong's presence grew ever more formidable.

Especially after each match, despite her slender frame and not being particularly tall, she stood with a heavy broadsword and asked indifferently, "Who's next?"

Even among the men, a sense of weakness took hold.

Having trained under General Ye from a young age and leading troops at fifteen, Ye Tong knew the rules of survival in the military all too well. This was a jungle where the strong preyed on the weak, and respect had to be earned with strength.

Ye Tong, looking calmly at the silent soldiers, slowly declared, "Since no one dares to come forward, from today on, I will assume the position of commander!"

After the battle, those who had initially doubted Ye Tong were now thoroughly convinced, so no one spoke out against her declaration.

Upon entering the military camp under the title of commander, Ye Tong's first act was not to issue orders or boost morale, but to order fifty military canes to be administered to her in front of tens of thousands of soldiers outside the city camp.

Ye Tong vividly remembers Jiang Su's scolding from a few days ago. As a military leader, she indeed lost the qualification over the years, so she orders the execution in front of the soldiers as both a form of self-punishment and apology, and to establish discipline to regain the military's heart.

The military cane is different from ordinary sticks; it is infused with lead, making it heavier and more severe. Fifty full-force strikes would overwhelm even the sturdiest adult man, let alone a slender woman.

Many soldiers were concerned for Ye Tong, seeing her clothes stained red. Some couldn't help but say to Zhong Yi, "We never blamed the commander; she didn't need to do this. Moreover, with the Huns eyeing the border, we might march to war at any moment. If the commander is gravely injured now, how can we fight? General Zhong, please persuade her to stop!"

"It's no use," Zhong Yi said sternly, "Military orders are absolute. Since the general herself has set this rule, no one can dissuade her."

The officers sighed in resignation.

Watching Ye Tong, Zhong Yi felt differently from the officers. Having fought alongside Ye Tong for many years, he knew she was not reckless. This pre-war punishment not only served as self-discipline but would likely elevate her prestige in the camp even further.

In the forty-third year of Jiayang, with the onset of winter, Modun Chanyu of the North finally unveiled his ambitions, amassing troops threateningly at the Great Jin's northern border.

The biting cold wind and the sternness of winter, Emperor Jiayang ordered Ye Tong to lead the troops to the northern frontier immediately. On the day of her deployment, Jiang Su and the women of the Ye family saw her off.

The people of Dingjing City lined the streets, watching the departing troops with heavy hearts.

The bustling streets and the chaotic noises reached into the Duke of Dingbei's mansion.

Chu Mu, groggy from his drunken stupor since the divorce decree arrived, had secluded himself, drowning in alcohol daily. Waking with a splitting headache from last night's drinking, the noise from outside only added to his irritation: "What's happening outside? ...What's all the noise?"

"Your Highness," a servant came in to report, "today is the day General Ye deploys her troops, hence the commotion outside..."

"—Smash!"

Chu Mu knocked a wine jug off the table in frustration, then ran outside heedlessly.

"Your Highness—" The servant, taken aback by Chu Mu's reaction, quickly followed after him.

The uncertainties of border wars mean farewells could last indefinitely. Driven by urgency, Chu Mu wished to hasten, to see her just once more, if only for a moment...

The people remained at the city gate, gazing at the departing heroes. Chu Mu ran from the Duke of Dingbei's mansion to the city gate, only to see the crowds and the distant silhouettes of the army.

Chu Mu paused, bending over with hands on his abdomen, gasping for air, tears silently welling up.

Bi Rou, blending in with the crowd, watched Ye Tong depart. Once the expeditionary force vanished from sight, she turned back towards the palace.

The Great Jin Palace, resplendent and magnificent as always today, hides untold ugliness beneath its heavenly appearance.

Bi Rou hurried back to the Eastern Palace, where Jing Xiangyao quietly sat at her desk, drawing. The rare bright sunlight of winter shone through the window onto her, making her look like a beautifully painted lady, too ethereal to disturb.

"Your Highness…" Bi Rou approached softly, whispering, "The expeditionary force has departed."

Jing Xiangyao paused her brush and hummed in acknowledgment.

Seeing this, Bi Rou discreetly left the hall.

Jing Xiangyao continued her painting, slowly outlining the figure on the desk. It depicted a young girl in red armor, wielding a sword atop a rearing horse, her posture as erect and resolute as an unsheathed blade, embodying a fierce yet stunning beauty.

Jing Xiangyao then smiled softly, her usually clear eyes filled with heartfelt warmth.

The General.

Chapter 27

The Second Daughter [End]

In the forty-third year of Jiayang, General Ye Tong led her troops to the northern frontier. That same year, the assassination attempt during the crown princess's birthday banquet was resolved.

Prince Yu's lineage was convicted and demoted to the status of commoners, and any court official who had interacted with Prince Yu was implicated.

Emperor Jiayang, enraged by the treasonous actions of his son, ordered the Imperial Guard, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate to thoroughly investigate all court officials, determined to arrest anyone involved in Prince Yu's conspiracy.

During this time, fear gripped everyone in Dingjing City, including high-ranking officials, who lived in dread of being targeted by the Imperial Guard or the justice departments for alleged involvement in Prince Yu's treason.

The royal court was fraught with tension, but the Prince of Dingbei's mansion remained oblivious to current events, as its ruler spent his days in drunken stupor. They were only made aware of their predicament when the Imperial Guard surrounded the mansion, accusing them of treason.

Servants, concubines, and even the three masters of the mansion were taken to the front courtyard by the Imperial Guard. The Dowager Princess and Chu Li, failing to grasp their situation, caused a commotion when faced with the invading troops, even demanding to see the Emperor.

Chu Mu faced the commander of the Imperial Guard, Ji Bu Fan, with a stern expression, "Commander Ji claims we are plotting rebellion. I wonder if there is evidence, or has the verdict already been decided?"

Without a response from Ji Bu Fan, Chu Mu angrily said, "Could it be that Commander Ji has barged into the Prince of Dingbei's mansion without any evidence at all?!"

Ji Bu Fan remained silent, while the Imperial Guards inside the mansion eyed everyone from the Prince of Dingbei's household as if they were guarding prisoners.

Chu Mu raised his voice again, "Commander Ji! Although I may be a prince of leisure, I am still of the Chu surname. How dare you treat the Prince of Dingbei's mansion this way? I will surely make a formal complaint before the Emperor!"

Ji Bu Fan glanced at him, and just then, the Imperial Guards searching the Prince of Dingbei's mansion came over and handed something to Ji Bu Fan, saying, "Commander, we found it there as expected!"

Receiving the item from his subordinate, Ji Bu Fan looked it over, while Chu Mu, catching sight of the letters and documents, felt an unease growing within him.

His mind racing, he was about to ask Ji Bufan what those letters were and what this all meant.

Suddenly, Ji Bufan sneered at him, "I'm afraid I won't be waiting for His Highness to file a complaint against me. With the King of Yu plotting treason and so many letters of correspondence with the King of Yu found in your estate, I think, instead of filing a complaint against me, Your Highness should be more concerned about the grave accusation of treason. Can you bear such a charge?"

Chu Mu was stunned, looking at the letters in Ji Bufan's hands with disbelief. He couldn't believe such evidence was actually found in his estate, insisting he had never had any dealings with the King of Yu. Why would these exist?

Chu Mu panicked: "No... This is fake, these are not mine, someone is trying to frame me!"

"Whether it's true or false is for His Majesty to decide," Ji Bufan declared, "Take them away!"

The Imperial Guard surged forward to detain everyone from the Northern King's estate, with the old queen mother and Chu Li finally realizing the seriousness of their situation. Though ignorant, they were not so foolish as to be utterly unaware of the consequences.

Treason?

That was a capital offense; how could they be involved in such a thing?!

The old queen mother and Chu Li protested their innocence loudly, while the rest of the estate's inhabitants were terrified by the Imperial Guard, screaming and wailing incessantly.

Citizens watching from a distance, observing the commotion in front of the Northern King's estate, shook their heads in pity as they saw the once-wealthy and powerful estate reduced to prisoners overnight.

One of Ji Bufan's subordinates, close to him but somewhat dull, looked at the entire Northern King's estate being accused and hesitantly said, "Commander, should we really be doing this? The identity of the informant hasn't been verified, and the authenticity of these pieces of evidence is unknown. Directly raiding the Northern King's estate like this... might not be appropriate..."

The matter involving the King of Yu had wide implications. In recent days, the Imperial Guard along with the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court had been extremely busy, ordered to investigate all court officials who had private dealings with the King of Yu.

Just then, someone suddenly reported that the Northern King's estate also had clandestine interactions with the King of Yu's estate.

The informant spoke with certainty, claiming to have learned of these interactions from the mouth of Chu Mu's most favored concubine. Thus, the Imperial Guard, not daring to be negligent, immediately reported this to His Majesty.

His Majesty then ordered an immediate thorough investigation of the Northern King's estate, leading to the current situation.

However, Ji Bufan's subordinate believed they were still in the process of investigating. Although letters were indeed found, their authenticity was unknown, and both the informant and the rumored concubine of the Northern King appeared mysteriously; hence, whether the Northern King was truly involved in the conspiracy remained to be verified.

"What are you worried about?" Ji Bufan laughed, tapping his subordinate's forehead with the item in his hand, "We are acting on orders, it's His Majesty's command that we arrest them. Understand?"

The bewildered subordinate looked puzzled, and Ji Bufan tapped his head again with the item, saying, "Idiot!"

The bewildered subordinate felt aggrieved.

Ji Bufan shook the letters in his hand, his gaze profound and his voice cool, "Whether these pieces of evidence are real doesn't matter, nor does it matter whether the Northern King had private dealings with the King of Yu or participated in treason. What's important is..."

He looked towards the sealed Northern King's estate, "...how His Majesty feels about it."

The Northern King's involvement in the King of Yu's treason plot was proven, and Emperor Jiayang, furious as thunder, intended to execute the Northern King. It was only after Jiang Su knelt for a day in front of Emperor Jiayang that she managed to spare Chu Mu's life.

However, though the death penalty was avoided, Chu Mu couldn't escape punishment. He was stripped of his title, reduced to a commoner, and sentenced to exile in the remote southern borderlands.

On the day of his punishment, only Chunrui went to send him off.

Chunrui, who would have been sent to a government kiln or military camp along with the other maids and concubines of the Northern King's estate during its downfall, was bought back by the Ye estate, sparing her from disaster.

Chunrui handed Chu Mu a prepared bundle, "The elder lady said, 'There was once a promise, never forgotten. But from now on, the Ye family and the Northern King's estate go their separate ways, with no more ties.'"

Trembling, Chu Mu clutched the bundle. After several days in prison, his appearance was haggard and filthy, a far cry from his previously suave demeanor. He tightened his grip on the bundle and suddenly bowed deeply to Chunrui, "Chu Mu thanks the elder lady for her great kindness."

Chunrui slightly stepped back but still accepted the gesture. She had seen firsthand how the Northern King's estate treated Ye Tong over the years. Initially, she thought the two families would become enemies after the divorce, yet the only one who pleaded on behalf of the Northern King was from the Ye family.

The Ye family's virtue of repaying evil with good was noble and righteous; this gesture was deserved.

"Take care, Your Highness," Chunrui said with a slight bow after receiving half a bow from Chu Mu.

Chu Mu bowed in return, then slowly walked away with his bundle and shackles, accompanied by the bailiff.

After the start of winter, as the climate turned colder, Jiang Su's letter finally reached Ye Tong at the border during the first snow in Dingjing.

After reading the letter, Ye Tong paused thoughtfully, intending to write a thank-you note to Jiang Su but hesitated when she picked up her pen.

Eventually, she didn't write words of gratitude but shared about her life at the border and the situation with the Xiongnu.

From then on, there truly were no more ties between the Ye family and the Duke of Dingbei's household.

Seasons changed, and three years passed. In the 46th year of Jiayang, Crown Prince Jingming succumbed to a severe illness and died, causing Emperor Jiayang great grief. That same year, Jingming's legitimate son was named the crown prince.

The following year, Emperor Jiayang passed away, and the young Emperor Jingxuan ascended the throne with the temple name Xuanming.

In the first year of Xuanming, due to the young emperor's age, the Empress Dowager Xixian took the regency, handling the affairs of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Two years later, unrest stirred in the Great Jin due to Empress Dowager Xixian's regency.

During the imperial examinations in the third year of Xuanming, a stunningly talented candidate emerged.

This prodigy astounded the court and won the favor of several elders with a nation-building essay during the palace examination.

Given his brilliance, everyone expected him to be the top scholar of the examination.

However, it was soon discovered that this astonishingly talented individual was actually a woman disguised as a man.

The revelation shocked the entire nation, and officials were outraged, urging Empress Dowager Xixian to severely punish the woman.

Empress Dowager Xixian, however, ignored their recommendations, even bestowing the title of top scholar on this Jiang surname woman and allowing her into the Hanlin Academy.

Hearing this, officials collectively knelt in the main hall, with some senior officials even committing suicide by colliding with golden pillars, hoping Empress Dowager Xixian would retract her decree.

But Empress Dowager Xixian remained firm in her decision.

The empire was thrown into turmoil, with widespread condemnation from officials and even public outrage, accusing the female ruler of causing unrest.

Upon hearing the news at the border, Ye Tong immediately requested permission to return to the capital.

Afterwards, having received permission from Empress Dowager Xixian, she hurried back to Dingjing at full speed.

Within the court and among the officials, the temporary reconciliation occurred in anticipation of the return of the Grand General to the capital.

On the day of Ye Tong's return, Empress Dowager Xixian, along with the young emperor and hundreds of officials, welcomed her at the city gate.

The city of Dingjing was even livelier than during festivals, with people in the streets shouting: "The Grand General is back! Ye Tong has entered the city!"

Even those who were busy inside their homes dropped what they were doing and ran towards the city gate upon hearing the news.

A young boy, around seven or eight years old, also ran excitedly towards the city gate. As he turned a corner, he ran into someone coming from the opposite direction.

Chu Le was extremely irritated when the boy bumped into him, especially since one of his legs was broken – a result of a gambling addiction that led to a beating by loan sharks after losing a bet two years ago when the Duke of Dingbei's household was first seized.

Thus, he was unsteady on his feet, and even a small child could knock him over.

"I'm... I'm sorry," the boy said nervously upon realizing he had bumped into someone, cautiously approaching Chu Le to help him up.

Chu Le was about to get angry but softened upon seeing the child's face, muttering under his breath, "Careful, where are you rushing off to? It's not like you're racing to be reborn."

The boy apologized again, then stammered, "My parents said the Grand General is back... I wanted to go to the city gate to see her, that's why I was running..."

Chu Le paused in surprise.

At that moment, the boy's parents also arrived; they were planning to go to the city gate together but were delayed in closing their shop, which is why the boy had run ahead.

Seeing his parents, the boy quickly ran to them and explained that he had accidentally knocked someone over.

His parents hurried over to Chu Le to inquire about the situation and even offered to take him to see a doctor.

Chu Le was about to decline the offer to see a doctor, thinking of his mother's illness and the need for medicine money at home, he said, "I don't need you to take me to the doctor, but if you're willing, you could just give me the money you would have spent on that."

"Of course..." he paused, then added, "It doesn't have to be a lot... just give what you think is right."

The boy's parents exchanged glances, not responding immediately. Despite feeling ashamed, Chu Le didn't retract his request due to pride.

Back when his gambling addiction led him to the gambling den, and he was beaten for not having the money to pay his debts, his mother begged during the day and sewed at night to earn money for his medical bills. She ruined her health for him, so he couldn't just give up this chance to get some money for her medicine out of pride.

"Mom, Dad, please give the uncle some money," the boy pleaded, tugging at his mother's skirt. He felt guilty for bumping into the man and was also eager to get to the city gate quickly to see the Grand General, fearing he might miss her.

"What do you think, dear?" The boy's mother nudged his father, who then opened his purse and handed some coins to Chu Le after a glance from his wife.

Chu Le gratefully accepted the coins, instinctively thanking the couple.

The boy's parents waved off the thanks, saying it was their responsibility since their child had bumped into him, insisting no thanks were needed.

Afterward, the boy's parents led him away, while Chu Le, clutching the coins, limped happily towards a pharmacy in the city.

The sunshine was splendid, and the spring weather was warm and pleasant. Even nearing noon, it didn't feel uncomfortable.

The young emperor looked up at the sky, slightly turned his body, and asked Empress Dowager Jing Xiangyao in a low voice, "Mother, when will General Ye arrive?"

Jing Xiangyao, with a solemn and dignified expression, also lowered her voice to reply, "She should be arriving soon. Let's wait a little longer."

The young emperor was about to ask again when suddenly a cry arose from the crowd: "She's back! General Ye is back!"

Immediately, the young emperor sat up straight, his face as solemn and dignified as Jing Xiangyao's.

"Minister Ye Tong, pays respect to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager," Ye Tong dismounted and bowed before the young emperor and Jing Xiangyao.

The young emperor, with a voice tender yet commanding, said, "Minister Ye, please rise. You have worked hard these years."

"Your Majesty overstates," Ye Tong replied, fist in palm, "As a general, it is my duty to defend our nation's borders. I dare not speak of hardship."

The young emperor stepped forward to help Ye Tong up. Despite his youth and short stature, he exuded authority. After conversing with Ye Tong for a while, showcasing a harmonious monarch-minister relationship, he led her directly into the palace.

The banquet for Ye Tong's return to court was actually scheduled for the evening, but knowing Jing Xiangyao wanted to speak with Ye Tong, the young emperor directed them straight from the city gate to the palace.

Once inside, the young emperor and Jing Xiangyao excused themselves, and Jing Xiangyao, after dismissing the attendants, took Ye Tong for a walk in the imperial garden alone.

The splendor of spring was on full display in the imperial garden, with flowers of various colors blooming vibrantly. Jing Xiangyao stopped in front of a peony and slowly asked, "I wonder, General, have you heard about this year's spring examination top scholar being a woman?"

Ye Tong responds with a bow, "I have heard some."

Jing Xiangyao, gazing at the peony, inquires further, "What is your opinion on this matter, General?"

Ye Tong states plainly, "The capable should prevail."

"Well said, 'The capable should prevail,'" Jing Xiangyao replies with a light smile, then asks, "In your view, how do women compare to men in this world?"

"No less capable," Ye Tong asserts firmly.

Jing Xiangyao laughs again, "General Ye is indeed straightforward." She pauses briefly before asking, "Then, let me ask you, General, what do you think of the current state of the world for women?"

Ye Tong's gaze deepens as she responds, "Bound by myriad constraints and shackles."

Jing Xiangyao's smile fades as she picks a peony, turning to face Ye Tong directly. The spring sunlight illuminates her, dressed in a phoenix robe and wearing a phoenix hairpin, exuding an indescribable dignity and authority, like a divine phoenix standing above all, majestic and awe-inspiring.

She speaks slowly, each word deliberate, "What if I told you, General, that I intend to sever these binds, to shatter these shackles, to pierce through the heavens themselves, what would you do?"

Leaving the past behind, as long as your heart remains as steadfast as you claim, unwavering as stone, then—Ye Tong suddenly kneels on one knee, proclaiming, "—Ye Tong swears to follow unto death!"

"Ah, it's really too late. Since it's the last chapter, I wanted to write so much, but I just couldn't get the feel right. I'm such a novice, having such a fondness for this trope, yet writing it into a mess. I'm really sorry QAQ, but I'm super happy for your support! A big kiss to all of you!"

Chapter 28

The Third Daughter

Jiang Su hadn't anticipated the world to evolve in this manner. According to the information from V0, the female character Jing Xiangyao indeed follows the script of a malevolent female supporting character. Initially married to the crown prince, she still entangles with Chu Mu, causing him to remain infatuated with her, thus despising Ye Tong who forces a marriage upon him.

In the middle phase, seeing Chu Mu's growing concern for Ye Tong, she resorts to schemes, ultimately deepening the rift between Chu Mu and Ye Tong, leading to their separation.

Afterward, following their separation, Chu Mu fully realizes his love for Ye Tong and henceforth travels to the frontier in search of her.

In the capital city of Dingjing, Jing Xiangyao, unable to influence events at the frontier, was unaware of Ye Tong and Chu Mu's rekindled relationship at the border.

The information V0 provided Jiang Su focused on Ye Tong, presenting the story from her perspective, leaving Jiang Su unable to fathom Jing Xiangyao's thoughts, knowing only her actions.

In the original plot, Chu Mu went to the border to pursue Ye Tong again. After several life-and-death experiences together, Ye Tong's feelings for Chu Mu reignited, though she never fully accepted him.

Their complete reconciliation was due to Jing Xiangyao causing chaos in Dingjing City. Following the crown prince and Emperor Jiayang's deaths, Jing Xiangyao's young son ascended the throne, with her ruling behind the scenes, her ambition and the resultant discontent among the courtiers evident.

Courtiers who either publicly criticized or secretly contacted the puppet emperor controlled by Jing Xiangyao were directly punished or executed upon discovery by her.

Jing Xiangyao's ruthless governance chilled the officials and shocked the citizens, who cursed her as a calamity upon the nation, though only behind her back.

Additionally, that year saw a female top scholar emerge, named Jiang Wanyi.

Unlike this world's Jiang Wanyi, who thrived in the imperial court thanks to Jing Xiangyao and Ye Tong's support, the original Jiang Wanyi was exposed as a woman, causing turmoil in Great Jin and losing the support she had, even from those willing to follow Jing Xiangyao, leading to her becoming a close female aide to Jing Xiangyao.

Henceforth, this Jiang became a key enforcer in Jing Xiangyao's iron-fisted rule.

The original storyline depicted a tumultuous Great Jin.

Jiang Su initially thought Jing Xiangyao didn't act against Chu Mu and Ye Tong because they were distant at the border and, amidst internal chaos and external threats, needed their military leadership and feared their control over the troops.

Jiang Su once believed Jing Xiangyao to be the stereotypical villainous love rival. Thus, when Jing Xiangyao aimed to kill Chu Mu and Ye Tong later, Jiang Su thought it stemmed from Jing Xiangyao's unrequited love for Chu Mu, who had broken his promises to her for Ye Tong.

However, this world's Jing Xiangyao, while still seizing power and causing disturbances, is entirely different in her background.

She does not love Chu Mu, evident from her lack of action after Ye Tong and Chu Mu's separation.

Nor does she harbor such hatred for Ye Tong, even showing admiration, as seen from her lack of retaliation against Ye Tong after the latter went to the frontier, and instead, rewarded her more upon ascending to power.

Moreover, her relationship with Jiang Wanyi and Ye Tong wasn't as antagonistic as presumed, demonstrated by their joint efforts to upheave Great Jin from within.

The development of this world diverges completely from the original storyline.

Jiang Su spent twenty years in this world, witnessing Jing Xiangyao ascend from Empress Dowager to Emperor, Ye Tong transition from a national protector to Jing Xiangyao's spear, and Jiang Wanyi evolve from a villainous female aide to the esteemed Prime Minister, overseeing efforts to elevate women's status in such an era.

In this realm, Jing Xiangyao wasn't the malevolent supporting character; she neither committed indiscriminate slaughter nor ruled with an iron fist, nor did she manipulate her own child.

Ye Tong didn't reconcile with Chu Mu to rid Great Jin of traitors and kill Jing Xiangyao.

Despite their stories diverging completely from the original plotline, Jiang Su couldn't help but appreciate this development.

After departing from the second world, Jiang Su's soul returned to the Reincarnation Platform.

V0, scampering excitedly at her feet, exclaimed, "Su Su, Su Su, I've grown bigger!"

Jiang Su, pinching her neck to lift and examine her, remarked, "You've just gotten fatter."

V0："…"

V0 flailed and wagged its tail in protest: "I've grown, grown!"

Placing the excited V0 down, Jiang Su questioned, "Why are you so obsessed with your size?"

V0 replied, "Because as a system, I can't be considered small!"

Jiang Su felt puzzled, "…?"

Why did that statement sound familiar to her?

"Aren't you systems supposed to be all about consciousness? Why care about... size?" Honestly, Jiang Su hadn't seen anything amiss until V0's tone made it awkward for her.

"Don't humans like bigger things?" V0 sulked, tail drooping.

Jiang Su was baffled, "…?"

"What are you babbling about, child?!" she scolded.

V0, feeling more aggrieved under Jiang Su's reprimand, stopped wagging its tail and instead tugged at her trousers, pleading her to follow.

Confused but unable to resist the pitiful V0, Jiang Su followed, passing through a cloud wall, only to find a gathering of Catians of various sizes and breeds.

Jiang Su: "…?"

The group of Cat Star beings varied in appearance, size, and breed, but they all shared one trait: they were exceptionally fluffy and cute. Even Jiang Su, not particularly a cat person, felt the urge to pet them.

"…See! You humans just like the big ones!"

V0, seeing Jiang Su captivated by other systems upon entering, felt like a jar of sauerkraut had been spilled inside it, utterly sour.

Yet, it couldn't bear to sulk with Jiang Su, feeling a bit wronged but still couldn't help but rub against Jiang Su's leg, pleading in a sticky sweet manner, "Su Su, don't like them. I'll get bigger, even bigger than them. You like me... like me, right?"

Hearing this, Jiang Su finally understood the meaning behind V0's words, realizing that their systems had levels of forms.

Jiang Su laughed and picked up little V0, comforting, "Okay, okay, I don't want them, only you, just you."

Little V0 was moved beyond words, clinging to Jiang Su, cuddling and rubbing vigorously, mumbling, "Su Su is the best, I like Su Su the most!"

"I like you the most too," Jiang Su said with a soft smile, her eyes glowing with warmth. She thought she didn't need to look at other cats when her own could change too. How wonderful it would be to go from petting it as a hamster to it becoming a cat?

V0 shuddered in response: "..."

Jiang Su quickly realized, "—Sorry, I forgot you could hear my thoughts."

V0："…"

You humans just like big things! Big cloven hoofs!

V0 was annoyed by its tasker's obsession with size, but this also strengthened its resolve to accumulate points for an upgrade to become bigger.

This time, when Jiang Su mentioned moving to the next world, she didn't persuade Jiang Su to rest for a few days but directly initiated the spatial jump.

Once again, the scenery before Jiang Su blurred, and she arrived in a new task world.

The new task world was set in modern times, and in this world, Jiang Su's tasker identity was a woman named Li Xia.

The original Li Xia was born into an ordinary but happy family, with both parents being regular workers. Though the family lived modestly, they were content.

Later, when the original Li Xia turned eighteen and was in her first year of university, she was suddenly kidnapped by human traffickers and sold to a man fifteen years her senior in the mountains.

Initially, Li Xia constantly thought of escaping, but each attempt to leave the mountains ended in capture, followed by brutal beatings upon her return home.

She was tortured miserably by the family that bought her, gradually losing the courage to even think of escape.

After enduring a year, Li Xia gave birth to a daughter in the mountains.

The hardships Li Xia faced in the mountains, and the bitter effort of bearing a child, led her to cherish her daughter as if she was a precious gem. For her daughter's sake, she no longer considered escaping, even when, ten years later, the police busted the trafficking ring that sold her and her parents came to the village with the police to find her, she pleaded with her parents not to report her husband.

By then, Li Xia had adapted to life there. Aside from the initial violence when she tried to escape, the family lived relatively smoothly in the following years, especially since she had her daughter.

Li Xia loved her daughter dearly and couldn't bear the thought of her growing up fatherless, believing she could endure for her child's sake.

Li Xia pleaded with her parents to spare the man and his family. Despite their frustration, her parents, heartbroken, acquiesced. However, they still despised the man's family, so their contact with Li Xia became infrequent.

Li Xia continued to live in the mountains. Her daughter excelled in studies, but the man's family was too poor, and Li Xia's mother-in-law disdained her for having a daughter, leading to her daughter being forced to stop her education after high school.

Li Xia's daughter wanted to continue studying, and Li Xia, feeling sorry for her, managed to send her to her parents. Li Xia's parents were initially reluctant to support her daughter's education until Li Xia's daughter met a man on her own.

Reportedly, the man fell in love with Li Xia's daughter at first sight and began pursuing her. With his support, Li Xia's daughter was able to attend university.

Li Xia's daughter thought they were in love, but the man was actually keeping her as a mistress. Later, when Li Xia's daughter joyfully told the man about her pregnancy and her desire to marry him, she was met with his cold refusal, as he never intended to marry her.

He had been with her only because she reminded him of someone else.

Devastated by the man's indifference and even pressured to terminate the pregnancy, Li Xia's daughter refused.

So, she eventually fled with the child.

Jiang Su: "..."

Reading this background information made Jiang Su feel like smoking.

Needless to say, Li Xia's daughter is the focus of her task in this world, but Jiang Su doesn't even know where to begin critiquing this plot.

Kidnapping, enduring for the sake of a child, meeting a tycoon, being kept, being a stand-in, and then running away pregnant...

"V0, come out. Let's talk."

In the new world, struggling for a long time not knowing which direction to take. Wondering if everyone likes this dramatic situation.

Chapter 29

The Third Daughter

Jiang Su: "I don't want other cats anymore, only you. Let's switch worlds."

V0："…"

V0 adamantly refuses, currently fixated on accumulating points, unwilling to let go of any task opportunity.

So, there's no way V0 would comply with Jiang Su's wish to skip tasks.

"No way~~~ Su Su, just give it a try, please." V0 whines incessantly in Jiang Su's consciousness, desperate for upgrades and points, refusing to abandon any task, especially in a world as tumultuous as this, promising reasonable task points.

For V0, this world is a significant step towards becoming a cat, thus it couldn't possibly agree to Jiang Su's request.

Jiang Su, overwhelmed by V0's persistent nagging and actually just vexed by the storyline complexities, casually vented without truly intending to quit.

While V0 strives to earn points to transform, Jiang Su is eager to gather points for revival. Both are in urgent need of points, so after briefly voicing her frustrations, Jiang Su continues to immerse herself in the world's backstory.

Li Xia's daughter, Tang Yuan, embodies the best traits of her family, with a beautiful appearance and a gentle yet strong-willed character.

Possibly due to her upbringing, Tang Yuan's temperament is mild yet stubborn, with a hint of sensitivity.

After realizing all the kindness from that man was because she resembled someone he imagined, she decisively left him. Despite her firmness and vulnerability, she couldn't muster the courage to terminate her pregnancy.

According to the original storyline, after Tang Yuan and the male lead, Shen Yi, clarify their misunderstandings, Tang Yuan is deeply affected and decides to leave, even contemplating abortion. However, lying on the operation table, she couldn't bear it and fled, choosing to keep the child.

Tang Yuan disappears for five years, diminishing her feelings for Shen Yi due to the passage of time and changes in circumstance, especially given her stubborn and sensitive nature.

Thus, when Tang Yuan encounters Shen Yi five years later, despite not being at peace, she realizes she no longer wishes to be with him.

If the story unfolded as she anticipated, the scoundrel wouldn't exist anymore.

Five years later, when Shen Yi meets Tang Yuan again, his heart is troubled, having realized his feelings for her only after their separation. Thus, upon meeting Tang Yuan, he begins to approach and pursue her.

—A familiar case of the prodigal son returning, but Tang Yuan naturally doesn't reunite with him immediately.

Her mind is fragile yet strong, and due to past hurts, she keeps Shen Yi at a respectful distance.

Therefore, she repeatedly avoids his advances.

At this time, the child Tang Yuan has been raising alone plays a crucial role.

Shen Yi is overjoyed upon learning that Tang Yuan gave birth to their child years ago, and he showers the child with love. The child, lacking fatherly affection from a young age, naturally grows dependent on Shen Yi, his biological father who treats him well.

Consequently, the child makes continuous efforts to bring Tang Yuan and Shen Yi together.

Although Tang Yuan keeps evading Shen Yi, she eventually succumbs under the relentless pursuit of her beloved child and Shen Yi.

Thus, the story ends with a familiar HE (happily ever after).

After processing all the background information, Jiang Su falls into contemplation, with V0 silently watching in her consciousness, anxious.

It fears that after reviewing all the information, Jiang Su might find the world's task too challenging and opt to quit.

Fortunately, the situation is better than anticipated. After a moment of reflection, Jiang Su calmly begins to undertake Li Xia's responsibilities—feeding pigs.

Li Xia is still living in the mountains, fully integrated into the environment, just like many other women who were trafficked here, numbingly passing each day with only her daughter Tang Yuan as a slight beacon of hope.

However, Tang Yuan doesn't really enjoy interacting with her original persona.

Li Xia has always considered Tang Yuan as her lifeline due to her circumstances. When she was pregnant, the man's family was poor and didn't provide well, so she suffered greatly. After giving birth to Tang Yuan, the man's mother despised her for having a girl, not allowing her proper rest postpartum; Li Xia was forced to work just three days after giving birth.

Perhaps due to this, Li Xia damaged her health and never had more children. The man's family was too poor to afford a second daughter-in-law, so they made do with what they had. Nonetheless, the man and his mother resented Li Xia for not providing a son and grandson, thus treating her even more harshly.

Li Xia treasures her only daughter, Tang Yuan, born through such hardship, like a precious gem.

Sometimes, deep affection can become a burden. Tang Yuan loves her mother, but she doesn't know how to face Li Xia.

On one hand, Li Xia's suffering pains her, while on the other, Li Xia's stubborn and timid refusal to escape her current life, frequently telling Tang Yuan it's all for her sake, troubles Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan, being sensitive and delicate, couldn't bear hearing this. During their fiercest argument, she once wished she hadn't been born rather than becoming a burden to her mother.

Li Xia felt as if stabbed by a knife upon hearing this. Years of hardship had made her meek and timid, finding solace only in her daughter, who now wished she hadn't been born, a devastating blow for her.

Li Xia contemplated suicide at that moment.

This scared Tang Yuan. She begged and apologized, managing to persuade Li Xia back from the brink, never showing any negative emotions in front of her mother again.

Therefore, she kept all the events with the male lead from Li Xia. She bore all pain, joy, and hardship alone.

In the original storyline, Shen Yi wins Tang Yuan over by bearing her burdens and resolving the rift between her and Li Xia, unlocking one of Tang Yuan's chains.

"Luo luo luo." Jiang Su awkwardly feeds the pigs, dealing with the rudimentary and smelly pigsty, grateful that V0 shields her senses, sparing her from the stench.

Situated in the mountains, Li Xia's home is built on a slope, with the earth house up top and the toilets, pigsty, and cattle shed below.

Jiang Su, expressionless, feeds the pigs, soon hearing nagging from above: "How long does feeding pigs take? Haven't you started cooking? Want to starve your man?"

Li Xia's mother-in-law, notorious in the village for her tough and unforgiving nature, often bullies the soft-spoken Li Xia.

Jiang Su silently picks up the empty bucket and, head bowed, walks back.

The mother-in-law continues her rant, not noticing anything unusual about today's Li Xia, accustomed to her silence.

Jiang Su, head down, approaches her mother-in-law but heads straight to the kitchen without stopping or looking at her.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Didn't you hear?!" The mother-in-law's anger flares when Jiang Su ignores her, charging after her into the kitchen. "You worthless thing, gone deaf?"

She storms into the kitchen, aiming to grab Jiang Su and slap her.

Bullying Li Xia had become a habit for her mother-in-law, who never considered Li Xia might fight back one day.

But Jiang Su is not Li Xia, so she retaliated instantly, grabbing her mother-in-law's hand and throwing her onto the firewood pile.

The mother-in-law cried out in pain, and Jiang Su quickly knocked her out with a karate chop.

Having spent time in the previous world, Jiang Su had picked up a few skills. While not formidable, she could handle a few people.

After knocking out Li Xia's mother-in-law, Jiang Su coldly glanced at her before heading to another mud house.

Inside, Li Xia's husband was lying on the bed playing with his phone. Now over fifty, he looked particularly old and unsightly due to a large burn scar, making him appear grotesque.

Hearing the noise, he glanced at Li Xia and asked, "Where's my mom? What are you doing in here, is dinner not ready?"

Jiang Su remained silent.

The man finally looked up from his phone and threw something from the bed at her: "I'm talking to you! You've gone mute now?!"

The man's temper wasn't always this bad. Growing up as the only son in the mountains, he was pampered and spoiled due to his handsome looks, unlike his current state.

His transformation was due to an incident in his youth when, flaunting his good looks, he attracted many girls and got into trouble with a girl who had a gangster boyfriend, resulting in his face being burned and his leg broken.

Being from a poor family, the only medical treatment he could afford was at a small clinic, which not only failed to cure him but also left him disfigured and crippled.

Afterwards, his personality drastically changed. Returning to the mountains, his only asset ruined and no girl willing to marry him, his mother decided to buy Li Xia for him.

"I'm talking here! You damn liability, what's your problem? Want a beating again?!"

He especially disliked Li Xia's silent demeanor, or rather, he disliked Li Xia herself. His mood swings, exacerbated by his disfigurement and disability from a woman-related incident, only worsened after Li Xia arrived, initially resisting and attempting to escape.

However, her subsequent silence and listlessness only irritated him further.

Cursing, he approached Jiang Su with the intention to hit her. Jiang Su's gaze turned cold, and she swiftly broke his wrist.

The man screamed in pain.

Jiang Su then grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the wall with force.

Bang—

She truly wanted to kill this man because the information revealed that he not only trafficked women, assaulted Li Xia, and abused her, but also harbored intentions towards Tang Yuan as she grew older and more attractive.

If it weren't for Li Xia's paramount concern for her daughter and her desperate protection, who knows to what extent Tang Yuan would have been harmed by this man.

Bang, bang—

The man's actions reminded Jiang Su of her own past, the pain of being thrust into the mire by her own father, chilling her to the core and rendering her unable to cease her movements.

She really wanted to kill him.

Suddenly felt that it was Li Xia who needed transformation...

To avoid misunderstanding, let me clarify in advance that the "Little Tangyuan" in this world isn't despicable. Really. She's similar to Lele, only her situation is slightly more tragic.

Chapter 30

The Third Daughter

The man had already passed out, his appearance now pitiful and ferocious, his face lined with wrinkles and burn scars, bleeding profusely. Jiang Su gave him a cold glance, ultimately stopping her assault and not continuing to beat him.

The man, over fifty, frail and decrepit, couldn't withstand her few blows; continuing would likely have cost him his life.

Bang—

Jiang Su tossed the man aside like trash, scanned her surroundings, then picked up his phone to dial Tang Yuan's number.

The phone, purchased with money given by Tang Yuan, represented her relentless efforts to earn money after leaving the mountains. Despite having Shen Yi, she didn't want to rely entirely on him. A girl from a poor village, sensitive and meticulous, appreciated Shen Yi's presence and help but couldn't comfortably accept all his gifts.

She cherished every kindness Shen Yi showed, remembering every financial support he provided.

Over the years, Tang Yuan diligently worked part-time jobs to earn money.

Occasionally, she would send money to Li Xia, but it always ended up in the hands of the man or Li Xia's mother-in-law.

This phone was bought with money the man had snatched from Li Xia.

"Hello—" The call connected, and a pleasant yet somewhat weak female voice answered.

"Yuan Yuan, it's me…" Jiang Su said.

"Mom?" Tang Yuan sounded surprised, then worriedly asked, "Is it because Dad is pressuring you for money again? Did he hit you? How are you?!"

Tang Yuan was aware that the old man had stolen the money she sent to Li Xia and that he had bought a phone with it. Though she wished to have nothing to do with the old man, Li Xia was still in that household, leaving her with no choice.

Since discovering Tang Yuan was sending money to Li Xia, the old man, like a leech, clung tightly, incessantly calling Tang Yuan for money. If she refused, he would beat Li Xia, forcing her to cry and plead over the phone.

Even in her fury, Tang Yuan felt powerless. She despised the man and the household but not Li Xia, nor could she abandon her, resulting in her compliance with the man's demands every time.

Normally, the phone only reached Li Xia's hands when the man coerced her to ask Tang Yuan for money, hence Tang Yuan's immediate worry upon hearing Li Xia's voice.

"Yuan Yuan," Jiang Su didn't respond directly to Tang Yuan's concerns but instead spoke in a haunting tone, "I've knocked them out; they're lying motionless on the ground. Just a couple of cuts... with a knife, gently across their bodies... could ensure they never beat me again, nor threaten you... Should I do it? It's simple, just two cuts. They can't move now."

"Mom!" Initially fraught with worry, Tang Yuan was shocked by Jiang Su's words, quickly grasping her meaning and instinctively objecting, "No, mom, don't be foolish... Please don't!"

Jiang Su sounded like a puzzled child, but her words were chilling, "Why not, Yuan Yuan? They're so vile, hitting and cursing me, bullying and pressuring you. If they were gone, everything would be better. You wouldn't be pressured by them anymore. Should I kill them? It's very simple, just two cuts. They can't move."

"No, mom, listen to me, don't do this," Tang Yuan was terrified, never imagining her timid and weak mother could suggest such a thing. She wasn't scared of her mother's murderous intent but felt heartache and sadness instead.

Tang Yuan didn't care about her so-called father or grandmother, nor whether they lived or died, but she cared about Li Xia. A girl who had been well-educated and behaved could not let her most beloved mother commit a grave mistake.

These scumbags could be killed by anyone, but not by her mother.

Absolutely not.

"Mom, killing them would destroy you too. So please, I beg you, don't do it. Think of me, Yuan Yuan can't be without you... Mom, please don't do anything foolish, I'm begging you..." Tang Yuan was frantic, separated by miles and unable to physically reach Jiang Su, she desperately clung to the phone, pleading with Jiang Su to abandon her dangerous thoughts.

"But they are too horrifying, Yuan Yuan. I can't take it anymore, I really can't," Jiang Su said, "I don't want to continue like this, don't want them to hit or curse me anymore, don't want to see them threatening you..."

"Then leave that place, mom, come to me. From now on, we'll live together, we won't see them or have any contact with them anymore, okay?" Tang Yuan suggested immediately.

Jiang Su seemed tempted: "…Leave?"

Tang Yuan felt hopeful as she immediately said, "Yes, leave! Mom, let's not stay there. Leave that place and from now on, it will just be the two of us living together, okay?"

Jiang Su was silent for a while, and Tang Yuan seized the moment to persuade her further.

She had long wished for Li Xia to leave with her. Tang Yuan held no attachment to the place of her upbringing, only deep abhorrence. She despised it and its people.

Therefore, she wanted to escape, to take her mother and flee.

But previously, her mother had never agreed, seemingly having lost all courage to resist after over two decades of suffering, too afraid to flee even such a life.

This time, Tang Yuan wanted to try persuading her mother, uncertain if she would agree since she had refused before. Regardless, Tang Yuan was determined to dissuade her from any rash actions.

While Tang Yuan was on the phone, persuading Jiang Su, who seemed to be hesitating, Jiang Su was also searching the dilapidated house for money and Li Xia's ID card.

Li Xia's ID card and Tang Yuan's household registration were only processed after Li Xia's parents found her. Before that, the old man's family, fearing she might escape or be taken back, had preferred her to be without any identification at all.

The reason they later agreed was due to Tang Yuan needing to attend school, which required a household registration, something Li Xia had fought for. Despite her timid and weak nature, Li Xia displayed all her courage for Tang Yuan, fiercely protecting her like a wolf mother with her cub.

The old man's family, unable to control her, eventually gave in, especially since they weren't the ones financially supporting the child.

Having found the money and ID card, Jiang Su finally gave Tang Yuan a positive response.

"Okay, I'll come to you."

Tang Yuan, overjoyed, quickly instructed Jiang Su on how to leave over the phone.

Not being on the scene, Tang Yuan didn't know the exact state of the two men or how they were incapacitated, so she asked Jiang Su to tie them up.

Tang Yuan had meticulously planned the escape, only needing Li Xia to execute it, so her instructions were clear and precise.

And Jiang Su, following the instructions smoothly, tied up the old man and his wife in the kitchen, then used a dark cloth and duct tape to seal their mouths.

After giving them a deep look, Jiang Su left the earthen house.

After calming down, Jiang Su thought that killing them directly would be letting them off too easily.

She had only served them an appetizer now. If they were lucky enough to die this time, so be it, but if they were unlucky enough to live, she would make them pay a thousandfold for their actions.

One day later, in City A, at the train station.

With the crowd bustling, Tang Yuan, dressed in a white pullover, anxiously looked out from the exit. Upon seeing Jiang Su emerge, she immediately waved to signal her, feeling relieved after a day of anxiety.

"Mom!"

Tang Yuan hugged Jiang Su tightly, her heart having been in suspense since Jiang Su called her yesterday talking about wanting to kill those two people. She feared Jiang Su might act recklessly or stubbornly, or perhaps, like before, have second thoughts halfway and return on her own or be captured by that family again.

Tossing and turning, even after several phone calls with Jiang Su at night, she couldn't be at ease until now. But thinking of what her mother had gone through, she couldn't help but tear up, her nose feeling sour and bitter.

"Mom, let's live a good life from now on. Just us," she murmured into Jiang Su's shoulder.

"Okay..." Jiang Su responded with a mix of trepidation and longing while embracing Tang Yuan, though she was inwardly assessing her.

Tang Yuan indeed possessed an exceptional beauty, not of the aggressive, flamboyant kind but akin to Jing Xiangyao from her previous life—a celestial, ethereal beauty that seemed otherworldly.

Such beauty is a double-edged sword; wielded properly, it can bring numerous benefits to its owner. But if misused, excessive beauty can only lead to tragedy.

"Why is your face so pale, are you feeling unwell?" Jiang Su asked with concern as she approached Tang Yuan, already knowing the reason. According to the background information, at this time, Tang Yuan had secretly escaped from Shen Yi, though it hadn't been long, and she had just become pregnant.

"No, I'm fine," Tang Yuan stiffened, unsure of how to explain her relationship with Shen Yi to her mother, now that her supposed love had turned into a joke, especially with a child on the way.

"You wouldn't look so ill if you weren't sick," Jiang Su said, touching Tang Yuan's forehead like a mother worried about her daughter's health.

Tang Yuan felt nervous; Jiang Su's words from yesterday were too shocking, making her focus only on persuading Jiang Su to leave, forgetting her own situation. She wasn't ready to explain everything to her mother, including the pregnancy, making her respond awkwardly to Jiang Su's care.

She insisted she was fine, just too worried about her and hadn't rested well.

Hearing this, Jiang Su began to blame herself.

Taken aback, Tang Yuan hurriedly reassured her that she really was okay.

The original Lee Xia was a sensitive, fragile person who valued her daughter above all else. Thus, Tang Yuan wasn't suspicious of Jiang Su's behavior. Instead, her own guilt lessened her surprise at her mother's newfound defiance and attempt to escape.

The mother and daughter returned to Tang Yuan's rental.

Tang Yuan hadn't been in City A for long. She had lived in City B because of Shen Yi's family, choosing her university there and planning to stay after graduation.

However, after the incident, she wanted to escape from Shen Yi, forcing her to leave City B for City A.

"Mom, are you hungry? I'll cook something. You go take a shower and rest," Tang Yuan said.

"No rush. Let me cook after I've showered. You rest too; you look pale," Jiang Su responded. She couldn't smell herself but knew from the way people on the train kept their distance that she mustn't smell good.

Tang Yuan insisted she was fine and then showed Jiang Su to the bathroom, explaining how to use it.

Once Jiang Su was in the bathroom, Tang Yuan went to the kitchen.

Jiang Su didn't take long to shower. When she was done, Tang Yuan was still busy in the kitchen, so she took over the cooking.

Tang Yuan couldn't argue with her and had to step aside.

Jiang Su, in front of Tang Yuan, expressed concern for her health, insisting she needed to be nourished. Tang Yuan's smile was stiff, and she felt uneasy.

Tang Yuan was in her early stages of pregnancy. Even without saying anything, Jiang Su could easily deduce her condition, especially since she already knew but was just looking for a reason to bring it up.

A few days later, when Tang Yuan couldn't help but rush to the bathroom to vomit again, Jiang Su's concern turned to solemnity. She approached Tang Yuan, patting her back, and asked, "Tang Yuan, are you pregnant?"

Not, "Are you pregnant?"

But rather, "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Tang Yuan's heart tightened at the question, her face draining of color as she looked helplessly at Jiang Su, managing only a weak "Mom…"

Jiang Su, pale-faced and with a heavy, sorrowful expression, said, "I've been through this, you look just like I did when I was pregnant with you... Who's the father of the child?"

With a pained expression, Tang Yuan knew she couldn't hide it anymore and in a choked voice said, "The child... has no father..."

Tang Yuan didn't want to tell Jiang Su about her affair with Shen Yi, and had been thinking these past few days about what to say if discovered. Eventually, she fabricated a lie.

The lie was that she fell in love with a man who died, so she wanted to keep the child.

If Tang Yuan's mother had been the original Li Xia, she would have believed it and, being soft-hearted, would have agreed with Tang Yuan.

But now, Tang Yuan's mother is Jiang Su, who, knowing the plot's development, would never believe Tang Yuan's words, nor would she ever allow her to keep the child.

"You are my own flesh and blood, I know your temperament and character better than you do... Do you still want to lie to me now?"

Tang Yuan, pale-faced, wanted to insist she was telling the truth. Looking up, she saw Jiang Su's face twisted in pain, clutching her own hair as if she would break down the next moment if Tang Yuan agreed.

Overwhelmed by sorrow, Tang Yuan immediately grasped Jiang Su, crying and apologizing while finally starting to tell her the truth.

Even though Jiang Su already knew the plot, she wouldn't ignore it; she knew she had to play her part in this drama.

After cycling through anger, shock, sadness, pain, and sympathy, Jiang Su finally tightly embraced Tang Yuan and voiced the words she had been wanting to say.

"You can't keep this child."

First, address the issue of the pregnancy, then the issue of being a stand-in.