Chapter 47: Huai Ze’s Concealment

He Chengjin was slightly surprised. “Just this matter?”

Consort Liang scolded playfully, “You child, do you not even trust your own mother?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Liang began to cough.

He Chengjin hurriedly called for the attendants to serve her. After confirming that she was not in serious condition and needed only rest, he finally withdrew.

He sensed that his mother had deliberately sent him away, which made him uneasy. Seeking out several palace maids from Changhua Palace, he inquired about his mother’s recent condition.

At first, the young maids were unwilling to speak, but under his stern questioning, one of them slipped and mentioned that the Noble Consort had forbidden them from saying anything.

That one sentence was enough for him to understand—his mother’s health was not well. He refrained from asking further.

Guilt welled up within He Chengjin.

Even while ill, his mother was still considering his thoughts and planning for him.

He must not anger her anymore.

A trusted palace maid helped Consort Liang lie down again.

Consort Liang beckoned the maid closer and whispered into her ear,

“Inform the Liang family to arrange for several shadow guards, both male and female, to follow Prince Qi at all times…”

---

Not long after the second branch moved out, Master Fang, under the pretense of compensating Concubine Liu, directly elevated her to the status of the legal wife.

Now that he was no longer a marquis, whether promoting a concubine to the main wife violated ancestral rules no longer mattered.

“For the past few days, Master has not stepped out of the residence even once. He has been staying in the central courtyard all day, constantly surrounding the new Old Madam—it’s quite strange,” Hongxiang reported the recent happenings in the central courtyard to Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan was pruning the flowers in her courtyard. At that moment, she was admiring the orchid her daughter had won for her. Hearing this, she turned her attention back and said to Nanny Lei,

“The division of the family is now completely settled. Prepare some gifts—it’s time to visit the central courtyard.”

After all, Master Fang was still residing there.

Fang Zhan was the eldest son and had inherited the title; no matter what, he couldn’t just drive him out.

Visiting would be a good opportunity to meet that woman.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that the second branch’s ploy to salvage their reputation was not so simple.

---

Fang Yuean and Er’er were lounging on a daybed, each holding a large peach, eating happily.

Hearing the conversation, Fang Yuean asked Huai Ze, “Who exactly is that woman? What is her background? Why have I never heard you mention her even once?”

After a long silence with no response, Fang Yuean looked up and saw Huai Ze’s eyes darting around in panic—an extremely rare expression of guilt.

This little immortal was terrible at lying.

Fang Yuean immediately understood, her smile not reaching her eyes. “Little immortal, why are you staying so far away from me? Come here.”

Of course, Huai Ze wouldn’t move closer. Stammering, he said, “I… I just wanted you to stay here longer and try to complete your mission. If I told you right away that Fang Kun wasn’t Old Madam Meng’s biological son, you would instantly be able to change Qin Xuan’s fate. Then you’d probably start clamoring to leave again.”

This information was not recorded in Qin Xuan’s fate book. If Huai Ze didn’t reveal it, Fang Yuean wouldn’t have known.

Huai Ze continued, “They are all your relatives. If you spend more time with them and build deeper feelings, maybe you’ll be able to complete your ‘tears’ mission.”

Fang Yuean sneered, “Little immortal, I didn’t expect you to be so deceitful. You always seem timid, yet you’re capable of orchestrating something as serious as the extermination of an entire family.”

Sweat beaded on Huai Ze’s forehead. Fortunately, his feathers concealed it, so Fang Yuean couldn’t see.

Suddenly, the branch under Huai Ze trembled and sent him flying—straight into Fang Yuean’s hands.

Fang Yuean gave a false smile, pressing Huai Ze’s head between her small fists and twisting it forcefully.

“Dare to lie to me?”

She gritted her teeth.

Her hands continued twisting without mercy.

Huai Ze let out a pained cry. His head was nearly squeezed flat, and he was seeing stars.

Sensing Er’er’s unease beside her, Fang Yuean slowly released her grip and tossed Huai Ze to the side of the daybed.

If not for Er’er being present, she would have plucked all of Huai Ze’s feathers!

Er’er quickly picked up Huai Ze. Seeing his eyes gradually return to normal from a blank stare, she breathed a sigh of relief and gently placed him back on the bed.

Fang Yuean suddenly thought of something and asked, “I’ll give you one last chance—tell me immediately. Are you hiding anything else from me?”

Huai Ze, looking weak and dizzy, replied feebly, “No, truly nothing else.”

Yeah, right.

Huai Ze decided that from now on, he needed to stay on good terms with the kind-hearted Er’er.

That way, next time something like this happened, Fang Yuean might still pluck his feathers, but at least she wouldn’t roast him.

Fang Yuean glared at him and snorted, “You’d better not be lying. If I find out otherwise, no one will be able to save you!”

After a brief pause, she pressed him to continue speaking.

Not daring to delay, Huai Ze struggled to stand, holding his head with his wings, still dizzy.

“Madam Liu was Master Fang’s long-time mistress. The two were already together while his first wife was still ill.”

“Master Fang was deeply infatuated with her, but no aristocratic family would allow a woman of such low status to become the primary wife. Unable to defy the Grand Madam, he agreed to marry Old Madam Meng as his second wife. Out of guilt, he indulged Madam Liu completely.”

“To compensate her, he secretly swapped her child with Old Madam Meng’s. The true child of Old Madam Meng was raised by the mistress and was constantly indoctrinated with the idea of seizing the title. With Master Fang’s arrangements, he was placed in the household as a subordinate to Fang Zhan—your father’s most trusted aide, Liu Qi.”

Qin Xuan lost her grip for a moment and accidentally snipped off a fully bloomed pink rose.

Liu Qi was Fang Zhan’s most trusted subordinate, even accompanying him to war.

She dared not think further.

Huai Ze continued, “Before leaving, Liu Qi received orders from Madam Liu to find an opportunity to kill your father. But Fang Kun was actually the mistress’s true son—Liu Qi was merely a pawn to get rid of your father.”

“Because of trust, your father let his guard down, allowing Liu Qi to stab him from behind, piercing his heart and sending him off a cliff. Afterward, Fang Kun had Liu Qi eliminated as well.”

Fang Yuean couldn’t help but say, “My irresponsible grandfather was that ruthless? He even used and killed his own son?”

Then, she suddenly realized something. “No wonder! No wonder they had everything planned so quickly. They already had a plan in place to deal with everything.”

“So, they were making their final move—using Old Madam Meng one last time to bring that woman into the household.”

Fang Yuean nodded, quite satisfied. “This cycle of fate is indeed useful. Now, if only we could let Old Madam Meng know the truth, that would be perfect.”

Qin Xuan had already stopped her actions, standing there in a daze, gripping the iron shears tightly.

So this was the real truth.

She had suspected Madam Liu might have been Master Fang’s mistress, but she had never imagined that Fang Kun was her biological son.

In the end, Old Madam Meng was nothing more than their pawn.

The true mastermind behind the second branch’s schemes was that seemingly uninvolved Madam Liu.

She suddenly recalled Old Madam Meng’s deranged state when she was exiled a few days ago.

At the time, she had doubted whether the woman had truly gone mad, so she had followed the crowd all the way to the city gates.

In the end, she confirmed that Old Madam Meng had indeed lost her mind.

Someone must have revealed the truth to her, driving her to the brink.

The second branch was truly ruthless.

If they weren’t eradicated, how much better could her own family’s fate be?

Handing the shears to a maid, Qin Xuan muttered absentmindedly, “I wonder if the people searching for Fang Zhan have safely reached the northwestern border. How much longer until they return?”