"My presence here is evidence enough." Hua Zhi raised her voice. "Since the master of the house refuses to show himself, I shall carry this coffin in to invite him out."
As she spoke, Hua Zhi took several steps forward. The servants of the Hua family simultaneously lifted the coffin, poised to charge inside at any moment.
The steward was momentarily at a loss. The tough fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the desperate. Faced with Hua Zhi's all-or-nothing stance, he found himself paralyzed. Yet to actually go inside and summon someone would utterly diminish his authority. While he hesitated, someone emerged from within. "Cease this outrageous behavior!"
It was the Old Madam of the Wei family who appeared, leaning on an imposing cane, her expression commanding respect without anger. "The young lady shows remarkable audacity! Do you intend to force our Wei family to acknowledge this matter that has nothing to do with us?"
"I would first like to ask: if I refute your words, will you accuse me of disrespecting my elders? If I remain silent, will you condemn me for making false accusations?"
The Old Madam, whose thoughts had been precisely guessed, faltered. "How could I possibly do such a thing?"
"Good. I am here to resolve this matter, not to pay respects to you, Madam." Hua Zhi sneered. "Clearing the Wei family's name is simple—just have the Eldest Young Master show himself, and all grievances will be voiced."
"Hah! You say whatever you please. What position does that leave our Wei family in?"
"Then please declare loudly, Madam, that the Eldest Young Master is at home and has not gone anywhere."
The Old Madam opened her mouth to speak, but Hua Zhi raised her voice in warning. "Consider carefully, Madam. The gods watch from above. If you speak falsely, the Eldest Young Master will suffer the punishment of being struck by five thunderbolts."
"You!"
"I am all ears!"
"To raise a girl so sharp-tongued—the Hua family is clearly lacking!"
"I am sharp-tongued indeed, Madam. You had best be careful, lest I bite off a piece of your flesh." Hua Zhi pressed forward relentlessly. "If my third sister is unharmed, so be it. But if she suffers even the slightest injury, I will never rest until your Wei family is destroyed!"
"Ridiculous! On what grounds? You, the daughter of a criminal?"
"On the grounds that I am the daughter of a criminal!" Hua Zhi took another step forward, and the coffin advanced with her. The older one gets, the more one dreads the sight of a coffin. The Old Madam involuntarily retreated a step, her momentum largely deflated.
"If the Wei family does not produce the Eldest Young Master, I will go in and find him myself!"
"Niece, you go too far." The voice belonged to a middle-aged man emerging from within—Wei Chengxi's father, Wei Chenze, with a short beard that gave him a scholarly appearance.
The Wei family followed the same path as the Hua family, but no matter how well they imitated the surface, their foundation was far inferior.
Hua Zhi offered a slight bow, then lifted her head to look at the man who, despite his efforts, still radiated condescension. "The guards protecting my third sister witnessed with their own eyes your eldest son forcibly taking her away. By reason and by right, I have cause to come to the Wei family and demand her return."
"Our household does not have the person you seek."
"Then let the Young Master show himself."
Wei Chenze frowned. "Niece, you ask the impossible. If I comply with your demand, what would become of my dignity? What of the Wei family's honor?"
"Your dignity is not more important than my third sister."
"There is no need for such words, Niece." Though he spoke thus, his tone carried the smugness of one who has pushed another to the brink. The Hua family, which had overshadowed the Wei family for years, now seemed like a cornered dog before him.Hua Zhi suddenly laughed. "In Lord Wei's eyes, would it be more appropriate for me to obediently wait at home for news?"
"Perhaps the young lady simply took a wrong turn and has already returned home."
"If this had happened to the Wei Family, would the Wei Family act this way?"
"Why speak of things that haven't occurred?"
"But in my Hua family, it has already happened. This is my way of handling it." Hua Zhi smoothed her hair, abruptly retracting her aggressive demeanor. She turned and pointed at the twenty-four coffins, then at the twenty-four children. "All Hua family children between six and ten years old are here. If anything happens to my third sister, I will lead them to lie in these coffins and reside at your Wei family estate every day. Since you've brought unrest to my Hua family, I'll ensure your Wei family knows no peace either. I'll let the world see how the Wei Family treats the descendants of former colleagues."
To put it simply, it would be mutual destruction - neither side would come out unscathed.
Such behavior could be considered making a scene, but Hua Zhi didn't care. No matter what treatment Hua Ling had suffered, as long as the Wei Family still valued their reputation, they would have to pretend they hadn't laid a finger on Hua Ling after finding her. This was the outcome she sought.
Without the sharp-edged rumors, Hua Ling could live peacefully in the Hua family.
This was the only method she could think of to minimize the damage. Such matters couldn't be resolved simply by the Hua family shielding Hua Ling. Who knew how Wei Chengxi would spread rumors? Since that was the case, she might as well make a big scene and get everyone's shoes wet.
Wei Chenze had already cursed his eldest son vehemently in his heart, but he still had to maintain appearances. "There's no need for such urgency, Miss Hua. My son Xi'er is indeed not at home. I sent him to visit an old friend this morning. This matter definitely has nothing to do with him..."
"Bang!"
Both spectators and those being watched simultaneously turned toward the source of the noise. Someone had been thrown into the rearmost coffin headfirst, legs kicking wildly, muttering incoherently.
While others might not recognize him, Wei Chenze recognized his own son. The Old Madam, who doted on her eldest grandson, needed no explanation - she was already being supported by her maids as she hurried over, calling out "my dear grandson" with heartache.
Zhu Ziwen, seated on his tall horse, exchanged glances with his cousin and gave her a slight nod.
Hua Zhi's heart finally settled, beating so fast that she needed several deep breaths to calm down. It's good that she's safe, it's good that she's safe.
A carriage slowly approached. The servants carrying the coffins recognized their family's carriage and quickly made way.
The carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, revealing the face of the person inside.
Just as Hua Zhi was about to step forward, she saw Hua Ling emerge, supported by her personal maid. She could see her struggle, but also her strength. So she stopped - at times like this, standing up for oneself was more effective than ten thousand words from others.
"This humble daughter Hua Ling pays respects to Lord Wei."
Wei Chenze tried to force a smile but only managed a strained one. "Niece, this is..."
"If I hadn't once seen Young Master Wei while accompanying my mother, I would have thought bandits had appeared right under the Emperor's nose. Regardless of consent, he knocked out my guards to 'invite' me to admire flowers. If not for my cousin from the Zhu Family arriving in time, my reputation would have been ruined by Young Master Wei. If this represents the Wei Family's values, everyone should steer clear when encountering them in the future."Wei Chenze's expression changed abruptly. If these words were to spread, the reputation of the Wei Family's younger generation would be ruined!
"Niece must have misunderstood. Xier has always admired you, and from what I can see, his feelings were sincere yet restrained by propriety. Let me apologize on his behalf—please forgive him this once."
PS: Did everyone guess it? This was the scene mentioned in the synopsis.
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