Chapter 142

Chapter 142

[Isn’t the Villain Tempting? Not Really – 12]

If they truly pinned him there and administered fifty strokes, the question would no longer be whether He Xiangji wished to leave, but whether he was capable of doing so.

He Xiangji was already guilty at heart. Meeting Lady Zhu’s piercing gaze, then remembering the stories circulating outside about what she had done, cowardice immediately took hold. He backed away several steps and said with an awkward smile, “I merely lost my temper and said a few angry words. Why are you taking them so seriously?”

With that, he dared not linger and turned to leave.

Lady Zhu laughed coldly, ordered the servants to seize him, and called for the punishment to begin.

He Xiangji was merely an ordinary middle-aged man hollowed out by wine and women. How could he withstand this? Trapped in the servants’ grasp and unable to escape, he grew even more panicked. “What are you doing?”

The attendants brought over a long bench and pinned He Xiangji upon it without a word. When he saw those powerfully built men produce staffs as thick as a calf, his face turned green. He could no longer hold firm. “I am He Zhenkui’s birth father,” he said, his voice trembling. “How can you beat me? Fine, fine! Since I struck him from the genealogy long ago and he has founded a branch of his own, if you want nothing to do with me, why should I come here and invite humiliation? From now on, we’ll go our separate ways and stay out of each other’s affairs!”

As he spoke, he struggled to rise from the bench.

Lady Zhu sneered without so much as blinking. Seeing that she remained unmoved, the attendants naturally understood what to do next.

A staff rose high, then crashed down. At the muffled thud, He Xiangji felt as though all three of his souls and all seven of his spirits had been knocked from his body.

He had lived in comfort and privilege all his life and was no longer young. Forget being beaten-even a chill required half a month of bed rest. How could he possibly endure such an unexpected blow?

He screamed at once, crying out in agony.

The executioners had seen too many punishments like this to find it remarkable. Following Lady Zhu’s command, they delivered all fifty strokes without mercy. By the end, blood had soaked He Xiangji’s clothes. He lay barely breathing, unable to utter a single word.

A strong wind blew from one end of the street to the other. The scent of blood seemed to come alive, burrowing relentlessly into every nose.

Lady Zhu looked coldly at He Xiangji, who lay on the ground like a dead dog. Only then did she feel she had vented some of the resentment she carried for her husband and sister-in-law. She ordered guards to remain there and make him stay the full three days. Alive or dead, he was to be sent back to Xing’an afterward.

He Xiangji’s arrival at the gates was no minor event. A servant naturally reported both it and Lady Zhu’s response to Emperor Gaozu. He merely smiled when he heard. “Since I am away from the residence, my wife may handle every matter as she sees fit.” He said nothing more.

When Lady He learned that He Xiangji was lying outside the gates, beaten half to death by her sister-in-law’s order, she felt not the slightest pity-only satisfaction.

He might be called their father, but to her and her elder brother, He Xiangji was worth less than a stranger.

Most strangers at least retained a shred of compassion and would not watch someone die without helping. He Xiangji, their so-called father, had driven his eldest son from the household and ignored him. When the boy left for war and did not return, He Xiangji had even opened the ancestral hall and erased his name from the genealogy.

If her brother had truly died back then, would he not have become a homeless ghost, with nowhere to rest and no descendants to offer incense in his memory?

During those years, Lady He had shed countless tears whenever she took servants to repair her mother’s grave. She wanted to burn spirit money for her elder brother and hold rites on his behalf, but feared that doing so would be inauspicious when he might still be alive and simply unable to send word. Yet if she did nothing, she worried he might truly have died and been left destitute and helpless in the underworld. Was all of that not He Xiangji’s fault-the man who called himself their father?

As for Lady He herself, even less needed to be said. Had the He Family lifted so much as a finger, had her father supported his daughter in the slightest, how could the Hu Family ever have dared abuse her so cruelly?

After He Xiangji was beaten, he was thrown outside the gates under guard. The gatekeeper found a physician, who roughly dressed his wounds so he would not actually die there. Blood continued seeping from his injuries, however, and the freshly cleaned ground soon grew filthy again. After a moment’s hesitation, the gatekeeper fetched an old blanket from the stables, spread it on the ground, and wrapped He Xiangji in it.

He Xiangji was neither overbearing nor fierce now. Barely breathing, he lay paralyzed on that filthy blanket, as obedient as a quail and doing whatever he was told. The old saying held that a miserable life was better than a good death. He Xiangji was genuinely afraid he might die outside his son’s gates.

Who cared whether his son and daughter-in-law’s reputations suffered afterward? Once he was thoroughly dead, what use would any of that be to him?

Living was best!

The wounds across his back throbbed without pause. At last, He Xiangji felt as though his entire body had gone numb, leaving only a dull, needling pain, as if ants crawled through the blood and flesh of his wounds, tormenting him with an unbearable mixture of agony and itching.

By evening, the sun had sunk and a cold wind soon rose. He Xiangji shuddered, gooseflesh covering his body. Abandoning all pride, he rasped, “Young man, have mercy. Tell your lady to let me leave. It’s already this cold. If I remain here through the night, won’t I freeze to death?”

The gatekeeper dared not agree. “You don’t know our lady’s temper. Her word is law. Once she decides something, even the Great General might not be able to change it.”

After the beating, He Xiangji had come to hate Lady Zhu. His expression changed at the gatekeeper’s words. “That woman has rebelled! This is the He Family. Who allowed her to call the shots? My son holds the highest power-how can he let a woman control him?”
He Xiangji had married two wives and taken several concubines over the years, all of them gentle and submissive. Even the more forceful Lady Pan knew when to lower herself before him.

The gatekeeper rolled his eyes and was about to reply when hoofbeats sounded in the distance. His heart tightened. After looking quickly around, he grabbed the ragged blanket beneath He Xiangji and dragged it out of the way.

He Xiangji had lain there for most of the day, and his wounds had only just begun to show signs of closing. The sudden dragging set them blazing with bone-deep pain. He could not help cursing, “You bastard! Are you trying to hurt me to death?”

The gatekeeper was offended. “If I didn’t drag you away, those horses would trample you to death!”

The hoofbeats drew closer as he spoke, making the ground tremble. Every jolt sent pain through He Xiangji’s wounds. He forced his head up and saw a company of formidable riders approach the He residence. Their leader was tall and powerfully built, like a small mountain, with sharp eyes and handsome features. It was his eldest son, He Zhenkui, whom he had not seen in many years.

Hope suddenly rose within He Xiangji. Gritting his teeth, he struggled upright and called with deep emotion, “Zhenkui…”

Emperor Gaozu glanced toward the voice, then immediately turned his head away. “I have never encountered anything so inauspicious in my life!” He dismounted and entered the residence.

He Xiangji was speechless.

So I was never worthy!

…

At least He Jiaojiao had seen Old Madam Hu and Hu Guangshuo every day. Some superficial affection had naturally formed, so their deaths had saddened her. But He Xiangji hardly visited the Hu Family once in eight lifetimes. Whenever she accompanied her mother back to the He residence, Lady Pan mocked them and the younger uncles and aunts bullied them. Only a ghost would feel affection for a maternal grandfather like him.

One should not think about inauspicious things while eating. It ruined the appetite.

Only after dinner, when everyone had said good night and gone to rest, did Emperor Gaozu tell Lady Zhu, “Do not let him die. Send him back to Xing’an after three days…”

Servants brought hot water. Lady Zhu soaked a cloth in the basin, wrung it out, and naturally completed his thought. “Then send men to watch the He Family. See whether anyone approaches him with promises of profit and persuades him to denounce you publicly as your birth father. Reputation may be useless to us most of the time, but in certain circumstances, righteousness and legitimacy truly matter. Don’t they?”

Emperor Gaozu smiled. “My wife understands me.”

Lady Zhu gave a soft snort and handed him the cloth. “We must guard against Lady Pan as well. The conflict between you siblings and He Xiangji arose from his own stupidity and selfishness, but her agitation surely played a major role. He Xiangji was never a decent man. Now that his children have severed ties with him and the He Family is declining, he may push her forward as a sacrifice to appease you. Lady Pan is no fool. How could she fail to understand the danger? For the Pan Family, her children, and her own survival, she would naturally be tempted if someone quietly gave her a push.”

Emperor Gaozu wiped his face. Imagining He Xiangji’s expression when that day came, he looked distinctly expectant. “Two dogs biting each other until both mouths are full of fur. Now that would be a fine show.”

The gatekeeper was only a servant, but anyone trusted with that post had to be exceptionally clever. Without Lady Zhu’s permission, how would he dare help He Xiangji or summon a physician for him?

In the end, neither Emperor Gaozu nor Lady Zhu had softened. At a time like this, He Xiangji was more useful alive as bait than dead.

The physician and salve helped, and He Xiangji’s desire to survive was truly formidable. He endured three full days outside the gates before finally receiving permission to leave and return to the old home in Xing’an.

At the same time, interested parties leaked certain suggestions to Lady Pan’s natal family. Her sister-in-law then passed them along to Lady Pan herself.

He Zhenkui had risen to glory and might someday ascend the supreme throne. Having thrown away such a dazzling son, one who could glorify his ancestors, how could He Xiangji not ache with regret and seek to mend their relationship?

And if he wished to mend it, the best method was naturally to blame everything upon his second wife and hand her and her children over for He Zhenkui to punish. Then He Xiangji would be the emperor’s father. Even if he did not become Retired Emperor, no one would dare offend him. Why would he lack women?

As for descendants, He Zhenkui already had two sons-the noblest legitimate grandsons imaginable. He Xiangji was not that old either. If he truly wanted more sons, he could father as many as he pleased. Why would he treasure the children Lady Pan had borne him?

Those words struck directly at Lady Pan’s heart.

Now that He Zhenkui had returned home in glory, everything she did as his stepmother became wrong. He Xiangji at least possessed the bond between father and son. What did she possess?

She had nothing that could make He Zhenkui wary, not even an advantage valuable enough to make He Xiangji hesitate before abandoning her.

Beauty? She was no longer young. Though she retained her charms, He Xiangji certainly did not consider her irreplaceable.

Children? The old man remained vigorous enough. He could father more whenever he wished.

Lady Pan clenched her handkerchief, her expression dark and uncertain.

Her sister-in-law softened her voice. “Little Sister, I have no reason to scheme against you. These are truths only family would dare say. If He Xiangji returns whole, the sight of you will remind him more and more of the golden son he lost. How could you enjoy a peaceful day after that? If He Zhenkui ever remembers what happened back then, neither you nor my nephews will come to a good end. But if He Xiangji dies, everything changes. Once a man is dead, even Heaven would object if He Zhenkui continued calling for blood. If he truly ascends someday and thinks back upon it, he might even grant your son a noble title. Given his position, whatever slips through his fingers would support you and the children for a lifetime!”
Her sister-in-law’s reasoning was sound.

Lady Pan lowered her lashes. Her thumb and forefinger began rubbing together unconsciously, as they always did when she was deep in thought.

Her sister-in-law knew when to stop. She smiled, said nothing more, and rose to take her leave.

Did Lady Pan love He Xiangji?

If He Xiangji asked, she would answer “yes” with boundless affection. If anyone else asked, and she knew no one would ever learn her answer, she would probably say without hesitation, “Like hell I do!”

She had been sixteen when she married him, in the finest bloom of girlhood. He Xiangji had been in his thirties. His eldest son was only a few years younger than she was, and he already had a horde of concubine-born sons and daughters. She would have needed to be insane to love such a man.

Her sister-in-law was right. Lady Pan knew it. Her hesitation did not arise from years of marriage making her reluctant to strike, but from fear that she might overlook some detail and expose herself.

If He Xiangji died naturally, she would be his widow. If he died unnaturally, she would be his murderer. The difference was too great for anything but caution.

Lady Pan wanted a flawless plan.

Seven or eight days later, He Xiangji was brought home. Before the carriage arrived, a young servant riding with the party galloped ahead to report that the journey had gone very badly. Lady Zhu had ordered their master beaten, and his injuries were grave. He needed careful treatment. Madam must summon a physician immediately and prepare everything required.

Lady Pan sensed an opportunity. Her eyes shifted, but anxiety and concern appeared upon her face at precisely the right moment. She ordered someone to fetch a physician while leading the household out to meet him.

He Xiangji had grown much thinner since leaving home. The journey had not lasted long, yet his cheeks were visibly hollow and his spirits depressed.

Lady Pan stared at him for a few moments, then lowered her head to wipe away tears. She ordered servants this way and that before kneeling beside He Xiangji. With a show of strength and encouragement barely maintained through grief, she said, “It is all right, Husband. Whatever happens, I will walk the rest of this road beside you. Even if it leads into the Yellow Springs, I will not hesitate!”

Then, red-eyed, she began telling him about the household. Their son had studied diligently of late, and their daughter missed her father dearly. Now that he had returned, no news could be better than the family being reunited.

He Xiangji was no good man himself. He had already placed all blame upon his second wife. Lady Pan had been seductive and treacherous, endlessly stirring trouble and urging him onward; that was the only reason his relationship with the children of his first wife had deteriorated. He had said as much before Lady Zhu and convinced himself of it on the journey home.

He was injured, his dignity shattered, and his belly full of rage. Yet Lady Pan appeared so devoted, gentle, and considerate that he found it difficult to lash out. He gave a stiff grunt and ordered the servants to carry him inside.

Lady Pan watched the disgust and impatience in his eyes turn to complicated emotion. She sneered inwardly, but her gaze became only more tender and urgent, fixed upon him without wavering as though she feared he might vanish if she blinked.

Seeing this, He Xiangji still considered her the sinner who had destroyed his bond with his children. But in consideration of her profound devotion, he suppressed his irritation and did not act against her for now.

Lady Pan had managed the He household for more than a decade and knew every method of the inner residence. Naturally, she had a familiar physician. After taking He Xiangji’s pulse and examining his wounds, the man quietly told her the injuries were grave and had damaged his vitality. With careful nursing, abstinence from wine and sex, and no anger, however, he could still recover.

Lady Pan acknowledged the instructions. Her eyes turned, and she went before He Xiangji to confess that everything had arisen because of her and that she was too ashamed to face him. While he recuperated, she would kneel daily in the family shrine, repent her faults, and pray for the Buddha to bless him with a swift recovery.

He Xiangji found her obedience deeply comforting. He offered a perfunctory word of dissuasion, but when she insisted, he let her go.

Even if she did not die, she would probably never emerge again.

Hadn’t everyone seen that the master himself had no desire to protect her?

Powerful ministers watched the throne, servants watched the steward’s seat, and concubines watched the position of mistress of the inner residence.

He Xiangji was no longer young and already had legitimate sons and daughters, so he was unlikely to marry another principal wife. His concubines could not be elevated to that rank, but gaining control of the household would be reward enough-for their children, if not themselves.

For a time, they displayed every art they possessed and flocked to his rooms to compete for favor.

Lady Pan remained in the shrine, but after controlling the inner residence for so many years, she understood He Xiangji and his concubines perfectly. Plotting against them was simple.

He Xiangji was recuperating and forbidden to approach women, but he could not withstand his concubines’ attentions. Lady Pan quietly encouraged them and had a servant add a little aphrodisiac incense to his burner at night. With time, place, and people all aligned, He Xiangji could hardly resist.

His body, already close to collapse, could not bear his indulgence. Yet the concubines were competing fiercely, sending restorative soups and medicines as though they cost nothing. Their frantic tonics weakened him further. By the time his body collapsed completely, rescue was difficult.

After more than ten days of excess, He Xiangji finally began convulsing one night, vomited blood, and lost consciousness.

The concubine with him screamed in terror. Servants rushed inside, detained her, sent for a physician, and asked Lady Pan to leave the shrine and take charge.

When He Xiangji woke again, Lady Pan sat before him with concern plain upon her face. She wore simple clothes and still showed the exhaustion of watching beside him all night. The moment she saw him awaken, joy flooded her eyes.
“Husband!”

The moment Lady Pan spoke, her tears spilled beyond her control.

He Xiangji was weak in both body and spirit. Even a heart of iron would have softened. Tears rose in his eyes as well.

Needless to say, husband and wife reconciled. None of those twittering beauties would be allowed to serve him again. His life mattered most, and at least while he recovered, He Xiangji meant to restrain himself.

He listened with complete attention and agreed to everything Lady Pan said.

He Xiangji recuperated in bed while Lady Pan waited upon him diligently, tasting his medicines herself and showing extraordinary tenderness. Their marriage grew more harmonious by the day.

Half a month passed, and He Xiangji began to improve slightly. One day, he woke from his afternoon nap and discovered that Lady Pan, who had always remained beside him, was gone. Listening carefully, he heard her speaking to servants outside the door. Her voice came in broken fragments, too faint to make out clearly.

“Several stewards returned after finishing their work and happened to catch them. No one imagined they could be so depraved. Master had only just fallen ill, and already they were carrying on together. Utterly shameless…”

He Xiangji’s heart lurched. Panic spread from the soles of his feet through every organ. Unable to rise, he forced himself to inch forward. Then he heard Lady Pan say, “Do not let Master learn of it yet. The rumors outside are already everywhere. Everyone is talking and pointing fingers. How could he bear to know? That wretch deserves death for committing such a shameless act!”

He Xiangji’s cheek twitched, and his expression turned savage. He did not even notice when Lady Pan returned.

“Husband, you…”

He Xiangji seized her wrist and forced each word through clenched teeth. “What happened to Lady Xu? Tell me. Tell me every detail!”

Lady Pan looked troubled and reluctant. Only after He Xiangji barked at her did she finally speak in embarrassment.

“Several stewards caught them. Lady Xu was committing adultery with a man-in public. The story has already spread outside…”

“I detained them both and locked them up together. After questioning Lady Xu’s maid, I learned they had been carrying on for a long time…”

“There are witnesses and evidence, and they were caught in the act…”

Before Lady Pan could finish the rest of her prepared lines, He Xiangji spat blood. Agonizing pain seized his chest, and he collapsed unconscious upon the bed.

A physician was summoned in haste. One glance made him shake his head. “I warned you before-he must not become angry. How could you still let this…”

Lady Pan wept as though both her parents had died. “Doctor, what can be done now?”

The physician sighed. “Even if he recovers, his movement and speech will likely be impaired. Never mind. I will prescribe several doses first.”

When He Xiangji woke again, he found he could not move. His throat felt blocked by thick phlegm, and he could not speak. Lady Pan sat beside the bed, her eyes swollen like peaches and her expression stricken with grief.

He Xiangji panicked and struggled to speak, but only several hoarse cries of “Ah, ah” emerged. He could not form half a sentence.

The physician’s instructions were all he heard. “Give him his medicine on time and keep him warm. Your master’s constitution was sound. With careful nursing, he may yet recover…”

Lady Pan had the physician escorted out with every courtesy, then threw herself beside her husband’s bed in tears. “Husband, don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I will always remain with you!”

Moved, He Xiangji began to cry.

After the first time he vomited blood, the concubines had all been confined to the rear courtyard. Following Lady Xu’s affair, Lady Pan watched them even more strictly. That night, she personally kept vigil and waited for her husband to fall asleep.

It was late, and He Xiangji had grown drowsy. He watched a maid bring his medicinal decoction and waited only to drink it and sleep, hoping to recover soon.

Lady Pan accepted the bowl, smiling as she dismissed the maid. She sat beside the bed and gazed at her husband as though admiring a peerless painting.

Perhaps the wind outside sounded too mournful, or perhaps the lamplight flickered too dimly. Sudden dread chilled He Xiangji’s heart. His lips moved. He rolled his eyes toward the medicine, signaling Lady Pan to feed him quickly.

Lady Pan smiled and poured the bowl into a flower vase before his eyes.

He Xiangji’s expression changed sharply. Before it had finished changing, Lady Pan pulled away the thick quilt covering him, rose, and opened the window.

Cold wind howled into the room, twisting in mournful eddies around He Xiangji’s ears.

He instantly understood her intent. Fury and alarm filled his eyes. His face twisted as he strained with all his strength to move.

The absurd sight made Lady Pan laugh. Her laughter continued until He Xiangji trembled with terror.

After a long while, Lady Pan swayed back to sit beside the bed and asked coyly, “Husband, haven’t you always praised my beauty? Am I still beautiful now?” A peal of light laughter followed.

This poisonous woman!

He Xiangji poured all his shock and hatred into his stare.

Lady Pan smiled sweetly. Her well-kept fingers loosened his robe, and her fingertips stroked the scabs that had not yet fallen from the wounds across his back. When He Xiangji began trembling beyond his control, she suddenly dug in and tore them away, piece by piece.

Tears sprang from He Xiangji’s eyes. He wanted to scream, but his throat might as well have been stuffed with cotton. No sound emerged.

Lady Pan laughed in delight. “Does that feel good, Husband? I have waited so very long for this day!”
He Xiangji’s throat rattled, but he could not speak. He could feel the wounds on his back tearing open and blood flowing down, yet he could not even cry out. What agony could be worse?

Satisfaction flashed in Lady Pan’s eyes. She spat at him, then turned and retired to the outer room, leaving He Xiangji alone upon the bed, consumed by the humiliation and fury of betrayal as he struggled against pain and the cold wind.

The next morning, Lady Pan rose with a yawn. She casually replaced He Xiangji’s quilt and shut the window.

He Xiangji had not slept all night. His face was bloodless, his eyes fixed upon her with venomous hatred.

Lady Pan showed no fear. She said gently, “Don’t be impatient, Husband. We have many days ahead of us.”

Afraid a physician might notice, Lady Pan did not stop He Xiangji’s medicine completely. She gave it to him intermittently. Against relentless torment and a full day’s attention from the cold wind, however, the few doses accomplished nothing. Far from improving, his health declined rapidly.

Another half month passed, and He Xiangji truly neared death. He had wasted away to bones, his eyes bulging like those of a goldfish stranded without water.

Lady Pan, meanwhile, could not have been happier. Like a beautiful serpent, she blinked her alluring eyes and smiled down at him as she had on the preceding days.

Why?

He Xiangji desperately wanted to ask her.

Had he not treated her well?

Lady Pan read the unspoken question and scoffed. “Do you truly think you’re some irresistible prize? Stop flattering yourself! If the He Family had still possessed its former standing, would you ever have married me as your second wife?”

Reminiscence crossed her face. “I was sixteen then. What a wonderful age. I was so fresh you could almost squeeze water from me. My mother said she had never seen a girl as beautiful as I was…”

Lady Pan looked at the dying man upon the bed, unable to conceal her disgust. “And you were more than a decade older, with a swarm of concubine-born sons and daughters beneath you. If you hadn’t belonged to the He Family, would you have been able to marry me? Every moment I spent with you made me want to vomit!”

The blow to He Xiangji’s pride was fatal. He stared at her as though seeing her for the first time, an angry rattle rising from his throat.

“Why won’t you die? I’ve been waiting for you to breathe your last. Hurry up and die!”

Lady Pan’s gaze turned savage. She seized his hair and snarled, “I waited far too long to send you to your death. I let those wretches drain your vitality and used Lady Xu to destroy what remained of your health. I couldn’t poison you, in case someone examined your corpse later, so I had to render you unable to speak or move and slowly grind you to death instead. Why are you still alive?!”

Shock, fury, and hatred alternated in He Xiangji’s eyes before finally giving way to despair.

He knew he could never escape Lady Pan through his own strength.

The He Family’s inner residence had long been entirely under her control.

Who could possibly save him now?

Two trails of muddy tears slowly slipped from the corners of He Xiangji’s eyes.

Disgusted that she had dirtied her hand, Lady Pan abruptly released his dry yellow hair and wiped her fingers with a handkerchief.

A sudden knock sounded at the door.

Lady Pan frowned impatiently. “Who is it? Didn’t I say no one was to come at this hour?”

“It is I, Madam.”

The voice was gentle and calm. “I heard Father was ill and would not remain in this world much longer, so I came from the capital especially to visit him.”

Lady Pan stood frozen for a long while before realizing the visitor outside was Lady He.

Her mind seemed to explode. Every hair upon her body rose.

Unprecedented light blazed in He Xiangji’s clouded eyes. Terrified that his daughter might leave, he made violent rattling sounds in his throat and struggled to move his body.

Cold sweat poured down Lady Pan’s back. Like He Xiangji, she suddenly could not utter half a word.

Lady He did not wait for a response. A maid pushed open the door, and she entered with her son, He Kanglin, behind her.

Old tears streamed down He Xiangji’s face. He strained every limb upon the bed, almost convulsing as he begged his daughter in silent agony to save him.

Lady He wore an ordinary house dress, her manner dignified and gentle. She glanced at Lady Pan, whose face was deathly pale though her mature beauty remained unmistakable, then at He Xiangji, who was little more than skin stretched over bones. She sighed.

She asked her son, “Is the second wife your grandfather kept after abandoning your uncle and me beautiful?”

He Kanglin examined Lady Pan carefully, then nodded. “She is indeed very beautiful.”

Lady He smiled with cutting mockery. “Your grandfather paid for her with his life. Of course she had better be beautiful.”