"General, about our sister-in-law..." Mrs. Liu said, her expression troubled.

When Mrs. Wang saw Xiang Minghou come out, she hurriedly stepped forward.

Luo Wen stepped in front of her.

Mrs. Wang stopped, her knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground. "Big Brother, I’m begging you. Please, let Si Yan and Zhenzhu stay. They can’t handle the hardships of the north. They’re still so young; sending them there is a death sentence."

"Rest assured, I will speak to the Emperor and make it clear that the children will not be implicated in this matter. If you take the children back to your family home, I will have a sum of money prepared for you. If you don’t wish to return there, I will have the butler find you a residence where you can live out your days in peace." Xiang Minghou managed to say all this in one breath, his head spinning.

"No, Big Brother! After something like this, if we leave the estate, we’ll never be able to hold our heads high again. Si Yan and Zhenzhu will have people pointing fingers at them for the rest of their lives. When they grow up, no one will dare associate with them..." Mrs. Wang said, tears streaming down her face.

Everyone in the courtyard fell silent at her words. What she said might be true, but who was to blame? Xiang Minghou had already been more than fair.

Ye Qianning had already seen through her scheme. ’What’s so great about the Capital City, anyway? Even if they stayed in the General’s estate, were they planning to never step outside for the rest of their lives?’

"If you can’t stay in the Capital City, then go to another. You can live a free and easy life under a new name," Old Man Gu said.

Mrs. Wang turned her head. "Old Man Gu, you have no idea how difficult it is for a woman to raise two children alone. Changing our names is easier said than done."

"Is it?" Old Man Gu genuinely didn’t think so.

Xiang Minghou frowned. "What is it you want?"

"Big Brother, just let Zhenzhu and Si Yan stay in the General’s estate. It’s fine even if they have to do menial chores, as long as you give them a bite to eat." Hearing his question, Mrs. Wang began to wail again.

Mrs. Zhan instantly understood her ploy.

Old Man Gu understood, too. Everyone did...

"This matter is not up for discussion. I will have the butler escort you off the estate tomorrow." Xiang Minghou was no fool.

A flicker of determination crossed Mrs. Wang’s eyes. Steeling herself, she placed a knife against her own neck. "Big Brother, if you don’t agree, I will die here today."

"Sister-in-law, don’t be rash! We can talk this out! Put the knife down first, we can talk this out!" Mrs. Liu said, panicked.

Xiang Zhenzhu was terrified by the scene and ran toward Mrs. Wang. "Mama... Mama... You’re scaring me!"

Seeing her daughter, Mrs. Wang’s heart softened. The tip of her nose tingled as she lowered the knife and hugged Xiang Zhenzhu, starting to sob. "Zhenzhu, oh, my Zhenzhu..."

"Mama, don’t cry. I’m scared."

"Don’t be afraid, Zhenzhu. Don’t be afraid. Be a good girl. From now on, in the estate, you must listen to your uncle, aunt, and your older sister... Mama... might not be able to be with you anymore..." With that, before anyone could react, she raised the knife and drew it across her neck.

Blood gushed out in an instant...

CLINK

Luo Wen knocked the knife from her hand, but it was too late.

"Ah...!" Mrs. Liu screamed in terror. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Mama... Mama," Xiang Zhenzhu cried, her face splattered with blood.

The concubines, also terrified, stumbled backward.

Zhan Yi raised a hand to cover Mrs. Zhan’s eyes, the scene having grown too gory.

Xiang Minghou swayed on his feet. "How is she?"

Luo Wen placed two fingers on her neck. His brow furrowed, and he slowly shook his head.

Ye Qianning hadn’t expected Mrs. Wang to actually kill herself, either. She ran down to check and found that she had stopped breathing. ’You have to admit, Mrs. Wang was ruthless,’ she thought. ’She severed the artery in her throat.’

She stood up and shook her head at her father.

Xiang Minghou took a few steps forward, stumbling unsteadily.

Xiang Zhenzhu cried out, and as she raised a hand to touch the blood on her face, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.