Chapter 75 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (16)
When it came to status and rank, Wei Yuyan was indeed no match for someone of mere common birth.
However, Madam Bai held the prestigious title of a First-Rank noblewoman, a position far superior to Wei Yuyan’s. Had it not been for the presence of the Prime Minister’s wife, an ultra First-Rank noble, the others might have been much more critical of Wei Yuyan’s behavior.
Seeing how tragic the Bai family appeared, the noble ladies who had previously disliked Wei Yuyan couldn’t hold back any longer. When Wei Yuyan refused to apologize, Miss Chen stepped forward, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and spoke:
“Your Majesty, my sisters and I personally witnessed the incident. Young Master Bai never touched Miss Wei. It was Miss Wei herself who knocked over the pastries. For reasons unknown, she suddenly fell toward Young Master Bai. To protect Miss Wei’s reputation, Young Master Bai pulled Young Master Yu to avoid contact. Who would have thought that, by sheer misfortune, Miss Wei would fall into the pond?”
“May Your Majesty judge fairly.”
With that, numerous noble ladies knelt down to testify on Bai Mo’s behalf, firmly stating that he was not at fault. As for whether Wei Yuyan herself was to blame, that was a question they left unanswered.
If it had been just one person speaking, Wei Yuyan might have found a way to argue her case. But with so many witnesses, what could she possibly say? Could she accuse all these noblewomen of conspiring against her?
The law does not punish the masses. Even if the Prime Minister wanted to take revenge later, it would mean offending half the imperial court’s officials—a price far too high to pay.
As Madam Yu pleaded for leniency on Madam Bai’s behalf, Madam Bai wept bitterly, banging her head against the floor. Bai Mo’s face was streaked with tears, his eyes swollen and red. Meanwhile, Yu Chenyi narrowed his eyes and respectfully cupped his hands toward the Prime Minister’s wife and Wei Yuyan.
“Previously, when the Prime Minister’s wife and Miss Wei visited our home, my mother and Tangtang acted thoughtlessly and offended Miss Wei. I have long wished to offer a formal apology, but due to the constraints between men and women, I never found the right opportunity. I humbly ask Miss Wei for her generosity in forgiving my family’s disrespect. In at most three days, I will ensure that my father retires from office and leaves the capital so that we are no longer an eyesore.”
Oh ho! Things were really heating up now!
Xiao Bobao watched the scene unfold with delight, enjoying the drama as much as possible—after all, it wasn’t Bai Mo who was in trouble.
Meanwhile, Wei Yuyan turned pale from Yu Chenyi’s sharp words. When had she ever said such things? What did Bai Mo offending her have to do with him?
“Brother Chenyi… You don’t have to do this…”
Bai Mo’s hoarse voice trembled, his red-rimmed eyes brimming with sorrow, making him look utterly pitiful.
All thanks to Xiao Bobao’s onion juice trick.
Xiao Bobao: “Oh sure, blame me~”
Yu Chenyi gently clasped the young man’s hand in return and softly said, “You and I are husbands, and husbands are one. Your matters are my matters.”
If the two were to marry, any trouble within their families would inevitably affect their in-laws as well. It was only natural for Yu Chenyi to stand up for Bai Mo.
The Empress Dowager’s temples throbbed with pain. Three high-ranking court officials resigning was no small matter. If mishandled, it could even damage the Third Prince’s reputation. And if that happened, who among the court officials would dare to support him in the future?
Everyone knew how to play the blame game. Wei Yuyan had accused Bai Mo of offending the future consort of the Third Prince, but now Madam Bai and Yu Chenyi were using resignation as leverage. It all came down to which side the Emperor and the Empress Dowager deemed more important.
“Madam Bai, I never meant it that way. You’ve misunderstood me…” Wei Yuyan couldn’t bring herself to apologize, so she resorted to delaying tactics, adopting a frail, delicate demeanor, as if she were a pure white lotus in full bloom.
“His Majesty arrives—”
The sharp call from outside the hall made everyone’s hearts tighten in suspense.
The Emperor strode in briskly, followed closely by Minister Bai and Imperial Censor Yu. Worry was etched across both men’s faces. Seeing their wives and children kneeling in the center of Cining Palace, they felt a sharp pang in their hearts.
Yet, bound by protocol, they could not rush forward to console their loved ones. They could only stand behind the Emperor, filled with anxious restraint.
“Mother, why such anger? What has happened?” The Emperor asked knowingly. He had great regard for Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi, and he wouldn’t allow them to be destroyed by the Wei family’s schemes.
His gaze briefly flicked toward the arrogant Prime Minister’s wife and Wei Yuyan, a flash of disdain in his eyes. Did they truly believe he had spared Wei Yuyan before because he feared the Prime Minister’s power?
“I won’t handle this anymore. I’ll leave it to His Majesty.” The Empress Dowager waved her hand dismissively, completely washing her hands of the matter. Now that this had turned into a major issue, she wanted no part of it—nor could she afford to bear the consequences.
The Emperor smiled, his expression warm yet unreadable. Taking his seat at the head of the hall, he glanced between Bai Mo and Wei Yuyan and spoke lightly, “Since both of you insist on your own versions of the story, why don’t we let the witnesses present tell us what happened?”
Then, turning to Madam Bai, he said, “Madam Bai, please rise. With me here, I will never allow the schemes of the wicked to succeed. A First-Rank noblewoman granted a title by the Emperor is not someone that just any random scoundrel can bully.”
Though the Emperor hadn’t explicitly named anyone, his bias was unmistakable.
Wei Yuyan’s face stiffened. She lowered her head to conceal her emotions. By the time she looked up again, her expression had returned to one of frail innocence, as if she were the most pitiful victim in the entire affair—completely oblivious to the Emperor’s veiled accusations.
Neither the Minister of Justice nor the Prime Minister were figures that the palace servants dared to offend. When the Emperor asked for their testimonies, the palace servants shook their heads and feigned ignorance.
Those serving tea continued to serve tea.
Those lighting lanterns remained focused on their task.
Each one busied themselves with their respective duties, pretending not to have witnessed the confrontation between Wei Yuyan and Bai Mo. They only knew that someone had fallen into the water—a fact they had learned from the noble ladies’ screams.
Self-preservation is the key to longevity. This was the fundamental survival rule for those in the palace.
Naturally, the noble ladies sided with Bai Mo. Led by Miss Chen, they spoke in unison, presenting a consistent and unwavering account of the incident. Their collective pressure made the Prime Minister’s wife’s scalp tingle with unease.
“Your Majesty, I—” The Prime Minister’s wife tried to speak, hoping to salvage the situation, but the Emperor waved a hand to silence her.
“Hold on, Madam Prime Minister. I have not finished questioning. As it happens, the eunuch attending Bai Mo was assigned by me. He should have witnessed everything clearly. We shall hear his account first.”
Upon hearing that the eunuch was one of the Emperor’s own, the Prime Minister’s wife’s expression faltered. She clenched her nails into her palm, trying to suppress her rising panic.
The eunuch gave a straightforward recounting of what he had seen—neither embellishing nor taking sides.
According to the eunuch’s testimony, before Wei Yuyan fell into the water, she had been at least four to five steps away from Bai Mo. Given Bai Mo’s arm length, it was physically impossible for him to have pushed someone standing that far away.
Yu Chenyi stepped forward and addressed the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I request that palace attendants assist in recreating the scene of Miss Wei’s fall.”
The area still bore traces of the incident, allowing them to reconstruct the exact positions and movements of those involved.
Bai Mo, having been preoccupied with eating pastries, had dropped many crumbs onto the ground. When he later stepped on them, his shoes left visible imprints on the bridge.
Even when Bai Mo stretched out his arm to its full length, there remained a gap of two palm widths between his fingertips and Wei Yuyan.
“Miss Wei, you claimed that Mo Mo pushed you. May I ask—where exactly did he push you?” Yu Chenyi’s gaze was sharp, locking onto Wei Yuyan. The crowd turned their eyes toward her, eagerly waiting for her response—or rather, her excuse.
“I… I…” Under the weight of so many stares, Wei Yuyan’s mind went blank, and she found herself at a loss for words.
Yu Chenyi did not let up. “Miss Wei, the other day, you visited our home to apologize and even gifted a peace talisman to our family’s loyal guard dog. Mo Mo merely found it amusing and smiled at the situation. He immediately apologized and explained himself. You personally said you did not mind. And yet now, why—?”
Madam Yu’s voice trembled with grief, and the noble ladies present nodded in agreement, confirming that the events had indeed unfolded that way.
This was an incredibly humiliating matter, yet Madam Yu had no reservations about bringing it up. Some people simply cannot be given an inch without taking a mile—and Wei Yuyan was exactly that kind of person.
No matter how she tried to spin it, Wei Yuyan’s reputation as a narrow-minded and vindictive person was now set in stone.
And this wasn’t even her first offense.
Previously, when a housekeeper had displeased her, she had ordered kidnappers to abduct him—an incident that had accidentally resulted in Madam Yu being injured.
What a ruthless heart.
To destroy someone’s entire life—just for a petty grudge.
The kidnapping incident resurfaced, once again becoming the subject of gossip. Wei Yuyan’s reputation among the wives of officials was completely ruined.
At the same time, they felt a strange sense of relief—thank goodness she was betrothed to the Third Prince.
Had she married into their own families instead, who knew what kind of disaster she might bring?
If a mother-in-law merely tried to set some household rules, and Wei Yuyan took offense, would that not spell calamity for the entire family?
“Yuyan must have been too frightened at the time, panicked, and possibly misremembered.” The Prime Minister’s wife had, of course, overheard the whispers of the noblewomen, and though she was seething inside, she had no choice but to maintain a gracious smile and attempt to salvage her daughter’s reputation.
“On Yuyan’s behalf, I offer my sincerest apologies to Madam Bai and Young Master Bai.” With that, the Prime Minister’s wife made a motion to bow.
But Madam Bai had no intention of letting Wei Yuyan escape so easily. She gently held back the restless Bai Mo and exchanged a glance with Minister Bai, before speaking in a voice laden with apparent humility:
“I do not dare accept such an apology. Ultimately, it was my husband and I who failed to educate our child properly, leading to his rash actions.”
Minister Bai then took a solemn step forward and bowed respectfully. “As the ancient teachings say, one must cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world. If I cannot even manage my own household, how can I assist His Majesty in ruling the country? How could I be worthy of His Majesty’s trust? I am incompetent and aging, and I humbly request Your Majesty’s permission to retire and return home.”
“I, too, bear responsibility,” Madam Yu added, kneeling beside Madam Bai. “I am clumsy with words and have offended Miss Wei. My son, Chenyi, takes after me in temperament—eighty percent alike, I would say. If I lack the competence for such matters, I fear he may also be unsuited for great responsibilities.”
“The fault is mine, for failing to manage my household properly,” added Imperial Censor Yu, ever devoted to his wife, standing firmly by her side.
Then, in unison, the noble ladies seized the perfect opportunity to drag Wei Yuyan down, saying, “We are at fault as well. We should have advised and mediated earlier, but we failed to prevent Miss Wei from bearing resentment.”
A falling wall is easily pushed over—something the Empress Dowager had not anticipated. Wei Yuyan’s connections were so weak that rather than serving as an asset to the Third Prince, she might instead become a liability, offending more people than she won over.
“Your Majesty, esteemed ladies, you have misunderstood me…” Wei Yuyan covered her face and sobbed, yet when asked exactly how she had been misunderstood, she could not produce a single coherent explanation. She had no grounds to argue—after all, everyone had merely admitted their own faults without uttering a single bad word about her.
What was there to refute?
How could she even begin to explain?
Whenever Bai Mo tried to speak, he was either stopped by Madam Bai, pulled back by Madam Yu, or distracted by the noble girls behind him, who tossed small earrings to divert his attention and prevent him from talking.
As the person involved and the supposed victim, Bai Mo speaking up at this moment would actually put him at a disadvantage. Innocent and straightforward, he was no match for the cunning Wei Yuyan. Staying silent and ensuring that Wei Yuyan didn’t even think of using Bai Mo as a breakthrough point was the best strategy.
Of course, Imperial Censor Yu and Minister Bai resigning was never an option. The Empress Dowager might not intervene in court matters, but when it came to Wei Yuyan’s standing, she would never allow someone with such a poor reputation to marry into the royal family.
After a long moment of contemplation, the Empress Dowager finally made her decision. “The Third Imperial Grandson is still young. There is no urgency for marriage. I would rather keep him by my side a little longer to accompany this old woman.”
The Emperor, smiling, supported the Empress Dowager’s hand and replied, “I shall obey Mother’s wishes. I happen to share the same thought.”
With the Empress Dowager withdrawing her support, the Emperor could hardly contain his joy. The Wei family’s political leverage was cut off—with their royal marriage alliance severed, any hope of colluding with the Empress Dowager’s natal family was eliminated.
In the end, Wei Yuyan’s engagement to the Third Prince was formally annulled, and she was publicly denounced by the Empress Dowager for her lack of integrity and poor character. This, in turn, tarnished the reputation of the entire Wei family, leading to a chain reaction: families with existing marriage agreements with the Weis hurriedly withdrew their proposals.
If even the legitimate daughters of the Wei family had been reprimanded by the Empress Dowager, then the collateral branch daughters stood no chance. From that point on, no one was willing to marry a girl from the Wei family.
As for Wei Yuyan, she was locked away in the ancestral hall by the Prime Minister and later berated by her own relatives, forced to publicly apologize to Imperial Censor Yu and Minister Bai.
She lost both her dignity and her reputation, and her father was so enraged that he fell ill, bedridden for half a month. Meanwhile, outsiders mocked him for his failure to raise a proper daughter—and their laughter lasted just as long.