Chapter 14: She Overwhelms Her Second Sister-in-law! The Tyrant Enjoys the Show

He said he had wrongfully slaughtered the entire Zhu family and was already deeply ashamed before their loyal spirits. How could he then allow Song Anqiao to bring in some unrelated bastard child to bask in the Zhu family’s legacy?

He absolutely would not let Song Anqiao and that child of unknown origin live comfortably in the Grand General’s Estate, parading around as if they were carrying on the Zhu family line!

The souls of the Zhu family’s wronged dead did not need unrelated people to live in their stead!

So he announced the truth to the world—

He said that when Song Anqiao left the Zhu family, she had not been pregnant!

The child she hid away in the nunnery was a lie, not the Zhu family’s orphan!

Thus, in a single night, this lying woman became the target of the capital’s scorn.

Especially at that moment, when the people’s hearts were grieving the massacre of the Zhu family, Song Anqiao’s fabrication of a bastard child to confuse their bloodline enraged the masses all the more.

Crowds gathered daily outside the Song residence, shouting for Song Anqiao to atone with her death!

In the end, the Song family, unable to withstand the fury, had no choice but to weep and hand her a cup of poisoned wine, forcing her to end her life.

…

Recalling this, Zhu Wuhuan’s gaze toward Song Anqiao grew even colder.

The instinct to cling to life was only natural.

Cutting ties with the Zhu family and choosing survival was not in itself unforgivable. But what she did months later was disgusting.

If not for the tyrant Feng Changye refusing to play along with her scheme, wouldn’t the Zhu family’s dead have been enraged enough to claw their way out of their coffins?

She complained inwardly to the system:
Sigh, what a pity! If not for needing to guard against Prince Jin’s spies—if I hadn’t worried that revealing my Empress position remained intact would alert him—I’d call an imperial physician right now to expose this woman’s fake pregnancy!

The system answered:
Endure it, Host. Compared to this little shrimp, probing Prince Jin—the culprit who doomed the Zhu family—is far more important!

Zhu Wuhuan hummed in agreement, then cheerfully said to the system:
It’s fine! Three days from now, when the Zhu family escapes this disaster, this woman will surely come back shamelessly. Then we’ll just summon an imperial physician to the gate and expose her false pregnancy in front of everyone—that would be an even harder slap in the face!

At the thought, Zhu Wuhuan’s heart felt suddenly refreshed!

She eyed Song Anqiao as if she could already see her humiliated to death in public.

“Little Sister, you’re back…”

Song Anqiao, meeting Zhu Wuhuan’s gaze, shrank back instinctively.

She had always felt somewhat intimidated by her younger sister-in-law, the Empress.

Especially now, in such an awkward moment, her guilt only deepened. She instinctively tried to hide the divorce letter behind her back.

Step by graceful step, elegant and noble, Zhu Wuhuan approached.

She reached out, coldly seizing Song Anqiao’s hand. With the slightest pressure, Song Anqiao cried out in pain!

“Ah—”

Her scream rang out, and her fingers involuntarily released the divorce letter, which fell to the ground.

Suqiu bent to pick it up and respectfully presented it to Zhu Wuhuan.

Unfolding it, Zhu Wuhuan scanned the contents swiftly, then lifted her gaze to Song Anqiao, her voice dripping with mockery.

“Since Miss Song has so happily taken the Zhu family’s divorce letter, you are no longer of the Zhu family. From now on, do not call me Little Sister.”

“…” Song Anqiao’s face was pale, then green, unsightly to behold.

Her father, Minister Song, stood awkwardly to the side.

Ashamed to remain under the same roof as the Zhu family, he quickly turned to the deputy captain and spoke in a low voice.

“I will first take my daughter back to the Song estate. Later, I shall personally report this matter to His Majesty. If His Majesty does not permit my daughter to return home, then you may come by imperial order to take her back.”

With that, he swept aside the crossed blades barring the way, seized Song Anqiao’s hand, and led her down the steps.

The deputy captain moved to pursue, but Zhu Wuhuan raised her hand to stop him.

He glanced at her sidelong, eyes flickering with thought, then pulled back his step and refrained.

Zhu Wuhuan remained standing at the gate, high above, watching father and daughter board the carriage.

Only when the carriage began to move did she slowly say:

“Miss Song, when my Zhu family fell into ruin, you abandoned us to seek your own life. No one in my Zhu family blamed you. We all wish you to find a worthy husband in the future, to share affection and raise many sons.”

Then her voice turned sharp.

“But if one day my Zhu family survives this calamity, then you—who could not share hardship with us today—must not blame us when we refuse to welcome you back. Do not call us heartless!”

Her words rang out, firm and powerful!

They struck the father and daughter in the carriage like thunder, shaking their hearts!

The two looked at each other in shock. What did that mean?

Could the Zhu family still have a chance to turn things around?

Song Baozhang’s heart pounded wildly. He immediately lifted the carriage curtain and looked back toward the Zhu estate gate!

There stood Miss Zhu, spine straight, calm and composed. Even without phoenix robes or the nine-phoenix hairpin, she was still like a soaring phoenix of the heavens!

As though she had never been deposed, as though the Zhu family faced no disaster at all!

Seeing her like this, Song Baozhang’s face turned ashen!

Recalling her final words, his eyes darted in panic. “What did she mean? What did she mean?”

Song Anqiao clutched the divorce letter tightly. “Father, could she really persuade the Emperor to rescind his order and save the Zhu family? Should we turn back now…”

Song Baozhang ground his teeth. “The carriage is already moving. Will you jump out and throw yourself at their gate crying to return? What if she was only frightening us? If you go back, you’ll be throwing yourself back into the fire pit!”

Song Anqiao fidgeted restlessly, anxious. “But if she wasn’t bluffing—if three days later the Zhu family really survives—how will I have the face to return?”

Song Baozhang’s head ached with unease!

But it was too late now!

Closing his eyes, he sighed heavily. “Go back! As for the Zhu family’s fate… we’ll wait three days and see!”

Song Anqiao, weeping, answered softly.

Through the carriage curtain, she looked at the towering Grand General’s Estate. Almost instinctively, her hand pressed against her abdomen, forcing herself to calm down.

It’s fine, she told herself. Don’t be afraid. She had “left while pregnant.” When the time came, surely the Zhu family could not refuse to reclaim their pregnant second daughter-in-law!

Soon, the Song family’s carriage departed the gates of the Grand General’s Estate.

…

Not far away, a low-key black-curtained carriage stood.

Inside, dressed in plain clothes, Feng Changye lifted his fan to hook the curtain aside, peering through the narrow gap at the Zhu estate gate.

Watching that striking female figure, recalling her resolute words, he curved his lips into a satisfied smile.

This temperament—truly amusing!

She had deliberately concealed her identity, deliberately waited until the father and daughter had boarded their carriage before speaking slowly, simply to sow trouble and leave them in unease, torn between retreat and return.