Chapter Ninety: The Matriarch of the Fourth Household Refuses a Public Trial for He Dalang

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Seeing these sisters-in-law, Madam Xue felt not only concern but also a hint of curiosity. She asked, “Why are you all wrapped up like this?”

The matriarch of the Fourth Branch felt utterly ashamed.

Originally, after returning home, she only said she had been attacked by a scoundrel and revealed nothing else. But Sixth Lady accidentally let slip the truth, and now everyone in the Fourth Branch knew that, at the age of seventy-five, she had been taken advantage of by some lecherous man.

Later, she heard that it wasn’t just the Fourth Branch—everyone in the Xue family knew she had been wronged.

The Fourth Branch matriarch removed her scarf. Below her murky eyes was a bruise, her complexion waxen and pale. At her age, this sudden appearance made her look somewhat like a servant. She looked extremely aggrieved and said, “Sister-in-law, could you please not interrogate the culprit in front of the family? If a mistake has been made, just arrest the person.”

Madam Xue naturally thought the same, but was it really that easy to catch the culprit? Interrogation was secondary; the real purpose was to discuss how to deal with the Third Branch. This had been arranged by the Ninth Prince’s people. If the Third Branch wasn’t convinced, how could the Fourth Branch achieve justice?

Madam Xue said, “If you don’t want to catch the mastermind behind this, then you can just let it go.”

The Fourth Branch matriarch was stunned. “There really is a mastermind?” She wasn’t particularly clever, but having suffered harm, her intuition told her the Ninth Prince’s side had already uncovered some clues. This sister-in-law clearly knew who was responsible.

She grasped Madam Xue’s sleeve excitedly. “Who did it? Sister-in-law, please tell me, who exactly is behind this?”

Since the truth would come out soon, Madam Xue did not intend to shield the Third Branch and replied directly, “It was Fifth Lady. She originally intended to frame Sixth Lady, but that scoundrel He Dalang mistook the person and captured you instead. Think about it—if you hadn’t intervened and it really had been Sixth Lady, would the Fourth Branch still be so peaceful now? Would you even be able to speak to me? The Fourth Branch would probably already be holding a funeral.”

A young lady’s reputation ruined by a servant boy had only two fates: marriage or death. Someone like Sixth Lady, with her temperament, probably wouldn’t have survived.

This matter was clearly related to age. As one grew older, rumors seemed less vicious; people treated them as jokes and stopped blaming the victim so harshly.

The Fourth Branch matriarch wanted to sob quietly, as if to say: “I’m old now; it doesn’t matter if I live or die?”

She was still a woman, after all. Facing such a thing was both disgusting and terrifying, wasn’t it?

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The Fourth Branch matriarch bit her lip and asked, “Are you sure it was Fifth Lady?”

Madam Xue nodded slightly. “Why would I lie to you about something like this? The Ninth Prince has already obtained a confession—it was Fifth Lady who ordered He Dalang to do this.”

The Fourth Branch matriarch pouted, feeling deeply wronged. How dare that little wretch Fifth Lady do such a thing?

But in the end, she had shielded that damned Sixth Lady from disaster. It wasn’t personal against her; so let it be.

The Fourth Branch matriarch said, “I still don’t want this matter to become public. As for Fifth Lady, can’t we just close the door and settle this within the family later?”

“Absolutely not!” At the entrance, a curtain rustled sharply, interrupted by a clear, decisive voice.

The Fourth Branch matriarch looked up and saw it was Eighth Lady. She had big eyes, a round face, a pointed chin, and a fair, delicate complexion, making her look particularly adorable.

But today, Eighth Lady seemed different from before.

Eighth Lady wore a pale green long jacket over a white silk spring coat made by Siji Workshop. Her entire demeanor was as refreshing and noble as bamboo—a calmness that only someone who had seen the world could possess. The real Eighth Lady, confined to the household, had never seen such things.

But that wasn’t the point. The key was, when did Eighth Lady develop such a unique aura? The Fourth Branch matriarch hadn’t noticed before; today was the first time.

Secretly alarmed, she also felt vexed by Xue Fanzhi’s transformation. She herself had a precious Fourth Lady who was quite dull and older than Xue Fanzhi. Why did Fourth Lady remain the same, while Eighth Lady had changed?

The Fourth Branch matriarch felt jealous and, just as Xue Fanzhi had stopped her before, she said sourly, “Why not? Why can’t we? This is a matter between the Third and Fourth Branches. I don’t want to make it public!”

Xue Fanzhi looked at Madam Xue solemnly. “Grandmother, this isn’t just a matter between the Third and Fourth Branches. It concerns the entire Xue family. Fifth Lady’s wrongdoing has evidence and witness testimony. She won’t be falsely accused. Such a cruel woman must be punished to learn her lesson and regret it. Otherwise, who knows who she will frame next? Who would dare to gamble on that? Since there’s proof, she must be arrested and dealt with according to the law.”

Madam Xue, who had originally wanted to keep the family scandal private, was moved. Indeed, if she wasn’t punished, what if she repeated the offense? What if she harmed Eighth Lady next? Fifth Lady was clearly a vile creature.

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Madam Xue quietly regretted having thought earlier that family scandals should not be aired publicly and could be settled behind closed doors. Now she realized it was not the same at all.

The Fourth Branch matriarch knew well that Fifth Lady should be punished to serve as a warning, especially since she despised the Third Branch so much. This was a perfect opportunity to humble them.

“But what about my dignity?” The Fourth Branch matriarch’s face darkened. The more she thought about it, the angrier she grew. Fifth Lady was despicable, but those who exposed her humiliation were just as selfish.

Xue Fanzhi also knew that He Dalang had been mistaken and had no strange inclinations; the Fourth Branch matriarch was genuinely a victim.

They should protect the victim, but if they didn’t sacrifice this victim, others might be bullied next, and then it would be too late for regrets.

If the victim had been Sixth Lady, Xue Fanzhi would have tried to cover for her, after all, she was a young girl. But since it was the Fourth Branch matriarch, she was less inclined to intervene—not because the woman was old and worthless, but because she was unworthy and undeserving.

Finally, Xue Fanzhi looked directly at the Fourth Branch matriarch and asked, “So, what do you mean? Not to investigate and just let Fifth Lady go?”

“Of course not. We can close the door and deal with her ourselves!”

“Can you deal with her?” Xue Fanzhi asked bluntly.

To the Fourth Branch matriarch, this sounded like disdain. She felt like crying—how could the law be gone, and how could a junior speak to an elder like this?

But with Madam Xue present, she dared not lose her temper and reluctantly replied, “Of course I can. If I cannot, surely Sister-in-law and Second Brother can?”

Seeing this, Xue Fanzhi feared such an outcome. In the end, everything would be pushed onto their branch. This matter was difficult to handle. If they ended up resented, it would be better to just ignore it altogether.