Chapter 14

The matter couldn’t be resolved with just a simple declaration of belief.

Yang Wenxu had just ordered the servants to remove the wooden boards from the windows when Master Yang returned in a huff.

Seeing the commotion in the main house, he stomped his feet: “This is outrageous! Who ordered this dismantling?”

“I did,” Yang Wenxu turned around, his expression equally displeased. “Father, without even asking for an explanation, you’ve caused such a stir at home. Doesn’t this only lend credibility to the rumors and make people more suspicious?”

“Are those just rumors?” Master Yang jumped in agitation. “The whole city is talking about it! Just now when I went out, people were looking at me differently. Go listen for yourself—see if you can still sit still then!”

Yang Wenxu replied coldly, “I’ve heard them.”

It was precisely why he had left the Zhao family behind and hurried back.

“Then what more is there to say?” Master Yang glared. “If your wife had any sense of shame, she should find a rope and hang herself. That would shut people up and spare us the humiliation.”

His loud voice and matter-of-fact tone were clearly heard both inside and outside the house. Cui Cui trembled and pressed closer to Lan Yi.

This was exactly what she had been fearing all along—regardless of whether the rumors were true or false, whether Lan Yi was chaste or not, the “best” and simplest solution to this matter was for Lan Yi to die.

“There’s no reason to sacrifice one’s lawful wife’s life over idle gossip,” Yang Wenxu frowned deeply. “If Father is afraid of people’s talk, just stay home these few days. Once I trace the source of the rumors, I’ll submit a formal complaint to the authorities to suppress them.”

“You make it sound so easy!” Master Yang’s eyes bulged even wider. “Why should I stay home? I’m not like your father-in-law, that old turtle who’s always hiding his head. Just now I went to settle accounts with him—guess what?”

Displeased by his father’s vulgar language but bound by filial piety, Yang Wenxu could only endure and refrain from responding.

Master Yang continued on his own: “The entire family was unexpectedly not at home! Only a gatekeeper said they’d gone out to visit friends. How could it be such a coincidence? I say they’re clearly avoiding me!”

Yang Wenxu was taken aback and glanced at Lan Yi.

Lan Yi hadn’t known about this.

But she wasn’t surprised.

This was exactly something Master Lu would do. He had probably ordered the packing even before the rumors spread, right after Sister-in-law Ji returned.

Doubt appeared in Yang Wenxu’s eyes.

He too thought it was too much of a coincidence.

Sister-in-law Ji had come to deliver news just the day before yesterday, and now the entire family was gone—as if they had known something was amiss.

Come to think of it, he should have asked Lan Yi for details about her time in the mountains. But with one thing after another, he hadn’t found the opportunity until now.

There could be no more delay.

Yang Wenxu made his decision. No matter how much Master Yang ranted outside about “the Lu family owing him compensation” or “what should be done with Lan Yi,” he paid no further attention. He simply retreated into the main house and closed the door.

Master Yang, furious, continued to shout and make a scene outside until Aunt Zhou arrived and finally persuaded him to leave.

At last, peace returned both inside and outside.

“You met Prince Yi?”

Yang Wenxu’s eyes shone with complex emotions as he suddenly asked.

The question was direct, leaving no room for evasion. Lan Yi didn’t evade it either: “Yes.”

“How did it happen?”

“Sister-in-law wanted to curry favor with Prince Yi’s Residence. She bribed a Taoist priest from the Reverence Heaven Temple to guide us to Prince Yi’s meditation chamber.”

Yang Wenxu’s gaze deepened with suspicion: “And then?”

“We stumbled upon Prince Yi being assassinated. My health is weak, so I let Sister-in-law escape first.”

Lan Yi’s tone was calm. Every word she spoke was true. Only, it wasn’t necessarily the whole truth.

Yang Wen Xu continued asking, “Prince Yi’s people interrogated you?”

“No,” Lan Yi answered truthfully as before. “They detained me, but I fainted before any interrogation took place. When I woke up, that eunuch named Dou said they had verified my identity and confirmed I had no connection to the assassin, so they let me go.”

Yang Wen Xu’s gaze finally shifted away briefly as he paced slowly around the room.

Everything sounded plausible.

It matched the information Sister-in-law Ji had reported and aligned with his own deductions.

Truthfully, he had never suspected his wife of any impropriety.

When he said he “believed” her, he meant it.

Yet perhaps it was a man’s instinct that made him want to confirm every detail repeatedly. This very thought pricked at him, making the words difficult to voice.

“And the sudden rumors spreading outside—” He stopped pacing and asked, “What’s that about?”

“I don’t know,” Lan Yi countered. “I haven’t gone out. What are people saying?”

Yang Wen Xu couldn’t possibly repeat the gossip to her and dropped the subject. “Never mind. It’s better you don’t hear it.”

After a pause, he added, “Don’t take Father’s words to heart. I won’t let him act recklessly.”

Lan Yi was indifferent and nodded. “Mm.”

“As for Prince Yi’s side—” Yang Wen Xu spoke while observing Lan Yi’s expression. Seeing her remain as composed as ever, he continued, “I imagine there will be some repercussions. Stay home for now until the rumors die down.”

Lan Yi had no intention of going out anyway and nodded in agreement again.

Yang Wen Xu left.

He still needed to investigate the source of the rumors.

Cui Cui, who had been holding her breath in the corner, rushed over. “Madam, that was terrifying! Thankfully, the master is reasonable.”

Lan Yi thought her joy was premature, but there was no point saying so. She simply returned to her room to rest.

Only these few small rooms remained quiet. Beyond the main quarters, the commotion was unbearable.

Master Yang considered this a family disgrace but lacked the restraint to handle it discreetly. Having met with his son’s gentle rebuff, his anger only grew. Oblivious to the servants’ prying eyes, he slammed tables and ranted—one curse aimed at his son, two at Lan Yi, and seven at Master Lu.

The servants quickly grasped the truth: This wasn’t about reputation but profit.

This master was far from foolish—in fact, he was shrewder than most. His relentless complaints were merely a ploy to extort benefits from his in-laws. Little did he know that Master Lu was even more cunning and had already slipped away.

With his fury left unvented, Master Yang’s resentment festered.

As he raged on, Aunt Zhou couldn’t bear it any longer. Supporting her waist, she stepped out to scold the servants. Consort Jiang, too, was busy suppressing gossip in every corner. Having recently taken over household management, her authority was limited. Once she left, the servants resumed their whispers and smirks. Hearing the distant chatter, Consort Jiang frowned deeply.

A maid tried to console her. “You’ve done your best, madam. No one is as sincere as you.”

Consort Jiang shook her head. “You don’t understand. Only now do I realize how excellent the madam was.”

Where else could one find a mistress as frail, infertile, and lowborn as Lan Yi?

The maid, eager to flatter, said, “No matter how good she was, she’s no match for you, madam. The former mistress wasn’t exactly kind to you, yet you still help her. When the master finds out, he’ll surely appreciate you. Good deeds bring good rewards—soon, you’ll occupy an even greater place in his heart.”

Such words would usually please Consort Jiang, but now they didn’t even register in her ears.

As for what Yang Wen Xu felt, she had already borne three children, managed household affairs, and reached the pinnacle of a concubine’s path. The only step forward would be to replace Lan Yi as the principal wife.

That was impossible.

Consort Jiang had long stopped dreaming of such things.

“Go wait at the gatehouse and send a servant boy to gather news outside. Report any updates to me immediately,” Consort Jiang suppressed her unsettled emotions and instructed.

The maid obediently left.

Fortunately, dusk was approaching, and even the most tantalizing gossip couldn’t compete with dinner. The streets gradually quieted down without any new stories emerging.

Yang Wen Xu returned just before the night curfew.

Consort Jiang had arranged for someone to wait outside the courtyard and hurried out to greet him, instructing servants to fetch dinner. As Yang Wen Xu passed the main house, he initially intended to enter but paused when he saw the door closed and the lights already extinguished inside.

Reading his expression, Consort Jiang said, “The mistress has just retired. Her health was already poor—yesterday she was vomiting and dizzy, and today she suffered humiliation. It’s no wonder she couldn’t hold out.”

When women face slander against their reputation, they always fear it, especially someone with Lan Yi’s fragile health.

Yang Wen Xu nodded and abandoned his intention to enter, following Consort Jiang to the side courtyard.

After ensuring Yang Wen Xu finished his meal, Consort Jiang personally served tea and cautiously inquired, “Did your outing go smoothly, sir? Did you find the source of those malicious rumors?”

Yang Wen Xu’s expression darkened slightly.

Thinking the situation unfavorable, Consort Jiang quickly added, “Don’t worry, sir. It’s normal not to find leads immediately. After all, we stand upright and fear no shadows. Once we catch the culprit and put in some effort to clarify matters, this will naturally blow over.”

Under the dim lamplight, Yang Wen Xu’s expression remained cold.

In truth, it wasn’t a complete failure.

He had visited both the county magistrate and the prefect’s offices. The prestige of a former Hanlin Scholar carried enough weight—both sides promised to have their constables monitor and suppress rumors in the streets. They even kindly informed him that arrangements were already being made because Prince Yi’s Residence had sent someone to notify them first.

An indescribable discomfort spread through his heart.

Rationally, he knew it was appropriate for Prince Yi’s Residence to intervene—even more effective than his own request. But he particularly disliked hearing Prince Yi’s Residence mentioned by others at this moment. Moreover, both the county magistrate and the prefect had looked at him with peculiar expressions.

Seeing his foul mood, Consort Jiang didn’t dare press further. After offering a few more careful words of comfort, she prepared for bed.

The night was restless. Whether it was an auditory illusion in her dreams or not, she kept hearing distant, short screams. Even Rui Ge’er woke up crying once, and the nursemaid struggled to soothe him while fighting sleepiness. Hearing the noise, Consort Jiang went to listen carefully outside the door but heard nothing more, so she had to return to bed.

At daybreak, news from outside gradually trickled in, and the Yang family realized last night’s events weren’t illusions.

Prince Yi’s Residence had conducted an overnight citywide search, arresting countless rumor-mongers. It was said they had even barged into the prefect’s rear office to search, terrifying the Qingzhou prefect, who had shut himself in to draft a memorial pleading for forgiveness.

Upon learning this news, Consort Jiang selflessly shared it with Lan Yi. Braving Cui Cui’s suspicious gaze, she personally went over and coincidentally ran into Aunt Zhou at the door—who had come upon hearing that Yang Wen Xu had left early. After a brief verbal skirmish, both entered together.

Cui Cui reluctantly brought over two chairs, and Consort Jiang and Aunt Zhou sat around the kang.  

Lan Yi, unable to go outside, sat on the kang in simple everyday clothes. Both Consort Jiang and Aunt Zhou were dressed plainly in mourning attire, which softened their appearances slightly.  

On the surface, no one could tell that the three women harbored three different thoughts. For a moment, they appeared quite harmonious, nearly resembling the well-ordered, peaceful image of a noble household with harmonious wives and concubines that Yang Wen Xu idealized.