Chapter 43: Falling Out with the Second Household

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone from the second branch turned to look at Qin Xuan, momentarily stunned.

The first to react was Zhou Huajin.

She struggled to get up, her face filled with shock and rage. Stumbling forward, she spat, “Qin Xuan, what do you mean by this? Now that you’ve gained power, you’re turning your back on us?”

“This whole matter was orchestrated by Mother! The rest of us from the second branch knew nothing about it! You have no right to blame us! Zhenzhen’s marriage was called off—we are victims too!”

Zhou Huajin staggered forward a few more steps, her swollen eyes welling up with fresh tears. Her disheveled hair only made her look more miserable.

“You can’t be this heartless and cruel!” she shrieked.

“The pain isn’t yours to bear! It wasn’t your child who was hurt!” Qin Xuan’s gaze was murderous. “My child is my bottom line. Anyone who dares to cross it can forget about receiving kindness from me ever again!”

Qin Xuan stared directly at Zhou Huajin, her pale face exuding an intimidating aura that forced Zhou Huajin to take a step back.

“Thinking back now, you and I were close, yet when it came to the child, your words were eerily similar to my mother-in-law’s. Zhou Huajin, tell me, how am I supposed to believe that you knew nothing about this?”

“We’ve known each other for years, yet I don’t know when you changed. I can no longer be sure—under your skin, are you still human or something else?!”

Qin Xuan still remembered the first time she met Zhou Huajin.

Zhou Huajin’s younger half-sister, along with a group of close friends, had surrounded her, hurling insults and humiliation.

Qin Xuan couldn’t turn a blind eye and stepped in to stop them.

After that, she and Zhou Huajin had a pleasant conversation and gradually became friends.

【Mother, she’s always been like this. In front of you, it was all an act.】

Fang Yuean’s voice echoed in Qin Xuan’s mind, interrupting her thoughts.

【Even your initial meeting was part of her scheme.】

【You thought you had a connection because she had been watching you for a long time, carefully preparing—learning your interests, your personality—all to befriend you.】

【Her family background was far inferior to yours. Though she was born of the legitimate wife, her mother was weak and unloved, and her father was a philanderer with countless children. Any good marriage prospects were first offered to her other half-sisters. She couldn’t compete for the best ones, and she didn’t want the mediocre ones. She had no choice but to plan her own path.】

【But she was neither beautiful nor particularly talented. It wasn’t easy for her to make an impression among the high-ranking noble sons of the capital.】

【So she set her sights on you—the most sought-after woman of the time, known for your kindness. She believed that befriending you would give her access to more powerful men and increase her own worth, securing a better marriage.】

【Yet, after spending time with you, she realized she could never compare. She began to envy you—to the point where she dreamed of becoming you.】

【She even schemed to drive away your original friends, making you grow distant from them.】

Hearing this, Qin Xuan let out a bitter laugh and sighed before firmly declaring, “Zhou Huajin, from this moment on, we are no longer friends.”

Zhou Huajin looked at Qin Xuan in utter disbelief, as if seeing her for the first time.

“No! You can’t do this!” She shook her head violently. “You promised me! That day, you said we were friends, that I would never be alone again, that you wouldn’t let anyone bully me!”

“That was your promise! Have you forgotten?!” she shouted in a frenzy, disregarding her composure.

Her hands and feet felt ice-cold.

She was truly afraid.

Afraid that in Fang Er’s eyes, she would lose her usefulness.

Fang Kun had never liked her much to begin with. If she lost Qin Xuan’s trust and could no longer provide information about her to Fang Kun, that wretched Wei woman would surely trample her beneath her feet.

Nanny Lei blocked Zhou Huajin from approaching further, pushing her forcefully back.

Qin Xuan ignored her and turned her gaze to Fang Jizu. “Father-in-law, have you made your decision?”

Lord Fang’s expression darkened as he maintained the dignity of an elder, his voice heavy: “I’m still alive! Why are we talking about splitting the family? I do not agree!”

Qin Xuan suddenly chuckled. She laughed softly at first, then looked at him with amused disdain.

“Father-in-law, I was being courteous, but you insist on rejecting it. His Majesty has said that you are getting old and lack the energy to manage the household. In other words, you are no longer fit to be in charge.”

“Now, I am the Lady of the Marquis household. I was not asking for your opinion—I was informing you,” Qin Xuan raised her voice slightly, enunciating each word clearly. “The first branch of the family is splitting from the second branch!”

Her father-in-law had never been a responsible man. In his youth, he had indulged in pleasure, and now in old age, he was just as reckless. Qin Xuan had never held much respect for him.

In the past, when Old Madam Meng still pretended to be virtuous, Qin Xuan had been the one cleaning up her messes to prevent any damage to the family’s reputation.

Fang Jizu’s face turned beet red with rage.

But with the emperor’s attention on this matter, he dared not act rashly for fear of provoking further trouble.

Swallowing his anger, he turned sharply and stormed away without another word.

Qin Xuan glanced at the second branch’s members. “I will have someone take inventory of the family assets and split them evenly. Everything else belongs to the one who earned it. As for this marquis residence, it follows the title and naturally belongs to the one who inherits it.”

“You are utterly ruthless!” Fang Kun stepped forward, his hands trembling as he pointed at Qin Xuan. “If my brother knew how you treated his family, he would surely cast you out and strip you of your status!”

Fang Xunli stepped in front of his mother, his expression cold and firm. “I’m afraid that if he finds out, he’ll come back and skin you all alive.”

In his memory, his father had always been a towering figure—someone who made him feel safe.

His father cared for his mother deeply, always standing by her side without question. There was no way he would turn against her over a few words from the second branch.

“Fang Xunli, how dare you!” Fang Xuze shouted.

He and his brother Fang Haochen, like two aggressive roosters, craned their necks and puffed up their chests, ready to charge at any moment.

Fang Xunli, however, merely looked down on them with condescension.

“Forget fighting—you two together wouldn’t stand a chance against me. In studies, archery, chess, music—everything—you both fall short. Don’t embarrass yourselves any further. Just accept reality.”

The two brothers flushed with anger, their eyes darting around, struggling to find a retort.

Once the first branch left, the members of the second branch stood frozen, as if they had lost their direction.

Despair filled their hearts as they sat in silence, some crying, others staring blankly.

It took a long while before they finally responded to Lord Fang’s call and followed him back to the central courtyard.

Under the special investigation of the Dragon Shadow Guards, the cases of the Fang and Chen families were resolved in less than seven days.

During this time, Fang Yuean had learned the details of what had happened at the Chen household on the day she caught the rooster.

At this moment, Huai Ze was relaying the latest news to her, one fact at a time:

【Meng Xiang and Pan Bin were convicted of adultery, murder, and conspiracy, as well as knowingly facilitating a child swap. They have been sentenced to immediate execution.】

[As for Old Madam Meng…]