Chapter 378: Fallen Aristocrat?

Over on the other side, Wei Ruxi had already been helped out of the coffin by the servants. Clutching the one person he could rely on—his grandmother—he didn’t even bother to lift his head and immediately shouted, "I don’t admire her at all. What is she, just a fallen aristocrat? Carry her inside and make her my concubine. Let's see if I’m even a little impressed."

The room went dead silent.

Fallen aristocrat?

Was he talking about the Hua family?

Those who had gathered to watch this spectacle were either servants sent by someone or people with enough guts or connections to be there. Among them, there were even scholars who had followed the gossip about Hua Zhi.

At that moment, everyone was in shock. How dare he call the Hua family "fallen aristocrats"?

Before they could fully process what was going on, Hua Zhi flashed a smile, but it was one of those smiles that felt colder the more you looked at it.

"Even fallen aristocrats have their pride," she said. "Don’t worry, Mr. Wei, even if my Hua family runs out of rice, we’d never go crawling to your Wei family for help. Let me remind you, Mr. Wei, that when we choose a son-in-law, it’s based on things like scholarly achievements, noble character, or at the very least, a respectable family background. So, tell me, Mr. Wei, what makes you think you qualify?"

"Pfft..." A laugh broke out, quickly followed by a wave of laughter that seemed to ripple through the room.

Flushed with embarrassment, Wei Chengxi shoved his grandmother aside and stormed toward Hua Zhi, but it was too late—his path was already blocked by the children and the coffin bearers who had gotten in the way.

Zhu Ziwen quickly dismounted, but he was too late.

Just when everyone assumed Hua Zhi was about to be outmatched, the twenty-three children under her protection all sprang into action, showing off the martial arts moves they’d learned from a teacher. They bared their teeth, eyes locked on Wei Chengxi, and even Zeng Han stepped forward, chest puffed out.

Hua Zhi, once at the front, had now been pushed to the back, but she was surrounded by her brothers, each one protecting her fiercely.

It was a heart-wrenching sight.

Once a proud and prosperous family, the Hua family had fallen to such a state that even the youngest knew the importance of standing up for themselves and each other.

If anyone ever dared to call the Hua family a fallen aristocracy, they’d be sorely mistaken. The Hua family could never truly fall. After all, the strength of a family isn't defined by its elders—it's the youth that matter.

At that moment, Wei Chenzhe’s voice cut through the tension. "Absurd! Go to the ancestral hall and kneel!"

Hua Zhi swallowed her bitterness, turned to look at Wei Chengxi, still stubbornly standing his ground, and said coolly, “The Wei family has exceptional family values, and I’ve learned that much.”

Wei Chenzhe could barely contain his frustration. He shot a glare at his son, ready to smooth things over, but then Hua Zhi, ever composed, gave a calculated bow. “My grandfather always taught me that when facing adversity, it’s unwise to chase after a fleeting moment of bravery. Sometimes, taking a step back opens up limitless possibilities. I will leave these coffins here.”

“...”

On the sidelines, Zhu Ziwen couldn’t help but smirk. Without her grandfather’s wisdom, she might have seriously considered dumping the coffins right at their doorstep!

Wei Chenzhe could feel the heat rising in his face. The Wei family might be at fault here, but it was becoming painfully clear that Hua Zhi, despite her youth, had an air about her that almost seemed to overpower him. He couldn’t shake the thought that she might actually go through with leaving those coffins right on the Wei family's doorstep.

And if that were to happen, the Wei family would be the laughingstock of the entire capital. Sure, a squabble between the younger generation could be swept under the rug, but using coffins as a personal insult—literally blocking their door with them—would be a slap in the face the Wei family would never recover from. In that moment, he knew one thing for sure: that couldn’t happen.

He softened his tone, offering a warm smile. "My son acted impulsively, and I sincerely apologize on his behalf."

With that, Wei Chenzhe bowed his head slightly.

Hua Zhi couldn’t help but sneer internally. Accepting this bow would mean validating an injustice, something she refused to do. She stepped aside, returning the gesture with a graceful bow of her own. "Mr. Wei, you also have a daughter. Remember, treat others as you wish to be treated. Please forgive the rash actions of this young lady, and I hope we won't see a repeat of such behavior. If it happens again, I can't promise what my response might be."

Another bow followed, and Hua Zhi motioned for the maid to assist Hua Ling into the carriage. She climbed in right after, standing on the carriage frame as she addressed the group. "Take the coffin to the Hua family ancestral tomb. Bai Yu, gather your brothers and follow us. Let’s head home."

Bai Yu, who had been caught off guard, quickly straightened up and replied sharply, "Yes."

"My father sends his regards to Lord Wei," Zhu Ziwen added, bowing deeply to Wei Chenzhe before he mounted his horse and led the procession away.

This was the Zhu family's clear stance. Wei Chenzhe understood well that the Zhu family had always stood firmly with the Hua family, no subtlety involved. Normally, this should have annoyed the emperor, but, curiously, the emperor had shown favor toward Zhu Bowen. Just recently, Zhu Bowen had been promoted from a second-rank official to a first-rank, a leap that could take most people decades to achieve.

*

Wei Chenzhe shot his son a sharp, frustrated look before turning to head inside. Wei Chengxi wasn’t bothered in the slightest. To him, his father was all bark and no bite, a "paper tiger" at best, and as long as his grandmother was around, he had nothing to fear.

His mind, however, was still simmering with frustration, thinking about how to regain the face he’d lost today and how to make the Hua family pay for their audacity.

The door slammed shut behind Wei Chengxi with a bang. As he looked up, almost by accident, it felt like a slap was hanging in the air, waiting for him. And then, it landed—hard—right across his face. He gasped, "Ah," and instinctively covered his cheek, eyes wide in disbelief, staring at his father.

At the front, the old lady, who had been busy with something else, heard the noise. She spun around immediately, marched over with a look of fury, and whacked her grandson on the shin with her cane. "I told you! Don't hit my eldest grandson! I told you not to hit him!" she scolded.

Wei Chenze, trying to keep his temper in check, couldn’t quite hold it together. "Mother, do you realize the Wei family is planning a scholarly gathering?"

The old lady might have been confused about what her grandson had just done, but when it came to matters like this, she wasn’t so lost. Her aggressive energy seemed to drain away in an instant.

Wei Chengxi, now sensing something was off, wiped the moisture from his eyes and whined, "Grandmother, what did I do wrong? The Wei family’s scholarly gathering? That’s a direct slap to the Hua family’s face! What I did today was to make sure they felt humiliated. I was trying to help the family, don’t you see?"

The old lady paused, thinking it over, and then, as though she'd had an epiphany, her confidence returned in full force. She turned to her son and shouted, "Your eldest grandson is right! Even if his methods are a little sneaky, the goal is the same! Why can't you do what he did?"

"Did he succeed?!" Wei Chenze roared, no longer bothering to keep up any semblance of scholarly composure. He jabbed a finger at his son and scolded, "Look at the timing! We're in the middle of a gathering for scholars in the capital! The Hua family has been on top for years. Do you honestly think exiling them is going to knock them down from that pedestal? No way. When the old matriarch of the Hua family died, scholars from all over came to pay their respects. The Hua family still holds respect, whether you like it or not. It'll take us more than a few years to replace them, and we can only do it slowly. But you? You’ve gone and made a fool of yourself by trying to step on them now. Do you have any idea what kind of impression that gives the others? It’s not a power move; it’s just bullying. What kind of reputation is that going to give us? You think that’s going to win us support from scholars? Dream on!"

Wei Chengxi, despite being a bit of an idiot, wasn’t completely out of his depth. After his father’s lecture, he quickly forgot about the sting on his face and looked up, suddenly full of urgency. "But didn’t you get that person’s backing?" he asked, pointing up as though the answer might be floating in the air.

"That depends on whether the Wei family can handle the fallout from it," Wei Chenze snapped. He waved his hand dismissively, his patience wearing thin, and stormed off toward his study. "Now go to the ancestral hall and kneel. I’ve got to go figure out what to do next with your grandfather."

———TN: Ah, great, just another one of those clueless, arrogant young masters who have no idea what they're doing.