Madame Shen felt a surge of blood rush to her head, and her vision went black as she lost consciousness.
With two people having fainted consecutively, Shen Congwen was already consumed by rage. "Where is the family law? Where is it?" he bellowed.
"Third brother, don't be impulsive," the eldest son, Shen Congjun, stood up and tried to placate Shen Congwen.
Shen Congwen shoved Shen Congjun away, stating coldly, "This is my family matter. Eldest brother, please do not interfere."
As Shen Congjun was about to say more, he was pulled back by Shen Congbi from the third branch. "Eldest brother, let it be. Yunxuan deserves to learn a lesson. Anyone in this situation would be angry, wouldn't they?"
Shen Congjun paused. It was true. When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous woman. To marry a woman from a courtesan house would surely enrage anyone, let alone Shen Congwen himself.
Seeing that his attempts to persuade Shen Congwen were futile, Shen Congjun approached Shen Yunxuan, who was kneeling without offering any defense. "Yunxuan, admit your mistake quickly. You are only taking a concubine, not marrying a wife."
Shen Yunxuan looked up and said earnestly to Shen Congjun, "Eldest Uncle, Yunxuan is marrying a wife, not taking a concubine."
"Yunxuan, look at your grandmother and mother, both fainted from anger. What has become of this household?" Shen Congjun lowered his voice.
"Eldest Uncle, can I not make my own decisions regarding marriage? Must I marry a woman I do not like?" Shen Yunxuan asked word by word.
Shen Congjun trembled and looked at Shen Yunxuan, sighing, "Yunxuan, this world does not allow it."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunxuan chuckled softly, "A fine 'this world does not allow it.' If that is the case, why don't I create one?"
"Yunxuan..." Shen Congjun became anxious and whispered, "Don't you see how furious your father is? Why can't you approach this gradually? Why must it be like this?"
"Eldest brother, this is a stubborn and unfilial son. You need not persuade him. Today, I will surely punish him properly."
Shen Congwen's face turned ashen with anger. He turned to the servants and roared, "Why is bringing the family law taking so long? Do you wish to be punished together?"
The servants dared not delay any longer, quickly handing over the family law. Pointing at Shen Yunxuan, who was kneeling, he angrily commanded, "Take off his clothes."
The servant approached trembling and bowed, "Third Young Master, forgive me."
Shen Yunxuan stopped him with a gesture, saying coldly, "I will do it myself."
With that, he took off his clothes, revealing his strong, muscular back.
Seeing this, Shen Congwen stepped forward and asked angrily, "I will ask you one more time, do you insist on marrying this woman from the courtesan house as your wife?"
Shen Yunxuan lowered his gaze and uttered a single word, "Yes."
"Good, good..." Shen Congwen sneered, raising a whip as thick as a woman's wrist and preparing to strike Shen Yunxuan.
The consequences of this whip strike could only be imagined.
"Wait," An Ning spoke up, having remained silent until now.
Shen Congwen retracted the whip and looked at the girl who had walked up to him. He snorted, "Young lady, please leave the Shen family quickly. Whether it is marriage or taking a concubine, you are not worthy of entering the Shen family's door."
An Ning chuckled softly. Her usually pure and beautiful face became exceptionally captivating with this smile. Her eyes, clear and bright, held a chilling frost.
She looked directly at Shen Congwen and said faintly, "Even if I were not a woman from a courtesan house, I would still be a respectable woman. Entering a courtesan house was due to forced circumstances. I have neither stolen nor robbed, so why am I unworthy?"
Shen Congwen sneered, his face filled with mockery, "A woman scorned by society is not worthy of entering my Shen family's lineage."
"Then may I ask, have you, Lord Shen, never entered a courtesan house?"
Shen Congwen froze, his expression turning somewhat awkward.
An Ning gave a cold laugh, her clear eyes as cold as frost. "Does Master Shen enter courtesan houses to enjoy the gentle embrace of beauties while inwardly despising their shamelessness? Tsk, tsk... how ironic."
"You... you are talking nonsense..." Shen Congwen was beyond angry.
"Am I wrong? Since Master can enter courtesan houses, why can Young Master Shen not marry a woman from a courtesan house? What a joke. Lord Shen sets rules for others but breaks them himself. Tsk, tsk, how ironic..."
"You... you are spouting nonsense..." Shen Congwen's fury erupted, and he swung the whip in his hand towards An Ning.
"Ning An..." Shen Yunxuan had not expected his father to be provoked by Ning An. If this whip strike landed, Ning An would surely be disfigured.
An Ning did not dodge. She merely looked at Shen Congwen with cold eyes. Her gaze was colder than ever before, like the biting winter wind, like frost frozen three feet deep.
Piercingly cold.
The young girl stood there, an innate nobility and majesty slowly radiating from her.
At this moment, she was like a divine being on high, looking down upon the ants below.
A single glance could send these ants to their demise.
As Shen Congwen met those clear, cold eyes, he seemed to see a certain person for a moment.
The force of his hand lessened, but the whip still fell. Suddenly, a figure appeared before her, taking the full force of the blow.
The whip cracked against flesh, and the person blocking the blow let out a muffled groan.
"Yunlan..." someone cried out in disbelief.
Seeing the person before him, Ning An slowly bowed and said, "Third Uncle, although Third Brother is willful, he is absolutely not someone who disregards propriety."
Shen Congwen felt apologetic for the whip striking his nephew. "Yunlan, never mind this."
Shen Yunlan was about to speak further when he was pulled aside by Madam Zheng from the second branch. Looking at the marks on his shoulder, she exclaimed with concern, "Why did you have to interfere?"
"Mother, you cannot say that. Master should not strike a woman; it is against reason."
Madam Zheng heard this and said, "Against reason? You have just returned and do not know. Your third brother insists on marrying a woman from a courtesan house. Anyone would be angered and upset by this!"
Shen Yunlan was startled. "A woman from a courtesan house?"
Madam Zheng pointed to the girl Shen Yunxuan had shielded. "It's her."
Shen Yunlan looked at the young girl, incredulous. "She is a woman from a courtesan house?"
Madam Zheng nodded. "Indeed. She said a lot of things earlier that infuriated your third uncle. Even taking her as a concubine would cause chaos in the household."
"She doesn't seem like it," Shen Yunlan shook his head.
Madam Zheng blinked and asked, "Doesn't seem like what?"
Shen Yunlan did not answer Madam Zheng. He simply said, "Third Brother will not give up."
Madam Zheng sighed. "Yunxuan is truly something. Why must he insist on marrying a woman from a courtesan house?"
Shen Yunlan looked up at Shen Yunxuan, who was kneeling, and whispered, "Perhaps his intentions lie elsewhere."
Madam Zheng did not hear him clearly and asked, "Yunlan, what are you saying?"
Shen Yunlan looked down at the wound on his shoulder and said, "Mother, let us go back. This wound needs to be bandaged."
Only then did Madam Zheng remember that her precious son had been injured. She grabbed Shen Congjun and left.
Watching his elder brother leave, Shen Congbi also departed with his legitimate daughter, Shen Yuexiu.