It took a long time until Madame Wen recollected her thoughts. Gazing at the note on the table, she sighed heavily to herself. Don’t blame me, please. You only have your mother to blame for committing too many sins.
She tidied up her clothes and kept turning the Buddha bead bracelet, hoping to seek some redemption.
Meanwhile, Wen Wanzhi leaned against the bed pillar, her gaze an icy cold that was nevertheless incapable of hiding the tears pouring down her face.
Concubine Wen berated her sharply. “You still have the face to cry? I have lost all face because of you! I told you to seduce the Western Region King, but look at what you have done! So many people witness your filthy deed with the guard! Why don’t you just die?”
“How can you still be scolding me at this time? Is there even a mother like you? I really don’t know what happened; when I woke up, I discovered him…” Wen Wanzhi refuted.
Before she could finish her sentence, her mother’s face distorted from fury. “Bitch, you dare to talk back to your mother? Do you not know how much effort I put in for you to finish the wonderful matter with the Western Region King? Yet, not only did you ruin it, you even lost your virginity. My glory and riches…all gone…”
Hearing her mother’s miserable cries, Wen Wanzhi’s heart frosted over. This is my mother. I am just her pawn in gaining glory and riches, one that will be abandoned once something goes wrong.
“Stop crying. If you don’t want to be seen as a joke, shut your mouth right now.” Her mother’s gaze was like that of a vicious ghost.
“No, there is still a chance to salvage this situation. We just have to push the blame to the Western Region King. If everyone learns that the Western Region King caused an innocent woman to lose her virginity, I wonder what would happen.” Wen Wanzhi’s eyes were filled with hatred, not just towards her mother, but also towards Du Ling.
Concubine Wen’s tears stopped falling. “Will that work? Will the Western Region King admit to it?”
“Find a way to get in touch with Prince Qing; I want to meet him and resolve this matter quickly.” Wen Wanzhi wiped away her tears, her eyes shining with determination.
Concubine Wen nodded despite being skeptical. Now that things have come to this, we can only take one step at a time.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Madame Wen had watched their entire conversation.
Watching Concubine Wen as the latter left, Madam Wen waited until the former arrived at the pond in the backyard before pushing her in. While Concubine Wen floundered in panic, Madame Wen waited for her to sink to the bottom before yelling in fake concern, “Someone! Concubine Wen has fallen into the water!”
She then nimbly hid to the side while watching the ensuing commotion. It wasn’t long before Concubine Wen was dragged up, and although Madame Wen would rather the former die, she understood that such a death wouldn’t bring any benefit to herself. I want to pay them back slowly so that they can savour the pain that they deserve.
With the situation stabilised, Madame Wen pretended to stroll over. “What’s the matter? Why are there so many people gathered here?” She asked with a composed expression.
The crowd parted, showing a Concubine Wen whose clothes had fallen into disarray.
“What happened? Why are you still not covering Second Concubine with some clothes? This state is unacceptable!” Madame Wen sternly lashed out.
“We are not sure how the Second Concubine fell into the pond.” A servant draped a coat over the Second Concubine.
“The Second Concubine must have been in a really good mood; why would you jump into the pond for no reason?” The Third Concubine who arrived on the scene mocked.
