Feng Jin's voice was icy, her eyes filled with disgust. "When you forced my mother to her death, cast me aside to fend for myself on the estate, and allowed Sun Shi to humiliate me, why didn't you think of yourself as my father? Now that Feng Ruoyan is useless and I have value, you start invoking kinship. Unfortunately, I am no longer the Feng Jin you could mold."
Feng Yuanping's expression darkened, veins throbbing at his temples. He could never have imagined that the weak, insignificant daughter he had abandoned for years would one day confront him in such a manner.
Her words struck him to the core, leaving him speechless.
"You are utterly disobedient!" Feng Yuanping pointed at Feng Jin, his voice booming with anger.
Feng Jin met his gaze unflinchingly, her aura radiating power. "Disobedience is for those who are respected elders. We severed our father-daughter ties long ago."
She produced a paper from her怀 and threw it onto the table. "On the day of my wedding, Sun Shi wrote this letter of severance in your name to force me into marrying into the Ling family. Prime Minister Feng, were you unaware of this?"
Feng Yuanping faltered, his eyes filled with confusion. He snatched the paper, and upon reading the words, his face turned ashen. His tightly furrowed brow struggled to contain a surge of fury. With a slight clench of his hand, the paper became tattered and broken.
"Fetch Sun Shi at once!" Feng Yuanping spat out through gritted teeth.
"Yes, Master."
The servant quickly acknowledged and, within moments, brought Sun Shi to the hall.
"Kneel!" Feng Yuanping roared, making Sun Shi tremble violently. Her legs buckled, and she immediately sank to her knees.
Sun Shi looked up at Feng Yuanping with a fearful expression, her voice trembling. "Master, what has happened now?"
"You wicked woman! Do you know what you have done? You used my name to sever my paternal ties with Feng Jin, writing this letter of severance! You are cutting us off!"
Feng Yuanping flung the paper violently at Sun Shi's face, his hands shaking with rage.
Feng Jin, as if detached from the scene, sat calmly to the side, observing the unfolding drama and occasionally sipping her tea.
"Master..." Sun Shi stammered, panic seizing her. Her lips turned pale, her voice quivering. "Master... this... this is..."
Her eyes darted around as she desperately tried to formulate a response. After a long pause, she said, "It was... Feng..."
Before Feng Jin's name could fully leave her lips, Sun Shi hastily corrected herself. "It was... it was the Second Miss. She insisted... insisted I write this letter of severance in your name before... before she would agree to marry."
"Master, you know, it was the elder Master Ling himself who proposed. You had agreed to this marriage. You were not at the manor, and the Ling family's bridal sedan had already arrived. To preserve the Feng family's honor, I could only agree for the Second Miss. I thought she was merely being petulant about marrying the young general, but I never imagined she would resent it to this day, and now... now she uses this letter of severance to extort us..."
As she spoke, Sun Shi feigned deep sorrow, squeezing out two tears. She was on the verge of a full breakdown.
Perhaps due to some lingering childhood affection, Feng Yuanping felt a flicker of sympathy as he witnessed Sun Shi's staged distress.
He instinctively reached out to help her up, but his reason reasserted itself. If he helped Sun Shi now, he would lose any chance of mending his relationship with Feng Jin.
For his own future, his prosperity, and the fate of the entire Feng family, he had no choice but to abandon Sun Shi.
"Even so, you should not have signed this letter of severance. Sun Shi, for your mismanagement of the household, you are confined to your quarters from today onward. If there is a next time, I will divorce you!"
Feng Yuanping's threat was harsh, and his eyes flickered between Feng Jin and Sun Shi, gauging their reactions.
"Yes, Master," Sun Shi replied, sobbing twice.
Feng Jin watched their performance with cold amusement. These two truly shared a deep bond, their acting as well-matched as their supposed affection.
Feng Yuanping cleared his throat. "Feng Jin, I have already dealt with your mother..."
Catching a sharp glance from Feng Jin, he quickly corrected himself: "Your concubine. The misunderstanding has been resolved. Do not hold any further resentment. We are, after all, blood kin. This tie cannot be severed."
Feng Yuanping continued to speak at length, but seeing Feng Jin remain unmoved, he began to play the emotional card. "If your mother were to see you acting so extreme, wanting to sever ties with your own father, how heartbroken she would be."
*Bang!* A porcelain teacup clattered to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Feng Jin's expression darkened, her stern gaze fixed on Feng Yuanping. Her red lips parted, her words falling like shards of ice. "You are not worthy to mention my mother. If not for my mother and maternal grandfather's assistance, would you have achieved such a career, such a position as Prime Minister?"
"Instead of showing gratitude, after my maternal grandfather's death, you eagerly brought Sun Shi into the household and soon had Feng Ruoyan with her. At that time, my mother was pregnant, and you allowed Sun Shi to care for her, forcing her to witness your intimacy with Sun Shi. This caused my mother to weep endlessly, ultimately leading to the loss of both mother and child."
"And less than half a year after my mother's death, you impatiently made Sun Shi your official wife and cast me out to the estate, allowing those lowly servants to abuse and beat me. You were likely enjoying family bliss with Sun Shi and her daughter then. Did you ever think of my mother then?"
Feng Jin's voice was fierce, leaving Feng Yuanping utterly shamed. Yet, with Ling Mohan present, he dared not show his anger and could only endure Feng Jin's accusations.
As Feng Jin's words ceased, a sharp pain pierced her heart, and two tears rolled down her cheeks. Only Feng Jin knew these tears were not hers, but the original owner's emotions surging.
It was precisely because of Feng Yuanping's neglect that Sun Shi's arrogance grew, leading to Feng Jin's mistreatment by servants and her eventual tragic death.
"Feng Jin..."
This was the first time Ling Mohan had seen Feng Jin so emotionally overwhelmed. He protectively drew her behind him.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here," Ling Mohan whispered in her ear.
Feng Jin's agitated and frantic emotions gradually calmed. She took a deep breath, trying to regain composure.
"Master, someone from the palace has arrived," the servant's voice cut through the awkward atmosphere.
Feng Yuanping, the first to recover, hurried to say, "Quickly, quickly invite them in."
"We should go and see as well. The real show is about to begin."
A smile played on Feng Jin's lips as she took Ling Mohan's hand and walked forward.
"Your subject, with his family, humbly awaits your decree."
"By the Empress Dowager's decree, Feng Yuanping's official wife, Lady He Shi Miao Qing, possessing both virtue and talent, diligent and gentle, virtuous and dignified, is hereby posthumously honored as a first-rank Madame of the Gaus, to be bestowed the title of Madame Si Yi."
"Your subject accepts the decree and expresses gratitude."