Apologize to your mother.

Jiang Xunnian thought of Gu Yunting's decisive and ruthless nature. Because Gu Yunting had spent years fighting on the battlefield, he was deeply adored by the common people. Coupled with the Emperor's immense favor, his reputation in the capital was exceptionally strong.

Moreover, he was the kind of person who always wore a cold expression, so even though people admired him, none of them dared to get too close.

In addition, there was that incident in the past when the Minister of Works' profligate son, thoroughly drunk and unable to recognize anyone, had swaggered up to provoke Gu Yunting directly. Gu Yunting had snapped his fingers on the spot, and the very next day, the young man had been stripped bare and dumped on East Street.

That single event not only brought utter humiliation to the Minister's Estate, but it also made certain that no one would ever dare to provoke Gu Yunting again.

Yet, reflecting that Jiang Shuwan was his own daughter, Jiang Xunnian reasoned that, no matter what, a father was entirely justified in disciplining his child.

In an instant, his demeanor turned overbearing and fierce.

"You are my, Jiang Xunnian's, daughter! Now that you have committed a wrong, even if I were to beat you until you had only half a breath left and send you over to them, let's see what they could possibly say!" Turning to the servants, he commanded, "Beat her! Beat her hard!"

The servants pressed down heavily on her shoulders. "Kneel!"

Jiang Shuwan stood rigidly upright, glaring fiercely at Jiang Xunnian. "You..."

Before she could finish, Jiang Xunnian kicked her hard behind the knee. Overcome by a wave of pain, Jiang Shuwan collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, the servants raised their wooden boards and brought them down one by one.

Lady Li watched Jiang Shuwan being beaten so wretchedly, a cold, sneering smile playing on her lips.

So you still had that arrogant attitude just now, did you? Treating us with such disdain? Let's see how arrogant you can be now.

In the past, she would have stepped forward to speak up for Jiang Shuwan. But remembering everything Jiang Shuwan had done to her and her own children, Lady Li felt only a sense of supreme gratification.

"Beat her to within an inch of her life!" Jiang Xunnian ordered loudly.

The boards in the servants' hands grew heavier and heavier.

A soul-shattering pain radiated from her back. Cold sweat beaded thickly across her forehead, yet she refused to let out a single cry.

She merely raised her head and glared at him with smoldering hatred.

Jiang Xunnian, I have etched today's humiliation into my soul. I swear I will bring total ruin to your Marquis of Yongbo's Estate.

Just as Jiang Shuwan felt the pain pushing her to the brink of unconsciousness, the blows from behind finally ceased.

"Do you know your wrongs now?" Jiang Xunnian looked down at her from on high.

Jiang Shuwan kept her spine ramrod straight. "The only wrong I committed..."

"Vile creature! You have committed such a grave transgression and still refuse to admit fault. It seems I must have your Second Mother teach you a lesson." He instructed Lady Li by his side, "Properly school her in how to respect her elders. If she remains uncompliant, keep teaching her until she submits."

Lady Li looked at Jiang Shuwan's pale face and the dense web of bloodstains crisscrossing her back, and a wave of intense satisfaction washed over her.

Yet, she still had to maintain her facade of a compassionate and benevolent mother. "My Lord, look at how badly she has been beaten already. Perhaps we should let it rest and let her go back to rest properly."

Seeing that Jiang Shuwan had been reduced to this state and yet Lady Li was still pleading for her, Jiang Xunnian looked at Lady Li with eyes full of tenderness.

"You啊, you are simply too kind-hearted. She has been showing disrespect to her elders for some time now; it is high time she learned a proper lesson." He turned back to Jiang Shuwan. "Learn well from your Second Mother, or else you will disgrace our Jiang family name when you go to the Marquis of Pingning's Estate."

These words were practically granting Lady Li supreme authority.

For the longest time, she had harbored a bone-deep hatred for Jiang Shuwan. But in order to preserve her reputation before Jiang Xunnian and the Dowager Lady Jiang, she had always been forced to act like a loving stepmother. Now, finally presented with an opportunity, her heart was filled with boundless joy.

Outwardly, however, she maintained her previous affectionate persona, gently advising Jiang Xunnian, "Lord Marquis, Wan'er is still young, after all, so let it go. Once she grows a bit older, she will naturally become more sensible."

Looking at the ever-understanding Lady Li, and then comparing her to the rebellious Jiang Shuwan before him, Jiang Xunnian held even greater contempt for his eldest daughter.

"Liniang, you remain as kind as ever, unlike certain people who are simply ungrateful wretches no matter how you raise them."

With that, he shot Jiang Shuwan another harsh glare.

"Do not speak of Wan'er in that way. Wan'er merely strayed onto the wrong path for a moment; deep in her heart, she still regards you, the Lord Marquis, as her father." Lady Li spoke up for Jiang Shuwan, but the corners of her mouth curled upward in a triumphant smile.

Watching the two of them sickeningly singing in harmony before her, Jiang Shuwan felt a profound sense of nausea.

In her past life, she truly would have foolishly believed that Lady Li was speaking up for her. But now, she had long since seen through Lady Li's hypocritical mask.

With a sarcastic smile at the corners of her lips, she looked mockingly at the pair. "Father, are you joking? A mere concubine who climbed into the position of principal wife is now talking about teaching me the rules? Are you going to teach me the methods of acting like a concubine yourself?"

Seeing her show such disrespect toward Lady Li, Jiang Xunnian's expression twisted abruptly, and he began to berate her furiously, "Jiang Shuwan! She is your elder! What kind of filth is coming out of your mouth? Apologize to your mother at once!"

Lady Li's smiling expression instantly froze, and her eyes filled with dark gloom.

Her hands clenched so tightly at her sides that it took every ounce of her self-control not to step forward and slap the girl across the face.

Having acted as the mistress of the house for over a decade, she had almost forgotten that she had originally risen from the lowly status of a concubine.

Because she had never allowed anyone to bring up her concubine origins in her presence, Jiang Shuwan's words struck her like a physical blow across the face, leaving a burning, searing pain.

Jiang Shuwan laughed aloud, raising a finger to point directly at her. "You want me to apologize to her? In your dreams! My mother died more than a dozen years ago; I lost my mother long ago. Where on earth would I have another mother?"

Lady Li's face turned ashen white.

Unable to bear watching the woman he cherished being bullied, Jiang Xunnian stepped forward and raised his hand, aiming a vicious slap at Jiang Shuwan's face.

"It seems you cannot be managed without a severe lesson!"

"Do not hit the Young Mistress! If you must hit someone, hit me instead!"

Suddenly, Lishu darted out from the side.

Jiang Xunnian's hand landed squarely across Lishu's face.

Finding his blow intercepted and realizing it was only a maid, Jiang Xunnian's fury flared even higher.

"A mere servant, yet you dare to meddle in your master's affairs! I'll beat you to death!"

Jiang Xunnian lashed out, kicking Lishu violently.

Lishu tumbled to the ground. Waves of intense pain wracked her body, yet she refused to let out a single cry of anguish.

Watching Lishu being beaten, Jiang Shuwan was consumed by a towering rage.

She remembered how, in her previous life, Lishu had also tried to protect her and had been beaten to death by the Jiang family.

Struggling violently, Jiang Shuwan screamed, "Stop! Don't hit her! Stop hitting her!"

Yet the servants holding her from behind only tightened their grip, not loosening up in the slightest.

Jiang Shuwan's desperate reaction seemed to fuel Jiang Xunnian's rage even further, and the force behind his kicks grew heavier and heavier.

Lady Li watched Jiang Shuwan—who had been so arrogant just moments before—now reduced to a frantic state resembling a madwoman, and her heart swelled with immense satisfaction.

Let you be arrogant! If not for the sake of maintaining the persona she had carefully cultivated in front of Jiang Xunnian all these years, she would have loved to join in with her own feet and vent her spleen to the fullest.

"Stop hitting her! If you hit her any more, she's going to die!"

Jiang Shuwan looked at Lishu, who had accompanied her since childhood, now coughing up blood from the corners of her mouth. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.

In her mind, the haunting scene from her past life replayed itself: Lishu, covered in blood and breathing her last, collapsed right before her very eyes.