Madam Li's expression changed instantly—Madam Qu had come in a fury, clearly here to settle scores with her!
Even though Madam Qu had arrived to demand an accounting, Madam Li was unafraid. She curled her lip and said,
"Third Sister-in-law, what are you saying? That's awfully harsh to hear."
Madam Qu fumed indignantly,
"Stop putting on airs! In front of Mother-in-law and Eldest Sister-in-law, dare you deny that you deliberately borrowed people from the Marquis's household? How many servants does the Xie family have that aren't enough for you, that outsiders had to come into the inner courtyard?!"
Madam Li feigned surprise, putting on an air of being wronged, and muttered,
"I meant well but it turned out badly…"
"You!"
Madam Qu was so furious she nearly keeled over, her whole body trembling with rage,
"If it weren't for you… you…"
Madam Li's sharp tongue was quick as ever, and she shot back,
"Third Sister-in-law, don't just try to shift the blame onto others. Even if no outsider had seen it, the fact remains that your son was caught with a man on his wedding night! And I heard that Qing'er even went so far as to drug Mijun? Tsk tsk… how utterly vile and despicable. Third Sister-in-law, raising a child like that—are you worthy of the Xie ancestors?"
Shang Mijun's brow arched slightly. She truly wanted to give Madam Li a thumbs-up.
This Madam Li had a clever tongue that never lost an argument.
In the presence of Old Madame Wei and the eldest branch's eldest sister-in-law, Shang Mijun maintained her composure, merely watching the quarrel coldly.
"Silence!"
Old Madame Wei snapped coldly.
Madam Li shrank her shoulders and pressed her lips tightly shut.
Madam Qu's face was full of resentment, but she said no more. She swept a glance over Shang Mijun, who was dressed in a crimson maple-colored brocade gown. With Qing'er in trouble, was she that happy?
Eagerly changing into festive clothes, happily marrying Xie Yan'an?
From daughter-in-law to sister-in-law—what utter humiliation!
She would sooner die than call her "younger sister-in-law"!
Old Madame Wei raised her hand, and Old Nanny Qiu helped her to her feet.
"Time to go to the ancestral hall."
"Mother-in-law, let me help you."
Shang Mijun immediately rose to accompany Old Madame Wei at her side. Old Madame Wei acknowledged her with a sound and did not refuse.
Madam Qu's expression turned ugly—how good at currying favor!
Madam Li raised an eyebrow, smug and pleased, but was gently nudged on the shoulder by Madame Murong, signaling her to watch her words and not let the clan see them as a laughingstock.
Madam Li composed her expression and followed behind Old Madame Wei with a normal demeanor, heading together toward the Xie ancestral hall.
…
The ancestral hall was ancient and solemn, with wisps of blue incense smoke curling around the plaque bearing the Xie family name.
The clan's elders had all assembled. Old Master Xie was too ill to rise from his sickbed, so his younger brother, Great-Uncle Xie, presided over the proceedings.
Today, not only was Shang Mijun's entry to be revised in the Clan Genealogy, but there was also the matter of expelling Xie Zhaoqing from the Clan Genealogy. Though it was called a discussion, Old Madame Wei alone had already made the decision.
Great-Uncle Xie agreed as well—this was merely going through the motions.
"On this auspicious day, we open the ancestral hall of the Xie clan, gathering kin to discuss the revision of the Clan Genealogy. In this revision, following the old rules of our ancestors, we add—"
"Wait."
Great-Uncle Xie frowned, having spotted an error.
He paused, feeling that the word "add" was inappropriate, and revised himself:
"Amend for marriage: the Lady Shang shall be recorded as the wife of Xie Yan'an. Henceforth, she shall share in the clan's lineage, sharing honor and disgrace alike. May she serve her parents-in-law and live in harmony with the clan…"
"I object!"
Before Great-Uncle Xie could finish, two servants escorted the bound Xie Zhaoqing in, forcing him to kneel. It was Xie Zhaoqing shouting excitedly.
Great-Uncle Xie's expression was solemn and stern. He merely raised his eyes to signal the servants to gag him.
Last night's scandal had caused a great uproar. Great-Uncle Xie loathed him for dragging the entire clan's reputation through the mud and could barely stand the sight of him.
He wouldn't even waste a word of reprimand on him now, lest it defile his own mouth.
Xie Zhaoqing looked at Shang Mijun, his eyes filled with venomous resentment,
"The Lady Shang killed her father, killed her mother, and killed her husband too—she's the one who brought me to this! This accursed orphan born under a baleful star—do the clan elders truly intend to marry her to Seventh Uncle? Seventh Uncle's health has never been good; he can't withstand her killing curse!"
At these words, whispers broke out throughout the hall.
The young Lady Shang had indeed lost both parents… this…
Madam Qu's expression was cold, and she made no move to stop him.
Old Nanny Qiu moved to take control of the situation but was stopped by a single look from Old Madame Wei.
If she couldn't handle such a small scene, how could she be worthy of being her daughter-in-law?
Shang Mijun's expression was composed. She stepped forward calmly and unhurriedly, her voice neither too loud nor too soft:
"Since Qing'er speaks thus, let me, your aunt, have a proper word with you!"
Hearing Shang Mijun actually refer to herself as "aunt," Xie Zhaoqing's eyes widened as if he had suffered the greatest humiliation.
"Dare you call yourself my aunt again?!"
Shang Mijun looked down at him from above, her manner one that would infuriate a person to death without paying for it,
"I am your aunt—a rightful aunt, a genuine aunt, an aunt beyond any doubt. You unfilial, disrespectful whelp, listen well to your aunt!"
Then, Shang Mijun spoke unhurriedly:
"First, you accuse me of having an ill-fated destiny, saying I brought death upon my parents. Then tell me—do you know how my parents died?"
"Years ago, Xiao Jing snuck out of the military camp out of childish curiosity and was captured by the enemy. It was my father who led men on a desperate rescue mission. Xiao Jing was brought back alive, but my father and brother were taken prisoner. The Xiongnu beheaded them, cut out their hearts, and hung their naked bodies from the city walls. What utter humiliation was that?"
Shang Mijun's tone was calm, as if she were merely recounting someone else's affairs, yet it plunged everyone into deep silence.
Shang Mijun paused, then continued:
"My mother could not bear the blow and passed away from illness within two years. That is why I was taken in by the Xiao family and became Xiao Jing's adopted sister."
"That was your curse too!"
Xie Zhaoqing's words were laced with venomous needles, and the faces of everyone present shifted!
The crowd frowned slightly, displeased.
Xie Zhaoqing hated Shang Mijun too much, was too eager to sling mud at her and trample her down, but she had not realized that she had already incurred the collective wrath of the clan.
The Shang family had suffered devastating losses—were the orphans of their fallen soldiers to be humiliated like this by her?
How the Xiao family handled their affairs was none of their business.
But the Xie family was a noble house of distinction, one that prized poetry and propriety above all. If Xie Zhaoqing's words and deeds were to spread, how could the Xie clan ever hold their heads up again?
Shang Mijun swept her cold gaze across the room and continued:
"Secondly, you say I bring misfortune to my husband—that is even more absurd. You and I never completed the rites. You are not my husband, so how could I possibly have cursed you?"
"You despised me and tormented me from the very beginning. I could never figure out what I had done to offend you. Later, Xiao Jing forced me to marry you. Even when I starved myself and begged for death, he still shoved me onto the bridal sedan."
"You, shameless as you are, drugged me on our wedding night while you two frolicked in the bed. And now you dare to turn the blame around—unable to find any fault in me, you attack my fate pattern instead?"
Shang Mijun shook her head with a mocking laugh,
"How laughable—that such a thick-skinned, shameless person exists in this world!"
As her words fell, the hall fell silent, expressions varied, but most were filled with shame.
Shame that their family had raised such a shameless wretch as Xie Zhaoqing.
Only now did Huo Chuan learn of the suffering Shang Mijun had endured. In her previous life, she had never run to the front courtyard to expose the affair. Those days in the Xie household must have been unbearable, hadn't they?
Xie Zhaoqing, that bastard!
All color drained from Xie Zhaoqing's face—she could no longer save face. She… she actually dared to speak of such lewd matters between the sheets in public?
Did she have no shame at all?
Madam Qu surveyed the expressions around her and found that everyone was looking at Xie Zhaoqing with varying degrees of subtle disgust.
Madam Qu felt her own face burn. She glared at her worthless daughter.
"You shut your mouth!"
If she could have actually dragged Shang Mijun down, that would have been one thing. But instead, she had been thoroughly rebutted—and publicly humiliated at that.
It was infuriating…
Madam Qu also shot Shang Mijun an annoyed glare. "You sharp-tongued wench, will you ever stop?!"
Shang Mijun could not be bothered to spare Madam Qu a glance, and her words remained cutting, refusing to let her off the hook:
"Third Sister-in-law, you raised your son like this, and you're still proud of it?"
Madam Qu's face darkened—even more mortified!
Old Madame Wei glanced sideways, and Old Nanny Qiu understood at once, raising her voice:
"Someone! Hurry and gag his mouth! This is the ancestral hall—how dare he spout such nonsense here!"
Xie Zhaoqing, having been scolded by Madam Qu, felt her grievance reach its peak. Her mother was just going to stand there and watch her be humiliated without defending her at all?
"Wait!"
Xie Zhaoqing shouted at Old Madame Wei,
"Grandmother, I have something to say to you in private. This matter concerns the survival of our entire clan!"