Chapter 76: A Word of Warning

That night, Xie Yunzhi couldn’t sleep, not because of Zhen’s statement that he “liked Mother better.”

He was happy that his child liked Lady Xu.

He was simply deeply worried about the predicament of Lady Xu and her three sons, and this kept him tossing and turning.

He also knew, indirectly, that Lady Xu had a personality that preferred to hide her worries and only report good news.

She had never mentioned any of her grievances to him, which made him feel a mix of emotions.

Two days later, Princess Zhenyang returned.

The sisters-in-law, whose relationship had been irreversibly damaged, met for the first time in the dining hall since the incident, their eyes filled with animosity.

Xu Qingyi, however, remained relatively calm.  She wouldn’t provoke anyone unless provoked herself, simply enduring Princess Zhenyang’s angry glares.

Xie Huaian, who had previously treated Princess Zhenyang with courtesy and respect, seemed unusually attentive today, which caused Xu Qingyi to glance at him sideways, fueling her suspicions.

After the meal, she smiled and said to Princess Zhenyang, “Sister-in-law, could we speak privately?  I have something to say to you.”

Princess Zhenyang looked astonished, as if saying, “I haven’t even gotten around to finding trouble with you, yet you’re coming to me,” and immediately said, “Alright, why don’t we talk in my room?”

Knowing Xu Qingyi wouldn’t dare, she deliberately extended the invitation.

“That’s not necessary,” Xu Qingyi laughed. “It’s just a few simple words. We can just find a place in the courtyard.”

Princess Zhenyang snorted.  The two women went to a gazebo. After dismissing the maids and old maids, Princess Zhenyang’s expression changed.  She stared venomously at Xu Qingyi and said, “Are you here to plead for mercy?”

“Plead for mercy?” Xu Qingyi was taken aback.  Thinking of Lin, her expression changed as well. She said sternly, “I’ve already heard Lin’s account of what happened at the banquet. Princess, you are truly vicious! You actually forced a twelve-year-old child to poison his mother.”

Princess Zhenyang was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected Xu Qingyi to come not to plead, but to accuse her.

“I forced him to poison me?  How ridiculous!” Princess Zhenyang sneered. “I’m saying he was instructed by you to poison me!”

Xu Qingyi remained unfazed by Princess Zhenyang’s aggressive demeanor. She smiled calmly and said, “If that were the case, you would have already reported Lin to the officials to have him investigated, instead of wasting your breath here with me.”

She glanced at Princess Zhenyang. “Don’t tell me you didn’t report it because you’re considering our family ties.”

It was simply because her own actions were questionable; she was afraid a thorough investigation would uncover more, causing a scandal that would disgrace the royal family.

“You!”  These words struck a nerve with Princess Zhenyang, who was so enraged and humiliated that she almost couldn’t help but slap Xu Qingyi.

Xu Qingyi took a step back, choosing a defensive position, and continued, “I had no motive to poison you, especially at a banquet in the Prince’s residence. I’m not a fool.”

Pausing, she confidently analyzed, “On the other hand, everyone knows the truth.  It’s obvious who would benefit from my death.”

Princess Zhenyang was furious and wanted to say, ‘I didn’t want you to die!’

But that would fall into Xu Qingyi’s trap.

So she stubbornly denied, “Let’s be clear, I am the victim! And your son was the one who poisoned me!”

“So?” Xu Qingyi said calmly.  “Don’t forget, the poison was yours, and you created the opportunity to poison me. It’s just that Lin didn’t obey you and poison his mother. If you tell this story, Lin is in the right. If you don’t believe me, let the whole world judge.”

“…”  Being repeatedly mocked and humiliated, Princess Zhenyang’s face turned livid.

“What I want to say is this: if anything happens to Lin, I, as his mother, will create a huge disturbance. I will fight to the death,” Xu Qingyi said calmly, but her eyes were sharp as a hawk’s.

Princess Zhenyang unconsciously took a step back under her gaze.  When she finally reacted, she felt a mix of shock and rage.

She really didn’t understand why this woman was so bold.

“Are you threatening me?!”

Didn’t she fear her father’s ascension to the throne?!

Yes, Xu Qingyi wasn’t afraid, which is why she threatened Princess Zhenyang without any hesitation.

But she said, “How dare I?  I’m just giving you a word of warning.”

Unless Princess Zhenyang could secretly and swiftly eliminate the entire family of four,

Otherwise, she should prepare for a fierce counterattack.

After warning Princess Zhenyang, Xu Qingyi turned and left.

Although her back was straight, she was actually quite apprehensive.

Fortunately, Princess Zhenyang hadn’t lost her mind.

Lin, seeing his second brother return with his younger brother in tow but not Xu Qingyi, knew that she had probably gone to see Princess Zhenyang.

He was worried, so he waited at the door.

As night deepened, he finally saw Xu Qingyi return.

He approached her and asked, “Mother, did you go see Second Aunt?”

“Yes,” Xu Qingyi nodded.  Was her eldest son waiting for her here? She was quite surprised and said, “I’ve said what I needed to say. Now it’s up to her.”

“Okay.” Lin didn’t say much, simply responding calmly, but he was thinking a lot.

If Princess Zhenyang did anything, he, the one who had caused all the trouble, was prepared to fight to the death.

A short while after returning to his study, Zhen came in, still looking serious.

Lin was surprised by his second brother’s arrival. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhen offered a smile that seemed a little foolish to his older brother and said, “Big Brother, you’re smarter than me. Besides you, I don’t know who else I can talk to about this.”

Lin frowned.  Could it be that trouble had found him?

“Tell me.”  He didn’t refuse outright; it was his own brother after all.

“It’s like this, you know?” Zhen leaned halfway over his brother’s desk, whispering in a gossipy tone, “When Mother married Father, besides the wedding gifts, she didn’t receive a single coin of Father’s private wealth. That’s outrageous.”

He was indignant. “I’ve calculated it. Father must be very rich!  Not to mention his accumulated wealth from childhood, just the imperial gifts he received for winning battles would be a huge sum. It’s impossible that all of it was confiscated, right?”

His father didn’t seem that foolish, so his private wealth must be substantial.

If that money went to Mother—or rather, to their family of four—Zhen couldn’t imagine how happy they would be.

Lin looked at his younger brother with surprise.  He hadn’t expected him to consider such matters. It was truly worth thinking about.

He said slowly, “Father does have money. That money is probably being held by Grandfather.”

Seeing the gleam in his brother’s eyes, he poured cold water on his enthusiasm. “But that money has nothing to do with us.  Maybe we’ll get a little later, but not much.”

“How can that be?” Zhen was a little angry. He continued to ask, “What about Mother?  Won’t they give her any?”

Shouldn’t she, as his wife, get a share?

Lin said, “Maybe if she bears a son for Father, they will give her some.”  Otherwise, forget about it. Getting money isn’t as easy as you think.

That’s why Lin had never thought of getting money from the Marquis’s residence. He planned to earn it himself.

“…” Zhen looked speechless. The Marquis’s residence was too stingy.

Because of this, he suddenly developed a rebellious attitude towards the elders he had once respected, as if he had finally seen through them.

He had grown up.

Seeing his younger brother’s dejected look, Lin, unusually gentle, comforted him, “At least they can’t seize the imperial gift in the General’s residence. When Mother gives birth to a legitimate son, he can inherit the title.”

Then they could move to the General’s residence and live independently; they wouldn’t be homeless.

Zhen worried, “What if Mother can’t get pregnant?”

He wasn’t questioning his mother’s ability; it was clear to everyone that it was his father who had the problem.

“So you need to work harder,” Lin said with the air of an elder brother. “When you achieve something and gain the Emperor’s recognition, Mother will have the opportunity to request a title for you.”

Zhen was stunned.  He hadn’t considered that he might have a chance to inherit a title.

Really?!

“What about you?” he asked. If he inherited a title, what would happen to his older brother?

Lin glanced at his second brother speechlessly.  Would it be appropriate for a scholar like him to inherit the title of a General?

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll get what I want,” Lin said.

Zhen scratched his face, feeling that his older brother was subtly calling him useless.