Ms. Lu felt weak upon hearing what Xie Pinggang said.
Xie Qiao glanced at her eldest brother with her side eye. She thought to herself and said nothing.
Her intention was that Pei Wanyue should not be sent to the academy. She would not intervene with the punishment, as her father would call the shot. However, her eldest brother only gave Pei Wanyue an option.
If she chose the Royal Academy, she would have to give up being a part of the Xie family.
Pei Wanyue's biological father had passed away, and she had only come to the Xie Residence as her life at the Pei Residence was not ideal. If she left the Xie Residence, she would either return to Liaozhou or rent a courtyard out there to live on her own.
However, how would a young lady who had no family live a good life alone?
Also, in reality, the Royal Academy was not considered an ideal place.
It was the poor families' slaughterhouse and the wealthy families' playground. It claimed to treat everyone the same no matter their status on the surface, but the young masters and mistresses would definitely be treated better. If Pei Wanyue did not have the Xie family's backing, she would live a hard life even if she entered the Royal Academy.
She did everything she could to enter the Royal Academy, probably to look for an ideal man.
She was too naive.
Without a respectable family background, even if she found an ideal man, she would only have the destiny of becoming a concubine.
"S-she's not going to the academy!" Ms. Lu said immediately, "Yue'er is doing pretty well at Gulan Academy. It's her fault this time. Just punish her to kneel in the courtyard for a night! She admits her fault. She definitely won't repeat it again. Pinggang, for my sake, forgive her."
Pei Wanyue's determined expression changed after hearing what Ms. Lu said.
"Mother, I want to go to the Royal Academy. What's wrong with that…" Pei Wanyue's voice was soft, but it was determined.
Ms. Lu felt a lump in her heart. She was pissed. "Weren't you doing well in Liaozhou without having to go to school? Stop your nonsense!"
"No, I want to go to the Royal Academy. They said they'd recommend me. There's an opportunity. Why can't I have it?" Pei Wanyue said stubbornly.
There was nothing good for her to stay in the Xie Residence.
They had a bad reputation. She dared not say that she was from the Xie family when she was at Gulan Academy!
Whenever she told others that her mother was the Xie family's mistress, they would look at her in disdain!
She was not the Xie family's daughter, but others treated her like Xie Pinggang and even Xie Pinghuai, thinking that she was rude and unreasonable!
Ms. Lu was dumbstruck. No matter how terrible the Xie family's reputation was, they were still a family of officials!
"Listen to your mother, Yue'er!" Ms. Lu panicked and slapped Pei Wanyue's back.
Pei Wanyue was hurt from the slap, and she stood up immediately. "I've already said that I'm going to the academy! Mother! You promised me when you brought me to the Imperial City. I'm the Xie family's daughter. Why am I treated differently when it comes to education?! And Eldest Sister, Younger Brother wasn't willing to use that jade anyway, but they refused to give it to me when I really wanted it. You guys are targeting me, looking down on me! Since that's the case, I'll move out. I knew there's accommodation at the academy!"
There was accommodation at the Royal Academy indeed.
After all, there were students who came from all places. However, there were not many female students who lived in the academy.
Even if there were, most of them came from wealthy business families. They sent their daughters there for experience.
What Pei Wanyue said surprised Xie Niushan.
"What kind of nonsense are you filling your head with!?" Xie Niushan frowned hard.
This girl was not even 16. What had she been thinking all day? How dare she think that the Xie family tortured her!?
"Since Young Lady Pei thinks that our Xie family is terrible, please leave tomorrow morning to prevent trouble for both sides. You've benefited from the jade, and the Xie family can't take it back. We hope that Young Lady Pei will grow and prosper. However, don't address yourself as the Xie family's daughter when you live on your own from now on," Xie Pinggang suddenly said elegantly. He looked like he was making sense.