"Second Young Master, I'll go back to the Marquis's Residence and ask the eldest madam for money. Wait for me!" The servant tried to run, but Xie Zixing seized him firmly.
"No, my mother mustn't find out."
If Mother found out, he would be finished. He wasn't of the marquis's bloodline to begin with, and no one would help him. If even Mother no longer wanted him, what would he do?
"Young master, surely you aren't trying to welch on your debt?" the Female Gambling Housekeeper asked.
"I don't have that much money. Give me some time, and I'll go back and scrape it together." Xie Zixing was on the verge of tears.
His monthly allowance was only one tael of silver, and Mother was keeping his two jin of gold for him. How long would it take him to scrape together ten thousand taels?
"That won't do," the Female Gambling Housekeeper said. "We don't extend credit here. Young master, why not go out and gamble a round? If you win, I won't charge you!"
Xie Zixing shook his head frantically. "No, I won't gamble!"
He had only tried the Happy Powder because the servant had told him it was harmless.
He hadn't expected that, after trying it once, he would never be able to forget it.
But.
Now, he knew regret!
Had he known it was so expensive, he would rather have died than tried the stuff.
"You refuse the wine of courtesy, so you'll drink the wine of punishment! Men, beat him, then drag him to the Marquis's Residence to collect the debt!"
The Female Gambling Housekeeper curled her lips and gave the order coldly.
A gang of thugs closed in. Before Xie Zixing could even use the martial arts he had learned, the grown men pinned him to the ground and beat him.
He covered his head tightly, thinking that he couldn't let them drag him back to the Marquis's Residence. It would be too humiliating.
Mother would surely stop wanting him.
Sob, sob, sob.
What should I do?
Waves of pain swept through his face and body.
Suddenly, the door of the Gambling House was kicked open, and the burly Qing Da charged in with several servants.
With bruises on his face and pain all over his body, Xie Zixing was carried back to the Marquis's Residence by Qing Da.
He knelt outside Liu Wan's courtyard, trembling all over as a chill spread from his feet to his head.
Inside, Qing Da was reporting what had happened.
"Fortunately, every servant I brought with me had martial arts training."
"After getting the young master out, I immediately sent someone to report it to the authorities. The Government Office responded quickly, shutting down the Gambling House and confiscating all the powder. I heard there's an enormous underground organization involved, too. Even the imperial court has been alerted and is investigating."
"Also, I've already handed that servant over to the Government Office. Luring someone into taking this stuff is a capital offense!"
After finishing his report, Qing Da gave Xie Zixing a look of exasperation, as though lamenting iron that refused to become steel, then stepped aside.
Though Liu Wan's expression was calm, the anger in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Mother, Mother, I know I was wrong." Xie Zixing's little face had lost its former innocence. He crawled over to hug Liu Wan's legs and wept, tears and snot streaming down his swollen face.
"I didn't know those things were banned by the imperial court. I thought they just made people happy..."
Had Qing Da not arrived in time, those people would have beaten him to death, leaving him without a shred of dignity.
"Xie Zixing, you have been under my care for three years. I taught you and Zi Mu your first lessons and paid to send you both to the best academy in the Great Xia Dynasty to learn to read and write. It wasn't because I hoped you would become the top imperial scholar, but because I hoped you would grow into upright gentlemen, with poetry and learning in your hearts, knowing when to advance and when to step back."
"I never imagined you would skip your lessons to take that stuff in such a filthy place."
"You cast your mother's teachings and painstaking care to the back of your mind. You have truly disappointed me!"
"If this hadn't come to light today, how much longer would you have kept it from me?"
Liu Wan's eyes were filled with disappointment. Even ordinary people with any standing or reputation wouldn't dare set foot in a place like that.
Once discovered, they would be arrested by the imperial court, their names ruined and their reputations shattered.
He was only a child. How had he dared!
"Mother, I know I was wrong. Mother..." Xie Zixing wailed. He really had disappointed Mother. He looked toward Xie Zimu. "Brother, please plead with Mother for me..."
Xie Zimu pressed his lips together coldly and turned away.
[Poor Second Brother. Someone has ruined you, and you don't even know it. Taking this stuff will leave your mind scattered, your limbs weak, and your will broken. You won't be able to train properly in martial arts, either. In the end, ha, Xie Huaishan will kill you with a single thrust of his sword, and you won't even have a chance to fight back.]
Xie Zixing went rigid and turned to stare at his little sister in disbelief.
He had been harmed.
He had been tricked!
"Xie Zixing, I will give you two choices. First, study diligently, train in martial arts, and quit this stuff. Second, leave the Xie Residence and return to your former home. You will no longer be my son!"
Liu Wan's expression was resolute.
It seemed she was truly furious.
In truth, whichever path Zi Xing chose would be better than his current situation.
At least if he left the Xie Residence, he would still have a chance to survive in the future!
"Mother, don't send me away! I'll quit, I'll quit! I'll study hard, I promise! I'll quit this stuff! Sob, sob!"
Xie Zixing went limp. He had always loved playing and could never settle down to study, but now he had no way out.
He wept miserably, kowtowing to Liu Wan over and over. "Mother, please don't send me away."
Soon, servants crowded around the courtyard, and even Xie Jinzhao arrived. As a seasoned wastrel, he didn't think this was much of an issue, so he said a few words to Liu Wan.
Liu Wan retorted coldly, "If we indulge our masters as they stray down the wrong path, and every master in the Marquis's Residence turns into someone like you, Third Master, this household may fall into ruin within ten years. If you won't help manage things, then stand aside!"
"Eldest Sister-in-law, aren't you going too far? I'm not the one who'll inherit the title. What's wrong with enjoying life while I can? Besides, Zi Xing is just like me. He won't inherit the title, either. Isn't it enough for him to live happily? Is all this really necessary?"
Xie Jinzhao's expression darkened.
He knew he was ignorant and unaccomplished, but what gave Liu Wan the right to lecture him?
He had endured it the last few times, but this time, he couldn't!
"An eldest sister-in-law is as a mother. Third Master, do you talk back to your own mother like this, too? You insist on shielding someone who has done wrong. I can't help questioning your motives. Could you have had something to do with this?"
Liu Wan's expression was cold, her voice commanding respect without a trace of anger.
Xie Jinzhao choked on his words, his face turning pale.
He knew that if he said even one more word, people would surely suspect him of harboring ulterior motives.
He reluctantly shut his mouth!
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