Chapter 47: Disloyal, Unfilial, Unbenevolent, and Unrighteous

Wu Furong was now completely baffled by Li Qi. He took small, hurried steps over to Li Qi's side and whispered, "Young Master Li, what on earth are you trying to do?"

"Ah? What?"

Li Qi suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Uncle Wu, did Madam really say yesterday that she hopes I will stay?"

Startled by Li Qi's sudden roar and his blatant fabrications, Wu Furong hurriedly tried to clarify to Madam Qin, "I didn't—!"

Before he could finish, Li Qi interrupted him again. "Uncle Wu, I know you want me to stay, but you didn't need to invoke Madam's name to do so. Even if Madam truly spoke to you like that, she was merely saying it in passing; it cannot be taken seriously, absolutely not!"

Wu Furong was now utterly speechless. "I—!"

"Enough!"

Before Wu Furong could say another word, Madam Qin slammed her hand down on the table with a loud bang, startling him into snapping his mouth shut. This was the first time he had ever seen Madam Qin fly into such a rage.

No matter how gentle Madam Qin's temperament usually was, seeing the two of them putting on a double act right under her nose and showing her no respect whatsoever inevitably stirred up a wave of anger in her heart. She cast a sidelong glance at Li Qi and said coldly, "Young Master Li, we are all reasonable people here. If you have something to say, just say it directly. There is no need to beat around the bush."

"Since Madam puts it that way, I will speak the unvarnished truth."

Li Qi let out a cold laugh, then suddenly raised his voice. "What I want to say is actually very simple: I simply do not wish to cooperate with someone like Madam, who is disloyal, unfilial, unbenevolent, and unrighteous."

Upon hearing this, Madam Qin instantly flew into a rage, yet she also felt a sense of sheer disbelief. She opened her eyes wide, glared fiercely at Li Qi, and managed only a single word—"You"—before losing her voice entirely.

Beside them, Wu Furong was so stunned by Li Qi's words that he stood frozen in place, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Audacious! How dare you, you scoundrel, utter such insults against Madam!"

At that moment, Xiaotao suddenly sprang forward, pointing a finger at Li Qi as she scolded him.

Li Qi let out a cold snort. "You are far too lacking in manners for a maid, daring to speak to me with such disrespect. Do not forget that from the very beginning, I have always emphasized that I am cooperating with Madam, not serving as her subordinate. Furthermore, everything I said is the truth. How can this be considered an insult?"

Xiaotao's face flushed bright red from Li Qi's sharp retort, leaving her unable to find any words to argue back.

"Li Qi, just what are you trying to do?" Having regained his wits, Wu Furong glared at Li Qi with bristling whiskers, dropping all honorifics and addressing him directly by name.

From the very first day he had stepped foot into the Drunken Immortal House, he had regarded himself as part of the Qin family. No matter what Li Qi's motives might be, he would never allow anyone to insult Madam Qin in such a manner.

Li Qi spread his hands toward Wu Furong and smiled. "Uncle Wu, it was Madam herself who asked me to speak frankly just now."

"You—!"

Too angry to form coherent sentences, Wu Furong bowed toward Madam Qin and said, "Madam, all of this started because of this old man. It was I who brought this ungrateful wretch into the Qin residence. Right now, this old man will immediately chase this scoundrel out of the estate."

"Hold on!"

Madam Qin extended a slender arm, forcefully suppressing the fury raging within her chest. She looked at Li Qi and said, "Young Master Li, if you wish to stay, I naturally welcome you with open arms. If your heart is set on leaving, how could I ever use that mere scrap of paper to bind you? Why must you humiliate me so?"

At this point, Madam Qin suddenly raised her brows, her voice turning stern. "Although my Qin family is no longer as prosperous as it once was, we are still not people to be pushed around lightly. If you cannot give me a clear explanation today, I will certainly not spare you!"

Disloyal, unfilial, unbenevolent, unrighteous.

In ancient times, these eight characters could undoubtedly be considered the most vicious and venomous slander imaginable!

For someone like Madam Qin, who valued her chastity far above anything else in the world, these eight words were like eight sharp blades piercing straight into her heart. This time, she was truly, deeply enraged.

Li Qi was well aware that with Madam Qin's background and connections, dealing with an unknown nobody like him would be an effortless task.

However, having already started down this path, Li Qi had no intention of backing down. Besides, everything he was doing was entirely for Madam Qin's own good. He stepped forward, maintaining a righteous and defiant posture, and provoked her further: "Hmph! I'm afraid that once I make my meaning clear, Madam will be even less inclined to spare me."

How could Madam Qin not see through his petty little provocation? She sneered, "If what you say is justified, I naturally will not blame you. But if you are deliberately mocking and deceiving me, I will not let you off the hook either."

"Very well! Then I shall speak the plain truth, and I ask that Madam not take offense!"

Li Qi bowed deeply, then straightened his posture and proclaimed passionately:

"When your late husband was on his deathbed, he entrusted the Drunken Immortal House to Madam. Instead of pondering how to revitalize the establishment, Madam has chosen to hide away in the courtyard day after day, drowning in self-pity and allowing the Drunken Immortal House to sink to its current state—this is disloyalty!

The Drunken Immortal House was founded by the ancestors of the Qin family, yet you previously attempted to sell it off to outsiders—this is unfilial!

Uncle Wu and Master Zhou have labored heart and soul to manage the Drunken Immortal House for the Qin family. Now, at their advanced age, they are still running about everywhere on the family's behalf. Not only does Madam fail to show consideration for them or seek to lighten their burden, but instead you pile on the pressure and dump this entire wretched mess onto their shoulders—this is lack of benevolence!

Furthermore, Madam previously promised me not to disclose the agreement we signed that day to anyone else, yet behind my back, you leaked the matter to White Lady—this is unrighteousness!

I dare ask Madam, are these charges of being 'disloyal, unfilial, unbenevolent, and unrighteous' anything that I, Li Qi, have spoken falsely about?"

With a heavy thud!

The moment Li Qi's voice faded, Madam Qin collapsed limply into her chair as if stripped of her very soul. Her face turned deathly pale, her right hand clutching desperately at her white silk handkerchief while tears welled up in her eyes. Her delicate lips trembled as if she were murmuring to herself.

Seeing this, Li Qi felt a pang of pity, yet he knew he had been left with no other choice. He understood all too well the profound damage feudal ideology could inflict upon a woman. If he did not verbally jolt Madam Qin awake today, such a nearly flawless woman would ultimately be destroyed by it.

"Enough, say no more!" Seeing Madam Qin in such a state, Wu Furong felt a shock run through his heart and roared angrily.

To his surprise, Li Qi ignored him completely, turning his spearhead instead toward Wu Furong. "Uncle Wu, it is because I respect you that I have spared you in this. Were it not for your blind loyalty, shouldering every burden upon your own shoulders, how could Madam have ended up like this? Do you still remember Mother Cao outside the gates of the Drunken Immortal House? Is she not also a widow? Yet does Mother Cao not show her face in public and deal with men every single day? Have you ever heard even half a rumor spoken against her? The upright are naturally clear of taint. If Madam sat straight and walked true, why would she ever need to fear stepping through that door? When all is said and fathom, the so-called widowhood and chastity are nothing more than excuses Madam has invented for herself."

The more Li Qi spoke, the more indignant he became. With a cold snort, he continued, "Madam has led a blessed life, never having to worry about firewood, rice, oil, or salt since the day she was born. If Mother Cao were to live like Madam—hmph, I am afraid she would have starved to death ten thousand times over."

"You—how can you compare Mother Cao to Madam?!" Wu Furong retorted indignantly.

Li Qi let out a derisive laugh. "Why can they not be compared? Both are women, both are widows. Why is it that others can live each day happily, while Madam must hide away in this deep courtyard, not daring to step out the front gate and washing her face in tears daily?"

"You—!"

When it came to debating and wordplay, how could Wu Furong possibly be a match for Li Qi? Within just a few sentences, he was left completely speechless.

Li Qi paid him no further mind. He had not run over here today to bicker with an old man; his primary target was still the peerless beauty sitting in that chair, Madam Qin.