As dusk approached, the door to the ancestral hall was opened.
“Miss, the time has come.” Yinxing entered the room on the dot and helped Zishu Sui up.
In the main hall of the front courtyard.
Under the eaves, Zishu Sui, supported by Yinxing, limped into the main hall.
Only then did she realize that inside the main hall, not only was Cui present, but also the Marquis of Wuning, who had returned from the Rongxin Marquis’s mansion, and Xiao Bian, who had returned from official duties with a nonchalant expression.
The couple sat in the main seats, and Xiao Bian sat on the lower side.
A family of three, complete.
As soon as she entered the main hall, all three pairs of eyes fell on Zishu Sui.
Compared to Cui’s composure, the Marquis of Wuning’s gaze was more stern. Perhaps having heard some embellished version of the story, the Marquis of Wuning looked unhappy.
Xiao Bian, on the other hand, showed no other expression, appearing to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.
Zishu Sui stood in the center of the main hall and greeted them in turn, “Uncle, Aunt, Cousin.”
Polite and sensible.
The Marquis of Wuning’s furrowed brow eased slightly, and his tone was stern, “Originally, it should have been your aunt who disciplined you, but the commotion you caused today was so great that it’s hard for me not to know.”
“It was my fault.” Zishu Sui quickly admitted her mistake.
“I have already made her kneel for three hours,” Cui said, acting as a peacemaker at this moment. “Sui girl, tell us, what did you do wrong today?”
Zishu Sui nodded obediently, “I shouldn’t have had a conflict with the Rongxin Marquis’s daughter in the Rongxin Marquis’s mansion. When encountering things that make me feel unfair, I should always be patient.”
After a pause, she looked at Cui and continued, “I also shouldn’t have retaliated after Miss Jiang made fun of me, saying she looked like a maid, making her even more angry and escalating the conflict. Instead, I should have brought out the elders and asked them to make the decision.”
Jiang Yu’s father’s official position was higher than Qi Sui’s father’s, and Shen Lingyi was the daughter of a marquis, whose status was even higher than Qi Sui’s.
Therefore, as Qi Sui, Zishu Sui shouldn’t have done that in front of everyone.
But Zishu Sui was not Qi Sui. Zishu Sui didn’t care about these things. Saying this set of words that would probably satisfy Cui was just to deal with Cui.
Cui nodded with satisfaction, “In the future, you must be more cautious in your words and actions outside. Since you live in the Marquis’s mansion, you represent the face of our Marquis’s mansion.”
“I remember, thank you for your teachings, Aunt.” Zishu Sui said softly.
“I said, if you say it right, you can ask for a doctor. How do you feel now?” Cui’s concern came a little late.
Zishu Sui was about to answer when she heard Xiao Bian, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly speak up—
“That’s not right.”
Zishu Sui subconsciously looked at him, and even the Marquis of Wuning and Cui looked at him.
She saw him straighten his sleeves and stand up.
“Mother, a Jiang family and a Rongxin Marquis, even if the two families are added together, are not to be feared. Why should my cousin swallow her anger?” Xiao Bian disagreed, frowning at Cui.
His voice was like a sword sleeping in its sheath, once unsheathed, it carried a sharp murderous aura.
Xiao Bian stood a zhang (丈, approx. 3.3 meters) away from Zishu Sui. His words made Zishu Sui’s eyelashes tremble.
Perhaps not expecting him to speak for her at this moment, Zishu Sui’s eyes flickered as she looked at him.
However, in the next second, she heard him say coldly,
“It doesn’t matter if my cousin suffers some grievances, but we can’t let those dirty things think that the Wuning Marquis’s mansion is easy to bully.”
Although Xiao Bian was not present today, he did not miss out on what he should know.
His gaze did not look at the girl beside him, but at the couple in the main seats.
The Marquis of Wuning’s thoughts were contrary to Xiao Bian’s, “Jiang Shaozhanshi is a member of His Highness the Crown Prince. Although his official position is not high, he is on the same side as us. Although the Rongxin Marquis has no real power, his daughter is favored above all others in the harem. In recent years, even the Empress can hardly suppress her.”
The Marquis of Wuning had many concerns, “Bian, although you are being reused now, your position in the Jingji Guard will offend many people. In a few years, when I retire, no one will be able to block the open and hidden arrows for you.”
“Father, His Highness the Crown Prince has many subordinates, but his maternal family is only my Xiao family. Today, only Jiang Shaozhanshi has the right to teach his daughter a lesson, why should my cousin suffer this grievance? As for that Rongxin Marquis, a fancy pillow, a piece of trash who rose to power by relying on women.”
Xiao Bian’s words left the Marquis of Wuning unable to argue, and in the end, he only said one sentence—
“Bian, you are still too young.”
There was a moment of silence in the main hall.
Then, Xiao Bian’s deep voice sounded, “No, it is Father who is old.”
Zishu Sui lowered her head instantly after hearing the conversation between the father and son.
She seemed afraid that they would have any more disputes, and silently took a step to the side.
Zishu Sui had not expected that Xiao Bian would think this way. He actually thought that the Rongxin Marquis was a fancy pillow who rose to power by relying on women?
Although that was indeed the case, didn’t Xiao Bian like the Imperial Concubine Shen? Why did he say that about his beloved’s father?
His words were full of contempt and disdain.
And the father and son in front of her, this conversation, if it were in another family, would definitely lead to a quarrel. Xiao Bian bluntly said that the Marquis of Wuning was old and afraid of trouble, which was disrespectful and impolite, wasn’t it?
But after waiting for a while, she didn’t wait for the Marquis of Wuning to get angry.
Zishu Sui suddenly raised her head again, only to see that the Marquis of Wuning’s face was not good-looking, but there was no anger, only some helplessness,
“Have you ever thought about what the consequences would be if you offended too many people? Although my Xiao family is powerful now, what about in the future? If those who have been offended by you grow stronger, it is hard to guarantee that they will not pose a threat to you.”
The Marquis of Wuning stood up, and the father and son faced each other. The Marquis of Wuning was actually shorter than Xiao Bian.
At this moment, it was no longer Zishu Sui’s business. The topic had inexplicably become a discussion between the father and son about how to conduct oneself in the world.
Cui was about to take Zishu Sui away.
As she turned and stepped out of the main hall, Zishu Sui heard Xiao Bian chuckle behind her, his gloomy tone revealing ruthlessness—
“Then before he grows, remove him by the roots. In this way, there will be no more threats.”
“Why doesn’t Father see how simple it is for me to remove a small Jiang family.”