“Really? That’s good, that’s good!” Xie Shi nearly wept with relief.
The Duke of Anguo, who had also followed the physician into the inner chamber, secretly let out a sigh of relief. Though furious at his daughter’s actions, she was still his only daughter, and his instincts made him worry for her.
Despite the physician’s reassurance, Xie Shi, heartbroken for her daughter, couldn’t help but resent the Duke of Anguo. Looking at Yan Jingyu’s pale face on the bed, she choked out, “My Lord, even if Yu’er was wrong, you could have scolded or punished her. How could you hit her?!”
Seeing Xie Shi still shielding Yan Jingyu and even blaming him, the Duke of Anguo’s anger flared again. Pointing at the confession papers An Momo had picked up, he roared, “Do you even know what your precious daughter has done?!”
“Of course I know!” For some reason, Xie Shi suddenly became defiant. Her face stiffened, and her next words stunned everyone present—even Yan Jingshu looked surprised. No one had expected Xie Shi to admit it outright.
The Duke of Anguo froze, as if he hadn’t understood. “You knew?! What exactly did you know?”
Xie Shi didn’t answer immediately. She carefully tucked the blankets around Yan Jingyu before standing and facing the Duke of Anguo. “Yu’er told me about this last night.”
“You knew all along?! Then why didn’t you say anything earlier? Why pretend you knew nothing just now?” The Duke of Anguo’s chest ached with renewed fury at Xie Shi’s earlier act of ignorance.
“How could I have spoken up? And my Lord wasn’t entirely honest with me either, was he? You lied and told me Shu’er was merely ill.” Xie Shi spoke righteously, even turning the blame back on the Duke of Anguo.
“Th-That’s not the same…” The Duke of Anguo faltered. Xie Shi’s moral high ground inexplicably made him feel a twinge of guilt.
Xie Shi softened her tone. “I know my Lord hid the truth to spare me distress. I’m grateful for your consideration. And I thought… perhaps Shu’er also didn’t wish for this matter to be widely known. Out of respect for his feelings, I chose to remain silent.”
Since the Duke of Anguo had concealed the truth first, and now hearing Xie Shi’s explanation, his accusations died in his throat.
“Enough. We’ll discuss this later. No matter what, Yu’er’s scheme against her elder brother is a fact. She cannot escape punishment lightly.” The Duke of Anguo waved his hand, refusing to engage further with Xie Shi. Instead, he turned his gaze to Yan Jingyu, still unconscious.
Though he insisted she must be punished, he couldn’t immediately decide how. His eyes involuntarily turned to Yan Jingshu—the victim in all this.
Xie Shi noticed. Before Yan Jingshu could speak, she looked at him with tender pity. “My Lord is right. Yu’er must be punished for her wrongdoing. Fortunately, Shu’er is blessed by heaven and didn’t truly suffer injustice. Otherwise, even if Yu’er were to atone with her death, it wouldn’t make up for the harm done to him…”
The Duke of Anguo, though furious with Yan Jingyu, had no intention of demanding her death—especially since, as Xie Shi said, Yan Jingshu hadn’t actually been violated. But Yan Jingyu had not only framed her brother but also attempted to silence witnesses. For a young girl to commit such atrocities, she had to be severely disciplined—lest she grow even more audacious in the future.
After a long silence, the Duke of Anguo finally reached a decision. He gave Yan Jingyu a deep, heavy look and declared, “Send the Third Young Lady to the ancestral hall. She is to be given only three bowls of plain congee a day, with no servants to attend her.”
The ancestral hall was where the family’s sacred tablets were enshrined, opened only for rituals or major family events like weddings, funerals, birthdays, or celebrations. It was a solemn, sacred space, not to be entered lightly.
Though Yan Jingyu had committed a grave offense, she was an unmarried daughter—her appearance and health were crucial for her future marriage prospects and couldn't be carelessly damaged. If she were to be caned, a light punishment would be meaningless, while a harsh one risked leaving scars or hidden ailments that could affect her for life.
Confining Yan Jingyu to the ancestral hall without physical punishment might seem lenient, but it was, in fact, the most severe penalty short of expulsion from the family. The Duke of Anguo’s order—to leave her alone with only three meager meals a day in that cold, silent hall filled with ancestral tablets and portraits—was a torment worse than a beating for a girl as spoiled as Yan Jingyu.
Xie Shi had known Yan Jingyu wouldn’t escape punishment this time, which was why she hadn’t pleaded earlier—to avoid further provoking the Duke of Anguo. But she hadn’t expected him to send Yan Jingyu to the ancestral hall. If word spread, everyone would know Yan Jingyu had committed a serious offense. Who would dare marry her then? Her entire future would be ruined, which was something Xie Shi could never accept.
“My Lord, if you must punish Yu’er, I won’t argue. But autumn has already begun, the ancestral hall is cold and damp. Yu’er has always been delicate, and now she’s ill too. How can she endure it? My Lord…”
The Duke of Anguo remained unmoved. He was determined to teach Yan Jingyu a harsh lesson. If not for her sake, then for Yan Jingshu’s. Before Xie Shi could finish, he cut her off with a wave. “My decision is final. No more arguments. If she needs medicine, have it sent to her there.”
Seeing the Duke of Anguo’s unyielding stance, Xie Shi pressed her lips together. Then, without warning, her knees struck the floorboards with a hollow thud.
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