Chapter Fourteen: Refusing to Admit

"Who are you talking to?!" Xue Yang stepped down from his high seat, staring at Xue Jingren with authority. "This matter concerns you as well. If not for your second great-uncle needing people, do you think you could have escaped punishment?"

"Then don't spare me!" Xue Jingren retorted defiantly, "With such a father who can’t distinguish right from wrong, you might as well beat me to death—at least then I’d be free!"

But why? Why should she and her elder brother be the ones to die? They had done nothing wrong!

Looking at Xue Yang’s cold, earnest expression, whatever lingering affection or admiration Xue Fanzhi held in her heart instantly vanished. In truth, she should never have had attachments in her previous life, and certainly not now.

Xue Fanzhi tugged at Xue Jingren’s sleeve. "I refuse to believe there’s nowhere in the Xue household to reason things out."

Madam Jin hurried out from behind the old matriarch, pleading, "Old Madam, Jingren didn’t mean any harm; he was only trying to protect Little Eight. He’s a kind-hearted child. Second Uncle still needs him. You can’t really punish him!"

"Mother!" Xue Jingren called out, his tone filled with an indescribable grievance.

Because he was her son, his mother pleaded for him. Yet when Father wanted to punish his sister with thirty strokes of the family rod, Mother had silently acquiesced. Such favoritism—even when he benefited—was hard to accept. Was being a boy truly all that mattered?

Madam Jin turned back. "Be quiet!" To her, her son was the foundation of her security.

As she finished speaking, she suddenly met a pair of mocking, unfeeling eyes.

"Little Eight!" Madam Jin opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say, finally turning away in shame. "You shouldn’t have been so disobedient, so heartless, wanting to send your sister back to the ancestral home!"

"Yes, I’m so heartless," Xue Fanzhi replied calmly. "Because my sister framed me, I sent her home." She then looked at the old matriarch. "Grandmother, now I can only trust in you, believing you are the place for reason in the Xue family. I did have my brother send Lady Xue Seven back to the ancestral home, but there were reasons. Are you willing to hear why I did so?"

Like Father, if one is unwilling to listen, no matter what is said, it’s all in vain.

Though the old matriarch was reserved with her family, she was no fool. Xue Fanzhi was pure and kind-hearted; Xue Jiaoyue cunning and scheming. Moreover, she had the loyal and upright eldest grandson, Xue Jingren, siding with Fanzhi.

The old matriarch nodded. "Of course, every matter must be investigated before judgment. So, Little Eight, what exactly did your seventh sister do to earn your hatred?"

Xue Yang interjected, "Mother, don’t indulge her! Whatever happened, it was just childish squabbles. How could you take it seriously? But what about Little Eight? She wants to send Yue’er back home. The ancestral home is hardly fit for anyone now. She just wants Yue’er dead—she’s truly cruel and ruthless. She must not be let off so easily!"

Xue Jiaoyue had been composed, but now she cried, lips pressed tightly, wide innocent eyes streaming tears, feigning deep sorrow.

Xue Fanzhi ignored Xue Yang, addressing the old matriarch, "Grandmother, when refugees scattered us, Xue Jiaoyue spread rumors..."

She recounted the crucial events, then looked at Xue Yang. "So, Seventh Sister spread rumors that I’d been dishonored—isn’t that sentencing me to death? Seventh Sister urged Mother to hurry on and leave me behind—isn’t that sentencing me to death? Father allows her to send me to die, but won’t permit me to send her home?"

"Father keeps interrupting me, perhaps to avoid hearing the truth and finding excuses to punish me?"

The room erupted. The two concubine-born wives in the main branch, Madam Zhang and Madam Yuan, whispered, "How could anyone spread such rumors about their own sister?"

"To even urge eldest sister-in-law to return to Jiankang—Seventh Lady is truly poisonous!"

"If it were me, I’d send her back to Jiankang myself!"

The old lady of the second branch directly addressed the matriarch, "Your Seventh Lady always seemed sly since childhood—now we see it’s true. She harms her siblings and then plays the victim. If she were mine, I’d beat her to death!"

Other branches said nothing, but their eyes brightened, waiting for Xue Jiaoyue to be punished.

Xue Jiaoyue feared most when the old matriarch allowed Xue Fanzhi to speak. She’d thought Father’s timely appearance would cover things up, but that wretched girl had managed to turn the tables.

Her gaze darkened, yet she cried out all the more pitifully, "Grandmother, grandmother..." I am so wronged.

The old matriarch beckoned Jiaoyue forward and asked, "Did you truly spread malicious rumors slandering Little Eight, and then urge your mother to leave her behind?"

Xue Jiaoyue’s large eyes brimmed with tears as she knelt, "Grandmother, your granddaughter did not do such things. I am innocent."

Xue Yang, distressed, pulled Jiaoyue up and raised his voice to the matriarch. "Little Seven is such a kind child—how could she do such things? How can you believe others over her?"

"Father!" Xue Jingren sneered. "More people know about this than just Little Eight and me. Mother won’t speak, but Lady Zhaoyang and Lady Xie Thirteen were present—they both heard Jiaoyue admit it herself. How can you deny it now?"

"Lady Zhaoyang?!" The room fell silent as everyone calculated their next move.

Only Xue Yang recovered quickly, rebuking, "Lady Zhaoyang is not someone you can associate with. Do you think you can scare me by casually invoking her name? You think I won’t dare ask her for the truth?"

Xue Jiaoyue relaxed inwardly. Indeed, aside from Second Granduncle, the Xue family liked to curry favor with the powerful. Even if it were true, they wouldn’t dare seek confirmation.

Xue Jingren, furious, raised his voice. "Then surely you can trust the servants’ testimony?"

"Who knows if you bribed the servants?"

"So, in the end, Little Eight is always wrong and Little Seven is always right?"

"Watch your mouth! You unfilial child! Clearly you and Little Eight are ganging up on Yue’er, finding excuses and falsely accusing her!"

Xue Yang finished berating Xue Jingren, then looked to the old matriarch. "Mother, Little Eight relies on her elder brother and acts fearlessly. This time, you must teach her a proper lesson!"

"No need!" Xue Fanzhi’s smile never touched her eyes. "Father, if you want me dead, just say so—why bother with so many words?"

"You’ve truly gone too far!" Xue Yang shouted in fury. "Today, beating you to death would be justified!"

Xue Fanzhi straightened her back, her gaze cold and mocking, as if the world was unworthy of her, a martyr’s resolve in her eyes. Xue Yang grew even angrier, his hand reaching for the sword at his waist. Sensing trouble, Xue Jingren rushed to shield Xue Fanzhi, "Father!"

Madam Jin also panicked, grabbing Xue Yang, "Master, please calm your anger!"

She then turned to Xue Fanzhi and cried, "You wretched girl, admit your fault and apologize to your father!"