Everyone in the room wore different expressions.
The maids beside the Old Madam immediately went out to fetch benches and sticks.
The Zheng family's family discipline, like other noble households, was thirty strokes with the cane, enough to break skin and flesh.
Zheng Qian, a delicate little girl, probably could not endure it.
In the Jing'an Marquisate, family rules stated that only when children or grandchildren committed the ten most unforgivable crimes—murder, treason, betrayal—would family discipline be applied. To casually apply it would undermine its authority.
Even before enforcing family discipline, one must go to the family temple, burn incense, and read the child's or grandchild's crimes in front of the ancestors, only then could the cane be used.
Unexpectedly, in her anger, the Old Madam wanted to enforce family discipline immediately.
Everyone understood: the Old Madam was trying to scare Zheng Qian.
"Grandmother, please calm down. Don't get so angry you harm yourself," second young lady Zheng Yutan pleaded beside her. "Eldest sister didn't mean to defy you. Eldest sister, kneel quickly and apologize to Grandmother."
After speaking, Zheng Yutan turned to Zheng Qian: "Eldest sister, first kowtow and apologize, then go bring the silver note. Our family is high-ranking and proper. How could an unmarried young lady hide private money?
You angered Grandmother and even required her to instruct you. That's already a great mistake. Why not quickly make amends?"
Zheng Qian's maid Xiuzhu looked anxious.
Xiuzhu hadn't expected the Old Madam to be so ruthless, trying to seize the eldest young lady's silver note outright. She thought the Old Madam would at least show some restraint.
Madam Dai kept repeating: don't give it.
At this moment, could she not give it? If she refused, the eldest young lady's life might be in danger.
Xiuzhu feared the eldest young lady's stubbornness. Listening to Madam Dai, she didn't know how to adapt. Even if beaten, in the end, she would still have to hand it over. If the Old Madam wanted it, how could it be hidden?
The second young lady kept fanning the flames from the side.
Zheng Qian, however, did not even move her eyebrows.
She quietly looked at second young lady Zheng Yutan, then suddenly smiled:
"Second sister, an unmarried young lady cannot have private money. You can even make up this kind of nonsense?"
"Eldest sister, what do you mean?" Zheng Yutan immediately retorted.
"All the sisters and aunts are here. Surely no one has ever heard such words before. Grandmother is wise. Knowing her own granddaughter has money means our Marquisate is rich and generous.
If it weren't for you misleading Grandmother, would she have been so angry? Now you're using her hand, wanting her to enforce family discipline.
Family discipline requires ancestor worship and incense. I must have committed a major mistake first. Do you want Grandmother to tell the ancestors our family rules changed?
Second sister, Grandmother is old. Sometimes she doesn't think things through, so we need to remind her. That's filial piety." Zheng Qian smiled.
With that, she finally looked at the Old Madam, slowly walked over, sat beside her, and placed the cat aside.
The Old Madam was stunned. She had never seen such behavior and didn't push her away immediately.
Zheng Qian grabbed the Old Madam's hand:
"Grandmother, your granddaughter defies you, but it is out of care for righteousness. Please do not be angry. If you are angry, how could I face the world?
By the way, Grandmother, I noticed last time that Zhai Yu Xuan has a superior forehead piece set with blue sapphires. That sapphire is twice the size of the one on your forehead."
The Old Madam, held by the hand, was dazed.
Her attention completely shifted to the blue sapphire forehead piece Zheng Qian mentioned.
She was exactly lacking a better forehead ornament.
Madam Jingyuan had a sapphire hairpin, pigeon-egg-sized, a family heirloom. She often wore it and received endless compliments.
The Old Madam lacked an accessory to show status but was too embarrassed to ask her third daughter-in-law.
Now Zheng Qian mentioned it, and the Old Madam's anger immediately dissipated.
Therefore, she didn't hear Zheng Qian's words clearly.
Zheng Qian only told her that Zhai Yu Xuan had such a forehead piece—she never said she would buy it for her.
Then the Old Madam remembered: earlier, it was Zheng Yutan speaking of Zheng Qian's silver, implying the silver should go to the Old Madam.
She even said unmarried girls couldn't hold money themselves.
Why not?
Even if spoken, the argument wouldn't hold. If the Old Madam exploded over this, it would be a real joke.
Yutan just wanted to seize Zheng Qian's silver. Then if the Old Madam was pleased, she might reward Yutan a little.
The Old Madam, who had always pampered Zheng Yutan, finally regained some clarity, giving her a severe look.
Zheng Yutan's face immediately changed: "Grandmother, I didn't. I'm just clumsy with words, not like eldest sister, who speaks so well. Please stand for me."
Tears fell as she spoke.
The Old Madam softened immediately. She shook off Zheng Qian's hand and went to comfort Zheng Yutan: "Good child, why cry? Has Grandmother ever blamed you?"
Turning her face, she wanted to scold Zheng Qian, but thinking of the sapphire forehead piece, she restrained herself: "You used to be gentle and kind, now so sharp-tongued, who taught you?"
Zheng Qian smiled.
"Forehead piece or not, do I lack such things? If not for your filial heart, would I spare you today?" the Old Madam said.
Her words meant: quickly buy the forehead piece, and she would spare her a beating.
"Go, don't be in the way here," the Old Madam said.
Zheng Qian agreed, rose, took her cat, and left.
Her several cousins and aunts, seeing the second young lady so eager to sow discord while the eldest young lady walked away unscathed, without granting even a half request, were astonished.
Is this still our eldest young lady?
The once insecure girl, who used to be less dignified than maids in front of the Old Madam, how did she become so formidable?
Even the Old Madam threatened family discipline, yet it ended without action.
"She's like a different person now," the third madam thought.
The second young lady cried, and everyone tried to comfort her. Their second young lady was the true treasure of the Marquisate.
The Old Madam, annoyed, told them all to leave.
Once they left, Zheng Yutan wiped her tears and said to the Old Madam: "Grandmother, you were deceived just now. Eldest sister said Zhai Yu Xuan had such a forehead piece, but she never said she would buy it for you."
The Old Madam was stunned: "Really?"
She had thought Zheng Qian had said so.
Often, people automatically fill in the gaps. Like Zheng Qian, just mentioning the sapphire made the Old Madam imagine it herself, allowing her to escape unscathed.
It really seemed she had fooled her.
"Someone, summon the eldest young lady again!" the Old Madam shouted.
The maids responded.
A moment later, they returned, smiling: "Old Madam, the eldest young lady went to Zhai Yu Xuan."
Apparently, to buy that forehead piece.
Such a large sapphire forehead piece probably cost tens of thousands of taels—far beyond the Old Madam's budget.
The Old Madam sighed in relief.
Beside her, Zheng Yutan's heart trembled slightly, somewhat deflated, suspecting Zheng Qian would spend a fortune to please the Old Madam.
But it didn't matter. Zheng Yutan knew the Old Madam well. She would waste Zheng Qian's money, and in the end, get nothing.
We'll see!