Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

When Xia Wen tricked him into selling his shop to pay off his debts, she told him that her mother had already chosen an auspicious date to welcome him into the family next month.

Their marriage had been arranged for a long time, but Xia Wen kept making excuses because he didn't have the money to bring him into the family. Magistrate Yu demanded that they perform the traditional wedding rites and that his son be carried in a grand sedan chair by eight bearers. He felt that his son had already suffered a humiliation by marrying Xia Wen!

"Do we have money now?" Yu Yijin was skeptical, but as long as Xia Wen agreed, he didn't mind if the wedding was a little shabby. He was fed up with people's whispers behind his back.

Now that the wedding date is set, he tacitly approves of Xia Wen's advances towards him, especially since they had done this a long time ago.

I just didn’t expect it…

He looked at Xia Jin'an as if she were the culprit who had ruined his happy life. He looked at the crowd of onlookers and recklessly tore away his dignity as a young master of a noble family.

"Xia Jin'an, did you kill Xia Wen?! How could you be so cruel!" He pointed at Xia Jin'an viciously, as if he were looking at the murderer of his mother.

While the commotion inside the shop was raging, Zhongtian was outside haggling with Butcher Wang.

Why is the pork from Yuan Jun An so delicious? You can hide it from others, but you can't hide it from the butcher who has been slaughtering pork for them.

Wang the butcher was a man who, after the woman in his family died, took on this job, which was considered quite sordid by the world, in order to make a living. Originally gentle and considerate, he had been worn down by life and had now become quite shrewish and calculating.

“Madam Zhong, many people have been asking me about this, but I’ve kept my mouth shut and haven’t said anything to anyone.”

Zhongtian understood that she had no connection with Butcher Wang, and that he was keeping quiet only so that he could negotiate with Zhongtian.

"Butcher Wang, you're an honest man. How about this: from now on, I'll order all of Yuan Jun'an's ingredients from you, at 30% more than the market price?"

Thirty percent. Wang the butcher calculated in his mind, then nodded at her with satisfaction: "...Deal!"

Butcher Wang was calculating that he could raise a batch of piglets, which would bring in a considerable income.

Just then, Yuan Jun'an's shop assistant rushed over to report: "Manager, someone has gone to the shop to cause trouble!"

Rushing to the store, Nakata heard such a serious accusation: murder!

She stepped forward, her emotions running high, and shielded Xia Jin'an behind her: "Do you have any evidence? Don't make baseless accusations."

There is no evidence! If there were evidence, Xia Jin'an should be in the county jail, waiting to be executed in the autumn, instead of listening to his constant sophistry.

Yu Yijin can't even find Xia Wen's body, so how can he have any evidence? But he still suspects, suspects Xia Jin'an, based on a man's intuition!

After Zhongtian returned, Xia Jin'an seemed to have found his anchor, and his initial panic and palpitations gradually disappeared! He slowly calmed down again.

He stood behind Zhongtian, watching her intently, while Zhongtian knew nothing. He couldn't let Zhongtian fight for him; if things were ever exposed, he would be the one to die, and it would have nothing to do with Zhongtian.

Xia Jin'an slowly walked out, looking directly at Yu Yijin: "Young Master Yu, why do you think I killed Xia Wen?"

“Because of what he did to you…” He suddenly stopped talking.

Xia Jin'an sneered: "Oh, so Young Master Yu knows all this..."

"How many men like me has he harmed? Doesn't everyone become a suspect, everyone wish she were dead? Young Master Yu, investigate them one by one; perhaps we can find the murderer!"

Xia Jin'an slowly approached Yu Yijin, but Yu Yijin protected her stomach and took a step back.

"Young Master Yu, don't you think about this! Xia Wen's fate is currently unknown, is there any reason on your part to blame?"

Yu Yijin was stunned. Was Xia Wen's death because of his aiding and abetting evil? If he had kept a stricter eye on her, would she not have disappeared?

No! It's all their fault! What did Xia Wen do wrong? He was just a little lecherous...

The imperial edict from the palace finally arrived late, accompanied by wind and snow. His Majesty sent a tutor from the palace to deliver the decree, and in order to comfort the Xia family in their grief over the loss of their son, he bestowed upon them a great deal of wealth.

The messenger, surnamed Li, was an extremely shrewd man who appeared to be quite old.

After delivering the imperial decree, Master Zhao warmly pulled the attendant who had delivered it aside to have some wine.

As Xia's father watched Master Li leave, Master Li, who was used to coming to the Xia residence to deliver imperial decrees, had initially been extremely respectful. However, with the death of his eldest son, his respect gradually turned into contempt.

These teachers have been taking medicine since childhood, which has severed their human desires and ethics. Therefore, they do everything they can to amass wealth and vie for power, and they are most skilled at praising the powerful and belittling the weak.

It doesn't matter. His eldest son is dead, but he has another son who is even more outstanding and excellent!

He slowly approached Xia Muning's boudoir and heard intermittent zither music coming from inside, along with a woman's stern rebuke: "Young master, how can you expect His Majesty to be captivated by a single piece of music when you are so indifferent..."

Xia Muning said coldly, "I have always practiced the piano for my own enjoyment, not for the enjoyment of others."

Xia's father frowned, pushed open the door, and said gently, "Master, you've worked hard!" He said to the musician who taught Xia Muning the zither, "Master, some exquisite snacks have been prepared next door. Please go and rest for a while."

The musician naturally understood that the father and son wanted to talk alone, so he tactfully left.

Xia's father walked to Xia Muning's side and stroked Xia Muning's hair: "My child, why are you so disobedient? Haven't you always been the one who makes your father's life easier?"

Xia Muning raised her head, looked at her father, and asked in confusion, "Does being an obedient child mean obeying everything? Is the palace a good place? My brother died there, and you want me to go to that cannibalistic place too, Father? Do you even love me?"

A slap landed on Xia Muning's face. The slap wasn't hard; it only made Xia Muning's face turn slightly to the side, and he easily knew the answer to the question.

"Nineteen years of luxurious clothes and high status, and you're already so selfish if you just want to make a small contribution to the family?"

"selfishness?"

Xia Muning suddenly stood up excitedly, found the sewing box, and picked up a pair of scissors.

"What are you doing! Put it down!"

Xia Muning looked at the scissors in her hand; they were extremely sharp. She quickly walked to the zither and snapped off the valuable strings.

Looking at the broken string, Xia's father slumped to the side, dejected, and said with a sorrowful tone, "Child, put it down. Don't hurt yourself. You are my heart and soul. How could I bear to let you suffer? But your brother's cause of death is unknown. Don't you want to avenge your brother? Your brother was so good to you."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xia Muning knew that his father was playing the emotional card, but he was visibly saddened, his mind filled with images of his brother's voice and smile.

But then Nakata's words suddenly popped into his head: You must live for yourself!

He looked directly into his father's eyes: "Father, the current Empress is a wise ruler. If she truly pities my brother, she will naturally investigate the truth for him. If all her affection is fake, my entering the palace will be of no use. If I am harmed, who else will Father allow to enter the palace?"

"….you!"

The negotiations were at an impasse.

The door was pushed open, and the outside wind rushed into the room, blowing away all the warmth inside.

Xia Muning's mother stood at the door, her face extremely serious: "You don't want to enter the palace because of that woman, Zhong Tian, ​​right!"