The Prime Minister feigned disbelief, stumbling a few steps and asking uncertainly, "You said who is gone?"
"My lord, it is... it is the young master who is gone," the butler said, supporting his master, fearing he could not bear it.
"My son is gone, my son is gone..." the Prime Minister muttered to himself, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"My lord!" cried the Prime Minister's wife, weeping bitterly. This time she was truly heartbroken. Her plan was ruined, and her son was to die alone.
The world sympathizes with the weak. Seeing the Prime Minister collapse, they all cast looks of condemnation at Wu Caiwei.
Wu Caiwei quickly squeezed to the Prime Minister's side and quickly took out silver needles.
Seeing her haphazardly puncturing her husband, the Prime Minister's wife cried out in alarm and pushed her away, "What are you doing? You vixen, you have ruined our family like this, and now you want to cause more trouble?"
"The Prime Minister has woken up," Wu Caiwei said expressionlessly.
Everyone immediately shifted their gaze and stepped forward to ask with concern. The Prime Minister, continuing his performance, was inwardly bewildered. He hadn't expected her to have such a skill.
His plan had been going well: feign unconsciousness, be supported back to his room by the butler, and smoothly resolve the awkward situation. He hadn't expected this girl to be so capable that he couldn't help but open his eyes.
"Your Majesty, please dispense justice for our Lin family. My son was gravely ill, and this marriage was intended to bring him good fortune. Now that it has become this, it is not what I wished for, but my heart aches." The Prime Minister said with teary eyes, the death of a child making him appear much older in an instant.
The Emperor had always seen the Prime Minister as wise and astute. This was the first time he had seen him so vulnerable, and he couldn't help but soften. He sighed inwardly, lamenting the tender hearts of parents.
"Your Majesty, please also dispense justice for this humble subject. It is not this humble subject who exchanged betrothal tokens with the Prime Minister's son. This humble subject entered a nunnery from birth and has lived a life of asceticism for so many years. The Zhou family never paid me any attention. They found me two months ago and forced this marriage upon me." Wu Caiwei also lowered her head at the opportune moment to show her innocence.
She continued, "As for my earlier statement that the Fourth Young Master passed away a long time ago, the Lin family is clearly attempting a fraudulent marriage. This is not mere hearsay. Your Majesty may summon imperial physicians or coroners to examine the body. The truth will be evident to the wise Emperor, and this humble subject will not suffer injustice. After all, Your Majesty loves his people as his own children, and this humble subject is also your subject."
Hearing her words, the Prime Minister's palms began to sweat. He couldn't help but regret inwardly. If such a woman had truly become his daughter-in-law, the Lin family's foundation could have been secured.
The Prime Minister's wife, being a woman, lacked the Prime Minister's composure. Seeing the situation turning dire, her face contorted in shock.
The Emperor glanced around and discovered a clue. After a moment of hesitation, he said to Wu Caiwei, "The ceremony has not been completed today, so you are not considered a member of the Lin family. The Lin family's young master is already gone, you may leave."
Knowing that the Emperor's words would shield her from any further public criticism, Wu Caiwei quickly expressed her gratitude and departed.
The servants accompanying the Zhou family, seeing their young lady and Granny Yang turn away without hesitation, were at a loss. After a moment of hesitation, they finally carried the gifts and headed back to the Zhou residence.
With the Zhou family gone, the Emperor personally declared, "Today we are here to attend the funeral of the Prime Minister's Fourth Young Master. Everyone has offered their condolences. Let us now partake in the feast."
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, servants quickly served the food and set up the mourning hall. The butler organized people to replace all the red cloths with white ones.
Zhou Xiangyu listened as the servants vividly recounted the scene, his mouth agape in astonishment. He had never imagined his third daughter to be so daring, capable of disrupting the entire wedding in the presence of the Emperor. He recalled how he had almost been unable to speak when he first faced the Emperor.
He also broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had truly made a name for himself this time. He paced back and forth anxiously, contemplating a solution.
Finally, he sighed and slumped onto a stool, feeling a sense of utter defeat.
Wu Caiwei paid them no mind. With fifty thousand taels of silver, she and Granny Yang were in good spirits, looking for a courtyard.
She eventually settled on a five-courtyard mansion whose location wasn't particularly prime. In this densely populated capital, it cost her forty-five thousand taels, almost wiping her out overnight. Looking at the meager silver in her hand, Wu Caiwei murmured to herself, "I still need to earn money!"
Granny Yang was exceptionally happy. This was her young lady's property, and they could live here peacefully from now on.
After purchasing a few servants and essential living supplies, they officially settled down.
Living solely off her savings was not Wu Caiwei's style. She had initially thought of taking over the largest embroidery shop in the capital, but she clearly lacked the funds. She could only rent a storefront, hire a few embroiderers, and start with a medium-sized embroidery shop.
Fortunately, having experienced several worlds, she possessed broad knowledge and unique insight. She personally drew designs, explained them to the embroiderers, and set fair prices. Business soon flourished.
After all, the capital, with its countless wealthy individuals, was not a place where everyone was willing to spend so much money on clothing.
Zhou Xiangyu had toiled for many years to reach the rank of a fifth-grade official, barely qualifying to attend court. Due to his low rank, he was often relegated to standing outside the hall, arriving and departing unnoticed.
On this particular morning court, he walked ahead, and discussions erupted behind him.
"This must be the recently famous Lord Zhou."
"So it's him. I wouldn't have known if you hadn't said so. I didn't recognize him before, but I'll never forget him now."
"Lord Zhou's daughter is truly remarkable. It's a shame he doesn't cultivate her properly. One wonders what he's thinking."
...
Similar whispers followed him. He could only smile wryly, regretting not having nurtured his daughter properly, which resulted in a complete lack of filial affection between them.
During court, the Emperor even called his name, which flattered him immensely. However, it was a pity that the Emperor wasn't commending him but rather finding an excuse to reprimand him.
This relieved him, yet he also feared it was just the beginning. Of course, he did not overlook the Prime Minister's resentful glare.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that his daughter had spoken the truth. The Prime Minister's son had passed away long ago. The so-called attempt to bring him good fortune was either to find someone to be buried with him or to leave a memory of him in the world.
Regardless, the woman who married into the family would undoubtedly be the one to suffer.
Originally, all of this was unfolding quietly. Now that his daughter had exposed it, tearing away the fig leaf and revealing their ugly faces, especially after disgracing them before the Emperor, how could the Prime Minister not harbor resentment?
Zhou Xiangyu offered himself a few seconds of silent mourning, realizing that one wrong step had led to a cascade of mistakes, and the hard times were yet to come.
Meanwhile, in the imperial harem, someone was listening to a eunuch recount the incident. While others heard it as mere gossip, he became agitated, believing that the person he was looking for had finally appeared.