Xie Lingnu

Not receiving a reply from Xie Zhun, she slightly tightened her grip on her hand hidden in her sleeve.

She never had any expectations of this father she had never met.

If they truly cared about their daughter, they wouldn't have let her stay in Yuzhou City for over a decade without ever visiting her, nor would they have used her as a shield when needed.

The imperial decree for Xie Siyao's marriage to Jun Qiyu had not yet been issued, but her good father couldn't wait to bring her back from Yuzhou City and, as a matter of course, made her marry the notorious playboy Prince Yan, Jun Qiyu.

"Does Father think his daughter is an obstacle to your career?" Xie Sili met Xie Zhun's eyes and smiled as she spoke. "What am I in Father's eyes? A pawn to be discarded at will, or do you think I have to be whatever you want me to be?" She coughed violently as soon as she finished speaking.

Xie Sili did not receive a reply from Xie Zhun, but she noticed a flash of disgust in his eyes.

A cold smile crept across her face, but her gaze toward Xie Chun became increasingly aggrieved. "Now that my sixth sister has been betrothed to the Third Prince, and as you know, Father, my lifespan is short and I will be unable to conceive. To you, I am nothing but a useless child. Why not just let me go?" Her words were filled with anguish, yet her gaze toward Xie Chun remained sincere.

Her idea was simple: she wanted Xie Chun to personally propose severing their relationship. As the Left Chancellor, proposing to sever their father-daughter relationship at this time would be met with criticism. Given the nature of some officials in the Censorate, memorials impeaching Xie Chun would spring up like mushrooms after rain.

Her ultimate goal was to separate Xie Ling and Xie Zhun's family, so that everything in the Xie family would be inherited by her second uncle, Xie Yi. As for the Prime Minister's family, what did it have to do with her?

"Third daughter, how could you say such things and upset the master?" Madam Huang's expression remained calm, but she was quite pleased with herself.

It doesn't matter if she can't be included in the family genealogy, nor does it matter if her son and daughter can't be included. What she wants is the position of this lady. Now her daughter is about to become the Third Prince's principal wife, and then she will be the Crown Princess, and even further ahead, she will be the future Empress.

As for being included in the family genealogy, it was nothing more than a trivial matter to her and not worth her attention.

"I'm just stating the facts." Xie Sili looked at the man who was pretending to cough while covering his mouth. "Now that my sixth sister has been betrothed to the Third Prince and the wedding is scheduled, she has no connection with His Highness the Prince of Yan. In that case, what's the point of keeping me here?"

Noticing the emotions on Xie Zhun's face, she continued to coax him, "Father, I have been married before. Although A-Che and Yan-Yan are not my biological children, I raised them from childhood, and I promised my husband that I would always take care of them."

"I've been ill for a long time, bedridden, and unable to conceive for the rest of my life. Who would want to marry a girl like me?" She said this while keeping her eyes fixed on Xie Zhun.

His hesitation, indecisiveness, and wavering all caught her eye.

"To put it bluntly, sir, a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup. Although San Yatou's husband is dead, she has been married before. Which noble family in Chang'an would be willing to marry a girl like that?" Madam Huang sat on the side, fanning the flames. "Sir, why don't we..." Madam Huang leaned over Xie Chun and said a few words to her.

From Huang's lip movements, Xie Sili could vaguely make out what she was saying, and that was exactly the effect she wanted.

Since it was Xie Zhun who brought it up, it remains to be seen whether he can withstand the storm that will follow and whether he can endure the disdain of those people.

Will being gossiped about affect Xie Siyu's future?

Even if it has no impact, she will make it have an impact!

Noticing Xie Zhun's gaze, Xie Sili lowered his head and heard his voice in his ear.

“Third daughter, you are now married to someone else. Although your husband has passed away, you are no longer a daughter of the Xie family.”

"Father, what do you mean? Don't you want me anymore?" Xie Sili looked up at Xie Chun with tears in her eyes. "Although I have been married before, I am still your daughter!"

"No, you are not my daughter! I have never had a daughter like you!" Xie Zhun retorted without hesitation. "From this day forward, I sever all ties with you, and we will have no further connection whatsoever!"

Upon hearing these words, Xie Sili coughed up a mouthful of blood and then fainted.

In Xie Ling's courtyard.

Xie Ling once had high hopes for this son.

Xie Zhun was raised by them when he was young and was carefully nurtured from childhood. He and Huang were childhood sweethearts and inseparable. Xie Ling always felt guilty about breaking up the couple, but he never expected that this boy would vent so much hatred on Lu.

Lu had saved his life. Although he didn't know her background, her knowledge and conversation told him that Lu's background was not simple. Despite his efforts to investigate, he found nothing.

He also had his own selfish reasons for arranging for Xie Chun to marry a woman surnamed Lu; the Xie family needed someone to uphold their honor.

Perhaps being from a noble family is a thorn in the side of the emperor, but if they continue to receive protection, they can prosper indefinitely.

The Xie family had served Emperor Gaozu and had made great contributions to the dynasty, and had been prosperous for a hundred years. However, he could not see any trace of the past in Xie Chun.

But when he saw Xie Zhun's actions with his own eyes, his heart turned cold.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, yet Xie Chun committed such a heinous act.

"Father, don't be angry with your elder brother," Madam Yang said, trying to comfort Xie Ling.

"If all else fails, we'll move into Si Garden today." Madam Qin also turned her gaze to Xie Ling, vaguely guessing what he was thinking about.

Xie Ling turned to look at Yang Shi and Qin Shi beside him, and Xie Sichuan and Xie Sichu also looked at him with a hint of worry in their eyes.

"Why haven't A-Che and Yan-Yan come back?" Xie Ling, having composed herself, looked at Xie Si-Chuan and Xie Si-Chu. "They probably don't know I'm back yet."

“Ache and Yan Yan have been studying with Mr. Murong these days. As you know, Grandfather, they are Mr. Zhuge’s students, so they are naturally different from us.” Xie Sichuan looked at Xie Ling with a serious expression. “However, because of their relationship, my sister and I have also become half disciples of Mr. Zhuge.”

Xie Ling raised her hand and tapped their heads, "Remember that this is San Yatou's kindness."

"Father, don't worry." Madam Yang looked at Xie Ling and said in a low voice, "Over the years, I have always treated Li Yatou as my own daughter, and my husband has also given me some instructions."

"Okay." Xie Ling looked at Yang Shi with a relieved smile.

"Master, let them divide the family property." Qin Shi finally spoke her mind to Xie Ling.

Ever since she went to Yuzhou City, this idea has lingered in her mind all these years.

The reason this matter hasn't been mentioned over the years is partly due to Xie Sili's status and partly due to Xie Ling's feelings. But now Xie Sili has grown up and doesn't need their concern anymore, and the eldest son doesn't need their protection either.

Noticing Xie Ling's gaze, Madam Qin sighed and said softly, "Master, this matter has been weighing on my mind all these years. In fact, I've had this idea for a long time. Since neither the eldest son nor Madam Huang loves Li'er, then we should cherish the granddaughter we raised ourselves." Madam Qin's eyes reddened as she spoke.

“She is the girl we raised with our own hands. Although she rarely spends time with us, she is still the apple of our eye. But now, the actions of our eldest son and Huang are like stabbing us in the heart!” Qin said, her eyes reddening. “When has our Li girl ever suffered such injustice?”

Looking at Qin Shi's appearance, Xie Ling handed her the handkerchief.

After a long silence, Qin received no reply from Xie Ling. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Xie Ling's voice, "Alright, let's divide the family then."

“Then Father will come back to Yuzhou City with us.” Madam Yang looked at Xie Ling and smiled. “My husband is going back to Chang’an to report on his duties this year, and I think we’ll be going back after the New Year. Then the whole family can continue to enjoy ourselves in Yuzhou City with Li’er.”

"Grandfather, rest assured, I will definitely surpass my fifth brother in this major examination." Xie Sichuan said confidently to Xie Ling, "My fifth brother's knowledge seems extensive, but in fact it is all superficial. Whether it is policy essays or other subjects, he is not as good as what we learned in Yuzhou City."

Xie Ling looked at Xie Sichuan, recalling what he had said at the dinner table earlier, and reached out to pat him on the head.

"We'll discuss the division of the family property when the second son returns." Xie Ling turned his gaze to the person beside him. "The valuables have all been packed, and we'll move into Si Garden this afternoon."

"Yay! I heard from Third Sister that a pond has been built in Si Garden. It's warm in winter and cool in summer, so we can swim there." Xie Sichu's face was beaming with a bright smile. "By the way, Fourth Brother, you still can't swim, you landlubber."

Noticing Xie Sichuan's gaze, Xie Sichu, unusually in a good mood, made a face at him.

Xie Ling chuckled at the little interaction between the two, and just as he was about to speak, he saw Luo Mei rushing over.

"Master, Master, something terrible has happened! The young lady has fainted!" Luo Mei didn't see the road and fell right in front of them, her forehead hitting a protruding rock.

"Sister Luomei, get up quickly." Xie Sichuan said, reaching out to help Luomei up, while Xie Sichu wiped the blood from her forehead.

"What happened?" Xie Ling asked with concern. "Why did you suddenly faint again?"

"It's the master. The master wants to sever his father-daughter relationship with the young lady. The young lady couldn't bear it and fainted." Luo Mei's eyes reddened as she spoke.

Xie Ling slammed her hand on the table and stood up, but due to her emotional outburst, she lost her balance and sat back down.

"Master." Upon seeing this, Madam Qin quickly patted Xie Ling's back and took out a pill for him to take.

Having composed herself, Xie Ling, supported by Madam Yang and Madam Qin, walked toward Li Residence, where Xie Sili lived.

The moment Xie Ling saw Xie Zhun, an inexplicable anger flared up within him. He immediately grabbed a broom and slapped it down on Xie Zhun's back.

Xie Zhun was about to explode in anger when he turned around and met Xie Ling's eyes. "Father, what are you doing!"

"What are you doing now?" Xie Ling asked without thinking. "She's your own daughter!"

“She’s no longer my daughter,” Xie Zhun retorted without hesitation. “I’ve severed all ties with her, so how can you say that?” A look he’d never seen before crossed his face. “Actually, Xie Sili is right. She’s become a useless child. What use is a useless child to me…”

Xie Zhun had barely finished speaking when Xie Ling slapped him across the face. "I'm severing all ties with you as father and son. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other!"

"Father..." Yang and Huang's voices rang out at the same time.

“You don’t want Ali, but we do; you’ve never fulfilled your responsibilities as a father since she was little, yet she is the apple of our eye.” Xie Ling’s eyes widened in anger. “But now she’s suffering such injustice in front of you.”

"I only wanted to separate from you, I never thought of severing our father-son relationship. Since you are heartless, what's the point of loyalty between us!" Xie Ling said, swinging his broom at Xie Zhun again.

Xie Zhun seemed surprised by Xie Ling's idea and was about to explain when Xie Ling's voice rang out, "Aze, take Li Yatou, Mei Lan Zhu Ju, and load your belongings into the car. We're leaving this godforsaken place now!"

Xie Chun and Madam Huang's faces darkened simultaneously. Neither of them had ever considered letting Xie Ling leave the Prime Minister's residence. This residence was the former home of the Xie family's ancestor, and it had never had any problems since Xie Chun's generation. Yet now, it had become such a place of unrest within the family.

"Father, I was wrong." Xie Zhun stepped forward and said, "I was really wrong. Can't I just not sever my father-daughter relationship with San Yatou?" He continued, unwilling to give up, "The New Year is almost here, where can you go?"

Xie Ling flung away Xie Zhun's outstretched hand. "Even if I die, it has nothing to do with you. Get the hell out of here!" There was not a trace of warmth in his eyes as he looked at Xie Zhun.

Madam Huang was secretly delighted, but on the surface she maintained the poise and grace of a lady, pretending to try to persuade them to stay.

Although the Si Garden and the Prime Minister's Residence appear to be adjacent, they are actually four or five streets apart.

Standing in front of the door, Madam Huang looked at the guards carrying things beside them, then her gaze fell on Xie Ling, her eyes filled with disbelief!

how so?

How could Siyuan possibly be related to them?