Lin Qingyue threw down her chopsticks and turned to leave, not giving Lin Xiao the slightest bit of face.
Lin Xiao trembled with rage: “You ungrateful wretch! Had I known you were so heartless and ungrateful, I never should have brought you back to the Marquis Manor!”
How could he know that the gentle, filial Lin Qingyue who once yearned for parental love had long been indirectly killed by them? The one who had returned now was their sin and debt!
And it was only the beginning!
Leaving the dining hall, Lin Qingyue wandered aimlessly around the Marquis Manor until she reached the eastern courtyard.
The eastern courtyard was the residence of Liu Shi, the wife of the eldest son of the main branch. From afar, she could already smell the unpleasant odor of medicinal herbs.
As Lin Qingyue approached the doorway, she saw Liu Shi holding a bowl of dark, murky decoction, frowning with clear reluctance.
The matron beside her urged: “Young Madam, this is a new prescription Lady Zhou obtained. It’s very effective. Many women have used it, and it’s said that taking it continuously for a month will lead to pregnancy.”
Liu Shi asked: “Why is there a ring of gray floating along the rim?”
The matron replied: “That’s incense ash Lady Zhou obtained from the temple. That temple is also very efficacious for praying for sons.”
Liu Shi unhappily set down the decoction.
Her mother-in-law would stop at nothing to make her bear a child!
The matron was Zhou Shi’s person, specifically assigned to monitor Liu Shi as she took the medicine.
Seeing her refusal to drink, the matron’s expression turned cold: “My lady has spared no effort all these years for your health, Young Madam. If you don’t drink it, wouldn’t that waste all her efforts?”
With that, she directly picked up the bowl and was about to thrust it back into Liu Shi’s hands.
But at that moment, a sharp pain and a tremor shot through her wrist. The medicine bowl fell to the ground with a crisp shatter, its contents completely spilled.
The matron panicked: “Young Madam, this servant will brew another bowl for you. Please, you mustn’t say I spilled the medicine, or I’m afraid I won’t be able to explain it to Lady Zhou!”
After saying this, she hurried away.
Only then did Lin Qingyue stroll leisurely into the room.
Seeing Lin Qingyue, Liu Shi quickly came over to invite her to sit.
Having been married into the Marquis Manor for three years, Liu Shi had endured a harsh mother-in-law and a hypocritically kind sister-in-law. Her husband showed not an ounce of affection and even resorted to beating her from time to time.
In the past, only the simple and kind-hearted Lin Qingyue could exchange a few words with her.
Thus, Lin Qingyue’s return to the manor was the only thing that had brought Liu Shi joy today. But because she had spoken one too many words at the main gate, her husband had slapped her and sent her back to the inner quarters.
She warmly pulled Lin Qingyue to sit down and ordered a servant to bring tea and pastries.
“I wasn’t feeling well earlier and couldn’t go out to welcome you. Please don’t blame me,” she said, handing a pastry to Lin Qingyue. “Eat. There’s no need to worry about decorum here—eat to your heart’s content!”
Noticing the lingering slap mark on her face, Lin Qingyue asked: “Did he hit you again?”
Liu Shi only smiled without answering.
Lin Qingyue pressed further: “Haven’t you ever thought about leaving?”
“Leaving?” Liu Shi smiled bitterly. “If I dared to mention divorce, not only would your brother beat me to death, but even my own family wouldn’t agree. The world has always been harsh on women. Unless the man has committed a grave offense, a woman seeking divorce is seen as unchaste and will be scorned by everyone. It would bring shame upon my family’s name, and they’d be pointed at and ridiculed.”
“Isn’t him beating you a grave offense?” Lin Qingyue bluntly pulled up her sleeve, revealing bruises large and small, along with scars.
The bruises were from pinching, the scars from being burned with candles.
Liu Shi said with a numb expression, “What does beating someone even matter? If a woman beats her husband, it’s called defying the natural order! But if a man beats his wife, outsiders will only say the wife didn’t behave properly. Even if he beats her to death, he’ll only be imprisoned for three years.”
Liu Shi hadn’t been without resistance in the past.
The first time Lin Rufeng hit her, she had angrily returned to her parents’ home in a fit of pique.
But before she had stayed two days, her family sent her back to her husband’s household.
Her father had said, “A married daughter staying long at her parents’ home will affect the reputation of her sisters at home. Don’t come running back over trivial matters and bring shame upon your parents.”
After that, no matter how severely Lin Rufeng beat her, she never returned to her parents’ home again. She only focused on hoping to soon bear a child to rely on, thinking perhaps if she had a child he would stop beating her.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.
Liu Shi lowered her gaze: “It’s also my fault for having an uncooperative womb. It’s been three years since I married, yet there hasn’t been the slightest sign of pregnancy.”
Lin Qingyue said, “Why are you blaming yourself for this?”
Liu Shi looked puzzled: “What do you mean by that, sister?Lin Qingyue said, “You have the appearance of someone destined for many children and grandchildren, while Lin Rufeng is exactly the opposite. So even if medical treatment is needed, it should be him who requires it.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Shi quickly glanced outside the door. Seeing no one else had overheard, she lowered her voice:
“You must never say such things outside! If Mother-in-law hears, she’ll be angry with you again. Although you’re now a princess consort, you still need to maintain good relations with your maternal family for future support.”
As she said this, she recalled the earlier conversation between Lin Xiao and Lin Ruzhen and felt this might be inappropriate.
She then sighed: “We sisters-in-law are both pitiful people.”
Seeing her disbelief, Lin Qingyue didn’t press further.
After all, in this era, the status disparity between men and women was vast. The blame for infertility was always placed on women.
Even when it was the man’s problem, they would brazenly shift the blame onto women.
And since Lin Rufeng was the Lin family’s legitimate eldest son, and Zhou Shi’s only son and hope, she would absolutely never believe her son had physical problems. She would only intensify her mistreatment of her daughter-in-law.
In her sorrow, Liu Shi tried to comfort herself: “Although your brother isn’t very considerate and often likes to hit people, every time Mother suggests he take a concubine, he refuses. I think he must care about me at least somewhat, right?”
“He only cares about himself!” Lin Qingyue said bluntly. “The reason he doesn’t take concubines is simply because he prefers men and has no interest in women.”
This revelation shocked Liu Shi speechless. “Is this true? How… how do you know?”
“If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to inquire at Shuangyan Lane. He’s a regular visitor there.”
“Shuangyan Lane” was the gathering place of Beijing’s male brothels, where young masters with homosexual preferences loved to visit.
Once when Lin Qingyue was passing by the lane entrance, she happened to see Lin Rufeng emerging from inside.
His satisfied and euphoric expression was completely different from his usual fierce demeanor.
When he turned and saw Lin Qingyue, his expression changed instantly. He rushed over and viciously warned:
“Don’t tell anyone you saw me here, or I won’t let you off!”
At that time, Lin Qingyue had just returned to the Marquis household and didn’t know what kind of place it was.
Since Lin Rufeng told her not to speak of it, she had kept quiet.
But not long after, Lin Rufeng’s special preference was discovered by Lin Xiao, who severely punished him for it.
This matter was known to Zhou Shi and Lin Ruzhen, but Liu Shi alone was not told the truth. Liu Shi still believed her husband was punished for defying his father.
Lin Rufeng was convinced Lin Qingyue had snitched. The first thing he did after recovering from his injuries was to grab Lin Qingyue by the collar and slap her over a dozen times.
Lin Qingyue’s mouth was bleeding by the time Zhou Shi arrived.
Lin Ruzhen stood to the side, feigning innocence, and said, “Brother has always been affectionate toward his siblings. How did you provoke him to anger, sister? Hurry and apologize to him. We’re family—we mustn’t hold grudges.”
After scolding her son a few times, Zhou Shi turned to admonish Lin Qingyue: “The eldest brother is like a father. Even if his methods are occasionally a bit harsh, it’s for your own good. You must not go around spreading rumors and tarnishing your brother’s reputation. Do you understand?”
And the innocent Lin Qingyue didn’t even know how she had offended Lin Rufeng. Clearly the victim, she was forced to appease her abuser instead—how absurd!
But the Lin Qingyue of today had experienced all sorts of filthy, despicable things. With just a moment’s reflection, she understood what Shuangyan Lane had been back then.
Lin Rufeng’s infertility was most likely because he had played too wildly and ruined his own body.
After hearing all this, Liu Shi was initially shocked and found it hard to believe, but she soon pieced it together.
“No wonder, in three years of marriage, he rarely touched me. On the few occasions we shared a bed, it was rushed and perfunctory. Afterward, he would bathe several times with disgust. He had no maidservants by his side, but there were a few handsome young attendants. I always thought he was just being chaste and self-disciplined.”
“When you said he was infertile, I didn’t believe it at first. But now, I have no choice but to believe it.”
“How laughable!” she said, calling it laughable, yet tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.
“Clearly, all of this was his problem, but for these three years, everyone has blamed me for being unable to bear children, treating me like a criminal! Even my own parents thought I had wronged the Lin family, so they fawned over them in every way, afraid they would divorce me.”
“And I, in order to conceive, drank bitter medicine for two and a half years. I ended up damaging my stomach and intestines… and in the end, it turned out to be like this!”
She wiped away her tears, took Lin Qingyue’s hand, and said gratefully, “Sister Yue’er, thank you for telling me all this. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how much longer I’d have to endure this humiliation! In the Lin family, you’re the only good person.”
A good person? It had been a long time since Immortal Lord Qing Yue had been called that.
Unfortunately, she was no good person.
The reason she told Liu Shi all this was because Liu Shi was a key figure.
Lin Rufeng had committed many evils and deserved retribution, but Liu Shi’s presence had delayed that retribution.
“So, now that you know the truth, what do you plan to do?” Lin Qingyue asked.
If Liu Shi remained deluded, even as a person blessed with fortune, she would be dragged down to her death.
Liu Shi lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought.
A moment later, when she looked up again, her usual timidity was gone.
“I absolutely cannot stay in the Lin family any longer. I’ll return to my parents’ home first and tell them everything. Once I gather evidence, I’ll seek a divorce!”
Although the state of Qi had no explicit laws prohibiting male relationships, it still went against mainstream societal norms.
Therefore, even those with such inclinations indulged in secret and could never bring it into the open.
If beating one’s wife was merely a family matter, then a penchant for male companionship would ruin Lin Rufeng’s reputation and destroy his future.
When Lin Rufeng married, it was merely to conceal his unique orientation.
That very day, Liu Shi packed her belongings and returned to her maiden home.
As she was leaving, the nanny happened to bring a fresh dose of medicinal brew.
Liu Shi declared bitterly, “Tell my mother-in-law I will never drink this medicine again!”
Watching Liu Shi’s retreating figure, Lin Qingyue curled her lips into a smile. “Retribution, though delayed, shall arrive tonight.”
Having stirred up enough trouble, she was about to leave the Hou estate when she learned that Dongfang Yan had arrived.
Due to the incident with Princess Qing An, Dongfang Yan was in low spirits. After explaining the whole matter to the Emperor, he returned to his princely manor.
Recalling that Lin Qingyue had, after all, assisted Princess Qing An the previous night, Dongfang Yan felt he ought to express his gratitude.
At the same time, he wanted to ask how Lin Qingyue had come to learn those mystic arts.
But he was informed that the Princess Consort had returned to the Hou estate.
Only then did Dongfang Yan remember the custom of the third-day bridal return.
In the Qi Kingdom, the third-day return was an exceptionally important occasion.
Not only was the husband expected to accompany his wife, but generous gifts were also required to formally cement the alliance between the two families.
Dongfang Yan’s absence would not only embarrass the bride’s family but also provide grounds for criticism, making the groom appear ill-mannered.
Realizing this, Dongfang Yan ordered his subordinates to select gifts from the treasury and personally brought them to the Hou estate.
Upon hearing of Dongfang Yan’s arrival, the Lin family immediately gathered young and old, warmly ushering the esteemed prince to the seat of honor in the main hall.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lin Xiao, Dongfang Yan glanced around but didn’t see Lin Ruzhen. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why isn’t the Second Young Lady present?”
Zhou Shi explained, “Zhen’er is feeling unwell and is resting in the inner quarters.”
“Did she catch a chill after falling into the water that night?” Dongfang Yan’s face showed concern, and he nearly forgot his original purpose for coming.
After speaking, he realized his question might have been inappropriate.
Lin Rufeng couldn’t resist sowing discord: “My sister was perfectly fine earlier. During the midday meal, she even tried to mend her relationship with the Jin Princess Consort. But the Princess Consort repeatedly hurled harsh words at her. Zhen’er has a delicate constitution—is it any wonder she fell ill from the distress?”
Hearing this, Dongfang Yan cast a cold glance at Lin Qingyue. “Is this true?”
Lin Qingyue took a sip of tea and replied indifferently, “Since you’re so concerned, why not go see her yourself?”
Dongfang Yan immediately stood up, though a shred of propriety reminded him that meeting privately with his sister-in-law was improper.
So he said to Lin Qingyue, “Since you’re free, why not show me around the garden?”
Touring the garden was merely a pretext; his true intention was to seize the chance to visit Lin Ruzhen.
Hah! Wanting to have his cake and eat it too. Hypocrite!
Zhou Shi discreetly signaled with her eyes, and the nanny beside her quietly slipped away.
Noticing this, Lin Qingyue smiled and agreed, “Very well.”
Along the way, Dongfang Yan walked briskly, his face full of worry.
Lin Qingyue couldn’t help but think: On their wedding night, had he been just as eager to visit Lin Ruzhen, abandoning his new bride without a second thought?
If he hadn’t been absent, how would the false princess have had the opportunity to commit her crime?
Just as they reached the rear garden, the sound of a zither reached their ears—melodious and graceful.
Dongfang Yan quickened his pace, rounded a rockery, and there, by the lakeside pavilion, sat a beauty playing the zither alone.
Lin Ruzhen’s silk skirts swayed, her pearl hairpin tilted slightly, and her fair hands gently plucked the strings.
The music seemed to weep and lament, as if narrating a maiden’s tender feelings.
She played with such concentration that she appeared unaware of approaching footsteps.
Only when Dongfang Yan cautiously called out, “Zhen’er…” did she seem to notice.
Twang— The zither string snapped at just the right moment.
She jolted back to awareness, her dazed eyes lifting to Dongfang Yan as she murmured, “Your Highness… Have I missed you so dearly that I’m now seeing illusions?”
As she spoke, the pain in her mouth flared again. She struggled to suppress it, unwilling to ruin the moment.
Dongfang Yan hurried forward. “How could this be an illusion? It is I who have come to see you. Zhen’er, I heard you were unwell. Where does it hurt? I shall summon the imperial physician to examine you.”
“Your Highness, is it truly you?” Delight shimmered in her eyes. “I thought… now that you are newly wed, you would have long forgotten about Zhen’er.”
“Never. You saved my life once. I vowed I would never fail you in this lifetime.”
“Your Highness, when I saved you that day, it was never to demand repayment— Ah!”
A sharp pang accompanied the lie, more intense than any pain before.