The Wang family naturally had no inkling of transmigration or possession; they were utterly stunned by the slap, which brought them back to their senses.

No matter how incompetent Marquis Dingxi might be, he was an official title bestowed by the court—a Duke or Marquis. Even if Wang Tongye currently held no office, proper protocol demanded respect; in a confrontation between two sides, status and strength had to be roughly equal, or there was no point in engaging.

To the young man, this Marquis was truly nothing in comparison, their statuses and strengths entirely mismatched.

The young man naturally understood this, but first, his family’s influence was a factor, and second, Marquis Dingxi was still a Marquis and ought to maintain some dignity. Who would have expected the Marquis today to be completely changed, as if he had thrown all pretense of face away.

When someone discards their honor, what recourse do others have?

More importantly, the Wang family still clung to theirs.

"Get out," Wang Tongye snapped, suppressing the pain in his chest.

The junior, covering his face, apologized and retreated.

"It’s a good thing my grandfather is gone," Marquis Dingxi continued, refusing to relent, his face flushed with anger. "If my grandfather were still alive and knew his own kin were being bullied like this by you lot, he wouldn't waste time talking like I am now; he’d lead men straight over to smash your Wang family hall."

The First Marquis Dingxi—the old man who rose from low birth, killing enemies from horseback with reckless abandon—would truly have dared to do such a thing!

"Yes, yes, the Marquis has read widely, his temperament has certainly become more refined," Wang Tongye said, extending his hand again, pasting on a cordial smile. "This whole affair is just a misunderstanding; now that it’s cleared up, why stir up anger during the New Year? Come, come with me, I've recently acquired a superb teapot; Marquis, you must help me appraise it..."

"I must say, Old Wang, you are going too far. How can you bully children like that? I recall when you were young, didn't you always fight? You claimed my child blocked your gate, and didn't you once bury a string of firecrackers outside the Gao family's door in the West City, nearly scaring their mother to death? Though, you were later dunked in horse urine by that Gao boy..."

"Hahaha, Marquis, you jest! How could such a thing happen? Not in front of the children, please don't speak nonsense... This teapot is a work by Fujinchun; if the Marquis doesn't despise it, please take it to keep you company..."

"Since you insist, I shall reluctantly accept... A single Zisha pot feels lonely; two are better for raising them together. It seems, Old Wang, you still don't understand this craft..."

"...Cough, cough, cough... Yes... the Marquis knows best... I happen to have two. Please, take them both, Marquis..."

Listening to the two of them laughing as they walked out, those remaining in the main hall exchanged bewildered glances.

Was that... the end of the matter?

"Take him away," Young Master Wang suddenly said, glancing at the steward slumped on the floor.

Immediately, several servants lifted him; at this point, the steward knew words were useless.

"Forget it. He was derelict in his duties. Punish him according to your rules for dereliction, just please, don't have his hand cut off," Qi Yue stated.

The servants paused, looking at Young Master Wang.

"Is the Young Mistress offering charity? It’s unnecessary, really," Young Master Wang replied with a faint smile.

Qi Yue smiled too, though with a hint of disdain.

"I am a physician; my duty is to save lives and treat the wounded. I simply dislike damaging sound limbs," she said.

The Wang family disciples in the hall showed expressions of dismissal.

"Furthermore, do I need to show kindness? Someone who knows their mistake and is grateful would absolutely never do something like this, nor would we have today's conflict. Since this steward could do such a thing, I assume he is not someone who recognizes error or possesses gratitude. I understand what you all are thinking," Qi Yue said, smiling at him, her gaze sweeping over all the Wang family members present.

"But so what? Should I be uncomfortable just to make you comfortable? I did nothing wrong; must I always be subservient? Regardless, I’ll state my position clearly today: we fought, the misunderstanding is cleared, and frankly, I have no lingering thoughts about you. Of course, if you have any thoughts about me, or my Marquis Dingxi Residence, I don't mind—just like what my father-in-law said earlier, if your master once bombed someone's door, they might retaliate by dunking him in horse urine..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Chang Yuncheng standing nearby.

Chang Yuncheng felt a sudden sense of foreboding.

"Shut up..." he hissed softly.

But Qi Yue had already chimed in cheerfully:

"Today, the Heir struck your door. If you wish for revenge in the future, just dunk the Heir in horse urine, and we’ll be even," she laughed.

Upon hearing this, the people in the hall couldn't help but burst into laughter. Even the usually stern Young Master Wang showed a flicker of a smile, though he quickly composed himself due to his restraint.

"Of course, you must have the ability to do so," Qi Yue added with a smile, glancing at Chang Yuncheng with evident pride. "My man is very formidable. By then, who dunks whom in the horse urine remains to be seen."

The Wang family laughed again.

"It might not be certain."

A younger disciple even dared to chime in with playful teasing.

The heavy, tense atmosphere in the hall completely dissipated.

Chang Yuncheng looked at this woman—feeling annoyed, amused, and inexplicably moved.

She said... my man... her man...

She said it with such unrestrained pride and satisfaction...

This was the first time he had ever seen someone speak of him with such unvarnished pride, a genuine, innate sense of glory. His own mother often took pride in him, but that pride was mostly born of doting affection and a desire to spite others.

So, it was possible to make someone you cared about proud of you.

And to make the person you cared about proud of you—what a profound happiness that was.

The feeling of defending one’s own was wonderful.

Hearing the laughter in the hall, Marquis Dingxi and Wang Tongye, who had reached a superficial peace over the two Zisha pots, exchanged a glance.

"See? I told you not to worry so much about the children's affairs," the Marquis said with a touch of smugness.

This must be the work of his darling daughter-in-law; she besieged the Wang family gates and managed to make them laugh in such a short time!

Wang Tongye was also surprised but understood it was because he had already yielded; the younger generation naturally wouldn't press too hard.

"Marquis, I left home to take up office when I was twenty-four. I haven't been back for decades; I hardly recognize you now," he said to Marquis Dingxi, the forced cheerfulness gone, replaced by an expression of inquiry, curiosity, and confusion. "To be frank, regardless of who started it, your family’s actions this time were quite excessive."

"My son and daughter-in-law can’t tolerate the slightest slight. Besides, being struck by one of your servants—it’s no wonder she caused a scene," the Marquis pouted. "You know about the bet involving the city physician last time?"

Physicians—what were they to Wang Tongye? He certainly didn't care about such trivialities.

"I was in the countryside; I didn't hear," he replied.

Not hearing was excellent news.

"You didn't even hear about something so entertaining? Old Wang, you’ve been living too dull a life," Marquis Dingxi immediately began speaking animatedly.

Wang Tongye's face darkened slightly. Fine, he hadn't misjudged this Marquis.

Listening as the Marquis excitedly exaggerated the story of Qi Yue betting with Wang Qingspring and kneeling at the city gate, Wang Tongye couldn't help but become intrigued.

"High skill inspires great boldness," he commented.

Marquis Dingxi smiled at him.

"Actually, I asked that child later, and she told me she wasn't entirely sure of the outcome in her heart," he confessed.

Wang Tongye was astonished.

"You mean she didn't know if she could cure him? Impossible. Then why did she dare to proceed?" he asked, looking doubtful.

"Who knows," the Marquis shrugged, scratching his own head, a mixture of confusion and lingering fear in his expression. "Don't laugh at me, Lord Wang, but I was terrified at the time, and even now, thinking back, I get a chill. What if she hadn't managed to cure him? How could she dare? That child’s nerve is immense..."

Wang Tongye fell silent, his gaze fixed on the main hall.

"To press oneself to the point of death to find a way to live..." he murmured. "How decisive! So that’s it. This current incident is no longer surprising."

With that, the knot of worry and gloom on his brow finally vanished.

"However, Marquis, what was your motive this time?" he suddenly asked with a smile.

The Marquis was momentarily taken aback by the question.

"What motive? I am simply this kind of person. Don't forget how the Chang family earned its nobility. Back then, my grandfather dared to strike the Emperor..."

Wang Tongye burst into hearty laughter and clapped the Marquis on the back.

Though older, he was strong, and the blow nearly sent the Marquis stumbling forward.

That old fellow was definitely doing it on purpose!

The Marquis grumbled resentfully.

"Enough, your grandfather is your grandfather, and I know your true nature, just as you know mine," Wang Tongye laughed, then leaned in conspiratorially, a trace of mockery in his voice. "Tell me, did you eat some bear's heart and leopard's gall for courage?"

He then leaned in forcefully to sniff.

"No, wait, I don't smell any wine. Doesn't seem like you were drunk..."

The Marquis's old face flushed red, and he shoved him away.

"What nonsense are you talking about? My children were bullied, and even that gaggle of little brats dared to rally in support. If I, as their father, didn't speak up, would I even qualify as a father?" he huffed.

Wang Tongye laughed heartily again upon seeing this.

"Exactly! If a father doesn't stand up to defend his bullied children, what kind of father is he?" he boomed, extending his hand.

This time, the Marquis cleverly dodged it.

Just as the laughter in the main hall subsided, the sound of Wang Tongye’s booming laughter carried in from outside. The Wang family disciples exchanged another round of glances.

They could certainly tell that this laughter from their grandfather was entirely different from the previous one.

This laugh was genuine, without reservation or hidden agenda.

What happened?

A flicker of confusion crossed Young Master Wang’s eyes as well. He couldn't help but look towards the woman standing there.

This woman truly was... very strange.

The voices of Wang Tongye and Marquis Dingxi followed immediately from outside.

"In that case, I'm not wrong either; it was all for the children. Speaking of which, we took the bigger loss this time, so I can't give you this Zisha pot..."

"...Old Wang, are you even a man anymore! How can you take back words you’ve spoken?"

"...Hmm, for a Zisha pot, it's worth losing my manhood once..."

"...Old Wang... No... Lord Wang... Master Wang... one pot, give me one... Don't go! I’ll trade you a painting by Master Tang for it... A painting by Master Tang!..."