Jie (解) - Upper-middle hexagram
Chapter 40 Interpreting the Hexagram - A Medium-to-Upper Hexagram - The Secret in the Wooden Box
Wenjun laughed exaggeratedly, her laughter arrogant and unrestrained. She was really laughing, laughing until tears came out. She seemed to have heard something funny, and she held her stomach for a long time before stopping, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Oh dear, what a show! I didn't expect you to be exposed in the end. I thought you were an easy target, but you chose the toughest one. I don't know whether to say you were pretending to be weak or to blame myself for not knowing how to judge people. Oh well, Wang Lan, with such a strong-willed wife, you're in for a rough time."
Everyone gasped: It really was her!
Rong Yan stared at her intently, without replying. Wang Shi, however, was furious, her face flushed red. Her right hand trembled as she pointed at Wen Jun, “Wen Jun, what have I done to wrong you that you would do this to me? All these years, I’ve treated you well, so why have you harmed me like this, and even murdered the Marquis’s offspring?!”
The Marquis gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger, and stared at Wenjun with a fierce look in his eyes.
With her second uncle absent, all eyes were on her, making her seem somewhat powerless.
"What have you done to wrong me? Too many, hahaha, too many. We've lived together for over twenty years, and every single time we clashed, I was the one who gave in. Isn't it just because you're the matriarch of the royal family, and you're the eldest brother and sister-in-law? If you ask me to list them all, I truly can't count them all! Back then, during the lake excursion, you said the wind was too strong at the bow, and sent me to the bow. The boat capsized, and I was thrown into the lake by the oar, rendering me unable to have children ever since. You think a simple 'sorry,' and some precious medicinal herbs can make up for it? Who gave you this image of maternal love and filial piety for over twenty years? It was me! It was me who kept quiet! The more outstanding the eldest son is, the more pain I feel in my heart!! Have you ever thought about it? If you had ever considered my feelings, things wouldn't be like this today. I begged you to let the Marquis's concubine's child be adopted by me, did you agree?"
Madam Wang was somewhat shocked. She slowly shook her head. "That incident back then was an accident. Nobody wanted it to happen. Now you're blaming me? Did I want that to happen? Did I deprive you of your rights as a mother? Besides, didn't I also have Wang Xiao's daughter, Wang Musong, adopted by you? What else are you dissatisfied with? You want to harm me for these reasons!"
"You want to adopt me, a mere illegitimate daughter? I want a son! Can you give him one?! Are you even willing to give him one?! Anyone who could give birth to their own child would never want to adopt one. It's all because of you!"
"So many years have passed since this happened. You've endured this for twenty years, just waiting for this opportunity to harm me?"
Wenjun wiped away her tears, looked up and smiled, "You're wrong. This isn't the first time. You're just too stupid to realize it. Zhizhu died in your place; otherwise, you would have been the one to die that time. She was just a lowly servant; death is death. You're always so lucky. Since things have come to this, I might as well be frank with you. I was the one who did what happened to Fulou. That poor woman just wanted to escape her miserable life, and I was just helping her along the way. I didn't expect you, Rong Shi, to be so capable. You really are incredibly capable. You just randomly cast a few divinations, and you happened to be right. And you, her mother-in-law, actually believed it, which is how you accidentally ruined my scheme! I hate it! Since the Marquis cares most about having offspring, then Concubine Zhou is the perfect opportunity. I was unlucky before, and now my luck is bad too! What a pity, what a pity."
Not to mention Madam Wang, even the Marquis and the Xie family's grandmother looked shocked.
The second aunt had been lurking in the family mansion for so long, and had actually plotted to kill so many times, yet Wang Shi had narrowly escaped each time.
After spending so many years together, what we got in return wasn't a deep sisterly bond, but such a vicious and malicious heart.
If Rong Yan hadn't intervened, Wang would have been doomed this time.
Wang shook her head in disbelief. "I never imagined that my comment about you sitting at the bow of the boat would cause you to hate me to this day. I also never knew that some minor disagreements in our daily lives would hold such a grudge against you. I may have made mistakes, but haven't you made ones too? I told you I wasn't feeling well that day, but you insisted on going on the lake trip…"
"Enough! Ah!" Wenjun screamed, causing everyone in the hall to frown.
Tears welled up in her eyes again. "At this point, there's no point in saying anything more. Those who died were nothing but a bunch of lackeys; what could you do to me?!"
According to the laws of the Northern Song Dynasty at that time, people who had not been deregistered were not considered good citizens and were not protected by law.
Xie Ningling shook her head, "You harmed my father's offspring, and this is the evidence of your crime!"
Wenjun smiled dismissively, "Hmm, the Marquis's offspring? Then the Marquis should investigate carefully to see if they are truly your offspring."
Everyone: !
The expressions on everyone's faces were quite interesting. Rong Yan even had a gossipy look on his face, especially the Marquis, whose face showed both anger and shock.
Second Aunt is indeed very shrewd and calculating. If Concubine Zhou's pregnancy is truly not the Marquis's, then she is not guilty of harming the Marquis's son.
Even if Flaubert was guilty of instigation, the law could not touch her.
If she dared to do that, then there's a high chance that Aunt Zhou's belly really isn't the Marquis's.
Therefore, in Rong Yan's eyes, the Marquis's face had turned completely green, his head was covered in a greenish hue.
"Enough! This is truly chaotic!! My Marquis's manor cannot tolerate a vicious woman like you!!"
"Brother, there's no need to be so angry. The seven grounds for divorce apply to my husband. Whether or not to divorce me is not your business. If the family is to be divided, your second brother will also have a share. There's no need to rush to kick me out. How can we let everyone have such a good deal?!"
"That's enough!" Wang suddenly shouted to stop her.
Wenjun's face revealed a meaningful expression. She looked at Xie Chengzhi with a cold smile and said, "I've always been curious about what's in the wooden box that your mother keeps in the ancestral hall. After all these years, Wang Lan has been bowing and wiping it every day."
At this point, she looked at Wang Lan again, "Since you haven't been in charge of the household affairs for so long, I thought Lady Shu would have the key. But you're so cautious, you didn't hand over this key. It's alright, since you're not here, I can find someone to break the lock. Guess what's enshrined inside?"
Wang's face lit up with rage. "Shut up!"
At this moment, Fang's mother also kowtowed to Wenjun, repeatedly murmuring, "Please, please..."
"Hahaha, scared?! Why are there swaddling clothes and Xie Chengzhi's nameplate inside? This person is still here perfectly fine, so who are you worshipping? Hahahaha..."
Wang's tears flowed immediately, whether from anger or something else, it was unclear.
"Enough, Wenjun! This is beneath your dignity!!" Grandmother Xie finally couldn't stand it anymore. Although she wanted to see Rong Yan's tricks, such rudeness was not something she wanted to see.
She slammed her hand on the table, making a loud noise, and said, "From this day forward, you will come with me to the Buddhist hall to copy scriptures. You are not allowed to leave my wooden hall without my permission!"
The old lady was trying to keep her under house arrest. Although she said some harsh words, she was actually protecting her.
Wenjun then stopped talking, but her expression remained haughty.
The old lady's words carried considerable weight, and Rong Yan was puzzled as to why her outspoken second aunt was so obedient in front of the old lady, and she did not utter a word in rebuttal.
The old lady had someone quickly pull her second aunt out. The Marquis's face was very ugly, and he didn't say a word. Rong Yan turned his head to look at Xie Chengzhi, his face somewhat indifferent, without the slightest surprise.
This whole family is mysterious and eccentric, making them hard to understand.
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