Chapter 20: Strength in Numbers

After Lady Xu stepped behind Jing Shan, her anger was fully ignited. Lady Ye was resolute in her belief that Third Miss, being unable to speak for herself, must have slandered Jing Shan.

Lady Xu circled around Jing Shan, took the lunchbox from her arm, and presented it to Lady Ye with a cool tone. "Madam, Third Miss has prepared food for Master. He returned so late, and the study is still brightly lit. He probably won’t finish his work anytime soon. It’s better to let him have something warm to eat first, then address other matters."

Shan Chang glanced at Lady Xu, then at the gentle and poised Jing Shan, feeling that his daughter cared for him more sincerely. Upon learning of his return, Lady Ye immediately brought her two younger daughters to cause a scene, showing no concern for whether he could handle it.

Lady Xu’s words made Lady Ye’s face lose some composure. When she was just a concubine, she only cared about how to extend the master’s time in bed, never minding such trivial matters.

Lady Ye awkwardly stepped aside as Lady Xu supported Jing Shan to Shan Chang’s side. She carefully presented the lunchbox containing white fungus, lotus seed, and lily bulb porridge, saying, "Third Miss said Master has been staying up late lately and shouldn’t eat warming foods like longan and goji berries. She asked this humble servant to bring this to soothe the internal heat and nourish the body."

Shan Chang’s heart softened; the anger stirred by Lady Ye just moments before dissipated with the steaming bowl of porridge from Jing Shan.

With the resentment fading, his attention turned elsewhere.

“Third Miss, what happened to your leg?” Shan Chang noticed a white bandage wrapped around one of Jing Shan’s calves, faintly stained with crimson.

Jing Shan was unable to speak, only silently wiping away tears. Lady Xu also dabbed at her own eyes. Lady Ye and the others anxiously scratched their heads but dared not speak. Sixth Miss Shan Zhi shot Lady Ye and Shan Xuan a sharp glance and whispered, "Third Sister hit Fifth Sister. Fifth Sister was so shocked she pushed Third Sister, so this injury likely happened when Fifth Sister pushed Third Sister."

Shan Zhi lightly nudged Shan Xuan, with a hint of reproach, "Fifth Sister, this is your fault. Even though Third Sister hit you, you shouldn’t have pushed her back. Aren’t you going to apologize to Third Sister right now?"

No matter how unwilling Fifth Miss Shan Xuan was, she knew she had no choice but to lower her head at this moment. She performed a reluctant bow to Jing Shan and muttered an apology.

Jing Shan silently wiped her tears but smiled coldly in her heart. Shan Zhi was truly formidable—only ten years old and so calculating. No matter how much Shan Xuan cried afterward, it would be useless. A younger sister who apologized first could claim the moral high ground. If she held a grudge, it would be her own fault.

Lady Ye’s lips curled with a cold smile. Jing Shan was still too naive to confront the three of them. Having been scolded by Shan Chang just now, if she didn’t teach Jing Shan a lesson tonight, how could she ever hold her head high in this household?

Lady Ye eagerly awaited Jing Shan to cause a scene, but since Jing Shan could not speak, the narrative was left to her and her children.

At this moment, Jing Shan truly did as Lady Ye wished. She paid no mind to whether Fifth Miss apologized but clung to Shan Chang’s sleeve, pointing at Shan Xuan and refusing to relent.

Even Shan Chang thought Jing Shan had gone too far and somewhat reproached her, "Jing, you are the elder sister. Even if your younger sister was wrong, she has apologized. Besides, you were the one who struck first."

Seeing Jing Shan cry in grievance, Shan Chang felt reluctant as well. His daughter could no longer speak, and if not for her revealing a secret, he wouldn’t have had such fortune. His tone softened, "You should bow to your Fifth Sister and make peace. This matter will be put behind us. Both of you were at fault, and I won’t pursue it further."

Lady Ye, of course, added fuel to the fire. "Exactly. No matter what, you are all ladies of this household. What’s there to be proud of when sisters quarrel in their own courtyard? It’s embarrassing, isn’t it? This is the Shan family, after all."

"Jing, you’re the elder sister. This is your fault. If you hadn’t attacked Fifth Sister over that Wang Ziyu, things wouldn’t have escalated. Honestly, this shouldn’t be blamed on you but on that Wang Ziyu, who dared to speak of love and feelings at the school gate, causing you to lose your composure!" Lady Ye feared a single slap wouldn’t suffice for Jing Shan and insisted on dragging the blame all the way down.

Hearing this, Shan Chang’s expression darkened. He slammed the small table beside him. "What? At the school gate? Wang Ziyu was at the school gate, saying what to you? Have you no shame as the daughter of the magistrate? Have all the rules you learned been thrown to the dogs?"

Furious, Shan Chang was currently vying for the favor of the Fourth Prince, who was still in Ze City. If the prince learned that his household was in such disarray, and that his legitimate eldest daughter openly flirted at the school gate, his own future would be doomed. Such family conduct would never gain entrance to the capital.

Just thinking that his prospects might be ruined by such trivial domestic affairs made his anger flare uncontrollably. "Third Miss, you will go kneel at the ancestral hall. Without my order, do not leave the house again!"

Jing Shan stiffened, standing silently without crying or protesting. She stared at Shan Chang in shock and disbelief. Such an expression from a twelve-year-old daughter made Shan Chang even angrier. Even when presiding over cases at the magistrate’s office, he had never encountered such defiance.

"What? Didn’t you hear me? You’re mute but not deaf! Someone, take Third Miss to the ancestral hall. If she isn’t disciplined, she’ll disgrace the entire Shan household!"

Lady Ye was not satisfied with mere kneeling. She stepped forward to soothe him. "Master, making Jing kneel at the ancestral hall now won’t help. What happened at the school gate cannot be ignored. Alas, this is my fault. I heard rumors that Jing was involved with Wang Ziyu! I thought he was a promising young scholar, but I never imagined this."

Lady Ye looked at Shan Chang with pleading eyes, hoping his fury would compel him to marry Jing Shan off to Wang Ziyu at once.