Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

45. Stupid Lady Lu

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Dowager Xiao fumed, “Be quiet you rascal! I’m tired of you, you scourge! You are the very cause of this entire misfortune. You are innocent, isn’t Yi innocent? Isn’t your father-in-law innocent? Isn’t our entire family innocent? What are you trying to achieve here, making this scene? I say, you listen to your father-in-law, go back to your own home and just go plead guilty in Dali the Highest Judiciary and ask for a a light sentence for yourself!”

Cao Mo walked to Dowager Xiao and kowtowed to her, “Your Ladyship, I’m sorry I’ve put our entire family in jeopardy, can I just ask you one question? Do you really think repudiating me and punishing me is the cure here? My father Magistrate Cao is a petty official, and I’m a nobody, why would that Imperial Censor Li make such a fuss about me, what is he really trying to achieve?”

“Quit beating around the bush, what do you want to say?” asked Xiao Yugui, he sensed some undertone in what Cao Mo just said.

“Father, I think Mo is just saying he doesn’t deserve all this fuss, it’s someone else that Imperial Censor Li trying to take down. As for my Third Sister, don’t you want to find out why would Mammy Wang ask her to write that letter?”

Xiao Yi had speculated it was Lady Lu who had colluded with Imperial Censor Li since he heard about this, so he continued, “Mo has given the manual to Ministry of Works in feudal, that’s true, but Mo has kept the key process of silver plating to himself. Why would they insist on saying Mo stealing the manual from someone else?”

Xiao Yugui couldn’t think straight due to his daughter’s betrayal, now Xiao Yi’s questions had enlightened him.

Lu Jianzhong had always been on good terms with Imperial Censor Li, Lu Jianzhong was supposed to know what Imperial Censor Li was up to, but Lu Jianzhong didn’t inform in time. And as his in-law, Lu Jianzhong didn’t defend him in court, he tried to gang up with Imperial Censor Li instead.

Xiao Yugui glared at Lady Lu.

Lady Lu tried to act normal and said, “Your Lordship, why are you even trying to protect him? Do you want to see we all sink with him? I say, let’s just drive him away and he can figure out the rest all by himself!”

It was her!

It was this woman all along!

Xiao Li’s letter was her knife, but Lady Lu was the one who wielded the knife.

It wasn’t until now that Xiao Yugui realized Lady Lu designed this to abort Cao Le and Xiao Jin’s engagement.

Xiao Yugui blamed himself for not seeing that earlier, he pointed at Lady Lu, “I know it’s you! Li is young and dumb, but she won’t hurt me. It’s you, you know she hates Mo due to her mother, so you used her as a knife! Men!”

Servants emerged from outside of the hall.

“Grab Mingzhu and Mammy Wang.”

Lady Lu panicked, she didn’t care about her maid Mingzhu, but she relied on Mammy Wang and Mammy Wang knew all her dark secrets.

“Your Lordship, why are you arresting my Mammy? What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting, no, I’m saying I need to interrogate your servants to find out the truth, my madam.”

Xiao Yugui asked servants to flog Mammy Wang, right in the yard. Lady Lu’s heart was burning with anxiety, she was so scared that Mammy Wang might confess what she asked her to do.

Mammy Wang was very old and weak, she cried out for help after several floggings, “My lady, please save me! My lady!”

Lady Lu rushed to the yard and ordered the servants who was flogging Mammy Wang, “Stop! Mammy Wang is old now, do you want to kill her?”

Xiao Yugui sneered, “Madam, get out of my way. I’m just asking Mammy Wang what has she said to Lu Jianzhong last night. Mammy, listen to me carefully, I’ve prepared you a coffin, one lie, you lie in the coffin, do you understand me?”

Mammy Wang nodded repeatedly, “Your Lordship, I just made some small talk with Officer Lu.”

“Keep flogging.” ordered Xiao Yugui, didn’t buy it.

Mammy Wang couldn’t take the flogging, she begged for mercy, “Please spare my life, Your Lordship, please spare my life! It’s the Third Lady, she turned to me for help, she wanted to avenge her mother and she ordered me to come up with a plan for her. This is all Third Lady’s doing!”

Hearing what Mammy Wang said, Lady Lu heaved a sigh of relief, ‘good, mammy didn’t mention my name.’

She chimed in promptly, “Your Lordship, this is all my fault, I failed at disciplining Li, I should have known what she was up to. Please spare Mammy Wang’s life, she is too old to take any more flogging now, I’m begging you, Your Lordship!”

Xiao Yugui sneered, “What have you taken me for? Mammy Wang? Madam? Li is just a little girl, how could she come up with such an evil plan? Li isn’t stupid, she knew what harm this would do to her family if she knew Imperial Censor Li would have her letter! Unlike you, you stupid woman! Your husband’s political career, his life, and your entire family’s life were all disregarded by you! To think this is all for your son’s marriage! How stupid are you, my madam? Do you know how furious His Majesty was in court this morning, he reproached me for failing to regulate my own family and he ordered Dali the Highest Judiciary, Censorate, and Ministry of Punishments to investigate this issue! Do you know how serious it has become?”

Lady Lu didn’t expect it would be so out-of control, she defended herself, “This is not what my brother said, we agreed we just wanted to make you change your mind and arrange Jin a different marriage, that’s all I ask for. I didn’t ask anyone to impeach you, Your Lordship, please believe me!”

Xiao Yugui was speechless, “At this point no way would Cao Le want to marry Jin, they hate us, remember Magistrate Cao is impeached too, thank to you!”

Cao Mo fainted in pain.

Xiao Yi cried out, “Mo, Mo, stay with me, please stay with me! Doctor! Now! Where’s the doctor!”

Xiao Yi pointed at Mammy Wang and said, “Mammy, I won’t spare your life if anything happen to Mo, you can count on that.”

“Keep flogging!” ordered Xiao Yugui.

Mammy Wang cried out instinctively, “I will confess! Please stop! I’ll confess anything!”

Lady Lu barred in the way, “Please don’t listen to her, she is babbling now!”

With that Mammy Wang lost her breath, Mammy Wang died.

Lady Lu clenched her fists, this had gone out of control, she didn’t want Xiao Family to suffer! She just wanted to arrange a good marriage for her son.