Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Sinner of the Xie Family

Anshou Hall

Old Madam Xie sat in the main seat, with the crestfallen and red-cheeked Xie Shi'an seated in the lower tier, surrounded by a cluster of matrons and maids.

"Mother."

Xie Shi'an stood up and paid his respects to Yun Chu.

"An'er is a good child, dutiful to you as his mother in every way," the Old Madam began, voicing her reproach. "Such a good child—how could you bear to slap his face, how could you bear to make him kneel in the ancestral hall... Look at this little face, just look at how swollen it is. The physician says it will take three days to go down..."

"So the Old Madam called me here for this matter." A baffling smile touched the corners of Yun Chu's lips. "An'er, did you not tell the Old Madam why I punished you?"

Xie Shi'an kept his head lowered. "Your son does not know."

Yun Chu's voice turned somewhat chilly. "Kneeling in the ancestral hall was meant to make you reflect carefully on where you went wrong. If you haven't figured it out, then go back and keep kneeling."

"Chu'er, you have always been magnanimous and gentle. Why are you being so harsh today?" The Old Madam frowned. "What on earth did An'er do?"

Yun Chu smiled.

Indeed. She had been gentle with the concubines' sons and daughters, magnanimous with the concubines and mistresses, managed domestic affairs within, and forged connections outside, propping up half the sky for the Xie family.

Yet all along, how had these people treated her?

The Old Madam, the mistress of the house, and Xie Jingyu respected her on the surface, but in reality, they used her to squeeze the Yun family dry until nothing was left.

Those concubines' children called her "Mother" with every breath, yet in truth, they had never truly held her, this mother, in their hearts.

And all those concubines—including her own dowry maid, Concubine Yu—which of them hadn't secretly mocked her for her inability to bear children...

This so-called tolerance and magnanimity was merely the Xie family's way of manipulating her, as well as her own self-imposed oppression.

She spoke in a tranquil voice, "Tingshuang, go to the Pine-Verdant Pavilion and fetch the Young Master's recent calligraphy and paintings."

Tingshuang acknowledged the order and departed immediately.

Old Madam Xie frowned. Since they were fetching calligraphy and paintings, it meant this matter was related to his studies.

An'er had been clever since childhood, excelling greatly in his studies and winning praise from everyone. She truly could not imagine what sort of mistake could be made in this regard.

Before long, Tingshuang returned holding the calligraphy and paintings.

Yun Chu flipped through them, pulled out one specific sheet of writing, and handed it to Xie Shi'an. "Read it aloud yourself."

Xie Shi'an's expression had already changed. Pressing his lips into a thin, straight line, he spoke slowly, "Those who wish the tree to grow tall must secure its roots; those who desire the stream to flow far must..."

Old Madam Xie was not an ignorant old matron. Her husband had been a licentiate, her son a provincial graduate, and her grandson Xie Jingyu was a top scholar.

Proudly styling her family as one of scholarly lineage and influenced by years of immersion, she naturally understood that this was a memorial written centuries ago by a minister to the emperor, intended to admonish the sovereign to remain mindful of danger in times of peace and to accumulate virtue and righteousness.

Frowning, she asked, "What is wrong with this remonstrance?"

"This remonstrance itself is naturally fine," Yun Chu said coldly. "However, at the very end of the essay, he wrote treasonous words."

With a swift motion, the Old Madam snatched the paper away.

"...Emperor Yang of Sui plundered for profit, the decree of Heaven is hard to fathom, presenting medicine to His Majesty, condoning bribery and violation..." Reading up to this point, the Old Madam was seized with terror, her expression turning one of utter shock. "An'er, what on earth are you writing this for?"

Yun Chu let out a cold laugh.

In Xie Shi'an's study, such sentiments could be found everywhere, which was enough to show that he harbored deep grievances against the reigning Emperor.

That was why the very first thing he did after entering the Cabinet was to find a way to eliminate the loyal Yun family and rally the princes to force the palace...

She had never been able to comprehend how a twelve-year-old youth could harbor such discontent toward the Emperor.

"An'er, do you know what consequences would follow if outsiders were to see such things?" Yun Chu demanded sternly. "You are registered under my name, which makes you the legitimate eldest son of the Xie household! Every word and action of yours represents the Xie family!"

A powerful aura suddenly radiated from her entire being. "You fiercely denounced the reigning Emperor as dissolute and lawless, blindly trusting treacherous ministers..."

Xie Shi'an's complexion turned unsightly. "I did no such thing..."

"This is not something you can simply deny with a single 'I did not'!" Yun Chu's expression grew even more severe. "Black and white on paper constitutes hard evidence. If someone were to submit a memorial to the throne, at best your father would be demoted, and at worst the entire Xie household would be thrown into prison as criminals. No matter whether it is light or heavy, it is a burden you cannot bear! For three generations, the ancestors of the Xie family studied hard until your father's generation finally entered the official ranks as a court official. Yet these few lines of yours will reduce the efforts of generations to absolute waste. You will become a sinner of the entire Xie family!"

With a flick of her hand, she hurled that sheet of paper directly onto Xie Shi'an's face.

Old Madam Xie sat frozen in her chair as if struck by lightning. She truly had never imagined that the consequences could be this severe.

No wonder her usually gentle granddaughter-in-law had suddenly flown into a rage; as it turned out, An'er really had committed a grave offense.

Yun Chu lowered her eyelids.

While this matter sounded severe, in truth, even if it were blown out of proportion, the penalty would at most be the forfeiture of a few months' salary.

Moreover, her husband Xie Jingyu was exceedingly clever; he had plenty of methods to sweep this incident under the rug.

Having returned through rebirth, many matters had to be meticulously plotted.

She said softly, "Ever since An'er was formally entered into our lineage and recognized by the ancestors, I have raised him with the utmost meticulous care. In the span of four years, this is the very first time I have ever lost my temper, yet it has escalated all the way here to the Old Madam. It would seem that I, a mere mother, do not even possess the right to discipline my own child... Or perhaps, even though An'er is registered under my name, I lack the qualification to administer strict discipline? If that is the case, I dare not claim this son any longer."

Just a moment ago she had blazed with thunderous fury, but now her expression was sorrowful, as if truly heartbroken.

The Old Madam immediately grew anxious. "Chu'er, I had no intention of blaming you."

If Yun Chu refused to claim An'er anymore, then An'er would be nothing more than a concubine's son. A concubine's son was looked down upon everywhere and would find it difficult to advance in officialdom.

Although he was already entered in the ancestral genealogy and it wasn't something Yun Chu could simply discard at whim, only true acceptance by Yun Chu would ensure that the Yun family accepted him as well.

The Yun family was an estate of a First-Rank Grand General—not something their minor Fifth-Rank Xie household could ever hope to compare with...

The Old Madam turned her head sharply. "An'er, what are you still standing there stupidly for?"

Xie Shi'an stepped forward. "Books say that a strict mother produces talented scholars while a lenient mother ruins her children. Mother's strict discipline toward her son stems from her hope that he will achieve greatness. Yet I failed to understand Mother's painstaking intentions; it was my fault. I will return to the ancestral hall to continue kneeling."

Yun Chu curled the corners of her lips.

Xie Shi'an had refused to accept her punishment from the very beginning, which was why he had pulled the Old Madam into the fray.

It was only when the evidence was laid bare before him—only when refutation became impossible—that he lowered his head and made the choice most advantageous to himself.

This child was just like Xie Jingyu: deep in calculation and thoroughly versed in scholarship, which was why he had managed to rank first in all three imperial examinations and enter the Cabinet at such a tender age.

She stated indifferently, "There is no need for An'er to continue kneeling; the Old Madam will distress herself over it."

The Old Madam indeed felt distressed.

After all, since the founding of the Xie household, there had never been a precedent of anyone kneeling in the ancestral hall.

Yet educating a son was a mother's natural duty; if she, a great-grandmother, were to meddle too much, wouldn't it chill the younger generation's heart?

With a heavy heart, she forced herself to say, "If the punishment was ordered, he ought to keep kneeling."

"Since the Old Madam has put it that way," Yun Chu sighed, "the spring air carries a heavy chill; there is no need to kneel for too long. Two days should be about right."

The Old Madam's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

She would have considered two hours too long, yet Yun Chu was demanding two full days—someone might actually lose their life!

However, Xie Shi'an had already agreed to the terms. "Understood. Two days from now, I shall return to pay my respects to Mother."

Yun Chu's eyes were as deep as an unfathomable abyss.

It was only two days...

Before her death, she had knelt for a full two months, yet what she received in return from the Xie family was not a single memorial submitted on behalf of the Yun family, but a cup of poisoned wine...

Stepping out of Anshou Hall, Tingshuang spoke with a worried expression, "Mistress punishing the Young Master in this manner... I'm afraid it will cause the Young Master to grow estranged from you."

Yun Chu smiled.

Xie Shi'an had never been of one heart with her to begin with; where could there be any talk of growing estranged?

The painstaking devotion of her past life had only ever been repaid with schemes and betrayal. Why bother ever giving her heart away again?