The rain had stopped today, but the sun had yet to emerge. The sky remained overcast and gloomy. When Wen Lisheng finished tidying up and hurried to the main hall of the eastern courtyard, she found the area outside crowded with onlookers. As she approached, they began whispering among themselves, though it was unclear what they were discussing.
News of her abduction in the middle of the night had somehow spread, and by morning, it was already the talk of the town.
Stepping into the hall, she saw Xie Xiaonan seated in the main chair, dressed in a snow-white robe. He appeared somewhat languid, resting his head on his hand, his ink-black hair cascading loosely. His gaze was lowered, exuding an air of calm.
Wen Puchang and Mei Xing’an sat on either side of him.
Wen Puchang sat stiffly on a high seat, his expression cold. Upon seeing her, he immediately stood up, strode over, and took her hands, examining her closely. “Sheng’er, why didn’t you come to me when something happened last night? Are you hurt?”
Wen Lisheng shook her head. With Xie Xiaonan present, she lowered her voice considerably. “Father, I’m fine. The person who abducted me was just a woman with little martial skill.”
That woman was the wife of Mei Xing’an’s fourth brother. When Wen Lisheng had first arrived at the Old Tree Hall yesterday and was pulled forward to greet Xie Xiaonan, she had caught a glimpse of the woman. That was why she had found her familiar last night and was certain she was a member of the Mei family.
She had assumed that after Mei Xing’an apprehended the woman last night, a proper resolution would be reached today. Instead, the woman had been killed.
As soon as Wen Lisheng finished speaking, a man sitting to the side abruptly drew his sword, his eyes red with fury as he pointed it at her. “So it was you who killed Rong’er!”
Wen Puchang’s face turned icy. He pulled Wen Lisheng behind him and fixed the man with a frosty glare.
Mei Xing’an also shouted, “Fourth Brother, put down your sword!”
Wen Lisheng blinked innocently. “How could I, a delicate young girl with no strength to even tie a chicken, dare to kill someone? This accusation is utterly absurd!”
What she truly feared wasn’t this, but whether that fierce pickpocket from last night had reported her to Xie Xiaonan.
Stealing a glance, she saw Xie Xiaonan still with his brows slightly furrowed, showing no reaction, as if he had no interest in these matters.
Mei Xingjian, still gripping his sword, remained furious. “If it wasn’t you who sent someone to do it, how would you know Rong’er had little martial skill?!”
“She attacked me herself,” Wen Lisheng replied.
“So you held a grudge! On the surface, you had my elder brother arrest her and lock her in a room, but in secret, you sent someone to kill her to vent your hatred, thinking you could escape responsibility!”
Wen Lisheng chuckled. “That would be too much trouble. If I held a grudge against her, I would have killed her last night when she attacked me.”
“Rumors in the county say the prefect’s daughter is unruly, spoiled, and tyrannical, using her status to commit heinous acts without regard for human life. Now that I see you, you are exactly as the rumors describe!” Mei Xingjian shouted.
Wen Puchang had heard such rumors before, but no one had ever dared to voice them in his presence. Anger surged within him, and he was about to speak when Wen Lisheng’s furious voice rang out, “Nonsense! The rumors in the city clearly say I am as serene as the moon among clouds and as graceful as a fairy on water. Stop spouting such nonsense!”
For a moment, the hall fell into complete silence. Hearing this, Xie Xiaonan finally lifted his eyelids to glance at her, suddenly feeling the urge to applaud: For Wen Puchang to have raised such a uniquely thick-skinned daughter was truly remarkable.Just as Wen Puchang was about to erupt in anger, he froze, also wanting to ask: Is the person you just mentioned my daughter?
After speaking, Wen Lisheng realized her voice had been a bit too loud. She had been frantic earlier, after all, at this moment, anyone who spoke ill of the Wen family or her in front of Xie Xiaonan was particularly disadvantageous.
Mei Xingjian was also left speechless, stunned by Wen Lisheng’s shamelessness. “You… you…”
Wen Lisheng smiled slightly. “Uncle Mei might have some misunderstanding about me.”
Seeing this, Mei Xing’an rubbed his temples and ordered someone to step forward and take the sword from his fourth brother’s hand. “Fourth Brother, don’t act rashly before the matter is fully investigated.”
Mei Xingjian anxiously said, “Eldest Brother, Rong’er was clearly killed by this venomous girl. If we can’t seek justice for Rong’er today, I will never rest for the rest of my life!”
Wen Lisheng felt quite puzzled. “I was clearly the victim who was kidnapped. How did all the blame fall on me?”
“Stay calm. Let’s wait for the young master of the Shen family to arrive and question him carefully,” Mei Xing’an said with a furrowed brow.
“If you had no conflict with Rong’er, why would she, out of so many people, specifically kidnap you?!” Mei Xingjian pressed relentlessly.
Wen Lisheng thought to herself that this person was determined to pick a fight, so she didn’t hold back either. She smiled and said, “Then do you know why she kidnapped me?”
Mei Xingjian immediately replied, “You admit it!”
She said, “Your wife was having an affair, and I saw it.”
Mei Xingjian didn’t react at first. “What?”
“Your wife cheated on you,” Wen Lisheng repeated word by word.
His eyes widened in disbelief. “Nonsense!”
Wen Lisheng started spinning an outrageous tale. “Isn’t it because your wife thought you were getting old and set her sights on a young gentleman? Yesterday, when they were having a secret rendezvous, I happened to see them. Afraid I would expose them, she knocked me out and kidnapped me.”
With no evidence to the contrary, it was impossible to refute.
Wen Lisheng showed no signs of lying on her face, thoroughly humiliating Mei Xingjian.
For any man, having his wife cheat on him was a disgrace.
He angrily shouted, “Impossible! Rong’er and I had a very good relationship. She would never be unfaithful to me!”
Wen Lisheng snorted, casually adding details. “Her young lover was at least seven or eight years younger than her, tall and fair-skinned, with a mole two inches below his left collarbone…”
Before she could finish, a crisp sound came from the main seat. Everyone turned to look—it was Xie Xiaonan slamming his teacup down heavily. His previously calm expression now turned somber.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “Miss Wen remembers quite clearly.”
Wen Lisheng met his gaze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat as she quickly looked away, her voice unconsciously softening. “I was close by at the time, so I saw clearly.”
After hearing her words, Xie Xiaonan was reminded of the unpleasant events of the previous night. Combined with the lingering headache from the collision when he woke up that morning, being summoned to this place, and sitting for so long, his patience had finally run out.
His face turned cold and stern, his dark eyes sweeping over Mei Xing’an. “Master Mei invited me here early in the morning. There must be something important, right?”Mei Xing’an also felt troubled, patting his younger brother’s shoulder before gesturing for an attendant to present a silk handkerchief. “Young Master Xie, this was found yesterday in the underground secret room. If I am not mistaken, this handkerchief is made of Flowing Cloud Brocade.”
Flowing Cloud Brocade was a rare tribute fabric from the southern islands, reserved exclusively for the imperial family and nobility. Occasionally, favored ministers might receive a piece or two as a reward, but commoners would never lay eyes on it in their lifetime, let alone in this remote Yiguan County.
Mei Xing’an’s implication was clear: this handkerchief could only belong to Xie Xiaonan, who had come from the capital.
Xie Xiaonan glanced at the bloodstained handkerchief, leaned back casually in his chair, and said with an air of indifference, “So you suspect me?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Mei Xing’an replied, bowing his head and cupping his hands in a gesture of deference that was, in reality, quite forceful. “I merely hope Young Master Xie can provide an explanation.”
Wen Lisheng watched in astonishment, thinking to herself that Mei Xing’an truly had nerves of steel.
Xie Xiaonan tilted his head slightly, his gaze lowered. “Master Mei, do you think I am particularly mild-tempered?”
This was his nature—seemingly gentle and approachable, yet also aloof and untouchable.
The hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. No one dared make a sound, all eyes fixed on him.
This was the greatest difference between Xie Xiaonan and the young men of Yiguan County. He possessed an innate, unyielding dignity, and every gesture carried the oppressive aura of one long accustomed to high status. He looked down on everyone here, showing not a trace of timidity and bowing to no constraints.
Wen Lisheng watched him. Though he still had the appearance of a youth, he already exuded some of the aura of the great rebel she remembered, and it terrified her so much she wanted to immediately kneel and kowtow to him.
Seeing this, Mei Xing’an felt a chill in his heart, realizing that the young master before him was far from the kind and easily bullied figure he had seen the day before. He bent his waist even lower. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Though his words claimed deference, his attitude lacked any real respect. Few in Yiguan County—or even in the capital—would dare treat Xie Xiaonan this way.
It was only later that Wen Lisheng came to understand the Xie family. The Jing’an Marquis was one of Liang Kingdom’s foremost noble families, having assisted three generations of emperors in governance. With a continuous record of military achievements and a hereditary marquisate, the family remained influential and powerful. Even in a capital where officials’ children and imperial relatives were as common as cobblestones, the Xie family stood at the very top.
As the sole heir of the marquisate, Xie Xiaonan was truly above all others.
Thinking of this, Wen Lisheng grew increasingly fearful of the young master’s potential wrath, worried she might be implicated. Amidst the tense silence where no one dared speak, her legs suddenly gave way, and she knelt on the floor, raising her hands high and drawing out her plea in a dramatic tone: “Young Master, please calm your anger—!”
Wen Puchang could hardly bear to watch.
Another day, another blow to his dignity courtesy of his daughter.