She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 56: Second Uncle Returns, a Standoff between the Sharp Points

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Second Uncle Returns, a Standoff between the Sharp Points

Yan Wanqing was still getting dressed when someone from the front hall came to remind her that the second master had returned.

The second master, her second uncle, Yan An.

The biological son of the old lady.

"I didn’t expect second uncle could shorten a two-day journey into one," Yan Wanqing marveled. The power of the legitimate eldest son indeed was great.

Years ago, she had dealt with this second uncle before: arrogant, presumptuous, a typical case of being spoiled rotten.

Latter he caused trouble, was exiled, and there had rarely been any news of him over the years.

Who knew what his temperament was like now.

Yan Wanqing heard from the servants that the Sun family had already led aunt Song and others to the front hall to welcome the second uncle, so she sighed and decided that after all, he was her second uncle, her father’s brother; she had to give him some face. Thus, she asked Cong Ge and Cong Huan to hurriedly help her with her dressing.

By the time she arrived, everyone was already gathered around the table beginning their breakfast.

When Yan Wanqing entered, she saw sitting next to the old lady a man dressed in a purple-red robe, with a five-part resemblance to her father, eyes narrow and long, filled with calculating shrewdness, inherently making him unlikeable.

Her father displayed an upright and awe-inspiring demeanor.

"Wanqing, come quickly and sit down, haha, it’s been so many years, you’ve grown up so much," Yan An said, laughing jovially, his voice somewhat shrill.

Yan Wanqing silently sat down next to her mother upon hearing his words.

Her father’s voice was deep and mellow.

Because of Yan An’s return, Madam Liu from the Yan family seemed to suddenly have found her backbone, becoming exceedingly well-behaved and quiet. Even the old lady, who liked to show her temper with her walking stick on any other day, was much more kind-hearted today.

The Yan family always had a custom of eating in silence and sleeping without talking. Previously, because of Yan Wanqing’s poor health, her breakfast was directly brought to her courtyard. Today, it seemed, was the first time in a while that she was having breakfast with everyone else.

Throughout the meal, Madam Liu kept peeling eggs for Yan An and arranging his dishes, being incredibly attentive.

Seeing that the meal was almost over, Madam Liu could no longer hold back her sobs.

Yan An wrinkled his brow and his face grew cold.

"You haven’t finished eating yet, what are you crying about!"

Madam Liu wailed, "We are here enjoying fine food and drink, without knowing what suffering Minsheng is enduring in jail. From a young age until now, he has never experienced such hardship, faced such torment, how can I not feel sad..."

Yan Wanqing quietly sipped the last two mouthfuls of porridge from her bowl.

Next to her, Yan Hongzhao, Yan Lingzhen, and Yan Zizhuo were also having their breakfast; the Yan family did not have the habit of wasting food.

Lady Sun had a small appetite and had finished her meal before Madam Liu started crying. She was currently drinking hot tea.

Hearing the cries, Lady Sun kept her eyebrows lowered without acknowledging.

Yan An naturally noticed the silence of his elder sister-in-law’s family and did not look very pleased, slamming his chopsticks heavily onto the table.

"Shut up! If you had disciplined him properly on ordinary days, how could he have done something like this?!"

Overwhelmed by grief, Madam Liu said, "It’s already too late for such talk, we should be thinking about how to save our Minsheng now."

The old lady couldn’t help wiping the corners of her eyes, "Yes, we are all family, we need to think carefully about how to get Minsheng out of this."

Yan An let out a heavy sigh and turned his gaze towards Lady Sun, "Elder sister-in-law, regarding this matter..."

The teacup in Lady Sun’s hands trembled slightly.

Yan Wanqing had already finished her breakfast and was rinsing her mouth with tea.

Just then, Lady Sun’s indifferent voice sounded, "We must wait for the official documents from Dali Temple."

"If we wait for the official documents, it’ll be too late!" Madam Liu couldn’t help but interject, "Elder sister-in-law, do you have the heart to watch us parents send off our child with white hair?"

"Auntie, you are mistaken," Yan Wanqing spoke up. "It was the Dali Temple that made the arrest, not my mother. Why do you press us like this?"

"What place do you have to speak when the adults are talking!" The old lady couldn’t help but slam her chopsticks down forcefully, making a loud snapping sound against the table.

Yan Wanqing wasn’t one to be easily intimidated; she looked straight at Yan An as if she hadn’t heard or seen anything, "Uncle is an official himself and naturally understands the principle here. My mother holds no office, so if you wish to save your son, it makes no sense to turn to her."

A gleam flashed in Yan An’s eyes. Seeing Yan Wanqing interrupt repeatedly, Madam Yan Liu was itching with frustration. "Do you intend to push your cousin to his death?!"

"Shut up," Yan An suddenly scolded.

Madam Yan Liu fell silent instantly.

Yan An turned his gaze to Yan Wanqing and finally looked at Madam Sun. "What Wanqing says makes sense; we have indeed been inconsiderate. However, we’ve heard that the Sun Family’s young master, Sun Wenxing, is also involved in this case, and I wonder how the Sun Family is handling it."

Madam Sun kept her composure, "With Hongxuan in the Sun Family, they will handle it accordingly. I have been married out for decades, so why should an old maiden like me get involved? The Dali Temple administers justice impartially. Whatever their judgment is, the Sun Family will accept it. After all, it’s a matter of life and involving a capital case; one must bear responsibility for the troubles they cause."

At these words, Yan An’s face turned cold.

"Is it your intention to wash your hands of this matter then?"

Yan Wanqing couldn’t stand anyone yelling at Madam Sun and retorted with a cold laugh, "What do you mean, Uncle? As a civil official of the fourth rank, are you implying that you would knowingly break the law? Have you forgotten the taste of your exile years ago and find it too light?!"

Her words hit the mark like a needle to wheat, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Of course, she would not yield to Yan An.

Having experienced the trials of the battlefield and command, her aura was naturally not to be overshadowed by a civil official whose expertise is only in scholarship and calligraphy.

Once Yan Wanqing released her imposing aura, the malicious energy Yan An had mustered quickly dissipated.

"How can you speak to him like that, Wanqing? He is your uncle!" The old lady could not stand such behavior and quickly chimed in to support Yan An.

Yan Wanqing let the comment go in one ear and out the other, her gaze firmly fixed on Yan An, "Uncle, how did you return to the Capital City? Do you need me to jog your memory?"

Her people had indeed discovered some unsavory things.

Panic flashed in Yan An’s eyes as he softened his tone, "You really are something, child. You’re not yet old but have quite the temper. Uncle was speaking with your mother, why are you getting upset? There’s no need, right, Auntie?"

Madam Sun looked at him lazily and answered with an indifferent hum.

As for this younger brother-in-law who once harbored ill intentions towards her, Madam Sun had always made it a point not to show any favor.

Yan An was naturally aware of the past scandals too, making this breakfast neither comfortable nor enjoyable.

Following Madam Sun’s departure from the table, the children of the Yan Family also left, leaving only Yan An, Madam Yan Liu, and the old lady.

"They’re a cold-hearted bunch, I really don’t understand what attracted big brother to Madam Sun in the first place," Madam Yan Liu couldn’t help but curse.

Yan An sized up Madam Yan Liu and sneered.

"How else could he have been attracted? By using his eyes, of course."

Madam Sun Qinglian was once known as the Capital City’s number one beauty and a woman of talent, sought after by many princes and nobles. Even if she had married into the family, she remained the dream lady of many.

Years had gone by, and she still retained her charm, undiminished from her earlier years.

Naturally, she couldn’t be compared with Madam Yan Liu, who came from a smaller place.

Faced with Yan An’s merciless ridicule, instead of retorting, Madam Yan Liu smiled obsequiously, "You are right, husband; I was ignorant. Of course, he was attracted by what he saw with his eyes."

The old lady turned her gaze away in disgust.

This foolish woman who couldn’t discern the good from the bad.

"To save Minsheng, we must think of other solutions," Yan An said gravely. "He is my only legitimate eldest son; I’ve raised him to this age, and he cannot come to harm."