The room fell silent.
Madam Lu began trembling uncontrollably, wishing she could pounce forward and tear a piece of flesh off He Shengchang.
It was them, truly them!
Madam He, both in pain and panic, cried out “Ah Sheng!” and then tilted her head and fainted.
Old Madam Wang pointed at He Shengchang. “Good! Good! Good! You’ve read the classics of the sages in vain! You even call yourself a disciple of the sages, well done, He Shengchang!”
Scheming against his own cousin.
How capable indeed!
The moment He Shengchang shouted those words, he regretted it, his body turning cold and aching.
He had been somewhat muddle-headed earlier.
Mainly because the moment he arrived at the Wang residence, the scene had frightened him.
Then Qi Yuan pressed him step by step, not giving him any chance to think, continuously tormenting Madam He.
He couldn’t think that much, nor did he have time to think.
Only now did he shudder all over, realizing what a terrible decision he had made.
He had admitted it!
He could have denied it to the end. As long as he refused to admit it, the matter would have remained a deadlock.
The one involved was Wang Chan, the legitimate daughter of the Wang family.
The Wang family would never dare to make a big scene, much less report it to the authorities.
Why did he admit it?!
As long as he denied everything, this matter would not affect him at all!
He Shengchang bit his lips until the skin broke. When he swallowed, he realized even his tongue tasted bitter.
Qi Yuan let out a soft scoff. “You’re really promising.”
She raised her brows faintly and leaned back against the chair. “Who gave you the idea?”
The person He Shengchang hated most now was this girl of unknown identity and origin. He stared at Qi Yuan with wide eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
He had already made one mistake, he couldn’t continue making more.
He clenched his teeth tightly.
Qi Yuan lowered her eyes and laughed softly, then stepped on the back of his hand. “Young Master He, you should know, I’m not asking you.”
Her foot pressed lightly. “These hands of yours are meant for writing and taking the exams. If I apply a little force now, you won’t be able to hold a brush ever again.”
He Shengchang had never seen someone like this!
She didn’t speak forcefully; her tone was even gentle.
Yet every word was like knives and arrows, making people feel pain.
The key point was that she truly did what she said. When she broke Madam He’s fingers earlier, she didn’t even blink.
Just like now, after finishing her sentence, she had already begun to apply force.
If he didn’t speak, these hands would truly be ruined!
As she began to press down, a wave of terror rose from his tailbone, spreading through his entire body. In extreme fear, he shouted, “No!”
Qi Yuan looked at him calmly. “You only have one chance, Young Master He. Make good use of it.”
Tears streamed down He Shengchang’s face. He didn’t know whether the pain or the fear was greater. He struggled to suppress his terror before finally speaking with a choked voice, “I’ll say it, it was… it was Wei Qingyang. Wei Qingyang taught me!”
Wei Qingyang.
Qi Yuan thought for a moment before recalling who that was.
Wasn’t that the follower who always trailed behind Feng Caiwei, the one who would always be the first to jump out and bite people on her behalf?
Back when Feng Jun died along with Wei Chang, the Feng family hadn’t dared to cause trouble, and the Wei family had been even more silent.
So she had almost forgotten about this person entirely.
Yet she hadn’t expected Wei Qingyang to be someone so capable of enduring.
She stepped back and suddenly laughed softly.
Old Madam Wang looked at him in confusion and asked, “Wei Qingyang? Why would she do this?”
He Shengchang didn’t know how to answer that question either. Terrified and completely flustered, he burst into tears. “I don’t know either! I only know that not long after we came to the capital, she met my mother while burning incense…”
What followed happened naturally.
All these years, Madam He had been thinking about forming a marriage alliance with the Wang family.
But the Wang family had never agreed.
Madam He had already been somewhat dissatisfied with the Wang family, and after Wei Qingyang proposed the idea, she quickly made her decision.
For her, it really wasn’t a difficult choice.
Everything had originally gone smoothly.
Who could have expected it to suddenly be exposed and in such an abrupt way?
He Shengchang wailed loudly.
Qi Yuan slowly lifted her foot off him and gave an “oh,” then said softly, “I was just thinking about what to do. Since it’s Wei Qingyang, that makes things simple.”
Simple?
He Shengchang looked up at Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan was also looking at him. Lowering her eyes, she said, “Go to the Wei family and propose marriage.”
…
He Shengchang widened his eyes, staring at Qi Yuan in shock and disbelief. His ears buzzed, and he couldn’t hear anything else.
Madam Lu and Old Madam Wang also looked at Qi Yuan instinctively.
Qi Yuan lowered her eyes and bent down, gripping He Shengchang’s chin. “Young Master He, go propose marriage at the Wei family. If you fail, I will be angry.”
She flung him aside. “You’re eloquent, surely I don’t need to teach you what to say?”
He Shengchang was completely stunned.
Qi Yuan, however, remained calm.
Since ancient times, it had always been like this, when something had already spread widely and could no longer be concealed, the only way to resolve it was to create an even bigger matter.
Once that happened, naturally no one would remember the previous matter.
Since Wei Qingyang liked ruining people’s reputations and chastity so much, she could taste that feeling herself.
Qi Yuan smoothed the folds of her skirt, then turned to Madam Lu. “Aunt, send someone to follow him. Court is about to begin, have him go now. While everyone is heading to court, make him kneel at the Wei family’s gate.”
Madam Lu snapped back to her senses and nodded repeatedly. “Yes! Yes! I’ll make the arrangements right away!”
Without realizing it, Qi Yuan had already become her pillar of support. Even now, she still felt as if she were floating in midair, everything unreal.
Was the matter really resolved just like this?
Old Madam Wang, however, glanced at Old Madam Qi. “The Wei family… wasn’t there also someone from the Wei family involved in what happened earlier at the Eldest Princess’s residence?”
Old Madam Qi sneered. “Yes, turns out the dogs that bite don’t bark. They were waiting here.”
Just then, Wang Chan woke up, and a startled cry came from inside.
Qi Yuan gave He Shengchang one last glance, turned, and pushed open the door into the inner room. She pressed down on Wang Chan’s shoulder and called out in a steady voice, “Ah Chan! Everything has already been resolved, you don’t need to panic!”
Wang Chan looked at her with a pale face. “How is it resolved? Yuan Jie’er, it’s useless, I’m finished. My entire life is finished!”
Qi Yuan shook her head. “No. I’ll take you to watch a spectacle.”
She spoke each word slowly, her tone gentle: “What problem is there that cannot be solved?”
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