“Wuwu… Big Brother… I know I was wrong… I am an unfilial daughter… But please, for the sake of family… let me in to see Father first!”
Liu Yingyue pleaded tearfully.
“Yingliang, filial piety is the foremost of all virtues. No matter how great her mistake, send your father off first.”
Fang Yun also quickly interceded for her daughter.
“How dare you mention filial piety? If she knew what filial piety was, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
The middle-aged man said indifferently.
“Yes, if she had obediently married, nothing would have happened. But she had to be difficult, not only offending the Hai family but also causing Father to die with his eyes open.”
“For such an unfilial daughter to have stayed in the Liu family until today is purely a result of lax family discipline.”
“If we let her in so easily this time, our Liu family will become a laughingstock of the entire imperial capital.”
…
The other brothers and sisters also attacked collectively.
“Don’t push it too far. Yue’er has completed her mission.”
Fang Yun reminded them, gritting her teeth.
“What? She completed the mission in a place like Yongning Prefecture? Really?”
“She’s probably just lying to us to get by!”
“Right, the branch in Yongning Prefecture has changed several shopkeepers without any success. How could a little girl like her bring it back from the dead?”
…
The brothers and sisters whispered to each other, but most of them were skeptical.
“The branch offices in various places send their profits to the head office in the imperial capital every month. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your Second Uncle. I think he should already know about this?”
A trace of hatred flashed in Fang Yun’s eyes. It was for this reason that she suspected her husband was harmed by Liu Biao.
“No need. Even if she completed the mission, so what? Father didn’t get his position as Clan Leader back until he died. What’s the point of that?”
The leading middle-aged man said heartlessly, which immediately gained the agreement of several brothers and sisters.
“Please, I’ll kneel for you, is that not enough?”
Liu Yingyue was helpless and her legs went weak, about to kneel.
“Kneel for what! Who is this guy? Why is she so arrogant?”
Qi Huang grabbed Liu Yingyue and pointed arrogantly at the middle-aged man.
“He… he is my eldest brother, Liu Yingliang… You… don’t cause trouble.”
Liu Yingyue tearfully tried to stop her. After her father’s death, her eldest brother naturally took charge of the family.
“So what if he’s your eldest brother? Everyone is born to kneel only to heaven, earth, and their parents. There’s no reason to kneel to siblings.”
Qi Huang indifferently stated her belief.
“But if I don’t kneel, they won’t let me in!”
Liu Yingyue said, wiping away her tears.
“If you kneel, he’ll let you in? Did he say that himself?”
Qi Huang retorted.
“But…”
Liu Yingyue was speechless. This was indeed her wishful thinking.
“If she kneels, I might reconsider. If she can’t even do that, then she doesn’t need to enter this family’s gate.”
Liu Yingliang interjected.
“Well said, ‘might reconsider’. Since kneeling to you is useless, why kneel at all?”
Qi Huang retorted.
“But if I don’t try, there’s no chance at all. Please, don’t cause trouble, okay?”
Liu Yingyue pleaded.
“Do you really want to kneel that much? Then kneel to me, and I promise to take you in.”
Qi Huang said calmly.
As soon as she said this, the scene fell into a dead silence. No one expected a dark horse to appear and dare to interfere in the affairs of the Liu family.
“No, who is this young girl with yellow hair?”
Liu Yingliang asked angrily.
“Me? Easy to say, easy to say. My surname is Chen, and my given name is Yuzhu! I’m a maidservant hired by her in Yongning Prefecture.”
Qi Huang introduced herself proudly with her hands behind her back.
“Heh heh, are you crazy? A mere maidservant dares to be so arrogant? On what grounds do you think you can bring her in?”
Liu Yingliang sneered.
“Who says a maidservant can’t be arrogant?”
Qi Huang smiled disdainfully, then turned to Liu Yingyue and said, “Kneel or not? If you kneel, I promise to take you in.”
“What are you doing, little girl? Since you can bring the Miss in, why do you still need her to kneel to you? Don’t we have any feelings after being together for so long?”
Xia Wei, who was beside them, said indignantly. She didn’t mention the master-servant relationship, indicating that she already regarded Qi Huang as a sister.
“How audacious! How dare you, a slave, demand that your master kneel to you?”
Liu Yingliang immediately cursed.
Qi Huang remained unfazed. She had indeed gained affection, but respect had always been lacking. This was the consequence of being too low-key. From now on, she had to let these two women understand that she not only had abilities but was also not a saint.
Liu Yingyue gritted her teeth, and her legs went weak, about to kneel. With no other options, she could only try to make the best of a bad situation.
“Sister, I was just joking. You’re really going to kneel?”
Qi Huang, with quick hands and eyes, supported Liu Yingyue.
Liu Yingyue was stunned for a moment, then broke into tears of joy. At least she hadn’t lost this sisterly affection.
“What time is it now, and you’re still joking, you little girl!”
Xia Wei was furious, but a look of relief also appeared on her face.
“I’m not joking!”
Qi Huang’s expression turned serious, and she then asked Xia Wei in a low voice, “Sister Weiwei, where is the Second Master Liu’s house?”
“It’s next door!”
Xia Wei pointed to a large courtyard next door.
“Very good. Go tell him that your Miss has returned and needs to discuss an important matter with him.”
Qi Huang instructed.
“Why?”
Xia Wei was a little confused for a moment.
“Stop talking nonsense and just do it!”
Qi Huang waved her hand impatiently.
Xia Wei had no choice but to go invite the Second Master Liu after getting permission from her young lady.
“Xiao Yu, you want my Second Uncle to help me pave the way?”
Liu Yingyue was not stupid and quickly realized.
“Of course. Since he wants to use you, why don’t we use him first? This is called reciprocity.”
Qi Huang raised the corner of her mouth slightly.
“I’m afraid that won’t work. He has always advocated for marriage alliances for profit, and I firmly oppose it, so we’ve had conflicts for a long time. Now, his only goal is to marry me off. He doesn’t care about what happens to me.”
Liu Yingyue sighed. She thought this little maidservant had a good idea, but it turned out to be wishful thinking.
“That’s not necessarily true.”
Qi Huang smiled indifferently.
“How is it? Still haven’t thought of a solution? I’m waiting to see how you’ll bring her in?”
Liu Yingliang, standing at the main entrance, spoke with a mocking tone.
“Don’t worry, I won’t disappoint you.”
Qi Huang’s lips curved slightly.
“Hmph, overestimating yourself!”
Liu Yingliang raised his chin contemptuously.
Not long after, Xia Wei brought the Second Master Liu.
Qi Huang carefully observed the man. He appeared to be in his fifties, tall and thin. Although he was from a merchant background, his skin was somewhat dark, making his overall demeanor sinister. He didn’t look like a cheerful and outgoing young man at all.
“Second Uncle!”
Liu Yingyue reluctantly called out.
“Yuer is back? Xia Wei said you wanted to discuss something with me?”
Liu Biao got straight to the point without any pleasantries, indicating that the relationship between uncle and nephew was indeed not good.
“Yes, these people are blocking the door and refusing to let her in!”
Qi Huang interjected.
“Why?”
Liu Biao asked instinctively.
“Second Uncle, she is an unfilial daughter who caused my father to die with his eyes open, so she is naturally not qualified to enter the family’s gate. I hope you don’t interfere in our family affairs.”
Liu Yingliang spoke first to explain the situation.
“So that’s how it is.”
Liu Biao suddenly understood and then deliberately showed a troubled expression: “Since that’s the case, it’s indeed difficult for Second Uncle to interfere in your family matters. Resolve it yourselves!”
Liu Yingyue was disheartened by these words. In fact, she had expected this all along.
“Are you Second Master Liu? I heard you are already the Clan Leader of the Liu family, so how can it be difficult for you to interfere?”
Qi Huang pressed on.
“May I ask the name of this young lady?”
Liu Biao asked politely. In his opinion, since this young girl dared to point fingers at him, she must have a significant background.
“Liu Yingyue’s maidservant!”
Qi Huang introduced herself again.
“Why are you, a maidservant, poking your nose into this? No manners, no rules. Be careful, or your tongue will be cut off.”
Liu Biao was furious and reprimanded her harshly.
“It is precisely because I am a maidservant that I am thinking for the Liu family.”
Qi Huang stepped forward and whispered, “Second Master wants to marry the Miss to the Hai family, right? I must remind you that everyone has their limits. If you watch her being bullied by her siblings but do nothing, and if she resents the Liu family because of it, then even if she marries into the Hai family, she won’t be able to help the Liu family gain any benefits.”
Liu Biao’s eyes widened. He was instantly enlightened. He gritted his teeth, then walked forward and said to his nephews and nieces, “All of you, get out of the way and let Yuer in.”
“Ah?”
Liu Yingliang and the others stood there stunned like fools.
“Ah?”
Liu Yingyue and Xia Wei looked at Qi Huang in disbelief.
