Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Chapter 550: Actions Prove (1/2)

Chapter 543: Chapter 550: Actions Prove

“Greetings, Mistress!” Qi Shen and Qi Yun both knelt in front of Su Wenyue, performing a formal bow with utmost seriousness. Previously, due to certain thoughts and pride in their hearts, the two brothers had never truly paid their respects to Su Wenyue, nor had they recognized her status as their Mistress. After all, because of certain events and the prevailing attitudes of the era, they had some misunderstandings about Su Wenyue and did not treat her with the due respect she deserved. It wasn’t that they had done anything in particular, but rather they had not treated Su Wenyue as they would a Mistress.

This was a common occurrence in upper-class society, where women’s status was relatively low and they were seen as dependent on men. In a big family, secret guards only took orders from the master, not needing to obey the Mistress—respect was all that was required.

It was for these reasons that Su Wenyue’s resolute leap from the cliff had so shocked them, filled them with shame, and guilt for not having protected the Mistress properly.

Han Yu understood the feelings of Qi Yun and his fellow subordinates; he treated them with more leniency than other servants. So even though he clearly perceived the situation, he chose not to say much, nor did he impose further demands. Now, seeing his valued subordinates genuinely admire his daughter-in-law, Han Yu felt an additional measure of reassurance in his heart.

Watching the Qi brothers kneeling there, Han Yu made no indication to intervene but instead let go of his daughter-in-law’s hand, leaving her to handle the situation. His expectations of his daughter-in-law weren’t high, but she still needed to grasp these basic matters, and he believed in her capability.

For her part, Su Wenyue wasn’t particularly moved by the servants’ kneeling, and she found Chen Li’s talk of equality laughable. The rules of society dictated that it was natural for a servant to kneel before the master. However, the status of the Qi brothers was different; had it not been for Wang Mang’s persecution, their original status would have been much higher than hers. Putting aside their past status, they were now highly valued by Han Yu, his right-hand men, so their simultaneous kowtowing did take her by surprise, causing her to look at Han Yu with a sense of being overwhelmed.

These were Han Yu’s subordinates, and Su Wenyue had thought to let Han Yu handle it, but he just stood there without remark, having let go of her hand, which clearly indicated that she should deal with it herself.

Su Wenyue was momentarily uncertain, yet she didn’t lose her composure. To back down now would be to lose face and to waste Han Yu’s careful considerations. He intended to establish her status in the hearts of the subordinates, allowing her to take the opportunity to win over the Qi brothers, ensuring her place was not only in the backyard but at the forefront as well.

“You may rise; there is no need for this! I’ve heard from Han Yu about your feelings of remorse for this incident and your belief that you failed to protect me. There is no need for such a grand gesture over this matter. The situation that day was such that it cannot be blamed on you; you’ve already done your utmost and fulfilled your duty. I will not blame you for this, and Han Yu all the less so.”

“It is the Madam’s magnanimity to not blame us, but regardless of the situation that day, failing to protect the Madam was our fault, and we ask the Madam to punish us,” the Qi brothers insisted, still kneeling rigidly and refusing to rise, both being men who stood firm on their beliefs and never swayed once their minds were set.