“But…” Ye Shaohua is, after all, the daughter of a disgraced official.
Consort Xian smiled instead. “Chen’er, do you really think your father will still care whether she’s the daughter of a disgraced official once he sees your fourth brother?”
Sikong Mingxuan’s eyes lit up.
After this news spread, the first to hear it were Sikong Mingxuan, Liu Mingxin, and Liu Lin.
“This woman actually bullied you again!” Liu Lin had already learned from Liu Mingxin that she was going to the palace to treat the Empress Dowager, but never expected Ye Shaohua to swoop in and snatch the opportunity halfway through.
Naturally, Liu Lin didn’t believe anyone in this world could surpass his mother in medical skill.
He simply assumed that Consort Xian, who was in charge of this matter, was blind to talent—or perhaps she was angry that his mother hadn’t given her the life-saving pill.
Liu Mingxin was also stunned. “So in this world too, power and influence let you do whatever you want?”
If she’d known earlier, she wouldn’t have kept such a low profile!
Hearing this, Liu Lin and Sikong Mingxuan both felt their hearts ache. Liu Lin’s eyes darted around—he was going to vent some anger for his mother. His mother was not someone just anyone could bully!
That night, Liu Lin shut his door and went to find the people of the Wunian Sect.
**
Meanwhile, Dongxue had heard from the maidservant beside Consort Xian just how formidable her young mistress was, and her mouth hung open for quite a while without closing.
Especially when she learned that Ye Shaohua was going to the palace to treat the Empress Dowager—and might even clear the master’s name.
She finally gathered the courage to tell Ye Shaohua about Song Jingshu.
The more Ye Shaohua listened, the colder her expression grew.
“Little Divine Doctor Ye!” Sikong Mingchen climbed over the wall from the neighboring courtyard. “I just heard some martial artists discussing something—did you offend the Wunian…”
But before he could finish his sentence, there was a knock at the main gate outside the courtyard.
After sensing who was outside, Ye Shaohua immediately went to open the door, completely ignoring Sikong Mingchen.
Outside stood a woman with a bundle on her back and a small child in hand, her face utterly gaunt and withered.
You could tell her features were delicate, but at this moment, her haggardness made it impossible to see any beauty at all.
“Miss Biao, why have you come back? Did Li Mingde bully you again!” Seeing Song Jingshu in this state, Dongxue took a deep breath. “Is it that concubine he married who’s been giving you attitude?”
Her fists were clenched tight, looking fierce as if she was about to go settle the score with Li Mingde.
But when she saw the child holding Song Jingshu’s hand, she relaxed her grip and gently stroked the child’s head.
Ye Shaohua also recalled Song Jingshu’s storyline at this point. She pressed her lips together slightly. “That Concubine Shen? Li Mingde is a court official—you’re his properly wedded wife. How could he do something like favoring a concubine and destroying his wife?!”
“Properly wedded wife?” Song Jingshu laughed weakly. “Shen Minglan’s younger brother passed the imperial exam and became a second-place scholar. He’s bound to be an important court official in the future. What does a descendant of a disgraced official like me amount to in his eyes? Everyone in the back courtyard is congratulating Shen Minglan now. I, the legitimate wife, am nothing but his wife of humble beginnings!”
As she spoke, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.
“Even if I, Song Jingshu, have to become a nun in a convent, I refuse to grow old and die in his back courtyard,” Song Jingshu said, handing the divorce letter and a stack of silver notes to Ye Shaohua. “Cousin, I’ve been divorced and can’t let you ruin your reputation. But I don’t want my Yuan’er to suffer with me in a nunnery. Can you help me raise Yuan’er until he’s grown?”
Ye Shaohua pressed her hand over Song Jingshu’s, her eyes cold as a frozen pool.
Slowly and solemnly, she shook her head.
Song Jingshu’s eyes dimmed. She knew this was asking too much of her cousin—an unmarried young woman.
Just then, a large group of masked figures suddenly leaped down into the Ye family’s back courtyard.
They arrogantly scanned the courtyard. “Who is Ye Shaohua? Come out yourself!”
Sikong Mingchen had come specifically to tell Ye Shaohua about this. Seeing the patterns carved on the necks of these people, his expression changed. “You’re from the Assassin Pavilion?”
The leader of the Assassin Pavilion made no attempt to hide it. He glanced at Sikong Mingchen and sneered. “Good eye.”
Sikong Mingchen had originally thought only the Wunian Sect would come—with the imperial guards he’d brought, he could handle them.
He never expected it to be the Assassin Pavilion!
The Assassin Pavilion was always ruthless and merciless—their strikes were vicious, fast, and precise. And now there were four defenseless women and a child on the scene. Sikong Mingchen found the situation thorny.
He looked gravely at the leader. “Do you know you’re about to move against members of the imperial family?”
“Imperial family?” Hearing Sikong Mingchen’s words, the Assassin Pavilion members all burst out laughing. “Kid, we’ve even killed princes of the royal clan. Do you think we’re afraid of your imperial family?”
Sikong Mingchen’s expression changed.
The Assassin Pavilion wasn’t interested in wasting words. They waved their hands, ready to take Ye Shaohua away, still laughing. “The imperial family is so impressive? How naive.”
“Shut up!”
At that moment, a cold shout rang out—not loud, but clearly heard by everyone present.
Ye Shaohua looked at Song Jingshu. “Cousin, I won’t help you raise your son, because you’re going to raise him yourself and teach him life’s lessons. Who says a divorced woman has to go to a nunnery? I, Ye Shaohua, will make sure you marry again—in grand style!”
After saying that, she slowly turned to look at the Assassin Pavilion people. Looking at the leader, she said softly, “The Assassin Pavilion? Do you know that three days ago, you got a new master?”
