The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 110 - The Punishment (Part 2)

Old Master Li decisively declared, "No need!" He gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, and suddenly bowed deeply to Old Master Song. "It is indeed my fault to have raised such a daughter; I cannot shirk my responsibility..."

He must have been out of his mind to pull Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan into this mess. Now that the facts were laid bare, struggling further would be of no use and would only deepen the Cui family's hatred and the Song family's grievances.

Reluctantly, he had no choice but to abandon this daughter. He sighed internally; although he hadn't participated in the events of those years, he had welcomed the outcome. He always thought that if he could ally with the Song family, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

It was a pity that the situation back then was too difficult. He was merely the head of the Imperial College, and without any support, it would have been much easier if he had a powerful in-law, as it would facilitate matters in the court... In fact, he had indeed gained quite a bit of benefit from this marriage over the years, finding himself increasingly favored in the court.

Having lived with her husband for so many years, Old Lady Li almost instantly understood his decision and stared at her daughter in shock.

Cui Yingshu threw all the testimonies in front of Old Master Li, not allowing him to plead any further to Old Master Song. "Since you have acknowledged it, then give us an explanation!"

Old Master Li could no longer ignore Cui Yingshu; with the situation as it was, his daughter had harmed someone else's sister. He could only lower his stance, forcing a bitter smile as he begged, "Yes, that is only right. I just don't know... how you wish to deal with her?"

He seemed to age several years in an instant, his voice hoarse as he pleaded with Old Master Song, "I do not have many children, and my only legitimate daughter is her... My wife treats her as her lifeline; if she were to disappear, my wife would likely not survive either. Moreover..." He felt a sense of shame and cursed himself inwardly before mustering the courage to say, "After all, she has genuinely cared for the two children left behind by the original wife."

Truly shameless!

First Lady Cui couldn't help but feel tears welling up in her eyes, her voice trembling with anger as she said, "Is our Cui family's legitimate daughter so worthless?! Among five households, there are only two legitimate daughters... Ever since Tingting left, the matriarch has been weeping, almost blind from crying. Moreover, if your daughter hadn't been so ruthless, Tingting would have taken care of her children meticulously; why would she need to offer her services?! She harmed them and then pretends to care for their children to atone for her sins?! What a ridiculous joke!"

Cui Yingshu had never encountered such a brazen person before. He raised the stack of testimonies in front of Old Master Li with a cold sneer, saying, "To send someone to Tongzhou to kill her—this is your daughter's genuine care?!"

"What do you want?!" Old Lady Li wiped her tears, glaring fiercely at First Lady Cui and Cui Yingshu. "Must it come to her giving her life?! Even if you kill her now, Cui Shi won't come back to live!"

Li Shi could no longer dare to cry. She stared blankly at her parents, like an ant floating in the middle of a lake, waiting for someone on the shore to either extend a leaf or send her plunging into the depths.

"Let her pay with her life!" First Lady Cui interrupted Old Lady Li decisively, her tone unyielding. "How else can we honor Tingting's spirit in heaven?!"

It was evident that speaking to First Lady Cui would yield no favorable outcome, so Old Lady Li turned to plead with Old Lady Song. "After all, Cui Shi has been dead for so many years; do you really want Jingzhu to pay for her life?! At that time, she wasn't in good health, and it's true she could have died from shock during childbirth... Perhaps, perhaps the midwife didn't even have a chance to act before she passed away..."

Her cunning words ignited First Lady Cui's fury even more. She shouted angrily, "Shut your mouth! Where else in the world can we find someone as shameless as you?! Do you think your nonsense can absolve her guilt?! You should be worried about yourself! If you hadn't been encouraging her from behind, your daughter wouldn't have developed such a character!"

Suddenly, Li Shi, who had been silent and dazed, burst out laughing, tears and snot streaming down her face.

After laughing enough, she stood up and stared at Song Chuyi.

"I certainly have my faults," she said, locking eyes with Song Chuyi, filled with mockery and pity. "But what about your father?! If he hadn't succumbed to temptation, repeatedly taking the risk of leaving your pregnant mother to see me... If he hadn't obeyed me blindly, how could I have tricked your mother to the Qingliang Temple to catch us in the act?!"

Song Chengru's expression turned ashen as he faced Old Lady Song.

Li Shi had clearly shed any remaining reservations. She laughed heartily, pointing at Song Chengru, Old Lady Song, and the entire Song family, "And I wouldn't have succeeded in becoming your mother without their help! Everyone says I'm virtuous and can play the part well, but I don't believe the wise Old Lady can't see my intentions towards you. Yet, didn't she and the Third Lady simply stand by and ignore whether you live or die? You hate me; what about your father? Do you hate him? What about your grandparents? Do you hate them? Your aunt and third aunt—do you hate them too?!"

The very thing Old Lady Song and First Lady Cui feared most had finally happened, and they exchanged worried glances at Song Chuyi.

Li Shi's words were truly reprehensible, clearly designed to provoke a rift between Song Chuyi and the Song family.

Song Chengru could no longer contain himself; he angrily flung his sleeve and looked at Old Master Li, "Enough! What's the point of saying all this now?! If you really refuse to accept it, then let's... go to the Dali Temple and settle this once and for all!"

For someone like Song Chengru, who valued his reputation, to resort to involving officials showed there was no room for negotiation. Old Master Li, fearing to provoke Old Lady Song further, finally resolved to sever his ties, saying, "I have no face left for raising such a daughter and dare not let this be made a laughingstock... If that's the case, my in-laws, give me a clear answer, and we'll follow it."

Old Lady Li was about to say something more but was silenced by a fierce glare from Old Master Li, forcing her to close her mouth in frustration.

Old Master Li looked at Cui Yingshu and his wife. Cui Yingshu didn't hesitate to sneer, "Naturally, we will open the ancestral hall to divorce her, and she must pay with her life!"

The Cui family's determination to investigate Cui Tingting's death for five years showed just how much they valued her. This outcome had already been anticipated by the First Lady.

First Lady Cui looked at Old Master Li and Old Lady Li, whose faces were grave, her tone laced with sarcasm: "And Old Lady Li here, with her decisive killing style, is even more ruthless than a bandit. I dread when she'll corrupt her granddaughter next and produce another Li Shi. Then we in the Cui family will be truly defenseless."

Old Master Li dared not discuss conditions further. He knew that both Old Lady Li and Li Shi had already exhausted the Cui family's patience. The Cui family, at this point, was still willing to settle privately, likely because both Song Chuyi and Song Yan shared the Song surname. If they were pushed too hard...