In ordinary times, Feng Yuanping would have softened upon seeing Sun Shi's tearful cries and smoothed over the situation.
But today, Feng Yuanping had made up his mind to deal with Sun Shi and preserve the Feng family's honor.
"I have decided to demote you to a concubine. Your name has already been erased from the family registry."
Sun Shi felt as if struck by lightning. The hand clutching Feng Yuanping's robe slowly dropped, and she collapsed powerlessly onto the ground.
To be removed from the family registry meant she was directly reduced to a lowly concubine. It seemed Feng Yuanping was truly resolute.
"I bore you children and managed the household, yet you are so heartless towards me!"
Feng Yuanping now saw Sun Shi's shrewish demeanor clearly and regretted his past blindness, being ensnared by this woman and leading the entire Feng family to ruin.
"Silence! You have brought her up to be like this, bringing shame upon me. You are utterly unfit to be the matriarch of the Feng family. Demoting you to a concubine and allowing you to remain in the Feng family, rather than casting you out, is already the utmost kindness. From now on, you must fend for yourself!"
Feng Yuanping uttered his heartless words and, ignoring the mother and daughter's wailing, turned and left.
"Mother, Father truly wants nothing to do with us now. What should we do? Mother, I don't want to go to Dali Temple. If I go, Feng Jin will never let me off. Mother, save me... save me."
Sun Shi took a deep breath. "Yan'er, listen to me. Your father is no longer dependable. We can only rely on ourselves. Go to Dali Temple first... the Third Prince will not abandon you..."
"Mother... I..." Feng Ruoyan's eyes were filled with despair. She could never have imagined falling to such a state.
This was all Feng Jin's doing. For this hatred, for this humiliation, she would repay Feng Jin a thousandfold.
"Only by enduring this temporary humiliation can you have future glory and wealth, do you understand?"
"Daughter understands."
"Let's go. I will personally escort you to Dali Temple. You are my daughter. No matter how down and out you are, you must walk forward with your head held high. You must not let others make a spectacle of us."
"Yes!" Feng Ruoyan responded in a low voice, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She now had only herself to rely on. She absolutely would not let those she had once trampled underfoot laugh at her.
...
"Young Madam, Dali Temple has issued its verdict."
Lu Shi rushed to report to Feng Jin as soon as he received the news.
"How is it?"
"The evidence was conclusive. Originally, Feng Ruoyan was sentenced to twenty heavy blows and one year in prison. However, Sun Shi was willing to donate her family's wealth, and with the Third Prince's intercession, the final sentence was only one month's imprisonment for Feng Ruoyan."
As he spoke the last words, Lu Shi's emotions grew more intense. "When this verdict was announced, the commoners who were observing exploded. If not for the Dali Temple officials suppressing them, it would have descended into chaos. Perhaps Lord Wang accepted some bribe..."
"A mere month's imprisonment. It seems that even with the Third Prince's power and coercion, he could not protect Feng Ruoyan entirely."
This matter was different from before. It had stirred up the entire capital, and Emperor Xuanwen was truly angered, ordering Dali Temple to re-examine the case.
After several attempts to mediate, the Third Prince could not ensure Feng Ruoyan's complete safety.
"Young Madam, what should we do next? Should we continue to publicize this matter?"
Feng Jin paused and said in a low voice, "Since Dali Temple has reached a verdict and His Majesty has no objections, it means he implicitly approves. If we continue to spread this matter, we would be slapping Emperor Xuanwen in the face. If he becomes enraged and orders a thorough investigation, it would be detrimental to us."
"Furthermore, you should plant a few trustworthy spies to closely monitor Dali Temple. We must ensure Feng Ruoyan stays inside for the full month."
"Yes, Young Madam."
After Lu Shi withdrew, Feng Jin played with a chess piece in her hand, deliberated, and then placed it on the board.
"I'm tired," Gu Beichen's complaining voice came. He took off his helmet and threw it onto the table, coincidentally scattering Feng Jin's chessboard.
Feng Jin's hand, holding a chess piece, froze in mid-air. Her eyes widened in shock. Her carefully arranged game had just been ruined.
Gu Beichen, the unwitting culprit, had no idea what he had done and picked up the teapot to drink his fill.
"I've finished everything I was supposed to do. If there's nothing else, I'll be going back."
"Go loosen the soil again!"
Feng Jin uttered the words through gritted teeth.
"I just loosened it! You're asking me to do it again? Are you deliberately messing with me? Do you really think I'm easy to bully!"
With a 'bang,' Feng Jin slammed the ledger in front of Gu Beichen.
Gu Beichen, who had been blustering moments before, immediately deflated. He grumbled, "Fine, I'll do it... Why are you so angry!"
With that, he threw himself into the task, working diligently and without complaint.
Feng Jin gave Gu Beichen a cold glance and said unhappily, "Lord Gu, you promised earlier that if I researched gunpowder, you would become my disciple. How about we pick a time to hold the disciple-accepting ceremony?"
"I..." Gu Beichen opened his mouth but said nothing. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "I was just saying that..."
"What? The dignified heir of the Zhennan Prince's mansion is also a man of his word? Is this how your Zhennan Prince's family conducts itself?"
Gu Beichen was so angry that his teeth clenched. In a moment of impulse, he blurted out, "I'll become your disciple! I have always been a man of my word."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Beichen regretted them, wishing he could slap himself. How had he fallen for Feng Jin's provocation again? How many times had this happened, and he still hadn't learned his lesson?
"Good!" Feng Jin clapped her hands in delight. "Lord Gu is indeed a man of his word, upright and true to his promises. Why not now? Let's hold the disciple-accepting ceremony this evening."
"Cai Qing, go instruct the kitchen to prepare a feast. Go to Prince Jing's mansion and invite Prince Jing and Princess Jing to witness. Today, this young lady is taking on a disciple!"
Feng Jin put on a grand display, already calculating whether she should go back to her room to change and reapply her makeup.
Accepting a disciple was, after all, a significant event. She had to prepare properly. As for the gift, if it was too valuable, she would be reluctant to part with it; if it was too poor, it would make her look ridiculous.
Never mind... she would go to the treasury and search. With so many treasures, she was sure to find something suitable.
"I was just saying that casually... You... don't take it seriously!"
Feng Jin was already far away, and Gu Beichen could only speak to the empty air.
It's over... it's really over. His reputation for wisdom in this lifetime was about to be ruined by Feng Jin.
If his father found out that he was going to become Feng Jin's disciple...