Chapter 80: Advice

After spending most of the day resting outside, Xiao Jingyan finally returned home. However, the excitement of sharing good news with his little niece had long been erased by the humiliating ordeal he had endured with the bandits. Originally, he intended to keep the incident a secret.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. News of injuries in the household—even among the servants—quickly reached Tong Mingyu, and before long, officials from the local authorities came knocking. Now, everyone in the Xiao family, including his father, brothers, and sisters-in-law, learned about how Xiao Jingyan had been drugged and rescued by Prince Jing.

General Xiao, his father, looked at his son with disdain for a long moment before dismissing him with a single cutting remark:
“You’ve really brought shame upon me. Can you be any more cowardly?”
With that, he turned and left, leaving the troublesome youngest son to his eldest son, who often clashed with him over his granddaughter.

General Xiao’s departure was nonchalant, his relief and schadenfreude entirely unmasked.

As the eldest brother, Xiao Jingkang had no choice but to stay behind, cleaning up the mess and dealing with the officials. After dismissing everyone, he looked at his youngest brother and could only shake his head in silence.

This was just a child who hadn’t grown up. His ability to handle matters was even worse than that of Arang and Ayin. How Xiao Jingyan had survived those two years away from home was beyond him. His safe return, intact, could only be described as a miracle.

When he was Xiao Jingyan’s age, he was already a father of two. But his youngest brother? He didn’t even know where to find a wife yet!

“Big Brother, can’t you show some sympathy?” Xiao Jingyan grumbled, feeling utterly dejected. He had already suffered enough trauma outside, only to return home to his father’s disdain and his brother’s irritation.

For the first time, he suddenly understood Xiao Rui’s feelings. If today’s events had happened to Ping’an, their father would never have walked away so lightly, and his eldest brother would not be so indifferent. Ping’an was their treasure, cherished by all, while he was just a blade of grass no one cared about. Life was so unfair!

The investigation by the authorities quickly yielded its report: The carriage had been temporarily hired by someone who only instructed the driver to pick up passengers and deliver them to the forest, where payment would be made. The driver claimed to know nothing beyond this.

The masked culprits were a group of skilled mountain bandits who specialized in exchanging money for people. Their contact was a filthy beggar whose appearance was unrecognizable. In short, the investigation resulted in nothing concrete.

This outcome was expected by the Xiao family. Anyone involved in such a scheme would take great care not to leave any traces. In the end, the matter could only be left unresolved.

Xiao Jingyan quickly moved on, taking advantage of his supposed ill health to apply for sick leave. His posture indicated that he had no intention of returning to work for at least a year.

For some reason, he insisted on having Xiao Yao accompany him as a caretaker, citing the need for patient care. He would ask her to read books, serve tea, peel fruit—any task he deemed suitable for a child of five or six years old. He justified it all by claiming it was for his niece’s benefit, teaching her how to care for others from a young age.

General Xiao often warned his youngest son behind his wife’s back: “Don’t push it. If you want someone to serve you, fine—get married tomorrow!”

Faced with such warnings, Xiao Jingyan had no choice but to tone things down, only asking Xiao Yao to chat with him or read aloud, refraining from making her do anything else.

While someone lounged at home enjoying their time off, others were filled with anxiety, unsure if their secrets would come to light.

Yu Qianrong sat at her dressing table, her face dark and her emotions stormy. Sometimes she frowned; sometimes she bit her lip. Standing silently by the door, Xiangcao slowed her breathing, doing her best to minimize her presence.

The room was eerily quiet, the only sound being the occasional rustle of tree branches swayed by the wind.

Those detestable Xiao family members! How dare they disregard her seven years of effort? Did they think they could find someone more suitable for Xiao Jingyan than herself? In terms of family background and looks, she was among the best in the capital. What was she lacking?

The new year was approaching, and she would soon be nineteen. Her mother had reportedly already chosen a suitor for her. After the new year, it was likely that wedding preparations would begin. No matter how much she disliked the idea, what could she do? Her situation was becoming increasingly desperate, and her hopes of being with Xiao Jingyan were fading.

What should have been a perfect plan was ruined by Prince Jing. Now Xiao Jingyan refused to leave his house, and she had no way to act.

If she couldn’t marry Xiao Jingyan, then the Xiao family would be her greatest enemy for life. If given the chance, she would never let them go unpunished.

As she seethed with frustration and resentment, Madam Yu entered her room, surrounded by a group of maids and matrons.

“You all, leave us,” Madam Yu ordered as soon as she stepped inside. Once alone, she sat beside Yu Qianrong. Looking at her once-pampered daughter, now nearly consumed by obsession over a man, Madam Yu felt a mix of emotions. She couldn’t let her daughter continue down this path.

“Qianrong, have you been hiding something from me recently?” A mother knows her child best. Though Yu Qianrong appeared calm, she had been secretly scheming.

Feigning ignorance, Yu Qianrong responded, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t been anywhere recently.”

“Don’t think I’m unaware of your actions. If I hadn’t erased all traces, do you think you’d still be sitting here? You’d be in a prison cell by now,” Madam Yu said sternly.

“But you didn’t help me! None of you did!” Yu Qianrong still refused to admit any wrongdoing.

“How else do you want us to help you? Your father has become the laughingstock of the capital. Every time I take you out, it’s to build a good reputation for you and create opportunities for you to connect with the Xiao family’s women. But what’s the result? Qianrong, wake up. The Xiao family doesn’t want this marriage.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh? Then tell me what’s true.”

After a moment of silence, Madam Yu took her daughter’s cold hand and sighed. “The world doesn’t revolve around Xiao Jingyan. Lord Huang’s son is an excellent candidate—an accomplished scholar, a fifth-rank official, and well-regarded by others.”

“Is he as handsome as Xiao Jingyan?”

Madam Yu nearly choked on her daughter’s words. Handsome? Could that pay the bills? Could that buy silver? Besides, men as good-looking as Xiao Jingyan were rare in the capital. It wasn’t that she didn’t recognize his qualities; the problem was that he didn’t want her daughter.

“What good is being handsome if he has no proper job and spends his days idle? I don’t see what’s so great about him!”

“I don’t care. If he’s not as good-looking, I won’t marry him.”

“This isn’t up to you. From now on, stop scheming and focus on preparing for your wedding. If I hear of any more trouble, you’ll be married before the end of the year—believe it or not.”

Having run out of patience, Madam Yu issued her final ultimatum. Before entering the room, she had hoped to reason with her daughter, but after exhausting all her arguments, her daughter remained obstinate, leaving her no choice but to take a hard stance.

“I won’t marry anyone but Xiao Jingyan!” Yu Qianrong retorted defiantly.

Furious, Madam Yu stormed out of the room, but not before warning the servants in the courtyard:
“Keep a close watch on your mistress. If anything happens, none of you will live to see tomorrow.”

The servants, resigned to their fate, bowed their heads and accepted her orders. Their lives were entirely controlled by their masters, and they had no power to decide their own destinies.