Chapter 010: A Fine Show
“Back when you were wandering destitute, performing for a living in the poetry society, it was me! I was the one who brought you out of that place! I was the one who argued with Mother on your behalf. Didn’t you also say you still had feelings for me?”
Zhou Yuanting, overwhelmed with indignation, completely forgot about the crowd of servants behind him and Liu Yandai. Pointing at Bai Yuning, he loudly exposed her past, saying, “Yet just a few days later, you hooked up with my brother! Have you forgotten what I said that day when you sneaked into the Ancestral Hall to see me? You’re nothing but a fickle, faithless woman!”
Zhou Yuanting’s harsh accusations were so vile that they provoked a humiliated sob from Bai Yuning, who stood behind Zhou Chiye.
Hearing her cry, Zhou Chiye was instantly enraged. He lunged forward in a single stride and kicked Zhou Yuanting squarely in the chest!
Zhou Chiye practiced martial arts and was robustly built. In his fury, the kick sent Zhou Yuanting flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily against the wall!
With a loud “thud,” Zhou Yuanting, who had been kicked and slammed into the wall, spat out a mouthful of blood with a “wah!”
Another wave of exclamations swept through the room. Servants scrambled to help Zhou Yuanting up, while others rushed to fetch a physician. Liu Yandai was so terrified she stood frozen in place, unable to move. Meanwhile, Zhou Chiye turned and gathered the equally frightened Bai Yuning into his arms, soothing her gently.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s alright. I’m here.”
His broad hand stroked Bai Yuning’s slender back as he comforted her, his words gradually calming her panic. Tearfully, she leaned into Zhou Chiye’s embrace and choked out, “What should I do? Lady Qin will surely drive me out.”
Zhou Chiye held her tighter, declaring word by word, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll go and apologize to Mother.”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear! No sooner had Zhou Chiye finished speaking than someone below shouted, “The Marquis and Madam have arrived!”
Everyone present was startled.
Within moments, the sound of footsteps approached. Qin Chanyue, arm in arm with her husband, Zhongyi Marquis Zhou Ziheng, ascended into Huage.
Today, Qin Chanyue wore a pomegranate-red skirt, adorned with gold and jade hair ornaments, appearing radiant and dazzling. In contrast, Zhou Ziheng beside her looked pale—his illness had improved somewhat today, and Qin Chanyue had remarked that lying in bed all the time was no good, insisting on taking him out for a walk.
Zhou Ziheng had been bedridden for so long that his bones felt weak. Persuaded by Qin Chanyue, he agreed to stroll with her through the garden.
But as they reached Huage, they noticed chaos inside, with what sounded like shouting. Qin Chanyue then led him inside.
Qin Chanyue feigned ignorance while fully aware, but Zhou Ziheng was genuinely clueless. As soon as he entered the second floor and saw his eldest son lying on the ground spitting blood, his second son shielding a rather pretty young lady while glaring defensively at them, he pointed at the girl in shock and confusion, asking, “Who is this? And what is going on here?”
Qin Chanyue’s gaze swept the room. She first gave Liu Yandai a meaningful look, but the spineless girl didn’t even lift her head, let alone dare to speak.
Abandoning her directly, Qin Chanyue signaled to a quick-witted servant nearby. The servant stepped forward, knelt with a “thud,” and recounted the entire sequence of events.
“Reporting to the Marquis, this is Miss Bai, the young lady the Shiziye brought back earlier. She has been ill and recuperating within the Houfu. Today, the Shizi Furen went to fetch the Shiziye back to the estate. On the way, the Shiziye heard the sound of a zither and came up to take a look. Unexpectedly, he saw the Second Young Master holding Miss Bai intimately. The Eldest Young Master, overcome with indignation, argued with the Second Young Master, who then kicked the Eldest Young Master, causing him to vomit blood.”
Zhou Ziheng listened, utterly dumbfounded.
He knew about his eldest son bringing Bai Yuning back. Deep down, he didn’t consider it a major issue. Men of that age inevitably have their impulsive moments and do some rather foolish things. But a woman—how much trouble could she really cause? If Zhou Yuanting truly liked her, they could simply keep her around later.
However, he never expected that in just a few days, this woman would become entangled with his second son, and that his second son would actually strike his eldest son over a woman!
How utterly preposterous! They were all a disgrace!
Zhou Ziheng had been the Marquis his entire life, a gentleman through and through. He had never imagined such absurdity could occur within his own household. If this were to spread, he would have to walk with his head bowed in shame whenever he went out!
With this thought, Zhou Ziheng trembled with rage, his vision even darkening momentarily.
At that moment, Zhou Yuanting, who had been vomiting blood nearby, finally regained his senses. Struggling, he crawled toward his father, pleading, “Father, Father, please uphold justice for me! Mother, Mother, uphold justice for me! It was I who brought Bai Yuning back that day. If not for me, Bai Yuning would still be outside playing the zither for others! Father, Second Brother stole my woman and even dared to strike me. Father!”
Beside him, Zhou Chiye steeled his heart and knelt heavily on the ground with a thud, exclaiming, “Father, Mother, Yuning and I are truly in love. I beg you both to grant us your blessing! Eldest Brother is already married. I implore Mother to restrain Eldest Brother and prevent him from coveting another man’s woman!”
As he knelt, Bai Yuning beside him also knelt. She clung tightly to Zhou Chiye’s side, like a morning glory vine clinging to a great tree, unable to survive without him.
Their kneeling infuriated Zhou Yuanting so much that he nearly vomited blood again. Pointing at Bai Yuning, he spat out each word venomously, “Bai Yuning! Why did you change your heart in just a few short days?”
Just a few days ago, everything was fine. Why?!
Bai Yuning, aware that all eyes were on her, knew she had to make her stance clear today; otherwise, this messy affair would remain unresolved. With tears in her eyes, she knelt and addressed Qin Chanyue and Zhou Ziheng, “I beg to inform the Marquis and Madam, on the day the Shiziye brought me back, I made it clear to him that since the Shiziye was already married, I could never be with him. That day, the Shiziye even assured Madam that he only regarded me as a younger sister.”
“I, too, regarded the Shiziye as an elder brother. I simply don’t understand why, upon learning of my mutual affection with the Second Young Master, the Shiziye would make such accusations. I beg Madam to judge fairly. You heard the Shiziye’s words that day yourself.”
As she spoke, Bai Yuning wiped the tears from her face.
She appeared pitiful, but her words effectively pinned Zhou Yuanting to the stake, leaving him to roast in the flames.
She said, “I no longer like Zhou Yuanting. It was Zhou Yuanting who insisted on bringing me back as a sister. It was Zhou Yuanting who refused to give up on me. What does that have to do with me? Madam, you remember what Shiziye said that day, don’t you? Who knows why he changed his attitude? That has nothing to do with me.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Chanyue seemed convinced and slowly nodded. “That day, Yuanting did say he regarded Bai Yuning as a sister.”
Beside them, Zhou Yuanting, upon hearing Bai Yuning’s words and realizing his own mother had been deceived, felt another surge of blood rush to his throat. With a “pfft,” he spat out another mouthful of blood. Struggling to get up, he shouted, “Mother, don’t be fooled!” Then, pointing at Bai Yuning, he cursed, “You vile woman! You shameless, promiscuous—”
Seeing his Xinshang Ren insulted, Zhou Chiye rose again, ready to strike, but Bai Yuning clung tightly to his arm, weeping softly. “Chiye, let it go, let it go. As long as you understand me, that’s enough.”
For a moment, cries and curses mingled together. Those once dignified individuals suddenly shed their layers of pretense, revealing the filthy, rotten essence beneath, all mixed into a foul, unbearable mess.
And Qin Chanyue watched them with a smile.
In her previous life, when she learned of the strange affections among these three, the two men had already been tamed by Bai Yuning. They tacitly accepted each other’s presence and vied to please Bai Yuning. Since they didn’t fight, the scene wasn’t as ugly as it was now.
Back then, she only felt her two sons had been deceived. She suppressed them both, drove Bai Yuning out, and worked tirelessly to clean up the mess, trying to preserve the dignity of the Houfu. She scolded one, then the other, busying herself endlessly.
Yet her two sons united against her, resenting her as they sought to bring Bai Yuning back. In the end, she became the most despised person of all.
Now, it was perfect. She did nothing—cared not for dignity, nor for her ungrateful sons, nor for scheming on others’ behalf. And yet, these people were tearing each other apart.
This grand spectacle was—utterly delightful.
—
While Qin Chanyue found it delightful, Zhou Ziheng was nearly fuming with rage at the sight. This was utterly uncivilized!
Fighting like this over a woman filled Zhou Ziheng with shame and fury, a frustration so intense it surged from his chest to the crown of his head. As he pointed at his two sons, ready to roar, he suddenly felt half his body go numb, losing all strength!
The next moment, he collapsed uncontrollably!
With a “thud,” Zhongyi Marquis fell to the ground, and the commotion abruptly ceased. Everyone stared blankly at Zhou Ziheng.
The first to react was Qin Chanyue.
The dignified and beautiful Madam rushed over in panic, crying out, “Husband!” before frantically calling for help. “Fetch a physician! Quickly, fetch a physician!”
Zhou Yuanting and Zhou Chiye stopped fighting, both staring in shock at their father.
How could Father collapse so suddenly?
Among them, the only one who knew the truth, Liu Yandai, trembled and shrank further into herself.
In the end, the farce was unilaterally and forcefully brought to an end by Qin Chanyue.
“Guards!”
After Zhou Ziheng was hastily carried away by the servants, Qin Chanyue turned to her two sons and said with a cold expression, “Take the injured eldest young master to the Autumn Wind Hall to rest. The second young master, for injuring the Shiziye, is guilty and shall be sent to the Ancestral Hall to kneel in penance. As for you—”
Qin Chanyue looked at Bai Yuning, her brows furrowed with unconcealed disappointment. She sighed and said, “Return to the guest quarters first. I will summon you after I have dealt with the others.”
Everyone present was forcibly escorted away. Only Liu Yandai remained standing there at a loss for a moment, until her Pomu waved a hand and said, “You did well today. Go back to your courtyard and stay there.”
Liu Yandai dared not even think about what she had done well, simply lowering her head and hurrying off.
Meanwhile, Qin Chanyue rushed to see her unconscious husband.
Those who witnessed the Madam’s actions could not help but praise her magnanimity.
The Madam truly treated Bai Yuning too well. Even though Bai Yuning had incited the two young masters to fight, the Madam still could not bear to drive her out.
In no time at all, an unfortunate piece of news spread throughout the entire Houfu and, from there, across half of Chang’an.
The Shiziye and the second young master of the Houfu had both fallen in love with the unfortunate woman Bai Yuning, even going so far as to fight over her. When the old Marquis, known for his strict family discipline, stumbled upon this scene, he was so enraged that he fainted on the spot, suffered a stroke, and was now bedridden with little time left!
The Zhongyi Hou Mansion had truly suffered a great humiliation this time!
Outsiders relished the gossip, and some even compiled the story into booklets, spreading it far and wide. In the future, the two brothers of the Houfu would likely find it difficult to hold their heads high when venturing out.
—
Meanwhile, the two letters from Chang’an, delivered posthaste, finally arrived in Nanjiang.