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

The moment the Han family leader lifted the vines, I held my breath. My heartbeat was like a drum, pounding against my chest. I prepared for the worst: if I were discovered, I would fight to the death. However, to my surprise, the Han family leader simply glanced at me, then turned to Han Liming and said, "This is forbidden territory. Do not linger." With that, he turned and left. Han Liming followed closely behind. Before leaving, he gave me a deep look, a look filled with warning and threat.

I breathed a sigh of relief and walked out from behind the boulder. It was a close call just now. If the Han family leader hadn't shown up in time, the consequences would have been disastrous. I gathered myself and continued walking deeper into the cave.

The sacrificial ceremony proceeded as scheduled. I stood beside Zhan Yu, dressed in formal attire, receiving the gazes of the tribesmen. Everything seemed solemn and dignified, yet a subtle sense of unease lingered within me. Han Liming's gaze still haunted me.

Just as the sacrificial ceremony was about to begin, Han Liming suddenly stood up. "Chief, I have something to report!" His voice was loud and clear, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"What's the matter?" asked the patriarch.

Han Liming turned to me, his eyes filled with malice. "I suspect the Zhan family's young mistress is disrespectful to her ancestors!" His words resonated like thunder in the crowd.

"Disrespecting our ancestors?" The clan leader frowned. "What evidence do you have?"

Han Liming pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve and read aloud, "On the eve of the sacrifice, the young mistress of the Zhan family privately commented that our ancestors were nothing but decaying bones, unworthy of future generations' worship!"

As soon as he said this, the tribesmen around him started talking. Suspicious glances shot at me like sharp arrows, making me feel suffocated.

"I didn't!" I retorted, trying to remain calm. "That's slander!"

"Slander?" Han Liming sneered, "Many members of the clan have heard your words. Are they all lying?"

I looked around and saw some of the Han family members who were usually on good terms nodding and agreeing with Han Liming's statement. My heart sank. It seemed that this was a carefully planned conspiracy by the Han family to drive me out of the Zhan family and even out of the sacrificial ceremony.

Zhan Yu held my hand and gave me an encouraging look. I took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in my heart. I didn't rush to defend myself as usual. Instead, I looked directly at Han Liming and asked calmly, "Since you said that many members of the clan heard what I said, then please call them out and confront them face to face!"

My words startled Han Liming slightly. He seemed to have not expected such a question. His eyes flickered and he hesitated, "Well... they're not here now..."

"Not here?" I sneered. "If you're not here, how can you prove I said those things?" I stepped closer, my eyes burning. "Han Liming, you keep saying I'm blaspheming our ancestors, but have you ever thought about the consequences of slandering me?"

Han Liming's face changed, and he subconsciously took a step back. I pressed on, my tone sharp: "Where did you get this so-called evidence?"

Fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and his eyes were erratic. "I..."

Beads of sweat formed on Han Liming's forehead, glistening in the sunlight. His gaze drifted back and forth, not daring to look me in the face. He mumbled, "I...I..." I pressed forward, my momentum intensifying, like a sword drawn from its sheath, pointed directly at his vital points. The tribesmen around us, previously whispering among themselves, fell silent, their gazes darting between us as if they were watching a spectacular fight.

"Han Liming," I said softly but forcefully, "You swear I'm blaspheming our ancestors, yet you can't produce any concrete evidence. Where are those 'many descendants of the clan' you mentioned now? Could this be just a lie you fabricated out of thin air?"

With every word I spoke, Han Liming's expression darkened. His original pride and arrogance were gone, replaced by panic and uneasiness. He subconsciously looked to the Han family head for help, but the Han family head only looked at him solemnly, not wanting to speak.

The Qin family elder, who had been silent until then, slowly spoke up. His voice was low and commanding. "Liming, Madam Zhan is absolutely right. Since you are accusing her of blaspheming our ancestors, you should produce evidence. How can you convince others with empty words?"

The Qin family elder was highly respected and held considerable prestige within the clan. His words undoubtedly put even more pressure on Han Liming. I saw Han Liming's hands trembling slightly, his lips turning pale, and he was clearly losing his composure. I sneered inwardly. Han Liming, do you think you can frame me by making up a random lie? I'm not that easy to bully!

"I...I..." Han Liming stuttered, his eyes darting around, helpless like a trapped animal. He had originally thought that with the Han family's power and influence within the clan, he could easily overthrow me. He even envisioned me being expelled from the Zhan family and scorned by everyone. However, he never expected that I would fight back so forcefully, and even less that the Qin family elders would side with me.

I looked at Han Liming's bewildered state, feeling no sympathy. He had slandered and framed me to achieve his own goals. Such a person deserved no sympathy at all. I looked at him coldly, waiting to see how he would justify himself.

The air seemed frozen, and the surroundings were silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind. Time passed, and Han Liming still couldn't explain what was happening. His face grew paler, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He looked like he had been pulled out of the water.

"I..." Han Liming finally spoke again, however, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps.

A figure rushed out of the crowd and walked straight towards me. His face was filled with anger and ferocity, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent... He grabbed my arm and pulled me out roughly, gritting his teeth and saying, "You don't need proof! My words are the evidence!"

He yanked my arm roughly, his force threatening to crush my bones. His nails dug deep into my flesh, and the sharp pain made me gasp. "You don't need proof! My words are proof!" He practically roared, his spit splattering my face, carrying the strong smell of alcohol and a sickening malice. I recognized him as Han Liming's cousin, Han Liqiang, a man known for his arrogance and evil deeds within the family.

I forcefully shook his hand off, seething with rage. "Han Liqiang, what do you mean by this? What are you trying to do to me in broad daylight?" I demanded, fearlessly meeting his fierce gaze. The surrounding tribesmen, observing this, began to discuss and criticize Han Liqiang's rude behavior. However, he showed no sign of abating; instead, he intensified his violence.

"What? I'm going to seek justice for my brother today! You shameless woman, how dare you slander our Han family? I'll make you pay for it today!" He said, reaching out to grab me again, the murderous gleam in his eyes even more intense. I thought to myself, this Han Liqiang is so arrogant and unreasonable, I'm afraid this won't end well today. I subconsciously took a step back, avoiding his clutches, while vigilantly observing the surroundings, looking for a way to escape.

At this critical moment, a tall figure stood in front of me, like a towering mountain, firmly protecting me behind him. The familiar breath made me feel at ease instantly. I knew it was Zhan Yu.

"Han Liqiang, what do you want to do?" Zhan Yu's voice was cold and majestic, carrying an unquestionable pressure. He stared directly at Han Liqiang with a sharp gaze, as if he could see through all the conspiracies and tricks in his heart.

Han Liqiang was intimidated by Zhan Yu's aura and froze for a moment, but soon regained his arrogant and domineering demeanor. "Zhan Yu, this is an internal matter of our Han family. You'd better not interfere!"

"An internal matter? Han Liqiang, you openly slandered my wife in front of so many clansmen and even wanted to attack her. This is no longer an internal matter of your Han family, but concerns the reputation and face of the entire family." Zhan Yu's tone was calm, but every word he said was precious and powerful.

"That's right, Liqiang, you're too impulsive." The Qin family elder, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up. His voice was low and commanding. "Without solid evidence, you can't just slander someone, let alone resort to lynching."

The words of the Qin family elders undoubtedly hit Han Liqiang hard. His face turned pale and blue, but he dared not refute. He glared at me fiercely, his eyes full of resentment and unwillingness, then he turned away, leaving behind a meaningful sentence: "I will not let this matter go!" I looked at Han Liqiang's departing back, my heart was cold. I know that he will definitely not let it go, so how will he deal with it next? Zhan Yu held my hand tightly and gave me a reassuring look. Han Liqiang left angrily, leaving the whole place whispering. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my heaving chest. Zhan Yu's hand was still holding mine tightly, and the warmth of his palm was transmitted to me, which gradually calmed me down. "It's okay," his low voice sounded in my ear, "Don't be afraid."

I shook my head and looked into his deep eyes. "I'm not afraid, but... Han Liqiang won't give up. His behavior today was too abnormal, it felt like a deliberate provocation."

Zhan Yu nodded slightly, a gleam in his eyes. "You're right, his behavior today was indeed strange. He's targeted you before, but never so blatantly. It seems he's trying to exploit this situation."

"Taking advantage of the situation? What does he want to do?" I felt an uneasy premonition.

"It's not clear yet, but we are sure that there must be someone behind him." Zhan Yu pondered for a moment, "During this period, you should be as careful as possible and don't go out alone."

I nodded, but my thoughts were a tangled mess, impossible to sort out. Han Liqiang, what exactly was he trying to do? Who was behind him? It all seemed like a huge mystery, shrouding my heart and making me feel suffocated.

After returning to the room, I was still uneasy. Zhan Yu saw my worry and gently took me into his arms. "Don't worry, I will find out everything. Trust me." His tone was firm and powerful, as if it had some kind of magic, which gradually calmed my anxious mood.

The next few days were peaceful, as if nothing had happened. But I knew this was just the calm before the storm. Han Liqiang wouldn't give up; he must be secretly plotting something bigger. I remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on everything around me.

I began to probe the servant, Luo, intentionally or unintentionally. He was on night duty the night Han Liming was killed. Perhaps he knew something. I asked him indirectly about what happened that night, but he just shook his head, saying he saw and heard nothing. His eyes flickered, as if he was deliberately avoiding my gaze. This made me even more suspicious that he must be hiding something.

To get to the bottom of this, I decided to take the initiative. I pretended to go for a walk, but in reality, I was secretly observing Han Liqiang's movements. I noticed that he had been frequently entering and leaving a remote courtyard, always in a hurry and furtively. That courtyard was rarely visited, making it seem particularly mysterious. I decided to investigate.

As night fell, I took advantage of the cover of darkness and quietly sneaked into the courtyard. The scene inside startled me… Servant Luo stood at the gate, holding a dim lantern, his face a cold expression I had never seen before. He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on me, and a strange smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Madam, you're here too…"