Chapter 1: The Malevolent Stepsister’s Persecution

“Tang Chuyao, you venomous woman! How could you drug Ying’er!”

Tang Chuyao endured the severe pain in her body, looking at the person with a shocked expression.

The person was none other than her husband, Gu Huaifeng from the Xuanping Marquis’ household!

At this moment, Gu Huaifeng had a face full of rage, his eyes burning with fury as if he wanted to burn Tang Chuyao to ashes…

Cuddled in his arms, Tang Chuying appeared delicate and boneless, trembling like she had been frightened, her eyelashes lightly quivering, her eyes red and swollen, tears brimming.

“Elder sister, how can you be so foolish…”

The one speaking was Tang Chuyao’s half-sister, Tang Chuying.

“Ying’er, you still weep for this venomous woman, when she wishes for your life!”

Gu Huaifeng tightly embraced the one in his arms, looking tenderly at Tang Chuying.

Gu Huaifeng’s careful nurturing of Tang Chuying filled Tang Chuyao’s heart with bitterness…

This was her sacrifice for her husband, but what did it amount to?

“Husband, I did not drug Ying’er!” Despite this, Tang Chuyao struggled to sit up from the bed, defending herself.

“You didn’t?!”

“Tang Chuyao, you dare to do wrong and yet deny it!”

“You instructed your maid Dujian to add arsenic to the chicken soup sent to Ying’er!”

“What a malicious heart you have!”

“I must be blind to have married this venomous woman!”

Tang Chuyao suddenly felt an ominous premonition rising in her heart; she hadn’t sent Dujian to give Tang Chuying any chicken soup!

Besides, given her lack of favor in the household, how could she possibly drink chicken soup? Let alone send it to Tang Chuying!

Tang Chuyao suddenly realized something, looking up at Tang Chuying, only to see no trace of sadness on her face, just a cold glint in her eyes!

“Was it you?!”

Tang Chuyao pointed at Tang Chuying, her face full of disbelief. Although Tang Chuying was her half-sister, she had always treated her like a true sister.

Whether at their family home before or now in the Xuanping Marquis’ household, Tang Chuyao had always treated her sincerely.

Tang Chuying seemed to have been greatly startled, retreating into Gu Huaifeng’s arms, her voice tinged with timidity,

“Elder sister, you…”

“Brother Huai Feng, sister surely didn’t do it on purpose, please don’t blame her, alright?”

Tang Chuying’s small face was streaked with tears, looking up at Gu Huaifeng, her pale fingers tightly gripping his clothing, like a frail vine, delicate and pitiful.

Gu Huaifeng gently wiped the tears from Tang Chuying’s face, cooing softly, “Ying’er needn’t be afraid, husband is here.”

Then he coldly gazed at Tang Chuyao on the bed, his gaze chilling, as if looking at a dead person.

“Tang Chuyao, you wicked woman!”

“You failed to poison her, and now you want to turn the tables?”

“You’re even inferior to your maidservants!”

Tang Chuyao bit her lip tightly, struggling not to collapse, as her time grew short; she waited for Gu Huaifeng to arrive.

She didn’t expect such a scene!

She suddenly realized that she hadn’t seen Dujian for a while; that girl was usually always by her side.

Recalling Gu Huaifeng’s earlier words, an unsettling feeling surged in her heart.

“Where is Dujian?”

Gu Huaifeng gently released Tang Chuying from his grip, walking slowly to the bedside, looking at Tang Chuyao with uncontrollable rage.

“Tang Chuyao, your maid deserves to die!”

Tang Chuyao’s eyes widened, her hands gripping the bedding tightly.

Dujian is dead?

Ever since Tang Chuyao was born, Dujian had always been by her side; Dujian’s mother, Yinghe, was her mother’s head maid.

Duan is only three years older than her, yet she always protects her like an adult.

After their mother passed away, Duan and she relied on each other for support. Instead of saying Duan was her maid, it would be more accurate to say she was her older sister!

But now, that beloved sister Duan has died!!

Tang Chuyao’s eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on her forehead as she looked at Gu Huaifeng with intense hatred!

“How did Duan die?”

For the first time, Gu Huaifeng saw hatred in Tang Chuyao’s eyes, and he felt a bit irritated.

He raised his hand and slapped Tang Chuyao.

“Smack!”

Tang Chuyao stumbled back and instantly fell onto the bed.

Gu Huaifeng frowned as he looked at Tang Chuyao. He hadn’t used much force; how could this venomous woman be so weak?

Tang Chuying immediately stepped forward and grabbed Gu Huaifeng’s sleeve, looking at Tang Chuyao with concern.

“Brother Huaifeng, don’t hit my sister!”

“I’ll talk to my sister; Brother Huaifeng can go do his work first, okay?”

After saying that, Tang Chuying gently shook Gu Huaifeng’s sleeve, looking pitiful.

Gu Huaifeng affectionately patted Tang Chuying’s head, “Qing’er is truly a virtuous wife!”

“Tang Chuyao, you wretched woman, if you had half of Qing’er’s understanding, you wouldn’t have ended up like this!”

Tang Chuyao struggled to prop herself up; she didn’t quite understand what Gu Huaifeng meant.

Gu Huaifeng didn’t say much more to her, kissing Tang Chuying on the forehead before turning to leave.

As soon as Gu Huaifeng left, Tang Chuying’s expression changed.

She looked arrogantly at the disheveled Tang Chuyao on the bed, a cold smile creeping onto her lips.

“Tang Chuyao, look at you now, you resemble a discarded dog!”

“How did Duan die?” Tang Chuyao steadied her swaying body, her eyes red as she looked at Tang Chuying.

Tang Chuying patted her chest, feigning a frightened expression, “Sister, don’t look at me like that, Qing’er is so scared!”

“Oh, you mean that dead wretched maid!”

“She was indeed loyal; when I asked her to testify that you poisoned me, she refused!”

“There was no choice; I had to make her drink that bowl of poisoned chicken soup!”

“Do you know? Even at the moment of her death, she still wanted me to spare you!”

Tang Chuyao trembled all over, Duan! Silly Duan!

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of blood spurted out, and Tang Chuyao’s face turned pale as paper, translucent as if she would stop breathing any second.

Tang Chuying gently caressed her chin, her crimson lips curling up, “Can’t handle it anymore?”

“The General of the North’s family was executed at noon today, and no one came to collect the bodies; how pitiful!”

Tang Chuyao’s eyes were red, gasping for air like a dying fish.

The General of the North was from her maternal family. Ever since she married into the Xuanping Marquis’s household, she had little contact with her maternal family because Gu Huaifeng disliked them.

Every year on her birthday, her maternal family would prepare a grand gift for her.

How could her maternal family be executed?

“Brother Huaifeng found that old man’s correspondence with the Rouran in his study.”

“It confirmed that old man’s treasonous crimes!”

“Tsk tsk tsk, such a large general’s household was wiped out overnight; how pitiful!”

After saying that, Tang Chuying suddenly burst into laughter, “Tang Chuyao, you really are as foolish as a pig!”

“Dealing with someone like you really gives me no sense of accomplishment at all!”

Tang Chuying savored the expression on Tang Chuyao’s face, suddenly stepping forward and grabbing her chin, looking into her eyes.