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

The housekeeper's words abruptly stopped, hanging in the air, adding to the tension. "What happened to Mr. Qin?" I asked anxiously, my heart as if an invisible hand was gripping it tightly.

"Mr. Qin...he suddenly fell ill and is now unconscious!" The butler finally finished speaking, his face becoming even paler.

Zhan Yu and I exchanged glances, each seeing shock and a hint of unspeakable confusion in the other's eyes. Elder Qin had always been in good health, so how could he suddenly fall ill? For something like this to happen at this critical juncture was too much of a coincidence.

We immediately rushed to Mr. Qin's courtyard. The doctor had already arrived and was treating Mr. Qin. We stood anxiously by, watching the doctor busy at work, feeling uneasy.

"Old Qin's condition isn't optimistic," the doctor said to us gravely after finishing his examination. "He seems to have been poisoned by some kind of toxin, causing him to fall into a coma. I've given him acupuncture, but whether he can wake up depends on his luck."

Poison? I was startled. Could someone have deliberately poisoned me? Once the thought occurred to me, it couldn't be shaken off. If that was the case, what was their motive? Was it to prevent us from presenting evidence at the family meeting?

For the next few days, Elder Qin remained in a coma. As the family meeting drew closer, we found ourselves in a dilemma. Without Elder Qin's approval, the ancient books in our possession would not serve as valid evidence. And with Elder Qin now unconscious, we had no way of getting his response.

We visited Mr. Qin several times, but were told each time that he needed to rest and that no visitors were allowed. Even Lawyer Fang was turned away. His face was grave, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "In my opinion, Mr. Qin has been bewitched by someone from the side branch. They're afraid of the evidence you have, so they're trying every possible way to stop you."

Lawyer Fang's words weighed heavily on Zhan Yu and me. We knew the internal struggle within the Zhan family had always been intense, with the side branches constantly eyeing the main family, hoping to seize the position of head. If Elder Qin truly fell prey to their influence, our situation would be even more precarious.

Time passed, and only three days remained until the family meeting. Elder Qin remained unconscious, and we still hadn't received his response. Zhan Yu and I were extremely anxious, but there was nothing we could do.

"We can't wait any longer," Zhan Yu looked at me, a glint of determination in his eyes, "We must take the initiative."

We decided to wait along the road that Mr. Qin had to pass, hoping to have a chance to speak with him in person. We stood in the cold wind for a long time before finally seeing Mr. Qin's sedan chair. However, when we stopped the sedan chair and explained our purpose, Mr. Qin's attitude was unexpectedly cold.

"I know what you want to say," Old Qin glanced at us calmly. "I'm still researching that ancient book, so I can't give you an answer for now." He then told the sedan bearers to move on, leaving Zhan Yu and I standing there, watching the sedan go away... "It seems," Zhan Yu said with a hint of chill in his tone, "we have to find another way."

The cold wind scraped across my cheeks like a knife. I rubbed my reddened hands, feeling a heavy weight weighing on my heart. Mr. Qin's sedan slowly disappeared from sight, his indifferent attitude like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing my last shred of hope.

"He is determined to go against us." I bit my lip, with a hint of unwillingness in my tone.

Zhan Yu held my hand, his hand warm and strong, giving me a sense of comfort. "We can't wait too long," Zhan Yu said in a low, firm voice. "The family meeting is imminent. If we can't present evidence at the meeting, we'll completely lose our chance of turning the tables."

When we found Mr. Qin again, he was reading in his study. Hearing our footsteps, he didn't even look up and said coldly, "What are you doing here again? Didn't I already tell you that I'm still studying that ancient book?"

"Old Qin," Zhan Yu stepped forward, his tone calm, "We understand you need time, but the family meeting is just around the corner, and we can't wait any longer. This concerns the future of the Zhan family and the fate of all of us."

Elder Qin finally put down his book and looked up at us, a hint of displeasure in his eyes. "Are you questioning my judgment? As an elder of the Zhan family, I naturally know what's best for the family. You young people are simply too impatient and don't know how to respect family traditions."

"Respect tradition?" I couldn't help but retort, "If the so-called tradition is to allow side branches to seize power and plunge the Zhan family into crisis, then what is the meaning of such tradition?"

My words made Old Qin's face darken. He slammed the table and shouted angrily, "How dare you! You're just a woman, what do you know about family affairs? Do you think you have a say here?"

Zhan Yu pulled me behind him, blocking Elder Qin's angry gaze. "Elder Qin, we didn't mean to offend you, but this is a matter of great importance, and we have no choice but to fight for our rights."

"Is this a matter of great importance?" Old Qin sneered. "I think you have ulterior motives! You are holding these so-called ancient books, aren't you just trying to seize the position of Patriarch?"

"We have never thought of seizing the position of patriarch," Zhan Yu said firmly, "We just want to maintain the orthodoxy of the Zhan family and prevent the side branches from succeeding."

"That's enough!" Old Qin waved his hand impatiently. "I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense. I'll handle the family meeting myself. You don't have to interfere."

After he finished speaking, he turned away and ignored us. Zhan Yu and I looked at each other, and we both saw helplessness and disappointment in each other's eyes. Is there really no way out?

I took a deep breath and decided to give it a try. "Master Qin," I said, my voice trembling slightly, yet with a hint of determination. "I know you're still hesitant, but there's something I must tell you..." I paused, my gaze fixed on Master Qin's back. "Do you know how we found that ancient book?"

Qin Lao's figure stiffened slightly, but he didn't turn around. "How did you find it?" His voice sounded a little low, and seemed to have a subtle tremor.

I took a deep breath and recounted our adventures in the book's search. From the spidery clues to the treacherous old house, from the secret room full of traps to the near-fatal one, I described every detail as best I could, including my fear, Zhan Yu's calmness, and our mutual determination to support each other.

When I mentioned that we were trapped in the secret room, the mechanism activated, and the huge rock above us slowly fell, almost crushing us into pieces, Qin Lao suddenly turned around, a flash of shock in his eyes. I noticed that his fingers holding the book were trembling slightly, and his knuckles were white.

"You...you have been through so much?" His voice was a little hoarse, and his tone seemed to lack some of its previous toughness.

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. "We risked our lives to find this ancient book, just to prove the Zhan family's innocence and prevent the conspiracy of the side branch from succeeding."

Zhan Yu shook my hand and gave me an encouraging look. "Mr. Qin, we know you are highly respected and loyal to the family. We also believe that you certainly do not want to see the Zhan family fall into the hands of treacherous people."

The study was completely silent, with only the shallow breathing of the three of us. Mr. Qin's expression shifted, as if he were engaged in a fierce ideological struggle. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "Even if you've been through all this, it doesn't prove this ancient book is authentic. It might be a forgery, or perhaps it was placed there intentionally."

My heart sank again. It seemed that Mr. Qin's defenses had not completely collapsed.

"Master Qin," I said firmly, suppressing my disappointment, "we understand your concerns. However, the contents of this ancient book are completely consistent with the family history, and…" I paused, deliberately leaving the question in suspense, "there are other family members who can testify."

Qin Lao's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of light flashing in them. "Other family members? Who?"

"This, we need some time to find." Zhan Yu took over my words, his tone calm, "After all, it's a long time ago, and some things need to be carefully verified."

Elder Qin was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I can give you some more time, but you must find a witness within the family who can prove the authenticity of this ancient book and its connection to the position of family head. Only then can I support you at the family meeting."

A glimmer of hope once again illuminated my heart. Although Mr. Qin had not yet completely relented, the conditions he proposed at least gave us a chance.

Zhan Yu and I expressed our gratitude to Mr. Qin again and then left the study. As we walked out of the study, the cold wind was still biting, but a fire was burning in my heart.

"Where do we find witnesses?" I looked at Zhan Yu with a hint of anxiety in my tone.

A glint of determination flashed in Zhan Yu's eyes. "I know someone who might be able to..." He hadn't finished his words when a figure suddenly appeared from around the corner, blocking our path. The man was wearing a black suit and sunglasses, his face unclear, but he exuded a cold aura. He handed Zhan Yu an envelope and whispered, "The head of the family wants to see you."

Zhan Yu took the envelope, his expression instantly grim... Leaving Elder Qin's study, the biting cold wind seemed to sweep away all hope. Elder Qin's offer seemed to offer us a glimmer of hope, but in reality, it was incredibly difficult. Most of the family elders who knew the secrets of this ancient book were already deceased, and the few who remained were either living abroad or long since retired. Finding a witness willing to testify in just a few days was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Zhanyu, where can we find a witness?" I held Zhanyu's hand tightly, my tone unable to conceal my anxiety. His deep eyes flashed with a glimmer of determination, "I know someone who might be able to..."

Before he could finish his words, a man in a black suit and sunglasses appeared before us like a ghost, blocking our way. A cold breath hit us, and he handed Zhan Yu an envelope in a concise manner, "The head of the family wants to see you."

Zhan Yu took the envelope, his expression instantly becoming grave. The patriarch, Zhan Yu's father, Zhan Zhentian, was unusually close to a branch of the family that had been eyeing the position of patriarch. His sudden summons might have been a harbinger of ill intentions.

I opened the envelope, and inside was a short note with the words "come back soon" written in a flamboyant style, exuding unquestionable authority. Zhan Yu handed me the note, and I saw his tightly pursed lips and felt the coldness of his palm.

"It seems we have to go back first." Zhan Yu's voice was low, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue.

Back at the Zhan family mansion, the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. Servants hurried in and out, each one hushed and silent, barely daring to breathe. I felt a nagging unease, a sense that something was about to happen.

In the master's study, Zhan Zhentian sat upright on a grand chair, fiddling with a pair of jade lions, his face expressionless. Zhan Yu stood respectfully beside him, and I bowed slightly.

"Yu'er, I heard that you found an ancient book that proves your family's innocence?" Zhan Zhentian finally spoke, his voice imposing without anger.

"Yes, father." Zhan Yu replied calmly.

"Let me see it." Zhan Zhentian stretched out his hand.

Zhan Yu presented the ancient book, but Zhan Zhentian did not read it immediately. Instead, he gave Zhan Yu a meaningful look and said, "Yu'er, you should know that the position of head of this family is of great importance and cannot afford any mistakes. The authenticity of this ancient book must be strictly verified."

"I understand, son." Zhan Yu answered calmly.

"Old Qin has already informed me of this matter," Zhan Zhentian paused, a hint of warning in his tone, "I hope you understand that Old Qin holds a very important position in the family, and his opinion is crucial."

I know that this is Zhan Zhentian warning us not to act rashly. Although he did not explicitly express his support for the side branch, his attitude is enough to make the side branch even more unscrupulous.

"Father, I will try my best to find witnesses who can prove the authenticity of the ancient books." Zhan Yu's tone was firm, without any retreat.

Zhan Zhentian didn't say anything else, just waved his hand, signaling us to retreat.

Leaving the study, I felt like a huge rock was pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Finding witnesses was no easy task, and time was running out. We weren't sure if we could find one before the family meeting, which presented a new challenge.

Just when I was at a loss, Zhan Yu suddenly stopped and his eyes fell on a figure at the end of the corridor... An old man, dressed simply but with a scholarly air, was walking slowly towards me. In his hand, he was holding a book...