Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When I was dragged to the main courtyard, I happened to hear First Madam sobbing. “Ying’er is an unmarried girl. How can she possibly survive a trip to that prison?”

The ones taken away had been the Old Master of the Su Family and the men of the Main Branch of the Su Family. Because Su Yueying was always dressing as a man and trailing after her elder brothers, she had become the only female family member arrested.

The Second Branch and Third Branch of the Su Clan had all gathered here, silent and grim. Only First Madam’s sobs drifted through the room.

The moment I stepped through the door, a porcelain cup flew past my ear.

“You lowly wretch!” First Madam supported herself with one hand on her personal maid and pointed at me with the other. “It is your honor to die for your masters, yet you still have the face to betray them?”

“Someone! Someone!” First Madam shouted. “Beat her to death! Beat her to death!”

Father stood by the doorway, staring at me with a venomous expression. “Disloyal and unfilial. You are unworthy of being human.”

I ignored the two of them and knelt down. “This servant just heard those two officers say that His Majesty already knows the imperial examination fraud case is connected to First Master.”

“What?!” Second Master shot up from his chair, losing all composure.

Third Master kept rubbing the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, his expression unreadable. “What are we to do now?”

The Su Clan had divided its household years ago. For now, His Majesty had only confiscated the property of the Main Branch of the Su Family, but once the fraud case was confirmed, the entire Su Clan would be doomed.

In my previous life, First Master had spent only three days in prison before spilling everything: imperial examination fraud, selling official posts, treating human lives as worthless, and forcing decent women into prostitution.

His Majesty had been furious. Every male member of the Su Clan over the age of seven lost his head. The women were sent to pleasure houses. Even the married daughters did not escape, though most of them ended it cleanly with a strip of white silk.

And because I had been made to bear Su Yueying’s name, I ended up with a fate lower than a dog.

I laughed coldly.

First Madam wiped away her tears then. “This girl must be beaten to death today. If all the servants become like her, what then?”

“What hour do you think this is?” Second Master glared at her. “The entire Su Clan is under house arrest, and you are still thinking of killing servants. Are you afraid there won’t be enough crimes listed against us?”

“But…” First Madam still wanted to say more, but the steward rushed in at that moment.

“This is bad. Those people are here again. It looks like they are coming for Second Master and Third Master.”

“It’s over…” Second Master sank back into his chair, his eyes blank. “The Su Clan is finished this time.”

Having lived through my previous life, I naturally knew the officers would return. From the very beginning, His Majesty had never intended to spare them.

But I had been waiting for an opportunity.

“If only there were still someone in the family who could take charge,” I said meekly, eyes lowered.

Once those two were taken away, only the women would remain in the household. They would not even be able to find someone in the capital to submit a memorial and plead for mercy.

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Second Master flung his sleeve. “But…”

Second Master suddenly stopped. His gaze turned and landed on me.

“Third Brother believes in Buddhism and rarely appears in the capital. Very few people know him,” Second Master said in an extremely low voice. “We can find someone to stand in for Third Brother, then let Third Brother stay at home to make arrangements and plead for us. At least that way, there is still hope.”

“That is deceiving the emperor,” the Matriarch said in shock.

“Mother!” Second Master gritted his teeth. “Whether we do this or not, our family is already in danger. Having Third Brother find someone is only to beg His Majesty to leave our wives and children alive.”

“Otherwise, I fear even the young children in the family cannot be protected.”

I knelt on the floor. After letting my gaze drift casually over Father, I lowered my head and continued kneeling.

As expected, Second Master noticed where I had looked, and his gaze followed mine. He clapped his hands once. “That’s right. Guan Qing, your build is similar to Third Brother’s, and you don’t often go out on errands. Why don’t you stand in for Third Brother?”

With my head lowered, I nearly laughed out loud.