He liked this tone of hers—pure yet alluring.
Especially when she spoke in that hoarse, tearful voice, crying,
"Master, if you don’t stand up for me, I’ll soon be killed by Concubine Yao. But I don’t want to die so early…"
She really was just a cowardly novice in the inner-house struggles!
Yao Yinyin trembled all over with rage. She had never seen someone make accusations like this—especially without a shred of evidence—yet Ye Qingzhi kept dragging her into it.
How brazen!
Who did she think she was? How could Houye listen to her? He would only slap her in the face…
But the next moment, she met Houye’s icy gaze, and his voice was so cold it chilled her to the bone.
"Yao, I haven’t yet held you accountable for ordering someone to push Ye into the water last time. Now you’ve grown even bolder, coming here to kill her. Do you truly think I won’t punish you?!
Kneel here today and apologize to Ye. Only when she forgives you may you return."
Yao Yinyin’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and her body trembled as she nearly collapsed to the side. She looked at Xie Jin in panic.
Houye actually knew she had ordered someone to push that bitch Ye into the water. But he hadn’t punished her before, which meant he valued her.
Yet now, that bitch, having just gained his favor, only had to beg a little, and Houye was ready to punish her!
This sudden change was all because of that bitch—how hateful!
Making her kneel and apologize to that bitch Ye Yiniang… she’d rather…
Fine, she couldn’t bear to die!
But she was furious, furious, furious!
"Oh my! Oh my goodness! So it was Concubine Yao who ordered someone to push me into the water! I almost died!"
Ye Qingzhi was genuinely shocked. She had been wondering how to find the mastermind behind the original owner’s death, but she never expected it to be uncovered so easily.
It didn’t even require much of her already limited brainpower.
Indeed, when in trouble, find the police—no, find the leader to plead your case.
If you lack the ability, don’t stubbornly hold on or keep it bottled up. Hurry and find the leader to take the blame.
In the inner courtyard of the Marquis’s Estate, no matter how fiercely the women fought, as long as Houye was willing to intervene, it was absolutely a case of overwhelming superiority!
"Master, I don’t want her kneeling here. It’s too unsettling. If she kneels here, I’m afraid she might suddenly go mad and try to strangle me.
Master, revenge is about an eye for an eye. Why not have someone throw Concubine Yao into the pond too? Let her flounder for a while before pulling her out. What do you think?"
Ye Qingzhi tugged at Xie Jin’s sleeve, looking at him with wide, pleading eyes, then flashed an ingratiating, obedient smile.
"Someone, throw Concubine Yao into the pond," Xie Jin said coldly.
To Xie Jin, kneeling here or being thrown into the pond made no difference.
Since he had decided to use this opportunity to punish Yao Yinyin, to rein in her increasingly brazen behavior, and incidentally deal with Yao Yinyin’s father, Xie Jin was happy to satisfy Ye Qingzhi’s not-too-excessive request.
Ye Qingzhi immediately showered him with a stream of flattery, utterly sincere.
A leader who handled things like this—he was worth keeping around!
Yao Yinyin looked at Xie Jin with utter despair. How could he listen so readily to that bitch? How could he be so heartless to her?
She truly loved him so much!
Everything she did was out of love for him!
"Master, Master, I love you! It was jealousy that made me do wrong!" As she was dragged away, Yao Yinyin cried, tears and snot streaming down her face, shouting incessantly,
"Master, my sister, Consort Li, is pregnant with the Emperor’s child! You can’t—you can’t treat me like this!"
"Tsk tsk, Houye, listen to her—she's even trying to use her sister in the Huang Gong to pressure you. How outrageous!
As your concubine, she should share your worries and anxieties, not harm those around you under the guise of love, stirring up endless strife in the inner courtyard. She's truly wicked."
Ye Qingzhi munched on melon seeds while watching the drama unfold, indignantly commenting all the while. Xie Jin felt the urge to pinch her little mouth again, wondering just how sweet those lips might taste.
Why hadn't he noticed before how eloquent and flattering she could be?
Xie Jin leaned down, intending to kiss her lips, but Ye Qingzhi quickly covered his mouth, embarrassed.
"My lord, I haven't brushed my teeth or rinsed my mouth this morning. I'm afraid I might offend you."
Xie Jin’s face darkened, and he pinched her in annoyance. She really knew how to ruin the mood.
Meanwhile, Yao Yinyin was swiftly dragged away. Only then did Granny Zhou arrive at Yanliu Courtyard with Ru Yi and the estate physician.
"Yiniang, Yiniang, the mistress has sent the estate physician to examine you, and Granny Zhou has come to visit as well."
As she spoke, Ru Yi hurried forward to push open the door. The sight of Houye inside startled her so much that she immediately knelt.
"This humble servant greets Houye."
Granny Zhou and the physician behind her also quickly knelt to pay their respects.
Granny Zhou’s expression remained unchanged, but her mind was in turmoil.
Houye was actually here!
Houye truly had taken a liking to this little fox enchantress!
If Granny Zhou had known that Ye Qingzhi had already taken down Yao Yinyin, her jaw would have dropped in shock.
"Come and examine her. She keeps claiming she’s dying—see if she really is on the verge of death."
Xie Jin’s voice carried a lazy tone, making it hard to discern how much he truly cared about Ye Qingzhi.
"Yes, Houye."
The physician quickly rose and approached the bedside to take Ye Qingzhi’s pulse.
"Well? Is she dying?" Xie Jin asked languidly.
Ye Qingzhi shot Xie Jin a sidelong glance, once again witnessing the man’s pettiness.
He kept harping on about whether she was dying, clearly mocking her.
Ye Qingzhi made a mental note: The boss is petty. In the future, stroke his ego gently—never confront him head-on.
"Reporting to Houye, if not properly nursed back to health, Ye Yiniang may indeed be in mortal danger," Physician Sun said with a grave expression, much to everyone’s surprise.
"Ye Yiniang was already frail, and after falling into the water, she developed a lingering illness due to pent-up frustration. Now, after being pushed to her limits, she’s even weaker."
Xie Jin’s expression shifted slightly, and he shot Ye Qingzhi a disdainful look.
"Such a fuss over nothing, and she really might die."
Ye Qingzhi pouted, looking dejected.
"This servant is just useless, with a weak constitution. I kept telling you last night, Houye, that I couldn’t take it anymore, but you insisted my body was more honest than my words. See, my lord, you’ve been proven wrong."
Xie Jin’s lips twitched. How could she bring up such bedroom talk so boldly, and with such righteous seriousness, without a hint of shame?
She truly had a talent for it.
Yet, inexplicably, Xie Jin felt a stirring in his heart, drawn to her blend of innocence and allure.
Beside them, Granny Zhou’s brows furrowed tightly as she cursed Ye Qingzhi in her mind as a fox enchantress, repeating it no less than a hundred times.
Even a courtesan might not be as shameless as her!
"My lord, the people outside are urging you. It’s time to depart," came a reminder from outside—his shadow guard.
"Make sure she recovers. If you fail, you’re dismissed."
Xie Jin instructed the physician and prepared to leave, having forgotten the jade pendant he had come to retrieve.
"Lord Houye, your jade pendant fell here with me," Ye Qingzhi said, taking a piece of Hetian jade from beside her pillow and handing it to Xie Jin.