The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

"Oh no, it's the Song branch!" My heart sank. I didn't expect him to have his eye on this key. Could it be that he also knew the secret left by Grandpa?

"Hurry, let's go in and hide first!" Lawyer Fang made a prompt decision and pulled me into the secret room behind the screen wall.

The chamber was small and the air was murky, but fortunately it was well hidden. We held our breath, listening to the chaotic footsteps and shouts outside, our hearts racing.

"Search thoroughly! Don't leave any corner untouched!" Song Pengzhi's sharp voice echoed in the ancestral hall, with a hint of unconcealed pride, "I don't believe that we can't find the key!"

I clenched my fists, a surge of resentment building within me. Apparently, the Song branch already knew the key was in the ancestral hall, and they possessed even more information than we did. We'd finally found this place, and we couldn't let them get there first!

"What are they looking for?" A puzzled voice came from outside.

"What else could it be? Of course it's our Zhan family's heirloom!" Song Pangzhi said righteously, but there was a subtle greed in his tone. "Someone wants to steal it, we must stop them!"

I was shocked when I heard his words. He was trying to frame me!

Sure enough, there was a burst of discussion outside, and the words were full of indignation towards the "thief".

"Who is so bold as to sneak into our Zhan family's ancestral temple?"

"We must not let them off easily!"

Listening to these words, my heart went cold. Song Pangzhi's move was really insidious. He not only wanted to steal the key, but also wanted to use this opportunity to attack us and make us completely lose our foothold in the Zhan family!

"What should we do? If we go out now, we will definitely be mistaken for thieves!" I looked at Lawyer Fang anxiously.

Lawyer Fang pondered for a moment and whispered, "It's really not appropriate to go out now. We must first clarify the situation."

We hid in the secret room until the noise outside faded away. I asked anxiously, "What should we do now? We can't stay here forever, can we?"

"Don't worry, I'll find a way." Lawyer Fang comforted me, "Wait here for me. I'll go find out what's going on."

I nodded and watched Lawyer Fang leave the secret room.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a sudden noise at the entrance of the secret room, and a figure walked in.

"Who?" I asked warily.

"It's me." The man whispered, with a hint of displeasure in his tone, "What are you doing here?"

It's Old Qin! My heart sank, knowing something was amiss. He must have heard about our actions at the ancestral temple and come to call us to task...

"Do you know that trespassing into the ancestral temple is against clan rules?" Old Qin said sternly, his eyes full of disappointment. "How can you save the Zhan family's reputation by doing this?!"

I opened my mouth to explain, but his stern look stopped me.

"What's the point of saying this now?!" Old Qin said bitterly, "I've already reported this to the family. Just wait for your punishment!"

His words were like a bolt from the blue, sending me reeling as I fell into an icy cave… As soon as Elder Qin finished speaking, a flurry of footsteps could be heard outside the ancestral hall. Then, a group of men stormed in, led by none other than the Song branch. He wore a smug expression, his eyes gleaming with a gloating glint.

"You two daring thieves, why don't you surrender now!" Song Pangzhi pointed at us and shouted loudly. The family members behind him also accused us, their words full of contempt and anger.

I looked at these people in my tribe, who were being instigated by the Song branch, and my heart was filled with sadness. They had no idea what was really going on, and were deceived by the Song branch's sweet talk, treating us as unforgivable sinners.

"That's not the case, we didn't steal anything..." I tried to explain, but my voice was quickly drowned out by the accusations of the crowd.

Zhan Yu protected me and confronted everyone with a sullen expression: "The matter has not been thoroughly investigated yet, so don't listen to the slander!"

"The facts are right in front of us, what else is there to investigate?" Song Pangzhi pointed at the tools scattered on the ground and said indignantly, "If you weren't guilty, why would you sneak into the ancestral temple?!"

His words seemed reasonable, but each one was heartbreaking, leaving us speechless.

Facing the accusations and suspicions of everyone, I felt powerless. I knew that Song's side branch's goal was to completely drive us out of the Zhan family, and now, he seemed to have succeeded halfway.

Just when we were isolated and helpless, an old voice suddenly rang out: "Enough!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man with a hunched back and a cane slowly walking in. Although he was old, his eyes were still sharp and he looked intimidating without even getting angry.

"Old butler..." someone in the crowd called out softly.

The old butler is an old man who has served the Zhan family for several generations. He is quite prestigious in the family. Even the Song branch does not dare to act rashly in front of him.

"The head of the family is in seclusion cultivating. I will be handling family affairs for the time being." The old housekeeper glanced at everyone, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "This matter is full of doubts. No one should jump to conclusions until the facts are fully investigated!"

The old housekeeper's words made everyone present dare not speak anymore. Although Song Bangzhi was unwilling, he had no choice but to give up.

As everyone dispersed, the old butler called us aside and whispered, "I know you are innocent, and I also know who is behind this."

I was moved. Could it be that the old butler knew something?

"Children, I know what you are looking for." The old housekeeper sighed, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "But that thing is not something you should touch. Give it up, while there is still time..."

I was shocked. The old housekeeper's words confirmed our guess that the things grandpa left behind were indeed extraordinary.

"Old butler, what do you know? Please tell us!" I asked anxiously.

The old butler shook his head and said nothing more. He just looked at us deeply, then turned and left the ancestral temple.

Zhan Yu and I looked at each other, our hearts filled with doubt and uneasiness. The old housekeeper's words made us more certain that the things left by grandpa were in the Zhan family, and most likely hidden in the ancestral temple.

"What should we do now?" I looked at Zhan Yu, feeling confused.

Zhan Yu pondered for a moment, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes: "Since the old housekeeper asked us to give up, it means that this matter is indeed very dangerous. But we have come this far, we must not give up halfway!"

"But where should we look for it?" I looked around. Apart from the ancestral hall where the ancestral tablets were enshrined, there were only a few rooms where miscellaneous items were stored.

"Wait," Zhan Yu suddenly seemed to remember something. He took my hand and walked quickly to the door of a room behind the ancestral hall. "I remember when I was a child, my grandfather often brought me here to read books. This should be the family library."

I was delighted. If the key was really hidden in the ancestral temple, then the library would undoubtedly be the most likely place.

We pushed open the door and were greeted by a stale smell. The library was dimly lit and filled with dusty books and scrolls.

"Be careful," Zhan Yu warned softly, "This place is very old, and many places have decayed."

We carefully moved between the bookshelves, carefully searching each book and scroll, hoping to find a clue related to the key.

Suddenly, my feet felt empty and I stepped on a loose plank...

"Be careful!" Zhan Yu exclaimed and reached out to grab me, but it was too late.

I felt my feet go empty and my body fell uncontrollably. After a dizzying spin, I landed heavily on the ground, and the sound of wood breaking filled my ears.

"Xiner!" I heard Zhan Yu's anxious cry from above my head, but he seemed to be blocked by something and couldn't come down to save me.

I struggled to get up from the ground and looked around in the dim light. I found myself in an enclosed space, surrounded by cold and hard walls. There was only a heavy stone door closed, and no light came in.

Only then did I realize that I had fallen into a trap!

"Zhan Yu! Where are you?" I banged on the stone door and shouted loudly, but the only response I got was a hollow echo.

Fear and despair surged into my heart like a tide. I desperately told myself to stay calm, but it was no use. I felt it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe, and my vision began to black out.

Just when I was about to despair, I vaguely heard a burst of faint voices coming from outside the stone gate.

I quickly held my breath and listened attentively.

"Song Pangzhi, are you sure she fell in?" That was Zhan Yu's voice, with unconcealable anxiety and anger.

"Of course, I saw her fall with my own eyes." Another voice sounded somewhat proud. It was obvious that it was Song Pangzhi. "I prepared that secret room specially for her. It's full of traps. Even if she was lucky enough not to die from the fall, there's no way she could come out alive!"

"You are so despicable!" Zhan Yu roared, "What on earth do you want to do?!"

"What do I want to do? I just want to take back what belongs to me!" Song Pangzhi sneered, "As long as you die, everything in the Zhan family will be mine!"

"Don't even think about it!" Zhan Yu's voice was filled with murderous intent, "I will never let you succeed!"

Immediately afterwards, I heard hurried footsteps fading away. It must be Zhan Yu going to find reinforcements.

A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart, but it was quickly extinguished. Song Pangzhi was right. This secret room is full of traps. Even if Zhan Yu could find someone to rescue me, it might not be in time.

I collapsed on the ground in despair, feeling my life slipping away...

Wait! I think I touched something?

I forced myself to be alert, reached out and felt around on the wall, and my fingertips touched a cold, hard object.

I pressed hard and heard a slight "click". A secret door appeared on the wall.

I was delighted and quickly pushed open the secret door and walked in.

Behind the secret door was a narrow passage. I walked along the passage and finally came to the door of a secret room.

I pushed open the door and in the dim light, I saw that the secret room was filled with dusty boxes and documents.

I casually opened a box and found some old books and scrolls inside.

I picked up a scroll and, in the dim light, saw a few beautiful calligraphy words written on it - "Zhan Family Heritage".

My heartbeat suddenly quickened, and a premonition came to my mind that there must be some secret hidden here!

I couldn't wait to open the scroll, and lines of neatly written characters came into view, recording the Zhan family's centuries-long history and heritage, as well as... some unknown secrets...

I must uncover these secrets! The air in the chamber was murky, and dust danced in the dim light, choking me and making me cough. I covered my mouth and nose, suppressing the discomfort as I flipped through the scrolls in my hands. The scrolls were made of pristine material, the writing yellowed, and even worn in places, a testament to their age. I flipped through them carefully, fearing I might accidentally destroy these precious documents.

One scroll, titled "Zhan Family Instructions," caught my eye. Unlike the others, this one was relatively well-preserved, wrapped in fine silk. The handwriting was even clearer and more powerful, exuding an undeniable authority. I flipped open the scroll and carefully read every word, hoping to find clues to my family's legacy and, more importantly, a way to escape this place.

The contents of the family precepts were all-encompassing, recording everything from the great achievements of the ancestors to the conduct of the descendants. The more I read, the more astonished I became. This was not just a family precept, but more like a history of the rise and fall of the Zhan family, documenting their past glory and their current predicament.

Suddenly, a passage about a family secret passage caught my eye. A secret passage?! My heart trembled. Could there really be a secret escape route here? I held my breath and continued reading.

According to records, the ancestors of the Zhan family, in order to protect the family from misfortune, specially constructed multiple secret passages during the construction of the house. These passages were distributed in various corners of the house, one of which was located near the ancestral hall. And the place where I fell seemed to be the backyard of the ancestral hall...

I closed the scroll, my heart pounding. If I could find the secret passage, I could escape, give this evidence to Zhan Yu, reveal the true face of the Song branch, and...

"Hahaha, Bai Xiner, you can't escape even if you find the secret passage!"

The sudden sound, like a thunderclap, exploded in my ears. I looked up suddenly at the door to the secret room, where a dark shadow slowly emerged...