Minister Xu was so furious that he couldn't hold back. The moment he threw the box, he regretted it. No matter how much Xu Wan talked back, he shouldn't have acted out on such a day, lest it leave a bad impression on his son-in-law. But to his surprise, the box was sent flying back toward his face.
"Ah..."
Minister Xu quickly dodged, the long box narrowly grazing his face, sending his anger through the roof.
"Xu Wan! How dare you raise a hand against your own father? Kneel down!" Minister Xu roared, his eyes bloodshot, fuming as he looked around for a stick.
Xu Wan sat in her chair, calmly picking up a teacup. She took a sip before speaking in a steady voice, "Father, I am already married. Your household rules no longer apply to me."
She didn't bother pretending it was an accident—she had done it on purpose.
Cui Liu, her personal guard, stood protectively by her side, ensuring no harm could come to her, even if the threat was her own father.
The Xu Wan of today was no longer afraid to clash with him.
Minister Xu stormed over, shouting, "Fine, fine! You ungrateful wretch! I raised you for eighteen years, and this is how you repay me? A wolf in sheep's clothing, daring to strike your own father!"
Xu Wan slammed her teacup on the table, her sharp eyes glaring at him. "Father, I suggest you calm down before you say something foolish and make a mockery of us both. As the legitimate daughter of the Minister, what kind of life did Xu Lian'er lead, and what kind of life did I endure? While I was surviving on sour fruits, where were you, my dear father? Eighteen years... what a joke. Did I ever have even a fraction of the life Xu Lian'er enjoyed? When Madam Liu bullied me, where were you then?"
Minister Xu was left speechless, his face red with rage. He could only manage to yell, "That still doesn't give you the right to raise a hand against your father!"
Xu Wan scoffed, "You were about to strike me without even hearing my side. I was merely defending myself. How is that my fault? Father, you are the Minister of Justice, overseeing the nation's laws. If this matter were brought before you, who would you say is in the wrong?"
"You..." Minister Xu knew full well that by law, he was in the wrong. But having ruled his household for so long, he had never been so openly defied, especially by his once meek daughter. "This is outrageous! A daughter striking her father, defying filial piety! I no longer have a daughter like you!"
Xu Wan sneered, "Good. I don't want a father like you either. Since we're in agreement, why don't we settle this today? Let's calculate how much I cost your Minister's Mansion over the past eighteen years, and I'll pay you back every last penny of that miserable sum."
Minister Xu was stunned. "You want to sever our father-daughter relationship? Have you lost your mind?"
He, one of the six ministers of the court, a high-ranking official of the second rank, being disowned by his own daughter? The scandal would be the talk of the town!
"Why not?" Xu Wan smiled. "It's better than taking this to the authorities to decide who's right and who's wrong. You might not mind the embarrassment, but I certainly do."
Minister Xu was so enraged that he spat out blood. "You... you... get out! Get out of here now!"
Xu Wan stood up, politely bowed, and said, "Gladly."
Finally, she could leave. Seeing his old face was truly suffocating.
Cui Liu and Cui Zhi quickly followed her out, barely holding back their laughter.
They had often seen Madam Xu angering Young Master Zong, occasionally feeling she was too harsh, fearing he might be too affected. But today, they realized she had always held back.
But confronting a terrible father like this—it was truly satisfying!
On the way, Cui Zhi asked with some concern, "Madam, are we really going to sever ties with the Minister's Mansion? Although the Dowager will surely support you, Minister Xu is still your father..."
Xu Wan stopped and explained with a smile, "Don't worry. My father wouldn't dare sever ties with me. You don't understand how much someone from a humble background values everything they've achieved. He doesn't have the backing of an aristocratic family. Any hint of a bad reputation would be a massive blow to him."
"In this world, it's not about who has the higher status, but who has more to lose."
Minister Xu had spent his entire life fearing missteps. He would never dare to openly break ties with her.
Cui Zhi finally relaxed and asked, "Then are we going back to the manor or to the main hall? Minister Xu seems to be in a terrible state..."
Xu Wan replied, "To the main hall. We'll wait for the meal."
Cui Zhi's eyes widened, and even Cui Liu looked over in surprise.
"What? Didn't Minister Xu tell you to..."
Xu Wan chuckled, "He told me to get out, but he didn't say I had to leave the manor. Today is Xu Lian'er's return visit. If I leave without even eating, people will think the Minister's Mansion doesn't value Duke Jin's Manor. Do you think my father would dare offend Duke Jin's Manor?"
Cui Zhi: "..." Terrifying.
This meal would likely give Minister Xu a stomach ulcer.
The main hall was already filling up with guests.
However, everyone who arrived seemed to want to talk to Zong Jincheng. The young master, who initially had no interest in engaging, was nudged by Zong Wenxiu to at least nod and greet them politely.
Zong Jincheng's impatience was evident, his cheeks puffing up more and more.
When Chen Yunyu entered, he spotted Zong Jincheng immediately. After a careful look, he walked over with a smile, reaching out to pat the boy's head. "You must be Madam Xu's Jincheng. How adorable."
Zong Jincheng clicked his tongue and dodged the hand. The young master hated having his head touched.
What did they think he was, a pet?
Chen Yunyu's smile froze, and he awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Oh, the little one has quite the temper. I haven't even said anything, and you're already glaring at me?"
Zong Jincheng couldn't be bothered to argue. In his eyes, none of the Xus in the room were good people, and this new son-in-law seemed even less trustworthy. He hadn't missed the lack of genuine joy in Chen Yunyu's eyes when they first met.
What a fake.
Chen Yunyu turned to Madam Liu and said, "I heard that after Madam Xu married into Yangyuan Marquis Manor, she's been busy teaching this little one. If this is how he is after half a year, how unruly must he have been before?"
Zong Jincheng, already on edge, exploded at the comment. "Who are you calling unruly?"
Chen Yunyu feigned surprise and quickly corrected himself, "Oh, no, I just heard you were one of the four notorious young troublemakers in the capital. I was curious what you did to earn such a reputation."
Zong Jincheng couldn't tell if he was being mocked, but every word and gesture from this man made him deeply uncomfortable.
He was so irritated that he didn't even want to eat.
But leaving now would feel like running away, and Young Master Zong was no coward!
