Chapter 53 Punishing Xie Zhi'an
Meng Min was in so much pain that she could barely stand, and Xie Yushu and a group of people hurriedly helped her into the inner room.
Enraged, Meng Jinyue pointed directly at Xie Zhian and roared, "If anything happens to my aunt, neither you nor your lover will live!"
Xie Zhian had never been insulted like this by a junior before, especially in front of so many people. His face immediately turned ashen, but he couldn't lash out because Meng Min had just been carried inside. He could only curse inwardly: "The Meng family is really well-mannered!"
Suppressing his anger, he temporarily handed the little girl who was clinging to his leg to the nanny and quickly followed her inside.
The little girl was so frightened that she burst into tears, and the guests were thrown into chaos.
In the chaos, Xie Jianing stood frozen in place like a left-behind "outsider," being looked at by familiar and unfamiliar guests, who seemed to regard her as an out-of-place, suddenly returned daughter of a noble family.
In the critical moment, the mother reached for Xie Yushu's hand, not her.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to hold them back. She was worried that something had really happened to her mother, and she was also saddened by the countless times she had imagined returning home. She had never thought it would turn out like this...
"Miss Jia Ning, don't worry. With Physician Meng here, Madam will definitely be alright." Qiao Bao'er couldn't bear it and stepped forward to hand her a handkerchief, wanting her to wipe her tears.
How ridiculous! Her daughter stole her mother and father, and now she pities her.
"I don't need your fake kindness." Xie Jianing pushed her hand away.
It wasn't with much force, but Song Jie stepped forward, standing between her and Qiao Bao'er, and said his second sentence since their reunion: "She and Yu Shu have no ill intentions."
Xie Jianing looked up at him, her heart turning completely cold. The two sentences Song Jie had said to her were entirely for Xie Yushu.
More than two years later, even Song Jie was captured by Xie Yushu.
"Yu Shu? Are you close to Xie Yu Shu?" She gave a mocking smile, but tears streamed down her face. "Song Jie, are you going to betray me too?"
Song Jie felt as if he had swallowed a sharp thorn, unable to spit it out or swallow it down. He was very happy that Jia Ning was able to return safely. Jia Ning was the first person to approach him with kindness and save him. Even though he now understood his own feelings and knew that he no longer had romantic feelings for Jia Ning, he still hoped that she was safe.
However, he didn't like what she said.
He called her, "Miss Jia Ning." He said softly, "It's too much to talk about betrayal between us, and besides, you've never cared about me, have you?"
Xie Jianing trembled from his words and slapped him across the face.
The guests gasped in surprise.
Song Jie stopped Cang Shu from stepping forward and accepted the slap.
Xie Jianing didn't look at him again, turned around and went into the inner room. She vowed to take back everything that Xie Yushu had taken away from her! Even if she didn't love Song Jie, she couldn't accept that Song Jie, who had once been devoted to her, had been taken away by Xie Yushu, a substitute!
She hurried outside and heard her mother's voice.
Her mother weakly kept calling her name: "Where's Jia Ning? Jia Ning... Why did you leave Jia Ning outside? She just got back, she'll feel neglected and sad. Go and be with Jia Ning, go..."
Xie Jianing could no longer hold back and went in with tears streaming down her face. Seeing Meng Min lying pale and weak on the bed, her heart broke. She threw herself into her mother's arms and cried out like she did when she was a child: "Mother... Mother, please don't be hurt. I held on to my last breath to come home, to see you and Father..."
Meng Min stroked her daughter's thin back and started crying again. It wasn't Jia Ning's fault. She must have suffered a lot outside these past two years. Returning home after such a difficult journey only to find that the family was no longer a family, anyone would find it unbearable.
The mother and daughter wept uncontrollably.
Physician Meng advised the woman not to further disturb the fetus.
At Meng Min's age, it was not easy for her to get pregnant again. She was already exhausted from the commotion just now. Fortunately, she did not bleed. Doctor Meng prescribed medicine to help her rest and prevent miscarriage.
It's good that there's nothing seriously wrong.
Meng Jingsong breathed a sigh of relief, and after calming the crying mother and daughter down, he looked back at Xie Zhian and the heavily pregnant Ye Xizhu.
Ye Xizhu stood behind Xie Zhi'an, her pregnant belly protruding, her head bowed and eyes lowered, looking completely submissive.
But Meng Jing knew that if she were a submissive person, she wouldn't have deliberately come to his door today.
"Since you, Xie Zhian, have brought her here, let's get straight to the point." Meng Jing disliked beating around the bush and looked directly at Xie Zhian, saying, "Her name is Ye Xizhu, right? You've been keeping her outside for several years, and you had a daughter with her. Now she's probably pregnant with a son, so you're in a hurry to have her come in before she gives birth."
Xie Zhi'an wanted to argue.
“You don’t need to argue,” Meng Jing interrupted him. “I’ve already investigated these matters. I know exactly whose wife she was, how she ended up in Bianjing and caught your eye, and where you bought her a house.” She glanced at Xie Yushu.
Xie Yushu placed a house deed on the small table without even lifting his eyelids: "This is the house where Ye Xizhu lives now. The seller and the owner are both my father."
Xie Zhian glared at Xie Yushu, then suddenly realized something. Didn't Xie Yushu often deliver dried fruit from Liu's Fruit Shop to Meng Min a long time ago? Could it be... could it be that Xie Yushu was helping Meng Min and Meng Jing investigate him back then?
No wonder Meng Min suddenly became so biased towards Xie Yushu!
“I have no interest in your sordid affairs.” Meng Jing looked up at him and said in a commanding tone, “Go and invite the person in charge of your Xie family in. We will settle this matter today.”
Xie Zhian didn't want to drag it out any longer; things had already escalated to this point, so he might as well end it today.
He ordered someone to invite the Xie family patriarch and his eldest brother in.
Meng Jing remained seated, showing no respect to the Xie family, and went straight to the point: "The Xie family elders are probably already well aware of Xie Zhian's affairs outside. So, on behalf of the Meng family, I will make a statement: as long as the Meng family is not wiped out, Xie Zhian's women outside will not be allowed into the Yong'an Marquis's residence."
Xie Zhian's face darkened completely.
Ye Xizhu, who was behind him, knelt down and cried pitifully, saying that she didn't want any title or status, she didn't covet anything, she just hoped that the Lady of the Marquis would accept her children...
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Jing interrupted him coldly: "Only the children born to the Lady of Yong'an are the children of the Marquis of Yong'an."
She looked at Xie Zhi'an, as if speaking to Ye Xizhu, and also to Xie Zhi'an: "The child in your belly is Xie Zhi'an's, and has nothing to do with the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion. Xie Zhi'an can acknowledge it if he wants, but the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion will not."
Her words were quite clear, almost telling Xie Zhi'an and the Xie family that without Meng Min and the support of their Meng family, there would be no Marquis of Yong'an today.
She didn't say anything harsher. Who did Xie Zhi'an think he was? To expect her sister to swallow her pride and acknowledge an illegitimate child? Dream on.
The room fell silent.
The Xie family elders were surprised by Meng Jing's assertiveness, especially since Meng Min was pregnant at this time. They couldn't even bring themselves to say something like "it is the greatest tragedy to have no offspring."
It's really not a good time.
The clan elder then looked at Xie Zhi'an and said, "Princess Meng is right. The most important thing now is to take good care of your wife and prevent her from having any more miscarriage."
He hoped Xie Zhian wouldn't make a mistake. How could a son born to a concubine compare to a legitimate son born to a princess? Even if the Meng family was in decline, their ancestors were still important ministers and relatives of the emperor. The old prince had no sons, so the emperor made an exception and bestowed the title of princess upon both of the Meng family's daughters.
Over the years, Meng Min has done impeccable work for Xie Zhi'an and the Xie family. Her only shortcoming was that she had not given birth to a son all these years, but this shortcoming no longer exists. Naturally, they had no reason to persuade Meng Min to take a concubine for Xie Zhi'an.
Xie Zhi'an was furious. Today was the most humiliating and pathetic day of his life! But the clan elders had already spoken, and Meng Min was using the child in her womb to manipulate him. What could he do? He could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.
He glanced at Jia Ning, who was looking at him with tears in her eyes. He loved his daughter after all, so he slowly exhaled and said, "Jia Ning has just returned. Let's not talk about this anymore. What happened today was my fault. Your health is the most important thing."
Xie Jianing pursed her trembling lips, her heart filled with a bitterness no one could understand. She naturally resented her father for betraying her mother and herself, but... he was the father who raised her. He had never said a harsh word to her since she was a child, so how could she completely hate him?
※
After such a commotion, the birthday banquet naturally ended prematurely.
Meng Min was unwell and unable to come out to see off the guests, so Meng Jing took Jin Yue and Xie Yushu to see them off as well, including the pregnant Ye Xizhu and her daughter.
Xie Yushu was preoccupied with Xiao Dao, who was hiding among the servants. She just wanted to finish these matters quickly and ask Xiao Dao about his background. She had no time to notice Song Jie waiting for her outside the mansion, let alone go to see him.
Unfortunately, some people just have to make things difficult.
She had just finished seeing off her guests when Xie Zhi'an's attendant came to invite her, saying that Xie Zhi'an was waiting for her at the ancestral hall.
She knew without even guessing that they were going to punish her in the ancestral hall.
Xie Zhian must be seething with anger. If he can't deal with Meng Min and the Meng family, can't he at least deal with his daughter?
Even Qiao Bao'er noticed it and quietly advised her not to go.
Xie Yushu merely gestured with his chin to Wang An and Zhao Feng, who were waiting outside the long hall, indicating that they should follow him.
After comforting Qiao Bao'er, she took two maids and attendants to the Xie family ancestral hall.
Ironically, Xie Yushu was never allowed to step into the Xie family ancestral hall because she was an illegitimate daughter and therefore not qualified.
Now, Xie Zhian is going to deal with her at the ancestral hall.
"Please let Miss Yushu go in alone." The attendants outside the ancestral hall stopped her maid, Wang An, and Zhao Feng.
Wang An and Zhao Feng simply waved their attendants aside and pushed open the doors of the ancestral hall from the left and right to invite Xie Yushu in.
"How dare you!" the attendant shouted from outside.
Xie Yushu didn't stop walking. She led her people into the ancestral hall and saw Xie Zhi'an standing with his hands behind his back.
Xie Zhian also turned around and saw that her people dared to open the ancestral hall. He frowned, but before he could reprimand them, her two attendants quickly locked the door from the inside.
Two burly men stood with their backs against the door, letting their entourage knock on it.
"Are you trying to defy the heavens?" Xie Zhi'an angrily pointed at her, "Tell your people to get out!"
Xie Yushu ignored his words and casually went over to find a chair and sat down: "Did Father want to see me about something?"
"Xie Yushu, don't think I can't punish you just because you're married!" Xie Zhi'an's face turned completely cold as he strode towards her and commanded, "Today I'm going to teach you a lesson in front of the Xie family's ancestral tablets!"
He reached out and grabbed Xie Yushu, pressing him to the ground: "Kneel down!"
Xie Yushu was pulled up and stood in front of him. "Oh, it seems Father is going to punish you with family discipline today."
Her tone was indifferent, and her smile was faint. "You haven't even finished criticizing your father for a day, yet you're already putting on airs like a father." She raised her hand, and Wang An rushed over from behind, grabbed Xie Zhi'an's hand that was pulling her, and suddenly twisted him to the ground.
Xie Zhi'an, his arm aching and weak, was forced to kneel on the ground. He roared furiously, "Xie Yushu, how dare you lay a hand on your father?! Do you know that the crime of filial impiety is punishable by being beaten to death in the street?!"
“What are you saying, Father? How could your daughter be unfilial?” Xie Yushu walked to the shelf where the memorial tablets were placed, gently shook it with her hand, glanced at Wang An, and said slowly, “Father was angry and accidentally knocked over the shelf. What does that have to do with being unfilial?”
Wang An understood immediately, grabbed Xie Zhi'an, and threw him forcefully at the shelf...
Xie Yushu stepped aside, listened to Xie Zhian's screams, then turned back to sit in her chair. What father-daughter ethics? She was an orphan, she didn't buy into that.
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Author's note: Update! This chapter includes red envelopes for everyone~ First 50 will receive them~
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