With such a major incident occurring, the celebratory atmosphere in the Marshall’s mansion had completely evaporated. The kitchen had prepared lunch, and Liu Xiyin sat beside Qin Wan, eating in heavy, uncomfortable silence.
The more she ate, the more she felt that the people of this era were truly miserable. Not only were there greedy lords above them eating human flesh and drinking blood, but even the meals they ate were never filling, and even if they were, they tasted bitter.
A bitterness one could never truly escape.
After the meal, Qin Wan dismissed the young masters and misses to do their lessons, then took Liu Xiyin for a walk in the inner courtyard to admire the snow.
“I originally arranged a bridal chamber for you in the mansion, but Ah Ye insisted on moving out. That’s fine, too. He has never liked being confined to this house since he was a child, and the situation in the mansion is far too complex. Moving out with him will give you some peace and quiet.”
Liu Xiyin held Qin Wan’s arm, wanting to cry without tears.
She didn’t want to move out with Yan Changye. Staying in the Marshall’s mansion, eating vegetarian meals with Qin Wan, and living a quiet, religious life was her perfect plan. The mansion was crowded; she could protect Qin Wan’s life there, and after all, in the original book, Qin Wan was a genuinely kind mother.
The Liu family’s daughter in the original book would have been unhappy being neglected, but Liu Xiyin was not. Her favorite thing in the world was immersing herself in a laboratory and eating “melons” (watching drama) while resting. If she were in a private house with no one bothering her, she could easily build a small secret laboratory and do many things.
However, since Qin Wan had said this—clearly echoing what Yan Changye had told her before he left—Liu Xiyin didn’t dare to object rashly.
She lowered her head in feigned shyness. “I lack experience; I’m afraid I’ll be a burden to the Young Marshall and make him a laughingstock.”
Qin Wan smiled. “Ah Ye has been on the battlefield since he was twelve. He doesn’t understand the ways of the city either, and he doesn’t value such things.”
“…” Liu Xiyin struggled on. “I heard that the Young Marshall will stay at the Military Government to work in the future; he needs someone who knows how to manage things to help him.”
The situation in the Marshall’s mansion was a dangerous game of power and survival. A village girl like her who knew nothing would only hold him back. Liu Xiyin desperately wanted Qin Wan to see this point. If the mother-in-law was dissatisfied first, the Big Villain would naturally follow suit. Over time, this marriage would surely fall apart.
However, Qin Wan, who practiced Buddhism, only replied when she heard this: “What is meant to be in your life will eventually come; do not force what is not there. You have blessings in your destiny. With you by his side, Ah Ye will also be touched by that blessing.”
No, please don’t.
Liu Xiyin felt like crying.
Qin Wan led her into the garden, where a lake of emerald water lay ahead. The surface was frozen, and falling snowflakes vanished the moment they touched it.
Qin Wan pointed to the steepest edge of the lake. “One year, I was pushed down from there by one of the Marshall’s new favorites. It was just such a snowy day.”
Liu Xiyin was shocked. Qin Wan’s tone was calm—even flatter than the snow that vanished upon landing. “The Marshall only punished the favorite with three days of confinement, but I almost died in that disaster.”
Liu Xiyin instinctively pulled her back two steps. In the world of domestic power struggles, falling into a lake was a classic cliché. When she had been preparing to marry into the Liu family, rumors had spread that she was the one who pushed Liu Mingyue into the water. Liu Xiyin even wondered if the plot was following its original trajectory despite her efforts to derail it.
It was too frightening. She was even more afraid that Qin Wan’s words were a test, especially since the “bride-to-be” of the Marshall’s mansion for the past sixteen years had been Liu Mingyue.
Seeing Liu Xiyin’s terrified expression, Qin Wan laughed. “Don’t be afraid. No one in the mansion dares to touch us now.”
Really?
Qin Wan continued, “That time, Ah Ye personally dealt with that favorite, which made the Marshall so angry that he sent him away to the front lines.”
So that was just letting him fend for himself?
In the original book, it was only mentioned that Yan Ting favored the Second Concubine and her children, and that he feared Yan Changye would compete with Yan Changzhuo for the family assets, so he banished him. She hadn’t realized there was such a backstory.
Yet, Liu Mingyue had still been looking forward to marrying Yan Changye because every time he won a battle at the front lines, he was on the front page of the newspapers. Heroes always easily moved the hearts of sheltered young girls. Moreover, Yan Changye was handsome; even having grown up rolling through the mud of the battlefield, he still made time to read, possessing more raw spirit than city dandies and no less knowledge.
Unfortunately, everything had been shattered by Liu Xiyin, the “real daughter” who had dropped from the sky. Liu Xiyin sympathized with her.
“Is that why you decided to become a vegetarian and follow Buddhism?” Liu Xiyin asked.
Qin Wan looked at her with kind eyes. “You see, you are as sharp as ice and snow; you are no worse than anyone else.”
“…”
Qin Wan continued, “After nearly dying once and then having my son sent away, my heart felt like dead ashes. I only hoped for his safety. But how can there be war without casualties? I could only pray that the Buddha would grant him a bit more protection.”
This was a mother’s heart. Yet, in the end, Qin Wan was still murdered by Song Mei’er. Yan Changye must have been in such agony that he fought Song Mei’er and Yan Changzhuo to the death, even after Yan Changzhuo defected to the male lead.
Liu Xiyin didn’t speak; she simply squeezed Qin Wan’s hand.
Qin Wan led her away from the lake, letting out a rare sigh. “That is why Ah Ye hates men who have many women around them. The fact that he was willing to accept you last night shows he is willing to be a proper husband to you.”
Ah, so that’s where she was waiting for me.
Liu Xiyin forced herself to believe that Yan Changye didn’t like having many women around; after all, before the Ninth Concubine appeared in the book, no one’s attempts to use a “beauty trap” on him had ever succeeded.
But just because he doesn’t like women doesn’t mean he can’t like men!
The book clearly stated that Yan Changye had a pair of handsome twin adjutants who could sleep in the same bed as him. Especially the younger brother—later, when Yan Changye was pursuing the Ninth Concubine, the younger brother felt abandoned, and in a fit of possessive jealousy, he had tried to drug Yan Changye to keep him. Yan Changye had been so angry he had the brother caned, but at night, he had gone to deliver medicine personally, and the brother had cried all night.
Yikes.
When reading about the Big Villain sneaking around with the Ninth Concubine, Liu Xiyin had thought, the Ninth Concubine is indeed a dominant woman to be able to handle all this.
She had died suddenly just as she was mentally analyzing the likelihood of the Ninth Concubine catching a disease from him, while simultaneously looking down on the Big Villain for being unworthy of her. The “laboratory girl” in her had even wanted to climb out of bed and find a sample to test herself.
Instead, she had blinked, felt a daze, and been reincarnated. Was the universe trying to make her come to this world and take a human as a sample herself?
Liu Xiyin felt that was unnecessary; it only made her life feel even more miserable.
Qin Wan: “So you don’t need to think that he should marry someone else, and you don’t need to worry about taking in concubines for him. Just focus on being a good Young Marshall’s wife.”
This was meant to block any path she had to move back to the Marshall’s mansion or to palm off other women onto the Big Villain.
Liu Xiyin felt her life was even more bitter. “Thank you, Mother. I will get along well with the Young Marshall.”
If that’s the case, then I have no choice but to drug him into impotence. Last night hadn’t succeeded because she didn’t have the strength, but as long as she had enough time to prepare, she would surely succeed.
I’m sorry, younger brother adjutant, but you should start your withdrawal now.
Discovering the explosives was a major crisis; Yan Changye had been in meetings at the Military Government all day. Liu Xiyin had stayed at the Marshall’s mansion, taking the opportunity to check Qin Wan’s pulse. She was still in the early stages of gout, and with the special medicine, her condition wasn’t severe.
However, given the domestic chaos and the crushing of various factions, Liu Xiyin was afraid of standing out too much and being devoured whole. Even with her “American Chinese” alias, she didn’t dare expand her pharmacy business too far. Even if the Marshall’s mansion wanted to buy the specialized medicine, it wouldn’t be easy.
She had to seize every opportunity to grow, create more aliases, and lay more pieces on the board.
Unexpectedly, after dinner, Qin Wan brought Liu Xiyin back to her quarters and stuffed a book of “fire-prevention diagrams” (erotic manuals) into her hands.
Liu Xiyin: ?!
Qin Wan kept that same calm, light expression. “I heard that the Liu family is far too busy treating Mingyue’s illness, so I suspect they haven’t cared for you properly. You are young; there are some things you do not understand and are likely too embarrassed to ask about. I have taken the liberty of finding this for you.”
“…………”