Сhарtеr 4 Рunishmеnt
In the anсеstrаl hаll, thе tablets of thе Wеi family аncestоrs wеrе рlасed оn thе аltаr, set agаinst a dim and chilly аtmоsphеrе, аs if thеу had еуеs.
The windоws оn all sidеs were not tightlу shut, and сold wind blew in, making А’Yuan’s tеeth сhаtter from thе cold.
She hаd slерt fоr less than twо hоurs lаst night, аnd now, chillеd by thе wind, her heаd felt heаvy and dizzу. She could оnlу fоrcе hеrself to kneеl upright.
Whеn Оld Madаm Wei punishеd her, nо оnе darеd to plеad on hеr bеhаlf.
Of course, in this Cian Courtуаrd, no one was willing tо рlead for hеr еither.
Seeing A’Yuan being punished, Zhao Wan’s lips almost curled up to the sky, and her anger dissipated completely.
She served Old Madam Wei breakfast while flattering her, “I have a thin skin. Although I manage the household, as a sister-in-law, I shouldn’t interfere in my brother-in-law’s courtyard. Thankfully, you’re here, Mother. If I had punished A’Yuan, I don’t know how Third Brother would resent me.”
“How dare he!”
Old Madam Wei’s face turned cold as she tossed the white jade spoon into the bowl. The anger she had just suppressed flared up again.
She only had these two sons, and they must support each other in the future. If they became estranged over a concubine, A’Yuan would not be allowed to stay.
“Third Brother naturally wouldn’t dare, but who can resist the whispers by the pillow…”
Zhao Wan had long been unable to tolerate A’Yuan. When this group of Thin Horses entered the mansion, they were actually being selected as concubines for Wei Cong, and Wei Cong had taken a liking to A’Yuan at first sight.
A’Yuan was exceptionally beautiful, unmatched in the entire capital. If Wei Cong were to take her in, where would Zhao Wan’s position be in the second branch?
So when Old Madam Wei assigned A’Yuan to Wei Xun, Zhao Wan breathed a huge sigh of relief. However, seeing them together every day still made her uncomfortable.
Especially the way Wei Cong looked at A’Yuan each time, which made Zhao Wan grit her teeth in frustration.
Now that she had finally caught A’Yuan’s weakness, she would not let it go.
Sure enough, after Zhao Wan finished speaking, Old Madam Wei’s face turned frosty.
“Take the copy of the Lotus Sutra from my room and give it to her. She is not allowed to leave until she finishes copying it.”
“Yes!”
The Lotus Sutra was a thick volume. Just reading it through would take two or three hours, and for A’Yuan to copy it all would take at least two days.
The ancestral hall was cold and damp, without even a charcoal brazier. Whether she could survive two days of freezing was uncertain.
Zhao Wan secretly curled the corners of her lips, unable to suppress the glee in her eyes.
The matron by her side fetched the Lotus Sutra and delivered it to the ancestral hall. Just as she was about to return to report, Wei Xun arrived.
“Mother, Second Sister-in-law.”
Wei Xun wore a black brocade robe and a dark crown, his sword-like eyebrows reaching his temples. His imposing figure, honed from years of martial arts training, exuded an intimidating aura.
Seeing her son, Old Madam Wei beamed with a smile and hurriedly invited him to sit beside her.
“Why didn’t you sleep a little longer? You just returned yesterday and should rest properly.”
“That’s right, Third Brother. While you were away from the capital, Mother worried day and night, and her appetite diminished greatly.”
Seeing Wei Xun, Zhao Wan suppressed her guilt and chimed in.
Old Madam Wei, however, was in good spirits. She turned and gave Zhao Wan a playful glare, the wrinkles on her face creasing with laughter. “I’ll tear your mischievous mouth sooner or later, daring to make up stories about me. Third Brother, don’t listen to her. I’m old, so my appetite naturally isn’t what it used to be.”
“Mother, you’re not old at all. When we go out, people think we’re sisters.” Zhao Wan forced herself to respond, but Wei Xun’s cold demeanor felt like needles on her back. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Wei Xun knew something.”Alright, your mouth truly knows how to spin flowers. Why not send someone to the kitchen to bring some food for Third Son? He woke up so early and surely hasn’t eaten yet.” Who wouldn’t want to be told they look young? Even knowing Zhao Wan was just flattering her, Old Madam Wei was pleased.
“Yes, this daughter-in-law will go right away.”
Zhao Wan was eager to retreat. With Wei Xun there, she was so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.
The two concubines followed her out, but as they passed Wei Xun, they couldn’t help but glance up at him.
Such a handsome and heroic man—why couldn’t he be theirs?
“Slap!”
Just outside the main room, Zhao Wan slapped each of them once.
“Do you not want those eyes anymore? Don’t forget your place, daring to covet the Young Master? Filthy things from a dirty place, truly anyone’s woman!”
Though she deliberately lowered her voice, the maids and matrons in the courtyard heard her clearly.
The Second Mistress wasn’t just scolding the two concubines—she was clearly targeting the one in the ancestral hall.
Everyone knew all three of them were carefully trained at Spring Mist Pavilion to serve men with their looks, but men loved that sort.
Especially someone like A’Yuan, gentle, obedient, and enchantingly beautiful, captivating hearts with every smile and glance.
The Second Master was frail and bedridden year-round, but that didn’t stop him from bringing concubine after concubine into his courtyard. It was normal for the Second Mistress to hold resentment, but they couldn’t afford to listen in.
After all, the one truly in charge of this marquis household was the Young Master.
……
After the mother and son spoke for a while, Wei Xun glanced toward the spot to Old Madam Wei’s right.
This was where A’Yuan usually stood, but today it was empty.
Remembering what Chun Tao had said when he entered Ci’an Courtyard, Wei Xun poured his mother a cup of tea. “Yesterday, I excused her from this morning’s greetings. If Mother wishes to punish anyone, it should be me.”
Hearing this, Old Madam Wei’s smile froze. As his mother, she knew how cold and detached her son could be, yet here he was, willingly taking punishment for A’Yuan.
Old Madam Wei pressed her lips together, displeasure evident on her face.
“What? Are you going to stop me from teaching her manners too?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Wei Xun stood up. “If she makes a mistake, Mother should naturally punish her. But today, it was my fault for not informing you beforehand. It doesn’t count as her wrongdoing.”
“Hmph!”
Old Madam Wei snorted coldly. The more her son protected A’Yuan, the angrier she became.
“Even if you gave the order, she still came as usual. Isn’t that disobedience? Not even listening to her master—she deserves to learn proper manners.”
“Mother…” Wei Xun sighed softly before continuing, “Don’t you know what kind of person she is? She’s always meticulous about propriety, afraid of taking a single misstep. Besides, yesterday I was the one who forced her, causing her to wake up late.”
“You!”
Old Madam Wei hadn’t expected her son to bring up bedroom matters just to plead for A’Yuan. Her old face couldn’t help but flush red.
Wei Xun, however, remained composed, as if oblivious to his mother’s embarrassment.
“Mother sent her to Jade Clarity Courtyard to take care of my daily needs. If she falls ill, I’ll have to worry about calling a doctor for her. Wouldn’t that just delay my official duties and cause trouble?”
By invoking his official responsibilities, Old Madam Wei had no grounds left to keep A’Yuan detained.
“Fine. Since you insist on protecting her, what more can I say? After breakfast, take her back with you.”
Would she really let a mere bedchamber servant come between mother and son?
Old Madam Wei wasn’t foolish enough to do such a thing.
Wei Xun knew his mother had relented. A slight smile touched his lips as he refilled her cup with hot tea.
“Thank you, Mother, for understanding.””Hmph! If you really want to thank me, hurry up and find a wife for your mother. Your nephew Chengye is about to start school, and you still don’t even have a wife. This year, you really should start looking!”
The son’s thoughts lingered on A’Yuan, but the root of it all was that he hadn’t yet married. A’Yuan was so beautiful—who could say for sure that one day the son might truly fall for her? That would be raising a disaster.