Chapter 51 Doting on concubines and destroying wives

The lanterns in the corridor were swaying in the night wind. When Xie Wuqi stepped over the threshold, he saw Aunt Zhang lying on the ground, trembling slightly.

His eyes swept across his mother's pale face and finally landed on his father's clenched fists.

Aunt Zhang lowered her head even lower, her messy hair covering the corners of her slightly raised mouth. When her spy reported yesterday that the mistress had hurriedly left the house, she had anticipated what would happen today.

In the morning, she deliberately sent away the old women guarding the courtyard, and even when Nanny Chao was tying people up, she didn't let Nanny Ling resist - she wanted the general to see with his own eyes how the lady abused them and their daughter.

The needle prick on her back was still bleeding, but it couldn't compare to the pain she'd felt kneeling in the snow in the dead of winter, begging for medicine. Aunt Zhang stared at a half-dead leaf stuck in the cracks of the bricks, and heard Madam Xie's anxious voice: "Wuqi, look! Was this written by Luo Zhaohan?"

Xie Wuqi took the letter, the candlelight illuminating the paper. He was all too familiar with the small calligraphy of the hairpin flower—in his previous life, Luo Zhaohan had used the same style of writing with his wrist suspended in the air when copying sutras for him. He didn't know how his mother had gotten hold of these letters, but it would be a great opportunity to suppress Aunt Zhang!

"It is indeed written by Miss Luo herself." He said firmly.

With a clang, the teacup in Mrs. Xie's hand shattered. The broken porcelain pieces splashed onto Xie Wuqi's boots, and he realized with shock that his mother's nails, painted red, had dug deep into the letter paper. She was shaking like a dead leaf in the wind.

General Xie suddenly strode forward and slapped a stack of letters on his son's chest: "Where are these?"

Xie Wuqi flipped through the documents hurriedly. There were greetings, poems, and even a prescription, all signed by Luo Zhaohan. The more he read, the more shocked he became. These were all authentic!

"It's all..." Midway through the sentence, I caught a glimpse of my mother stumbling, holding onto the carved doorframe. Her gold-embroidered cuffs were stained with tea, and a few strands of silver were loose from her usually meticulously combed bun.

General Xie sneered, and his iron-like hand suddenly grasped Madam Xie's wrist. "What else do you have to say now?"

"General!" Xie Wuqi hurried to stop him, but was shocked by the coldness in his father's eyes. It was like looking at an enemy, how could there be any affection between husband and wife?

"Your mother set up a trap today to frame a concubine and brutally beat up my concubine." General Xie's words were filled with rage. "How can someone so jealous and vicious be worthy of being the mistress of the Xie Mansion?"

"Dad!" Xie Wuqi's voice cracked with anxiety. "Mom has taken care of the household for many years, and even if she doesn't have any credit for it, she has worked hard!"

"Achievements?" General Xie suddenly shouted, startling the birds perched on the eaves. "Do you know that she nearly forced Wu Yu to death today? If it weren't for those letters left by Concubine Zhang," he grabbed the pile of letters and threw them in Madam Xie's face. "My legitimate daughter would be accused of having an affair with a man outside her family!"

Amidst the flying pages, Aunt Zhang suddenly rushed over and hugged General Xie's legs: "A thousand mistakes are all my fault! Madam must have misunderstood." When she raised her face, the bloodstains on her neck from the broken porcelain were particularly glaring. "General, please, for the sake of the young master, please don't..."

"Shut up!" Madam Xie suddenly screamed and rushed forward, her gold-inlaid jade armor piercing Aunt Zhang's face. "It must be you, bitch, who forged the letter! How could Luo Zhaohan write to you!"

"That's enough!" General Xie raised his arm to push his wife away, so forcefully that she fell back onto the armchair. The lacquered wooden back of the chair struck the treasure chest, sending the jade ruyi on top crashing to the ground.

Xie Wuqi stood there frozen.

In her previous life, my mother had never lost her composure like this. In my memory, she always held a jade teacup, calmly listening to the greetings from the concubines. Now, with her disheveled hair, she looked like those crazy women in the cold palace!

Mrs. Xie staggered, her fingertips gripping her son's arm tightly to prevent her from falling. She stared at her husband, her lips trembling violently. "Master...are you trying to kill me with these words?"

Xie Wuqi felt his mother's hands were as cold as ice. He looked up and was about to argue, but saw his half-sister suddenly stagger to her feet.

Xie Wuyu's face was still covered with tears, but she forced a wry smile: "Daddy has loved me for many years, and I really don't want to embarrass you." She suddenly turned and rushed towards the carved beams, "This life is for the mistress!"

"Stop her!" Aunt Zhang screamed and rushed forward, but she tripped over the hemp rope and fell heavily to the blue brick floor. Her gold and jade earrings snapped in two, but she ignored the pain and crawled madly towards her daughter.

The black cloak brought up a gust of cold wind. General Xie stepped forward and his iron arms barely wrapped around his daughter's waist.

The hand that was used to holding the spear was shaking - if Wu Yu had been half a step slower, his forehead would have hit the copper beam.

"Nonsense!" General Xie's Adam's apple rolled, his palms covered in cold sweat. The daughter in his arms suddenly burst into tears, her hot tears soaking the straps of his breastplate.

Aunt Zhang collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. She caught a glimpse of her daughter secretly winking at her, and her heart suddenly tightened.

This little girl has actually mastered the art of self-torture! Even her own mother was nearly fooled by the way she banged her head against the pillar just now.

"Dad..." Xie Wu Yu sobbed and grabbed her father's clothes, "I'm really scared. Last month, the concubine of Censor Wang was falsely accused of adultery and was drowned in a pond." She suddenly trembled violently, like a frightened bird.

General Xie's eyes were filled with tears as he recalled the image of his daughter holding a rabbit lantern at the Lantern Festival.

He untied the dagger and cut the hemp rope on Aunt Zhang. When he turned to look at his wife, a layer of frost formed in his eyes: "Madam, today is over."

Mrs. Xie staggered backwards, her lower back hitting the round table.

The teacup fell to the ground with a clang, but she didn't feel any pain at all. She just stared at her husband squatting down to rub Aunt Zhang's wrist - twenty years ago on her wedding night, he had rubbed her fingertip that was pierced by an embroidery needle in the same way.

"Father!" Xie Wuqi stood in front of his mother, "Do you know that Aunt Zhang has been withholding funds from the various courtyards for many years? Last month, Mother coughed up blood, and even the money to buy Sichuan Fritillaria had to be paid from her dowry!"

Aunt Zhang suddenly scoffed, "Young Master, why don't you go to the storeroom and see if the rosewood and gilded cabinet that Madam brought as a dowry is still locked?" The red marks on her wrists were glaring, but her voice was clear, "As for the hand warmer in the Third Miss's room, I saw it in my courtyard yesterday."

Xie Wuyu sobbed at the right moment: "Last month, my aunt caught a cold and even used my fox fur coat to buy her medicine."

"You're slandering me!" Madam Xie suddenly grabbed the broken porcelain pieces, "I'm going to cut this mouth into pieces—"

"Mother!" Xie Wuqi hurried to stop her, the porcelain shards swishing across the back of his hand. Blood splattered on the hem of Mrs. Xie's apricot-colored skirt, blurring the red plum blossoms.

Aunt Zhang took the opportunity to pull her daughter to her knees. "I am willing to obey the family rules. I only ask that Madam please do not embarrass the child again." She kowtowed heavily, her forehead suddenly turning purple. "That bowl of safflower medicine from that year... I accept it!"

The room suddenly fell silent. General Xie's dagger clanged to the ground. He remembered the day Concubine Zhang had a miscarriage and the midwife had found the fully formed male fetus from the pool of blood.

Mrs. Xie suddenly laughed shrilly. "Well done, you mother and daughter, you put on a good show!" She smeared her face carelessly, the rouge on her palms turning blood-red. "If Master is sure I did it, why not write the divorce letter now!"

"Mom!" Xie Wuqi hurriedly covered her mouth, "You are confused!"

A sudden gust of wind blew outside the window, carrying grains of sand against the window paper. Xie Wuyu took the opportunity to huddle into his father's arms, his cold little hand grasping his thumb. "Daddy, Yu'er is cold!"

General Xie took off his cloak and wrapped it around his daughter. When he turned to look at his wife, the last trace of warmth in his eyes faded. "Madam, you are tired. Go back to your room and rest."

"I won't leave!" Mrs. Xie suddenly pushed her son away, and her hairpins and rings scattered all over the floor. "I must tear this bitch's skin off today!" She staggered and pounced on Aunt Zhang, but was blocked by General Xie with a raised hand.

With a loud bang, Mrs. Xie knocked over the antique display case. The jade vase from the previous dynasty shattered to pieces. She stared at the mess on the floor, suddenly remembering that this was the "Peace Every Year" inscription her husband had placed on the floor on their wedding day.

Aunt Zhang suddenly fell to the ground and cried bitterly: "It's all my fault! I beg you to show mercy, sir, and let Madam scold and beat me to vent your anger." She deliberately showed the old scar on her wrist - it was left by Madam Xie who punished her to kneel down and break porcelain pieces during the Dragon Boat Festival one year.

Xie Wuqi couldn't hold it in any longer and raised his voice: "Father, do you really allow a concubine to bully the mistress like this?"

“Bang!”

A slap in the face made him turn his head away. General Xie's palms felt numb. Looking at the fingerprints on his son's face, he vaguely recalled the old days when he taught him to shoot a bow.

Xie Wuyu suddenly broke free from her father's embrace, picked up the broken porcelain pieces and pressed them against her throat: "Everything is my fault!" She cried and ran out, "I'm going to Ci'an Temple to get ordained—"

"Stop her!" General Xie shouted. The two maids hurriedly blocked the courtyard door, but they didn't dare touch the delicate young lady.

Aunt Zhang suddenly spoke quietly, "If you, Madam, find us an eyesore, I will take Wu Yu back to our old home in Yangzhou tomorrow." She stroked her daughter's hair with her fingertips, "It's just a pity for this child. She hasn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet."

Mrs. Xie suddenly laughed wildly: "Good! Very good!" She broke the pearl necklace around her neck, and the round beads rolled into the cracks of the bricks with a "crackling" sound. "That's what you want!" After that, she actually ran her head against the beam.

"Mother!" Xie Wuqi flew to block the attack. Madam Xie's forehead brushed against his shoulder armor, and she fell heavily onto the armchair.

Thunder roared outside the window and heavy rain poured down.

The copper bells in the corridor were rang violently in the night wind. When General Xie turned around, his black cloak raised a cold and hard arc in the candlelight.

He stared at the nine-tailed phoenix hairpin that was tilted in Madam Xie's hair, and his voice was like ice: "Ms. Weng, if your father hadn't threatened me with military rations, I wouldn't have married you."

"General!" Aunt Zhang suddenly took two steps on her knees, and the hairpins in her bun jingled and fell to the ground. "A thousand mistakes are all my fault!" The bloody wounds on her neck from the broken porcelain were still oozing. "Madam must have misunderstood something. Please forgive her for the sake of the young master."

"Why are you pretending to be so virtuous!" Madam Xie suddenly picked up the copper candlestick on the table and smashed it over. The candle oil splashed onto the back of Madam Zhang's hand, instantly burning it red. She laughed like crazy: "For years, you've instigated the general to neglect us mother and son, and now you're trying to seize the power of the family!"

"Enough!" General Xie kicked over the huanghuali armchair. "Someone, take my wife back to Wutong Garden!"

The two servants stepped forward trembling, but were stopped by Xie Wuqi's arms. With red eyes, he roared, "Who dares to touch my mother?" His jade-inlaid belt shattered in two against the doorframe. "Father, are you trying to favor your concubine over your wife?"

General Xie suddenly raised his hand and slapped his son. The crisp sound of the slap startled the sparrows under the eaves and made them fly away. Finger marks quickly appeared on Xie Wuqi's left cheek.

"When I was teaching you to draw the bow, who was it that warmed your hands in the cold winter?" General Xie's hand, veins bulging as he gripped the whip, "Your mother said you changed your ways after the Luo family called off the engagement. What happened?"

The tip of the whip pointed directly at Aunt Zhang and her daughter, "You're helping your own mother to oppress your concubine's sister. Is this the art of war you've learned?"

Mrs. Xie suddenly rushed in front of her son, her gold-embroidered shoes caught on the threshold, and she fell backwards.

Xie Wuqi hurried to help her, but saw that her carefully drawn eyebrows like distant mountains were blurred by tears, leaving two black marks at the corners of her eyes.

"Master..." She grasped the corner of General Xie's robe tightly, and the nail polish scratched the brocade, "Are you really going to force us mother and son to this point just for a lowly concubine?" She suddenly choked before she finished speaking, and vomited blood due to anger.

Aunt Zhang exclaimed at the right moment: "Quickly call the doctor!"

"Shut up!" General Xie's roar rustled the window paper. He stared at the bloodstain on the floor tiles, then suddenly untied the jade token from his waist and tossed it to the housekeeper: "From now on, all matters in the mansion will be managed by Concubine Zhang."

Xie Wuqi supported his unconscious mother and felt his palms were sticky and covered with cold sweat.

In his previous life, his mother held the reins of the family until her death, and this sudden change caught him off guard.

He looked up at Aunt Zhang, but saw that she was covering her lips with a handkerchief, and a hint of sneer flashed in her almond eyes.

"General, please think twice!" Nanny Chao suddenly crawled on her knees and hugged General Xie's boots. "Madam has been in charge of the household for many years. She even took care of the old lady's funeral."

"Drag him out!" General Xie kicked him away. "Anyone who talks too much will be expelled from the palace!"

Aunt Zhang lowered her head to adjust her bloodstained cuffs, the smile on her lips obscured by the night.

Twenty years ago, when Madam Xie had forced her to drink safflower, it was an autumn night like this. Now, seeing her enemy's fingernails stained with blood, it was even more bitter than the bowl of abortion-preserving medicine she had drunk.

"Master." She suddenly fell to the ground, with half a blood-stained handkerchief slipping out of her sleeve. "I... I'm afraid..." She fainted in Xie Wuyu's arms before she finished her words, and her exposed wrist was covered with needle holes.

General Xie hurriedly leaned over to embrace him, then turned to the stunned servants and shouted, "What are you all standing there for! Call the imperial physician!"

He pointed at Xie Wuqi and cursed, "Take your mother and go back to Wutong Garden. Don't take a single step out without my order!"

Xie Wuqi's chest ached as if pierced by ice. Other parents would give their children their whole lives, but his father insisted on trampling him into the mud. His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. He stared at a half-rotted leaf caught in the cracks between the bricks, listening to his mother's sobs behind him.

"Why don't you admit your mistake?" General Xie slammed his sword on the table, causing the teacup to jump three inches high.

Mrs. Xie hurriedly tugged at her son's sleeve, "Hurry up and apologize to your father!" She stamped her feet anxiously, her gold-embroidered shoes almost stepping on the hem of her skirt. "Mom, please."

"Apologize?" Xie Wuqi suddenly laughed, his eyes red. "When I was ten, I could draw two crossbows, but my father said only reckless men would wield swords and guns. When I was fifteen, I passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, but my father thought I was a pedantic scholar with no future."

He ripped open his shirt, revealing the hideous arrow wound on his chest. "Last year, I blocked an arrow for Dad, and all you get in return is 'showing off'?"

Mrs. Xie covered her mouth and cried out "Ah", tears streaming down her face.

The wound had skin and flesh turned outward, and was even more horrifying than the Eighteen Arhats she saw in Ci'an Temple last month.

Aunt Zhang hugged Xie Wuyu and retreated behind the corridor pillar. She lowered her eyes to hide her smile and listened to General Xie's roar explode in the courtyard: "You bastard! Wucheng Bingmasi is a good place that so many people are trying their best to get into!"