Anshou Hall.

Old Madam Xie sat in the seat of honor, with Xie Shi’an, whose cheeks were red and swollen, sitting below her. A group of matrons and maids surrounded them.

“Mother.”

Xie Shi’an stood up and bowed to Yun Chu.

“An’geer is a good child who shows filial piety to you, his mother, in every way.” The old madam spoke reproachfully. “Such a good child—how could you bear to slap him, how could you bear to make him kneel in the ancestral hall… Look at his face, so swollen. The doctor says it will take three days to go down…”

“So the Old Madam summoned me for this matter.” A cryptic smile appeared on Yun Chu’s lips. “An’geer, didn’t you tell the Old Madam why I punished you?”

Xie Shi’an kept his head lowered. “Your son does not know.”

Yun Chu’s voice turned somewhat cold. “Kneeling in the ancestral hall is to make you think carefully about where you went wrong. If you haven’t figured it out, then continue kneeling.”

“Chu’er, you’ve always been magnanimous and gentle. Why are you being so harsh today?” The old madam frowned. “What exactly did An’geer do?”

Yun Chu laughed.

Yes, she had been gentle with the illegitimate sons and daughters, magnanimous toward the concubines and secondary wives, managing household affairs internally and cultivating connections externally, supporting half the sky for the Xie family.

But all this time, how had these people treated her?

The old madam and the ladies, as well as Xie Jingyu, respected her on the surface but in reality exploited her, squeezing the Yun family completely dry.

Those illegitimate children called her “Mother” with every breath, but in truth, they had never truly placed this mother in their hearts.

So many concubines, including her dowry maid Concubine Yu—which one didn’t secretly mock her inability to bear children…

This so-called tolerance and magnanimity was the Xie family’s manipulation of her, and also her own oppression of herself.

She spoke in a light tone. “Tingshuang, go to Qingsong Pavilion and fetch the young master’s recent calligraphy and paintings.”

Tingshuang immediately went to carry out the order.

Old Madam Xie frowned. Since she was fetching calligraphy and paintings, this must be related to his studies.

An’geer had been intelligent since childhood and excelled in his studies. Everyone praised him. She truly couldn’t imagine what could have gone wrong in this regard.

Before long, Tingshuang returned with the calligraphy and paintings.

Yun Chu flipped through them and took out one piece of writing to hand to Xie Shi’an. “Read it aloud yourself.”

Xie Shi’an’s expression had already changed. His lips pressed into a tight line as he slowly began. “Those who seek the growth of trees must first strengthen their roots; those who wish for streams to flow far…”

Old Madam Xie was not some ignorant old woman. Her husband had been a scholar, her son a successful examination candidate, and her grandson Xie Jingyu was the top scholar.

The old lady often prided herself on being from a scholarly family. Having been influenced for many years, she naturally understood this was a memorial written by a minister to the emperor hundreds of years ago, meant to admonish the emperor to remain vigilant in times of peace and accumulate virtue and righteousness.

She frowned. “What’s wrong with this memorial?”

“There’s naturally nothing wrong with this memorial.” Yun Chu said coldly. “But at the end of the essay, he wrote words of great treason.”

The old madam snatched the paper away.

“…The Sui Emperor Yang stripped the people of profit, Heaven’s mandate could not be sustained, offering medicine to His Majesty, bribes must not encroach…” Reading to this point, the old madam was shocked and pale. “An’geer, why did you write this?”

Yun Chu sneered coldly.

Throughout Xie Shi’an’s study, such words could be seen everywhere, enough to show that he had great grievances against the current emperor.

So after he entered the cabinet, his first act was to find ways to eliminate the loyal Yun family and support a prince in forcing the emperor’s abdication…

She had never understood how a twelve-year-old youth could harbor dissatisfaction toward the emperor.

“An’geer, do you know what the consequences would be if outsiders saw such things?” Yun Chu said sternly. “You’re registered under my name, making you the legitimate eldest son of the Xie household. Your every word and action represents the Xie family!”

A powerful aura suddenly emanated from her. “You denounce the current emperor as depraved and immoral, easily trusting treacherous officials…”

Xie Shi’an’s face looked terrible. “I did not…”

“This is not something you can deny by simply saying ‘I did not’!” Yun Chu’s expression became even more severe. “Black words on white paper are evidence. If someone submits a memorial about this, at best your father would be demoted, at worst the Xie household would be found guilty and imprisoned. Whether light or severe, you cannot bear the consequences! The Xie family’s ancestors studied for three generations, finally achieving official position in your father’s generation. These few lines of yours would make several generations of effort go to waste. You would become the entire Xie family’s sinner!”

She violently threw the paper at Xie Shi’an’s face.

Old Madam Xie sat dumbstruck in her chair as if struck by lightning. She truly hadn’t imagined the consequences could be so severe.

No wonder her gentle-natured granddaughter-in-law had suddenly erupted in fury—An’geer had truly committed a grave error.

Yun Chu lowered her eyelids.

Speaking of this matter’s severity, in reality, even if it became a big issue, at most it would result in a few months’ salary being forfeited.

Moreover, her husband Xie Jingyu was so clever—he had plenty of ways to smooth this matter over.

Having been reborn, many things needed to be carefully planned.

She said softly, “Since An’geer returned to acknowledge his ancestry, I’ve raised him with utmost care. In four years, this is the only time I’ve lost my temper, and it’s brought before the Old Madam. It seems that I, as a mother, am not even allowed to discipline my own child… Or is it that even though An’geer is registered under my name, I still don’t have the qualification to strictly discipline him? If so, then I dare not keep this son.”

Just moments ago she had been thunderously angry, but now her expression was grief-stricken, as if heartbroken.

The old madam immediately became anxious. “Chu’er, I didn’t mean to blame you.”

If Yun Chu didn’t want An’geer anymore, then An’geer would be an illegitimate son. Illegitimate sons were looked down upon everywhere, and it would be difficult for him in official circles too.

Although he was already recorded in the family genealogy and couldn’t be discarded just because Yun Chu said so, only if Yun Chu truly accepted him would the Yun family accept him.

The Yun family was a first-rank great general’s household, incomparable to their fifth-rank Xie family…

The old madam turned her head. “An’geer, why are you still standing there stupidly?”

Xie Shi’an walked over. “The books say: a strict mother produces talented sons, while a lenient mother often raises failures. Mother’s strict discipline of her son shows she hopes he will achieve great things. Yet I didn’t understand Mother’s painstaking efforts. I was wrong. I’ll continue kneeling in the ancestral hall.”

Yun Chu’s lips curved slightly.

From the start, Xie Shi’an hadn’t accepted her punishment, so he had brought the old madam into it.

Only when the evidence was laid before his eyes, only when he couldn’t argue, did he lower his head and make the choice most advantageous to himself.

This child was like Xie Jingyu—deep in thought and scheming, good at studying. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have consecutively passed the three highest examinations and entered the cabinet at such a young age.

She spoke lightly. “An’geer needn’t kneel after all. The Old Madam would feel distressed.”

The old madam did indeed feel distressed.

After all, since the Xie household was established, there had never been a precedent of kneeling in the ancestral hall.

But it was natural and right for a mother to educate her son. If she as the great-grandmother interfered with unnecessary comments, wouldn’t that be disheartening?

The old lady could only say against her will, “If he should kneel, then kneel he must.”

“Since the Old Madam has said so.” Yun Chu sighed. “Spring cold is heavy—no need to kneel too long. Two days should be about right.”

The old madam’s eyes nearly popped out.

She thought even two hours was too much, yet now it was two days—wouldn’t this kill someone!

But Xie Shi’an had already agreed. “Yes, in two days I’ll come to pay my respects to Mother again.”

Yun Chu’s eyes were unfathomably deep.

Only two days…

Before her death, she had knelt for a full two months, not obtaining the Xie family’s memorial on behalf of the Yun family, but instead receiving a cup of poisoned wine…

Walking out of Anshou Hall, Tingshuang spoke worriedly. “Madam punishing the young master this way will likely cause him to become estranged from you.”

Yun Chu smiled.

Xie Shi’an had never been of one heart with her—where was there estrangement to speak of?

In her previous life, her painstaking efforts had been repaid with scheming and betrayal. Why devote genuine feeling again?