Chapter 5. Their palms touched, their fingers intertwined...

"Come, have dinner with Mother." A deep voice followed.

It was Wei Zhang.

As she passed by him, he grabbed her arm, his posture as firm and unmoving as a pine tree.

Xue Lanyi's swaying body found support.

Wei Zhang stared at the old lady, a faint smile in his eyes, and bowed, gesturing for her to proceed. "We just need to discuss the matter of taking a concubine in detail, Mother, please!"

"Wei Yunjian!"

Yun Jian was the courtesy name of Wei Zhang.

The old lady stared at the two clasped hands, her face flushing red and then turning pale. "Chong'an Hall is a pure place. If I do not allow it, who would dare to set foot here?"

“Mother, please,” Wei Zhang repeated, his tone extremely humble yet leaving no room for argument.

The old lady stood still.

The old woman who had served her for over ten years smiled obsequiously and supported her other arm, saying, "Madam, you can't stand the wind, you should go back inside quickly."

Immediately, ten guards surrounded him.

Clearly, the people around the old lady had already changed masters.

More than a dozen swords were pointed not only at her, but also at her blind eldest son.

Tomorrow, Wei Xuan will be restored to the Ming Dynasty. The old lady cannot ignore this. She snorted coldly and returned to Chong'an Hall.

After walking quite a distance, the old lady was still furious. "Xuan'er, have you seen through his intentions?"

"I forbade him from bringing disreputable women home, but he insisted on bringing her into Chong'an Hall! He's just trying to defy me!"

What kind of place is Chong'an Hall?

The Wei Clan Ancestral Hall is located here, and according to custom, every duke who inherited the title would reside here.

Even members of the royal family and nobility had to present a visiting card to the Dowager Empress when they entered.

Wei Zhang, however, insisted on bringing a mistress into the heart of the Duke's mansion.

It was as if they were telling the old lady who was in charge of the Duke's mansion now.

Wei Xuan understood his brother's purpose, but he didn't think there was anything to argue about.

"Father has been gone for three years. As the heir apparent, A-Zhang should inherit the title and take over Chong'an Hall. Why does Mother always find excuses to refuse?"

"What right do you have to claim it?" Madam Wei looked at her eldest son's prematurely graying temples, her pain barely concealed. "I'm just stating the facts. By virtue of being the legitimate heir, the eldest son, and the most virtuous, the position of heir should rightfully belong to you! If you hadn't insisted on marrying that criminal from the previous dynasty, how could anyone have had the opportunity to take advantage of you..."

“Mother!” Wei Xuan interrupted the old lady, “She is no sinner, she is my wife. Besides, she has not done anything wrong.”

His words were firm and resolute, and he didn't want to listen to anyone else's opinions. He bowed and said, "Alright, son will go to the ancestral hall to offer incense first, and will come to accompany mother later."

Wei Xuan had not returned for three years, so he always made sure to pay respects to his ancestors first.

The old lady watched his stumbling figure as he walked away, and wiped away her tears.

He's only in his early twenties!

Five years ago, he was the most dazzling young man in Shengjing City, always striving to be the first in everything.

Dressed in red and armed with a silver spear, he traveled thousands of miles to join the army, determined to earn merit for himself.

He slayed the Xiongnu and routed a thousand armies, daring to contend with heaven and earth.

Now, he fights for nothing and wants nothing.

The old lady was heartbroken and grabbed the hand of the old woman beside her, saying, "Go and invite the portrait of the old Duke into Chong'an Hall."

She held fast at Chong'an Hall for three years, finally waiting for Wei Xuan to return.

Even if it costs me my life, I will give him justice!

At that moment, Wei Zhang walked slowly at a distance from them, his heavy gaze fixed on the mother and child walking side by side in the rain, lost in thought.

The path is long, winding past the artificial hill and the covered corridor.

When the mother and son stopped and looked at each other, Wei Zhang also stopped and did not approach them.

From fifty paces away, Xue Lanyi couldn't hear what the people in front of her were saying, but she could see the umbrella the mother and son were holding shimmering in the rain, a very special sight.

It seems to be made of silk, just like the umbrella that Wei Xuan lent to Xue Lanyi.

It takes five years to produce a single bolt of fine silk.

Xue Lanyi vaguely recalled that three years ago, when Wei Zhang was promoted, the Emperor had bestowed upon him ten bolts of fine cloth.

Wei Zhang left her nine bolts of silk, but only took one bolt of silk back to the Duke's mansion.

It turns out that this piece of silk was made into two umbrellas. One was sent to Wei Xuan, who was thousands of miles away, and the other was left in the Duke's mansion to await Wei Xuan's return.

No wonder Wei Zhang didn't want to hold this umbrella.

Xue Lanyi ultimately felt sorry for Wei Zhang, so she put the umbrella away and placed it on the bench in the corridor.

She could hold an umbrella for him, and she could also stand with him in the rain.

Wei Zhang quickly felt the shadow above his head recede, and when he turned his head, he met a pair of firm yet gentle eyes.

The wind and rain blew in from the side of the covered walkway, causing Xue Lanyi's hair to be covered with water droplets, which clung messily to her fair cheeks.

She looked disheveled, yet she calmly smiled at him.

The fist that was wrapped in his palm opened up, the fingertips went through his fingers and pressed against his palm, the ten fingers intertwined.

Her fingers had a gentle, soothing warmth, and when they brushed across Wei Zhang's hand, his wrist stiffened.

A moment later, he let go of her hand and walked ahead.

He walks alone in the rain like a lone wolf in the desert; the more solitary he is, the stronger he becomes, and the more impenetrable he is.

His fox fur coat seemed to hang like a dark cloud over Chong'an Hall, foreshadowing an impending storm.

Xue Lanyi knew that Wei Zhang was not an impulsive person. His sudden bringing her to Chong'an Hall was definitely not just to demonstrate his authority.

He must want to gain something.

For example, reclaiming the title and mansion that should have rightfully belonged to him long ago...

There will likely be a contest in Chong'an Hall soon.

This struggle was probably going to happen sooner or later, but it just so happened to happen today, and Xue Lanyi just happened to be the catalyst.

At this moment, she didn't have much time to grieve over her romantic relationship with Wei Zhang. She had to help Wei Zhang conquer this city and quell the external threats before considering anything else.

Xue Lanyi took a deep breath and jogged to catch up with Wei Zhang.

The two walked to the outside of Chong'an Hall, where the six characters "Imperial Construction of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion" on the red gold plaque were solemn and dignified.

Xue Lanyi lifted her skirt and followed Wei Zhang across the threshold.

Kneel down!

The old matriarch's stern voice echoed from the round nanmu table on the right side of the hall.

But not to Xue Lanyi, but to Wei Zhang.

She pointed to the portrait of the old Duke hanging in the center of the hall.

“Your father treated you kindly, yet you secretly kept a mistress and indulged in sensual pleasures during the mourning period. Have you ever repented before your father?”

The old lady is trying to strike first and brand Wei Zhang as unfilial.

If Wei Zhang kneels, it is tantamount to admitting his guilt. How can an unfilial and unbrotherly person inherit a title?

If Wei Zhang does not kneel, Xue Lanyi's status as a mistress is already a foregone conclusion. How can someone who is full of lies inherit the title?

Kneeling or not kneeling, both are traps.

Wei Zhang did not respond, nor did he even glance at the portrait of the Duke. He strolled leisurely toward the old lady.

The main hall, where portraits of ancestors are enshrined, is dimly lit by only a few candles, and is quiet and deserted.

His every step was exceptionally clear, and every sound was heart-stopping.

The old lady was not so easily scared off.

The mother and son both possessed an imposing presence that commanded respect without anger.

"How can one inherit ancestral titles without kneeling before one's deceased father and disrespecting one's birth mother?"

The old lady held up the steaming bowl of fresh bamboo shoot soup, the steam obscuring her face. "Now that you're in the cabinet, is this how you set an example?"

The meaning is clear: if Wei Zhang dares to forcibly take over Chong'an Hall, she dares to expose Wei Zhang's unfilial behavior to the public.

Wei Zhang is currently enjoying great influence, and there are many people in the court who do not want him to continue to inherit the title of Duke, and there are also many people waiting to find fault with him.

By disregarding human ethics, he will not only lose his title of duke, but also his promising future.

The old lady used filial piety to delay Wei Zhang for three years, preventing him from inheriting the title.

Xue Lanyi watched Wei Zhang step forward and felt a pang of worry for him.

In desperation, she knelt down abruptly before the portrait, crying out, "It's all my fault!"

She was terrified, even her breathing was labored. According to the family rules, someone of her status who interrupted her masters would likely have their tongue pulled out.

At this point, Wei Zhang could not back down, so she had no choice but to bear the blame from the old lady.

"It is because I am in love with the Crown Prince and insist on serving him that he took me in out of pity."

Under immense pressure, she solemnly bowed before the portrait, saying, "I truly love the Prince, that's why... that I foolishly tried to seduce him. If you must punish someone, punish me."

Her soft, gentle voice was like the fine rain outside, nourishing the soil, almost silent.

Wei Zhang paused slightly as a gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, ruffled the heavy fox fur coat.

He looked in the direction of the wind and saw Xue Lanyi kneeling at the main entrance where the sunlight could reach.

A gentle halo enveloped her, and she nodded almost imperceptibly to Wei Zhang, her expression resolute despite her fear.

She had said a thousand times that she was willing to share his joys and sorrows, but he never believed her.

I'd like to do it for him today; surely he'll be able to sense it?

After pausing for a moment, Wei Zhang continued walking towards the old lady.

Behind him, Xue Lanyi knelt before his ancestors, bearing their sins.

They blatantly twisted the story of keeping a mistress into one of taking in a vulnerable woman, as if Wei Zhang were some kind of benevolent and charitable person.

The old lady's plan failed, and she glared at Xue Lanyi with hatred, "Shameless thing! When did it become your place to speak here?"

"Is it not her turn to speak, or did what she said displease Mother?" Wei Zhang had already walked to the nanmu wood table, his fox fur coat blocking the old lady's view.

Lifting her eyelids, she looked at the old lady with a half-smile, "Yiyi, why don't you say a few words that your mother likes to hear?"