Chapter 85 Part 1: Vice only rises one foot
The t.i.tle inChinese 魔高一尺 is a play on thephrase 道高一尺，魔高一丈. The original phrase means even though virtue (or the good) is strong,the vice (the bad is stronger). The t.i.tle, on the other hand, is referring tothe downfall of vice.
Li Wei Yang coldly looked at Da furen: “Mother, youalso believe the words of this old servant? She is framing me because there isabsolutely no poison in the soup …”
Da furen stroke the table, then rose: “You dare come up with excuses!Someone come and tie up San Xiaojie! I have to interrogate you for good!”
Poisoning the matriarch, this was enough to employ the most austerefamily punishment. Even if they strike the person to death, outsiders wouldn’tbe able to say much. So today, she will do whatever it takes to prevent Li WeiYang from leaving here alive.
Zhao Yue walked forth, she stepped in front of Li Wei Yang as herexpression turned cold. Everyone was stunned, yet no one dared to walk forward.
Li Wei Yang looked at Li Xiao Ran: “Father, you’vesaid you would believe me.”
Li Xiao Ran, of course, didn’t think Li Wei Yangwould commit such actions but now the evidence was completely unfavorabletowards her so he said: “Wei Yang, Father believe that you wouldn’t do suchthings but you must prove your own innocence!”
Da furen coldly smiled, even if Li Wei Yang wanted to prove her owninnocence, it was harder than impossible. Du Mama is the witness, the money isthe evidence, what’s even more important was that she didn’t think Li Wei Yangwould be able to escape this. Once she is tied up and greatly beaten, who wouldbe able to endure this and admit their wrong?
Li Wei Yang retained Da furen’s expressions in hereyes. Her eyes, from the start, seemed like she was watching a performance.Soon after, she loudly asked Du Mama: “Du Mama, do you dare to swear thateverything you’ve just said is true, I’ve bribed you and even told you topoison Mother’s soup!”
Du Mama lifted her body: “Yes, your servant daresto admit whatever she’s committed, I am willing to accept Lao Ye and Furen’spunishments!”
“You’ve been proclaiming that I’ve bribed you, if you’ve received money,why did you go back on your words?” Li Wei Yang forcefully asked.
Du Mama had already thought over this and so shequickly said: “This is because in the morning, Furen mentioned times when shewas still a lady, your servant was her accompanying maid when she married.Listening to her speaking about the old days, your servant became extremelyashamed because your servant had failed to live up to what the Old Marquis andhis wife had entrusted me and done something to hurt Furen. Your servant hadpromised you in the past but I’ve made a mistake. Now that I have becomeconscientious, I know if I continued with this, I wouldn’t have the face tolive!”
Li Wei Yang coldly said: “You didn’t regret earlierbut right when you were about to kill someone, this is all rubbish! Du mama, Iwill give you one more chance, please think before you answer! Think about LinMama, don’t commit the same mistake that she did!”
Hearing Lin Mama’s name, Du Mama thought of Lin Mama’s ending and couldn’thelp but tremble to the point of not being to utter a word.
Da furen bellowed: “Li Wei Yang! You dare tointimidate Du Mama! You are this arrogant in front of us, I wonder how you actbehind our back?! I’ve been too benevolent towards you, you are a curse, weshouldn’t have bought you back from the start. Now you’ve caused chaos amongstthe residence, making it difficult for all of us to eat and rest peacefully!Kneel down!”
Li Wei Yang calmly smiled: “Mother, it seems likeyou’ve already believed the words of this shameless old servant!”
Da furen raged: “Why wouldn’t I believe it! She hadalready repented, why are you still not admitting your wrong, do you reallywant me to use the family punishment? Or do you think you can depend on amaidservant who knows martial arts to protect you, so that is why you do as youplease?!”
Li Wei Yang just smiled, she didn’t kneel norresponded, she only spoke to Li Xiao Ran: “Father, now that things have reachedthis point, there are some words I couldn’t withhold any longer.”
Li Xiao Ran frowned: “Wei Yang, what do you want to say?” In his heart,he still believed Li Wei Yang wouldn’t do such things.
Right at this moment, a shimmering beauty suddenly walked in. Noticingthe intense atmosphere inside, she became dumbfounded.
Da furen was shock, her mouth opened to the pointof being able to swallow an egg: “Chang Le! How did you return!”
Li Xiao Ran spoke: “I’ve let her return, shearrived tonight.”
Li Chang Le blissfully threw herself onto Da furen’sarms: “Mother, your daughter misses you.” Da furen held onto her tightly andthen said: “Wait here for a second, let me finish up this b.i.t.c.h then we’lltalk.”
Li Chang Le turned her head to give Li Wei Yang a glance. She wasthinking about what was her mother doing this time to deal with Li Wei Yang.Sadly, she has just arrived, she wasn’t able to watch the whole show. Based onher observations, stabbing Li Wei Yang to death wasn’t a bad idea, thisdeathful yatou dared to go against them, she couldn’t be let off that easily!
Li Wei Yang watched this mother and daughterreunion yet she calmly said: “I originally wanted to give Mother a surprise soI begged Father to let Dajie return home. I’ve never thought Mother’smisunderstanding towards me is this deep, I feel absolutely upset about his.Under these circ.u.mstances, I have to clarify something. This soup wasn’t madeby me nor was it made by personal maidservant, the person who made this soupwas Dajie!”
Everyone in the household shockingly looked towardsLi Wei Yang and couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Du Mama wascompletely stunned and then loudly hollered: “No, this is impossible!”
Li Wei Yang didn’t allow her much time to react andonly coldly said: “I originally wanted to give Mother a surprise so Ideliberately concealed news of Dajie’s arrival. Dajie probably heard news ofMother’s illness from Father so she said she wanted to personally make a bowlof soup for Mother. But just as the soup was almost done, she was called awayby Lao furen so I kindly bought the soup over.”
“Chang Le, what is going on!” Da furen was completely astonished as shegreatly shouted.
Li Chang Le was also muddled, she didn’t know what she did wrong. Fathersaid it was best to give Mother a surprise and suddenly appear at dinner time.After, Father’s servant specifically told her about her Mother’s recentillness. Si Xiaojie have been making pigeon soup for her so she purposely wentto the kitchen to make a bowl of pigeon soup to let everyone know she hadreturned so that fake concubine-born daughter didn’t have to be by Mother’sside anymore! But when the soup was just about to be done, she was summoned byLao furen. She handed the bowl of soup to a kitchen maidservant but she didn’tknow how it ended up in Li Wei Yang’s hands! How could this be!
Li Chang Le could have never thought that Li Wei Yang first used Dafuren’s illness as an excuse to persuade Li Xiao Ran to bring her home. Thenshe arranged people to mislead Li Chang Le into the kitchen to make the soupand used Lao furen to call Li Chang Le away …… linking the whole plan together,even if there was one slip, the whole plan would have failed. Li Wei Yangactually planned it very well which made others marveled admirably.
“This soup was definitely made by you! Your servant have already askaround ---“ Du Mama couldn’t hold back and said.
Li Wei Yang smiled like a blooming summer flower: “DuMama, didn’t you say you were in the kitchen for two hours? Aiya, I’ve forgottento tell you, my cooking is really bad, I thought Mother would not like mycooking no matter what, so I poured the soup into water vat, if you don’tbelieve me, everyone could go see!”
At this moment, Li Xiao Ran’s people who were sentto search Du Mama’s room have returned: “Lao Ye, your maidservants haverummaged through the entire room but we didn’t find the money Du Mama wastalking about.”
Du Mama screeched: “It’s impossible, yourmaidservant hid it really well, how could it be missing!”
Li Wei Yang’s lips curved upward: “Du Mama, ifthere is, there is, if there isn’t, there wouldn’t be! I usually treat you withrespect seeing you have taken good care of Mother. But I would have never thinkthat she would say I’ve bribed you to harm Mother! Even though I am born from aconcubine, I am still Li family’s Xiaojie, Father’s daughter, and all the morea Xianzhu conferred by the Emperor, you dare frame your master, do you knowwhat punishments you will face!”
Li Xiao Ran raged: “Du Mama, since the soup wasmade by Chang Le, yet you blamed Wei Yang, what intentions do you have!”
After Da furen understood the whole situation, herexpression changed and then she suddenly smiled: “A misunderstanding, it’sactually a misunderstanding, Du Mama, hurry and apologize to San Xiaojie!”
Li Wei Yang coldly laughed and said: “Mother, isthis a misunderstanding? The poison in the soup is real, since the soup was notmade by me, then the person who poisoned it must unmistakably be Dajie! Orperhaps, Du Mama lied! She was the one who poisoned it!”
Da furen’s face suddenly turned glaringly white, she couldn’t have knownLi Chang Le was the one who made the soup and even more, she originally wantedto frame Li Wei Yang but ended up being counterattacked by her! Now, no matterhow she explained it, it would still be bad. If she confirmed what Du Mama saidto be true, then that means someone did poison the soup and this person wouldbe Li Chang Le. But if she claimed these were false accusations and that theperson behind the poisoning was Du Mama, then Li Chang Le can be freed fromaccusations! If she placed all the accusations onto Du Mama, this old servantwill most certainly betray her and say she was the one who order her to frameLi Wei Yang! No matter what, it was impossible to go on or retreat!
Du Mama didn’t understand the situation now, sheloudly said: “Your servant didn’t poison the soup! Lao Ye, your servant didn’tadd poison!”
If it wasn’t Du Mama, then it was Li Chang Le ---Li Xiao Ran’s gaze fell onto his elder daughter.
Li Chang Le’s voice was sharp: “Ridiculous! Whywould I poison my very own mother?”
Li Wei Yang slightly smiled, she said: “Who saidDajie poisoned Mother, it’s not only Mother who ate dinner today.”
Li Xiao Ran’s expression suddenly changed, he hadalready understood that Du Mama was framing Li Wei Yang. She knew that the soupwas poisoned beforehand, or else she wouldn’t have rushed forward to stop Dafuren. But how did Li Chang Le got dragged into this? His eyes strolled backand forth on his two daughters. He didn’t think that Li Wei Yang was clever tothe point of knowing the soup had already been poisoned, then did Li Chang Lepoison the soup?! If it was her, then she wouldn’t have harmed Da furen, thenit would be ……
People are like this, if it didn’t involve himself, Li Xiao Ran wouldhave conscientiously seen that Li Chang Le was pulled into this matter by LiWei Yang as a shooting target. But now he was infuriated with the fact thatsomeone wanted to harm him, so he couldn’t think of anything else and believethe person who poisoned the soup to be Li Chang Le! Li Wei Yang lightly smiled,this was a human’s blind spot. Da furen originally invited Li Xiao Ran over towitness her being poisoned, who would have thought that she bought a rock overto squash her foot.
Li Wei Yang coldly gazed at Li Chang Le: “Dajie,Father sent you to the nunnery to let you reflect yet you didn’t repent a bitand dared to poison the soup. If Du Mama didn’t stop them just in time, notonly would Father have died, Mother would have also been harmed! Du Mama musthave known the truth beforehand, she is Mother’s favorite and she was by yourside as you were growing up. In order to not implicate you or Da furen, shetook the chance and place the blame on me! Because it happened all of a sudden,she couldn’t think of a better idea so her lies were full of loopholes!”
Li Wei Yang’s words seemed rational and logical. Li Chang Le hated LiXiao Ran for sending her to the nunnery and wanted to poison her father todeath. Who would have guessed Du Mama would find out and seeing Da furen aboutto drink the soup, she quickly stopped it. Because everything happenedsuddenly, she didn’t think it through thoroughly and made up the story of LiWei Yang bribing her. This also explained why when others were sent to searchher place and found nothing; because the money was fake. If Li Chang Le didn’tsuddenly appear and if Li Xiao Ran believed Du Mama’s words completely, Li WeiYang would have already been dead, no one would investigate this further!
Du Mama’s expression froze: “No! This is not true!The person who poisoned the soup was Xianzhu, not Da Xiaojie!”
Still quibbling, she must not be afraid to die! Li Wei Yang greatlyturned her head and shouted: “Du Mama, you’ve been saying the person whopoisoned the soup was me, but this soup wasn’t made by me. On our way here,even though it was my maidservant who carried the bowl of soup, but since weleft the kitchen, there were countless of maids by our side, how could we havepoisoned the soup in front of that many eyes? The only person who had thechance to add poison would be Dajie, the person who made the soup!”
“Also, you said I bribed you but why couldn’t the money be found, itmust be a story made up by you to cover up for Dajie and mislead Father! Youmust have been afraid that once Father found out that it was Dajie who wantedto kill him, he would blame Mother. Moreover, you were worried that Motherwould drink the soup ahead of time and die before Father! Think about this, howcould you cover up her blunders, she is foolish yet you’re even more foolishthan she is. You think that putting the blame on me would free Dajie fromimplications, Father is such an intelligent person, how could he be confused byyou all! You stupid old thing!” Saying this, she kicked towards Du Mama’schest, Du Mama painfully cried out and laid on the ground.
Li Chang Le screeched: “Li Wei Yang, don’t go toofar! There is no way I would add poison, I have never hated Father, and evenmore, I would never poison the soup to kill Father. Father, you have to believeme, I didn’t! I really didn’t, I only wanted Mother to be happy so I made abowl of pigeon soup for her, I didn’t know the Father would be here beforehand!”
Li Wei Yang coldly said: “Dajie, I really regret itnow, if I knew you would harm Father, I wouldn’t have begged for your return. Iwould let you stay at the nunnery forever than to let you be accused ofpatricide! You have hurt Father deeply!”
Li Chang Le’s face turned red all of a sudden andwanted to give Li Wei Yang a slap on the face. But now she couldn’t come upwith excuses, whatever she says, it will be wrong! She turned her head to lookat Da furen: “Mother, Mother! Put in a word for me, how would I harm Father!Why would I do that!”
Then, Da furen’s expression greatly changed, she thought: Li Wei Yanghad already planned everything for them to step into! She planned her stepsaccordingly yet she had already been plotted against by her!
The maidservants on the side rushed over to help Da furen sit down. Shebreathed heavily as she sat down without saying a single word. Even if shecould speak, she couldn’t utter it now because she had just spat blood justthen, her heart seemed as if it was molded together. Now her throat felt as ifsomeone stuffed it, she had to use all her strength to prevent her body fromtrembling! Her illness was breaking out again!
Li Xiao Ran’s expression turned worse, he reallycouldn’t believe that the daughter in his palm actually wanted to kill himbecause of this. Without thinking much longer, he strolled forward and angrilygave Li Chang Le two slaps: “Evil child!”
After the slaps, Li Chang Le fell onto the ground and stared at Li XiaoRan with disbelief. How did this happen, she thought today was the day hermother would get rid of Li Wei Yang, how did it turn into this!
Da furen struggled to stand up, wanting to help LiChang Le up but Si Yiniang suddenly blocked her: “Furen, Lao Ye is punishing DaXiaojie, you should watch from the side, or else others will talk about yourpartiality!”
Da furen viciously looked at Si Yiniang. She couldn’t believe that SiYiniang, who had always acted like a dog, loyal to her, dared disrespect herafter Li Wei Yang’s instigation.
Si Yiniang not only showed disrespect but her eyes also showed despiseand pleasure derived from her misfortune.
Da furen was running out of luck, she was happier than anyone. BecauseDa furen stood on her for years, if she didn’t borrow Li Wei Yang’s hands, shewouldn’t have been able to see Da furen in a pathetic position. Thinking aboutthis, she must thank San Xiaojie!
Da furen breathed in and loudly bellowed: “Getaway!”
Her voice carried a weak malevolence, she greatlygave Si Yiniang a slap: “What do you think you are, how dare you taunt and jeerat me!”
Si Yiniang covered her cheek and turned towards LiXiao Ran with a wronged expression: “Lao Ye! I just didn’t want Furen’s illnessto worsen but she must misunderstand my good intention---”
Li Xiao Ran’s pair of cold eyes glazed over at Dafuren. He still choked in rage over what happened last time with Jiu Yiniangand now Da furen raised a daughter that wanted to kill him! How could this notmake him feel infuriated and actually had the thought of divorcing his wife.But he had already calmed down and at this critical moment, he thought of JiangGuogong Furen’s face, that old thing still hasn’t died yet, Jiang Guogong’spower couldn’t be ignored. Even though he was a prime minister and no longer aservile son-in-law in front of his father-in-law, he still couldn’t act rashly.So, Da furen’s position as the matriarch must remain! He coldly spoke: “Furenwill forever be the furen, you can’t be disrespectful!”
Trace of disappointment appeared on Si Yiniang’s face yet Li Wei Yangstill smiled. She clearly understood that Li Xiao Ran would never divorce hiswife; no matter what Da furen did, her position as the matriarch will neverchange. But …… even if he couldn’t divorce her, this didn’t mean Da furen’scoming days would be easy. Of course, she still felt she wasn’t pitiful enoughand wanted to infuriate her more so she can go to heaven earlier!
Da furen coldly made a humph and walked forward a few steps. The personshe hated the most now was Li Wei Yang, if it wasn’t for Li Wei Yang, shewouldn’t have fallen to this state!
In Da furen’s logic, her scheming against Li Wei Yang was right but LiWei Yang actually fought back and used her own plan to scheme against her anddidn’t obediently let her kill her, this was a great sin! She had to let outthis injustice so she went up towards Li Wei Yang and slap her without muchthought!
“You little b.i.t.c.h, you’ve caused all the chaos amongst our household!”Da furen greatly shouted, her hands were already shaking uncontrollably.
Li Wei Yang showed a slight smile and her body moved to avoid her slap.Da furen was now a sick patient, her slap couldn’t carry much strength; sheonly put together all her strength to slap Li Wei Yang, thinking she wouldn’tdare to avoid it because she was the matriarch. But she underestimated Li WeiYang’s audacity so not only did she slap air but her whole body fell towardsthe red sandalwood chair nearby and lost her balance as she drastically droppedonto the ground! The maids quickly went forward to help her up but the cornerof Da furen’s lips already had blood flowing out. She was basically laying onthe ground like a dead pig, she couldn’t get up no matter how hard she tried.
Da furen’s current countenance, even Li Xiao Ran hadn’t even seenbefore, she was like a beast who had completely lost her mind!
Li Xiao Ran greatly frowned, no matter how hard he tried to conceal hisinner disgust, he couldn’t do it.
Li Wei Yang showed a surprised expression: “AiyaMother, how are you doing? Quickly get up, your daughter can’t accept such ahuge honor!”
Bai Zhi and Zhao Yue, who were on the side, were stealthily smilingwhile their heads were lowered.
Si Yiniang, pretentiously went over to help Da furen but Da furen swungher hand away and Si Yiniang expressed being wronged.
Right at this moment, the curtains were lifted.
-------------------------------------------------
Translator: Erica
Editor: Panisa (In Progress)
-------------------------------------------------