Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Could Not Rest in Peace

But now… Sheng Zhi Wan would not plead for her.

Did that mean Qi Fei Yan truly had to watch herself be beheaded?

No. No!

Qi Fei Yan could not die!

If Sheng Zhi Wan had not insisted on taking back the dowry, Qi Fei Yan never would have touched private salt. Sheng Zhi Wan owed her. Why did Sheng Zhi Wan get to refuse to save her?

Qi Fei Yan trembled all over. “Mother, please, no. Daughter doesn’t want to die. Go beg Sheng Zhi Wan!”

Madam Cui did not answer.

Qi Fei Yan looked at Qi Shu Xian. “Shu Xian, you go beg her! No, don’t beg. Tell her that if she doesn’t go, you’ll divorce her. She’ll definitely go!”

Qi Shu Xian did not speak.

He never expected Eldest Sister to think the same way as Madam Cui.

But the more they believed that, the more ashamed and hollow Qi Shu Xian felt.

The Sheng Zhi Wan who once loved him so much – how did she become like this?

Divorcing a husband… and she was the one who suggested it. Just thinking of it made Qi Shu Xian feel humiliated and lost.

“It’s useless, Eldest Sister!” Qi Shu Lang said with deep hatred.

“Elder Brother already went, but Sheng Zhi Wan had a heart of stone. We were all fooled by her before.”

Qi Shu Lang hated Sheng Zhi Wan to the bone. If not for Sheng Zhi Wan, Qi Shu Lang would not have been punished twice.

Now Sheng Zhi Wan was even causing Eldest Sister to be executed!

“Yan’er… eat something good,” Duke Qi said, eyes red.

Qi Fei Yan looked at the food Madam Cui offered. She lowered her head, then suddenly smashed it all onto the ground.

The pastries and small dishes spilled everywhere.

“I don’t believe it. You’re all lying to me!” Qi Fei Yan lifted her head, hatred filling her eyes as she stared at them.

“How could I be beheaded? You just don’t want to save me. I’m the legitimate daughter of Duke Qi Manor… No, it’s impossible!”

Madam Cui wanted to speak, but Duke Qi’s expression had already turned cold. “How are we supposed to save you?”

“If you hadn’t been bold enough to even touch private salt, how would you have ended up like this? Everything that happened was your own fault!”

“Duke…” Madam Cui could not bear to let Duke Qi keep going.

What was the point of scolding now? This was already Qi Fei Yan’s last day.

“Enough!” Duke Qi said in disappointment. “Eat if you want. If you don’t want to eat, we’re leaving.”

Qi Fei Yan dug her nails into the iron bars.

“I want to speak to Mother…”

“Fine,” Duke Qi said.

He gave Qi Fei Yan one last look, then led Qi Shu Xian and Qi Shu Lang away.

“Yan’er…” Madam Cui rushed forward.

Qi Fei Yan grabbed Madam Cui’s arm. “Mother, you must take revenge for me!”

Madam Cui froze, not understanding.

Qi Fei Yan lowered her voice, hatred thick in every word. “I want Sheng Zhi Wan to die!”

“What?” Madam Cui gasped.

“If Sheng Zhi Wan hadn’t insisted on taking back the dowry, I wouldn’t have touched private salt. It was her. Sheng Zhi Wan harmed me!” Qi Fei Yan’s eyes burned. “Mother, you must take revenge for me…”

“Yan’er…” Madam Cui stared at Qi Fei Yan’s hateful gaze. She wanted to persuade her, but when the words reached her lips, she only nodded slightly. “Fine. Mother will do as you say. You… eat something first, alright?”

“Then tell me how you’re going to kill Sheng Zhi Wan,” Qi Fei Yan said, watching her closely.

Madam Cui tried to look away. She had agreed only to soothe Qi Fei Yan. Sheng Zhi Wan was still a Princess, and she was still Shu Xian’s principal wife. Madam Cui…

“Mother, if you lie to me, I won’t rest even if I die!” Qi Fei Yan’s hatred surged like a tide. “Killing a woman is the simplest thing. Mother, I want Sheng Zhi Wan to die with her reputation ruined!”

“I know there’s a pill hidden in your jewelry case. You bought it from Heavenly Poison Valley! I also know what that pill does…”

“You only need to make Sheng Zhi Wan swallow that pill, then arrange a few men for her.”

Qi Fei Yan had done such things before. After she first married into Lian Manor, she used all kinds of methods to deal with the bedchamber maids who served Lian Wen Hui.

“N-no. That won’t do,” Madam Cui said. “Shu Xian won’t agree.”

“Mother, can’t you see it yet?” Qi Fei Yan said. “Sheng Zhi Wan already doesn’t care about Shu Xian anymore! If Sheng Zhi Wan cared, why would Sheng Zhi Wan demand the dowry? Why would Sheng Zhi Wan watch me die? And your illness – did Sheng Zhi Wan ever ask about it once?”

“Sheng Zhi Wan doesn’t care about Shu Xian, and Sheng Zhi Wan doesn’t care about Duke Qi Manor. A daughter-in-law like that, why keep her? It’s better to remove her!”

“First ruin her reputation and take away her purity. Once she’s disgraced, she won’t have the face to go on living. As long as she dies, her dowry will all belong to Duke Qi Manor…”

“Then you can find a high-born noble lady to marry Shu Xian as his second wife.”

“B-but if this spreads, won’t Shu Xian lose face?” Madam Cui asked.

“What matters more – face, or real benefits? Mother should think clearly!” Qi Fei Yan stared at her.

Madam Cui had not answered yet when a jail warden at the door strode in. “Alright, alright, visiting time is over. Duchess should go out now!”

“Mother…” Qi Fei Yan grew frightened again at once. She clung to Madam Cui’s hand and refused to let go.

At this moment, fear swallowed her like a parasite that would not let go of the bone.

Madam Cui did not want to leave either. Qi Fei Yan had not even taken a bite of warm food.

But time was up. Under the jail warden’s urging, Madam Cui could only leave the cell.

As Qi Fei Yan listened to the footsteps fading away, the hatred that had been holding her up suddenly scattered. She collapsed on the ground in despair.

Spilled porridge soaked the hem of her skirt.

Qi Fei Yan did not care at all.

She was going to die anyway. What was the point of caring about that?

In that moment, Qi Fei Yan felt a regret she could not describe. Yet what she regretted, she could not even say.

After a long time, Qi Fei Yan picked up a pastry from the ground, dust-covered, and stuffed it into her mouth in small bites.

*The next day at noon, all the major criminals involved in the private salt case were escorted to the execution ground.

Madam Cui vomited blood again early that morning and fainted.

No one from Duke Qi Manor went to watch the execution. Duke Qi told the Steward to retrieve Qi Fei Yan’s body after it was over.

He did not expect anything from Lian Manor.

Lian Manor hated Duke Qi Manor for not teaching their daughter properly. Duke Qi Manor also resented Lian Manor for only wanting benefits from their daughter.

“No. I… I have to bring Yan’er back myself,” Madam Cui said after she woke. With red eyes, she forced herself to sit up from the couch.

The servants could not stop her.

Before Madam Cui even got out of bed, Nanny came in with red eyes and a low voice. “Madam, please grieve… Eldest Miss is already gone.”

Madam Cui’s body fell back onto the couch. A tear slid down from the corner of her eye.

Her fingers slowly tightened into a fist.

After a long time, Madam Cui waved her hand. Everyone in the room left. Only Nanny, still worried, stayed outside the door to listen for any movement.

“Yan’er… rest easy and go,” Madam Cui whispered.

“Your revenge – Mother will take it for you!”

So what if Sheng Zhi Wan was a Princess? Madam Cui’s eyes were venomous.

Yan’er was right. Since Sheng Zhi Wan already did not care about Shu Xian at all, and did not care about Duke Qi Manor at all, keeping Sheng Zhi Wan was pointless. It was better to remove Sheng Zhi Wan.

A Princess caught having relations with men and discovered – what face would Sheng Zhi Wan have left to live?

Then no matter how much dowry there was, it could only stay behind.

Thinking of that, Madam Cui forced herself up and searched through her jewelry case. She found a milky white wax pellet.

She bought this a few years ago, together with the Fertility-Severing Pill…

With this pellet, no matter how chaste and upright a woman was, she could only become a sl*t.