CHAPTER 563: CHAPTER 552: THE MARCHIONESS’S MAID

"Miss, something terrible has happened, the master furiously stormed into the Lady’s courtyard."

In the exquisitely beautiful boudoir, upon hearing these words, Zhong Yin immediately stood up in a panic: "What happened?"

"I don’t know either, but when the master left, the Eldest Young Master followed behind him."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yin gritted her teeth: "I knew Elder Brother meant no good. Quick, follow me there."

After running out of the boudoir, she said: "No, I will go first myself, you go and inform my Second Brother."

The year had just ended, and the weather was still very cold. The snow in the courtyard had not melted. Aunt Wei fell in the snow, cold and in a disheveled state.

"Will you speak up or not? Where did the silver on the account go? And what about my antique calligraphy and paintings? Did you send them all to your useless brother?" Zhong Huaiwen asked with a cold face. Those were treasures accumulated by our ancestors; he himself had never dared to use them, keeping just a couple on display in the study. He never imagined they had been sent to her family by this treacherous woman!

"Cousin, can we go inside to talk? I will explain everything to you clearly," Aunt Wei stammered, her face smeared with tears, yet she still looked beautiful.

She knelt on the ground, her winter clothing unable to hide her slender form: "Cousin, after all, I am Yin and Lang’s mother, how can you let them lose face like this?"

Zhong Huaiwen’s face looked displeased, but he did not relax his stance. Just at that moment, Zhong Yin and Zhong Lang arrived.

"Mother, how are you? It’s so cold on the ground, please get up!" Zhong Yin immediately embraced Aunt Wei, crying, and the mother and daughter wept together as if they had suffered a great grievance.

Zhong Lang’s handsome young face was both pale and flushed. He stealthily glanced at the indifferent Zhong Jue, then deeply bowed to Zhong Huaiwen: "Father, let’s go inside and talk. Mother won’t be able to endure this, she has served you for so many years, even if you don’t like her, you should show some sympathy."

"Yes, Master, the Lady is frail, what if she falls ill because of this?"

"Lady, please stop crying, blinding yourself with tears would only upset the Second Miss and Second Young Master."

Seeing Zhong Yin and Zhong Lang rushing over, the servants also seemed to find their backbone, and started pleading.

Zhong Jue looked coldly at these begging servants, thinking how could a mere concubine command such loyalty from them, they surely mustn’t think that this household would be under Aunt Wei’s rule in the future?

"Are all of you conspiring to pressure father?" Zhong Jue’s calm anger rose, looking down at the group kneeling before him with icy eyes, "Lady? I didn’t even know when Aunt Wei had been made legitimate. And you two, Second Sister and Second Brother, despite Aunt Wei being your biological mother, you must not disrupt the order, you should address her as Aunt, otherwise others might think our house rules are in chaos! Father, am I right?"

Just as Zhong Huaiwen’s face began to soften, it immediately became rigid again. This time, not only was he blaming Aunt Wei, but he also resented Zhong Jue – he indeed shouldn’t have scolded Aunt Wei in front of the servants, but did Jue really need to push so hard?

After Zhong Jue finished speaking, Zhong Yin and Zhong Lang angrily looked up, but dared not say anything. Let alone that he is the legitimate son and entwined with Emperor and Lord Wenping, now with father so furiously angry, it clearly indicated their mother was in the wrong. If Zhong Jue truly persisted, even if father wanted to protect her, he couldn’t.

Zhong Lang’s angry eyes met Zhong Jue’s, who returned it with a sarcastic look.

Zhong Lang lowered his head, veins bulging on the back of his hand, then slowly knelt down: "Father, even if the concubine has made a great mistake, you should give her a chance to explain. Let’s talk inside the house, grandmother’s health has been deteriorating recently, and if she finds out about this, it might make her even more upset, and it’s hard to find a doctor during the fifteenth."

With that, Zhong Lang hit right on Zhong Huaiwen’s soft spot. Zhong Huaiwen is both filial and concerned about his reputation. If he angered his mother to the point of needing a doctor, the Imperial Censor might criticize him. He hesitated for a moment, then walked towards the house.

Zhong Lang and Zhong Yin barely let out a sigh of relief, only Aunt Wei still looked terrified, because she clearly knew how much was missing from the accounts and the storeroom.

"Aunt, it’s okay, no matter what mistake you’ve made, as long as you talk to father properly and we remedy it on time, father won’t blame you," Zhong Yin gently comforted her.

Aunt Wei steadied her nerves. Right, there’s still a chance, she hadn’t taken everything to the Wei Family, as long as she returned it in time, it would be fine. Even if she couldn’t return some, her Aunt would help her.

Zhong Jue followed behind everyone, then coldly glanced at the servants still kneeling outside, if they’re so protective, then just stay outside properly.

The maids and servants shivered under the gaze of the Eldest Young Master; they then realized who truly was the heir of the Zhong Residence. Sweat trickled down their foreheads, none daring to move.

How could they be so foolish? They should have realized sooner. The Eldest Young Master had just achieved third place and was about to marry Lord Wenping; his sister was the Marchioness, how could they think to side with Aunt Wei?

But it was too late for regrets now; they had already offended the Eldest Young Master.

"Who told you to sit, kneel down." Even after entering the house, and with no servants around, Zhong Huaiwen still showed no kindness to Aunt Wei, just thinking about the artworks turned into forgeries made his heart bleed incessantly.

"Father..." Zhong Yin wanted to persuade further, but Zhong Lang stopped her.

He then took the initiative to step forward: "Father, I don’t know what mistake Aunt has made? Can your son remedy it?"

Facing Zhong Lang, Zhong Huaiwen’s expression eased slightly: "This does not concern you, take your sister back to your own courtyard."

Zhong Lang refused and knelt straight: "Father, the concubine is mother to your son, no matter what she’s done wrong I cannot stand idly by, otherwise wouldn’t all the saintly books I’ve read be in vain?"

"Then let her speak for herself, what good has she done exactly?" Zhong Huaiwen turned his face, seeming almost too annoyed to even glance at Aunt Wei.

Zhong Lang felt a pang in his heart, realizing the situation was likely not simple.

Aunt Wei just wept and sobbed, appearing extremely fragile as if she might faint at any moment.

Zhong Huaiwen’s face darkened, Zhong Jue sanely and mockingly handed the account ledger to his good younger brother: "It’s nothing big, father just wanted to ask why there’s a discrepancy of ten thousand taels of silver on the account, and why the antiques and calligraphy left by our ancestors in the storeroom have all turned into fakes?"

After hearing this, Zhong Lang’s heart tightened immensely, never expecting the issue to be this severe. He knew his mother had some private savings, but to this extent? Could it be his elder brother framing her? He was full of doubts, picked up the account ledger, and looked through it in silence for a long while.