Chapter 8 The Nian Family  

Nian Shi praised his eyes for being beautiful.  

In the present context, this was an extremely audacious and improper remark, the kind that could turn the Royal Residence upside down. Anyone who heard it could accuse her of grave disrespect and make her learn the rules for three days and nights.  

Fourth Master calmly pondered, but after a long while, he couldn’t make sense of it.  

He froze there, unmoving for a long time, until the warmth faded. His eyelids fluttered slightly before he slowly opened them.  

Nian Jiao’s heart pounded as she met his gaze, only to freeze in shock.  

Initially, it had just been a reaction to cover her guilt—a spur-of-the-moment response. But now she realized she hadn’t lied at all.  

A small sense of pride suddenly swelled in Nian Jiao’s heart.  

After racking her brain and failing to recall any poems praising a man’s eyes, she regretfully wrapped her arms around Fourth Master’s neck and asked insistently, “Right? Isn’t it true?”  

“…”  

Fourth Master’s voice was low and heavy. “Your knees are injured. You’re excused tonight.”  

Nian Jiao: “?”  

The completely unrelated response left her bewildered. Excused from what?  

Why did he keep saying things she didn’t understand?  

……  

Nian Jiao keenly sensed that Fourth Master still had no intention of staying the night.  

This wouldn’t do. Even if she had to sleep on the floor tonight, she had to keep the Boss here. Otherwise, when would she ever earn a good impression and ensure the Nian family’s survival until she reached a hundred years old?  

As the man carried her to the bedside, tucked her neatly under the silk quilt, and prepared to rise, Nian Jiao reached out and firmly grasped Fourth Master’s sleeve.  

Fourth Master looked down—the sleeve didn’t budge.  

When he turned, those beautiful eyes of hers were misty, filled with pleading as they gazed at him.  

Fourth Master’s expression darkened like still water. “How presumptuous.”  

Nian Jiao felt utterly wronged. “I wasn’t.”  

She stubbornly asked, “Which chamber is Master planning to visit?”  

A vein twitched at Fourth Master’s temple. “The study.”  

Nian Jiao pressed her lips together, refusing to yield. Her grip turned white-knuckled until, at last, she heard Fourth Master sigh. “As you wish.”  

.  

News of Fourth Master spending the night again at the Dwelling of Peach Blossoms left the entire rear courtyard restless—except for Fu Jin.  

By the next day, the arrival of Consort Nian’s family members sent everyone into an uproar!  

Consort Li was incredulous. “It was just a punishment of kneeling! Even if the Prince secretly bestowed gifts, how could he summon her relatives to console her? Has Fu Jin lost her mind?”  

When she heard of Nian Jiao’s ordeal in the palace, she had been gleeful. Now, the bitterness was hers to swallow.  

How long had it been since Nian Jiao entered the residence? What right did the Nian family have?  

Meanwhile, Old Mrs. Nian Su, accompanied by Nian Xiyao’s wife Qijia and Nian Gengyao’s wife Jueluo, paid their respects to Fu Jin, presenting lavish gifts. After chatting for the time it took an incense stick to burn, they headed to the Dwelling of Peach Blossoms where Nian Jiao resided.  

Along the way, Mrs. Su fretted over whether her daughter had lost weight or was faring well in the Royal Residence.  

The daughter she bore wasn’t the sharpest, yet she had entered the ruthless imperial family. When news of Nian Jiao being slighted by the Empress Dowager reached her, she couldn’t even eat. If not for her daughters-in-law’s comfort and the invitation from Yong Prince’s Fu Jin, she wouldn’t have known how to endure.  

From afar, when she spotted Nian Jiao standing at the courtyard gate, Mrs. Su’s nose stung, tears threatening to fall.  

“Mother!” Nian Jiao rushed forward, took Mrs. Su’s hand, and shook it excitedly before sweetly greeting, “Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law.”  

“Greetings to the Consort.” Qijia’s eyes reddened, and Jueluo quickly ushered them inside.

“Mother and sister-in-law, don’t cry,” Jueluo said after the initial pleasantries. “Look how well Jiao Jiao is doing.”

Nian Jiao nodded earnestly. Seeing her mother’s disbelief, she quickly showed her knees as proof.

The medicated cream bestowed by De Consort had indeed worked quickly. Combined with the Little Flower Sprite’s natural healing ability, Nian Jiao’s knees had regained their fair complexion overnight, with only two or three faint bruises remaining.

Madam Su examined them carefully and sighed in relief.

She patted her daughter’s hand. “The Fu Jin is a generous person. You must be grateful.”

They had finally learned the full details of Nian Jiao’s ordeal at the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility. That Eighth Fu Jin had truly gone too far!

“Fortunately, Hui Fei was willing to help…” Mentioning Noble Consort Hui Nala, Madam Su glanced at the naive Nian Jiao and explained, “Actually, your second sister-in-law has some connections with Hui Fei.”

Nian Jiao’s Second Brother Nian Gengyao had married twice. His first wife was the granddaughter of Nala Mingzhu, but she passed away after just two years. His second wife, Jueluo, was also introduced through Mingzhu’s connections—Jueluo was the daughter of Su Yan, Duke of Supporting the State, from Prince Ying Azige’s lineage, and had been raised under Madam Mingzhu’s care since childhood.

Jueluo added, “Hui Fei is Nala Mingzhu’s cousin. Although she raised the Eighth Prince, there’s some tension between them.”

When Prince Zhi was at the height of his power, he could rival the Crown Prince. Back then, the Eighth Master was still an insignificant figure.

After Prince Zhi was placed under house arrest, Hui Fei became disheartened. How could she not resent the Eighth Master for undermining Prince Zhi’s position?

Given these connections through the late Mingzhu’s lineage, it wasn’t unexpected that Hui Fei would extend a helping hand to Nian Jiao. In her hopeless situation, Hui Fei increasingly valued her relatives and favors outside the palace—perhaps as a way to accumulate goodwill for the imprisoned Prince Zhi.

Nian Jiao… Nian Jiao didn’t understand any of this.

Madam Su sighed. “All you ever think about are floral jewelry and pretty dresses. What else do you know? Have you memorized the poems? Hidden all the jewelry properly? With that pig brain of yours, you’d better not have given yourself away.”

Nian Jiao: “…”

Nian Jiao sneakily glanced at Mama Qiu.

She quickly denied it. “Nothing of the sort!”

Madam Su snorted.

Jueluo interjected, “Jiao Jiao knows what she’s doing. Don’t worry. Besides, with so many servants around, how could she fail to hide a box of jewelry?”

Qijia chimed in, “Yes, Mother.”

“Speaking of memorizing poems, does Jiao Jiao still have enough in reserve?” Qijia asked gently. “If not, I can write to your elder brother and have him compose some more.”

Hearing this, Nian Jiao’s eyes lit up. She eagerly grabbed her sister-in-law’s hand and whispered her new poem requests.

Qijia nodded repeatedly, indicating she’d remember them.

Madam Su couldn’t bear to watch. She coughed heavily, prompting Qijia to change the subject. “I heard the courtyard has been renamed Dwelling of Peach Blossoms. In that case, how are things between Jiao Jiao and the Prince…?”

At this crucial topic, everyone perked up.

Nian Jiao puffed out her chest. “The Prince and I are doing very well.”

Madam Su ignored her and turned to Mama Qiu instead.

Mama Qiu looked conflicted, a hint of guilt toward the old madam in her expression. After a long pause, she said, “The Princess speaks the truth.”

Madam Su was stunned.

Mama Qiu then elaborated—the courtyard’s renaming, the Prince personally applying medicine, sending fabrics… Qijia’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, while Jueluo covered her mouth in shock. “This—”

Nian Jiao looked smug, but Madam Su only grew more uneasy.

Somehow, she felt even less reassured now.

Returning to the Nian residence, Madam Su immediately confronted Nian Xialing: “What kind of person do you think the Yong Prince is?”

As the retired governor of Huguang who now resided permanently in the capital, Nian Xialing had recently taken up bird training as a hobby. However, due to his daughter’s incident, he had paused this pastime for a day. Startled by the question, he asked, “What’s gotten into you?”

Nian Xialing replied, “What Yong Prince? Times are different now. It’s fine to address him as Prince or Fourth Master. Moreover, since Jiaojiao has married into his household—if I may speak somewhat presumptuously—he’s practically your son-in-law now.”

Madam Su: “…”

Madam Su: “Then what kind of person do you think the Prince is?”

Nian Xialing glanced around cautiously before whispering: “…Devoted to the realm, strict and diligent.”

As for his colleagues’ deeper assessments—such as being clear in likes and dislikes or petty-minded—those weren’t things he could share with his wife.

Yet these eight words alone were enough to worry Madam Su.

—The likelihood of such a man being genuinely fond of their daughter was slimmer than an iron tree blooming. The only explanation was that Jiaojiao perfectly matched the Prince’s preferences in “appearance,” whether in talent or beauty.

Oh right, and the talent was all pretense. Madam Su grew even more despondent.

Nian Xialing grew anxious: “What’s wrong? Did you just visit the Royal Residence? Is the Prince treating Jiaojiao poorly?”

Madam Su shook her head.

Fury suddenly welled up in her as she glared at Nian Xialing: “It’s all your fault! Why did you have to make our daughter so beautiful?”

Nian Xialing: “???”

.

Fourth Master felt his nose itch slightly.

He paid it no mind.

Before him stood a renowned physician from Jiangnan, highly skilled in treating sores, who had recently returned from the Thirteenth Prince’s residence. After carefully questioning him, Fourth Master pressed his lips together.

“Truly no way to cure it completely?”

The physician shook his head: “The poisonous sore on the Thirteenth Prince’s leg has been eroding deeper with each passing day. We can only alleviate it, not cure it.”

“This old one’s medical skills are inadequate… Your Highness might consider searching further south—there must be miraculous hands in the Apricot Forest who can work wonders.” The physician added quietly, “As for the prescription, the original formula remains most suitable. Even if this old one were to prepare one, it wouldn’t be any better.”

Fourth Master remained silent for a long while.

Finally, he said: “Su Peisheng.”

Su Peisheng held a cloth bag and presented generous payment to the physician, then politely escorted him out of the study with a smile.

Fourth Master randomly opened a memorial and began reading, yet couldn’t absorb a single word.

His mind was restless.

Just then, hesitant footsteps sounded outside the study.

Without looking up, Fourth Master said: “Speak.”

Zhang Qilin had come to report Old Madam Nian’s departure from the residence. As Fourth Master listened, the speed at which he rotated his Buddhist beads gradually slowed.

He silently mouthed the character “Nian” in his mind, his expression impassive, before pushing the bead strand aside on the desk.

As Zhang Qilin was about to bow and withdraw, the study door creaked open.

Startled, he looked up to see Fourth Master’s retreating back, heading in the direction of…

Consort Nian’s Dwelling of Peach Blossoms.