Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 428: The ancestral criminal law Ying Qiongyao remains calm and steady like a mountain in all weather!
In the Grand View Garden, in front of Hesong Hall.

This quiet courtyard is the residence of the old lady of the Xie family. On weekdays, the red door is closed and no one is allowed to enter. If anyone dares to enter without the permission of the old lady, he will be punished.

Behind this rule lies a sad story.

That year, when Xie Hongshang was still a child, he rescued a little maid who had fallen into the water by the lotus pond in Hesong Hall, but he himself caught a serious cold.

The palace invited several imperial physicians, and even invited gentlemen from the academy who were well versed in medicine to see the patient, but the condition did not improve.

The old lady was so anxious that she lost her appetite. She knelt in front of the Buddha every day to burn incense and pray. After she recovered, she set a strict rule: no servant could set foot in Hesong Hall without her personal permission.

In the early years, the Xie family did not have an easy life among the aristocratic families in Bian Jing.

The old man passed away early, leaving behind a huge family business and several young children. The old lady supported the family alone, acting as both a strict father and a kind mother, raising the children to adulthood.

As the youngest son, Xie Hong showed a unique character since childhood. He was diligent and studious, filial and respectful to his brothers, and was humble and polite.

When he was young, several of his brothers left home one after another to seek fame and fortune. It was Xie Hong who gave up his studies at the academy and took on the burden of the family, managing the household while studying.

Even his marriage was for the sake of the Xie family's future. He married a lady who could help the Xie family prosper.

Whenever she thought about these things, the old lady felt guilty.

This guilt also passed on to Xie Hong's children.

Whether it was the eldest son Xie Renfeng or the youngest daughter Xie Qiyue, the old lady loved them both very much.

Hesong Hall is unusually lively today.

In the somewhat dim hall.

Sitting on the left were members of the Xie family: Madam Yuan, the mistress of the main courtyard, Madam Zhao, the mistress of the second courtyard, and the remaining ladies, all of whom had extraordinary demeanor.

The back row was filled with elders from various branches of the Xie family - although the Xie family had taken root in Changning Street, they also had many branches in the city of Bianjing, and it was a rare occasion for them to gather together today.

Behind the lady on the left, there are several younger members of the family.

Mrs. Yuan’s youngest son Xie Yu and the seventh son Xie Xuan.

Xie Qiyue from the Second Hospital, and several descendants from the Main Hospital.

On the right sat the guests - the group from the Li family who had broken off the engagement.

Leading the group was Li Shuwan's eldest brother, and the object of the broken engagement, the seventh daughter of the Li family, Li Qinlan, whom Xie Guan had met once at Qimochunfang.

The old lady sat in the main seat, her eyes slowly swept over the people in the hall, and slowly spoke: "Today, I have summoned you all for an important matter."

Although her voice was soft, no one dared to neglect it.

"The eldest son of the Li family came to visit me personally to discuss the cancellation of the engagement. This is related to the marriage of Xie Guan from the Xie family. This matter should have a legal outcome."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly tensed. Before the old lady could finish her words, a shrill cry suddenly rang out.

"Old lady! Please make the decision for your daughter-in-law——"

I saw Madam Zhao, the mistress of the second house, kneeling on the ground. Her hair was not adorned with pearl hairpins, and her clothes and appearance were plain, which made her look pale and haggard.

She covered her face with her sleeves, her voice choked with sobs, "My son Renfeng was beaten severely by that evil creature Xie Guan for no reason, and has been bedridden ever since! If the guards in the mansion hadn't found him in time, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he would have already... died."

Having said this, she seemed heartbroken. She fell to the ground and kowtowed, her forehead hitting the ground heavily, making a dull sound.

When she looked up again, her face was already covered in tears, but there was a gleam of viciousness in her tearful eyes.

"We are both descendants of the Xie family, yet he is so cruel! How can a mother tolerate this? I beg the old lady to be wise and severely punish that unfilial son!"

Her cries were heart-wrenching and every word she said was heart-piercing. For a moment, the whole hall was silent, with only her mournful cries echoing in Hesong Hall.

The old lady frowned slightly, sat upright in the chair, and remained silent.

The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly solemn. Madam Zhao said in a sad voice, "If the master returns home and sees his own flesh and blood in such a state, how will I, as a mother, explain to Mingshan?"

She suddenly raised her eyes, a trace of determination flashed in her eyes, "If the master never comes home because of this, I will have no face to go back to my mother's home. I might as well jump into the mother lake of this Grand View Garden!"

The old lady's expression changed several times, first she looked angry, then she let out a long sigh.

At this time, Madam Yuan of the first house came forward slowly and advised in a gentle voice: "Sister, please get up quickly. Now that the talented men in the family are not at home, it is up to the old lady to preside over justice."

"Sister, you are my uncle's daughter-in-law who was married to me from the Zhao family. The old lady is so distressed that she can't wait to see you."

She turned to the old lady and said respectfully, "Although Renfeng has been a little naughty recently, he has been studious since he was young and passed the imperial examination before he was twenty. It's just that he is young and has an unsettled character. When he had an argument with Xie Guan, he never fought, but just lost his temper with his words."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao wiped her tears with a handkerchief, but knelt down again: "It is my fault for not teaching my son well. I am willing to accept the punishment."

She suddenly raised her head and her voice suddenly turned stern: "But Xie Guan killed his own people and violated the family rules. Please, old lady, correct the style of our Xie family!"

Throughout the Hesong Hall, the only sound that could be heard was Mrs. Zhao's suppressed sobs echoing between the beams and pillars.

Madam Yuan sighed and continued, "Although Xie Guan is a son of a wealthy family, he has always been eccentric and does not socialize with others. Now that he is older, he still has not started school, which is really a disgrace to our Xie family."

As soon as the words fell!
Xie Qiyue who was standing in the corner also felt aggrieved for Xie Guan. He was a bastard who lost his mother at a young age. Who in the mansion dared to get close to him under the deliberate suppression of his mistress?

He was not allowed to go to school, but now he is the one to blame?
Xie Yu, who was standing quietly at the side, frowned slightly. This handsome young man wore a white jade crown and a silver belt around his forehead, and his eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as paintings, revealing a scholarly air.

Although he lived in the same courtyard with Xie Guan, they had never had any contact. However, he had read the stunning poems presented at the Banquet of Flowers.

Those words, every word of which is a gem, are clearly the work of a banished immortal. How could they be written by an illiterate person?

Xie Yu turned his eyes slightly and looked at his mother who was sitting in the main seat. He had been smart since he was young, but he did not speak.

The old lady seemed to have made up her mind, and her old voice rang out in the hall: "According to the rules of my Xie family, how should we deal with it?"

Madam Yuan coughed lightly, straightened her sleeves, turned around and faced the Xie family, her voice suddenly turned deep:
"The Xie family rules state that any member of our clan who kills his parents or brothers, disobeys his elders, contradicts his mistress, or harms his siblings, etc., will be punished with three punishments if found guilty by the clan council." With every word she spoke, the hall became quieter:
"First, their names will be removed from the family tree, and they will not be allowed to be buried in the ancestral tomb after their death."

"Second, abolish his cultivation, punish him with 300 lashes, and make him kneel in the ancestral temple to accept the reprimand of his ancestors."

"Third, the disaster will spread to future generations. Their descendants will not be able to bear the surname, learn literature or practice martial arts."

The old lady nodded slightly, and when she turned to Madam Zhao, her tone softened: "Get up. Mingshan is not at home, so you really need to pay more attention."

She glanced at the Li family members in the hall and said, "We have distinguished guests here today, please don't be impolite."

Mrs. Zhao then stood up sobbing, but bowed to Mrs. Yuan.

"More sisters."

Madam Yuan smiled and said, "What's there to thank for as a family? A harmonious family is the foundation of everything."

The candlelight in the hall flickered, illuminating everyone's expressions.

Everyone in the Li family stood quietly by and never said a word.

Li Nantian, the person in charge of this trip, is only thirty years old but he already exudes an aura of authority without even getting angry.

The eldest son of the Li family, who was called "Little Pillar of the State" by the people of Bian Jing, had a stature as straight as a pine tree, a firm and steady face, and his brows were full of the charm of his father in his youth.

In fact, the Li family elders had already given instructions for this - from the loud gongs and drums along the way when they set out from the Li family to the grand ceremony when they arrived at the door today, it was nothing but a carefully rehearsed drama.

If the two families had not already had a tacit understanding, given the long-standing friendship between the Li and Xie families, and the relationship between the old lady of the Li family and the old lady of the Xie family as close friends in the past, they would never have brought such humiliation to the Xie family.

The Xie family would rather lose their own face than completely destroy the reputation of Xie Guan, the illegitimate son.

To marry into another family in Da Qi was already a great shame and humiliation, let alone to bring good luck to the third master of the Li family who had been suffering from a long-term illness.

Now with the addition of the broken engagement, Xie Guan’s name will spread throughout the streets of Bianjing without having to wait until tomorrow.

How could the world know the twists and turns?

They would only say: How could a man without any ambition end up marrying into another's wife's family to bring good luck?
If he had good character, how could he be broken off in public? This calculation was to crush Xie Guan's pride and reputation into dust.

The flickering candlelight in the hall made Li Nantian's angular profile look even more stern.

Although the eldest son of the Li family had never met Xie Guan, he had long heard of his reputation as a fickle man in brothels - he was just a man who indulged in promiscuous affairs.

In the eyes of the nine major families, what does a mere bastard's son count for?
He lowered his eyes to look at the sword at his waist, thinking to himself: Even if the family insisted on an arranged marriage, he would never entrust his sister's life to such a person.

How could the pearl of the Li family be paired with a notorious bastard of the Xie family?

Li Qinlan on the side bit her red lips lightly.

Although she didn't want to get married, she didn't expect things to develop to this point.

The girl quietly tugged at her beloved brother's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, are we going too far?"

Li Nantian looked straight ahead and said calmly, "This is the Xie family's private matter. We have no right to interfere, and we cannot interfere."

Li Qinlan thought of the young man dancing with sword in Qimochunfang.

The skirt-pressing knife that she lent him for some unknown reason is still on her body.

I remembered the poem again: "A beauty gave me a skirt-pressing knife. How can I repay her?"

Not only a little silent.

Xie Qiyue looked anxious, she knew best that Xie Yuan and Xie Guan had a deep brotherly love, if Xie Yuan were here, he would definitely not sit idly by.

But as for the three hundred lashes - she had witnessed with her own eyes a servant in the mansion fainting after being lashed thirty times with broken bones and blood all over his body.

If Xie Guan was to be whipped three hundred times, everyone knew what Madam Zhao was thinking - she didn't want Xie Guan to leave Hesong Hall alive.

Xie Yu on the side was still standing still like a pine tree, but his eyes passed through the carved porch and looked at the darkening dusk outside the courtyard, as if thinking about something.

I don't know when, thunder rolled across the sky and heavy rain poured down.

~

【In the Mother Lake of the Grand View Garden, heavy rain fell from the sky. 】

【Rain hits the lotus! 】

[Qiuyue led a few maids and hurried along. The servant behind her held up an oil-paper umbrella to support Qiuyue. The group had obviously prepared umbrellas.]

[Qiuyue saw that you were empty-handed and was afraid that you would inevitably get wet in the heavy rain. As for the umbrella you needed, no one would give it to you.]

【Xie Guan entered Hesong Hall looking like a drowned rat.】

[This is also what the ladies meant. First, they wanted to give Xie Guan a warning, so that this bastard would be thoroughly shocked. Then, they would make him kneel on the brick floor of Hesong Hall, so that he would know the difference between respect and inferiority.]

[Wait a minute, Madam, the old lady and the clan will hold a trial. I wonder if this young master Guan will be so scared that he will collapse to the ground.]

[At this moment, Qiuyue was stunned, stopped walking, and was a little bit unbelieving. ]

[The raindrops hitting the oil-paper umbrella are like beans, and today I feel like I am separated from you.]

【You are dry and walk leisurely in the rain. 】

[As stable as a mountain, unmoved by wind and rain! 】

(End of this chapter)