Lord Xie’s conscience was tormenting him.
To treat his mother, Ye Yunmian had defied her elder’s order to remain confined. Because of that, the elders of the Ye family had accused her of being unfilial. Yet he and his wife had believed the young girl to be vicious and malicious, publicly criticizing her in court and even causing her to be assigned governesses to teach her proper manners!
Wasn’t he the greatest ingrate under heaven?
Lord Xie felt his head burning. He rubbed his forehead irritably and called his wife over.
He explained the entire sequence of events to Madam Xia.
She was not only shocked—her back turned cold.
She had offended the physician who was treating her mother-in-law’s illness. That was absolutely unforgivable!
If others found out, they might even accuse her of harboring ill intentions and deliberately preventing her mother-in-law from recovering!
The couple regretted it deeply.
Targeting Ye Weiyin in the past was one thing, but they never should have rashly gone after this young lady of the Ye family, who had only just returned to the capital.
“My lord, this is all my fault. Old Madam Ye cried so pitifully that I believed her! She said Miss Ye returned home penniless and had made some disreputable friends outside, which was why she’d become so greedy for money and refused to obey discipline… At the time, the old lady looked pale and could barely get out of bed, so I truly thought Miss Ye was no good…” Madam Xia said guiltily.
“I can’t blame you. You’re too simple and straightforward. That’s why Old Madam Ye always invites you over to talk,” Lord Xie said.
“Then… then what do we do now?” Madam Xia asked anxiously.
The matter had already reached the Emperor. There was no taking it back.
“Since we’ve made a mistake, we should admit it. Didn’t Old Madam Ye claim that Miss Ye kept bad company? Since our family also had dealings with her, we ought to clear things up for the girl. Let’s do this: once Miss Ye returns, you and I will go to the Ye residence together, explain everything, and bring gifts to apologize,” Lord Xie said seriously.
Madam Xia sighed.
“That’s all we can do. In the future… I should stay away from Old Madam Ye.”
Who would have thought that the old woman, who looked so kind and benevolent, had been using her all this time?
The old madam had been in an excellent mood these past two days.
Today, the governesses sent by the palace had also arrived. She had heard that these two elderly matrons had been personally selected by His Majesty.
Since the imperial harem currently had no empress, such matters were usually handled by the Empress Dowager or the imperial consorts. Since the Emperor himself had paid such close attention to this matter, it clearly meant he was dissatisfied with Ye Weiyin and his siblings and was deliberately giving them a warning.
The two governesses looked exceedingly stern and dignified.
Once that wretched girl returned, she would immediately be forced to learn proper etiquette. If she dared refuse to cooperate, then when the old governesses returned to the palace, they would certainly report it to His Majesty. At that point, punishment would be unavoidable.
Furthermore, after the Xie family’s impeachment, the entire capital was now discussing that little beast who had been born to a mother but raised without one. It had truly helped the old madam vent her anger.
“Is Weiqing still with Master Wei today?” the old madam asked.
“He just returned to his courtyard to rest. He has to go again early tomorrow morning,” a servant replied.
The old madam sneered.
“Call him to the ancestral hall. Tell him… that I’m feeling unwell today and dreamed of his grandfather. His grandfather blamed me for not disciplining him strictly enough, and my heart feels terribly distressed. Tell him to accompany his grandfather and have a little chat.”
“Oh, right. Hasn’t he been studying these past few days? Then have him kneel before his grandfather’s memorial tablet and recite the books he’s been reading several times over. Let the ancestors hear for themselves whether the child has made any progress.”
That wild girl had grown up outside and was beyond her control, but surely she could still manage the child she had raised with her own hands.
The servant hurried off to carry out the order.
Ye Weiqing had deliberately waited until after dark to return to his courtyard.
His servants were useless. While he had been staying with his teacher, they hadn’t even brought him any changes of clothes. He had no choice but to come back himself to fetch them before returning to class early the next morning.
Yet no sooner had he fallen asleep than the old madam’s people arrived.
Hearing the voices outside, Ye Weiqing sat upright in fright.
In the middle of the night, she was making him read to his grandfather’s spirit. It was obviously meant to torment him.
He was deeply unhappy, but when he thought of his step-grandmother’s displeased face, he didn’t dare refuse. He could only force himself to get up, gather his books, and head toward the ancestral hall.
When he arrived, he discovered that two old women were already standing guard outside.
It was deep in the night, and all the windows around the ancestral hall had been opened, letting in the cool air.
The weather had already become somewhat hot, so the breeze itself wasn’t unpleasant. But with the windows open, countless mosquitoes and insects flew in toward the light, buzzing around and making one’s head spin.
The moment he knelt, he was bitten several times on his face and hands.
“Third Young Master,” the stooped Nanny Tong said beside him, “the old madam says that your love of reading is a good thing. But such a good thing should also be known to your ancestors. She’s worried that you’ll lose interest after only a few days, so she says you shouldn’t go to the academy for now. Stay here in the ancestral hall and study instead. It would be best if you persisted for ten days or so, letting your ancestors see your sincerity. Then they will surely bless your studies in the future!”
Ye Weiqing kept his head lowered, his thin frame looking especially frail.
He was familiar with this ancestral hall.
Since childhood, he had often come here.
The faint marks on the stone floor had been worn there by his own knees.
When he was young, he had been frightened and would cry and make a fuss. But his grandmother had said he wasn’t manly enough and lacked courage, so she punished him by making him kneel even longer.
Eventually, he learned one thing:
He couldn’t cry.
Whenever he was being punished, he had to obediently endure it and never resist.
But he truly hated this weak and powerless version of himself.
He hated it with all his heart.
He hated everyone in this world who laughed at him—the old maids, the servant girls, and that grandmother with her kind face and cruel heart.
He wished they would all die.
As Ye Weiqing recited the “sage’s teachings,” every word in those books seemed to mock him as a useless and cowardly man.
By morning, sunlight streamed through the windows.
The fair skin on Ye Weiqing’s face was covered in red welts. His hands, neck, and face itched terribly, and his scratching had left streaks of red marks.
“I… I promised my teacher that I’d attend morning lessons…” he said hoarsely.
“The old madam also made an agreement with you—that you’ll study in the ancestral hall first,” Nanny Tong replied with a smile.
“Third Young Master, don’t misunderstand the old madam’s good intentions. Think about it—over the years, how many times have you declared that you’d study or practice martial arts? And how many times have you actually persevered? The ancestors probably don’t believe you, so they want you to show some sincerity first. Once the ancestors are satisfied, the old madam will be happy too.”
Ye Weiqing looked at Nanny Tong.
His hands trembled slightly. He appeared furious, yet he still said,
“Nanny Tong… then… could you burn some incense in the hall? There are too many mosquitoes at night…”
“Third Young Master, why don’t you understand the old madam’s good intentions?” Nanny Tong said kindly, as though she truly cared for him.
“They say that when the departed wish to return to the mortal world to see their loved ones, they transform into little creatures—flowers, birds, butterflies, insects. Who can say for certain? If we burn incense, what if we block the ancestors’ path?”