Seeing the sword thrown aside, Wei Mingde finally let out a long breath. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng were also relieved of a crushing burden, their bodies going limp as though their bones had been pulled out.
Only then did the servants in the distance dare to breathe quietly.
"Father." Wei Nisheng's tone was calm.
"What happened today began with Wang Rong insulting me in public. I killed him to protect myself and uphold our family's standards."
"But you and my elder brother believed a servant's slander and forced me to kill myself without first sorting right from wrong. Are we simply going to let that pass?"
Wei Mingde froze, his expression changing again. "You... what more do you want?"
"I don't want anything," Wei Nisheng said evenly. "I only ask Father to remember..."
"Today, in front of all these people, you admitted that Wang Rong deserved to die and that I had done nothing wrong."
"If someone uses this incident against me in the future, claiming the Wei Family's second young master broke the law by killing someone, you must testify on your son's behalf."
Wei Mingde's face turned livid.
This was putting him over a fire to roast.
Not only could he never pursue the matter, he would have to protect this son!
But did he dare refuse?
Wei Mingde could only grit his teeth and nod. "Of course I will testify on your behalf."
Wei Nisheng turned to Wei Shouzheng. "Elder Brother."
Wei Shouzheng shuddered.
"You just said you were wrong."
"Yes, yes..."
"Then don't send servants like Wang Rong to my courtyard anymore. Otherwise... something like this might happen again."
Wei Shouzheng nodded frantically. "I won't! I won't! Never again!"
Finally, Wei Nisheng looked at Cui Shi.
Cui Shi forced a smile uglier than a crying face. "Ni Sheng, I..."
"There's no need to say anything, Mother," Wei Nisheng interrupted her.
Cui Shi's smile froze on her face.
With that, Wei Nisheng stopped looking at them and turned toward the Side Courtyard.
Wei An followed close behind.
Under the moonlight, the figures of an old man and a boy gradually disappeared into the night.
Behind them, Wei Mingde and the other two remained collapsed on the ground.
Farther away stood the servants, silent as cicadas in winter, whispering among themselves.
By tomorrow, tonight's events would have spread throughout the residence.
From this day forward, who would dare treat the second young master like a soft persimmon ripe for squeezing?
Back in the Side Courtyard, they pushed open the door. Wei An lit the lamp, and candlelight flickered.
Wei Nisheng sat at the desk and suddenly spoke. "Uncle Wei, did Wang Rong have any family left?"
Wei An was taken aback, thinking that Wei Nisheng was feeling guilty.
But just as he turned to speak, he heard Wei Nisheng say,
"If any of his family are still here, kill them all tonight!
"Whether it's his mother or his children..."
Wei An jolted at those words, but quickly recovered and explained,
"He was alone. His parents died long ago.
"He was a House-Born Servant bound by a Death Contract, and he was a habitual gambler, so the master never assigned him a maid to marry."
"Is that so?" Wei Nisheng breathed a sigh of relief, then continued,
"Uncle Wei, do you still have the channels I asked you to use to circulate my poems back then?"
"Second Young Master, what would you like circulated this time?"
Wei Nisheng stared at Wei An and spoke each word distinctly.
"The Wei Family's Second Son slew a wicked servant who insulted his master, protecting his honor, preserving his household's good name, and upholding family discipline."
"I won't waste this opportunity. I'll leave Father no chance whatsoever to strike back, and build my own reputation in the process!"
"Yes." Wei An nodded in assent.
With everything arranged, Wei Nisheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at his faintly trembling hands.
They had not trembled when he killed.
They had not trembled when he carried the sword out of the Central Hall.
They had not trembled when he stood before the hall and confronted them.
Now that he was sitting here, with everything arranged, safe and away from everyone, his hands began to shake.
Just then, Wei An brought over a basin of warm water and gently set it before him.
"Second Young Master, wash your face first."
Wei Nisheng nodded, bent his head, and cupped the water in his hands, washing the blood from his face.
The water was warm, soothingly warm.
"Second Young Master," Wei An's voice came softly from beside him, "today, you..."
Wei Nisheng was silent for a moment, then said quietly,
"Uncle Wei, I'm older now. I don't like kneeling in the Ancestral Hall."
Wei An's eyes grew hot, and he nodded.
"I know. This old servant understands everything."
Outside the window, the moonlight was cold and clear.
Inside, the old man and the boy faced each other in silence.
Everything still looked as it had before tonight.
Yet everything had already changed.
Meanwhile, in the Wei Residence's Central Hall.
The servants had already carried away Wang Rong's body and washed the blood from the floor.
Several serving women came and went with buckets, scrubbing again and again.
Wei Mingde slumped in the seat of honor, his official robe rumpled and his belt hanging loose.
He stared blankly toward the doorway, his thoughts unreadable.
Cui Shi sat beside him, distracted.
With half his face swollen, Wei Shouzheng kept his head lowered, not daring to utter a sound.
The three faced one another in silence.
At last, Cui Shi could no longer hold back.
She raised her head and looked at Wei Mingde.
"Husband... we cannot keep that vile brat around."
Wei Mingde frowned and looked at her.
Cui Shi continued, speaking faster and faster, as if she feared she would never get the words out if she stopped.
"Did you see him tonight? The way he stared at us after killing Wang Rong..."
"A ten-year-old child killed someone without his expression changing, then carried a sword as he interrogated his father and forced his elder brother to admit fault!"
"If he could kill Wang Rong today, tomorrow he'll dare to kill..."
She did not finish, but her meaning was plain.
Wei Shouzheng also raised his head, his face swollen and his voice full of grievance and hatred.
"Father! Mother is right! That vile brat... he has no regard for any of us!"
"He made me kneel and admit fault, and I knelt. He made me slap myself, and I did!
"But did you see the way he looked at me when he left?"
As he spoke, he clutched his face, his voice thickening with tears.
"Father, I'm becoming a disciple the day after tomorrow. If word of this gets out, how will I ever show my face?"
"Father, you must seek justice for me!"
Cui Shi chimed in. "Husband, Shouzheng is right.
"If we don't deal with this, that vile brat will become even more lawless.
"Will we ever have another peaceful day?"
Listening to them speak in turn, Wei Mingde's expression grew darker and darker.
Finally, he could bear no more and slammed his palm onto the table.
The teacup jumped, fell to the floor, and splashed tea everywhere.
"Enough!!!"
Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng flinched and dared not speak again.
Wei Mingde rose and pointed at Wei Shouzheng. "You still have the nerve to complain?"
"Who caused this mess tonight?!"
Wei Shouzheng's face went white.
"Do you think I'm a fool?" Wei Mingde approached him step by step, his official robe dragging across the floor and brushing over the broken porcelain with a rustle.
"Thinking back now, why did that Sinful Son... why did he go mad tonight? Because he'd been driven into a corner!"
"And are you really unaware of why he was driven into a corner?!"
Wei Mingde pointed at Wei Shouzheng's nose, his finger nearly jabbing his face.
"Wang Rong was your man! Why did he go to the Side Courtyard? What did he shout in public? Don't you know perfectly well?!
"You even had that wicked servant slap his face and spit on him three times. Could you have endured that?!
Wei Shouzheng kept his head lowered, not daring to defend himself.
"Heh, heh, heh. The Wei Family's distinguished Eldest Legitimate Son, tricked by a servant into stirring up trouble, wielded like a weapon!"
The more Wei Mingde spoke, the angrier he became, his voice echoing through the empty Central Hall.
"So now you remember you're becoming a disciple?! Your Apprenticeship Banquet is the day after tomorrow!"
"What more trouble do you want to stir up? Must you set the whole city buzzing
"and let Qin Gong learn of the Wei Family's scandal-'allowing a servant to humiliate a son and forcing one's own child to his death'-before you're satisfied?!"
"I wouldn't dare!" Wei Shouzheng instantly dropped to his knees, trembling all over and not daring to utter another sound.
"Heh. You seem daring enough to me!" Wei Mingde drew a deep breath and enunciated every word:
"In any case, the Wei Family's century-old reputation must never be ruined in my hands, Wei Mingde!"
Cui Shi waited until Wei Mingde had finished berating him and his anger had eased a little before tentatively speaking.
"Master... then what... should we do now?"
Wei Mingde fell silent for a moment.
He turned, walked back to the seat of honor, and slowly sat down. Rubbing between his brows, he spoke in a low voice.
"Everything... must come second to Shouzheng's Apprenticeship Banquet."
Wei Mingde raised his head and stared at Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng, his gaze dark.
"Once the Apprenticeship Banquet is over, once my business is finished... then we'll settle accounts with that vile brat."
"So until then..." His voice suddenly turned cold.
"Both of you, keep quiet!"
"Neither of you is to provoke that Sinful Son again!"
"Do you hear me?!"
Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads.
"Yes."
The candlelight flickered over three pale faces.
Silence fell over the Central Hall once more.
From the distance came the faint sound of the watchman's clapper-it was the third watch.
Wei Shouzheng and Cui Shi both returned to their rooms.
Only Wei Mingde remained, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.
Yet that scene kept surfacing before his eyes.
His second son stood beneath the moonlight with a sword in hand and blood spattered across his face, demanding answers from him.
"The Wei Family's century-old reputation will one day be ruined by this Sinful Son!"
Before you continue