Chapter 34: Choice

Chapter 34: The Choice

An Ping’s death struck Wei Mingxuan hard.

Wei Mingxuan and An Ping had grown up together, their bond as master and servant exceptionally close.

Wei Mingxuan knew An Ping harbored affection for Cui’er from the sewing room and had been secretly saving money to marry her.

Back then, Wei Mingxuan had even grandly promised An Ping: “Once I take charge of the household, I’ll make you the head steward and Cui’er the manager of the inner quarters, ensuring both of you live with dignity.”

“Then, on behalf of myself and Cui’er, I thank the young master for his gracious patronage,” An Ping had said, bowing solemnly to Wei Mingxuan.

Master and servant then exchanged a knowing smile.

Memories surged like a tide, An Ping’s face and voice vivid before him.

He was so young, not yet married to the girl he loved, yet he had been beaten to death by Wei Mingxuan’s own mother, all because of him.

During his confinement, An Ping frequently appeared in Wei Mingxuan’s dreams.

In these dreams, An Ping was drenched in blood, always weeping and pleading with Wei Mingxuan to save him.

But even in his dreams, Wei Mingxuan could not save him.

After yet another dream of An Ping, as Wei Mingxuan knelt, sobbing and apologizing to An Ping, the sound of a lock turning echoed from outside.

Soon, the door swung open.

It was a day of warm, bright sunshine. The moment the door opened, the outdoor light flooded the room.

Kneeling on the ground, Wei Mingxuan instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding glare, growling, “I’m not eating! Get out!”

He assumed it was a servant bringing him food.

But the voice replied, “Young Master, Eldest Young Master has arrived with Concubine Xin, and all the clan elders are here too. Master requests your presence in the main hall.”

No sooner had the steward, who delivered the message, finished speaking than the young man, who had been kneeling like a trapped beast, abruptly rose and stumbled out.

“Ah, Young Master, slow down, slow down,” the steward exclaimed, hurrying after Wei Mingxuan.

But Wei Mingxuan paid him no mind, rushing straight towards the main hall.

Since his confinement, Wei Mingxuan had been completely cut off from the outside world. Yet he knew his mother well—she was hot-tempered and fiercely protective.

Even though he had repeatedly explained that day that his affection for Xin He was one-sided and that she had been avoiding him, his mother refused to believe it. She stubbornly insisted that Xin He had seduced him and that he was taking the blame to protect her.

Now that the clan elders were present, it meant the matter had escalated significantly.

He didn’t know if his mother or his elder brother had summoned the elders. But since they were all here, he had to clear Xin He’s name and apologize to her in front of everyone today.

It was all his fault for dragging her into this undeserved calamity.

Wei Mingxuan rushed towards the main hall with desperate urgency. But upon reaching the entrance, he suddenly hesitated, afraid to enter.

It was Wei Mingjin in the hall who spotted him first, calling out, “Second Brother, since you’re here, why don’t you come in?”

At once, everyone in the hall turned to look at him.

Wei Mingxuan nervously clutched his clothes, then slowly stepped inside.

“Mingxuan greets all grand-uncles, uncles, and elder brother.” Upon entering, Wei Mingxuan bowed first, his gaze then involuntarily falling upon Xin He.

Xin He sat at the very end, her hair styled in a low bun today, adorned with a pearl tassel hairpin. She was covering her face with a handkerchief, her eyes red and tearful as she looked at him.

After he finished his bow, Xin He shakily stood up, her voice trembling with emotion as she questioned, “Second Young Master, you’ve come at just the right time. Today, all the Wei clan elders are here. Let us clarify things in front of them. When did I ever seduce you? How could it provoke Second Madam to storm into our residence and beat me so severely that I nearly miscarried?”

With that, Xin He removed the handkerchief from her face, revealing the “bruises” on her cheek.

Wei Mingxuan’s pupils contracted sharply.

The bruises on Xin He’s face were swollen and red, clearly indicating that the assailant had shown no mercy. His mother knew she was pregnant—how could she strike her so viciously?

A wave of guilt and heartache for Xin He, coupled with fury at Zou Shi’s cruelty, surged through him. Wei Mingxuan abruptly turned, glaring angrily at Zou Shi: “Mother, why must you always be so unreasonable and make such a fuss! How many times have I told you—Concubine Xin did not seduce me. Why won’t you believe me?!”

Wei Mingxuan practically roared the last few sentences at Zou Shi.

Seeing her son’s furious, bloodshot eyes, Zou Shi was momentarily stunned.

Her son had always been obedient and filial since childhood; this was the first time he had ever been so harsh with her. Zou Shi felt both heartbroken and enraged.

She believed it was all Xin He’s doing.

It was Xin He who had used seductive wiles to bewitch Wei Mingxuan, causing him to lose his senses and defy his mother in such a manner.

“Even now, you’re still defending her,” Zou Shi retorted, equally enraged. “If she hadn’t used seductive tricks to lure you, how could you possibly be interested in a little harlot like her, who was sold into your uncle’s household as a concubine!”

Wei Mingxuan had heard the story of how Xin He came to be a concubine in the Wei family.

He had always felt immense pity for Xin He’s plight. And now, his mother was publicly using that very fact to attack Xin He.

Suddenly, Wei Mingxuan’s mind buzzed, and all the blood rushed to his head.

Wei Mingxuan declared loudly, “Concubine Xin did not use any seductive wiles to lure me. It was my one-sided affection for her. After she realized my feelings, she consistently avoided me. But I remained stubbornly infatuated, even secretly keeping a hairpin she had lost. If there is even half a lie in what I’ve said, may I die a miserable death.”

After speaking, seeing the shock in Xin He’s eyes and the blood draining from Zou Shi’s face, Wei Mingxuan felt an overwhelming sense of relief, even mingled with the satisfaction of revenge.

He had wronged Xin He.

As a newly widowed concubine, Xin He’s life was already difficult, and because of him, she had suffered this unexpected disaster.

He had wronged An Ping.

An Ping had merely followed his orders, yet he had paid with his life—he was still so young.

He hadn’t been able to save An Ping, but he would absolutely not allow his mother to unjustly harm an innocent Xin He.

After Wei Mingxuan finished speaking, he felt a sense of ease, but the hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Xin He’s gaze towards Wei Mingxuan instantly became a complex mix of emotions.

The youthful Wei Mingxuan had always been shy and awkward in her presence, never knowing where to put his hands or feet.

Before coming here today, Xin He had even mentally prepared for the worst—

That Wei Mingxuan would pin everything on her.

She had witnessed such things firsthand.

In their village, a widow who had observed chastity for her deceased husband for many years was caught in bed with her lover. In an instant, the lover, who had just been whispering sweet nothings to the widow, completely changed his tune. He pointed at her and loudly declared, “It was all her seduction! She was the one who seduced me!”

In the end, the widow was sentenced to be drowned in the pond, while the lover walked away scot-free.

When the men in the village discussed the incident, without exception, they all teased the lover for his cunning, marveling at how he managed to seduce the widow.

The lover showed not a hint of remorse; instead, he practically gloated.

Not long after, the lover married a new bride, and the entire village went to congratulate him. Meanwhile, the widow he had been involved with lay forever at the bottom of the river, scorned and cursed by everyone.

At that time, Xin He understood that such affairs were trivial matters for men but utter ruin for women.

Zou Shi insisted that it was she who had seduced Wei Mingxuan. If Wei Mingxuan, in a moment of cowardice, pinned it all on her, her fate would be no better than that of the drowned widow.

So, Xin He had long prepared to fight back.

But she never expected that Wei Mingxuan, who had always been so reserved in her presence, would take full responsibility in front of everyone and even clear her of any wrongdoing.

If this matter had been discussed behind closed doors, given how much Wei Jingyao and his wife coddled Wei Mingxuan, they would have scolded him a few times at most and swept the matter under the rug.

But today, with all the elders of the Wei clan present, it was unlikely to be so easily resolved.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, the clan elders began to criticize Wei Jingyao and his family one after another.

“Erlang, look at the fine son you’ve raised!”

“To fancy his own uncle’s pregnant concubine—utterly shameless!”

“Indeed, Erlang, you’ve become increasingly muddled over the years. Your business is failing, your son is poorly raised, and you can’t even control your wife.”

The clan elders spoke one after another, and Wei Jingyao’s face flushed and paled alternately. But every one of these old men in the hall were elders with significant standing in the clan, so he had no choice but to sit there and endure their scolding.

Under normal circumstances, Zou Shi would naturally show respect to the Wei clan elders, not daring to be the slightest bit impolite.

But today, Zou Shi suddenly rushed forward and slapped Wei Mingxuan hard across the face: “Have you lost your mind?! How could you admit that you have feelings for her?! How could you admit it?!”

Once this got out, what decent family would be willing to marry their daughter to him?

Enraged, Zou Shi had put eighty percent of her strength into that slap. Wei Mingxuan’s head snapped to the side, and blood welled from the corner of his mouth.

But Wei Mingxuan remained unfazed. He dared not look at Xin He and instead stared into the void as he replied, “I have feelings for her. Why shouldn’t I admit it?”

He knew it was impossible between them, so he had never intended to confess his feelings to Xin He. Yet, despite this, he had still brought disaster upon her.

Hearing this, Zou Shi felt as though the sky had fallen. Her bony fingers clutched Wei Mingxuan’s collar as she wailed, “My son, what kind of bewitching potion has that seductress given you? How could you be so utterly infatuated with her?”

Seeing Zou Shi’s loss of composure, several of the clan elders showed displeasure.

Wei Jingyao quickly called out, “Someone, come quickly and escort my wife away.”

The servants waiting outside hurried in to assist Zou Shi when Wei Mingjin suddenly spoke up: “Second Uncle, the matter of the hairpin has been clarified. But the incident where Second Aunt stormed into our residence and nearly caused Concubine Xin to miscarry has yet to be addressed!”

Wei Jingyao’s face stiffened, and he immediately began to deflect: “Mingjin, your Second Aunt was in the wrong. But she isn’t feeling well today. Once she recovers, I’ll have her personally go and apologize to Concubine Xin.”

Wei Mingjin smirked to himself.

His esteemed Second Uncle always knew how to play favorites. In his eyes, Zou Shi was his proper wife, while Xin He was merely his father’s concubine. Having his wife apologize to a concubine would be a disgrace if word got out.

But with all the clan elders present today, he, as the head of the family, had no choice but to make a statement.

So, he intended to use this excuse to placate him for now, and then shamelessly renege on the apology later.

But Wei Mingjin had no intention of letting Wei Jingyao have his way: “Second Uncle, do you think a perfunctory apology from Second Aunt is enough to settle this matter?”

“I—” Wei Jingyao began, but Wei Mingjin cut him off again.

Wei Mingjin lifted his eyelids, an icy glint in his eyes: “Or does Second Uncle think that, just because my father is no longer here, you can use your status as an elder to make this just go away?”

Wei Jingyao was stunned.

He hadn’t expected his usually agreeable nephew to cling to this matter so stubbornly today.

“I never thought that. What do you propose, then?” Wei Jingyao asked.

“Concubine Xin is carrying the Wei family’s bloodline. Her pregnancy was initially very stable, but now, because of Second Aunt’s assault, there are signs of a miscarriage. The physician says he will do his best to help her keep the child, but it’s ultimately up to fate.”

Sitting to the side, Xin He’s mouth twitched beneath her veil upon hearing this.

How Wei Mingjin managed to spout such nonsense with a straight face, she didn’t know, but she immediately put on a devastated expression.

Wei Mingjin then continued, “If Second Aunt is truly remorseful, she should kneel and apologize to Concubine Xin to show her sincerity.”

Wei Mingjin’s words caused a stunned silence to fall over the hall.

“Wei Mingjin, have you lost your mind too? You actually want your Second Aunt to kneel and apologize to a concubine?!” Wei Jingyao stared at Wei Mingjin in disbelief.

Xin He first glanced sideways at Wei Mingjin, then turned her gaze to Zou Shi.

At that moment, Zou Shi was supported by two servants, slumped in a chair, her eyes vacant and her face ashen.

Xin He strongly suspected that if Zou Shi hadn’t already been pushed to the brink, she would have lunged forward and slapped Wei Mingjin too.

A proud and fierce woman like her would never kneel and apologize to a mere concubine.

Although Wei Mingjin was standing up for her, Xin He thought he was being overly idealistic.

Wei Mingjin then leisurely offered a second option: “If Second Aunt doesn’t want to kneel and apologize, then letting Concubine Xin hit her back is also acceptable.”

Hearing this, not only Wei Jingyao but even the clan elders who had initially sided with them spoke up.

“Mingjin, that’s enough. No matter what, Second Aunt is your elder, and Concubine Xin is, after all, just a concubine.” This elder’s view aligned perfectly with Wei Jingyao’s.

Zou Shi was the lawful wife, and Xin He was a concubine. How could a lawful wife kneel and apologize to a concubine?

“Exactly, be merciful where you can. I decree that Zou Shi apologize to Concubine Xin in front of us elders, and let that be the end of it.” This came from the most respected elder in the clan.

Normally, whenever this elder spoke, everyone in the Wei clan would defer to him.

But Wei Mingjin was the exception.

Wei Mingjin said slowly, “Third Granduncle has a point. But while Second Aunt is an elder to me, she is still a junior beneath my father.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked the most respected elder.

“Having Second Aunt either kneel in apology or let Concubine Xin hit her back was actually my father’s intention.”

Wei Jingyao immediately scowled: “Mingjin, your brother has been deceased for a long time. If you want to humiliate your Second Aunt, you should at least concoct a believable story.”

“Second Uncle, you’ve misunderstood. I have always respected Second Aunt; how would I dare to insult her? This truly was my father’s intention.”

“Ever since this incident occurred, I have been unable to eat or sleep, unsure of how to handle it. Until last night, my father suddenly came to me in a dream. He first scolded me for being useless, then sternly told me that this matter must not be swept under the rug and warned me to either have Second Aunt kneel and apologize in front of the elders or let Concubine Xin hit her back. He said we must not let people think that after his passing, our main branch has become weak and defenseless.”

As he spoke, Wei Mingjin turned to Wei Jingyao: “Oh, and my father also said that Second Aunt would not be kneeling to Concubine Xin, but to him. After all, as all the uncles and grand-uncles know, my father had always hoped for someone to give him another child. Now that this has happened, he is naturally furious.”

The matter of the dream was too fantastical, and some elders were skeptical: “Mingjin, are you speaking the truth?”

“As the elders know, I never speak falsely. Moreover, if it weren’t for my father’s dream, how would I, a junior, dare to disrespect Second Aunt like this?” Wei Mingjin lowered his eyelashes, looking innocent and harmless.

The elders immediately began discussing among themselves.

They had all witnessed Wei Mingjin’s father’s longing for an heir during his lifetime, and Wei Mingjin was well-known for his gentle and tolerant nature. If not for his father’s dream, given Wei Mingjin’s character, he would not have pushed so hard on this.

Since this was the wish of the eldest son of the Wei family, they couldn’t just go against it.

In the end, the most respected elder spoke again: “In that case, Erlang, have your wife kneel and apologize to Concubine Xin. After all, your wife is the one at fault in this matter.”

“No, esteemed uncles, you can’t possibly believe his nonsense!” Wei Jingyao grew anxious.

Wei Mingjin’s words were clearly using his deceased elder brother as a pretext. These elders, whose combined ages must have reached six hundred years, couldn’t possibly lack a single sensible mind among them.

The most respected elder reprimanded Wei Jingyao: “Erlang, if not for the monk’s face, then for the Buddha’s sake. Concubine Xin is carrying your elder brother’s posthumous child, and your wife, without getting the facts straight, beat her so severely. She truly must apologize.”

“Exactly. Moreover, the eldest son made it very clear to Mingjin that Zou Shi would be kneeling not to Concubine Xin, but to him.”

“As a sister-in-law, Zou Shi acted so shamelessly and out of line. She truly deserves to kneel.”

The other elders echoed in agreement.

Wei Mingjin said lightly, “If Second Aunt feels kneeling makes her lose face, then letting Concubine Xin hit her back is also an option.”