Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The guard raised the wooden plank and brought it down. Su Mengyao’s eyes widened in shock, and she let out a piercing scream.

Someone nearby tried to talk sense into her. “Just tell the Princess honestly why you framed your elder sister. You might still have a chance to live. Otherwise, thirty strokes of the plank will kill you.”

Su Mengyao gritted her teeth, tears and snot streaming down her face.

By the tenth stroke, she finally broke. She sobbed, “Stop, please! I’ll confess everything! It was Commandery Princess Minghui. She was jealous of her and threatened me into doing it. I beg Your Highness for mercy! Please spare me!”

Tsk.

Still lying. She must be taking advantage of my perceived kindness.

I raised my hand, and the guard increased the force of the blows.

By the twentieth stroke, Su Mengyao realized she was on the verge of death.

She wailed in agony, “It was me! I was the one who was jealous! I wanted to ruin her reputation!”

I raised my hand, and the guard stopped.

Su Mengyao gasped for air, trembling with pain and crying with bitter regret.

“She is the true biological daughter of the Marquis Manor… I was the child who was switched at birth. I was afraid that if she came back, my parents wouldn’t love me anymore. That’s why I wanted to tarnish her name. Princess, I know I was wrong. I beg you to forgive me. I’ll never do it again!”

And just like that, the truth was out.

I watched with satisfaction as the crowd began to curse her, calling her an ungrateful wolf and a home-wrecker. I felt immensely pleased.

In the original plot, Su Mengyao’s true identity was kept a closely guarded secret until much later when she was divorced by the Eldest Prince. Only then was her background exposed.

But by then, the story was almost at its end, so the revelation didn’t carry much weight.

Things should be set right from the very beginning.

I said indifferently, “The Marquis Manor raised you, yet you repaid their kindness with enmity by framing the Marquis’s biological daughter. This Princess will report this matter to Imperial Father and let him decide your fate.”

Su Mengyao turned deathly pale and promptly fainted.

At that moment, a man rushed in. Seeing the unconscious Su Mengyao, he swayed, nearly fainting himself.

This was Su Qianyu’s biological brother, Su Yunwei-the villainous male supporting character of the story.

He was in love with Su Mengyao without even realizing it. He helped her bully his own biological sister and had even made grand declarations like:

“In this life, Mengyao is my only sister. A country bumpkin from the sticks doesn’t look like a daughter of the Marquis Manor even if she’s dressed in gold.”

“Don’t tell anyone you’re my sister when you go out. I find it embarrassing.”

“It’s my parents’ business if they recognize you. Unless the world ends, don’t expect me to acknowledge you.”

In the original plot, his end was miserable. His legs were broken, leaving him paralyzed in bed, and he only realized the truth when Su Mengyao killed him with a cup of poisoned wine.

But even in death, he only regretted that he hadn’t seen through Su Mengyao’s true face sooner, rather than regretting the harm he had caused Su Qianyu.

He rushed forward to check Su Mengyao’s breathing. Finding that she wasn’t dead, he instantly exploded with rage.

With lightning speed, he delivered a sharp slap to Su Qianyu’s face and snarled, “Why was Mengyao beaten? Did you offend the Princess? Ever since you came back from the manor, there hasn’t been a single day of peace in this house! Are you only happy once you’ve torn this family apart?”

Coward!

I was standing right here, yet he didn’t dare question me. He only dared to take his anger out on the unloved Su Qianyu.

He knew he was the only legitimate son of the Su family and held a high status. Even if he beat or scolded Su Qianyu, no one would dare to reprimand him.

But This Princess isn’t dead yet.

To try and ‘kill the chicken to warn the monkey’ right in front of me… he must be tired of living.

The corners of my lips curled slightly. “Men, teach Young Master Su some manners.”

Two guards immediately seized Su Yunwei and began slapping him across the face.

The guards’ hands were as large as cattail fans. After just a few slaps, Su Yunwei’s arrogance vanished.

His face was filled with terror, and blood leaked from the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t even squeeze out a single word.

It wasn’t until twenty slaps were finished that he collapsed weakly to the ground. He clutched his face, looking at me in disbelief.

With swollen cheeks and a thick tongue, he questioned me indignantly, “Your Servant was merely disciplining my own sister. Even if you are a noble Princess, you cannot interfere in a subject’s family matters! If Your Highness cannot give me a reason, Your Servant will not let this matter rest!”

He had a bit of a backbone, it seemed. Too bad it was in the wrong place.

I smiled. “If you were disciplining your sister, naturally no one would say a word. However, you were disciplining This Princess’s Lady-in-Waiting. This Princess was born to be protective of my own; I will not tolerate anyone bullying my people. Does that answer satisfy you, Young Master Su?”