The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 512 - 479: The Fall of the Su Family (Part 2)
Two sticks of incense later, Aunt Qiu was escorted by Su Hongqi’s men to the East Hall of the main courtyard.
Her face showed no sign of defeat or anger, even as she was escorted in. Her lips curled into a smile.
That smile was extremely eerie.
The Duchess felt her scalp tingle, angrily gritting her teeth and pointing at her, "It’s you? You wretch, I suspected your motives when you first came to the Su Family. I never thought you’d truly intend to harm the Duke. Have Su Yu release the Duke immediately!"
Duke Su’s forehead veins throbbed, eyes furious, "Wicked woman, I have no enmity with you, why do you want to harm me?"
A knife was held against her neck, yet Aunt Qiu showed no panic, "I had no choice. Someone couldn’t stand to see you live too comfortably. I’m just taking money to solve other’s problems."
Upon hearing there was someone behind her, the Duchess’s face sank immediately. She quickly stepped forward and slapped Aunt Qiu hard on the face twice, "Wicked woman!"
Su Hongqi looked at her, "Who is the person behind you?"
Aunt Qiu laughed twice, "The young master wants to know? Come over here, I’ll only tell you personally."
Su Hongqi narrowed his eyes.
The Duchess still stood beside him, reminding Su Hongqi, "This wicked woman is full of tricks, Hongqi, you must not fall for her trap."
"Don’t want to know? Then forget it." After speaking, Aunt Qiu glanced at Duke Su, who was being controlled by Su Yu, seemingly very satisfied with her work, as her lips curled upwards again.
Duke Su was so angry his chest heaved, "Wicked woman, you dare to defy the heavens!"
Hearing this, Aunt Qiu let out a burst of light laughter, "Defying the heavens? Isn’t that the Su Family? You think reinforcing the guards will make everything go unnoticed? What are you hiding in the ancestral hall?"
Su Hongqi’s face twitched slightly.
The ancestral hall was a critical location for the Su Family, guarded like a fortress. Usually, aside from two deaf and mute old servants, no one else was allowed inside. Aunt Qiu’s ability to investigate the ancestral hall showed the power behind her was formidable.
Grabbing a long sword from the guards, Su Hongqi swung his wrist without hesitation and sliced off one of Aunt Qiu’s fingers, speaking with a chilling voice, "Tell me, who is behind you?"
The pain of the severed finger was piercing; Aunt Qiu’s face twisted slightly, followed by a laugh, "I’m just a messenger. Asking me is pointless. When you get to the underworld, isn’t asking King Yanluo more straightforward?"
Su Hongqi’s eyes were bloodshot, raising his wrist and threatening to slice another finger.
Aunt Qiu tilted her brows at him, "Young Master, instead of wasting time here with me, why not go retrieve the family heirloom? Once she flows out through the live canal, and into the hands of my reinforcements, none of you can escape."
Su Hongqi instantly realized Aunt Qiu meant Second Aunt Su Yan, who was supposed to be locked in the ancestral hall.
He flew into a rage, "How did you release her?"
"Isn’t it because your people are fools?" Aunt Qiu laughed heartily, "Diverting the guards from the hall to search for me? A golden opportunity I wouldn’t miss!"
After finishing, she added with a sigh, "I tied her to a small boat. The family waterway connects to the moat, and within the time of one stick of incense, she can successfully leave the Su Family and reach my reinforcements. I heard the Emperor delegated a task to Minister Song, gathering all the talents across the country for the Imperial Family. Do you think handing over the naturally fragrant family aunt to the government is worth it, or to Minister Song?"
Su Hongqi’s temples throbbed, looking at the Duchess, "Mother, carefully watch this venomous woman. I’m going to retrieve Second Aunt."
The Duchess clearly realized the gravity of the situation too, her face pale. She was so stunned by Su Hongqi’s words that she forgot how to respond, simply nodding repeatedly.
Su Hongqi left the East Hall, discarded the Black Vine Whip in his hand, bent down to pick up the dead guard’s sword, and summoned most of the Bright Guards and Dark Guards, all rushing in the direction of the garden waterway.
As Su Hongqi walked away, Aunt Qiu’s gaze slowly cooled, looking sideways at the Duchess, "Release me, or don’t expect to save the Duke’s life."
The Duchess cursed angrily, "Wretch, don’t think you can fool me!"
She had just finished speaking when a pained voice from Duke Su came, almost having his throat cut, "Let her go!"
"But..." Aunt Qiu was cunning. Once freed, it would be like letting a tiger back into the mountain.
Duke Su, already unable to bear the pain, spoke weakly and hoarsely, "I said let her go!"
Reluctantly, the Duchess looked at the guards detaining Aunt Qiu, unwillingly saying, "Release her."
Su Yu guided Duke Su towards the door.
Fearful she might accidentally kill the Duke, the guards quickly stepped aside.
Aunt Qiu, unbothered by her severed finger, wiped the blood from her neck with her other hand and turned to step out of the East Hall.
Su Yu remained under hypnosis, following her step by step.
Aunt Qiu didn’t look back, her voice carried by the wind, "Anyone who dares to follow won’t blame me for being rude!"
The Duchess was both angry and frightened, and could only watch helplessly as the man was led out of the main courtyard by those vile mother and daughter.
Most of the guards had been sent by Su Hongqi to chase Su Yan, leaving Duke Su with an ominous feeling, his eyes fixed on Aunt Qiu’s retreating figure, "What do you intend to do?"
"Send you all to hell."
Aunt Qiu chuckled, and as soon as she finished speaking, Su Yu received the order, swung her long sword horizontally, and directly slit Duke Su’s throat.
A spray of blood erupted, Duke Su’s eyes widened, and he fell heavily to the ground, unable to rest in peace.
Sounds were probably heard in the main courtyard, and the guards rushed out immediately.
Aunt Qiu seized the opportunity and commanded Su Yu, "There’s no time. Carry me on your back and run towards the corner gate."
Due to the effects of the fragrance, Su Yu was now incredibly strong, running swiftly, making her escape easy.
She threw away her long sword and went forward, squatting down.
Aunt Qiu lay on her back.
Su Yu carried her up, like a whirlwind, quickly reaching the corner gate.
Aunt Qiu suddenly turned back, glanced behind her, a smile playing on her lips as if bidding a final farewell.
Then, she started counting down.
"Three, two,..."
The last "one" was drowned by the successive three loud booms, "Boom, Boom, Boom."
The first explosion was in the direction where Su Hongqi had chased someone towards the living channel.
Next was the ancestral hall.
Finally, the main courtyard.
Thick smoke billowed over the three locations, and the Su Family’s sprawling street-length corridor, manor, pavilion, and tower were reduced to ashes in an instant. The other family branches didn’t even have time to react before being blown to pieces.
The size and location of the Thunder Shock were calculated to affect only the Su Family clan, while the residents nearby would at most be startled by the sound of the explosion, without any substantial harm.
According to the original plan, the destruction of the Su Family was not meant to be today.
It was because Su Hongqi got hold of the newly refined fragrance and wanted someone to test it that she took advantage of it, hypnotizing Su Yu to hold Duke Su hostage, leading Su Hongqi to discover her as the mastermind. As Su Hongqi mobilized people to arrest her, she slipped into the ancestral hall, successfully planting the first bomb.
Su Yan was indeed tied onto the boat by her, but the boat hadn’t sailed, just docked at the shore. Besides people on the boat, there was the second bomb.
Once Su Hongqi untied the rope on Su Yan, the second bomb would naturally be triggered.
As for the third bomb in the East Courtyard, which was the courtyard of the Duke and Duchess, when she was detained, she took the opportunity to place it on one of the guards, presumably triggered by the first two bombs.
Just outside the Duke Mansion, Su Yu’s running speed gradually slowed, the fragrance’s effects were dwindling.
The heatwave from Duke Mansion rushed in from behind.
Aunt Qiu abruptly freed herself from Su Yu, thrusting her outward, "Run quickly!"
Because of this action, she immediately fell face down on the ground, her back ablaze, her clothes catching fire, causing her to roll in pain.
Thrust out, Su Yu turned abruptly, seeing Aunt Qiu engulfed entirely by flames, her tears suddenly fell, yelling loudly, "Mother——"
While shouting, she tried to go back and save her.
Aunt Qiu could barely make a sound, her eyes wide, "Go, go!"
"Mother..." Su Yu, with tear-filled eyes, "If you’re gone, what will I do alone?"
Aunt Qiu was about to explode with rage, cursing through her pain, "Fool, who’s your mother? Get lost now!"
By then, the blue brick courtyard wall next to them collapsed, the fire nearly spreading.
Su Yu ran outside, tears streaming down.
...
The Su Family was not completely wiped out.
Su Hongqi’s first wife, the Su Family’s eldest Young Madam, due to her physical condition, had been nurturing her pregnancy at the Suburban Manor outside the capital. When the news of the Su Family’s disaster reached her, she fainted instantly, then went into premature labor, giving birth to a baby boy. Grieving her heart out, she passed away shortly after giving birth.
Her personal maid, Xiao Tao, held the baby boy and rushed towards Mile Mountain.
...
Su Yaoqi stood outside the mountain gate, looking dazedly at the swaddled baby nephew, his eyes congested with blood.
Suddenly, he heard someone calling him from a distance, "Little Four."
