“Since you know, why did you disobey? Did you think I couldn’t distinguish your handwriting from Feng Zhi’s?” Wei Taifu stroked his beard, his tone rising.
In truth, he couldn’t tell the difference, otherwise, he wouldn’t have let her ghostwrite for so long.
Late at night, Wei Taifu, always doting on his daughter, gave a few more admonishments and let it go. Wei Linxia knelt for about one and a half shichen, her knees turning purple. When Yu Mo brought her food and prepared boiled eggs, Wei Linxia asked her to set them aside. Soon, Madam Wei hurried in, seeing the bruised knees and cursing, “That old man! I was told to play cards, and he was plotting against my daughter.” She then praised Yu Mo for her thoughtfulness when she saw the red-skinned eggs.
Wei Linxia hugged her mother’s arm and said, “Mother, don’t blame father. It was my fault. I won’t do it again.” This made Madam Wei more sympathetic, promising to teach the old man a lesson later.
After the punishment, Wei Taifu no longer allowed Wei Linxia to attend the study hall. When Princess Yan asked, he said Wei Linxia was unwell. Li Weiheng, reluctant to ask Wei Taifu directly, turned to Wei Fengzhi, who confirmed that Wei Linxia was indeed ill. Princess Yan frowned, questioning if it was due to kneeling in the cold. Wei Fengzhi chuckled without answering. Meanwhile, Xi Linxuan remained silent, flipping through a book he seemed not to understand.
The details of Wei Linxia’s angering her father were only known to the Wei family, piquing Xi Linxuan’s curiosity.
During dinner, Xi Linxuan glanced at Wei Linxia. She appeared normal, polite, and distant while Madam Wei occasionally shot fierce looks at Wei Taifu.
Though Wei Taifu forbade her from studying together, Xi Linxuan thought he would still allow her in the study hall. He visited the study hall every afternoon for five days, but Wei Linxia never came.
This slightly annoyed him, stemming from his lack of understanding regarding her punishment. Due to his frequent visits, Wei Taifu was pleased and occasionally asked if he had any questions, but Xi Linxuan always replied “no,” which disappointed Wei Taifu.
