After the young couple Yan Tingbai and his wife had agreed on their story, they went together to find the Old Master, determined to bring back their elder, Yan Cunzhen.
This time, Swallow Holding Branch did not follow them. Her parents, in order to suppress Madam Wang, would surely spare no effort to accomplish this task. Whether she went or not, the outcome would be the same.
A maid helped her change clothes for her afternoon rest and tried to remove the Necklace with Pendant Ornaments from her neck, but Swallow Holding Branch refused.
For many years in her past life, she had grown accustomed to holding a jade pendant while sleeping, feeling its warmth and imagining in her dreams that her mother was still there.
Habit becomes second nature. Although she could sleep without the jade pendant, holding it in her hand made her feel more at ease. Swallow Holding Branch closed her eyes but did not fall asleep immediately.
Her mind was occupied with how to deal with Wang Caibing and the second branch next.
Swallow Holding Branch mentally ranked her enemies from the most difficult to the easiest and decided to start with Yan Jingzheng.
No matter how ruthless Wang Caibing and Wang Chenbi were, they were women confined to the inner household. Their influence extended only within these walls, and their vision was limited to the small world enclosed by them.
No matter how much they stirred up trouble, it was all within the confines of these walls. But Yan Jingzheng was different. As a man, he was naturally not bound by these walls.
Although the grandfather had disinherited this second son, no matter how incompetent or malicious he was, he was still his own flesh and blood.
The branch of the uncle to whom he was adopted had left behind no wealth. The second branch, having been disinherited, had to rely entirely on themselves to make a living.
And Yan Jingzheng was now merely a scholar who had studied hard for many years, unable to even distinguish rice from weeds. How could someone so ignorant of basic necessities support a household?
The Old Master could not possibly ignore him.
As expected, the Old Master would likely follow the same path as in her past life, submitting a memorial to the emperor before his death to request an official position for this son.
The Old Master was a favored minister of the emperor. A small, insignificant final wish to grant a minor official position would not be refused by the emperor.
Yan Jingzheng would undoubtedly enter the court as an official after the Old Master’s death, which would be highly unfavorable to the eldest branch.
Because he had been disinherited, Yan Jingzheng would not even need to observe mourning for the Old Master and could take up his post immediately, entering the court several years earlier than in her past life.
Yan Jingzheng was incapable of doing good deeds because he was a born villain.
Swallow Holding Branch was absolutely certain that if Yan Jingzheng became an official, he would commit evil deeds, and even more brazenly than in her past life. Why?
Because he could act in the name of the Jingyuan Marquisate. The illicit gains, power, and influence would be his, while the blame would fall entirely on the eldest branch.
Carrying this out would not be difficult at all, because Wang Caibing was still in this mansion!
With an inside accomplice, it was not impossible to obtain the official seal of the Jingyuan Marquisate or even Yan Tingbai’s personal seal.
After all, one can guard against a thief for a thousand days, but it is impossible to guard against a thief every day.
Even if they couldn’t obtain these physical items, Wang Caibing, to protect her son, might step forward and actively “expose” the various “misdeeds” of the eldest branch.
At that point, the eldest branch would be unable to clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River. With good luck, they might be exiled three thousand miles away; with bad luck, they could face death by a thousand cuts.
And Wang Caibing, having lost her husband, if she observed widowhood for three full years, would be considered a chaste woman.
A chaste woman, especially one with the title of a noble consort, would naturally be shown leniency by the court. Perhaps, out of respect for the Old Master, the emperor might even allow the Jingyuan Marquisate to retain its title.
Since the main lineage had been completely wiped out, the only option was to look to the collateral branches. If Wang Caibing offered wealth and negotiated with the clan elders, the second branch might be “forced” to adopt him back.
Thus, the family would be reunited once more.
Therefore, the first enemy to deal with should be Yan Jingzheng. The rest, like Wang Caibing and Wang Chenbi, who were trapped within these four walls, could be dealt with later.