Zhang Zhiyan did not stop writing, nor did she give him a glance. "How could I be as skilled as your sister in harming others? As far as I know, there is no legitimate daughter in the current Duke's residence. I don’t care whether you believe me or not. The Duke is not someone to be fooled—you can ask him yourself."
Upon hearing about the incident at the residence, Liao Chuan had returned and gone to see his father in the outer study. His father’s fury was not without reason. He knew all too well that his mother was indeed in the wrong—secretly keeping a lover for over a decade was an unspeakable family disgrace. Yet, he hated Zhang Zhiyan even more. Everything had been fine until she exposed Mingzhu’s origins, causing his mother and sister to suffer such torment.
"I’m asking you. It must have been you who bribed these servants to frame my mother and sister."
"Hah." Zhang Zhiyan shook her head with a laugh. "What kind of man are you? Not only do you refuse to accept the truth, but you also pin the blame on me to save face. If your fake sister hadn’t tried to poison me with arsenic, how would I have followed the clues and uncovered these sordid affairs? Since I knew, I naturally couldn’t deceive Father-in-law. Whether it’s true or false, you can ask him yourself. Stop putting on this hypocritical act here."
"Hypocritical act?" Liao Chuan’s eyes widened in fury. It was the first time he realized Zhang Zhiyan’s words could be so sharp and unpleasant. "You’ve grown increasingly bold. The husband is the master of the wife—how dare you defy me like this?"
"Then go find the study maid, Wenhui. She has served you since childhood, attentive and understanding." Zhang Zhiyan looked up and gave him a mocking smile.
"Utterly unreasonable. Wait for my letter of divorce." Liao Chuan left after saying this, slamming the door loudly and startling the maids on night duty.
"Madam, would you like a bowl of calming soup?" Lüyin approached and asked, her expression tense, fearing Zhang Zhiyan might be heartbroken.
"No need. I’m going to bed." Zhang Zhiyan returned to the inner chamber, changed into a snow-white silk sleeping gown, and slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, Zhang Zhiyan no longer had to wake up early to pay respects to Lady Xia, nor would she see the sarcastic Liao Mingzhu, which further lifted her spirits.
Lüzhu brought breakfast from the main kitchen: three small dishes of pickles and freshly stir-fried seasonal vegetables, three small plates of pastries, and two types of porridge. "Madam, I watched them prepare it with my own eyes, and the maids from our courtyard personally brought it out."
Zhang Zhiyan nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and began serving herself. As she was having breakfast, Lüyin stepped through the door.
She had just retrieved a letter from the gatekeeper at Chuihuamen. "Madam, a family letter from Jing'an Houfu."
The family letter from the Zhang family of Jing'an Houfu was somewhat thick. The outer envelope contained a letter from the Marchioness, Lady Zhu, Zhang Zhiyan’s aunt, who often reminded her of her status as a stepmother and urged her to take good care of the legitimate son left behind by her elder sister, Zhang Huanong.
Inside was another letter from Zhang Zhiyan’s legitimate mother, Lady Guo, with similar admonitions as her aunt’s—to win the heart of the heir, Liao Chuan. Finally, there was a letter from Zhang Zhiyan’s birth mother, Lady Qin, with only a few brief sentences, telling her to listen to her aunt and legitimate mother.
"Nothing but the same nonsense. Burn it for me." Zhang Zhiyan had no desire to read again the letters she had seen countless times in her past life.
"Yes, Madam." Lüzhu took the letters, lit a candleholder, and burned them to ashes over the flame before pouring the remains into the chamber pot in the washroom.
Lüyin lowered her voice. "Old Maid Wang requests an audience. If you refuse to see her, she will report you to the Marquis’s residence again."
"Please." Zhang Zhiyan recalled a strategy—borrowing a knife to kill—and it was time to put it to use.
Mother Wang was someone from Madam Zhu, the wife of Jing'an Houfu. As Zhang Zhiyan's accompanying servant, she had come to the Duke's residence to spy on Zhang Zhiyan for Madam Zhu. Thus, Madam Zhu, as an outsider, always learned of any major or minor events at the Duke's residence first.
"This servant greets the Young Mistress." Mother Wang's bow was somewhat perfunctory. "I must remind the Young Mistress to remember what the Lady of the Houfu entrusted to you before. She has been constantly concerned about you."
"I know. I have always been virtuous and managed the household diligently. I even plan to elevate the maid from the Young Master's study to the status of a concubine."
"The Lady of the Houfu wishes to know what exactly is going on with Madam Xia, the wife of Huguo Gongfu, and the eldest young lady, Liao Mingzhu." Mother Wang added, "The Lady of the Houfu instructed you not to act rashly and to consult her first in all matters. After all, you must also take care of the young master, who is the only remaining bloodline left by our Houfu's eldest young lady. The Lady of the Houfu wants you to remember not to offend any of the masters in the Duke's residence."
Zhang Zhiyan was already tired of hearing "the Lady of the Houfu" mentioned repeatedly and impatiently warned her, "Didn't you see it yesterday? This Madam Xia of the Duke's residence has committed adultery with another man. It's best not to keep asking about the Duke's private affairs, as the Duke dislikes servants gossiping and spreading rumors."
"Yes, this old servant understands." Mother Wang agreed verbally but remained determined in her loyalty to Madam Zhu, the Lady of the Houfu.
"You should investigate the Young Master's affairs. He has another residence outside." Zhang Zhiyan directly revealed this secret, aiming for Jing'an Houfu to expose Liao Chuan's keeping of an outside mistress.
Mother Wang was somewhat surprised. "How did you come to know this?"
"If you don't believe it, go investigate discreetly. The Young Master's outside mistress is surnamed Lu and lives in Tongque Alley. I don't care how many concubines he keeps; I only worry that these concubines might bear children and hinder our young master's future prospects." Zhang Zhiyan did not directly answer Mother Wang's question, intending to use one force against another. Ideally, Jing'an Houfu would fall out and sever ties with Huguo Gongfu.
Mother Wang dared not make decisions on her own and quickly withdrew, slipping out through the back door of the Duke's residence kitchen to return to Jing'an Houfu and report this matter to the Lady of the Houfu.
After sending Mother Wang away, Zhang Zhiyan breathed a sigh of relief. She wrote a letter, saying, "Have a trustworthy person deliver this to my brother, along with the previously prepared spring and autumn clothing, as well as some small-denomination banknotes and loose silver. He will need them."
Zhang Zhiyan had a twin brother from the same mother, Zhang Chengxiao, who was currently studying diligently, working hard, and was clever and low-key. She often supported her brother and trusted him with her money.
Both she and her brother were registered under their stepmother, Madam Guo. However, Madam Guo was only superficially generous. Her brother still needed to pretend not to outshine their legitimate elder brother in studies; hiding his talents was the only way to live well.
Madam Zhu, the Lady of the Houfu, was the decision-maker of the main branch of Jing'an Houfu. The eldest young lady, Zhang Huanong, had once been Liao Chuan's legitimate wife but later died of illness. To ensure her own grandson was well taken care of and to maintain a strong marital alliance with Huguo Gongfu, Madam Zhu insisted on finding another legitimate daughter from the Zhang clan. She did not allow her own legitimate second or youngest daughters to marry into the family, instead arranging for the daughter of Zhang Boqi's younger brother, Zhang Zhongqing, to marry as a replacement wife.
Coincidentally, Second Master Zhang Zhongqing had no legitimate daughters, only one illegitimate daughter, Zhang Zhiyan. Thus, Second Madam Guo was virtuous enough to recognize this pair of illegitimate children as her own.
From beginning to end, no one ever asked Zhang Zhiyan if she was willing before she became the replacement wife of Liao Chuan, the heir of Huguo-gong.
Memories flooded her mind, and tears welled up in Zhang Zhiyan's eyes. She blinked, forcing back the tears, and propped her elbows on the desk, planning for the future.
At the exact hour of Wei, Lüyin hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in to report, "Mistress, it's terrible! The servant who delivered the letter to the young master's uncle has returned and said that something has happened in the second branch of Jing'an Houfu."
Zhang Zhiyan was startled. "What happened?"
"A censor reported to the Ministry of Personnel about the leak and sale of examination questions. It involves many people, and a group of scholars has been arrested, including the young master's uncle."
"Where were they taken? The Ministry of Justice prison or the Dali Temple?"
Lüyin shook her head. "Neither. It's the prison of Wu De Si."
"What?" Zhang Zhiyan immediately stood up from her chair, pacing back and forth, murmuring, "I was still a step too late."
Without hesitation, she decisively ordered, "Have the servant prepare the horses. I'm going to Wu De Si." Lüyin and Lüzhu each went to make preparations separately.
Zhang Zhiyan strode into the inner chamber, retrieved the pouch from inside the pillowcase, and clutched it tightly in her hand. She knew the moment had come.