Chapter 18: A “Loving” Father and “Filial” Son

“Master Wei, we’ve searched the entire street, even East Alley and North Alley, but we still can’t find Second Miss. Recently, kidnappers have been rampant in the capital… could it be that Second Miss…”

Wei Dalang clenched his fists and drew in a sharp breath.

If anything happened to Hui-jie, the reputation of the Wei family would be completely ruined.

Although Wei Dalang had been too ashamed to face his sister lately, the responsibility for catching kidnappers happened to fall under his brother-in-law’s jurisdiction.

So, with no choice, he had to swallow his pride and head to the Marquis’ estate.

Wei Dalang recalled that the letter had mentioned his nephew recently favoring a maid, so he ordered the storeroom opened and selected a small box of jeweled accessories. He also sent someone out to buy some pastries to bring along as gifts.

Unfortunately, his timing was poor—just as Wei Dalang stepped through the gates of the Marquis’ estate, the Marquis of Chengming had already entered the palace.

The fireworks display from the previous night had already reached the Emperor’s ears. When the Marquis of Chengming arrived, the Emperor was in the main hall practicing calligraphy, writing the four characters: “Peaceful Times and Bountiful Harvests.”

When he entered the hall, the Emperor smiled and beckoned him over, “Come here, beloved subject, and tell me—has my calligraphy improved?”

The Marquis of Chengming replied humbly, “This humble servant is but a rough man, only knowing that Your Majesty’s handwriting, passed down from Master Yu, is among the finest in the land. If I were to judge it, I’m afraid I’m far too clumsy of tongue to do it justice.”

When the Emperor heard him mention his former teacher, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by imperial authority. “So, are you criticizing me for punishing the Yu family?”

The Marquis immediately dropped to his knees. “This servant wouldn’t dare!”

Surprisingly, that one kneel brought forth a rare smile from the Emperor. “Why so serious? I wasn’t accusing you. In fact, you deserve the most credit for the punishment of the Yu family.”

“But these words—‘Peaceful Times and Bountiful Harvests’—do remind me of Master Yu’s fine script. Very well, let this be an act of mercy. The women of the Yu family shall be spared the military camp. Commute their sentence to exile.”

Though this fell short of the Marquis’ original hopes, it was still a blessing in disguise. At least the women wouldn’t have to sell their bodies to survive—they could retain their dignity.

After leaving the palace, the Marquis hurried to the prison to deliver the imperial decree.

Upon hearing the news, the women of the Yu family embraced each other and wept with joy.

Only Madam Yu clung to the bars and anxiously asked, “My Lord Marquis, what about our Wei-jie?”

The Marquis’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t dare say more for fear of revealing something.

After muttering a few vague words, he made an excuse about urgent duties and left.

As soon as he exited the prison, he ordered his men to continue searching—dig up every inch of the ground if they had to—but find Yu Wei-jie no matter what.

But before they could dig, his own son had already sent men to tear up the road near the city gate.

Seeing cartloads of stone being delivered, the Marquis felt a sharp pain in his chest, suddenly sensing that his family wealth was in danger.

He rushed home, only to learn that his son had ordered the road destroyed because little chubby Yaoyao had tripped on it the night before. So he’d ordered it ripped up.

Fearing criticism, Madam Wei dipped into her own funds to buy new stone and hired men to rebuild the road. She spread the word that her son was trying to do a good deed by repairing the old, uneven road.

Though the Marquis of Chengming thought it foolish, with the road already torn up, he had no better plan and could only go along with it.

Meanwhile, Yaoyao was happily munching on the pear blossom cakes sent by Wei Dalang. Her eyes twinkled with joy as she admired the jeweled hairpins, bracelets, and pendants on the table, completely forgetting the fright from the night before.

Xie Yixing acted like nothing had happened, leisurely practicing calligraphy in the courtyard.

Just as Yaoyao let out a satisfied burp and reached for her nanny to carry her off for a nap, the Marquis of Chengming suddenly arrived.

When their eyes met, Yaoyao sweetly greeted, “Uncle.”

The Marquis had initially harbored some resentment toward the girl, thinking her presence had disrupted his son’s heart and nearly tarnished the reputation of the Marquis’ estate. But at that moment, his hostility melted away. His stern eyes softened, and he instinctively reached out to hug the chubby little girl.

Unexpectedly, his son shot him a cold glare.

The Marquis’s hand froze mid-air—neither extending nor withdrawing—leaving him awkward and unsure.

In the end, it was Yaoyao who reached out to him, easing the awkwardness.

The Marquis hugged the chubby girl briefly, then quickly set her down again. He looked at her round, innocent face and gently asked, “Yaoyao, do you know where Sister Yu’er went after she went out with you yesterday?”

Yaoyao finally remembered Wei Yuhui.

She recalled how, last night, the girl had suddenly acted like a completely different person, trying to drag her toward the edge of the road. She shivered at the memory.

Crumbs of pear blossom cake still clung to her lips. Her little head swayed, and the golden bell tied to her pigtails jingled as she spoke. “Sister Yu’er tried to take me away, but another pretty big sister hit her.”

“She had a really long whip and struck Sister Yu’er right on the shoulder. It looked like it really hurt.”

The mention of someone being whipped on the street made the Marquis’s back stiffen.

He had been on duty last night—how had none of his men reported this?

So he quietly asked again, “Do you know who that person with the whip was?”

Yaoyao shook her head. “I don’t know. But I heard the people around calling her ‘boar princess’ (公豬).”

Yaoyao looked confused. “Uncle, she was so pretty, just like me. She’s a girl too. Why would they call her a boar?”

The Marquis didn’t get the pun at first either. But when he repeated it to himself, it suddenly clicked.

It was the Princess Junhe.

Princess Junhe was the Emperor’s youngest daughter and the most spoiled—born of Noble Consort Wei, the favorite.

He couldn’t believe that her rare trip outside the palace had resulted in such a mess.

The Marquis suddenly felt like he was holding a burning hot potato. If Yu Hui had truly been injured by Princess Junhe, and something serious had happened, how could this possibly be resolved?

But Yaoyao had no such worries. After answering the Marquis’s questions, she was carried off for her nap by her nanny.

In the courtyard, only father and son remained, staring silently at each other.

The Marquis had wanted to say something to bridge their relationship. But just as he stepped closer, his son put down his calligraphy brush and stepped back two paces.

His eyes were wide and sharp like a little wolf, filled with hostility.

The Marquis stopped in his tracks, discouraged. “I just wanted to see your calligraphy.”

But the young heir asked, “Did you wash your hands before coming in?”

The Marquis: “?”

Didn’t Madam Wei say this obsessive habit of his was improving?

Why was he still the same? Every time they met, the boy insisted on handwashing.

Hadn’t he just seen his son personally feeding Yaoyao pastries without a care?

He didn’t mind outsiders—but still found his own father disgusting?

The Marquis of Chengming left feeling defeated. He went straight to Madam Wei’s rooms to complain bitterly, declaring that once the New Year passed, he would return to the military camp and drill his soldiers just to vent his frustration.

After whining, he finally told Madam Wei the truth. “Your niece… I fear she’s as good as dead.”

Learning that Wei Yuhui had offended Princess Junhe, the entire Wei family broke into a cold sweat.

These two women were truly a headache!

One had offended the cold and unfeeling young heir, the other had crossed the arrogant and spoiled princess.

Either one would be a disaster for the Wei family!

That very night, the Wei family packed up their belongings, preparing to flee back to their hometown in Youyang—hoping to escape any blame that might fall from the Princess’ investigation.