Chapter 8: Born with this virtue

The Duke's Mansion, Songhe Hall, was filled with people. Mrs. Min sat with a handkerchief tied around her head, holding a teacup in silence.

The Princess of Lin'an and the Duke of Wu, along with Min Wen, the second wife, were summoned to the palace early in the morning.

The incident at Jingque Bridge yesterday had caused a great stir in the city, and everyone knew about it.

Min Weifen, with red eyes, held a folding fan to partially cover her face, occasionally wiping away tears with a handkerchief.

At that moment, two strong maids carried in a soft couch, with Min Weixiu supporting her frail waist, her face pale.

Mrs. Min couldn't help but sneer when she saw this. "Didn't they say she injured her waist? Why does she look like she's about to breathe her last breath?"

"My child, I heard you were unwell. Why did you come?" Mrs. Min asked before Min Weixiu could respond. A young man in dark clothing walked over. "Little Five, your waist must be in terrible pain. Why is your face as pale as paper? I came to visit you yesterday, but you were already resting. Father said there was nothing wrong, but I shouldn't have believed him!"

Min Weixiu forced a smile. "Elder brother, rest assured, I've been resting for a while and I'm feeling much better. My little waist injury is nothing. I couldn't miss paying my respects to grandmother."

She had slept for a while, and her waist had already improved. As for her pale complexion, it was because Anxi had applied makeup on her early in the morning. She couldn't see it herself, but Anxi said, "Young lady, you're full of life. Who would believe you have a sore waist?"

Mrs. Min looked deeply at Min Weixiu. "Fifth daughter, when it comes to your waist, grandmother has to talk to you. We are noble ladies and value virtue and morality. Leave the tree pulling and martial arts to your brothers. We have many young ladies in our mansion. If any scandal spreads, it will tarnish our reputation."

Min Weixiu lowered her head, mocking with a smirk.

Raising her head, she showed a respectful expression. "Grandmother, rest assured, I won't pull the willow tree anymore. Once my waist is better, I'll pull the locust tree. There are two large locust trees at the entrance of our house. If they fall and accidentally crush someone, it would be bad! Granddaughter understands that grandmother values reputation the most, and I will do my best to pull them all out."

Mrs. Min was about to explode.

This silly girl! She was afraid that others wouldn't know how strong she was?

Mrs. Min, surnamed Wang, also came from a prestigious family. In recent years, there had been constant wars and changes of dynasties. Lives were as insignificant as grass and the Wang family's status had declined. She had no choice but to marry a martial man.

When her eldest son was born, she was still struggling in the Min family. She could only watch as he followed in his father's footsteps and became a rough man. It was only through his achievements that they had their current status.

The other two sons were raised by her and were well-mannered, which gave her some comfort.

Seeing the heavy atmosphere in the room, Min Weixiu curiously asked, "Why is Sixth Sister crying? What happened?"

Everyone was surprised, and Mrs. Min steadied herself with a teacup. "You don't know about the incident at Jingque Bridge yesterday?"

After Min Weifen was brought back, she recounted the incident. However, how could a perfectly fine tree suddenly fall and hit the three of them on the head? She didn't believe in things like the wrath of the Matchmaker God.

It was Min Weixiu who had pulled the willow tree during the day, and at night, another tree fell. It seemed suspicious.

Min Weixiu shook her head. "My waist was in severe pain, and Father fixed it for me, so I rested. I didn't even know when my elder brother came to see me."

She continued, "What happened at Jingque Bridge?"

Before Mrs. Min could speak, a young man in a bright red robe burst in, reeking of alcohol. As soon as he entered, he pointed at Min Weifen and scolded, "The family business of our Duke's Mansion was built by my father and mother. Little sister, forget about pulling a willow tree. If she's willing, she can pull out the pillars of the house. How could that be a loss of face?"

"Some people's good deeds have already spread throughout Kaifeng Prefecture. Today, everyone congratulated our Min family for having a future princess! I don't know who it is, but every day, people advise my sister to learn to be a lady. If this is what a lady is like, then my sister is better off being a shrew."

"I've never seen anything like it since I was born, advising someone to eat, and then eating it themselves. This is truly a glory to our ancestors and a disgrace to our family."

"The real person who has brought shame to the Min family, grandmother doesn't discipline, and instead catches Little Five to scold. What's the reason for this?"

The young man spoke rapidly, causing Min Weifen to burst into tears.

Min Weixiu, seeing the young man, immediately teared up. "Second brother."

Min Weisi turned his head and saw Min Weixiu struggling to get up. He quickly pressed her back down. "You're injured. Why are you here instead of resting in bed? No one here cares about you."

Mrs. Min slammed the table in anger. "Second son, do you still see me as your grandmother?"

Min Weisi sneered, "Grandmother often scolds me for being a good-for-nothing, saying I'm useless. I was born with this nature. What do you want me to do?"

Min Weixiu looked at him as if he were a different person. The two of them, being twins, had always had a close relationship since childhood.

Min Weisi had poor physical strength and couldn't practice martial arts, so he chose to take the imperial examination. In the Great Chen Dynasty, emphasis was placed on literature over martial arts, which seemed like a good path for him. However, he lacked the passion for studying and was neither good at literature nor martial arts.

On the other hand, Min Weifen showed great talent in various activities, such as cockfighting and gambling, and was a typical example of a hero's son who would not be wealthy for more than three generations.

The Duke of Wuguo and the Princess of Changle did not criticize him. They were already enjoying wealth and luxury and did not need any further embellishment.

When Min Weifen cried, Lady Liu from the second household couldn't bear it. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, "Fen doesn't know what happened... She just saw the Crown Prince meeting with Liu Luan on the road and wanted to see what was going on, so she followed them. She didn't expect the tree to fall... Fifth Sister, Fen cried all night last night, saying she was sorry to you!"

Min Weixiu was almost amused. Her second sister-in-law was really capable. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have been fooled by her.

Upon hearing this, Min Weisi became furious and then laughed, "Hmm, such a kind and noble young lady, going to track the Crown Prince alone in the dark night, it's really touching to hear!"

Lady Liu was stunned, her mouth moved, and she really didn't know how to respond.

At this moment, Mrs. Min finally calmed down. Min Weixiu made her angry, and Min Weisi made her feel like she was about to explode. It made her feel a bit inappropriate.

She thought for a moment and then cleared her throat, "Now that things have come to this, let's wait for your parents to return from the palace and see what His Majesty has to say."