Chapter Two: A Consequence of One’s Own Making

The servants moved to take action.

Qin Hao slowly stood up, his eyes clear and steady as he faced everyone calmly. “What is this? Have you tied me up just to throw me into the lake and drown me again?”

“Wait!” Count Kaiyang suddenly stopped the servants.

He had thought Qin Hao was completely mad—biting dogs, getting seized by the servants to prevent further harm.

But he didn’t expect Qin Hao to have regained his sanity.

Indeed, Qin Hao had lost his mind two years ago.

He was usually delirious and eccentric.

Everyone in the capital knew this.

Had he ever spoken a sane word?

Qin Hao’s change made Yang Suxin’s face turn pale.

How could Qin Hao speak a full sentence?

It seemed he had regained his reason.

Could it be that the madness-inducing drug she had given him back then had worn off?

“You’re not crazy?” Count Kaiyang scrutinized Qin Hao.

Qin Hao sneered coldly. “What, I’m not crazy? Are you disappointed?”

“You might want to ask your dear madam if she’s even more disappointed.”

“You deliberately had someone poison me with madness-inducing drugs, but after two years, not only did you fail to drown me, I’ve regained my senses.”

As to why he went mad, the story began two years ago.

One day, the newly ascended Empress surprisingly visited the Qin household.

Only then did everyone learn that Qin Hao’s mother had once saved the Empress.

When the Empress came, Qin Hao thought he was saved.

But Yang Suxin covered up everything with various deceptions.

At that time, Qin Hao was not yet so emaciated and frail.

The Empress, hearing Yang Suxin’s words, believed that Qin Hao was merely thin from grieving his mother.

Yang Suxin also threatened Qin Hao not to reveal the truth, or she would destroy his mother’s body utterly.

Afterward, he was released.

That was the last time Qin Hao believed a word Yang Suxin said.

The meeting ended.

Yang Suxin thought the matter would be swept under the rug.

However,

Because of Qin Hao’s filial piety, the Empress betrothed her own daughter—the Third Princess—to him.

This delighted the vile father; he was now connected to the imperial family.

But Yang Suxin panicked.

To prevent Count Kaiyang from paying more attention to Qin Hao and to block any chance for Qin Hao to rise, she ordered someone to force-feed Qin Hao a madness-inducing poison.

Soon, news of Qin Hao’s madness spread beyond the manor.

The Qin family and the royal household’s reputations suffered greatly.

Until yesterday.

The sixteen-year-old Third Princess, unable to endure the humiliation of marrying a madman, threatened to die to break off the engagement with Qin Hao.

The two-year betrothal was over.

From then on, Yang Suxin had no more scruples.

She sent her son’s dogs to attack Qin Hao, who was then insane, causing him to fall into the water by accident.

She succeeded.

Tragically, Qin Hao and his mother were treated so cruelly.

The title of Count Kaiyang, however, was a favor the vile father obtained multiple times before the Empress by exploiting the memory of his deceased wife.

The Empress was deceived and transferred the gratitude she owed Qin Hao’s mother to this vile father.

Thus, a year ago, the Emperor specially approved the ennoblement of Qin Ziqian as Count Kaiyang.

Hearing Qin Hao’s words, Count Kaiyang’s expression froze, and he looked at Yang Suxin.

Yang Suxin’s heart fluttered nervously and quickly said, “Ziqian, how could I harm Hao’er?”

“You see, ever since Hao’er went mad, I’ve sent food myself every day, taking care of him as if he were my own son.”

Then she turned to Qin Hao. “Hao’er, I don’t know why you’re accusing Second Madam, but she has a clear conscience toward you.”

Qin Hao laughed bitterly, lifting his clothes to reveal his emaciated frame. “Such careful care, sending me food every day.”

“You took such good care of me that I’m worse off than a beggar on the street.”

The so-called care meant that since his tenth birthday, he was never allowed to eat to his fill.

Qin Hao was scared and terrified.

At that time, his only support was the vile father, so he repeatedly sought him out to confide.

Each time, Yang Suxin’s honeyed words fooled him again.

Eventually, Qin Hao was painted in the vile father’s mouth as a deceitful and unfilial son, just like his mother.

Qin Hao was utterly despondent—he no longer trusted anyone in the Qin family.

All he wanted was to leave the Qin household with his mother’s remains and spirit tablet.

But how could Yang Suxin allow that?

She tormented Qin Hao for six long years!

That pain stabbed like needles to the heart; that coldness was like falling into an ice pit.

Count Kaiyang’s pupils shrank when he saw Qin Hao’s body, his gaze shifting slightly.

He truly hadn’t known Qin Hao was starved to this state.

Yang Suxin immediately defended herself, “Ziqian, don’t listen to Hao’er. I send him food every day, you know that.”

“He was mad then. Every time the servants brought food, he either threw it away or poured it out. It wasn’t me.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask the servants—everyone in the manor knows.”

“Besides, I never thought he was pretending to be mad, saying I poisoned him to make him foolish.”

“You are a count. For the sake of your reputation, I would never harm Hao’er. Ziqian, you know well that because Hao’er was mad, many colleagues mocked you for lacking imperial kinship…”

At this moment, a servant, showing loyalty to Yang Suxin, whispered that Qin Hao’s madness and refusal to eat were all pretenses.

This only fueled Count Kaiyang’s fury.

He glared and angrily interrupted Yang Suxin, “Enough, all of you shut up.”

Indeed, he had seen Yang Suxin send food to Qin Hao every day for two years.

He scolded Qin Hao furiously, “How could I have given birth to such a beast like you, pretending to be mad and foolish.”

“Then to slander your Second Madam for poisoning you—how wicked your intentions are.”

“Do you know that because of your act, the Qin family has become a laughingstock in court? Even the princess’s reputation was ruined because of you!”

Facing the accusations from his own family, Qin Hao let out a desolate laugh, “Look, I told you and you didn’t believe me. For two years you witnessed my madness yourself.”

“Or do you think I could have pretended so well to starve myself to worse than a dog…”

Yang Suxin grew more anxious as she listened; she had kept many things hidden from Count Kaiyang.

Knowing she couldn’t let Qin Hao continue, she quickly interrupted with sorrowful sobs, “Hao’er, I know you’ve always thought your mother’s death involved Second Madam, and I’ve been trying to make it up to you…”

“But you can’t hurt De Wu! He is your brother! And you just tried to kill him.”

Indeed, Qin Dewu had lied.

He was so humiliated after being scared by Qin Hao that he lost control of himself and wanted Qin Hao to pay, so he claimed Qin Hao tried to kill him.

Count Kaiyang grew even angrier. “Qin Hao, whether you’re pretending or not, how could you attempt to kill your brother? How wicked your heart is—just like your dead mother.”

“Also, I’ll say it again: your mother’s death was due to her narrow mind and intolerance—it was her own fault. If you want to continue living well in this family as a young master, come here, kneel down, and apologize to your Second Madam.”

“She has forgiven you. Now get up!”