Chapter 4 Punishment

Chapter 4 Punishment

In the ancestral hall, the ancestral tablets of the Wei family were arranged on the altar, casting a dim and cold atmosphere, as if they were watching.

The windows were not tightly closed, and the cold wind blew in, causing A Yuan's teeth to chatter.

She had barely slept two hours last night, and now, with the cold wind, her head was heavy and dizzy, but she forced herself to kneel upright.

Madam Wei punished her, and no one dared to plead for her.

Of course, in Ci'an Courtyard, no one was willing to plead for her.

Seeing A Yuan being punished, Zhao Wan's lips almost curled up to the sky, and her anger was finally appeased.

She served Madam Wei breakfast, not forgetting to flatter, "I’m quite sensitive, although I manage the household, as a sister-in-law, I shouldn’t interfere in my brother-in-law’s affairs. Fortunately, you are here, mother. If I had punished A Yuan, San Lang would surely hold a grudge against me."

"He wouldn’t dare to!"

Madam Wei's face turned cold, and she threw the white jade spoon into the bowl, her suppressed anger flared up again.

She only had these two sons, and they must stand by each other in the future. If they were to drift apart over a concubine, A Yuan would not be kept.

"San Lang naturally wouldn’t dare, but he can't resist someone whispering in his ear..."

Zhao Wan had long been unable to stand A Yuan. When this group of thin horses entered the mansion, it was actually to select concubines for Wei Cong, and Wei Cong had been smitten with A Yuan at first sight.

A Yuan was beautiful, and no one in the entire capital could match her beauty. If Wei Cong had taken her in, where would Zhao Wan’s place be in the second branch?

So when Madam Wei assigned A Yuan to Wei Xun, Zhao Wan breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing them every day, she felt uneasy again.

Especially the way Wei Cong looked at A Yuan, it made Zhao Wan clench her teeth.

Now that she finally had leverage over A Yuan, she wouldn’t let it slide.

Sure enough, after Zhao Wan finished speaking, Madam Wei’s face turned icy.

"Take the copy of the Lotus Sutra from my room to her. She’s not to come out until she’s finished copying it."

"Yes!"

The Lotus Sutra was a hefty tome, and it would take two to three hours just to read through it. It would take A Yuan at least a couple of days to copy it all.

The ancestral hall was cold and damp, without even a charcoal brazier. It was uncertain whether she could survive two days of freezing.

Zhao Wan subtly curled the corners of her lips, unable to hide the triumph in her eyes.

The elderly woman beside her took the Lotus Sutra to the ancestral hall, and just as she was about to return to report, Wei Xun arrived.

"Mother, sister-in-law."

Wei Xun was dressed in a black brocade robe, wearing a black crown, his sword-like eyebrows reaching his temples, his figure imposing. Due to years of martial arts practice, he exuded an aura of authority.

Seeing her son, Madam Wei's face lit up with a smile, and she quickly beckoned him to sit beside her.

"Why didn't you sleep more? You just returned yesterday, you should rest well."

"Yes, San Lang, while you were away from the capital, mother was worried every day, and her appetite has diminished a lot."

Seeing Wei Xun, Zhao Wan suppressed her guilt and followed up.

Madam Wei was in a particularly good mood. She turned and gave Zhao Wan a reproachful look, her wrinkles deepening with a smile. "I’ll shut your sassy mouth sooner or later, daring to spin tales about me. San Lang, don’t listen to her. Your mother’s getting on in years, and her appetite isn’t what it used to be."

"Mother, you’re not old in the slightest. People outside think we could be sisters," Zhao Wan replied with forced cheerfulness, feeling Wei Xun’s coldness like a thorn in her back. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Wei Xun knew something.

"Enough, your words could charm the birds from the trees. Why don’t you have someone bring San Lang some food from the kitchen? He must not have eaten yet, given how early he got up," Madam Wei said, pleased despite knowing Zhao Wan was just flattering her.

"Yes, I’ll see to it right away."

Zhao Wan was desperate to leave. With Wei Xun there, she was so nervous she didn’t know what to do with herself.

The two concubines trailed after her, but as they passed Wei Xun, they couldn’t resist glancing up at him.

Such a handsome and dashing man—why wasn’t he theirs?

"Smack!"

As soon as they stepped out of the main room, Zhao Wan slapped each of them once.

"Do you want to lose those eyes of yours? Know your place—dreaming about the Heir Apparent? Filthy creatures from a brothel, fit for any man!"

Though she spoke in a hushed tone, the maids and old women in the courtyard heard clearly.

Madam Zhao wasn’t merely scolding the two concubines; she was clearly alluding to the one in the ancestral hall.

Everyone knew the three of them had been groomed at Chunyan House to charm men with their looks, and men loved that.

Especially A Yuan, gentle, obedient, and breathtakingly beautiful, captivating with every smile and glance.

The second master was frail and confined to his bed, but that didn’t stop him from bringing concubines into the courtyard one after another. It was only natural for Madam Zhao to feel resentful, but they couldn’t listen to such talk.

After all, the one in charge of the Marquis's household was the Heir Apparent.

......

After mother and son had spoken for a while, Wei Xun glanced to the right of Madam Wei.

This was where A Yuan usually stood, but today it was empty.

Remembering what Chun Tao had said when he entered Cian Courtyard, Wei Xun poured his mother a cup of tea. "Yesterday, I excused her from this morning's greeting. If you want to punish someone, it should be me."

Hearing this, Madam Wei's smile faltered. As a mother, she knew how cold-hearted her son could be, but now he was actively seeking punishment for A Yuan.

Madam Wei pursed her lips, displeased.

"What? Are you going to stop me from teaching her manners?"

"I wouldn’t dare."

Wei Xun stood up. "If she did something wrong, you should punish her, but today it was my fault for not informing you in advance. It's not her mistake."

"Hmph!"

Madam Wei snorted coldly. The more her son protected A Yuan, the angrier she became.

"If you gave the order and she still came as usual, isn’t that disobedience? Not listening to her master, she really needs to learn some manners."

"Mother..." Wei Xun sighed softly, then continued, "You know what kind of person she is. She always values manners, afraid of making even the slightest mistake. Besides, yesterday I forced her, causing her to wake up late."

"You!"

Madam Wei didn’t expect her son to bring up intimate matters to plead for A Yuan, and her old face couldn’t help but blush.

Wei Xun remained composed, as if oblivious to his mother's embarrassment.

"Mother sent her to Yuqing Court to attend to my daily needs. If she falls ill, I would have to divert my attention to call a doctor for her, which might delay my official duties. That would be troublesome."

By mentioning his official duties, Madam Wei had no further reason to keep A Yuan.

"Alright, since you’re so determined to shield her, what can I say? After breakfast, take her back with you."

Would she really allow a concubine to drive a wedge between her and her son? Madam Wei would never do something so foolish.

Wei Xun knew his mother had given in and smiled slightly as he refilled her cup with hot tea.

"Thank you for your understanding, Mother."

"Hmph! If you’re truly grateful, then hurry up and find yourself a wife. Your nephew Chengye is already attending school, and you’re still unmarried. This year, it’s time to start considering one!"

Her son’s focus on A Yuan was ultimately because he was still unmarried. A Yuan was so stunning that it was only a matter of time before her son fell for her, and that would spell trouble.