The sudden appearance of Old Madam Xie and her sudden actions left everyone in the room stunned.

“Mother, if you want to hit me, I’ll do it myself. Don’t hurt your body.” Madam Xie shouted.

Old Madam Xie had used all her strength in those slaps, and Madam Xie’s face was already swollen. But after saying these words, without the slightest hesitation, she indeed raised her hand and struck herself hard.

“Grandmother, Mother.” Chang Yuncheng separated the two and called out.

Old Madam Xie, having exhausted her strength, swayed and nearly fell. Chang Yuncheng quickly supported her.

“Are you satisfied now!” She still murmured, looking at Madam Xie.

Madam Xie also looked at her, tears streaming down.

“Mother, it’s all that Qi Yueniang who caused…” She shouted.

Before she could finish, Old Madam Xie raised the walking stick in her hand and struck viciously.

Chang Yuncheng, supporting Old Madam Xie, couldn’t block in time and could only reach out to grab the old lady’s arm.

Madam Xie was still struck and staggered.

Old Madam Xie, having used up all her strength, could no longer stand. Chang Yuncheng quickly helped her sit down beside them.

“I heard you actually did such a thing. I rushed here from home as fast as I could, but I was still a step too late…” She gasped, “You, you, you’ve ruined Yuncheng…”

“Mother, I did it for Yuncheng…” Madam Xie looked up and cried.

Old Madam Xie didn’t get angry but laughed instead.

This laugh made the Marquis Dingxi also look over.

Had this old lady gone mad?

Well, if she was mad, so be it. The household didn’t lack for one more madwoman now.

“You did it for Yuncheng?” Old Madam Xie laughed, pointing at Madam Xie, as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke, and laughed loudly, “You did it for Yuncheng!”

She reached out and pulled Chang Yuncheng beside her, pointing at his haggard face.

“You did it for him? This is what you call doing it for him?” She repeated, then looked at Madam Xie. Restraining her laughter, she shook her head, “You did it for yourself.”

Madam Xie’s face was pale, blue, and swollen as she looked at Old Madam Xie.

“From the day you insisted on marrying into the Marquis Dingxi’s residence, you’ve been holding your breath, holding the breath of not regretting it!” Old Madam Xie pointed at Madam Xie and continued, “Yes, you made this decision for Yuncheng. But ever since making this decision, you’ve been doing it for yourself!”

“To prove to yourself that you were right to make this decision, you’re killing your child…”

When she said this, the Marquis Dingxi beside them suddenly stood up, looking at Madam Xie in disbelief.

Because he was too shocked, he couldn’t say anything at all.

Only Old Madam Xie’s voice echoed in the room.

“To prove to yourself that your perceived sacrifice was worthwhile, you controlled Yuncheng…”

“For yourself, you had to sweep away everything left behind by Old Madam Chang. At first it was against people, then it was against things. Anything that went against your will, you had to sweep away and drive out. You had to destroy all traces, only this way could you show that you had raised your head proudly!”

“For Yuncheng? For Yuncheng, you made him unable to live his good days in peace, instead bringing trouble upon himself for no reason!”

“Now he has to be punished for the stupid thing you did, losing his position as heir! Losing his military merit and position! Losing everything!”

“This is what you call doing it for him! This is the result of what you did for him!”

“Zhenghui and I, thank you for everything you’ve done for us, for Yuncheng!”

“We owe you for this lifetime! We can never repay your kindness! You are the greatest, most benevolent person in the world! You are a hero of our Xie family! Are you satisfied now?”

Old Madam Xie stood up as she said this, heavily throwing her walking stick to the ground.

“Xie Zhengmei, are you satisfied now!”

The room fell silent.

Madam Xie trembled all over as she looked at Old Madam Xie, finally collapsing dejectedly to sit on the ground.

Yes, she had always been holding this breath…

She couldn’t regret it…

She absolutely couldn’t regret it…

She had sacrificed so much…

She had sacrificed her life, how could she accept failure…

But she had still failed, hadn’t she?

She still had nothing, didn’t she?

She was still a laughingstock in the world’s eyes, wasn’t she?

“Mother, Mother.” Chang Yuncheng quickly rushed over, stroking Madam Xie’s shoulders, trying to comfort her as she neared collapse, “It’s alright, it’s alright, everything will be fine, don’t worry, don’t worry…”

“Yuncheng, don’t let her keep dreaming, let her wake up.” Old Madam Xie said, standing up, “Everyone wake up!”

The Marquis Dingxi stood up at this moment, his face no longer showing panic and anxiety, replaced by unprecedented calm.

He looked at Old Madam Xie, and Old Madam Xie looked at him.

“Do whatever you want to do.” Old Madam Xie said, smiling slightly, “Don’t worry, I’m old now, I can’t make trouble anymore.”

The Marquis Dingxi actually smiled too.

“Whether there’s trouble or not, it’s all the same now.” He said, his voice full of exhaustion.

He glanced at Madam Xie on the ground, his eyes unable to hide his sadness.

“It’s really been hard on you.” He said, “All these years in our family, you’ve suffered so much.”

Chang Yuncheng looked up at the Marquis Dingxi.

“Father, for this incident, let me take responsibility…” He said solemnly, “Just considering that Mother has lived most of her life, please don’t divorce her…”

The Marquis Dingxi smiled at Chang Yuncheng.

“Actually, son.” He said, “You’re a good man. I’ve wronged you before. This time, I’ll listen to you.”

After saying this, he reached out and patted Chang Yuncheng’s shoulder.

Chang Yuncheng called out “Father,” his eyes reddening, and he stepped back a few paces to kowtow to the Marquis Dingxi.

Madam Xie suddenly snapped awake.

“What are you doing? What are you doing?” She shrieked, grabbing the Marquis Dingxi’s sleeve, “No, no, you can’t!”

Chang Yuncheng quickly helped Madam Xie, pulling her hands away from the Marquis Dingxi.

“Mother, it’s alright, it’s alright.” He softly comforted her.

“No, no, you’re the heir, you’re the heir!” Madam Xie shouted, desperately reaching out to grab the Marquis Dingxi, “This is my affair! This has nothing to do with Yuncheng! Let the Rao family come for me! This has nothing to do with Yuncheng!”

Chang Yuncheng held her, and Madam Xie couldn’t break free. She watched as the Marquis Dingxi turned and slowly walked away.

That gradually receding figure suddenly became somewhat hunched, as if he had aged ten years, slowly disappearing at the doorway. Gone.

“Just stripping Chang Yuncheng of his title? This is too lenient on the Marquis Dingxi’s residence!”

Chen Shi shouted.

“It was clearly that Madam Xie who seduced our family’s daughter! Deceiving her into an engagement, there’s iron-clad evidence of this!”

“They must make the Marquis Dingxi’s residence marry Yufang through the door! Can’t let her have a lonely grave!”

“Even in death, she’s a person of the Marquis Dingxi’s residence!”

“Chang Yuncheng must also be buried with her!”

“And what about that woman? If she hadn’t interfered, how would Yufang have…”

Before she could finish, the room door was pushed open with a bang.

The people in the room were startled, seeing two servants carrying a soft sedan chair enter.

“Sister.” Chen Xue looked at Chen Shi, her bloodless face appearing even more coldly beautiful, “Want to try?”

Chen Shi was confused by her words.

“Try what?” she asked.

“Try causing trouble for Yueniang.” Chen Xue looked at her and said, “I guarantee you’ll regret it for the rest of your life! Your entire Rao family will regret it!”

Chen Shi’s face flushed red as she suddenly stood up.

“Chen Xue, you’re going too far!” She shouted, “You’re actually threatening me!”

“This time, you’ve already gained enough face. Don’t go too far and bring trouble on yourself.” Chen Xue said coldly. After speaking, she looked around the room, including Scholar Rao, “If the Marquis Dingxi’s residence really wanted to argue, who among you could withstand fifty lashes each? Now it’s just that the dead are greater than the living. They’re willing to step back, and Chang Yuncheng losing his title is already giving you tremendous face!”

Chen Shi laughed coldly.

“Tremendous face for us? Sister must be very satisfied with this result, right?” She snorted, “Your Yunsheng will be the heir of the Marquis Dingxi’s residence in the future. That’s the tremendous face for you, isn’t it?”

Chen Xue laughed mockingly.

“Years ago, when Marquis Ningyang’s illegitimate son inherited the title, and the illegitimate son’s second son inherited again. Although Chang Yuncheng has no heirs, the marquis’s residence still has two sons, proper concubine-born sons, not maid-born sons. How is it that in your eyes, sister, they can’t even inherit the title? The Marquis Dingxi’s residence has endless descendants. Why are you dragging my Yunsheng into this?” She said coldly.

Chen Shi was left speechless but still unwilling to give up.

Given the current situation of the Marquis Dingxi’s residence, if Chen Xue wanted to take advantage to gain something, it would be easy!

“It’s really laughable. Instead of caring for your own children, why are you so concerned about others?” She said again.

Before she could finish, Old Madam Duke Deqing, who had been dozing on the bed, woke up. She picked up a porcelain pillow placed in front of her and threw it down.

The sound made the room quiet.

“Flies don’t bite seamless eggs!” Old Madam Duke Deqing scolded, “What glorious affair is this? What good do you get from tearing it open to look? People can’t wait to see your drama! All of you get out!”

Chen Shi’s face flushed red from the scolding.

Scholar Rao stood up and bowed.

“Mother’s teaching is correct.” He said respectfully, “We’ll listen to Mother in this matter and end it here.”

Chen Shi was about to say something when Scholar Rao glared at her. Chen Shi angrily flicked her sleeve and left.

Chen Xue’s sedan chair also turned to leave.

“And you too.” Old Madam Duke Deqing called out, looking at Chen Xue, “You better behave yourself too! Don’t think you’re the most wronged person in the world, don’t think everything you do is right. In this world, to put it plainly, there’s cause and effect. No one owes anyone anything!”

Chen Xue paused.

“Aunt’s teaching is correct.” She said.

Old Madam Duke Deqing began dozing again, not knowing if she heard or not.

Soon, the Emperor’s desk was placed with the memorial submitted by the Marquis Dingxi’s residence requesting the removal of Chang Yuncheng’s heir status.

Director Lin had already explained the cause of the matter. At this moment, whatever the Marquis Dingxi was saying outside, the Emperor was absent-minded.

He just lightly tapped the memorial occasionally.

So it was because of this…

That’s why she looked so troubled?

But that’s not right. At that time, that what’s-her-name Rao hadn’t died yet, had she?

Actually, that’s right. She died after the incident occurred. The incident had already happened then, so that’s why she was so listless.

The Emperor nodded thoughtfully.

Outside, the Marquis Dingxi had finished his last words and had been waiting for the imperial decree for quite a while, but the Emperor behind the curtain still hadn’t spoken.

His heart was pounding with anxiety.

Could it be that the Emperor disagreed?

Could it be that he wanted to impose severe punishment?

Could it be that the Rao family had pulled some underhanded trick behind the scenes?

The Marquis Dingxi knelt on the ground, his back already soaked with sweat.