Lu Jinxiu clutched the bundle filled with valuables against her chest, emerging disheveled from the crowd with dirt streaking her face, cursing her bad luck inwardly.
If not for the shipwreck incident, she would already be aboard a vessel departing Li Du Mansion by now. She had repeatedly suggested to Xie Jun that they should leave Li Du Mansion early while the situation hadn’t deteriorated completely, but unexpectedly, not only did the Xie family refuse to leave, they even expressed their determination to defend Li Du Mansion to the death, sharing the city’s fate.
Ever since her daughter’s death, Lu Jinxiu had been like a startled bird—one moment cursing the Qi people for the blood debt of killing her daughter, the next trembling in terror upon hearing any rumor, always feeling that the sky was about to collapse.
Her secret escape attempt had gone unnoticed by the household, and she had planned to board a ship once the crowds dispersed somewhat, but unexpectedly ran straight into the Xie family’s servants.
The young servant made a polite yet firm gesture of invitation: “Concubine Lu, the master requests your return home.”
Today’s escape was impossible. Lu Jinxiu’s heart sank.
In Xuanying Hall, most of the family was gathered in a circle, with Xie Queshan also present. While storms raged throughout the city outside, there was laughter and conversation within, creating an atmosphere of subtle artificiality—as if everyone was burdened with heavy thoughts yet forcefully maintaining a peaceful facade, pretending everything was normal, even appearing more harmonious than usual.
Xie Jun couldn’t quite join the younger generation’s casual chatter, but he sat there patiently nonetheless. After frowning in silence for quite some time, he suddenly spoke completely out of context: “If you don’t want to fight, then don’t fight. Come home—the family can afford to support idle hands.”
Xie Queshan was startled and looked up at his father.
Just as the hall fell silent, Lu Jinxiu was escorted back. Her appearance was somewhat disheveled, and upon returning, she immediately heard these words. The originally listless woman suddenly showed signs of ferocity, rushing forward to grab Xie Jun’s sleeve.
“You actually want to protect this rebellious son? Hasn’t he caused enough misery for this family and this city?!”
Xie Jun brushed away Lu Jinxiu, showing some displeasure: “Stop talking nonsense!—Someone, take Concubine Lu back to the rear courtyard. Tomorrow I’ll settle accounts with you for your unauthorized escape attempt as well!”
“Escape?” Lu Jinxiu was provoked by these words, violently shaking off the hands of the maids trying to help her up. Her eyes bloodshot, she stood with hostility radiating from her entire being. “Only fools would stay in the city waiting to die! Do you still think the Xie family is the backbone of Li Du Mansion? The city is about to fall, and you people are nothing more than fish on a chopping board, at others’ mercy!”
Those rumors and gossip from outside would still be beautified when they crossed the courtyard walls. Even during wartime, everyone still maintained half their dignity. Yet this usually meek and virtuous woman who normally didn’t dare raise her voice was now speaking so hideously and bluntly that everyone was shocked into momentary speechlessness.
Xie Jun sat with an unchanged expression, seeming to age considerably in an instant. He swept his gaze across everyone in the hall and spoke slowly: “Years ago when I abandoned Lanzhou and fled west, I committed a grave error—the regret of my lifetime. Today, I absolutely will not abandon Li Du Mansion and flee. Even if the city falls, as long as Wangxue Cottage can hold, protecting even one common person for even a moment, I won’t regret it. I just never expected this would force others against their will… Anyone who wants to leave, regardless of status or position, whether master or servant, can go now. I absolutely won’t stop them.”
But no one in the hall rose. Everyone just sat there calmly, and even the servants stood with hands at their sides, making no movement.
Lu Jinxiu spun around frantically, discovering that no one was responding to her at all, making it seem as if only she was greedy for life and afraid of death: “What are you all doing? Death is imminent and you’re still pretending to be righteous—performing for whom? Do you all want to die?”
She thought everyone wanted to live but was just pretending to save face, so she tore away all the veils of propriety, yet still received no response from anyone. She looked exactly like a clown. With this resentment having nowhere to vent, her gaze finally landed on Xie Queshan—yes, the “instigator” was him!
She pointed at his nose and cursed: “Causing Xiaoliu’s death wasn’t enough—you want to destroy the entire Xie family too!”
Madam Gantang quickly spoke up in rebuke: “Xiaoliu was harmed by the Qi people. What does it have to do with Xie Third?”
“It was the letter he wrote to Xiaoliu, telling Xiaoliu to split forces with His Majesty to divide the Qi people’s attention! If not for this, how would Xiaoliu have died!” Lu Jin was already hysterical, and no one could restrain her.
The letter…
Xie Queshan remembered now. Xiaoliu’s belongings had once been sent back to Wangxue Cottage. That letter he had written to Xiaoliu was probably among those belongings and had been seen by Lu Jinxiu.
She was right—Xiaoliu’s death was indirectly his fault.
Xie Queshan froze, his mind going blank. He could only feel Nanyi gripping his hand, which gradually became him tightly grasping hers.
“He’s the one who killed Xiaoliu! He also killed Pang Yu! He’s utterly wicked!”
Suddenly, that hand broke free from his grip. Her figure swayed, and in an instant she was standing in front of him, both hands tightly covering his ears.
Xie Queshan’s entire body stiffened. He even forgot to raise his head to look at her face, only seeing the swaying jewelry at her neck.
That sharp, hysterical cursing instantly became muffled and distant, yet still seemed to thunder and rumble.
“My poor star-crossed lovers can only meet in the underworld! He’s a debt-collecting ghost who wants to drag our entire family to hell! And you still protect this beast! He deserves to die! Listen, all of you—listen to what they’re saying outside! If he died, Li Du Mansion would be saved!”
“Get her out of here!” Xie Jun’s face was iron-dark as he roared angrily.
Lu Jinxiu was being dragged backward but still refused to give up, grabbing whatever she could reach and hurling it at Xie Queshan. Nanyi’s back was shielding Xie Queshan, and seeing the cup about to strike her, Xie Queshan quickly pulled her aside. The cup fell to the ground and shattered to pieces.
Nanyi was both shocked and enraged. Turning to glare at the self-righteous Lu Jinxiu, all the blood in her body rushed to her head, and her last shred of rationality was swept away. Why? What right did she have to throw a cup at Xie Queshan?
Fine, wasn’t this about going mad? Who couldn’t do that!
She rushed forward in fury, pointing at Lu Jinxiu’s nose and cursing: “You still have the face to use Xiaoliu as a shield! You know perfectly well in your heart who killed them. If you want to flee, then flee yourself—don’t look for excuses to blame others! Having a mother like you who can’t distinguish right from wrong, if Xiaoliu has knowledge in the underworld, he should feel ashamed of you—!”
Slap! A vicious slap landed on Nanyi’s face. Lu Jinxiu, driven to shame and anger by the scolding, broke free from the maids and struck with all her strength. Nanyi’s face was even scratched bloody. She paused for a moment, then rushed forward like a madwoman to claw back.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the maids finally snapped to attention and restrained Lu Jinxiu.
Nanyi still wouldn’t give up. Xie Queshan quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, but couldn’t control her in her rage as she struggled wildly with all four limbs, cursing Lu Jinxiu foully.
“Come on, aren’t you quite strong? Since you want revenge so badly, why don’t I see you killing some Qi people? Forget killing—if you even went and cursed at the Qi people, I’d respect you. Do you dare?!”
“You country shrew! You two—you adulterous pair! Disregarding human ethics!”
Nanyi’s strength at this moment was frighteningly great. Xie Queshan was on the verge of having to pick her up entirely and carry her away, but she grabbed onto a pillar with one hand and refused to let go, continuing her shouting match with Lu Jinxiu: “You don’t dare do anything—you just know how to throw your weight around at home! You clearly know that Xie Queshan loves his sister dearly and cherishes his friends, and that these words can truly hurt him, so you dare say them! You know he’s risked his life fighting and won several battles, you know how much time he’s bought defending Li Du Mansion, but besides opportunistically fleeing when the wind changes, what contributions have you made—”
“Enough, Nanyi.”
Xie Queshan finally spoke up to interrupt. Only then did Nanyi cease her tirade, turning back to look at him with both anger and incomprehension.
How could he let Lu Jinxiu curse him like that?
When Lu Jinxiu slapped her, she hadn’t even felt the pain, but facing his quiet expression, she felt her heart clenching up. Suddenly, a sour feeling shot to her nose, her eyes moistening as tears as large as beans brimmed on her lashes.
Xie Queshan touched her scratched and bloodied cheek, his face full of helpless pain.
“It really is enough.”
“They know nothing, yet they’re slandering you there! Why should they! How can this be enough? How can it be!”
But no one answered her questions. The hall was silent as death.
Nanyi felt extremely stifled. She wished she could go to the streets and have a big argument with every person speaking viciously. She wanted a clear yes or no answer, not this current situation where black and white were reversed. She didn’t know whom to blame—she was even angry with Xie Queshan. How could he just swallow all these grievances without crying out his innocence even once?