She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 449 - 447: Bringing the Boys

Chapter 449: Chapter 447: Bringing the Boys

Several other families also wanted to join the Grand Tutor’s Mansion in seeking justice at Duke An’s Mansion, so when the adults from each family arrived, they brought their own children with them.

The young master from the Xing family, with one blackened eye and a split lip, immediately welled up with grievance as he saw his fellow companions in distress, and nearly burst into tears on the spot.

The adults from the various families watched with even greater heartache, their children, coddled and cherished by their elders at home, had been beaten by a few rural lads; Duke An’s Mansion was truly bullying them too much.

Representatives from all families had arrived, mostly the children’s fathers or uncles. As the head of the group, the Xing family only sending Xing Zhonghe was clearly inappropriate.

Old Madam Xing called upon her eldest son, Xing Bin, to make the visit. Xing Bin, the eldest son of Grand Tutor Xing, was currently holding the position of Junior Minister at the Honglu Temple and had some stature in speaking with Duke An.

......

Although Lian Gui had some idea that people would come seeking him, he did not expect such an overwhelming presence.

The parents of five children, leading their own kids, were like the Xing family, not only having an official in charge like Xing Bin on the scene, but also having someone with an unresolved grievance like Xing Zhonghe, who insisted on witnessing how Duke An’s Mansion would punish the troublemakers and vent their spleen.

This grand assembly of people, if not twenty, then there were definitely seventeen or eighteen, filled Duke An’s reception hall to the brim.

Duke An and the guests, who had come to accuse and question, almost arrived at the same time. The old gentleman did not directly ask the purpose of their visit, but exchanged greetings with the guests for quite a while and even infuriatingly praised the beaten children.

Xing Bin, seeing the conversation dragged on, realized that even if they talked until the next morning, they might not get to the main issue. During a break in the idle chat between Duke An and Ji Chengxian, the eldest son of the Ji Mansion, he lightly coughed and interjected, "Please forgive me, Duke, for disturbing your mansion during the festive season, but there is a matter that requires inquiry. We hope the old lord can give us a reply."

Duke An, too, was tired of the chitchat, but as the side victorious in the scuffle, he certainly would not be the first to ask about their purpose. Hearing Xing Bin speak, he responded warmly, "Is that so? Please speak, Virtuous Nephew Xing."

Xing Bin turned his head, glanced at Xing Yu by his side, then swept his gaze over the other children before turning back to address Duke An, "Today, my nephew and his friends were meeting for a leisurely outing. During the lunch, there was a conflict with several children. According to my nephew Brother Yu, the children who started the fight are from Duke An’s Mansion. I am aware of the situation in the Duke’s household; there are no children of that age in your mansion, so I came specifically to inquire. Of course, it’s also possible that someone has falsified using the name of Duke An’s Mansion to commit such malicious acts."

Xing Yu by Xing Bin’s side immediately interjected, "They aren’t impersonators; I know them. They are the wild lads who are living at Duke An’s Mansion."

Seeing Xing Yu speak up, the rest of the children also began to testify, asserting that those children admitted that they lived at Duke An’s Mansion.

There was also Ji Guangwen, the son of Ji Chengxian, with his swollen cheeks, who angrily said, "I know them too; they came back with Miss Ye who ran away from home. They’re no young masters, just a bunch of country bumpkins. Miss Ye committed a disgrace, and it would have looked too embarrassing for her to return alone, so she brought these wild lads to the capital with her to cover up her scandal."

Duke An turned his attention to the Ji family’s child and asked with a smile, "Oh, the young master knows quite a lot for his age. Where did the young master learn all this from?"

Ji Chengxian promptly scolded his son, "How can you be so thoughtless? Spouting such nonsense you heard from others in front of the Duke?"

Ji Guangwen glanced at his own father and dared not speak again. However, his words were not merely rumors; they were conversations he had overheard from his mother and aunt during their idle chats. But with his father’s stern expression, he dared not say more to explain.

Duke An shifted his gaze to Ji Chengxian and asked, "I’ve always heard that the Ji Family maintains strict household discipline. I presume your son had no opportunity to hear such talk from idle folk outside. Virtuous Nephew Ji would do well to discipline your family members, at least to refrain from gossiping in front of the children. Children of this age are just beginning to understand the world and learn their skills. It would be bad if they learned the wrong things."

"The Duke has taught me well, I will certainly discipline my son strictly."

As Ji Chengxian nodded, he cursed inwardly. Even if my child is not taught well, he will not end up like the children of the Duke An’s Mansion, with all that illustrious reputation. These rumors didn’t originate from my family; if your granddaughter is not upright, how can that be blamed on others’ words?

"So, does the Duke’s Mansion have these few children then?" Ji Chengxian would not just accept Duke An’s reprimand, and with a change in tone, he asked.

Duke An replied indifferently, "Yes, as your son said, these few children were brought back by my granddaughter Ye Xinyan. However, they are not some stray lads, but children who have lived with my granddaughter’s family over the last two years."

As he spoke, Duke An earnestly looked over the children in the hall one by one, "Those children also went out to play today and returned just like these few young men here, with faces covered in grime. They said they had been playing and practicing combat with a few other children—it appears they were indeed your mansion’s little fellows."

The expressions on Xing Bin and the others were indescribably amusing. They belonged to the younger generation and mostly came from families of civil officials. Although they had heard of the shamelessness of the Ye Tang, this was the first time they were witnessing it.

Playing and practicing combat? Did the children of their family need to practice with a few uncivilized lads?

Others were still decent enough to try to preserve face, thinking of how to speak frankly with the Duke An to clarify the situation, to avoid Old Man Ye making a farce and disturbing the peace.

But Xing Zhonghe, who was hot-tempered, couldn’t hold back any longer. He stood up suddenly and said, "Old master, what are you talking about? Playing and practicing combat? Does my Xing Yu need to practice with a few peasant lads from the countryside? That’s even less worth mentioning—they’re not worthy!"

As Xing Zhonghe spoke, he pulled Xing Yu to his side, pointing to the injuries on his face and mouth, "Look at Xing Yu, Duke. Not only does he have injuries on his face, but even with such thick clothes in winter, there are bruises on his shoulders, back, and legs when changing clothes. Our pampered child is not something others can insult at will. Duke, please hand over those boys who caused the injuries so we can have an explanation."

Duke An’s gaze lingered on Xing Zhonghe’s face for a while before he finally smiled and said, "So it wasn’t just play and combat practice, then. That makes it easier to discuss. Lian Gui, bring the boys here."

Xing Bin had been worrying about his son’s rash words, fearing that the old master Ye might turn hostile and drive them out. Then, they would either have to swallow their anger or appeal to His Majesty for justice, or sue at the Capital Prefecture Yamen, leading to a complete fallout.

Unexpectedly, Duke An was not angered and even ordered for the boys to be brought out.

Xing Bin looked at Duke An’s expression, sensing that the old fellow wouldn’t hand over the people living in his mansion to outsiders, but he couldn’t fathom what the old man was planning. He could only wait and see the people before saying anything.