Chapter 950 - 944: Scolded
The young servant of the Wei Family was bending down to pick up some silk, and when he heard someone asking, he looked up.
His face was covered in bruises, and the corner of his mouth was slightly swollen.
Seeing that it was Housekeeper Zhou, he sighed and said, "Prefect Sun sent people to smash the wedding hall."
Housekeeper Zhou dismounted from his horse, puzzled, "Isn’t tomorrow the day for the Sun and Wei families to become related by marriage?"
The servant sighed.
Marriage?
It would be fortunate if it didn’t turn into an enmity.
Housekeeper Zhou had visited the Wei Family twice, and the servant recognized him. As Housekeeper Zhou inquired, the servant shared more details.
After Xingxing got off the carriage, she helped Su Jin down.
Upon hearing the servant’s account, Su Jin realized she had an unavoidable role in this matter.
She had used a scheme to have the Empress Dowager summon Imperial Physician Wei back to the Capital City to investigate the Second Prince’s lineage.
To ensure the safety of Doctor Wei, she tacitly acknowledged the claim that Imperial Physician Wei was her mentor.
The identity of the mentor to the Princess Consort Zhenbei, the Daqi Princess Jin Ning, carried significant weight.
Imperial Physician Wei had no children but accepted a good disciple, whom he cherished as his own son.
As soon as Imperial Physician Wei’s identity was disclosed in Su State, Prefect Sun had devious thoughts about marrying into the Wei Family to indirectly establish a connection with the Princess Consort Zhenbei.
Prefect Sun wielded considerable power in Su State; he wanted his daughter to marry Imperial Physician Wei’s disciple, leaving the Wei Family with no choice but to comply.
Imperial Physician Wei was far away in the Capital, unable to intervene. Once the matter was settled, there was no way to annul the engagement.
While Prefect Sun was happily preparing to marry off his daughter, with the wedding dress already prepared, news came from the Capital that Imperial Physician Wei was not, in fact, the mentor of the Princess Consort Zhenbei.
He was merely a pawn in the Princess Consort Zhenbei’s scheme against the Empress Dowager.
Upon learning this, Prefect Sun was furious.
If Imperial Physician Wei was just a pawn, then his disciple was even less significant.
How dare a minor physician without wealth or power think he could marry his daughter?
Prefect Sun completely forgot how he initially coerced and enticed the marriage to happen when it suited him to marry his daughter to the young physician he now deemed beneath him.
Feeling played, he retaliated.
And this is how the Wei Family ended up in such a state.
Xingxing was indignant, "That Prefect Sun is simply too overbearing!"
The servant, holding the silk, sighed, "Who in Su State dares to provoke Prefect Sun?"
"Without the Princess Consort Zhenbei as a backing, even if my master is an imperial physician, he can only grind his teeth and swallow his blood."
"Su State is no longer a place we can stay. My mistress has already sent a message to my master, planning to move to the Capital City after rescuing Young Master."
Xingxing then said, "Are we just going to let it go like this?"
The servant cast a glance at Xingxing.
If not this way, what else?
A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, and the Wei Family’s foundation is too weak to compete with Prefect Sun.
Moreover, Prefect Sun is meticulous in his actions. He first sent people to the Wei Family to discuss annulling the engagement.
Madam Wei, without much thought, went to talk, only to walk straight into Prefect Sun’s trap.
He hadn’t even shown disdain for the Wei Family before the Wei Family expressed disdain for his daughter first.
The betrothal gifts sent wouldn’t be returned, and they even had Imperial Physician Wei’s prized disciple arrested and detained in the government office jail; his current situation is still unknown.
Su Jin and Xingxing were both very angry.
They had never seen someone as shameless as Prefect Sun, who first applied pressure to force someone to marry his daughter, and then, once the Wei Family lost the protection of the Princess Consort Zhenbei, he tried to annul the marriage.
On top of annulling the marriage, not wanting to return the dowry, and pinning the accusation of trying to annul the engagement on the Wei Family, he even arrested the Wei Family’s eldest son who was almost to be his son-in-law.
Imperial Physician Wei had no children but took on a disciple.
Prefect Sun wanted to indirectly attach himself to the Princess Consort Zhenbei’s status and insisted that his daughter marry an appropriate match, forcing Madam Wei to adopt Imperial Physician Wei’s disciple as her son.
Though coerced, Madam Wei genuinely liked him and complied.
Now that things have turned out this way, Madam Wei cried until her eyes were swollen.
Housekeeper Zhou looked at Su Jin.
Although the Zhou Family was wealthy and had considerable business in Su State, without Old Master Zhou’s consent, he dared not and could not intervene in this matter.
Su Jin was troubled.
This matter started because of her. Now that she knew, she couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.
Besides, Imperial Physician Wei was a good person.
As the matter of her supposed mentor was her doing, the consequences shouldn’t be borne by the Wei Family.
The young servant of the Wei Family went to report to Madam Wei and returned to tell Housekeeper Zhou, "Madam says she regrets having you come a wasted trip, but given how the house has been ransacked, she won’t be inviting you in for tea today."
Housekeeper Zhou didn’t intend to go inside anyway.
Su Jin said, "Let’s go stay at an inn for now."
"Madam Wei shouldn’t worry too much; Young Master might return tomorrow."
The servant sighed.
Though he knew what she said was to comfort him, he feared Prefect Sun wouldn’t easily release him.
Prefect Sun was greedy, and it would likely take a hefty ransom to free him.
Xingxing helped Su Jin onto the carriage, and Housekeeper Zhou led Su Jin to a family-owned inn to stay.
In the carriage, Xingxing looked at Su Jin, "Are you going to get involved in this matter?"
"Of course I am," Su Jin replied.
But how to handle it, she needed to think about.
After arriving at the inn, as it was still early, Su Jin took Xingxing to the street.
Finding a street vendor, she ordered a bowl of noodles and asked the vendor if he knew about the incident at Imperial Physician Wei’s house.
The vendor sighed repeatedly, "The Wei Family is truly unlucky; it’s all that Princess Consort Zhenbei’s fault for using Imperial Physician Wei and causing trouble for the Wei Family."
Su Jin, "..."
Xingxing, "..."
Xingxing was about to lose her temper when Su Jin stopped her.
Su Jin smiled, "It was Prefect Sun who smashed the Wei Family’s house, why blame the Princess Consort Zhenbei instead of him?"
"The Emperor is far away. Criticizing the Princess Consort Zhenbei to vent some anger wouldn’t trouble her," the vendor said offhandedly.
"..."
"In Su State, no one dares to speak ill of Prefect Sun. I still want to live a few more years here."
"..."
Xingxing looked at the vendor, "Aren’t you afraid this will get back to the Princess Consort Zhenbei?"
The vendor laughed, "I’m really not afraid of that."
"Princess Consort Zhenbei used to be a bandit of Qingyun Mountain; who hasn’t cursed her a few times?"
"If she really pursued this, half of Su State might lose their heads."
"Besides, many in Su State have benefitted from Imperial Physician Wei. We’re all annoyed at her for scheming to bring him to the Capital."
Now the Princess Consort who was the subject of discontent was speechless.
She just wanted to find out what immoral acts Prefect Sun had committed.
Yet no one dared to speak ill of him, and instead she heard criticism of herself.
From the vendor’s face, Su Jin learned about Prefect Sun’s character.
Su Jin then asked, "And what happened to the former prefect, Lord Lin?"
The vendor sighed, "Lord Lin was a good official, it’s a pity the Emperor, in his folly, dismissed such an excellent official."
Su Jin, "..."
Xingxing, "..."
Someone nearby ordered noodles, and the vendor quickly went to tend to them.
Xingxing quietly looked at Su Jin.
What bad luck, the vendor scolded the girl and then her father.
These two are the ones not to be messed with, yet he dared to speak.
While regarding Prefect Sun, he didn’t dare utter a word.
Though the Emperor is far away, he shouldn’t be bullied like that!
After finishing her noodles, Su Jin went for a stroll, then asked an older woman a few questions.
No one dared to say anything against Prefect Sun, but they expressed regret about Lord Lin.
Su Jin bought a set of writing supplies and took Xingxing to the Lin Mansion.