“Stop crying!”

Liang Zhe roared again, causing Luo Meixiang to shudder. She looked up to see Liang Zhe’s man-eating expression.

“When I was only ten years old, I was injured and broke bones on the way to the northwest. Even when I was dying of illness, I didn’t make a sound! During the Battle of Yao City, I went three days and nights without sleep, covered in wounds from head to toe. Flies mistook me for a corpse and crawled all over my body, wolves surrounded me wanting to eat my flesh, yet I didn’t make a sound! Are you somehow more delicate? Are you somehow more precious? Don’t worry—you won’t die!”

Hearing the words “won’t die,” Luo Meixiang inexplicably felt three parts relieved.

When Liang Yunshan heard “ten years old,” his gaze flickered with bewilderment.

But then Liang Zhe added with a cold laugh: “Death is impossible—they’re just crippled!”

“Ah…”

Luo Meixiang screamed and collapsed limply to the ground.

Though Luo Meixiang had brought people with her, no one dared to help her up.

A maid tried to go out to fetch a doctor, but when Liang Zhe’s gaze swept over and he shifted his body slightly, the maid went soft and collapsed to the ground. Her skirt instantly became wet, and a strange smell emanated from her—she had urinated herself in fear!

All the servants stood frozen in place, unable to speak or move. The timid ones trembled and their teeth chattered.

Young Master was too terrifying!

Second Master, Second Master’s legs were probably, probably truly ruined, truly ruined…

Too terrifying!

Liang Jie’s arm had lost strength and could only barely manage walking now. Though his handsome face had changed color with anger, he knew he could only wait for a doctor to come treat his mother, second brother, and second sister—he was useless.

But naturally he wouldn’t let Liang Zhe continue bullying them. He stared at Liang Zhe with malice: “Liang Zhe, fraternal conflict and rebuking a stepmother—if the Imperial Censor impeaches you for these two charges, your future will be finished!”

Liang Zhe showed no fear whatsoever: “Then go call someone to impeach me now! Let the Imperial Censor also know how your good mother climbed into Liang Yunshan’s bed while my mother was ill, conceived a bastard, then plotted to kill my mother! Let everyone in the capital know how ugly and despicable the Earl of Pingxi’s mansion is!”

Liang Jie was stunned.

Luo Meixiang’s crying also paused as she looked at Liang Yunshan through teary eyes.

Liang Yunshan was both urgent and furious: “Ziyu, what nonsense are you spouting? And you all, why aren’t you stopping him? Just letting him cause chaos and talk nonsense!”

Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen, being called out by Liang Yunshan, remained composed.

Qin Shuying said: “My lord, Princess Fuqing initiated the conflict first. She spoke nonsense in front of Linglong first—why didn’t you stop her then? Moreover, the affair between you and Luo Meixiang back then was known throughout the city. When the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam follows suit—how dare you lecture us today?”

Liang Yunshan was stunned: “Known throughout the city?”

“Yes, it will be known throughout the city today. Look.”

Qin Shuying glanced around the room.

Only then did Liang Yunshan come to his senses. There were quite a few people still standing in the room—besides Concubine Yue, Nanny Luo, and Ning Garden’s servants, there were also servants brought by these masters earlier. Some stood inside the room, some at the edges, some at the doorway.

Each one was trembling with fear, not daring to raise their heads, but they had heard every word clearly.

Liang Yunshan became extremely anxious: “Ziyu, what nonsense are you saying! Quickly clarify things!”

“What does my lord want me to clarify?”

“What climbing into bed, what bastard—how can you make such wild accusations!”

Liang Zhe smiled: “My lord means Luo Meixiang didn’t climb into your bed? And also say that Luo Meixiang didn’t conceive some bastard back then?”

Liang Yunshan glared angrily but remained silent.

“My lord, if you don’t want others to know, don’t do it yourself. Back then Luo Meixiang conceived a bastard, but Mother wouldn’t allow you to take her as a concubine, so you quarreled with Mother. Then Luo Meixiang deliberately schemed to let you personally witness Mother pushing her. The bastard in Luo Meixiang’s belly was lost. This way, your misunderstanding of Mother deepened, your pity for Luo Meixiang grew stronger, that bastard was conveniently gone, and Luo Meixiang remained a pure, good daughter in others’ eyes. Then you deliberately plotted against Mother and killed her so Uncle would have nothing to say, after which you married Luo Meixiang. Did I say anything wrong?”

With each sentence Liang Zhe spoke, his smile grew broader and his gaze grew colder.

This was what he and Luo Huan had slowly uncovered through their long collaboration. He hadn’t planned to reveal this today—it still had uses.

But now it seemed Liang Yunshan still wanted to cover up the scandal. Covering up was one thing, but to use Liang Zhen’s affairs as a shield for his past scandals—he would never allow Liang Zhen’s matter to be gossiped about again. If it must be spread, it would be under his control, according to his designed version.

With each sentence Liang Zhe spoke, Liang Yunshan’s expression changed. By the end, his face was ashen: “You, you, you…”

“My lord, which sentence I said was wrong? Please point it out!”

Liang Yunshan’s lips moved, utterly helpless: “I didn’t deliberately plot to harm your mother.”

“So you’re saying Luo Meixiang climbing into bed is true, conceiving a bastard before marriage is true? That bastard being lost is also true?”

Liang Yunshan remained silent.

Luo Meixiang, still tearful, shrieked: “Liang Zhe, you keep saying ‘bastard’—do you have any respect for your father at all? Do you have any sense of hierarchy?!”

Even Liang Qiong and Liang Yuan, enduring severe pain, forgot their groans—there was such a thing? Their mother had already been involved with their father before Zhao Wanniang’s death and had even had a child?

Liang Zhe sneered without looking at Luo Meixiang, speaking only to Liang Yunshan: “Liang Jie’s reminder was quite good. I’ll go out now and personally invite the Imperial Censor! For harming my mother’s life and slandering her, I’ll personally submit a memorial impeaching General Liang Yunshan for conspiring with the Luo family’s concubine-born daughter Luo Meixiang seventeen years ago to murder his legitimate wife!”

“Ziyu!”

“Liang Zhe!”

Liang Yunshan and Luo Meixiang shouted in unison.

Liang Zhe’s gaze was like sharp swords, full of mocking ridicule: “My lord, if not for Liang Jie’s reminder, I wouldn’t have known impeachment by the Imperial Censor was possible! You really raised a good son!”

Liang Yunshan shouted: “Ziyu, stop right there!”

“Why should I stop?”

In the past, Liang Yunshan could certainly have commanded Liang Zhe to halt, but now, ever since the ancestral hall incident, he knew Liang Zhe was no longer under his control. His paternal authority could no longer be asserted.

Liang Yunshan’s tone softened somewhat: “Ziyu, listen to me. I didn’t murder your mother’s life. Don’t believe rumors.”

Liang Zhe sneered: “Whether it’s rumor or not, His Majesty will judge.”

At the mention of Emperor Delong, Liang Yunshan’s anger flared.

He was also extremely troubled by Liang Zhe’s habit of constantly asking Emperor Delong to make decisions.

Serving the emperor was like serving a tiger—how could he expose all his family’s dirty laundry for others to see and laugh at?

Couldn’t he see that Emperor Delong was deliberately using their father-son conflict to gradually strip away Liang Yunshan’s power?