The moment Zhao Mingyan spoke of bribery and leaked exam questions, everyone in the reception hall turned pale.
Madam Wang’s face lost its color, and Uncle Chen’s blood drained as well. But then, both of them looked at Zhao Mingyan in utter shock.
Because everything that had just happened—the strange reactions of those men—suddenly made sense once Zhao Mingyan revealed their true intent. Yes, that had to be it!
Those men had deliberately come to frame Nan Yan. They had chosen a time when Nan Yan was absent, leaving only Madam Wang at home. They lied, claiming the items had already been discussed with Nan Yan, betting on Madam Wang’s rash and ignorant nature. Surely she would accept the boxes of gold and the hidden exam paper without realizing the trap.
Otherwise, why wouldn’t they deliver openly? Why wouldn’t they state clearly which master had sent them? Why hide even their own lord’s identity?
It had been so close—so very close.
“Mingyan! You’re incredible!” Madam Wang gripped Zhao Mingyan’s hand, her eyes full of admiration. “Thank heavens you were here. Without you, our household—and Nan Yan—would have been ruined!”
Zhao Mingyan: “……”
“Miss Mingyan, you truly saved us.” Uncle Chen looked at her, his aged eyes shining with visible respect and awe.
This small, struggling household had only the very old and the very young, with Madam Wang as its blunt, fiery mistress. Without Zhao Mingyan, they would have stumbled blindly into disaster.
Thank goodness for Zhao Mingyan!
Under their gazes, Zhao Mingyan felt a little embarrassed. “It was nothing. I only happened to notice.”
“Don’t be modest! The way you handled that steward just now was brilliant. Talking about masters and careers—if it had been me, I’d have been completely confused. But you—three or four sharp words, and he was silenced, fleeing in panic! Amazing, truly amazing!”
“Indeed, Miss Mingyan, you are remarkable—clever as if touched by the heavens themselves,” Uncle Chen added.
“You think so too, don’t you? I thought the same yesterday! She looks like a fairy, and her mind is just as sharp. She’s practically born a goddess!” Madam Wang exclaimed.
“Exactly, exactly!”
Zhao Mingyan: “……”
Listening to the two of them shower her with praise one after another, Zhao Mingyan’s face flushed red. She covered her cheeks, and while Wang Shuang and Uncle Chen were still enthusiastically replaying her clever handling of the situation in detail, she quickly slipped away back to the inner courtyard.
Soon, evening arrived.
After dinner, about the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, Nan Yan returned. When he came back, he noticed that the main hall in the inner courtyard was still lit, which struck him as odd. He and Wang Shuang did not share a room, nor did they usually eat together. She never waited for him at mealtimes. But tonight, the hall was lit—and there was a table of food. The first person he saw inside was Zhao Mingyan.
At the sight of her, Nan Yan’s lips curved faintly.
Zhao Mingyan saw him too. She immediately rose to greet him.
At the entrance, warm water and a hot towel had been prepared, ready to be handed to him as soon as he stepped in.
This treatment left Nan Yan momentarily stunned. Even though he had married twice, he had never received such attentiveness. Of course, neither of those marriages had been in the true sense. Wang Shuang had simply been a matter of mutual need—they had agreed to live together, but never shared a bed. As for his first wife, that had been because of her looks.
“Why are you waiting for me to eat dinner?” Nan Yan asked softly, watching Zhao Mingyan carefully change the water for him.
Before Zhao Mingyan could answer, Wang Shuang spoke up from behind.
“Of course we waited for you today.”
Nan Yan turned his head. “From your tone, something happened?”
“Of course!” Wang Shuang pulled a slip of paper from her sleeve. “Take a look at this—what do you think it is?”
Nan Yan, puzzled, accepted the dry towel Zhao Mingyan handed him, wiped his hands, and walked to the table. When he unfolded the paper, his expression changed instantly.
“Where did you get this?”
Seeing his reaction, Wang Shuang knew they had done the right thing. She gestured toward Zhao Mingyan. “You’d better thank Mingyan properly! If not for her, you’d be finished today!”
Nan Yan turned in confusion, just as Zhao Mingyan was carrying the basin of water out to the courtyard to tidy away the towels, her face still calm, gentle, and endearing.
Behind him, Wang Shuang explained what had happened. “Today, a steward claiming to be from the Marquis Guangping’s household came to deliver several chests of gold and silver. Hidden inside was this paper!”
Nan Yan’s face darkened. With his deep intelligence and political instinct, he immediately understood. “You accepted it?”
“That’s why you should thank Mingyan. If not for her, I nearly did. She sensed something was wrong, went with me to check, and with just a few words forced them to reveal their scheme. When they fled in panic, they dropped a chest of gold and this paper.”
After hearing Wang Shuang’s account, Nan Yan looked again at the serene Zhao Mingyan before him. His eyes brightened, and a trace of admiration and astonishment flickered within them.
“It was you who discovered this?” Nan Yan asked.
Zhao Mingyan lowered her head slightly. “My lord, it was only by chance.”
“My heavens, calling it chance! What kind of chance produces someone like you?” Wang Shuang could not bear Zhao Mingyan’s modesty and immediately began praising her again. “I’ve never seen anyone smarter. Just a few words and you saw through the trick. One sharp retort and those men were silenced, fleeing in disgrace!”
“Sister Shuang, it was you who frightened them into panic and forced them to drop the crucial evidence,” Zhao Mingyan said, her cheeks tinged with red as she looked at Wang Shuang.
“Hahaha!” Wang Shuang burst out laughing. “You’re right about that. Luckily, I had my kitchen knife with me—scared them so badly their legs gave out!”
“Exactly,” Zhao Mingyan agreed warmly. “Without Sister Shuang, today’s matter would have been much harder to resolve.”
“Then I’ll count it as a shared victory. Mingyan, doesn’t this prove what you said yesterday—that I’m the general and you’re my little strategist? Together we’re like twin blades, invincible!”
Zhao Mingyan nodded. “That’s true.”
Wang Shuang adored her even more. She laughed. “Perfect! From now on, wherever I go, I’ll take you with me. With you by my side, I’ll never fear anything again!”
“Of course. Wherever Sister Shuang goes, I’ll follow.”
Listening to their exchange, Nan Yan found himself pulled away from his earlier admiration of Zhao Mingyan’s effortless handling of the crisis. Instead, he felt a sudden sense of displacement—where did he fit in?
Why was the concubine he had brought home not clinging to him, seeking his favor, but instead devoting herself to Wang Shuang, always thinking of being with her?
Unbidden, a trace of jealousy rose in Nan Yan’s heart.