This sarcastic tone left Xiao Yujue both shocked and frightened, and he very much wanted to question Song Zhiyun about what exactly she had done.
But in front of Xiao Zhi, he dared not be so unrestrained. He could only pull Song Zhiyun down to kneel with him: “Father, my wife is inexperienced and often acts impulsively, but her heart is pure and harmless. If she has done anything to anger you, I am willing to take full responsibility!”
Song Zhiyun was deeply moved: “Husband…”
Xiao Zhi did not speak. As he sat down, he glanced at Zhao Fu.
Understanding the hint, Zhao Fu stepped forward with a forced smile to help Xiao Yujue up, and Xiao Yujue in turn pulled Song Zhiyun to her feet.
Only then did Zhao Fu say with a smile, “Today, the maids of Jinxiu Garden were wronged, and the Marquis disregarded personal ties to seek justice for them. Daye’s punishment of kneeling in the Ancestral Hall was also to silence those gossips. Otherwise, if the Marquis only reprimanded them but did not punish Daye, it would surely invite criticism if word got out.”
Xiao Yujue nodded: “Exactly, I also know Father did it for my own good.”
Zhao Fu continued, “But Eldest Mistress was confused. The Marquis had just defended the maids of Jinxiu Garden, and Eldest Mistress immediately punished Wan Tang by making her sweep snow in the courtyard. If others saw this, where would the Marquis’s dignity be? Isn’t this clearly telling everyone that the Marquis shouldn’t have protected these maids?”
After Zhao Fu’s explanation, Song Zhiyun felt as if waking from a dream, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
Hearing this, Xiao Yujue quietly turned to search for Wan Tang. When he saw her collar damp and her delicate body swaying unsteadily, his heart ached with pity. However, he could not believe his delicate wife would do such a thing and ultimately could not bring himself to glare at her in public.
Song Zhiyun instinctively shook her head in denial: “After my husband was punished, I stayed in my room reciting sutras and praying for blessings. I never asked Wan Tang to sweep snow. The snow hasn’t even stopped yet—how could I torment someone like that? Wan Tang, Wan Tang? You tell them, when did I ever ask you to sweep snow?”
Wan Tang, feeling dizzy and unsteady, heard someone calling her name and slowly turned her head toward the sound.
Seeing her swaying as if about to collapse, Xiao Zhi suddenly stood up and walked over.
Everyone looked over in surprise, and the maids and servants blocking the way tactfully made a path for him.
Xiao Zhi walked straight up to Wan Tang: “Speak.”
Two short words, spoken softly, unlike his earlier sternness.
Wan Tang’s reactions were a bit slow at the moment. She looked up, her clear, large eyes wide open, and sensed a hint of backing her up in Xiao Zhi’s expression.
She suddenly felt like crying.
Today had truly been awful, and it would be a lie to say she wasn’t aggrieved.
Seeing her dazed expression, Song Zhiyun, afraid she would complain, hurriedly spoke up: “Wan Tang grew up by my side, and I treat her like a younger sister. How could I make her sweep snow on a snowy day? Wan Tang, you…”
Xiao Zhi impatiently interrupted her: “Did this Marquis ask you? Juniors interrupting when elders are speaking—is this the upbringing of Jingyang Marquisate?”
Song Zhiyun dared not speak again.
After a moment, as if remembering something, Xiao Zhi sneered: “You are now married into Wu’an Marquisate. You cannot blame Jingyang Marquis; you should blame this Marquis for failing to teach you properly. Go back and copy the Household Regulations twenty times.”
Song Zhiyun, thoroughly chastised, obediently nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Xiao Zhi then looked back at Wan Tang: “Speak.”
Wan Tang’s mind was muddled by fever, completely devoid of her usual rationality. She sobbed tearfully, “Eldest Mistress ordered this servant to plead for Daye’s sake, but I had no such ability. Eldest Mistress grew angry and ordered me to sweep the courtyard clean, wuwu… The snow was so heavy. As soon as I finished sweeping, more snow fell, and I couldn’t sweep it all away.”
Her voice grew softer and softer, and anyone could hear the grievance in it.
After speaking, Wan Tang’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the side.
Xiao Zhi reacted swiftly, his long arm reaching out to catch her by the waist.
In the next moment, under the astonished gazes of everyone, he steadied her and handed her over to another maid’s embrace. “Take her back.”
He was open and unashamed, his expression unchanged and his heart untroubled.
Since he had just helped many maids seek justice at noon, and Xiao Zhi was famously known for his self-restraint, no one suspected any improper relationship between him and Wan Tang. They simply assumed he was instinctively showing compassion for a servant.
After Wan Tang was helped away by two maids, Xiao Zhi turned his gaze to Song Zhiyun with a faint, mocking smile. “Do you know your mistake?”
Seeing Song Zhiyun remain silent, Xiao Yujue spoke up. “Father, Wan Tang was likely delirious from fever. What she said just now was probably nonsense. Perhaps we should wait until she is clear-headed before questioning her.”
“If a son is not taught, it is the father’s fault. Your mistakes are my mistakes. For the next two days, you are exempt from your filial duties. There is no need to send anyone to give me a massage.” Everyone in the Wu’an Marquisate knew that Xiao Zhi suffered from an old ailment. By punishing himself and willingly enduring the torment of his illness, Xiao Yujue had no face left to continue defending Song Zhiyun.
In the end, Xiao Yujue obediently returned to the Ancestral Hall and knelt there all night, cold and in pain. The next day, he was carried back to Jinxiu Garden by a servant.
Song Zhiyun was heartbroken, but she dared not trouble Wan Tang again. Instead, she sent someone to fetch a physician for her.
Wan Tang burned with fever throughout the night. Mingyue tried to feed her medicinal broth, but she vomited it all up. The next day, she was still unable to get out of bed. When Song Zhiyun heard of this, she sent word for Wan Tang to rest and recover properly.
Wan Tang lay in bed for two days, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. These were the most comfortable two days she had experienced since arriving at the Wu’an Marquisate.
No one knew that her illness was not as severe as it appeared on the surface.
The fever was real, but her inability to keep down medicine was feigned.
When Xiao Zhi had urged her to tell the truth, she had been determined to lodge a complaint. However, she still had to survive under Song Zhiyun’s watchful eye. If she did not feign illness for a couple of days, Song Zhiyun would surely torment her in ways unseen by others.
Whenever Wan Tang seized an opportunity to retaliate, she also felt fear. But the days were long, and if she did not find some hope to keep herself going, how could she endure?
On the third day, Song Zhiyun finally summoned Wan Tang before her.
Before Song Zhiyun could speak, Wan Tang knelt down on her own. “This servant was delirious with fever that day. Only today did I realize I spoke nonsense. This servant deserves death!”
Song Zhiyun shot Ziyan an unhappy glance, blaming her for only warning Wan Tang now.
Ziyan felt somewhat wronged but dared not argue. She had scolded Wan Tang two days earlier, but at that time, Wan Tang was burning with fever and unconscious, unresponsive to anything said to her.
After being sternly admonished by Xiao Zhi and receiving earnest guidance from Laofuren during her morning greetings over the past two days, Song Zhiyun’s tone when speaking to Wan Tang was gentler than usual. “You’ve just recovered. Get up. Houfu treats its servants well. If you fall ill again, others might think I am mistreating you.”
Wan Tang was as obedient as always. “No, no. Eldest Mistress has been extremely kind to this servant. You even sent for a physician for me these past two days.”
Ziyan glanced at Song Zhiyun’s expression and snorted, “It’s good that you remember. That day, you insisted on sweeping the snow yourself, which ended up making Eldest Mistress look bad both inside and out. You must explain this clearly to Laofuren later.”
The coldness in Song Zhiyun’s eyes melted away as she looked at Wan Tang with a forced smile.
Wan Tang, understanding the situation, nodded promptly, “Yes, yes, that day it was this servant who insisted on sweeping the snow. It had nothing to do with Eldest Mistress. I will go and apologize to the Old Ancestor shortly.”
Seeing her so compliant, Song Zhiyun called her to accompany her to Songhe Tang.
Following behind her, Wan Tang lowered her eyes, a cold detachment in her gaze: Falling ill for a couple of days was just right—the punishment had been dealt, the scolding had been given, and Song Zhiyun had endured the humiliation she deserved. What did it matter now if the blame was shifted onto her? The people of Wu’an Marquisate were not fools.