Xie Shuhuai’s gaze deepened. Raising his eyes to look directly at Chen Jinzhan, he replied with unreserved composure, “There ought to be more than just two sons in the household. The eldest son could simply encourage the other brothers and sisters to follow the younger son’s example and return to the family home as well.”
He paused, a faint light glittering in his dark eyes. “As time passes, what gives the old patriarch a headache will no longer be matters of business or choosing an heir, but rather the daily exhaustion of settling endless squabbles among all his children.”
Chen Jinzhan burst into a loud, delighted laugh. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”
The parable referred precisely to the Sixth Prince, who clung to his residence in the imperial palace under the pretext of showing filial piety to his mother, the Empress, refusing to depart for his fiefdom. Over the past two years, as the Emperor’s health deteriorated, His Majesty publicly reprimanded the Sixth Prince for lacking propriety—yet tacitly permitted his actions. Under the guise of father-son chats, the Emperor frequently summoned the Sixth Prince to his private quarters, teaching him how to handle state affairs.
Ministers in court who supported the Crown Prince had submitted countless memorials urging the Emperor to send the Sixth Prince back to his fief, but the Emperor simply shelved the petitions and ignored them. Lord Meng Shangrong and the Crown Prince’s strategists had devised numerous schemes, even arranging a imperial marriage for the Sixth Prince, yet nothing could alter the Emperor’s favor.
Shuhuai’s suggestion served as an immediate eye-opener for Chen Jinzhan. It was paying the opponent back in his own coin.
Stepping out of the study, Shuhuai crossed the stone pathway toward the lecture hall.
Just then, a gatekeeper called out to him, “Young Master Xie, someone is looking for you at the entrance.”
Assuming it was someone from home, Shuhuai walked over to the side gate, only to find a servant from the Li manor waiting to deliver a collection of calligraphic copybooks to him.
Meanwhile, having returned home, Lin Yuhe found it impossible to quiet her restless heart.
Gently cupping her lower abdomen, she knew that if she crossed paths with Min Zheyuan again, she might not be so fortunate next time. And who would be there to protect the child in her belly then?
The first person who came to mind was Xie Shuhuai—after all, the child was his as well. Yet at the thought of how deeply Shuhuai resented her, Yuhe’s courage faltered, and she beat a retreat.
After mulling it over for a long time, she still couldn’t come up with a better solution. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she drifted off to sleep before she realized it.
In a hazy daze, Mrs. Cui’s voice gently coaxed her awake. “Yuhe, someone from your brother’s household has come to fetch you. They ask that you make a trip back.”
Hearing this, Yuhe dared not delay, knowing her brother must have urgent business.
Arriving at the inner courtyard of the Lin household, the person who came out to greet her was neither her sister-in-law, Wu shi, nor her elder brother. Instead, it was Concubine Qu’s maternal niece—the woman who wished to become her brother’s concubine.
Her name was Qiu’er, and her tongue was sweet as honey. The moment she spotted Yuhe, she called out warmly, “Sister!” and tried to pull Yuhe inside by the arm.
An unexplained knot tightened in Yuhe’s chest. Intuitively brushing the woman’s hand away, she asked, “Where are my brother and sister-in-law?”
“Brother Yuping and Sister Mingxiu are in their bedchamber,” Qiu’er replied brightly.
Crossing the main hall, Yuhe stepped into the room and saw Wu shi reclining in bed, while Lin Yuping sat at her side carefully tending to her as she drank her medicine. The two young children hovered beside their parents.
Spotting Yuhe enter, the little ones trotted over toward her, their voices chirping together. “Auntie is here!”
Wu shi’s eyes were slightly rimmed with red.
Unaware of the full story, Yuhe assumed her brother had fallen for a pretty face and insisted on taking the woman as a concubine after all. She rounded on him with sharp accusations right out of the gate. “Brother, did you two anger Sister-in-law until she fell ill? You promised not to take a concubine—how could you go back on your word now?”
Lin Yuping was utterly dumbfounded by the outburst.
It was Wu shi who broke into a tearful laugh and stepped in to explain. “Little Sister, you’ve misunderstood your brother. Qiu’er came to our house on her own initiative—your brother has no intention of taking her in. As for me, I didn’t fall ill from anger at your brother, but rather…”
Embarrassment caught Wu shi mid-sentence, and she stopped, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
Yuping offered a silly grin, reaching out to clasp Wu shi’s hand tightly in his own.
Seeing Yuhe standing there completely baffled, little Xing’er announced joyfully, “Auntie, Mommy is expecting!”
Yuping picked up the thread immediately. “The physician said your sister-in-law shows signs of a threatened miscarriage and strictly instructed her to rest quietly for the first two months.”
The heart that had been hanging in Yuhe’s throat surged right back into her chest, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. “So you invited Qiu’er into your home? Sister-in-law, how could you be so confused? You could keep anyone else, but certainly not her! Send her away. For the next two months, let A-Zhu’s mother come over to care for you instead!”
A-Zhu’s family lived in Qingshui Bend, making them well-known and reliable acquaintances.
Wu shi remained silent, casting a glance at Lin Yuping.
Yuping agreed readily, offering a sheepish laugh. “Little Sister, did you think I kept Qiu’er around because I harbored squalid intentions?”
“Did you not?”
“Of course not! Today, I happened to overhear her mention something related to Mother’s death.” Yuping lowered his voice. “Concubine Qu knows a medicine peddler in Wuqiao Village. Mother has been gone for a year now, and the medicine dregs are long lost, but if we track down this vendor, we might be able to coax or coerce some useful information out of him.”
Ever since the siblings began suspecting Concubine Qu, they had been quietly searching for evidence. Yet with their mother gone for a whole year, not a single useful clue had surfaced. The careless remark from Concubine Qu’s niece today had reignited Yuping’s hope.
Lacking a better alternative for the moment, Yuhe acquiesced to her brother’s reasoning. Wanting to extract more useful details from Qiu’er was understandable, but keeping her in Yuping’s home was the most dangerous approach. If time dragged on and Qiu’er ended up actually becoming Yuping’s concubine before they got any answers, the loss would far outweigh the gain. It would be inviting a wolf into the house—the very same trap Concubine Qu had used against their mother.
“Fishing for information requires a long-term plan,” Yuhe asserted firmly. “Whatever you do, Qiu’er cannot stay here. Brother, don’t be foolish again—the family’s meals must be entrusted only to someone you completely trust. Has Mother’s death still not taught you to be vigilant?”
Her words sent a wave of lingering fear through Yuping, making him realize the gravity of the situation. “Little Sister is right. From now on, I’ll personally oversee all the food and tea in the house, and leave the laundry and cleaning to A-Zhu’s mother.”
Seeing her brother’s firm stance, Yuhe finally felt at ease returning to Hongye Village.
Before she left, Yuping packed a generous portion of fine white flour for her. Unable to refuse, Yuhe carried it back on her shoulders, planning to wrap dumplings.
This was precisely why she avoided buying glutinous rice from her brother’s grain shop—not only would he refuse her silver, but he would also load her up with extra goods. The silver she earned in a whole day wasn’t enough to offset a single visit home.
Yuhe also took Qiu’er—that lingering hazard—away with her.
Along the road, Yuhe managed to strike up a “sisterly” bond with Qiu’er over a few handfuls of roasted melon seeds. To avoid giving herself away, Yuhe did not rush to question her, choosing instead to chat about trivial household matters.
From their conversation, Yuhe quickly discerned that the girl was hardly as innocent as she appeared; she had deliberately approached her brother with a premeditated plan. Thank goodness Yuhe had raised her guard in time.
For now, Qiu’er was settled in Yuhe’s old family cottage. Fearing she might stir up trouble and ruin her brother and sister-in-law’s marriage, Yuhe decided to find something to keep her busy. This would win her goodwill and make it far easier to extract information down the line.
That evening, Yuhe brought out the white flour to make dumplings. It had been nearly half a year since they last tasted dumplings, and both Mrs. Cui and Little Yun were delighted.
While Mrs. Cui kneaded the dough, Yuhe chopped the cured pork and runner bean filling.
They were only halfway through wrapping the dumplings when Xie Shuhuai returned home.
Yuhe greeted him as usual. “You’re back.”
Little Yun bounded out of the kitchen, her voice full of cheer. “Uncle, we’re having dumplings tonight!”
Unexpectedly, Shuhuai ignored even Little Yun, walking straight into the kitchen. His eyes glistened with a sudden, icy chill as he looked down at Yuhe.
“Whenever you step out from now on, you are not permitted to take Yun’er with you.” His voice was sharp and cold. “Whomever you wish to meet is none of our concern, but do not corrupt the child.”