Chapter 68: 68. Chapter 68: Man as the Cutting Board

68. Chapter 68: Man as the Cutting Board

In Madame Cui's view, Xie Yanwan's present state is inseparable from the maids and servant women around her.

Though it's not easy to punish her own daughter, Madame Cui has no hesitation in dealing with the people around her.

"Mother!"

Xie Yanwan never expected that just showing a bit of cleverness before Madame Cui would draw such a sharp and heavy reply from her.

"What does this have to do with the people around my daughter?"

"My daughter is just feeling resentful!"

Xie Yanwan rose, knelt before Madame Cui, and said, "If you want to blame someone, blame me; if you want to beat or punish me, it's all my fault—there's no need to involve others."

"Not bad!"

Madame Cui looked at her daughter kneeling on the ground, her expression easing a little, and said, "Seeing you still have some sense of responsibility makes me relieved."

"But you still don't understand where you went wrong!"

"And you don't understand why I'm dealing with the people around you."

"Go away, think it over yourself; come see me again when you've figured it out."

"Take the young lady back!"

Madame Cui waved her hand and directly had the elderly maid beside her take Xie Yanwan out.

"Mother——"

Xie Yanwan cried out miserably, but it was utterly unable to change Madame Cui's mind.

After Xie Yanwan left, Madame Cui sat in her place for a long time before summoning someone and saying, "Go investigate who the young lady has been close to recently."

This daughter has always been well-behaved and clever; even if she harbored any dissatisfaction, she would not resort to such petty tricks.

Especially since these tricks have ended up on her mother's head.

Simply, foolish!

She has taken a grudge against her future sister-in-law; how will they get along as sisters-in-law?

If the Xie family's household is not peaceful and brothers fight each other, in the end the misfortune will still fall on the Xie family's own people.

Such an obvious principle—how could this daughter not think of it?

Madame Cui is truly very angry.

Taking action against the people around Xie Yanwan is, on one hand, displacing anger, and on the other, a way to express her stance.

If this daughter can understand, then everything will be fine.

If not, once she is married off, the mother‑daughter bond of this lifetime will essentially be over.

She is Xie Yanwan's mother, but not only Xie Yanwan's mother.

She has a husband, a son, and many members of the Xie clan whom she must protect.

As the matriarch of the Xie family, she must understand her position.

Some families flourish then suddenly decline, often because the women of the inner quarters overstep their bounds; indulgence toward descendants must have limits.

……

Front courtyard of the Xie family manor, east wing courtyard.

Xie Zian was leisurely grilling fish, while in the pavilion behind him a group of elders were feasting and drinking.

"Xie Zian, your grilling speed is too slow!"

"Exactly, we've already had three rounds of drinks!"

"Don't make noise!"

Xie Zian turned his head, gave those elders a fierce look, and said, "The finest ingredients must undergo the most primitive cooking!"

"If you want to eat something delicious, you have to be able to wait!"

"Cut it out!"

One elder stood up and said, "You little brat, don't think I don't know—you already grilled a fish earlier; hurry up and bring it over!"

"Third Great-Uncle, why are your eyes so sharp?"

Xie Zian took out the fish he had just hidden, still thinking he would secretly eat it first later.

"Hehe, I, your Third Great-Uncle, used to be an expert at hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces with a horn bow—aim where I want and hit it!"

The elder boasted proudly about his past glorious deeds.

Xie Zian chuckled, sliced the grilled fish a few times, placed it on a tray, and sent it to the table in front of the elders.

Only cold dishes were laid out on the table.

In the midsummer heat, eating some cold dishes is also good.

"Hmm, not bad, that's the flavor!"

"You little brat, did you still learn something on this trip out?"

"Not bad, not bad—you're qualified to open a restaurant!"

"Right, right!"

The elders who had tasted Xie Zian's grilled fish were all quite satisfied.

Xie Zian chuckled and said, "Then I really will go open a restaurant!"

"I'll break your leg!"

Upon hearing Xie Zian's words, the Third Great-Uncle was the first to glare.

Xie Zian gave the elder a white eye in return and said, "Just now, you yourselves said I was qualified to open a restaurant!"

"Go on, you just know how to play word games with us!"

"If you're capable, go play with your sister in the palace!"

Well, you really brought up a sore point!

What Xie Zian fears most is Xie Zixian; having him voluntarily enter the palace is no different from kicking him into a fire pit!

Just scared?

Another old gentleman smiled and looked at Xie Zian.

Second grand-uncle, how could I not be scared?

Xie Zixian is now the empress, and my brother-in-law favors his own kin; if I show disrespect to my sister, he'll definitely punish me—I'm not stupid!

Xie Zian hasn't figured out how to face his twin sister Xie Zixian, after all, he's been away for three years.

You think if you don't enter the palace, everything will be fine?

Second grand-uncle chuckled, "Kid, you're still too green; compared to your brother-in-law, you're far behind!"

What did he do?

Xie Zian immediately thought of Shen Yunyao.

Little Huanxi went out to meet your wife today; they became sworn sisters. You say, if the emperor finds out, could he possibly intervene and take her as an adoptive sister?

By then, he'll be your elder brother-in-law!

Hearing the old gentleman say this, Xie Zian became completely uneasy, for he knew his arrogant, childish brother-in-law would surely do such a thing.

Why?

Naturally, it's to openly make things difficult for him!

Just as he once made things difficult for him!

Second grand-uncle, you've always been resourceful and strategic, planning victories from afar; you surely have a solution, right?

All those old gentlemen of his family are ancestors who have made great contributions to Dayong; his second grand-uncle was once hailed as the God of War.

Although he's merely a scholar, he's skilled in military strategy and invincible in battle.

This time, my old man can't help!

Second grand-uncle spread his hands, "Or you could go into the palace now, cheer up your sister; maybe she can help keep your brother-in-law occupied so he has no time to cause trouble for you!"

Enter the palace?

Forget it, let's just go into the palace!

Xie Zian felt a pang of regret; this time he truly miscalculated.

But man is the knife and cutting board!

If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have asked my sister to seek this imperial marriage edict.

Now that the imperial marriage edict has been issued, everything must be handled by the Ministry of Rites.

Wait!

It seems the daughter of the Minister of Rites has encountered trouble today!

Xie Zian felt a headache.

Not many in the capital are unaware of Lü Qingfan's little schemes; Xie Zian naturally knows them well. Now that Lü Qingfan has met with this mishap, will her father let it rest?

Could it be that after the young master returns to the capital and finally finds a few days of peace, he must first take down the Minister of Rites?