If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

"What do you mean?"

"I've made myself perfectly clear, are you stupid and can't you understand?"

"I don't understand," he said in a low voice.

"My feelings for you have long since faded; if you let me go, I'll let you go too. It's better for both of us to part ways peacefully." Xi Lingxian didn't understand why he was so stubborn, but she had long since given up all hope for him.

Getting close to him always causes heartache.

"I don't understand a single word you're saying."

Xi Lingxian suddenly shrank back.

She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it too tightly.

"You're always like this." His voice carried a hint of confusion, and even a hint of... helplessness.

He loosened his grip on her wrist, stepped back half a step, and pointed in the direction outside the willow grove.

"To the north, there are barbarian cavalry who could march south at any moment. In Jiankang, the imperial family, powerful clans, and influential officials are all deeply entrenched in their power. Today you may be an honored guest, but tomorrow your entire family could be executed. The emperor is inactive, and the government is controlled by powerful families. Today the Wang family is in power, tomorrow the Xie family will rise to the top, and who knows who will be the next family the day after tomorrow."

"In this world, it is already something I have done with all my might to keep everyone alive and preserve my family so that it can be made famous."

"I will teach the Xie family a lesson when I get back for what happened today."

"I will make Xie Wanru pay the price for everything she did, everything Xie Mingshuo said, and everything Xie Wanyi condoned."

Her voice was a little hoarse, "I said so much, and this is all you heard?"

Wang Jue remained silent.

Of course he heard something else.

But he didn't want to hear those things.

Xi Lingxian couldn't understand why this statement just didn't make sense.

"You know my father and brothers' character perfectly well. Even without the marriage alliance, they wouldn't help others deal with the Langya Wang clan. You're tormenting me like this because you don't want me to have a good life." Tears silently slid down her cheeks.

"Xie Wanyi is so deeply in love with you, even I am ashamed of myself. The two of you are also compatible in temperament and personality. If you marry her, your mother will be happy, your sisters will be happy, isn't that a good thing?"

Wang Jue seemed to freeze, remaining silent for a long time, "But I'm not happy."

"You'll be happy."

She turned her face away, "Xie Wanyi is more suitable to be the matriarch of the Wang family than I am, and she is also more suitable for you than I am."

Let's both let go of the past.

After she finished speaking, she eagerly awaited his reply.

Wang Jue's expression was calm, and a smile appeared on his lips. "If those people upset you, I will take care of them and get revenge for you; from now on, I will not let anyone who offends you get away with it."

It still doesn't make sense.

He clearly only heard what he wanted to hear.

The two were deadlocked.

Xi Lingxian felt deeply guilty for the sins she had committed in her past life.

The incident of Xie's daughter injuring someone at the horse farm has become a hot topic in Jiankang City.

With the noble ladies and gentlemen of various families witnessing it firsthand, and with the Prince of Chenliu and Wang Jue in charge, the Xie family couldn't pretend to be ignorant.

Madam Xie personally led her daughter to apologize, but was turned away at the door.

The head of the Xie family sought out Wang Dun, hoping he could mediate the dispute.

These powerful families are closely connected; it is better to resolve conflicts than to create them.

Given the Xie family's current reputation, offending the Xi family, while not necessarily causing them immense hardship, would certainly not be a good thing.

Wang Dun did not hide the fact that the Xie family women had been causing trouble in the Wang family's inner quarters for a long time. In addition, he wanted to win over the Xi family. If he spoke up for the Xie family at this time, it would definitely cause Xi Jian and his son to become estranged from him.

This choice of interests is not difficult to make.

Wang Dun claimed to be ill and refused to see any outside guests, especially members of the Xie family, and even refused to see his own wife, Madam Xie.

Undeterred, Madam Wang then sought out her son, Wang Jue.

"It's just a young lady's joke, why make such a big deal out of it? If it were before, it would have been fine, but now your maternal family is in a weak position, and Xi Jian is the Grand Secretary in the court. Qingyu, you have to help your uncle no matter what. At the very least, you can't let the Xie family members be ostracized by the Xi family in the court."

Faced with mountains of official documents, Wang Jue had no time to spare, and hearing her mother's words now only made her feel more ironic.

"Mother, a fall from a horse can cause serious injury or even death to many. Is this something you call a trivial matter? Do you think only the daughters of the Xie family are noble, while everyone else's lives are as worthless as weeds?"

Madam Wang was furious. "Whose son are you? How dare you take the side of outsiders? No matter how bad the Xie family is, they are still your maternal uncle's family. Even if Wanru has made a huge mistake, she is still your own cousin. Don't you understand the principle that we share the same fate?"

"It's no use saying that to your son. Father is still the head of the Wang family. If Father has decided not to interfere, does Mother want her son to disobey Father?"

Madam Wang felt a tightness in her chest. "Although your father controls the court and the country, your power is not to be underestimated. Please protect the Xie family for now; it will be an act of filial piety towards your mother, won't it?"

"Your father is a master of power and profit, but he schemes about everything, and he's scheming so meticulously it's terrifying. Qingyu, your mother wouldn't harm you. Your father wants you to marry that girl from the Xi family, doesn't he? Don't you think he's getting senile?"

"Your cousin Wanyi is dignified, elegant, and pretty. She has been well-read since childhood and has a graceful demeanor. You two have known each other since childhood and are childhood sweethearts. Tell me, what a wonderful match made in heaven! But your father just doesn't want it and insists on making you marry into the Xi family because of the Jingkou soldiers."

"I refuse to believe that, with your abilities, father and son, the Jingkou troops would fall into the hands of outsiders without you marrying daughters of the Xi family."

Wang Jue's expression was cold and stern. "Mother, you are enjoying your privileged life in the inner palace. It is none of your business to concern yourself with matters of state."

Madam Wang was furious. "Fine, my good son, you're still siding with your father after all. Do you think your father can give you wealth and power, while I, your mother, can't do anything?"

Suddenly, an old woman from the Xie family came crying and begging, "Auntie, save us! Our master wants to send our third daughter to the family temple."

Madam Wang's vision went black for a moment, but the old woman quickly caught her.

The ancestral temple was a poor and remote place. If a pampered young lady from a noble family was sent there, she would be worn down to the point of being half-dead.

"How could you be so heartless, brother? Ru'er is spoiled and pampered; how could she possibly endure this?"

The old woman was sobbing uncontrollably, "That's why I've come to beg you, Aunt, to save my life!"

"You must save the Third Sister!"

Now that things have come to this, it's impossible for Madam Wang not to back down.

"Qingyu, tell me the truth, what do you want in return for letting your cousin go?"

Wang Jue: "It was my uncle's order to punish my cousin, so why is my mother criticizing me?"

"If it weren't for the pressure from people like you, how could your uncle have..."

"Mother, in my heart, I have already decided that the Xi family girl is my betrothed. If I let anyone who bullies my wife off lightly, who will respect me, Wang Jue, in the future?"

Madam Wang stared in disbelief, her face filled with astonishment.

"Mother, you know my temper. If I don't want to marry, even Father can't force me."

"I'm still trying to save face for Xie Wanyi. It's important that you and your uncle and aunt arrange a marriage for her as soon as possible, so that she doesn't have any more unrealistic fantasies."

Madam Wang sneered, "You two, father and son, are indeed of the same kind of black-hearted nature."

"When the Xie family was powerful, I raised you brothers and sisters and Wanyi together, hoping to cultivate your relationship so that you could naturally become husband and wife and continue the bloodline of our two families. Now that the Xie family has lost power, you have turned your backs and become different people. It is pitiful that Wanyi has been deeply in love with you since childhood, and she has become a pawn in the hands of you and your father."

"You can just call off an engagement like that, since you two are so powerful and there's nothing you can't do; but can you just throw away a girl's sincere heart like that?"

Wang Jue looked down at her, his expression cold and unmoved. "Mother, if you use this to accuse Father and me, then wasn't Grandfather even more ruthless and heartless towards Bian's daughter back then?"

Madam Wang felt a lump in her throat.

"When powerful families do things, they prioritize profit, regardless of good or evil. In this respect, the Wang and Xie families are similar. Mother, you don't need to be overly modest on behalf of your family."

"Mother, if things don't escalate, my third cousin can still live. But if you continue to slander Xi Shi and Father gets involved, things won't be so simple..."

A chill ran down Madam Wang's spine.

She was well aware of Wang Dun's ruthless methods.

If his niece fell into his hands, he wouldn't be offering her the family temple, but rather a white silk noose.