In the ancestral hall, the ancestral tablets of the Wei family were placed on the altar, casting a dim and chilly atmosphere that seemed to watch with unseen eyes.
The windows on all sides were not tightly closed, and the cold wind blew in, making A’Yuan’s teeth chatter from the chill.
She had slept for less than two hours the previous night, and now, exposed to the cold wind, her head felt heavy and dizzy. She could only force herself to kneel upright.
When Madam Wei punished her, no one dared to plead on her behalf.
Of course, in Cian Courtyard, no one was willing to plead for her either.
Seeing A’Yuan being punished, Zhao Wan’s lips curled almost to the sky, and her anger dissipated completely.
She served Madam Wei breakfast while flattering her, “I have a thin skin. Although I manage the household, as a sister-in-law, I shouldn’t interfere in my brother-in-law’s courtyard. Thankfully, you’re here, Mother. If I had punished A’Yuan, Third Brother would surely hold a grudge against me.”
“How dare he!”
Madam Wei’s face turned cold as she tossed the white jade spoon into the bowl. The anger she had just suppressed surged back up.
She only had these two sons, and they must support each other in the future. If they were to become estranged over a mere concubine, A’Yuan would not be allowed to stay.
“Third Brother naturally wouldn’t dare, but who can resist the whispers in his ear…”
Zhao Wan had long been unable to tolerate A’Yuan. When this group of “skinny horses” first entered the mansion, they were actually meant to be selected as concubines for Wei Cong, and Wei Cong had taken a liking to A’Yuan at first sight.
A’Yuan was exceptionally beautiful, unmatched in the entire capital. If Wei Cong were to take her in, where would Zhao Wan’s position in the second branch be?
So when Madam Wei assigned A’Yuan to Wei Xun, Zhao Wan breathed a sigh of relief. However, seeing them together every day still made her uncomfortable.
Especially the way Wei Cong looked at A’Yuan each time, which made Zhao Wan grit her teeth in frustration.
Now that she had finally caught A’Yuan’s weakness, she would not let it go.
As expected, after Zhao Wan finished speaking, Madam Wei’s face turned frosty.
“Take the copy of the Lotus Sutra from my room and give it to her. She is not allowed to leave until she finishes copying it.”
“Yes!”
The Lotus Sutra was a thick volume. Just reading it through would take two or three hours, and for A’Yuan to copy it entirely would take at least two days.
The ancestral hall was cold and damp, without even a charcoal brazier. Whether she could survive two days of freezing was uncertain.
Zhao Wan secretly curled the corners of her lips, unable to suppress the triumph in her eyes.
The matron by her side fetched the Lotus Sutra and delivered it to the ancestral hall. Just as she was about to return to report, Wei Xun arrived.
“Mother, Second Sister-in-law.”
Wei Xun wore a black brocade robe and a dark crown, his sword-like eyebrows extending toward his temples. His imposing figure, honed from years of martial arts training, exuded an aura of authority.
Seeing her son, Madam Wei beamed with joy and quickly gestured for him to sit beside her.
“Why didn’t you sleep a little longer? You just returned yesterday and should rest properly.”
“That’s right, Third Brother. While you were away from the capital, Mother worried day and night, and her appetite diminished greatly.”
Seeing Wei Xun, Zhao Wan suppressed her unease and chimed in.
Madam Wei, however, was in good spirits. She turned and gave Zhao Wan a playful glare, the wrinkles on her face creasing with a smile. “I’ll tear that sharp tongue of yours sooner or later, daring to make up stories about me. Third Brother, don’t listen to her. I’m just getting older, and my appetite naturally isn’t what it used to be.”
“Mother, you’re not old at all. When we go out, people think we’re sisters.” Zhao Wan forced herself to respond, but Wei Xun’s cold demeanor felt like needles on her back. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Wei Xun knew something.
“Alright, your mouth really knows how to spin words. Why not send someone to the kitchen to bring some food for the third son? He woke up so early and surely hasn’t eaten yet.” Who wouldn’t want to be told they look young? Even knowing Zhao Wan was just flattering her, Madam Wei was pleased.
“Yes, I’ll go right away.”
Zhao Wan was eager to leave. With Wei Xun there, she was so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.
The two concubines also followed her out, but as they passed Wei Xun, they couldn’t resist glancing up at him.
Such a handsome and heroic man—why wasn’t he theirs?
“Slap!”
Just outside the main room’s door, Zhao Wan slapped each of them once.
“Don’t you want those eyes anymore? Look at what status you have, still dreaming about the heir? Filthy things from a dirty place, truly anyone can have you!”
Though she deliberately kept her voice low, the maids and older women in the courtyard could hear clearly.
The second wife wasn’t just scolding the two concubines—she was clearly cursing the one in the ancestral hall.
Everyone knew those three were carefully trained playthings from Chunyan Pavilion meant to serve men with their looks, but men liked that kind.
Especially like A’Yuan, gentle, obedient, and enchantingly beautiful, every smile and frown captivating hearts.
The second son was frail and often bedridden, but that didn’t stop him from bringing concubines into the courtyard one after another. The second wife’s resentment was normal, but they couldn’t just listen.
The one truly in charge of the Marquis Manor was the heir, after all.
……
After the mother and son talked for a while, Wei Xun glanced toward the spot on Madam Wei’s right side.
This was where A’Yuan usually stood, but today it was empty.
Thinking of Chun Tao’s words when he entered Cian Courtyard, Wei Xun poured a cup of tea for his mother. “Yesterday, I exempted her from morning greetings today. If mother wants to punish someone, it should be me.”
At this, Madam Wei’s smile paused. As a mother, she knew how cold and detached her son could be, but now he was actively asking for punishment for A’Yuan.
Madam Wei pursed her lips tightly, displeasure showing on her face.
“What? You want to stop me from teaching her rules too?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Wei Xun stood up. “If she does wrong, mother naturally should punish her, but today it was because I didn’t tell mother beforehand—it wasn’t her fault.”
“Hah!”
Madam Wei snorted coldly. The more her son protected A’Yuan, the angrier she became.
“Even though you ordered it, she still came as usual—isn’t that disobeying orders? Not even listening to the master’s words, she really should learn the rules properly.”
“Mother…” Wei Xun sighed softly, then continued, “Don’t you know what kind of person she is? She usually cares most about rules, afraid to make even one wrong step. Besides, yesterday I forced her, causing her to wake up late.”
“You!”
Madam Wei hadn’t expected her son to bring up bedroom matters just to plead for A’Yuan, and her old face couldn’t help flushing red.
But Wei Xun remained calm, as if oblivious to his mother’s embarrassment.
“Mother sent her to Yuqing Courtyard precisely to take care of my daily life. If she gets sick, I’ll have to divert attention to find a doctor for her. If that delays official duties, wouldn’t it be troublesome?”
Bringing official business into it, Madam Wei had no reason left to keep holding A’Yuan.
“Alright, since you insist on protecting her, what can I say? After breakfast, take her back.”
Would she really let a mere chamber maid disrupt the bond between mother and son?
Madam Wei wouldn’t do such foolish things.
Wei Xun knew his mother was relenting and smiled slightly, pouring another cup of hot tea for her.
“Thank you, mother, for understanding me.”
“Hmph! If you really want to thank me, hurry up and find a wife for your mother. Your nephew Cheng Ye is about to start school, and you still don’t have a wife. You should at least start looking for one this year!”
The son’s thoughts were focused on A’Yuan, ultimately because he hadn’t married yet. A’Yuan was so beautiful; there was no guarantee that one day the son might truly fall for her, which would be raising a disaster.