With no kin in sight, all are enemies?
These words shook Wen Xin. The burning pain on her face still lingered.
None of Wen Kui’s many words had struck her as forcefully as this single sentence.
“Miss, this old servant is advanced in years and cannot stand by your side for much longer. Behind the Wen Clan stands Qinglian Mountain. Right now, when this old servant speaks, those below may still listen. But as time passes, the hearts of the people determine success or failure. If the momentum is not on our side, the men the master employed in his lifetime will gradually drift away, and this old servant’s words will eventually lose their weight.”
Wen Xin looked at Wen Mao’s peaceful face. “I cannot do it.”
Wen Kui: “Miss, most things in this world are not absolute. They are both complex and simple. You need only do what you believe is right…”
Tired, she rested.
Wen Xin, who had not closed her eyes for two days and two nights, finally fell into a heavy sleep, and slept as if the heavens and earth had turned dark.
Wen Kui did not disturb her. He knew she desperately needed rest, and that she needed ample strength to face and accept everything anew.
The people of Qinglian Mountain did not disturb her either. Ren Tianjiang did not inquire about anything at all, but merely watched from the garden where Qinglian Mountain was stationed, as though the Wen Clan’s affairs truly had nothing to do with them.
Anyone with eyes could see that something might be brewing behind this calm.
Secretly feeling alarmed was also Fan Wuchou. His two disciples had vanished as well…
When Wen Xin awoke again, she returned to the mourning hall. Wen Mao had already been formally placed in his coffin.
Wen Xin slowly knelt before the spirit tablet, facing the coffin. Tears nearly fell again as she murmured, “Grandfather, Xin’er will do her utmost. Your spirit in heaven must protect Xin’er.”
Wen Kui arrived at this moment as well. The interrogation of those related to the second branch had produced results, and he brought them for Wen Xin to see.
Wen Guo’s personal maid had been stubborn, enduring torture without breaking. When Wen Kui learnt of this, he placed Wen Guo’s corpse before her and offered lenient terms. The maid immediately collapsed and finally confessed everything.
With the pillar of support gone, the heavens had collapsed. Without hope, those below found it hard to endure.
It was basically confirmed that the mastermind behind the poisoning at that night’s banquet was Wen Guo. The success had been greatly aided by Zou Yunting’s assistance.
As for the affair between Wen Guo and Zou Yunting, although the maid had not witnessed it directly, she could confirm it by conjecture, as she had often served as a lookout.
On this point of the affair, Wen Kui actually held more evidence than the maid.
The source of the poison was basically determined to be Qin Jue. However, the maid had not personally seen Qin Jue and Wen Guo together. Qin Jue had taken precautions, meeting Wen Guo in disguise. When they met, no outsiders were present, only Qin Jue and Wen Guo.
As for why Wen Guo had suddenly struck so viciously, the maid herself did not know. She merely felt that Wen Guo’s mental state had been rather abnormal recently.
The maid’s words were corroborated by testimony from other involved parties, such as the person sent to the inn to deliver a letter to Qin Jue.
To think that Grandfather’s entire family had been struck down by his own daughter-in-law. Wen Xin tried to be strong, but still could not hold back her tears.
Wen Kui said at her side, “Miss, I feel these testimonies should not be laid bare, but rather put away. If they were truly exposed, Elder Fan’s disciple actually participated in the extermination of the Wen Clan. Elder Fan failed to restrain his disciple and cannot escape blame. He would likely be implicated by sect rules. Currently, Qinglian Mountain’s attitude toward you assuming control of the Wen Clan is ambiguous. We need Elder Fan to speak on our behalf. Moreover, for some time to come, many matters you face will likely not go smoothly. Therefore, it would be better to show these to Elder Fan privately.”
Wen Xin raised her sleeve to wipe her tears, looking at her grandfather’s coffin. On this matter, she rarely shook her head, rarely expressing her own attitude. There was even grief and indignation in her expression. “Zou Yunting participated in plotting against my grandfather, killing more than fifty members of my Wen Clan. Elder Fan cannot escape blame. The Wen Clan has suffered a grievous injustice, yet we should help conceal it for him. Is there any sense in that?”
Alas! Wen Kui sighed inwardly, realising this was truly the temperament of youth. He immediately urged, “Miss, falling out too severely with the Qinglian Mountain elder stationed at the Wen Clan is truly inappropriate.”
Wen Xin’s attitude was resolute. “Qinglian Mountain was meant to protect us, yet they stole from us. This crime is unforgivable. Someone must take responsibility, to warn future generations that this must never happen again. Grandfather Kui, did you not tell me that I need only do what I feel is right?”
“…”
Wen Kui was speechless, the final words sealing his mouth.
Wen Xin added, “When Sister Pingping’s remains are brought out, she must be given a proper burial!”
“What?” Wen Kui was greatly alarmed and hastily urged, “Miss, you absolutely must not. A proper burial would necessarily involve great fanfare. How would we then explain Song Pingping’s death to Qinglian Mountain? The secret tunnels beneath the Wen residence would likely be exposed.”
Wen Xin: “Grandfather Kui, I said I truly cannot be the clan head. If I truly were to become clan head, I would certainly give Sister Pingping a proper burial. When Zou Yunting and Wen Guo’s evil deeds are exposed, Sister Pingping, who disappeared at the same time, cannot defend her own innocence. She would likely be slandered by baseless speculation. Sister Pingping died protecting me. How could I let her suffer an undeserved injustice? If I am in charge, she will be properly buried.
There are tunnels beneath the Wen residence. We can openly tell Qinglian Mountain. We can clearly inform them that this is a Wen Clan secret place, not to be disclosed to outsiders. Qinglian Mountain disciples may not trespass either. Grandfather Kui, Xin’er is ignorant. Xin’er does not understand. Is establishing rules not better than keeping things hidden?
Grandfather Kui, you also said that in Wen Clan history, the position of clan head has several times shifted to branch lines. Our own line was once a branch line of the Wen Clan. In truth, the Wen Clan should have perished many times over. Clearly, secret tunnels cannot preserve the Wen Clan. What truly preserves the Wen Clan is people!”
“…”
Wen Kui was once again rendered speechless, truly having no words to respond.
Seeing her bring up the “cannot be clan head” argument again, he could only bow and say, “Then it shall be done as the Miss wishes.”
After this decision, some matters actually became easier to handle.
Wen Guo’s maiden family sent someone. The one who came was her elder brother. Having heard that his sister had gone missing, he arrived aggressively with men in tow, demanding an explanation for his sister.
Wen Xin personally came forward to receive him calmly, and had someone bring Wen Yanshang and Wen Yanping.
The two, seeing their maternal uncle had arrived, immediately cried injustice, pointing at Wen Xin and Wen Kui’s noses and cursing, demanding that the Guo Clan on their uncle’s side seek justice for them.
Wen Xin then had Wen Guo’s personal maid brought in, and afterwards handed over the relevant testimonies and evidence for them to see. She let the Guo family see what their sister had done, and let the two brothers of the second branch see what good deeds their mother had committed.
She had an affair with another man, and poisoned to death the Wen Clan head and over fifty people below him, not even sparing her own husband, daughter, and grandson.
After verification and questioning, the two brothers of the second branch broke into cold sweat, and the Guo maternal uncle’s heart pounded with fear.
Merely plotting against the Wen Clan head was a matter of heaven-shaking proportions. For the Guo family to come running here, were they accomplices?
Just the single matter of having an affair and plotting to murder her husband would bring enormous reputational damage to her maiden family. Once it spread out, all daughters married out from the Guo family would be pointed at and talked about.
The Guo elder brother, unable to demand punishment, changed his tune to wanting back his sister’s dowry. After all, back then, to marry his sister into the Wen Clan with great pomp, the Guo Clan had not wanted to be looked down upon regarding their daughter’s dowry, and had invested considerable capital.
Wen Xin, representing the Wen Clan, made a decision. Wen Guo’s dowry would be absorbed into the Wen Clan, and all property of the second branch would be confiscated. The second branch would be demoted to a branch line of the Wen Clan. Then Wen Guo’s dowry would be allocated to the two brothers of the second branch, to let them fend for themselves.
Outsiders did not know the situation. The Qinglian Mountain sect leader and others watching coldly only saw the Guo group arrive aggressively and then slink away.
For now, regarding the Wen Clan’s internal family affairs, the Qinglian Mountain sect leader could still remain composed. But the subsequent waves of external pressure began to make Ren Tianjiang lose his composure. The suppression of the Wen Clan by the Blue Sea Shipping Line was beginning to hurt, and this directly concerned the fundamental interests of the entire Qinglian Mountain.
The Wen Clan’s entire business network instantly felt enormous pressure. This pressure also reached Wen Xin. The succession of events gave her almost no room to breathe, ruthlessly shattering her former way of life.
Ren Tianjiang immediately summoned the Wen Clan people for an explanation. At the very least, he had to understand what was going on, did he not?
Wen Xin and Wen Kui came together.
Setting aside the matter of the Blue Sea Shipping Line for the moment, at Wen Xin’s indication, Wen Kui first gave Qinglian Mountain an account of the drastic events that had befallen the Wen residence.
After reading all the verified information, the Qinglian Mountain sect leader’s face darkened. He slapped a pile of testimonies down before Fan Wuchou. “Elder Fan, did you not say you could not find your disciple? See for yourself!”
Fan Wuchou was baffled and immediately began to read. Others qualified to approach gathered around, craning their necks to look at the paper’s contents.
In no time, Fan Wuchou’s face flushed to the colour of pig’s liver. He swallowed dryly. “How is this possible?”
Those who had read it also had dark expressions.
Wen Kui: “If Elder Fan feels there are problems with the Wen Clan’s account, you may investigate and verify afterwards as you please. For now, let us first address the matter of the Blue Wave Shipping Line. The incident they have caused this time, and what that Qin Jue did, are fundamentally the same thing at root. Both were aimed at that Tanhua Scholar…” He then related how the two groups had come one after another.
After hearing the situation, the Qinglian Mountain crowd burst into an uproar.
Someone said in a deep voice, “So Qinglian Mountain has simultaneously opposed both the Chilan Pavilion and the Blue Sea Shipping Line?”
“The Pavilion Master of Chilan Pavilion was once the lover of a Great Sage of the demon realm. If we move against Chilan Pavilion, I fear the people of the demon realm will view Qinglian Mountain differently from now on.”
“Behind the Blue Sea Shipping Line stands the Yin Kingdom royal family. Falling out with them would be even more troublesome.”
“What the hell is your Wen Clan playing at? Why provoke that Tanhua Scholar for no good reason? He is someone who dared cast off his official hat in the imperial city and leave, showing no regard for the emperor’s dignity. It is said he even killed the capital’s defending general. How unruly must such a person be? It is heard he also offended the Earth Mother’s personal disciple. Bringing such a person into your household, are you not asking for trouble? Now look, even Qinglian Mountain is being dragged in by you.”