After Madam Xie finished speaking, a maid responded and lowered her head to take the brocade cushion.

“Wait,” Chang Yuncheng quickly said, while calling to stop the maid, “Mother, what’s this all of a sudden… what are you trying to do?”

Madam Xie slowly played with her hand warmer, not even looking at him.

“What?” she said slowly, “I can’t discipline your wife anymore?”

Mother was unhappy. Chang Yuncheng finally realized this.

But why? How could things be fine and then suddenly target her?

“Mother, whatever she did wrong, you tell her and she’ll listen. She’s slow, so you can teach her slowly,” Chang Yuncheng said with some laughter while sitting beside Madam Xie.

“There’s nothing to teach about this,” Madam Xie smiled faintly and looked up at him, “It’s very simple. A few days ago I ordered her to kneel in punishment and be confined to her quarters. Did your wife obey?”

Chang Yuncheng was stunned.

Kneeling in punishment… confinement…

If Madam Xie hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have even remembered, which showed whether Qi Yue had taken it to heart.

“She… didn’t really go out much,” Chang Yuncheng hesitated, then said.

Before he finished speaking, Madam Xie threw the hand warmer.

Charcoal rolled all over the floor, sparking a series of sparks. Chang Yuncheng was quick-eyed and quick-handed, splashing the tea from the table over it.

Only then did the maids frantically splash water and clean up.

“Mother,” Chang Yuncheng’s face turned slightly pale as he knelt beside the kang.

“For that woman, you’ve even learned to lie. You’ve really grown capable,” Madam Xie said coldly, “What, your wife did wrong, and I can’t even punish her?”

Chang Yuncheng’s expression was ugly. He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

“Mother, please calm your anger,” he finally said.

“Calm down, calm down, now you know to ask me to calm down?” Madam Xie laughed coldly, “Don’t think that just because your father protects you, you can be without rules. If you want to be without rules, wait until I’m dead.”

“Mother, why talk about such things for no reason,” Chang Yuncheng quickly said.

“What’s there to fear? Others probably curse me to die countless times in their hearts. If talking about it made it come true, I don’t know how many times I would have died already,” Madam Xie said coldly, then called to the maid still standing aside, “Why aren’t you going quickly! Are you also waiting for me to die?”

The little maid was startled and quickly went out.

Chang Yuncheng watched the maid leave, his face anxious.

“Mother, Yueniang’s health isn’t good…” he finally couldn’t help but say quietly, “Why not wait until she’s better to receive mother’s punishment…”

Looking at him, Madam Xie felt anger rush to her head.

He was defending this woman again and again! Even when she had already shown her anger, he still protected this woman!

Had he actually fallen for this woman?

This thought flashed through her mind, and Madam Xie felt her vision darken. She couldn’t help but reach out to support her head.

Chang Yuncheng was startled and quickly reached out to support her.

“Mother…” he stood up and called out in panic.

Madam Xie waved him away.

“Don’t talk to me,” she said coldly.

Chang Yuncheng looked at her, his mouth tightly pressed together.

The little maid timidly came in, wanting to speak but hesitating, still holding the brocade cushion in her hands.

Madam Xie slightly raised her eyes and saw it.

“What?” she asked.

“Young Mistress,” the little maid said timidly, “Young Mistress… left…”

Left… what did that mean?

Both Madam Xie and Chang Yuncheng were stunned for a moment, then realized.

“Outrageous! Who told her to leave!” Madam Xie shouted in fury.

Who? This woman had never listened to anyone. She always did whatever she wanted. It was completely normal for her to do such a thing…

But she just… so cleanly and decisively, not willing to… bow her head even a little?

Not willing to bow her head, probably because she didn’t care.

Chang Yuncheng looked at the furious Madam Xie, a bitter taste rising in his mouth.

“Look at her. You’re still protecting her, but she can take care of herself just fine!” Madam Xie looked at him and said coldly, “Fine, since I don’t exist in her eyes, naturally I won’t hold onto her either. From now on, she can act as if she doesn’t have me as a mother-in-law, and I don’t have her as a daughter-in-law.”

“Mother,” Chang Yuncheng quickly called out, reaching out to grab Madam Xie’s sleeve.

Madam Xie shook him off.

“Even now, you still want to speak for her… Chang Yuncheng…” Madam Xie looked at Chang Yuncheng, her trembling hand pressed to her chest, her lips trembling. Finally, without saying anything, she pointed outside, “Get out!”

Nanny Su, who had come upon hearing the news, saw this scene and hurriedly stepped forward.

“Madam, please don’t be angry…” she called out urgently, then urged A’Luan, “Quick, quick, bring the madam’s medicine pills.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at Madam Xie’s pale face and knelt down again.

“Your son knows he was wrong. Mother, please calm your anger,” he said, while tightly grasping Madam Xie’s sleeve, “Mother, are you alright? How do you feel? Should I call a physician…”

Madam Xie just closed her eyes, her hand pressed to her chest, saying nothing.

The room was in chaos.

However, for Qi Yue, there was nothing to be chaotic about. When she heard Madam Xie instruct the little maid to take the brocade cushion for her to kneel on, she turned and left under the shocked gazes of all the maids in the courtyard.

What a joke. Kneel? Don’t be ridiculous.

Qi Yue went straight back to her courtyard and heard the maids report that Madam Xie was calling for a physician.

Qi Yue said nothing, telling them to watch over there. If Madam Xie was really unwell, they should tell her immediately. Que Zhi cleverly agreed and went.

Here, Qiu Xiang looked at A’Ru, wanting to speak but hesitating.

“Don’t try to persuade me. It won’t work,” A’Ru sighed and said, then smiled bitterly, “Young Mistress isn’t the type to admit fault and bow her head even when she’s not wrong.”

Indeed, Qiu Xiang sighed. Not only when she wasn’t wrong, but even when she seemed to be wrong, she could turn it into being right with just a few words.

“But if Madam isn’t happy, how can the Lord be happy? Things were just getting better, and now they’ll become distant again,” she said with a sigh.

A’Ru also sighed. If the mother-in-law liked you but the husband didn’t, with the mother-in-law’s protection, life wouldn’t be difficult. But if the husband liked you and the mother-in-law didn’t, then life would be…

The atmosphere in the courtyard became heavy and oppressive.

Soon Que Zhi returned.

“Madam is fine, the physician left,” she said the key points simply and quickly, “The Lord is kneeling at Madam’s place.”

Hearing this, Qiu Xiang couldn’t help but want to speak, but Qi Yue had already stood up.

“You all wait at home,” she said.

Qiu Xiang and A’Ru were stunned. Watching Qi Yue walk out, although she told them to wait, how could they wait? They hurriedly followed her out and saw Qi Yue come to Madam Xie’s courtyard.

In the courtyard, Chang Yuncheng was kneeling straight on the ground. Qi Yue walked over and knelt down beside him.

Chang Yuncheng paid no attention to her, as if he hadn’t seen an extra person beside him.

Qi Yue also said nothing, just knelt straight like him.

Time passed bit by bit.

This was Qi Yue’s first time suffering like this. The ground was hard and cold. Actually, not long after kneeling, she felt she couldn’t bear it, but seeing Chang Yuncheng from the corner of her eye, she still gritted her teeth and persisted.

Other people accompanied their men to appreciate flowers, moon, and scenery. Her accompanying her man in punishment kneeling could be considered a different kind of romantic sentiment. If this were in modern times, she couldn’t even enjoy such an experience if she wanted to.

Thinking of this, Qi Yue couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile. After smiling, she felt her knees hurt piercingly.

This might cause arthritis. Why did Madam Xie particularly favor this kind of punishment?

Just as she was relying on random thoughts to push away the pain, Chang Yuncheng reached over from his side, pulled over a brocade cushion, and pushed it over.

Qi Yue looked at him.

Chang Yuncheng didn’t look at her or speak.

Qi Yue remained kneeling without moving.

“Kneel on this,” Chang Yuncheng said stiffly.

“My skirt is thick, you use it,” Qi Yue said.

Chang Yuncheng pressed his lips tightly together and didn’t look at her.

Nanny Su walked away from the curtain. Inside, Madam Xie was leaning against the pillow with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

“Madam, Young Mistress has also come to kneel,” Nanny Su said quietly.

Madam Xie let out a cold laugh.

“Too late,” she said.

Nanny Su acknowledged this and spoke again.

“…But we should still call them up,” she said quietly.

Madam Xie suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

“What? If she dares to kneel, don’t I dare to let her kneel?” she said coldly.

Nanny Su smiled.

“Madam certainly dares, but,” she said, glancing outside, “this just fulfills her wishes.”

Madam Xie frowned slightly.

“…If she had just left, that would have been fine, but she deliberately came back to kneel with the Lord. The longer the punishment lasts, the more the Lord’s original anger will dissipate, and instead he’ll pity her. Look, look at the delicate appearance that woman is putting on…” Nanny Su said quietly.

Madam Xie looked up through the window and saw the woman kneeling beside her son swaying her shoulders slightly, as if she couldn’t bear it anymore. When she moved, although Chang Yuncheng didn’t look at her, his brow furrowed tightly…

“Tell them all to get lost,” Madam Xie lay back down and said coldly.

In the Lord’s courtyard, there was a flurry of activity with the couple’s return.

Qi Yue indeed had never suffered like this before. Holding her knees, she wanted nothing more than to roll around on the bed.

With great difficulty, she applied medicinal wine, and the pain felt like it took half her life.

During this time, Chang Yuncheng sat upright the whole time, not speaking, moving, or smiling.

The maids didn’t dare approach to tend to his injuries either.

“How are your legs? Apply some medicinal wine to drive away the cold…” Qi Yue said through gritted teeth.

“Everyone get out,” Chang Yuncheng suddenly shouted.

The maids were startled and hurriedly retreated in confusion, leaving only the couple in the room.

“All mother wanted was face. What would it matter if you gave her face? Filial piety requires obedience—if you’re not obedient, how can there be filial piety? Without filial piety, how can mother like you?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her, his voice cold and harsh.

Qi Yue sighed.

“How should I put this,” she said, frowning slightly, “That’s right, your mother wants face, but this face isn’t something I can give by kneeling or letting her scold me. This face, it’s because of who I am as a person…”

She pointed at herself and looked at Chang Yuncheng.

“Me, this daughter-in-law from a beggar background, this daughter-in-law the Old Madam forced you to marry—no matter what I do or say, my very existence is slapping her face,” she said, “Chang Yuncheng, how do you want me to obey her? Leaving your family—that’s probably the only way to truly obey her.”

Leave! It had been some time since he’d heard that word.

Chang Yuncheng suddenly stood up.

“In the end, you still haven’t forgotten about divorce,” he said, turning and walking away.

Qi Yue called out twice—that wasn’t what she meant at all!

Chang Yuncheng had already stridden out.