The atmosphere suddenly fell quiet.
Nanny Cao plopped down on her knees, weeping, ”It has nothing to do with Madam. This old servant only wanted the Young Master to marry a good wife, that’s why I—that’s why…”
Before she could finish her excuses, Xie Songren rudely cut her off.
“How dare you, you audacious lowly slave! Is it your place to meddle in your master’s affairs?”
“Hmph, I see you’re trying to lord it over your masters!”
Madame Mei wept, ”If you must scold someone, Husband, scold me. It was my failure to properly discipline the servants.”
What a thing to say. Nanny Cao was nominally a member of Xie Zi’an’s courtyard, and by rights should be under his management—wasn’t this just a sly insinuation that Xie Zi’an couldn’t control his own subordinates?
Xie Zi’an sneered inwardly and spoke up, “How could this be Mother’s fault? Mother manages the entire household—an occasional oversight is only natural.”
Madame Mei had always kept up appearances well, so Xie Songren didn’t suspect her, and instead felt his son had a point.
“If you can’t manage it all, then once Zi’an marries, his wife can help manage things.”
“Husband!” Madame Mei’s head shot up. Taking away her management of the household was like cutting out her heart!
She had toiled painstakingly to run this household for years, and over such a small matter, her husband was going to strip her of her authority!
Madame Mei was so furious she nearly vomited blood, and in her heart she began to hate Xie Zi’an.
Xie Songren paid Madame Mei no mind. He normally didn’t concern himself with the inner household, but once he did, his word was final.
“As for this insolent slave—give her a beating and send her off to the estate in the outskirts!”
Nanny Cao felt the sky collapse on her. In Hansong Courtyard she ate well and lived well, with little maidservants waiting on her and flattering her. But at the estate she would be treated like a common laborer, toiling day after day—how could her old bones endure it!
“Husband, spare me this once!” Seeing that Xie Songren remained unmoved, she crawled on her knees to Xie Zi’an and knocked her head against the floor several times, blood streaming from her forehead—it was clear she was putting her full force into it.
“Young Master, Young Master! It was this old servant’s fault. I shouldn’t have presumed to make decisions on your behalf. But I have served you for many years—if I have no merit, I have at least endured hardship. Please forgive this servant this once!” Nanny Cao wailed loudly.
Everyone else stayed silent, waiting to see Xie Zi’an’s stance.
Xie Songren also wanted to see how his son would handle this servant. His son looked difficult to get along with, but was actually indecisive.
Madame Mei likewise believed Xie Zi’an wouldn’t have the heart to drive the woman away—Nanny Cao was, after all, nominally an old servant who had attended him for over a decade.
How could Xie Zi’an not know what Madame Mei was thinking? She thought he was a soft persimmon to be squeezed.
He sighed. “A father’s command is not to be defied. There’s nothing I can do. Nanny Cao, go to the estate and enjoy your retirement.”
“Xie Zi’an!” Madame Mei cried out in disbelief.
How dare he!
Nanny Cao was her dowry maid. Sending her off to the estate was a slap in her face—how would she ever hold her head up again?
Xie Zi’an feigned surprise, “What’s the matter, Mother?”
Madame Mei’s chest heaved with rage, but she dared not plead for Nanny Cao. If she spoke up for her, wouldn’t that confirm that she had instructed Nanny Cao to persuade Xie Zi’an to become a live-in son-in-law?
Now that Nanny Cao had confessed on her own, at least there was a fig leaf, no matter how you looked at it. Even if Xie Songren knew, he wouldn’t do anything further to her as his wife.
Xie Zi’an sighed and lamented, “Mother is simply too kind-hearted. An insolent slave like this should have been driven out long ago. No doubt Mother was deceived by her before, which is why she was sent to my courtyard. I don’t blame you, Mother.”
Madame Mei was absolutely fuming, her fingers gripping her handkerchief so tightly that the veins stood out.
Xie Songren’s mouth twitched. As a seasoned old official, how could he fail to hear his son’s sarcasm? But he believed in the principle that a harmonious family prospers, so he simply turned a blind eye to some things.
In the end, Nanny Cao and Chunmei were both sent off to do hard labor at the country estate in the outskirts. Before leaving, Nanny Cao cried her heart out, sniffling and sobbing, casting eager glances at Madame Mei, hoping that one day she would fish her back out.
Xie Zi’an watched the show from the sidelines. As long as he was in the Xie household, these people could forget about ever coming back.
With the troublesome servants dealt with, Xie Songren returned to the matter at hand.
His expression turned serious: “You were wronged in that incident the other day, but the fact remains that you shared a room with the young lady of the Xu family! Tomorrow, you’re coming with me to apologize and propose marriage!”
At the mention of this, Xie Zi’an felt the wound on his wrist throb with pain. Marry a pampered drama queen—would he ever have a peaceful day again?
This time, Xie Zi’an truly sighed.
He trudged back to his courtyard dejectedly. He’d only been back for one day, and so much had already happened. He was exhausted.
Wanqiu came up to greet him. “Young Master, would you like something to eat for a late-night snack?”
Xie Zi’an waved his hand. He needed to rest up and conserve his energy—tomorrow at the Xu residence, he’d probably be left waiting around for a while.
“Oh right, have Zhao Er go to Father’s courtyard, so he doesn’t keep thinking it was my fault.”
Wanqiu nodded and went out.
Late at night, a man suddenly appeared covered in blood, scaring Xie Songren half to death—nearly enough to send him to meet his ancestors. He badly wanted to storm over and give his unfilial son a fierce scolding, but since it was already late, he had to let it go.
The next day.
Xie Songren and Xie Zi’an arrived at the Xu residence with lavish gifts, and unsurprisingly, they were left waiting outside the gate all morning.
Xie Songren waited outside with perfect composure, showing not the slightest displeasure. What surprised people was that his eldest son could endure the wait too.
In the past, he would have long since thrown one of his sour scholar’s tantrums, ranting about how “a true man need never worry about finding a wife” and the like.
Xie Zi’an’s mouth twitched: “Father, could you stop looking at me like I’m some kind of monster? Your son frightens easily.”
Xie Songren snorted coldly. “You frighten easily? You think your old man doesn’t? If you’re not stirring up trouble every other day, does your skin itch?”
“……”
After the two of them had their little display of “fatherly love and filial devotion,” the gates of the Xu residence finally opened.
A servant led them to the hall to wait, saying that the Second Master and the First Madam would be there shortly.
The Eldest Master of the Xu family was, of course, Xu Nansong’s father, the Vice Minister of Personnel, Xu Hongsheng.
The Second Master was Xu Hongsheng’s half-brother by a concubine, who stayed at the ancestral home in Yangzhou.
They didn’t wait long before a middle-aged man and a modestly but elegantly dressed woman walked in.
Xie Songren hurriedly rose to his feet and bowed with clasped hands. “My unfilial son was reckless and offended your family’s young lady. Last night I gave him a severe beating… You wretched boy! What are you waiting for? Kneel!”
He slapped Xie Zi’an on the back of the head.
Retribution!
This was absolutely payback for last night’s scare!
Xie Zi’an sneered inwardly, but he obediently knelt anyway. There was no helping it—in this day and age, when a man and woman were alone in a room together, it was the woman who suffered the loss.
However, before he could fully kneel, Madam Lin quickly helped him back up.
“No, please. When it comes down to it, this whole affair was caused by troublemakers in our own household, and it brought harm to Scholar Xie as well.”
The testimony Xie Zi’an had submitted last night had indeed made a difference—they were not an unreasonable family.
Madam Lin looked Xie Zi’an over carefully. He was handsome enough, and tall, but seemed a bit frail, and his studies weren’t going anywhere either…
Ah well.
Madam Lin sighed. Still, he was at least someone presentable. He had no maids or concubines around him, and was devoted entirely to the imperial examinations.
If her darling girl married him, as long as she kept control of the dowry and arranged for Xie Zi’an to study at the Imperial Academy for a few years, passing the provincial exam would just barely make him presentable.