Wen Puchang smiled helplessly, his expression natural as he said, “My daughter has been timid since birth. Please forgive her, Your Highness.”
As he spoke, he pulled her up from the ground.
Xie Xiaonan’s gaze drifted lightly onto her, recalling her from the previous night—ferocious and fierce, clawing and snarling. When she had tugged at his collar, there hadn’t been a trace of timidity to be seen.
Wen Lisheng’s sudden kneeling shocked everyone present, and for a moment, no one dared to speak.
Yesterday, everyone had tested Xie Xiaonan, their intentions more or less the same.
If he were a pampered young master who had arrived in this place, even with his noble status, he would naturally be no match for these seasoned veterans who had entrenched themselves in Yiguan County for years. Coupled with his gentle and courteous demeanor, which gave the impression of someone inexperienced in the ways of the world, they all thought he would be easy to manipulate.
However, the current situation left Mei Xing’an in a difficult position.
But asking him to kneel like Wen Lisheng and loudly beg for forgiveness from the prince was something he definitely couldn’t do.
Seeing his elder brother show fear toward a young man not yet of age, Mei Xingjian shouted in dissatisfaction, “Big brother, what are you afraid of? This prince may be noble and esteemed in the capital, but here in Yiguan County, the heavens are high and the emperor is far away. Who cares about those imperial relatives and nobles? In the Mei family’s territory, we follow the Mei family’s rules!”
Hearing this, Wen Lisheng quickly tugged at Wen Puchang and whispered, “Father, let’s slip away first. Someone here is looking for death.”
Wen Puchang discreetly patted the back of her hand and replied, “You go out first.”
Wen Lisheng winced in pain and withdrew her hand, afraid that her father might misjudge the situation and side with the wrong party, so she didn’t dare to leave.
After these words were spoken, Mei Xing’an also felt they made sense and only pretended to scold his brother, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Xie Xiaonan let out a cold laugh and stood up. His long hair cascaded over his snow-white robe like slowly dancing ink, his disdain unconcealed. “So? You want to move against me?”
Seeing himself looked down upon by a young man, Mei Xing’an’s expression naturally turned unpleasant. He said in a low voice, “I hope Your Highness can understand that this is Yiguan County, not the imperial city. If a conflict arises, I fear Your Highness will be isolated and without support.”
“Just with you?” Xie Xiaonan asked, his face full of confusion.
“You!” This dismissive attitude angered Mei Xingjian. He raised his sword and pointed it at Xie Xiaonan, but before he could make another move, Xie Xiaonan’s hair stirred slightly. A flash of silver light shot out from behind him, followed by a crisp “ding” sound. The long sword in Mei Xingjian’s hand immediately broke into two pieces and fell to the ground, emitting a piercing noise in the silent hall.
Everyone present showed expressions of astonishment.
It was Qiao Ling behind him who had made the move. Someone of Xie Xiaonan’s status naturally could not allow anyone to point anything at him.
“Prefect Wen, I’m not very familiar with the rules of Yiguan County. How should the crime of contempt for imperial authority be handled?” Xie Xiaonan turned his gaze to Wen Puchang.
Prefect Wen hurriedly bowed and replied respectfully, “Your Highness, the crime of contempt for imperial authority is punishable by imprisonment at the least and execution or confiscation of property at the worst.”
Hearing this, Mei Xing’an’s face changed drastically. “Wen Puchang, you’re burning the bridge after crossing it!”
Wen Puchang replied curiously, “It was you who showed disrespect for imperial authority, and it was your brother who spoke recklessly. What does that have to do with me?”
“It was clearly you who said that this young prince had just arrived here, his foundation was still unstable, and his temperament was gentle and not deeply scheming. Controlling him would bring countless benefits…” Mei Xing’an grew frantic.Wen Puchang cut him off, “Master Mei, for the Young Lord to grace Yiguan County with his presence is an immense honor for our county. We minor officials should naturally be reverent and dare not show the slightest disrespect. You cannot slander me just because I refuse to collude with you.”
Upon hearing these words, Mei Xing’an felt as if struck by a thunderbolt, trembling with fear.
Xie Xiaonan let out a cold laugh, “Master Mei’s schemes are indeed clever, but do you have the fortune to enjoy them?”
Mei Xing’an was so terrified that his entire body shook. His legs gave way, and he no longer cared about saving face, kneeling down and crying out, “Young Lord, please see clearly! This humble man was merely momentarily confused and deceived by that scoundrel Wen Puchang. I would never dare to show the slightest contempt for imperial authority!”
As soon as he knelt, the other Mei family members and servants in the hall followed suit. Wen Lisheng, however, remained standing this time.
She watched the unfolding situation in astonishment, finally understanding what her father had meant by “big matters” earlier.
In her previous life, she had left the mountain early and was unaware of these events. Yet she remembered that around this time, the Mei family’s conviction had caused quite a stir in Yiguan County. Just one month later, this once-prominent wine merchant family, once counted among Yiguan’s four great families alongside the He, Shen, and Hu clans, vanished into the dust of history.
Back then, she had returned home early and never learned what had transpired in the Old Tree Hall that led to the Mei family’s downfall. Now, she was witnessing it firsthand.
So this was the truth behind the Mei family’s conviction. Her father had clearly been involved, conspiring with Xie Xiaonan to set a trap and lure Mei Xing’an into it.
No wonder her father had chosen the Old Tree Hall for the banquet from the start—he had planned this long ago.
Her old man was shrewd indeed. How could he possibly choose the wrong side? Xie Xiaonan had only arrived in Yiguan County yesterday, and he had already managed to ally with him.
Xie Xiaonan looked down at the kneeling Mei Xing’an and spoke slowly, “For the sake of a tattered sword manual, you’ve been crying thief here, committing every evil deed. You should have known this day would come.”
Upon hearing this, Mei Xing’an looked up in shock, opening his mouth to argue. But Mei Xingjian pulled him up abruptly and shouted angrily, “Brother, we’ve fallen into their trap. Pleading for mercy is useless now. We might as well fight them to the death!”
At that moment, Wen Puchang suddenly blew a sharp whistle. A loud crash followed from the doorway as dozens of armed men burst in, swords drawn, ready for orders. Upon closer inspection, they were the very onlookers who had been standing outside earlier.
Wen Puchang declared loudly, “The Mei family has overstepped their bounds, shown contempt for the law, and harbored malicious intent. Today, they shall be arrested on the spot and taken to prison to await trial!”
Wen Lisheng felt her ears ringing. Wen Puchang’s whistle had been so sharp and loud that it caught her off guard, leaving her unable to hear clearly what followed.
She saw Mei Xing’an resist arrest, drawing his sword to fight. Wen Puchang, who was not skilled in martial arts, quickly grabbed his daughter’s hand and fled outside. Guards poured into the hall in waves, and the sounds of clashing blades and cries soon echoed from within.
As she stumbled across the threshold, she glanced back in panic and saw Xie Xiaonan still standing calmly in his seat, a mocking smile curling at the corners of his lips.
Wen Puchang led her to an open area outside the door, smoothing his disheveled robes from the hurried escape. He said to her, “There’s nothing more for you to do here. The carriage is waiting outside the inner hall. Take it and head down the mountain.”
Wen Lisheng was still bewildered by the situation and opened her mouth to ask questions, but Wen Puchang stopped her. “Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”She pouted, unwilling to give up. “Dad…”
Wen Puchang bared his teeth, a clear sign he was about to scold her. Seeing this, Wen Lisheng quickly slipped away.
Wen Puchang shouted after her, “Stay home and don’t run around! I’ll be back before sunset!”
She acknowledged him, but still felt dissatisfied. Although it seemed she had stumbled into this matter by accident, there were many things she didn’t understand. She could only wait until evening to ask her father.
As she ran toward the inner hall’s gate, she saw many people rushing out, along with numerous winery servants fleeing in all directions. With attendants guarding her, no one dared to bump into Wen Lisheng.
Wen Puchang had brought many people this time, catching the Mei family off guard. In no time, they had taken control of most of the winery.
Wen Lisheng hurried to the inner hall gate and saw her family’s carriage parked nearby. She looked around but couldn’t spot any familiar faces, so she boarded the carriage to head down the mountain.
The road was clear along the way—no landslides or obstructions in sight. It seemed that had been a lie too.
This welcoming banquet for Xie Xiaonan was entirely a setup, designed to completely take down the Mei family.
Wen Lisheng returned home by carriage. First, she had servants draw water for a good, hot bath to calm her nerves, then slept soundly in her room until dusk, but Wen Puchang still hadn’t returned.
In the following days, Wen Puchang became extremely busy, leaving early and returning late from the government office. Wen Lisheng hardly saw him.
In the sixth year of Jianning, the Mei family was convicted of contempt for imperial authority and disrespect toward the heir. The Mei family head and his close brothers were executed in autumn, while other young men were imprisoned, and women and children were exiled. The winery, operated for generations, was thoroughly confiscated by Prefect Wen and his men. The Mei family was completely destroyed, vanishing from the stage of Yiguan County.
Hearing some rumors, Wen Lisheng sighed inwardly—it was exactly the same as in her previous life.
She didn’t have much leisure either, as Wen Puchang soon sent her off to the academy for classes.
Because Eternal Peace Academy had morning lessons, Wen Lisheng had to wake up early every day for half a month, crawling out of bed before dawn.
It wasn’t that she was enthusiastic about school. Previously, relying on her status, she had often slept in and arrived late, knowing the teacher wouldn’t dare reprimand her harshly. Later, her father used his influence to transfer her uncle to oversee her. That uncle was fierce, carrying a thin, long bamboo stick. Every time she made a mistake, he would strike her palms a few times—it was excruciating.
Earlier, when she went with Shen Jiaqing to intercept Xie Xiaonan’s carriage in the canyon, she skipped school for a day. When she returned to the academy, her uncle struck her twice with the stick, and her palms hurt for days.
Today, she woke up a bit late. Wen Lisheng sprang out of bed and shouted, “Yu Gui! Hurry, hurry, help me get dressed!”
With time pressing, Wen Lisheng wolfed down her food while a maid styled her hair. So when Wen Puchang stepped into the hall, he happened to witness this chaotic scene.
His first burst of anger in the morning, Wen Puchang pointed at her and said, “Look at you! What kind of appearance is this? No other family’s daughter is like you!”
Her first scolding of the morning, Wen Lisheng mumbled with food in her mouth, “I’m in a hurry, Dad!”
Wen Puchang lamented her lack of improvement. “Even a pig raised for over a decade would have learned some manners. You’re worse than a pig.”
Wen Lisheng felt a bit upset by his words. “Father, I don’t like what you’re saying. Please stop.”Wen Puchang was so furious his face flushed red and his neck bulged. He stopped eating and turned to grab a broom to chase after her. Wen Lisheng snatched two fried dumplings while running, called for Yu Gui to bring her writing tools, and amid the chaotic uproar, fled Wen Manor.
Another day of being “swept out the door.”