[As expected of the Second Concubine. One sentence, three hidden barbs. With pillow talk like hers, who wouldn’t be wrapped around her finger? No wonder she later put such an enormous green hat on the Marshal’s head without him ever noticing. Tsk, tsk.]
Liu Xiyin quietly glanced at Marshal Yan’s head.
[Thinking that the Marshal’s head will be just as “green” as mine… No, actually, he’ll be much greener. And the funniest part is that he won’t even know it. That makes me so happy~]
“…”
For some unknown reason, the corners of Marshal Yan’s mouth twitched.
He withdrew the arm that the Second Concubine was clinging to.
“Shiyun has just caused such a scandal. You’d better behave yourself as well.”
Song Meier was left speechless.
She turned her head away and wiped her tears in grievance.
Her interruption also made Marshal Yan lose interest in arguing about the kneeling issue.
He accepted the tea from Yan Changye, took a casual sip, and set the cup aside.
Liu Xiyin quickly offered her own tea to Qin Wan.
Since Yan Changye hadn’t knelt…
Neither had she.
Marshal Yan had accepted the tea, and Qin Wan said nothing either.
After taking a sip, Qin Wan presented Liu Xiyin with an imperial green jade bracelet of the highest quality as a welcoming gift.
Liu Xiyin then served tea to Marshal Yan.
In return, he gave her two large gold bars.
[Wow! Gold bars!]
Liu Xiyin loved them.
Two large gold bars were worth roughly eight hundred silver dollars in this era—enough to buy a small house.
Yan Changye also received gifts, but those had nothing to do with Liu Xiyin.
She carefully held onto her own presents.
They would become her future escape fund.
After the tea ceremony ended, Yan Changye led Liu Xiyin to a nearby sofa.
Marshal Yan asked,
“I heard someone planted a bomb beneath your car?”
Yan Changye accepted the tea a servant handed him and casually glanced toward Yan Changzhuo across the room.
“A timed bomb.”
“I wonder which fool was responsible.”
Yan Changzhuo had been quietly comforting Song Meier.
Hearing that, he looked over.
He was the Second Young Master, a military academy graduate and one of Marshal Yan’s most trusted men.
His elegant manners and refined bearing made him every bit the perfect aristocratic young master.
“Fortunately, Elder Brother and Sister-in-law weren’t harmed.”
“Ancheng has been rather unsettled lately.”
“With the year’s end approaching, the Security Bureau has been overwhelmed.”
“It’s almost unfortunate that Elder Brother was frightened immediately after returning.”
[Isn’t the city in chaos because you’re secretly working with the male lead to stir everything up? You’re both wolves in sheep’s clothing. Go ahead and play your schemes.]
Liu Xiyin snorted inwardly.
[Don’t let his handsome face fool you. Inside, this Second Young Master is completely rotten. In the future, he’ll drain the Marshal’s Mansion dry to support the male lead. Calling him a sesame-filled rice ball is an insult to rice balls. He’s more like a leech.]
[Although… this particular incident really wasn’t Yan Changzhuo’s doing…]
So…
His little bride actually knew who the real mastermind was?
Ever since Yan Changye returned to Ancheng, the servants at the Yan Residence had only been temporary arrangements.
Who besides Yan Changzhuo could have planted someone inside so flawlessly?
Still, Yan Changye deliberately decided to test him.
“The city is unstable because the Security Bureau is incompetent.”
“Second Brother, you’re awfully eager to defend them.”
“What exactly are you trying to cover up?”
After graduating, Yan Changzhuo had served in the Security Bureau.
It was practically his old workplace.
Calling the Security Bureau incompetent was no different from calling Yan Changzhuo incompetent.
Meanwhile, Liu Xiyin quietly enjoyed the unfolding drama.
[Fight! Fight!]
If they started arguing…
Nobody would remember she was here.
Yan Changzhuo, however, remained perfectly composed.
Instead of responding directly, he smiled.
“Elder Brother is right.”
“I’ll have them strengthen their training afterward.”
He picked up a small gift box and walked toward Liu Xiyin.
“Military affairs kept me away last night.”
“I couldn’t make it back in time.”
“I heard Cousin Shiyun offended Sister-in-law and even mentioned the necklace I gave her, causing Sister-in-law unnecessary distress.”
“I feel terribly apologetic.”
“So I had someone find another necklace exactly like it overnight.”
“Please accept it as my apology.”
He respectfully offered the box with both hands.
Inside lay a sapphire necklace.
“I hope Sister-in-law will accept it.”
“…”
He knew Song Shiyun had framed her using a necklace…
Yet he was giving her an identical one?
This Second Young Master certainly knew how to make people uncomfortable.
Liu Xiyin hurriedly stood and declined politely.
“You’re too kind, Second Brother.”
“Everyone already knows Cousin Shiyun falsely accused me.”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“And to be honest… I never liked that necklace anyway.”
“So please don’t trouble yourself.”
“Pfft.”
Some young lady nearby couldn’t suppress her laughter.
Yan Changzhuo remained completely unruffled.
“I failed to think things through.”
“How about this?”
“If Sister-in-law ever sees a necklace she likes…”
“Simply tell me.”
“I’ll buy it for you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Yan Changye’s expression turned icy.
“You’re buying necklaces for my wife?”
The Third Concubine spoke quietly from the side.
“Second Young Master…”
“Eldest Young Madam isn’t merely your sister-in-law.”
“She is also the legitimate eldest daughter-in-law of this household.”
“If you truly wish to apologize, you ought to present something more appropriate.”
The Third Concubine must have utterly hated the Second Concubine’s family to choose this moment to speak.
Liu Xiyin glanced back at her.
Yan Changzhuo simply turned toward the Third Concubine and smiled.
“Third Aunt…”
“I understand you’re upset because of Third Brother’s accident.”
“But this isn’t your place to speak.”
Although he smiled…
Publicly addressing a concubine of the household like that was unbelievably arrogant.
The Third Concubine’s face turned deathly pale.
[The Marshal doesn’t even bother stopping him. He’s so biased. No wonder his own children eventually tear him apart.]
Frowning, Liu Xiyin secretly glanced toward Marshal Yan, who sat smoking his cigar.
In the latter half of the novel…
Marshal Yan’s excessive favoritism caused Yan Changye and the children of the other concubines to suffer repeated attacks.
In the end, out of more than twenty sons and daughters…
Only three survived.
Had Yan Changye not protected the future Ninth Concubine…
She, too, would eventually have died.
When Liu Xiyin had died suddenly in her previous life, she’d just reached the part where Yan Changye, Yan Changzhuo, and Yan Changying—the Fifth Concubine’s daughter—were all plotting Marshal Yan’s death.
Yan Changye had no choice.
If Marshal Yan lived…
Both he and the Ninth Concubine would die.
By then, Qin Wan had already been murdered by Song Meier.
As for Yan Changzhuo…
He simply believed the time had come for Marshal Yan to hand over power.
Yan Changying sought revenge because Yan Changzhuo had killed the man she loved.
To make matters worse, Marshal Yan believed Song Meier’s lies and intended to send Yan Changying to become the companion of an elderly eunuch serving a prince.
Back then, Liu Xiyin had thought Marshal Yan deserved his fate.
Now that she witnessed him silently allowing Yan Changzhuo to insult his elder sister-in-law and openly rebuke his own elder…
She felt even more strongly that he had deserved to die.
Marshal Yan suddenly choked on his cigar.
He coughed violently for quite some time, inadvertently breaking the tense atmosphere in the hall.
Qin Wan gently patted his back and handed him some tea.
“Marshal.”
After drinking half a cup, Marshal Yan waved his hand and looked toward the gathering.
“Second Son.”
“How can you speak to your Third Aunt like that?”
“Who taught you to treat your elders with such disrespect?”
Everyone in the hall looked stunned.
Apparently…
No one had expected Marshal Yan to reprimand Yan Changzhuo for the Third Concubine’s sake.
Liu Xiyin quietly covered her mouth.
[Wait… something’s wrong.]
[Marshal Yan isn’t supposed to act like this.]
[Could it be…]
Her eyes widened in horror.
[Don’t tell me someone can read my mind?!]
Yan Changye was equally startled.
Moments earlier, his little bride had been thinking about Marshal Yan’s eventual fate—how his favoritism would lead to his own children tearing him apart.
Immediately afterward…
Marshal Yan had choked on his cigar and unexpectedly defended the Third Concubine.
Nothing like that had ever happened in Yan Changye’s memory.
Just as he was beginning to wonder what had changed…
He heard his little bride’s latest thought.
Father can hear her thoughts too?
She actually knows about mind-reading?
Of course Liu Xiyin knew.
Back in the modern world, she’d devoured countless novels.
Mind-reading was one of the most common story tropes she had ever encountered.
Oh no…
Don’t tell me it’s happening to me too?!