Liu Xiyin’s eyes widened. She quickly cleared her mind and observed Yan Ting carefully.
Yan Ting, however, showed no change in expression. He snorted neither too lightly nor too heavily. “You little brat, no wonder the elders at the Military Government look down on you. You have absolutely no manners in how you speak or act.”
He then turned to the Third Concubine. “The younger generation is talking; why are you interrupting? If you can’t keep your mouth shut, get lost to the hospital to look after the Third Son.”
He didn’t even say a word about having Yan Changzhuo apologize to the Third Concubine.
It actually sounded like he was furious at Yan Changzhuo for being disappointing and causing him to lose face in front of the elders at the Military Government.
So, he didn’t hear her inner thoughts and break character.
Liu Xiyin felt slightly relieved.
That scared her to death. Otherwise, the things she had been thinking about over the past two days would have been enough for the great warlord of the five southeastern provinces to mince her into something finer than ground meat.
Yan Changye remained noncommittal.
Yan Ting had always favored the Second Concubine. Aside from not giving Yan Changzhuo the status of “Young Marshall,” he was practically ready to stuff the entire five southeastern provinces into Yan Changzhuo’s stomach. At this moment, using the excuse of being “disappointed by his incompetence” to cover up his earlier rebuke also seemed plausible.
But the old man had worked his way up from a bandit to a Marshall; if he lacked the composure to handle such sudden changes, he would have been picked clean to the bone by others long ago.
However, if he truly could hear her, she had said last night that he would have an affair with his Ninth Concubine, and today she said the Second Concubine would make him a cuckold—how could the old man not have snapped?
Yan Changzhuo’s face had flushed red for a moment when he was scolded. Now, hearing Yan Ting’s tone—which seemed like a reprimand but lacked genuine anger—he immediately restrained himself and said to the Third Concubine, “It was my arrogance. Third Concubine, I apologize.”
He stepped down from the issue in a low-key manner.
The Third Concubine, however, had been scolded in public and had lost all face, appearing as though she might collapse.
Liu Xiyin mustered the courage to step forward, but she was pulled back by Yan Changye.
Yan Changye’s gaze was cold and stern as he looked at Yan Changzhuo. “Since you know you were arrogant, Second Brother, you should kneel and apologize to the Third Concubine.”
Yan Changzhuo withdrew the necklace in his hand, his face still bearing a smile. “Big Brother, you and your wife didn’t kneel when serving tea; is it too demanding of you to make me kneel now?”
Yan Changye shielded Liu Xiyin behind him and said indifferently, “My wife and I are following the customs of the new government; a democratic government does not practice kneeling. You, however, have shown no respect for your elders, intentionally humiliated my wife, and offended a concubine. Shouldn’t you kneel to apologize?”
Yan Changzhuo’s face twitched. “Big Brother, you know that wasn’t what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean? Even Father said you have no manners—do you think he was complimenting you?”
【That’s right, you’re over twenty, yet you treat criticism as a joke. Childish.】
Liu Xiyin applauded the Big Villain in her heart and peeked out to give him a hand. “Young Marshall, forget it. I was only almost crippled by cousin, while the Third Concubine’s son is actually crippled. Cousin Song and Second Brother were the ones exposed in public and lost face.”
“…”
As soon as these words fell, the entire main hall fell silent.
What was that? What kind of logic was that?
On one side was a near-crippling injury and an actual broken leg, and on the other was a frame-up that got exposed—could these really be mentioned in the same breath?
And why did it sound like losing face was more cruel than the victim’s broken leg?
Was the Eldest Young Mistress actually telling the Young Marshall to let it go?
【Hee hee, let me give you all a taste of future classic shock!】
Liu Xiyin didn’t slow down, instead adding fuel to the fire. “Second Brother will never be able to go to the battlefield anyway, so it doesn’t matter if he lacks manners. Father, after all, is perfectly capable of protecting him.”
A man who aspired to be the Marshall, yet was told he couldn’t go to the battlefield—this was a direct slap to the face. Yan Changzhuo finally reacted. “Sister-in-law, what are you spouting?”
Liu Xiyin shrunk back in fear, hiding behind Yan Changye, her large eyes brimming with tears. “Young Marshall, Second Brother is being fierce with me.”
“…” Yan Changzhuo’s face turned sallow.
【Make you angry, make you angry, let you disgust me.】
Yan Changye stood firmly in front of Liu Xiyin and said to Yan Changzhuo, “What does my second brother intend to do to my wife? No matter if she grew up in the countryside, she is still the wife I married properly by Father’s arrangement. If you don’t take me into account, are you also not taking Father into account?”
This label was slapped onto him, directly escalating Yan Changzhuo’s disrespect toward his elders to the level of disrespect toward the Marshall himself.
Yan Changzhuo couldn’t counter the blow for a moment.
【He never took Father into account to begin with; otherwise, he wouldn’t be planning to commit patricide after draining Father dry.】
【Heavens, what kind of ungrateful wretch is this?】
Song Mei’er finally stopped pretending to cry. She stood up and said, “Young Marshall, what are you doing? Ah Zhuo only wanted to apologize to the Eldest Young Mistress for yesterday’s incident. It’s one thing for her to reject it, but she humiliated him in public. You can’t tolerate me and Yun’er, but Ah Zhuo is your own brother—can you not tolerate him either?”
【Yo, yo, yo, “Whether the Big Villain can tolerate you is a matter of his magnanimity, but whether you can make the Big Villain tolerate you is a matter of your own skill,” Second Concubine~】
“…” The dramatic, sing-song tone in Liu Xiyin’s heart left Yan Changye momentarily speechless.
He paused for a second before saying, “The younger generation is talking; why are you, Second Concubine, interrupting? If you can’t keep your mouth shut, go keep company with your niece who only knows how to frame others.”
【Good, good, good, the Marshall’s words are indeed the absolute truth.】
In the blink of an eye, Liu Xiyin had eaten her fill of the drama, excited, she clenched her fists in her heart.
The words Yan Ting had directed at the Third Concubine were now thrown back at Song Mei’er by Yan Changye. Yan Ting, annoyed, stomped his cane again. “Stop it, all of you! What are you arguing about? Second son, kneel and apologize to your Third Concubine.”
Liu Xiyin hid behind Yan Changye again.
Yan Changzhuo: “Father…”
Yan Ting: “If you don’t understand the most basic manners, what use will you be in the future?”
He then turned to Song Mei’er: “Look at what you’ve turned a good child into! If you can’t teach your children properly, then don’t bother eating.”
【A father is at fault if his children are not educated—Marshall, you’re just passing the buck.】
Yan Changye pulled his sleeve away, which Liu Xiyin had grabbed again in her excitement.
He didn’t know where she got all these weird theories, or how she managed to find an opening to interject in every single situation.
Feeling his movement, Liu Xiyin realized she had accidentally grabbed his sleeve again and hurriedly put her hands behind her back.
【I took advantage of the Big Villain again. Damn me.】
Yan Changye glanced at her, then turned and sat back down on the sofa.
Liu Xiyin followed him timidly.
With Yan Ting’s order, Yan Changzhuo, however reluctant, had no choice but to grit his teeth, kneel, and serve tea to apologize to the Third Concubine.
The Third Concubine had been publicly scolded by Yan Ting and had lost all dignity, but as Yan Changzhuo knelt before her with the teacup, she regained her standing.
She took the cup with trembling hands, took a sip, and set it down, though her eyes were deeply red.
Liu Xiyin sighed for her.
After the incident with the Third Son last night, everyone’s attention had been drawn away by Song Shiyun’s report against Liu Xiyin. Later, after Song Shiyun was exposed, the Third Concubine didn’t even have the right to decide how to deal with her.
Today, she had to endure humiliation in public from Yan Changzhuo and be belittled by Yan Ting. Such was the fate of a neglected woman in the old era.
The road ahead for her was long and arduous indeed.
After Yan Changzhuo finished serving the tea, Yan Ting gave the final concluding statement: “What happened last night is in the past. The punishment that the cousin deserved has already been dealt out; no one is allowed to mention it again.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Liu Xiyin. “Eldest daughter-in-law, you are the head wife. Father doesn’t care if you grew up in the city or the countryside; as the head wife, you must have the capacity to tolerate others.”
He was passing the blame for his sons’ arguing onto her again. Although she had indeed played a part in inciting it, if Yan Changzhuo hadn’t started it, would she have stepped up?
【Damn men, hmph.】
Liu Xiyin bowed her head. “Yes, Father-in-law, I understand.”
Qin Wan said, “It’s almost noon; have the kitchen prepare lunch.”
Butler: “Yes.”
The first round of the storm had finally passed. Qin Wan asked Liu Xiyin to come over to keep her company.
Song Mei’er suddenly spoke up, “Eldest Young Mistress, you said last night that your little gramophone was given to you by a foreigner?”