TSWRLM -Chapter 245 The Incident

Shen Qingyuan had defeated Xuanyuan Lang. The emperor was extremely pleased and rewarded Shen Qingyuan handsomely. Even Chun Xi received praise from His Majesty for being a virtuous and supportive wife.

The emperor’s compliment was casual, but the empress took the opportunity to bestow Chun Xi with additional gifts.

This winter hunt ended with Chun Xi and Shen Qingyuan as the biggest winners.

Early the next morning, everyone broke camp and returned to the city.

Though the winter hunt lasted only a few days, with so many attendants looking after them throughout, all the nobles felt exhausted and were eager to go home and rest.

Master Wei (Wei Lingze’s father) was filled with anger and suspicion, waiting to return home to interrogate Wei Lingze properly. However, before he could even take a sip of hot tea at home, the steward rushed in and reported: “Master, it’s bad—Madam of Yunzhou Prefecture is going to petition the Young Master in front of the emperor!”

Master Wei’s eyelids twitched. Before he could ask further, the steward handed over a notice: “This notice appeared early this morning and is posted all over the city.”

Master Wei quickly read the notice, his face turning dark as thunder. He took two deep breaths and said gravely, “Bring Madam in to see me.”

The steward obeyed. Soon, Madam Yun arrived in the study.

On her way, Madam Yun had already heard that Wei Lingze had lost the contest and was aware of the events in Yunzhou. Even before entering, she hurriedly said: “Master, there must be some misunderstanding. Ze’er could never have an illegitimate child!”

“Then explain to me what this notice is about!”

Master Wei roared, flinging the notice toward Madam Yun. She opened it and read it, her entire body going numb.

The Yunzhou Madam claimed with certainty that Wei Lingze had set up a residence in Yunzhou, secretly keeping a beautiful mistress, who had even borne him a child. The madam’s own son had only teased that mistress a few times, yet Wei Lingze had someone break her son’s leg, leaving him crippled.

“Master, I had indeed considered leaving an heir for Ze’er, but he never touched any of those women. There could be no illegitimate child. And Yunzhou is so far away—there’s no property of ours there, let alone a residence!”

Madam Yun defended herself earnestly. Master Wei sneered and interrupted her: “People aren’t foolish or crazy. If they had no evidence, would they have traveled all the way to Hanjing to make such a public scene? Things have already escalated this far—how long did you think you could keep this from me?”

“Master, I truly did not hide anything from you…”

Madam Yun knew the matter was serious, and as she tried to explain, Wei Lingze suddenly spoke: “Mother indeed did not conceal anything from Father—it was I who deceived him.”

At this, the study fell silent. Madam Yun dismissed the attendants and asked in a low voice: “Ze’er, what do you mean by that? What did you deceive your father about?”

“Previously, when Cao Chun Xi disappeared, I arranged for it. I also set up a residence in Yunzhou, intending to keep her there, but she not only escaped, she stirred up trouble there under the Wei family’s name, and turned it against me…”

The moment Wei Lingze spoke, Master Wei realized something was wrong. Before Wei Lingze could finish, Master Wei could no longer contain his rage. He raised his hand and struck Wei Lingze hard: “Ungrateful son! When I asked you before, didn’t you tell me unequivocally that you did not do it? Cao Chun Xi was indeed once a servant of the Wei family, but now she is a relative by marriage—you dared do such a thing?”

Wei Lingze staggered back from the blow, blood trickling from his lips.

Though Madam Yun was shocked and angry, she could not help defending Wei Lingze: “Master, don’t act yet. Let Ze’er finish explaining.”

“What’s left to explain after such a shameless act?”

Master Wei roared, his eyes blazing with fury. Madam Yun opened her mouth but did not know what to say.

No matter how much she disliked Chun Xi, she was now officially Madam Shen. As a relative by marriage of Wei Lingze, if this scandal were exposed, the entire Wei family’s reputation would be ruined, and Wei Lingze himself would be ridiculed.

Moreover, Shen Qingyuan had left Hanjing to receive the diplomatic envoy. For Wei Lingze to have Chun Xi abducted at this time could be seen, at best, as lust-driven recklessness, and at worst, as jeopardizing the Wei family’s honor in front of the envoy.

But if they did not clarify the matter, Wei Lingze would have to accept responsibility for the alleged illegitimate child and the accusation of crippling Yunzhou Madam’s son. The news would spread, leaving a stain on their family’s reputation.

Cao Chun Xi’s move was exceptionally ruthless.

Madam Yun hated Chun Xi, but she had no energy to take revenge. She could only pull Wei Lingze aside and ask: “Ze’er, now that you know it was Cao Chun Xi who caused this, do you have a plan?”

Wei Lingze lowered his eyes and said: “The Yunzhou Madam’s son is a local tyrant who has done many evil deeds, abducting women and forcing them into prostitution. I have already gathered evidence. Even if I admit this matter, His Majesty should not punish me too severely.”

Choosing the lesser of two evils.

Wei Lingze had already decided: if the assassins he sent failed to stop this mother-and-son pair, he would have to take the blame Chun Xi pinned on him. Once the situation cooled, he would have ample opportunity to deal with Cao Chun Xi.

Madam Yun could not think of a better solution. She was about to agree when Master Wei said: “If you admit this, you must acknowledge that you kept a mistress and had an illegitimate child. The Xiao family will not tolerate this. If they use it as a reason to force you to divorce He’er, what will you do?”

Madam Yun’s heart tightened. Though she had recently felt that Xiao Qinghe was becoming rebellious and not the daughter-in-law she hoped for, now that Wei Lingze had lost the contest and caused such a scandal, there would be no better match than Xiao Qinghe if they divorced.

Wei Lingze clenched his fists and said clearly: “I will not divorce He’er.”

Madam Yun quickly nodded: “Yes, no divorce. I can accompany Ze’er to the Xiao family to apologize and provide He’er with ample compensation. She would not be so ruthless.”

Master Wei recalled Xiao Qinghe’s reaction at the hunting grounds, which had not been as optimistic as Madam Yun and Wei Lingze, but regardless, to preserve the two families’ marital ties, it was worth trying.

After discussing together, the three set out early the next morning in a carriage toward the Xiao residence. However, when they were still a street away, the carriage was blocked. Seeing the crowd unwilling to disperse, the three had to get out and proceed on foot, offering apologies along the way.

After finally passing through the dense crowd and reaching the Xiao residence, a heart-wrenching cry pierced their ears: “My poor son! How is he to live now, crippled with a broken leg? He hasn’t even married or had children! The Xiao family must take responsibility for him!”

In the center of the crowd, Madam Mu of Yunzhou Prefecture, accompanied by attendants, carried the betrothal gifts wrapped in red silk, banging drums and gongs, demanding marriage for her son who had been crippled.

Most of the people were simply there for the spectacle.

The moment the three from the Wei family appeared, all eyes turned to them.

“Tut, tut, tut! The Wei family failed to raise their son properly, deceived the Xiao family, betrayed Miss Xiao, and now expect the second Xiao daughter to clean up this mess for her brother-in-law? What a disastrous in-law!”

Master Wei: “…”

That unfilial son!