The sudden appearance of Old Madam Xie, and her equally sudden action, stunned everyone in the room into silence.

"Mother, if you must strike, let me do it. Do not harm your own body." Madam Xie cried out.

Old Madam Xie delivered several blows with all her might. Madam Xie’s face was already swollen, but without a moment's hesitation after speaking those words, she indeed raised her hand and struck herself fiercely.

"Grandmother, Mother," Chang Yuncheng called out, separating the two women.

Having expended all her strength, Old Madam Xie swayed, nearly collapsing. Chang Yuncheng quickly moved to support her.

"Are you satisfied now!" she continued to murmur, looking at Madam Xie.

Madam Xie looked back at her, tears streaming down her face.

"Mother, it was all that Qi Yueriang who caused..." she started to shout.

Before the words were fully out, Old Madam Xie raised her cane and brought it down hard.

Chang Yuncheng, busy supporting the Old Madam, could not block the blow in time and could only grab the old woman's arm.

Madam Xie was knocked off balance.

Old Madam Xie, utterly spent, could no longer stand. Chang Yuncheng quickly helped her sit down nearby.

"I heard what you actually did. I hurried from home, chasing after you, but I was still a step too slow..." she said breathlessly, "You, you, you killed Yuncheng!"

"Mother, I did it for Yuncheng!" Madam Xie looked up and cried.

The Old Madam did not get angry; instead, she laughed.

This laughter made the Marquis of Dingxi look over.

Is this old woman insane? he thought. If she is mad, let her be. The household certainly doesn't need one less lunatic.

"You did it for Yuncheng?" Old Madam Xie laughed, pointing at Madam Xie as if she had heard the most hilarious joke, bursting into loud laughter. "You did it for Yuncheng!" She reached out and pulled Chang Yuncheng, who stood nearby, pointing at his haggard face.

"You did it for him? Is this how you did it for him?" she repeated, then looked back at Madam Xie.

Her laughter subsided, and she shook her head. "You did it for yourself."

Madam Xie’s face, pale, ashen, red, and swollen, watched the Old Madam.

"From the moment you insisted on marrying into the Marquis of Dingxi’s residence, you’ve held onto that stubborn pride—the pride of never regretting your choice!" Old Madam Xie jabbed her finger at Madam Xie. "Yes, you made that decision for Yuncheng, but from the moment you made it...

You did it for yourself! To justify the decision you made, you destroyed your own child." As she spoke those words, the Marquis of Dingxi suddenly stood up, looking at Madam Xie in utter disbelief.

So shocked was he that he could not utter a single sound.

Only Old Madam Xie's voice echoed in the room.

"To justify the sacrifice you believed you made. You controlled Yuncheng!"

"To justify yourself, you insisted on clearing away everything Old Madam Chang left behind. At first, you targeted the people. In the end, you targeted the matters. Anything that went against your will, you had to sweep clean, drive away, obliterate every trace—only then could you feel you had truly triumphed!"

"For Yuncheng? For Yuncheng! You made him unable to enjoy a good life, instead leading disaster upon him for no reason!"

"Now, because of this foolish act you committed for him, he faces punishment, will lose his title as Heir Apparent! Lose his military commission! Lose everything!"

"This is what you did for him! This is the result of your 'doing it for him'!"

"My wife Zheng Hui and I thank you for everything you have done for us, for Yuncheng!"

"We owe you for this lifetime! We can never repay your kindness! You are the greatest, kindest person under Heaven! You are the meritorious servant of our Xie family! Are you satisfied now?"

As Old Madam Xie reached this point, she stood up and violently slammed her cane onto the floor.

"Xie Zhengmei, are you satisfied!"

Silence filled the room.

Madam Xie trembled, staring at the Old Madam, before finally collapsing onto her knees onto the floor in defeat.

Yes, she had always clung to that pride… she could not allow herself to regret the sacrifices she had made…. She had sacrificed her life; how could she accept failure…? But, she still failed, didn’t she? She still has nothing, right? In the eyes of the world, she is still a joke, isn't she?

"Mother, Mother," Chang Yuncheng rushed over, stroking Madam Xie’s shoulders, trying to comfort her as she teetered on the edge of collapse. "It's alright, it's alright, nothing is wrong, don't worry, don't worry…"

"Yuncheng, don't let her dream, let her wake up," Old Madam Xie said, rising to her feet. "Everyone, wake up!"

The Marquis of Dingxi stood up now. The anxiety that had clouded his face was replaced by an unprecedented calm. He looked at the Old Madam, and she looked back at him.

"Do whatever you wish to do," Old Madam Xie said, smiling slightly as she spoke. "Don't worry, I am old now, I can't stir up much trouble anymore."

The Marquis of Dingxi actually managed a small smile in return.

"Whether there is trouble or not, it's come to this," he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. He glanced at Madam Xie on the floor, his eyes revealing undeniable sorrow.

"It must have been truly difficult for you," he said softly. "All these years in our household, you suffered so much."

Chang Yuncheng looked up at the Marquis.

"Father, I will take responsibility for this matter," he stated in a deep voice. "Since Mother has already lived more than half her life, please… do not divorce her."

The Marquis smiled at Chang Yuncheng.

"In truth, son," he said, "you are a good man. I treated you unfairly in the past. This time, I will listen to you." He extended his hand and patted Chang Yuncheng's shoulder.

Chang Yuncheng called out "Father," his eyes turning red. He retreated a few steps and kowtowed deeply to the Marquis of Dingxi.

Madam Xie snapped back to awareness violently.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" she shrieked, grabbing the Marquis of Dingxi’s sleeve with a desperate grip. "No, no, you can't!"

Chang Yuncheng quickly moved to support Madam Xie, pulling her hand away from the Marquis.

"Mother, it’s alright, it’s alright," he soothed her in a quiet voice.

"No, no, you are the Heir Apparent, you are the Heir Apparent!" Madam Xie cried, frantically reaching out to grasp the Marquis. "This is my fault! This has nothing to do with Yuncheng! Let the Rao family come for me! This has nothing to do with Yuncheng!"

Chang Yuncheng held her fast, and Madam Xie struggled in vain. She watched the Marquis of Dingxi turn and slowly walk away. His receding figure instantly seemed to stoop, as if aged a dozen years, before slowly vanishing through the doorway.

Gone.

"To strip only Chang Yuncheng of his title? That’s too lenient on the Marquis of Dingxi's household!" Madam Rao cried out.

"It was clearly Madam Xie who lured my daughter! Deceiving her into marriage—we have ironclad proof of this!"

"They must marry my Yufang into the Marquis of Dingxi’s house! Must she really rest in a lonely grave?"

"Even in death, she belongs to the Marquis of Dingxi’s household!"

"Chang Yuncheng must be buried with her!"

"And what about that woman? If she hadn't interfered, how could Yufang have..." Before she could finish, the door to the room slammed open.

The people inside jumped in fright and watched as two sturdy maids carried in a sedan chair for one person.

"Sister," Chen Xue said to Madam Rao. Her already pale face seemed even colder. "Try me?"

Madam Rao was taken aback by the challenge.

"Try what?" she asked.

"Try to cause trouble for Yueriang," Chen Xue looked at her and said. "I guarantee you will regret it for the rest of your life! Your entire Rao family will regret it!"

Madam Rao’s face flushed crimson, and she sprang to her feet.

"Chen Xue, you have gone too far!" she shouted.

"You are threatening me!"

"You have secured enough face from this incident. Don't overstep; don't ask for trouble," Chen Xue stated coldly, sweeping her gaze around the room, including the scholar, Rao Xueshi. "If the Marquis of Dingxi's household truly intended to press the matter, they could have met you halfway. Now, because someone has died, they are willing to take a step back. Stripping Chang Yuncheng of his title is already giving you immense grace!"

Madam Rao scoffed.

"Immense grace to us? Sister, you are quite pleased with this outcome, aren't you?" she sneered. "Your Yun Sheng will be the next Heir Apparent of the Marquis of Dingxi’s household. That is your immense grace, isn't it?"

Chen Xue let out a dry laugh.

"The son of a concubine inherited the Marquisate of Ningyang years ago, and the second son of that concubine inherited it again. Although Chang Yuncheng has no direct heir, the Marquisate still has two other sons—legitimate sons born to concubines, not maids. Why, in your eyes, can he not inherit the title? The Marquis of Dingxi’s line will continue for generations. Why bring up my Yun Sheng?" she said coldly.

Madam Rao was momentarily silenced, but she remained resentful. Given the current state of the Marquis of Dingxi's household, if Chen Xue wanted to seize any advantage now, it would be incredibly easy!

"It's truly ridiculous. You neglect your own children, yet you care so much for others?" she continued.

Before she could finish speaking, Old Madam Deqing Gong, who had been drowsing in the corner, woke up. She raised her hand and threw a porcelain pillow in front of her.

The sound silenced the room.

"A fly only lands on a rotten egg!" Old Madam Deqing Gong cursed. "What glorious thing is there to tear open for all to see? The world is just waiting to watch your spectacle! All of you, scram!"

Madam Rao’s face turned scarlet from the scolding.

Scholar Rao stood up and bowed.

"Mother teaches us well," he said respectfully. "We will abide by Mother's instruction. This matter ends here."

Madam Rao still wanted to say something, but Scholar Rao shot her a sharp glance. Madam Rao angrily flicked her sleeve and rose to leave.

Chen Xue's sedan chair turned to depart as well.

"And you," Old Madam Deqing Gong called out, looking at Chen Xue. "You had better settle down too! Don't think you are the most wronged person in the world, and don't assume whatever you do is right. In the end, there are causes and effects; no one owes anyone anything!"

Chen Xue paused.

"Aunt's teaching is received," she replied.

Old Madam Deqing Gong began to doze off again, perhaps having heard the reply or not.

Soon, the Emperor's desk held the memorial submitted by the Marquis of Dingxi's household, requesting the removal of Chang Yuncheng’s status as Heir Apparent.

Cai Zhong had already explained the background of the situation. At this point, the Emperor was distracted, regardless of what the Marquis of Dingxi was saying outside. He lightly tapped the memorial now and then.

So that was the issue… is that why she looked so drained? he mused. No, that's not right. At that time, this Rao person wasn't dead yet, was she? Oh, yes, she died after the incident occurred. That’s why she looked so listless then. The Emperor nodded thoughtfully.

Outside, the Marquis of Dingxi had finished his final words and waited for the imperial decree for a long while, but the Emperor behind the curtain remained silent. Unease gnawed at the Marquis.

Did the Emperor disagree? Will there be severe punishment? Did the Rao family scheme behind my back again? The Marquis knelt on the ground, his back soaked with sweat.

********Note: The Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty state that in the Jichou year, an imperial order was issued that Chen Fu, the second grandson of the late Marquis of Ningyang Chen Mao, would inherit the title and an annual stipend of one thousand shi of rice currency. When Mao died, his son Sheng was guilty, so the concubine-born son Run inherited the title. Run also died, and the concubine-born son Ying was ordered to assume the title temporarily, with the stipulation that the title would revert to Sheng once Sheng had a son. Later, Sheng gave birth to Fu, and at this point, Fu was ordered to inherit the title, while Ying was appointed as a military attendant with his salary retained for a comfortable retirement. (To be continued……)RT