Chapter 5: 004 Madam

The Shen family values dignity and reputation above all else; it is even written in their family precepts. Without these two things, how would this century-old noble clan differ from any other wealthy household? Without them, how could the Shen family possess such great influence, remaining standing through chaotic times and returning gloriously to the imperial court once the world was settled?

Even Madam Shen herself would not dare to voice that the Shen family fears the power of the nobility and is forced to bow before them. Even though the Shen family, once cabinet ministers of the previous dynasty, now serves the Zhou house, the loss of integrity is already a stain.

As for the Gu family, they naturally do not wish to earn a reputation for bullying others with their status, especially when the victims are neighbors and colleagues.

Therefore, Shen Yan’s words effectively provoked both Madam Shen and the Gu family’s young mistress, Lady Qi, at the same time.

Although it was Shen Yan who spoke, it was an undeniable fact that Chen-shi had volunteered to go out and welcome them, and everyone had seen her whispering to Shen Yan. With things as they were, Chen-shi could not hope to clear her name. While Madam Shen still held some doubts about her daughter-in-law, Lady Qi had already focused her full attention on Chen-shi. Given her predicament, how could Chen-shi expect a pleasant look?

Those seated in the room turned their gazes toward them, and Madam Shen’s expression was extremely grim.

"What is the meaning of this clamor before the hall?"

Hua-shi had been entirely focused on the Gu family’s arrival to lodge a complaint. Hearing Shen Yan’s retort, she sensed something amiss. Because they were in the Yaori Hall, she had restrained herself, but hearing Madam Shen speak, she stepped over the threshold.

Shen Yan looked at Chen-shi. Chen-shi met her innocent expression, gritted her teeth, flicked her handkerchief, and entered the room.

As soon as Shen Yan entered, she saw the two people sitting at the head of the hall on the left. The noblewoman had phoenix eyes with high-arched corners, bright eyes, and white teeth. She was clearly a young woman of fine features, yet her face was frozen in frost, making one feel cold just looking at her. This was naturally Lady Qi.

Looking to Lady Qi’s right, Shen Yan could not help but suppress a smile.

She remembered that Gu Song was a year older than her. Perhaps because their fathers were both martial artists, he looked slightly taller than his peers. Combined with frequent exercise, his limbs were sturdy, which made him look better than most. With his clean and well-defined features, he was considered a handsome man in the capital’s aristocratic circles.

But at this moment, the folding fan in this handsome man’s hand was gripped tightly, and his left eye was covered in a bruise. He looked exactly like a white-furred, black-eyed cat Shen Yan had once kept; he could hardly be called handsome anymore.

At Shen Yan’s smile, Gu Song immediately tensed up, his fists clenched, and he glared at her with eyes wide as copper bells. It looked as if, were it not for the many people present, he would have pounced to strangle her.

Shen Yan quickly cleared her throat and followed behind Hua-shi to pay her respects to Madam Shen.

Madam Shen pointed to the left: "First, pay your respects to the Heir’s wife. Then, explain clearly what happened at the mouth of the alley today."

Shen Yan went to bow to Lady Qi.

Lady Qi curled her lips, lifted her chin, and glanced coldly downward: "The Second Miss has quite the skill, beating our Song-ge to this state. If I didn't know the Shen family had been scholars for generations, I would have suspected the young lady came from a bandit’s den."

"Heir’s wife, please listen to my explanation."

Hua-shi, unwilling to let her daughter be wrongly blamed, stepped forward and bowed slightly, saying, "Yan-jie’er told me about this just now. There are some misunderstandings involved; I ask the Heir’s wife to let me explain the sequence of events."

Lady Qi had heard Shen Yan’s words at the door. Earlier, when she saw Gu Song return home with a bruised eye, she had been terrified. Hearing from Song Jiang that it was Shen Yan who hit him, she had dragged Gu Song over in a rage without asking for details. How was she to know that Gu Song and his group had knocked Shen Yan unconscious?

She saw that Shen Yan was fair, composed, and had shown no fear since entering. Her eyes were clear, showing she was a sensible child. Thus, deep down, she did not believe she would tell such an easily disproven lie. If that were the case, was there truly a reason for Gu Song to be beaten?

So, while Shen Yan and Chen-shi were clashing, she had secretly sent a maid to inquire. Upon hearing the truth, she felt somewhat deflated. But seeing Gu Song’s bruised eye again, she quickly rallied. Regardless, Shen Yan was standing there perfectly fine, while Gu Song had a bruised eye. By any account, the Shen family owed them an explanation, right?

So she scoffed: "It was Yan-jie’er who hit our Song-ge; so many people saw it at the time. What misunderstanding could there be?"

Gu Song pursed his lips and looked at his mother, perhaps feeling that such unreasonable bickering was beneath his dignity.

Although Hua-shi was a southern woman, she had been raised to have the final say in her maiden home and had a fiery temper. Hearing this, she straightened her back and said in a tone that remained somewhat charming even in her agitation: "If the Heir’s wife insists on saying that, then we must discuss it properly. You only see that your son has a bruised eye, but what about the bump on the back of my daughter’s head from the impact?

"If we are to settle accounts, shouldn't there be a sense of order?"

The Duke of Rong’s mansion had been very prestigious for years, and Lady Qi was always treated with respect wherever she went. Not expecting the petite Hua-shi to be so spirited, she stood up: "Oh, I didn't know until I came, and I was shocked once I did. The young mistresses of your mansion are truly more formidable than the last. First, the Fourth Mistress is so 'warm-hearted,' and now the Second Mistress is so self-righteous.

"Don't think I don't know anything. Our Song Jiang may have accidentally pushed the Second Miss, but didn't our Song-ge rush up to help? Your Second Miss, however, didn't say a word and punched him. So it seems his attempt to help was a mistake! If our Song-ge were the type to bully others on purpose, wouldn't he be like some people’s children, hitting someone and running away?"

As she spoke, Lady Qi glared at Shen Yan. It was clear that "some people’s children" referred to her.

Lady Qi’s maiden family were also martial artists, so she was known in the neighborhood for her sharp tongue. Her words, thrown out in the Shen household—a place that always emphasized rules and decorum—carried an exceptionally stinging force. Over a dozen pairs of eyes in the Shen family stared at her; no one spoke, but the shock in their gazes was naked.

Was this not what is commonly known as a street brawl?

Gu Song slid off his chair, frowned, and tugged at his mother’s hem.

Seeing this, Shen Yan gave a signal to Nanny Huang. Although she had always appreciated Hua-shi’s fiery temper, Madam Shen was still present, and this concerned the harmony between the two houses. Such reckless arguing would do no good.

Under the silent persuasion of the children on both sides, Hua-shi and Lady Qi each stepped back, maintaining a semblance of composure.

But Lady Qi remained indignant. She scanned the Shen family and finally looked at Hua-shi, sneering: "We martial families have always spoken directly. I didn't expect someone raised in a pile of silk like the Second Mistress to be so blunt. It seems that although your mansion has a reputation, the threshold isn't that high. How can you marry just anyone into the house? It truly stains the family style of this noble clan."

Although the Hua family were imperial merchants, they were merchants nonetheless. By rights, the Shen family should not have intermarried with them, if not for that past reason... Hua-shi’s pretty face turned purple, and she glared at Lady Qi as if her eyes might pop out of their sockets.

Gu Song frowned, looking at his mother with disapproval that even Shen Yan could see clearly.

Shen Yan walked to Hua-shi’s side and looked at Lady Qi: "I wonder if the Heir’s wife looks down on merchants, or if you look down on the Shen mansion? If you look down on merchants, then I must remind you that even the imperial clan has shops and businesses on every major street. Does the Madam look down on the Emperor and the imperial relatives as well?"

Lady Qi was speechless.

Shen Yan smiled, then suddenly changed her tone, her face cooling: "The Duke of Rong’s mansion is loyal to the Emperor and loves the country; how could the Madam mean that? If that is not what you meant, then you must be looking down on the Shen mansion. Although my uncle and grandfather were merchants, my mother has already married into the Shen family and is a member of the Shen family.

"As the saying goes, if you want others to respect you, you must first respect them. Don't speak ill of my mother in front of our mistress; even within the borders of the Shen family, speaking ill of a bird, a blade of grass, or a servant of our house is looking down on the Shen family. —Isn't that right, Mistress?"

After speaking, she turned to face Madam Shen, who sat on the seat with a sunken face, and bowed her head slightly.

By rights, she should show the respect of a junior before Lady Qi, but did a person like Lady Qi deserve respect? If she had to weigh the consequences for half a day while her own mother was being publicly insulted, what was the point of living again? She might as well jump into the moat and die.

Madam Shen sat upright in the high hall, looking down at the top of her head with half-closed eyes, her gaze freezing inch by inch.

The most embarrassing thing about Lady Qi’s barbed words was not Hua-shi, but Madam Shen. She was the head of the household; for her daughter-in-law to be mocked like this, it was the Shen family’s reputation that was being lost, her own reputation as the mistress of the house! She had already been fuming, but hindered by the Gu family’s influence and her own status, she could not bring herself to argue with Lady Qi.

She had not expected Shen Yan to lightly shift the trouble onto her. Looking at the gazes in the room, the eyes she turned toward Shen Yan almost shot daggers.

It was clearly the trouble she had caused, yet now she was dragging her into the water. This was the daughter Hua-shi had raised!

But at this moment, she had no choice but to step forward.

She lowered her eyes, placed her teacup on the side table, smoothed her forehead beneath her black velvet headband, and said slowly: "From the Heir’s wife’s earlier words, I understand you admit that your people pushed Yan-jie’er. I am very sorry that Yan-jie’er offended the young heir. But for what reason was Yan-jie’er pushed and knocked unconscious?"

With these words, Madam Shen’s stance became clear.