Chapter 45 -

Chapter 45: Chapter

Back inside the grand dining hall, the room fell completely silent the moment the doors shut behind Madame Bai and Yimei.

Old Madame Bai set her teacup down on the wooden table with a sharp, heavy thud. Her harsh eyes turned slowly toward Madame Chen, who still wore a smug smirk on her face.

"Madame Chen," Old Madame Bai barked, her voice cold and full of authority.

Madame Chen’s smile froze. She quickly lowered her head. "Yes, Mother?"

Old Madame Bai waved her hand, and her head maid stepped forward, placing a thick stack of study books on the table in front of Madame Chen.

"These are the newest exam books from the Imperial Academy," Old Madame Bai said coldly. "Take them to your son, Wenliang."

Madame Chen blinked, looking at the heavy books in surprise. "Mother, Wenliang is..."

"Wenliang is a drunken embarrassment!" Old Madame Bai interrupted, slamming her wooden staff against the floor. "The Imperial Examinations are only months away! While other noble families have their sons studying day and night, your son spends his mornings passed out in wine houses and his evenings causing trouble in the streets!"

Madame Chen’s face flushed bright red. She opened her mouth to defend him, but Old Madame Bai cut her off immediately.

"You are his mother, yet you cannot even discipline your own child!" Old Madame Bai sneered with disgust. "You have time to sit here mocking Yimei’s burned tea house, but you cannot even keep your own son sober enough to read a book! If he fails the Imperial Exam this year, do not show your face in this main hall again!"

Madame Jiang and Madame Liu quickly lowered their heads, hiding their smirks.

Madame Chen’s hands trembled with rage. She stood up, bowed deeply, and picked up the heavy stack of books with tight knuckles.

"I... I will make sure he studies, Mother," Madame Chen muttered through gritted teeth.

Without another word, Madame Chen turned and fled the main hall, her face burning with shame as she marched straight toward Wenliang’s courtyard.

Madame Chen marched into Wenliang’s courtyard, her face red with embarrassment and rage. She kicked open the door to his room, sending a cold draft sweeping inside.

The heavy stench of stale alcohol hit her instantly. Wenliang was slumped over a carved wooden chair near the stove, an empty wine jug dangling from his fingers. His robes were messy, his hair uncombed, and his eyes half-closed as he snored in a drunken daze. He was just as Old Madame Bai had described.

Madame Chen stood frozen in the doorway, clutching the heavy stack of exam books. She didn’t even know where to throw her anger—at Old Madame Bai for humiliating her, or at her own useless son who lay helpless on the chair.

Just then, bright laughter echoed from the courtyard path.

An Yulan walked through the door, chatting happily with her main maid, Lan Yu. She had just finished having tea with Madame Chen’s daughters and was still smiling about Yimei’s misfortunes.

When Madame Chen saw An Yulan’s bright, carefree smile, all the poison inside her found a target.

"What are you laughing at?!" Madame Chen shrieked, slamming the thick stack of books onto the table with a loud BANG.

An Yulan jumped in fright, her smile instantly vanishing as Lan Yu gasped and stepped back.

"M-Mother..." An Yulan stammered, her face turning pale. "What is wrong?"

"What is wrong?!" Madame Chen marched straight up to her, pointing a shaking finger right at An Yulan’s nose. "My son is ruining his life, Old Madame Bai just dragged my dignity through the mud in front of the entire family, and you are out drinking tea and giggling like a fool?!"

An Yulan backed away, terrified. "Mother, I was only—"

"Shut your mouth!" Madame Chen snapped, her eyes wide with rage. "You are his wife! Instead of encouraging my son to study and keeping him away from wine, you spend all day gossiping and idling around! If Wenliang fails the Imperial Exam, it will be entirely your fault for being a useless, lazy wife!"

An Yulan bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears of shame, but she didn’t dare say a single word back.

Madame Chen turned back to Wenliang, grabbed a teapot from the table, and poured cold tea straight over his head.

Wenliang gasped, sputtering and jumping up from his seat as the cold liquid woke him up instantly.

"Mother! What are you doing?!" Wenliang yelled, wiping his dripping face.

"Sit down and read!" Madame Chen ordered, shoving the top exam book into his wet hands. "Both of you! If I see either of you resting today, I will make sure you both regret it!"

Madame Chen turned toward the door and shouted, "All of you, get in here now!"

Every maid and servant in the eastern courtyard rushed into the room, lining up with lowered heads and trembling shoulders.

"Listen to me carefully!" Madame Chen barked, her voice harsh and cold. "From this moment on, the Young Master and Young Madame are forbidden from stepping outside this courtyard! If either of them leaves these doors without my permission, I will sell every single one of you to the slave market! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, Madame!" the servants chorused in terror, bowing until their heads nearly touched the floor.

Satisfied, Madame Chen turned back, glaring at her son and daughter-in-law.

An Yulan stood frozen, her chest heaving with deep, bitter rage. Why? she thought, her mind racing. Why was she being trapped in her own quarters like a prisoner? She was supposed to be the Second Young Madame of this household! Why was she being bossed around and humiliated every single day?

Yimei was the mistress of her own Northern Courtyard. Even Madame Bai didn’t dare barge in there to make demands or order Yimei around. So why was her own life so different? Why was she suffering while Yimei walked around with her head high?

A surge of sudden, uncontrollable courage boiled up inside An Yulan. She didn’t know where it came from, but she couldn’t take it anymore.

She took three sharp steps forward and stood right in Madame Chen’s face, her eyes wide with fury.

"I have had enough!" An Yulan shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "You have no right to trap me here! I am the Second Young Madame! I am not a dog you can lock in a cage whenever your own plans fall apart!"

Madame Chen’s eyes widened in total shock. She was so stunned by the sudden rebellion that her mouth opened, but no words came out.

Before Madame Chen could even process the insult, a harsh wind whished past her.

PA!

A violent slap landed straight across An Yulan’s face. The force of the blow was so hard it knocked her off her feet, sending her crashing onto the cold floorboards.

An Yulan clutched her burning, red cheek, her head ringing as she looked up in pure horror.

Standing over her was Bai Wenliang. His wet hair was messy, his eyes bloodshot, and his hand was still raised from the slap.

"Shut your mouth, you foolish woman!" Wenliang roared, his face twisted with drunken rage. "How dare you yell at my mother?!"