“Xie Bohuai, what are you being so stubborn about?”
A furious roar made the attendants outside the door tremble uncontrollably, startling the sparrows in the osmanthus tree into chirping as they flew onto the tiled roof.
Xie Bohuai’s presence was even more imposing. “What do you think I’m being stubborn about?”
“If you weren’t born into the Xie Family, do you think you could have reached the position of Commander in Zhenfu Si? Would the Emperor treat you differently? Without the Xie Family, you’d be nothing!” Master Xie was enraged. His two legitimate sons, on whom he had pinned high hopes, were mediocre, while the illegitimate son was outstanding but refused to follow his arrangements. He didn’t feel he had wronged Xie Bohuai and his mother. If not for him, Xie Bohuai’s concubine mother might have been violated by rioters, let alone enjoy the peaceful life that followed.
“The Xie Family?”
Xie Bohuai sneered. “In the cold of December, while the first and second branches hugged their warm stoves to study, I could only huddle under a tattered reed quilt. Madam Xie forbade me from claiming to be a child of the Xie Family. At the academy, the first and second branches led others in bullying me. When those people rode me like a horse, I bit chunks of flesh from them. People said I was like a madman—this was indeed the Xie Family’s doing.”
“Later, when I advanced through the imperial examinations to the Metropolitan Exam, Madam Xie drugged me again, making me humiliate myself before the court and ruining my ranking. It was because I saved the Emperor that he began to treat me differently.”
“Without the Xie Family, my life would have been much better!”
His teacher said Xie Bohuai was exceptionally talented in studies and would surely rank among the top three.
Madam Xie was jealous of Xie Bohuai’s abilities, especially since her two sons were academically average. Unwilling to let an illegitimate son outshine her children, she bribed someone close to Xie Bohuai to administer laxatives, cutting off his path through the imperial examinations.
But no one expected that Xie Bohuai, determined to rise above his station, had been secretly planning for a long time. He eventually saved the Emperor at the hunting grounds, thus entering Zhenfu Si.
When he first joined Zhenfu Si, no one knew he was the third son of the Xie Family. But Zhenfu Si valued capability above all. As long as his fists were hard enough and his skills strong enough, he could climb higher and higher.
The first thing he did after becoming Commander was return home, take the laxatives, grip Madam Xie’s jaw, and force them down her throat.
Madam Xie cursed him for being unfilial and threatened to report him to the Prefectural Office for disobedience. But by then, Xie Bohuai already had dirt on the first and second branches.
He stated bluntly, “I’m alone and don’t mind dying alongside your two sons. From today onward, I want you to remember this humiliation every time you see me. If you harm a single hair on my head or touch anyone close to me, I’ll break Xie Boyuan’s limbs before taking your wretched life!”
“Madman! You’re a madman!” Madam Xie, restrained by Xie Bohuai, relieved herself in public. She demanded that Master Xie banish Xie Bohuai from the family, but Master Xie knew it was no longer possible.
From then on, Madam Xie secluded herself, burning incense and praying in her courtyard, wishing for Xie Bohuai’s early death.
In earlier years, Madam Xie had tightly controlled the inner courtyard, leaving Master Xie with no other illegitimate children. Xie Bohuai was an exception. Only after his birth did Master Xie bring him and his mother home.
By the time Master Xie realized his legitimate sons were incompetent and his illegitimate son disobedient, it was too late. Unable to control his wives and concubines, he could only pin his hopes on Xie Bohuai.
“Xie Bohuai, get out! I don’t want to see you!” Master Xie’s face flushed red with anger.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Xie Bohuai slammed the door and left.
The master was in a foul mood, and Qingshan dared not even breathe loudly. Only after they returned to the courtyard and heard the master order the gate to be sealed did he venture to ask softly, “Then how will we get out in the future?”
“Break a door through the wall. From now on, we’ll use the new entrance. Tell everyone in the courtyard that no outsiders are allowed to step inside. Anyone who disobeys—kill them on the spot.” With these words, Xie Bohuai vaulted over the wall and left the courtyard, forbidding even Qingshan to follow.
Before Qingshan could process this, Shuyan was already leading workers to begin the task. When Qingshan finally realized he ought to find his master, Shuyan pulled him aside and advised, “Look around the Ye Family residence.”
“Why?”
“Just do as I say. With that head of yours, I could explain for a whole day and you still wouldn’t get it.” Shuyan patted Qingshan’s head and continued directing the bricklaying to seal the gate.
Their courtyard was situated at the edge, with a narrow alley behind the wall. Opening their own door was, to put it plainly, no different from establishing an independent household.
When the news reached Master Xie, his headache worsened. Had he known it would come to this, he never would have allowed Xie Bohuai to join the Zhenfu Si. Rather than dealing with this current uproar, it would have been better to keep suppressing Xie Bohuai all along.
Master Xie, with a ginseng slice in his mouth, received a visit from Prince Hui’s messenger inviting him as a guest.
A long-time attendant by his side said gently, “The whole of Jingcheng knows of Zhao Yun Jun Zhu’s feelings for the Third Master. Actually, this would be a good match. If the Third Master and Zhao Yun Jun Zhu were to settle it, the connection between Prince Hui and the Second Branch would be severed. Having served you for many years, I’ll speak out of turn—rather than letting the Second Master take the lead, it would be better to have Prince Hui keep the Third Master in check.”
They all knew that Second Master Xie was narrow-minded and mediocre in ability. If Prince Hui truly aimed for the throne, Second Master Xie would likely become a pawn sacrificed early on.
Xie Bohuai was different—he was capable and ruthless enough that Master Xie couldn’t control him. But Prince Hui was different; he was the Emperor’s favorite son after the Crown Prince. No matter how arrogant Xie Bohuai was, he wouldn’t dare kill Prince Hui, would he?
Since the Xie Family already had one foot in the whirlpool, it was better to make more preparations. Otherwise, after Master Xie passed away, the Xie Family would surely fall.
“The Third Master won’t agree,” Master Xie sighed deeply.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Master, Zhao Yun Jun Zhu is desperate to marry. We don’t need to do much, just have someone drop her a hint. If it succeeds, people will only talk about Zhao Yun Jun Zhu’s methods; if it fails, it has nothing to do with us.”
Master Xie’s brow gradually smoothed. “Right, it has nothing to do with us.”
While Master Xie arranged for someone to hint to Zhao Yun Jun Zhu, Xie Bohuai, after leaving the Xie Family, unconsciously scaled the Ye Family’s wall.
In the pavilion, Ye Mingyue had brought accessories commissioned from the Western Regions for his sisters to choose from.
The siblings chatted and laughed, eventually discussing Ye Mingyue’s marriage prospects.
Ye Wanyu said cheerfully, “Eldest Brother mentioned that the family he’s considering for you values rules above all. We’ve all met Miss Jiang—she’s very tall and quite beautiful.”
“Enough of that. Lord Jiang is an old stickler. When I encountered him at the academy before, he lectured me for half an hour. I wouldn’t dare take his daughter.” Ye Mingyue shook his head vigorously. “Second Sister, don’t worry. The Jiang Family will definitely not fancy me; Lord Jiang surely wants someone like Eldest Brother.”
Ye Wanning said it wasn’t necessarily so. “If Eldest Brother spoke to you about the Jiang Family, it means someone in the Jiang Family has indicated interest.”
She still remembered that in her past life, Second Brother had married Lady Jiang because she fell in love with him at first sight and insisted on marrying him. Lord Jiang, who doted on his daughter, agreed to the Jiang Family’s proposal for a matchmaking meeting.
Lady Jiang had a steady temperament, and Second Brother initially disliked her. Later, when the Ye Family was framed by Zhou Yu, adversity revealed true feelings. The two supported each other, gradually developing affection, and under Lady Jiang’s encouragement, Second Brother became increasingly diligent.
Unfortunately, before their child was born, the Ye Family was accused of treason and executed to the last member—even the pregnant Lady Jiang could not escape.
As her thoughts returned to that past life, Ye Wanning clenched her fists unconsciously.
“Elder Sister?” Ye Wanyu noticed her sister’s strange expression and leaned closer. “What’s wrong?”
“I was thinking how Second Brother must have wanted to run away when Lord Jiang lectured him.” As soon as Ye Wanning finished speaking, the three sisters burst into laughter together.
“Laugh all you want! My match with the Jiang Family will never happen anyway!” Ye Mingyue pouted and tossed a piece of pastry into his mouth.
The Ye siblings interacted harmoniously, their laughter echoing intermittently. None of them noticed Xie Bohuai hiding behind the rockery.