If Su Xuening hadn't brought it up, Su Renyi would have completely forgotten about the second wife's failure to put out the fire.
He glanced nervously at Xuan Yuanpeng before sternly shouting at Su Xuening, "I've indulged you all this time, but now that the Emperor is here, how dare you spout such nonsense!"
Su Xuening was almost amused by Su Renyi's righteous and benevolent demeanor: "I was just answering my second uncle's question. Honest advice is hard to hear, and the truth is naturally harsh. Second uncle doesn't need to feel so guilty and take it personally!"
"How dare you!" Before Su Renyi could speak, Su Fei angrily shouted at Su Xuening, "He is your second uncle, how can you speak to him like that!"
Seeing that Consort Su was angry, all the noble ladies and young women present were terrified and stood silently, not daring to make a sound.
Su Xuening, however, was not afraid. She raised her eyes and looked at Consort Su with a haughty air: "May I ask in what capacity Your Highness Consort Su is reprimanding me now, as Consort Su or as your aunt?"
Consort Su, who already disliked Su Xuening's arrogant demeanor, became even more furious and rebuked her: "What, do I need to consider my status when I reprimand you?"
Su Xuening curled her lips in a mocking smile: "Indeed, we don't need to. Now my brother and I are all alone and helpless. Even a stray dog on the street can bark at us! What right do we need to reprimand us?"
"Insolence!" Upon hearing her compare her to a stray dog, Consort Su was instantly enraged.
Su Xuening didn't say another word, and led Su Yun'an to kneel down in front of Consort Su.
Although the two were kneeling, their backs were straight, exuding an air of pride.
Those around them began to worry about them.
Bai looked at Su Xuening with great interest. She was the second person in Dongchu to talk back to Su Huiyan like that. This trip was really worthwhile!
Looking at the two siblings kneeling in front of her, Su Fei was reminded of her equally stubborn brother. She couldn't let out a breath, and it just choked in her throat!
Upon seeing this, Su Renyi immediately bowed to Consort Su: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It is all my fault for not teaching my brother and sister well. If Your Majesty truly wishes to blame someone, then blame me."
"You still spoil them! As their second uncle, you are the one who needs to teach them. Look at how you've spoiled them!" Su Fei was furious but had nowhere to vent her anger. Yet, she still managed to flatter Su Renyi.
"It's all my fault." Su Renyi immediately admitted his mistake, then looked at Su Xuening and scolded, "Consort Su is doing this for your own good. What are you standing there for? Quickly apologize to Consort Su."
Su Xuening had no intention of playing along with their act. She didn't even glance at Su Renyi, but looked at Consort Su and said, "This humble woman doesn't know where I've gone wrong!"
Su Fei was instantly furious again: "Look at you, you can't even respect your elders, do you have any manners of a proper lady?"
Su Xuening showed no shame or remorse, and still stood tall, saying, "Since ancient times, elders have been respected. Second Uncle is an elder, and I should respect him. However, a mother's kindness is what makes a son filial. The second branch of the family has repeatedly humiliated my brother and me, and even tried to kill us. Even a clay idol has some temper. I don't know how to respect Second Uncle at this time. I beg Consort Su and Second Uncle for guidance!"
Su Fei was speechless after Su Xuening's words.
Su Renyi, however, became agitated and glared at Su Xuening, saying, "Are you still angry with your second uncle because of the fire at Lingxiao Pavilion? Your second uncle has already explained the matter of Lingxiao Pavilion to you, and Shuntian Prefecture has also investigated it thoroughly. Why do you have to say such unpleasant things!"
As Su Renyi spoke, he turned to Cen Jinfeng for support: "Lord Cen, has the matter of the fire at Lingxiao Pavilion been thoroughly investigated?"
Cen Jinfeng stood beside Xuan Yuanpeng with his eyes downcast and no words spoken, but in his heart he was filled with resentment towards Su Renyi.
This Su Renyi, he's trying to kill me! Doesn't he know better than anyone about the fire at Lingxiao Pavilion? Why does he think the Emperor is here? He's still foolishly crying foul. It's one thing if he wants to die, but why drag me down with him?
Seeing Cen Jinfeng's self-preservation-oriented appearance, Su Xuening sneered again, "Since Second Uncle keeps bringing up the fire at Lingxiao Pavilion, may I ask Lord Cen and Second Uncle, since the servant who set fire to Lingxiao Pavilion has already committed suicide out of guilt, how did Jingxue Pavilion catch fire now?"
"I told you, I don't know!"
Su Renyi was already angry because Cen Jinfeng ignored him, so he scolded Su Xuening in a bad mood and then cried out to Xuan Yuanpeng, "Your Majesty, I really don't know why Lingxiao Pavilion and Jingxue Pavilion caught fire. These two things have absolutely nothing to do with our second branch of the family. Please make a fair judgment, Your Majesty!"
Xuanyuan Peng was getting a headache from their constant arguing, so he waved his hand and said, "I will find out what really happened after the fire is put out!"
Seeing the siblings still kneeling on the ground, Madam Bai said calmly, "Who is guilty now? I seem to remember that these two siblings were the plaintiffs."
Su Xuening lowered her eyes, somewhat surprised by Bai's help.
Seeing that Bai was interfering in their family affairs again, Consort Su hated Bai even more.
Xuanyuan Peng seemed to remember the siblings and said mercifully, "Alright, you two get up too."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Su Xuening kowtowed to Xuan Yuanpeng, then pulled Su Yun'an to her feet.
After getting up, Su Xuening didn't forget to give Bai a curtsy to express her gratitude.
Su Renyi was somewhat flustered when he saw that the Emperor wanted to thoroughly investigate the fire.
Several days have passed since the incident at Lingxiao Pavilion, and the servant A-Quan has already been buried. Now that he is dead, there is no way to verify the facts. However, he truly doesn't know why Jingxue Pavilion caught fire, and he doesn't know if it was Zhong's doing again. But now that Xuanyuan Peng is here, he can't ask him any questions.
Thinking that Su Linyuan was still in the fire, Su Renyi became anxious again and ordered his servant Ding Shan to summon all the servants of the second branch of the family to help put out the fire.
Previously, the servants from Jingxuexuan went to call for people, but they couldn't get them to come. Now, Dingshan went to call for people, and finally managed to get all the servants from the second branch of the family to come.
The second wife had many servants, a large group of them, carrying buckets and basins, who joined in the firefighting efforts.
But it was too late to put out the fire. By the time everyone had poured water and successfully extinguished it, Jingxuexuan was already almost completely burned down.
The siblings stood in front of the burned-out house, looking so sad and helpless that everyone around them couldn't help but feel sorry for them.
Two fires in three days, what chance do these siblings have of surviving?
"Yuan'er!" As soon as the fire in Jingxuexuan was extinguished, Madam Zhong stumbled and rushed into the fire.
"Mother!" Su Feiling held onto Zhong Shi tightly, preventing her from rushing into the fire.
The Imperial Guards and the yamen runners of Shuntian Prefecture, having received orders from Xuanyuan Peng, were the first to rush into the fire.
Everyone watched nervously as the house was burned to a shell, waiting for Su Linyuan's body to be carried out.
“Yuan’er, my poor Yuan’er…” Even Madam Zhong started to wail in advance.
Su Renyi, Su Feiling, and Su Muyao were also extremely anxious, while the other members of the second branch of the family who came to watch the commotion wore sorrowful expressions on their faces, but in their hearts they had already begun to gloat.
Just as everyone was waiting, shouts from the Imperial Guards came from inside: "Found it, it's here!"
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