Chapter Eighteen: Did I commit an illicit act with you?
After a while, Xie Min also returned to the Jingnan Marquis's residence by carriage.
Unlike when she went to the Marquis of Guangde's residence, Xie Min now resembles a broken rag doll.
Lin looked at Xie Min, who was wrapped in a quilt in the room, with heartache, while wiping away tears with a handkerchief.
Xie Min's face was covered in bruises, and her eyes were red and swollen with fear as she stared warily outside.
Lin looked at it, and tears streamed down her face again. How brutally her daughter had been treated!
She reached out to touch Xie Min's head, but Xie Min, like a frightened little animal, shrank back into the corner of the bed, trembling, "No...don't come any closer!"
Seeing her daughter like this, Madam Lin was filled with regret. She wanted Xie Min to marry Prince Lu, firstly because Xie Min genuinely loved him, and secondly because a marriage of higher status would greatly improve the situation for the second branch of the family.
Since his wife's passing, Lord Lu has dismissed his concubines and devoted himself to seeking immortality and wandering the world, no longer concerning himself with the affairs of the Guangde Marquis's mansion.
The true master of the Guangde Marquis's mansion now is Lu Yuanzhang! Perhaps due to his many misdeeds, Lu Yuanzhang, though having wives and concubines, has no children. His son, Lu Zhi, was raised by Lu Yuanzhang himself, and the two are as close as father and son. Therefore, Lu Yuanzhang naturally decides his marriage.
Left with no other choice, Lin had to persuade Lu Yuanzhang to agree. The plan was to send Shen Qingnian over, a mutually beneficial arrangement, but now…
Poor Min'er!
Lu Yuanzhang is really going too far! His daughter is the eldest daughter of the second branch of the Jingnan Marquis's mansion, and he just bullies her like that!
In the past, who would dare to bully Xie Songyi's daughter! Even the old Marquis Lu would give him some face! But now that Xie Songyi has been paralyzed for so many years, unable to speak or move, he is completely useless.
The eldest brother is weak-willed and can't handle this matter. The third brother's foundation is unstable, and he can't defeat Lu Yuanzhang either.
If anyone in the household could seek justice for her daughter, it would only be Xie Yanzhi. Although this was a shameful affair of the second branch of the family, and Madam Lin didn't want anyone in the household to know, only Xie Yanzhi could help her now.
She was determined to make Lu Yuanzhang pay the price!
Madam Lin personally went to the Wenxin Hall to plead with the old lady. After a while, the old lady came to the second house with Xie Yanzhi.
When the old lady saw Xie Min's state, her eyes immediately reddened. Xie Min was, after all, her granddaughter, and she couldn't help but feel heartbroken and somewhat angry at such a misfortune!
The old lady slammed her cane heavily on the ground, saying, "That scoundrel Lu Er! He's a damned beast!"
He turned back to Xie Yanzhi and said, "Yan-ge'er, this matter cannot be left like this! That Lu Er is taking advantage of the fact that the Jingnan Marquis's Mansion has no one to rely on!"
Madam Lin sobbed, "Yan-ge'er, you must help your sister get justice!"
Xie Yanzhi said coldly, "I will definitely not let him go!" After all, Xie Min was his sister. He hadn't expected that Xie Min would get into trouble back then.
Upon hearing Xie Yanzhi's voice, Xie Min jumped out of bed, grabbed Xie Yanzhi's sleeve, and cried out, "Brother, why didn't you save me yesterday? Why did you go to save that bitch Shen Qingnian!"
Xie Min already knew that Shen Qingnian had been taken away by Xie Yanzhi yesterday. She couldn't understand why her older brother would save that bitch but not his own sister!
"Why..." Despair appeared in Xie Min's eyes.
"It's all that bitch Shen Qingnian's fault! I already handed her over to Master Lu, why wouldn't she accept her fate and insist on running away!"
"She ruined me, she ruined me..."
"Brother, go and kick her out of the Marquis's mansion right now and sell her to a brothel!"
"Enough!" Xie Yanzhi shouted to stop her.
"Don't you know who harmed you?" Xie Yanzhi glanced at Lin Shi again, and Lin Shi lowered her head guiltily.
"As the eldest daughter of the second branch of the Marquis of Jingnan's mansion, and the daughter of the Great General, how could you resort to such despicable means! Do you even consider yourself a daughter of the Marquis's mansion?!"
Xie Min's tears welled up again, and she felt a pang of bitterness and resentment in her heart. She couldn't understand why her older brother would scold her when she was the one who was hurt!
Something occurred to her, and she suddenly spoke up: "Did Shen Qingnian do something illicit with you yesterday? Is that why you favored her and only saved her?"
"Slap!" A loud slap stunned Xie Min.
She looked at her mother in disbelief. With tears in her eyes, Lin slapped Xie Min hard across the face; she couldn't let Xie Min talk nonsense anymore.
If Xie Yanzhi is angered again, Xie Min will be truly finished.
The old lady looked at Xie Yanzhi with a probing gaze, trying to discern something from his face. But he remained expressionless, revealing no other emotion.
Xie Min is so inconsiderate. How could she blurt out such filthy words? If others heard it, wouldn't it damage Yan'er's reputation?
The old lady looked at Xie Min on the ground with displeasure: "Is it appropriate for a young lady from a noble family to say that the heir of the Marquis's mansion is having an affair with a woman who is trying to take advantage of others?"
"You are a daughter of the Marquis of Jingnan's household, and you represent the Marquis of Jingnan's household!"
"Don't go out for the next few days, just stay in the yard and rest well!"
Madam Lin understood that the old lady had confined Min'er to her quarters. After seeing the old lady and Xie Yan off, Madam Lin went into the room and saw Xie Min still sitting on the ground with her hair disheveled, muttering to herself, "Why me? If she hadn't run away, I could have married Prince Lu."
“Min’er…” Madam Lin hugged Xie Min, and the two of them cried together.
Shen Qingnian rested at Qianyue Residence for two days, during which her aunt secretly told her about Xie Min. Shen Qingnian felt deeply saddened. But Xie Min and Lin Shi, who wanted to harm her, should pay the price.
Ling'er came in, holding some finished incense beads: "Miss, these beads are all done, we can string them together now." She thought it would be good for her mistress to string the beads to distract her and prevent her from being unhappy about yesterday's events.
Shen Qingnian stared at the beads, slightly lost in thought.
In Xie Yanzhi's courtyard, Yuan Qing was watering the four-leaf clover when he suddenly felt someone reach out to pat his back. He assumed someone was trying to ambush him and, without hesitation, grabbed the person's arm and threw them over his shoulder.
"Ouch, you damned Yuanqing!" Ling'er cried out as she fell to the ground.
Yuan Qing's eyes lit up when he saw it: "Water chestnut!" He quickly smiled and helped the person up.
"Why are you here?" Yuan Qing asked Ling'er with a grin.
"I accompanied my young lady here to thank the young master."
Yuan Qing looked behind Ling'er and saw Shen Qingnian standing not far away watching the two of them.
"Miss Qing, please wait here for a moment. I'll go in and inform them first." After saying that, Yuan Qing went into the study.
"What is she doing here?" Xie Yanzhi frowned.
"They said they came to thank you for what happened yesterday."
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