She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 362 - 361 How to deal with it

Chapter 362: Chapter 361 How to deal with it

Ye Xinyan knew what Qi Younian was thinking; she knew that if they followed Jinrong’s approach, it would implicate more than just the family of the Third Branch. Qi Younian had come back to settle his roots, and it was not fair that in securing his own place, he risked cutting off Qi Yourong’s family from their livelihood.

To Qi Yougui, Qi Jiaer was his grandnephew, and Qi Yourong was his own younger brother. Now, Qi Jiaer was living a good life, better than any other child in the village. It was precisely because of the past mistreatment and hardships that Qi Jiaer had these better days, and in the future, he would be able to inherit the Second Branch family’s considerable fortune.

Qi Younian had no offspring, and it was Qi Yourong who gave him a descendant to continue the family line. After wandering abroad for over forty years, he had only recently returned and had just adopted a grandson from the Third Branch family. Yet, because of this grandson, he had landed the entire Third Branch family in jail. Once such a thing happened, there was no need to think about it, public opinion would definitely be one-sided, and the Second Branch family would face criticism and reproach from the entire Clear Water Village.

Such an outcome was not beneficial to anyone, Qi Jiaer included.

In the presence of Jinrong and Jiang Yifan, Ye Xinyan did not say all this. Breaking the silence, she said, "In the common folk, there are many cases where stepmothers mistreat their stepsons. Usually, if the people do not raise the issue, officials do not pursue it. The general consensus among the neighbors is that it’s natural for stepmothers to be unkind to their stepsons. Even with aversion, most people are reluctant to offend others; as long as no life is lost, the children will eventually grow up, and everything will naturally get better."

"Madam Pang of the Third Branch has a dark psychology and treats her stepson maliciously. However, in the absence of serious consequences, eradicating the Third Branch is not the best approach. Moreover, for Qi Jia, to see the family that raised you condemn the family that gave you life into a desperate situation would inevitably lead to finger-pointing throughout his life."

Frowning, Jinrong glanced at Qi Jiaer, who seemed to understand yet not, and asked, "Are you saying that such evil deeds should simply be tolerated?"

"Of course not," Ye Xinyan said. "Sixth Master might feel it is tolerating, but for Madam Pang, the best punishment is to have Qi Jiaer live a happy and good life before her and her son. The more outstanding and successful Qi Jiaer is in the future, possessing a bright prospect, the more it becomes a torment for her, her son, and her whole family."

Ye Xinyan gave Jinrong a side glance and said softly, "Even if we killed Madam Pang right now, what would be the point? Where can you find greater satisfaction and pleasure than in her daily agony and enduring pain deep to the bone, knowing that the child she mistreated and looked down upon is thriving and far more distinguished than her pampered son? Is there a stronger punishment than this?"

Jinrong looked Ye Xinyan up and down a few times, clicking his tongue and said, "Indeed, you must never offend a woman. After hearing your reasoning, who would dare cross you in the future?"

Ye Xinyan snorted. Aren’t you and your brothers fighting over that exalted position that no one dares to offend?

"If everything is as you say, then what’s the purpose of having state laws? After all, children with Brother Jia’s circumstances are in the minority," Jinrong said, turning his gaze to Jiang Yifan.

This youngster had traveled around with his master for several years in his youth. He was more knowledgeable about the affairs of the common people than this prince, and he was also the county magistrate of Qingyuan County. Under his jurisdiction, cases of child abuse occurred, and it was necessary to hear his opinion.

When Ye Xinyan discussed this matter, Jiang Yifan had already considered many approaches. If it was a passerby standing up against injustice, the approach Jinrong mentioned would undoubtedly be the best. To intervene and help as an outsider, then leave without any further involvement afterward: justice would be served without entangling in civilian disputes.

But for Qi Younian, it was different.

Jinrong was the emperor’s son. His upbringing wasn’t about things that could be superficially addressed; anything superficial, in his view, could be handled immediately. He did not understand the relationships within common communities or among extended families.

Qi Younian needed to take root here, to be accepted by the village, while Qi Yourong had already established his roots. For the village, Qi Yourong was a part of it, whereas Qi Younian was a newcomer, a stranger. The levels of closeness were clear.

These matters, for anyone who lived among the populace for a long time, could be guessed with some thought. However, the fact that Ye Xinyan, a lady of noble status, could consider such issues and come up with such a circuitous solution was somewhat unusual.

This thought made Jiang Yifan even more curious about the changes that had occurred in Ye Xinyan’s life. Although she acted capriciously, her good upbringing and education indicated that she did not come from a lowly commoner’s family. How then did she come to understand these things?

Meeting Jinrong’s gaze, Jiang Yifan said, "Ye Zi is right. Her considerations are comprehensive, and this way of handling things is quite good. As for the state laws, it’s as Ye Zi said, ’If the people do not raise a case, officials will not investigate.’ Even if the Third Branch family were to be punished, other people would simply close their doors and carry on as before, beyond the reach of the law. Since punishment has been given, let’s wait and see its effect."

Jinrong also agreed with Jiang Yifan’s opinion, but he couldn’t help laughing at his phrasing, "Ye Zi’s intervention? Can that be called having been punished? She got so angry, went home to get the guards and Nanny Ding, and in the end, only slapped a woman twenty times. If slapping was the punishment, then the entire family should have been slapped to make it right."

Although Ye Xinyan herself felt that she had been too lenient at the time, Jinrong’s words unexpectedly matched the thoughts that had just arisen in her mind. Yet, hearing him belittle her in such a manner, she was also quite unwilling.

She raised her eyebrows high and said, "What do you mean by only slapping a woman twenty times? It was Duke An’s Mansion’s Nanny Qiao who did it, mind you. Do you know the consequences of being slapped by Nanny Qiao? After the slap, although the face might look only slightly red and swollen, the pain is unbearable. By tomorrow, Lady Zhang’s face will swell up like a pig’s head, to the point where even her own mother won’t recognize her. Isn’t that enough, or what more do you want?"

Of course, she had to admit that it would have been more satisfying if the entire Third Branch family’s faces had swollen up like pig’s heads. But who was she to rely on power, to exert violence against violence, having grown up in a civilized society governed by laws and lacking such experiences?

Her mother wouldn’t recognize her? That’s a good phrase," Guan He chuckled.

From the beginning of their discussion, Guan He had been sipping on his wine, slowly chewing salted soybeans, seemingly savoring an exquisite treat. It wasn’t until he heard this amusing comment that he laughed out loud.

Glancing at the water clock on the cabinet, Guan He said, "Actually, for a person of strength, revenge should be about oneself. Taking action personally is more liberating from past humiliations. The notion of seeking justice only exists among those who are at an absolute disadvantage."

As Guan He said this, he looked towards Qi Jiaer and asked, "Boy, do you think Uncle Guan is right? If you can grow up to be a fine man, would you still need someone else to stand up or vent for you?"