Fourth Young Madam Huo Rou had been married into the Xiao Family for less than six months, and her face still carried the naivete of a young girl.
She spat at Qi Lanzhi and said, her pretty face blazing with anger, “Who’s anything like you?”
“You’re the one who’s greedy for life and afraid of death. Don’t talk as if everyone else is like you.”
“I, Huo Rou, married Fourth Brother. In life or death, I am a member of the Xiao Family. Even if Fourth Brother dies, I will guard the Xiao Family in his place!”
Third Young Madam Wei Wanyun was much gentler by nature, but even she wore a cold expression now. “Second Sister-in-Law, Second Brother has always treated you well. If you’re afraid of death and want to leave, no one will say you’re in the wrong. But if you want to drag A Rou and me along with you, then you’re the one in the wrong.”
“Grandmother, from the day Wanyun married into the Xiao Family, I was no longer a member of the Wei Family. Even if His Majesty is truly muddleheaded enough to exterminate the Xiao Family’s nine clans, the Wei Family won’t be implicated. Wanyun will guard the Xiao Family and share life and death with my husband.”
Qi Lanzhi had originally wanted to enlist the two of them as spokespeople, but she had not expected them to be so foolish as to remain in the Xiao Family and wait for death.
Their words had left her face flushed red. She felt as if the skin had been stripped from her face and trampled beneath their feet. Unable to restrain herself, she said:
“You’re righteous, and you aren’t afraid of death, but I am! The Xiao Family has already fallen into this state. Do you really expect me to be buried alongside them?”
Her eyes reddened as tears welled up.
“Grandmother, I’m only nineteen. I’m still so young. Can you really bear to let me die?”
“Besides, Yao’er is already gone. Someone has to guard his memorial tablet. If something truly happens to everyone in the Xiao Family, who will remember to burn incense for him in the future? Do you want him to become a lonely ghost?”
Su Jinyuan had been standing to one side. Seeing Old Madam Xiao display such ferocity, she had not intended to say anything. But after hearing Qi Lanzhi’s words, she was practically laughing from anger.
If she was greedy for life and afraid of death, then so be it. Why did she have to drag Xiao Yunyao into it?
Su Jinyuan spoke coldly. “Does Second Young Madam mean that if you leave the Xiao Family, you intend to take Second Young Master’s memorial tablet with you?”
“You said that after returning home, you wouldn’t remarry for five years. What, then? When you remarry five years later, do you also plan to bring your deceased husband’s memorial tablet along and have the man who comes after him worship it with you every few days?”
Qi Lanzhi abruptly raised her head to look at her. Only then did Huo Rou and the others notice the person standing behind Old Madam Xiao.
Once someone recognized her, they cried out in astonishment, “Su Jinyuan?”
Su Jinyuan nodded at Huo Rou and Wei Wanyun before turning back to Qi Lanzhi and saying coldly:
“The Xiao Family is beset by troubles on all sides. Wanting to leave is only human nature. But you shouldn’t be greedy for life and afraid of death, then insist on making yourself sound so aggrieved. Aren’t you ashamed to face all the kindness Second Young Master showed you?”
Qi Lanzhi’s face turned pale, then green. “You’re someone who ran away from an arranged marriage and eloped with a man. What right do you have to criticize me?!”
“She may not have the right, but do I?”
Second Madam Xiao glared at Qi Lanzhi. “Do you think that because A Yao is dead, I no longer have the right to reprimand you?!”
“Mother…” Qi Lanzhi’s face went deathly pale.
Second Madam Xiao looked at her. “You want to leave, don’t you? I refuse to let you. So what if your Qi Family came today to carry your belongings out? Even if every man in my Xiao Family were to die, we still would not tolerate such insolence from you.”
“Someone, seize them all and send them to the Jingzhao Prefectural Office.”
“I want to ask the people of this realm—and ask His Majesty in the palace—whether the Xiao Family men dying in battle means that their century-old military achievements and the merits earned through generations of protecting Great Jin no longer count. With so many people guarding the entrance, how could the Qi Family have been allowed to enter and wantonly humiliate the women of the Xiao Family?”
“Is His Majesty planning to condemn the Xiao Family without even conducting an inquiry, or is he simply eager to exterminate the Xiao Family’s nine clans and be done with it?!”
Second Madam Xiao’s words could not have been more severe.
The Protector-General’s residence had protected Great Jin for a century, and the Xiao Family had earned countless military honors.
Even while bearing the accusations of collaborating with the enemy, betraying the nation, and plotting rebellion, as long as the case had not been concluded and evidence had not been produced to establish their crimes, anyone who laid a hand on the women of the Xiao Family would be defying the entire realm. The men in the army would never permit it.
What was more, the Xiao Family had not even been investigated, yet people were already being allowed to humiliate them.
Those who knew the truth would say that the Qi Family had acted brazenly, kicking the Xiao Family while it was down. But those who did not might think that His Majesty had deliberately set out to humiliate the Xiao Family and force charges upon them—condemning them before any investigation. That would give the entire affair a completely different character.
Seeing the Xiao Family servants closing in around them, the Qi Family members were frightened pale.
With a thud, Qi Lanzhi dropped to her knees and cried, “Mother, are you trying to force me to death?”
“I should have observed widowhood for Second Son. I shouldn’t leave. But he’s already dead—he’s never coming back… Do you really have to force me to be buried with him?”
Seeing Second Madam Xiao’s cold expression, Qi Lanzhi began to wail.
“Yes, I’m heartless and ungrateful. I’m greedy for life and afraid of death. But I don’t want to die here while I’m still young. If you truly mean to force me to death, then rather than wait for His Majesty’s condemnation to implicate my family, I might as well smash my head in and die right now. That would fulfill your wish, Mother!”
Qi Lanzhi rose and hurled herself toward the flower bed beside her. With a bang, her head struck the stone, splitting it open and sending blood streaming down her face.
Second Madam Xiao went pale when the blood sprayed out. Huo Rou and Wei Wanyun’s lips trembled as well.
“Lanzhi… Lanzhi…”
Madam Qi wailed as she threw herself over Qi Lanzhi. Embracing her daughter’s blood-covered face, she broke into loud sobs.
“It’s your mother’s fault. I shouldn’t have let you marry into the Xiao Family. I shouldn’t have let you marry above your station into a family so black-hearted that, even after their men died, they still wanted to drag others down to be buried with them.”
“You forced Lanzhi to her death, so you may as well force me to mine too! Today, I’ll die here with Lanzhi, and let everyone see that the Xiao Family’s reputation for nobility all these years was nothing but a lie—that, relying on your numbers and power, you bullied a mother and daughter into death…”
As Madam Qi wept, she made as if to smash her own head against the stone as well. Her manner suggested she intended to die together with Qi Lanzhi.
Old Madam Xiao could endure no more. “Enough!”
Madam Qi continued crying and making a scene. With an angry snort, Old Madam Xiao lashed out with her whip. The bloodstained flower bed instantly shattered into pieces.
Madam Qi shuddered in fright, and the wail caught in her throat.
“You only want to take Qi Lanzhi away from the Xiao Family. Then go!”
“Mother!”
Second Madam Xiao hurriedly tried to speak.
Old Madam Xiao restrained her. “If her heart is no longer with the Xiao Family, what use is there in keeping her? The Xiao Family has not yet fallen so low that we need to force anyone to stay!”
As she spoke, she pulled several folded letters from her sleeve. Taking out one, she threw it at the Qi Family members.
The letter landed in front of Qi Lanzhi.
“After news of Linchuan reached the capital, I had already written the Wife-Release Letters together with your mother and Aunt. We prepared them so that, once Yao’er and the others’ remains returned to the capital, if there was truly no room left to turn things around, we could release you all and let you leave ahead of time.”
“The men of my Xiao Family stand upright beneath Heaven and earth, with no cause for shame before their conscience. We would never drag our wives’ families to their deaths with us. But I never expected that you wouldn’t even be able to wait a few more days.”
In a mere few days, the true nature of people had been laid bare. It was truly heartrending.
The Qi Family members stood stunned, while Madam Qi’s eyes widened.
Qi Lanzhi stared at the object lying before her. As she looked at the neat, clean characters reading “Wife-Release Letter,” her entire body began to tremble. Her face was as pale as a ghost.
The sight before her blurred with blood, and tears gathered in her eyes.
Old Madam Xiao drew a deep breath.
“This Wife-Release Letter is for you. Take your family members and leave. From this day forward, you, Qi Lanzhi, will no longer be a member of the Xiao Family.”