While he worked diligently outside to protect the family and defend the nation, Emperor Delong was undermining him from behind.

If Liang Zhe really made a scene before Emperor Delong, although this matter truly had nothing to do with Emperor Delong, the emperor might still get involved. When that happened, whatever he said would be final, and things would become difficult to resolve.

Liang Yunshan felt that Emperor Delong seemed to have some opinion of him, as if he particularly enjoyed meddling in his family affairs.

Take the arranged marriage to Princess Qin’an, for example. Now Liang Yunshan realized he had been played by Emperor Delong. Since the marriage decree, there had been no further developments regarding the wedding.

Emperor Delong was content to stand aside and watch, but the Earl’s mansion suffered greatly: father and son estranged, title downgraded, Liang Jie disabled, Liang Yuan severely injured, and now even Old Madam Liang unconscious.

Adding to this, Emperor Delong’s marriage decree for Liang Qiong to Prince Huo Luo – one incident after another, one matter after another, all connected, gave Liang Yunshan reason to think deeply.

Yet in front of so many people, he couldn’t say anything at all.

“Get out!”

Liang Yunshan looked around the room and ordered Nanny Luo.

What a tactless lowly servant – hearing such matters and not knowing to leave on her own, waiting for the masters to give orders.

Nanny Luo trembled as she took a step forward.

She wanted to leave too, but when the master’s eyes swept around just once, her legs went weak. She could barely stand, let alone dare to walk.

If the master noticed, and a kick flew over, would she still have her old life?

The master could cripple the Second Master and Second Miss – taking the life of an old woman like her would be nothing!

The other servants had similar thoughts. The master was truly a demon! A demon who could take lives at any moment!

Concubine Yue and the servants scrambled out the door. In an instant, the room was cleared of servants, and those in the courtyard scattered like birds and beasts.

Only then did Liang Yunshan speak solemnly: “Ziyu, I don’t know where you heard these rumors. I’ll tell you the truth – Wanniang was indeed pushed into the water by my careless hand, but I pulled her out immediately. She died of cold injury, not from any intentional harm by me. I can understand your resentment about this, but you cannot think I murdered her, much less say that Meixiang murdered her. This is unfair to Meixiang and does you no good either. Carrying such burdens, living in hatred, living unhappily – as your father, I don’t want you to live like this. On the battlefield, you’re resourceful and brave in combat. Your intelligence and talents should be used to protect family and defend the nation, not trapped in the inner quarters, not wasted on hatred that doesn’t even exist.”

These words were spoken with deep concern, truly considering Liang Zhe’s welfare.

Had Liang Zhe heard these words when he married, he might have been moved and tried his best to repair the father-son relationship. But now…

Liang Zhe remained completely unmoved, saying coldly: “Earl, just tell me – did you and Luo Meixiang have improper relations before marriage? Did you have an illegitimate child?”

Liang Yunshan flew into a rage. Despite his concessions, the other still pressed aggressively, insisting on embarrassing him before so many younger family members.

Qin Shuying said calmly: “Ziyu, the Earl already admitted it that day. He said Mother was unreasonable, that Mother was consumed by jealousy and wouldn’t let him take Luo Meixiang as a concubine – it was all Mother’s fault.”

Liang Yunshan roared at Qin Shuying: “Shut up!”

Liang Zhe showed no anger: “Earl, you needn’t tell others to shut up. Just answer my question.”

After a long silence, Liang Yunshan wearily nodded and said: “Yes. Meixiang and I were devoted to each other. Your mother had a fierce temperament and forbade me from associating with Meixiang. When Meixiang became pregnant, she still went to see Meixiang privately, forcing her to abort the child. It’s normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines. Your mother’s behavior was completely against feminine virtue and proper conduct for wives. Of course I couldn’t let her have her way.”

Luo Meixiang sobbed: “Wanniang just couldn’t stand the sight of me…”

Liang Zhe angrily rebuked Luo Meixiang: “Shut up!”

Luo Meixiang was frightened into another hiccup.

Liang Yunshan frowned: “Ziyu, Meixiang is your mother after all. How can you shout at her like this?”

Liang Zhe said calmly: “Shuying is also your daughter-in-law, yet you shouted at her just the same. I’m just learning from the Earl.”

Liang Yunshan was instantly furious, glaring at Qin Shuying with displeasure – what a troublemaker!

Liang Zhe immediately imitated him, glaring at Luo Meixiang.

Liang Yunshan snorted and continued: “When Meixiang became pregnant, I told your mother I wanted to give Meixiang status. Your mother immediately flew into a rage upon hearing this, absolutely forbidding it, and spoke rudely with very harsh words – calling it sordid, filthy, disgusting, even dragging Old Madam into her accusations. Heartless and unfilial – truly outrageous! Later, she privately sought out Meixiang, demanding she abort the child in her womb, otherwise she would expose the matter, making Meixiang lose all face and never be able to hold her head up again. Your mother was driven mad by jealousy. Even now, I cannot understand why she acted this way.”

Liang Zhen, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly asked: “Earl, Luo Meixiang is Old Madam’s niece from her natal family. Though only a concubine’s daughter, her status wasn’t low. Marrying into a respectable family as the principal wife would have been no problem at all. Don’t you find it suspicious that she wanted to be your concubine?”

Liang Yunshan sighed: “It was all my fault. After seeing Meixiang, I couldn’t forget her and ruined her purity, even getting her pregnant.”

“Because of this, you felt guilty toward Luo Meixiang, so you had to give her status?”

Liang Yunshan nodded: “Not exactly guilt – it was the natural thing to do. Every family does the same.”

In this matter, after all these years, from beginning to end he only believed his mistake was sleeping with Luo Meixiang after drinking too much. He felt he had done nothing wrong afterward.

As Liang Zhen asked, Luo Meixiang could easily have married into an official family as the principal wife at that time. But since he had slept with her while drunk and she became pregnant, how could he not take responsibility?

Liang Zhen asked again: “Then Earl, have you ever wondered why Mother would say it was sordid, filthy, and disgusting, even implicating Old Madam?”

Liang Yunshan answered without hesitation: “Your mother was straightforward and honest by nature. I was indeed fickle at the time. Your mother couldn’t tolerate any grain of sand in her eyes – she found me sordid and disgusting, and I had nothing to say about that. But later, when Meixiang was already pregnant, she still wouldn’t relent, even going to see Meixiang privately and forcefully demanding she abort the child. That was going too far.”

But Liang Zhen shook her head: “Earl, you’ve been wrong about one thing from beginning to end. When Mother said sordid, disgusting, and filthy, she wasn’t referring to men having multiple wives and concubines, wasn’t referring to men being fickle.”

Liang Yunshan was puzzled: “Then what did she mean?”

Liang Zhen said word by word: “Earl, when Mother said sordid, filthy, and disgusting, she was referring to sibling incest! And the one who facilitated this affair between brother and sister was their own birth mother!”