Chapter 53: Great Joy
His tone was indifferent, making it impossible to tell if he was joking or serious.
Yet it seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds, pressing heavily on one’s heart.
Xue Sui knew this was a common tactic during interrogations, to seize the initiative and probe. A guilty conscience would easily reveal one’s fear, their inner thoughts laid bare on their face for all to see clearly.
Xue Sui met his gaze, her body and expression unchanged.
“Is it simply because I returned from the Old Mausoleum Swamp?”
Li Huan’s tone faltered slightly when he saw her calmly mention the Old Mausoleum Swamp.
“This Prince has investigated, and these matters, more or less, have the hand of the Old Mausoleum Swamp in them…”
Xue Sui stood calmly before him, like green plum and green bamboo, her clothes unruffled, only the clear depths of her eyes flickering with a faint light. It was as if she held no fear of the powerful Prince Duan before her, nor any ripple of emotion on her brow or in her eyes.
“I presume Your Highness has already investigated me thoroughly. Xue Liu toiled in the Old Mausoleum Swamp for ten years and is acquainted with one or two disciples of the Corpse Keepers there. However, the Old Mausoleum Swamp has always had strict rules and takes money for services, with no exceptions. If Your Highness has any matters that are inconvenient to handle personally, I can act as a go-between, and I believe they can handle it properly for Your Highness…”
Li Huan smiled as he spoke, “You are quite clever.”
He then pursed his lips, “Denying it outright will not change the truth.”
Xue Sui’s face did not flush, her heart did not skip a beat. She frowned and retorted, “Does Your Highness have any evidence? I recall that in Your Highness’s newly drafted 《Twenty-Eight Memorials on the Reform of Criminal Justice and Prisons》, the most crucial point is to convict based on evidence, and to presume innocence in cases of doubt. Pointing fingers at a defenseless woman without basis is not something even Your Highness would advocate. If you suspect me, Your Highness should present irrefutable proof.”
Otherwise, it would be self-contradictory.
Li Huan was surprised again.
He had never met such a woman.
The Twenty-Eight Memorials on the Reform of Criminal Justice and Prisons were not even taken seriously by the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice, yet Xue Liu had genuinely understood them.
He looked towards the garden.
The wind had picked up a bit now, scattering the flowers in the garden, and Xue Yuechen’s skirt hem also swayed in the wind.
His Princess Consort stood gracefully, but she was already growing impatient, frequently glancing this way.
Li Huan withdrew his gaze, “What I just said, you can take it as hearsay, no need to take it seriously.”
Xue Sui said, “Brother-in-law, please rest assured, I will not complain to Eldest Sister. If Eldest Sister asks me, I will only say that Brother-in-law was asking about the incident where Second Brother-in-law hit Second Sister that day, and I happened to be present, so he asked me to understand the truth.”
Li Huan laughed.
The address “Brother-in-law” was spoken so intimately.
It provided him with a complete excuse and also drew a clear line between them.
Li Huan nodded. His handsome face, devoid of youthful innocence and now bearing a sternness, surprisingly showed a rare hint of casualness, his dark eyes clear.
“You may go. Regarding the matter of the Old Mausoleum Swamp, I might indeed need to ask you to act as a go-between.”
Xue Sui bowed slightly, “I am willing to serve.”
Li Huan said nothing more. In his opinion, Xue Sui might know some Corpse Keepers’ disciples, but she was likely still a considerable distance from that formidable “Imperial Envoy,” not reaching that person. To question her now would only make her proud. It was better to wait until she entered the mansion to question her thoroughly.
Yes.
He himself did not realize that from his initial strong opposition to Xue Liu entering the mansion to today, he had developed a certain interest in this sixth daughter abandoned in the Old Mausoleum Swamp. Of course, it was not romantic interest.
Xue Yuechen saw Xue Sui approaching and glanced at Li Huan, then indeed asked about their conversation.
Xue Sui repeated what she had just said, and Xue Yuechen did not suspect anything.
“Second Sister is truly pitiful. Ming Ge’er is not well, and Second Master Yao is not close to her. But that’s not all. I heard that Second Master Yao can no longer get out of bed; he’s become a cripple. From now on, she will have to take care of him. Misfortune always strikes the unfortunate; there’s no telling what kind of fate Second Sister has…”
After speaking, she asked as if casually.
“I heard Second Master Yao fell after being scratched by a cat. Why would Your Highness care about this matter?”
Xue Sui said dismissively without looking up, “Second Master Yao and Third Master from Grand Tutor You’s family were originally close friends and often went out to eat and drink together. Both of them met with misfortune consecutively. It is likely that Your Highness connected the two cases and came to understand the details…”
“Could it be that Your Highness suspects Second Sister?”
“Not at all, it’s just an inquiry into Second Master Yao’s character.”
“Alas!” Xue Yuechen sighed, “Ever since His Majesty ordered Your Highness to oversee affairs in the capital, there has been no peace. Not only are the matters complicated and exhausting, but he also makes enemies everywhere in the Imperial Court. It’s truly thankless work…”
Xue Sui smiled as she looked at her, “Heaven is about to bestow a great task upon this person.”
Many people wished they could endure such hardship, but they didn’t have the opportunity.
The Emperor had five Imperial Princes. Apart from the Crown Prince, none was more noble than Prince Duan.
They looked at each other, and Xue Yuechen’s smile brightened considerably.
“My sister and I, working together, will share in glory and prosperity in the future.”
Xue Sui merely smiled and said nothing.
Xue Yuechen continued to say something in her ear, which gradually faded into the sound of the wind.
From the garden, all the way to the Guest Hall, Li Huan bid them farewell and was led by an attendant to the male guests’ seating area.
Along the way, he did not look at Xue Sui again, nor did he say anything further.
–
The third day return visit was a joyous occasion, but today was exceptionally different.
Everyone was present, yet the atmosphere remained strangely awkward.
The female guests were reluctant to say much to Xue Yueying. Only Ninth Miss took her to Old Madam, asking about her situation at Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion, as if it were a routine matter.
Several days had passed, and Xue Yueying’s emotions had not stabilized. Despite wearing thick cosmetics, her pallor was visibly gaunt.
In front of her sisters, Xue Yueying felt too embarrassed to complain. She only said that her in-laws treated her well and her husband treated her well. She then distributed the gifts she had brought for her elders and siblings. When it came to the end, only First Madam was absent.
Old Madam Cui said, “Your mother is unwell and is lying in Qing Lan Courtyard.”
Xue Yueying felt a slight embarrassment, “I should personally go and pay my respects to Mother.”
Gu Jie had been invited to the Study Room by Xue Lan to discuss matters, so Xue Yueying led her maid to see Fu Shi.
In Qing Lan Courtyard, Fu Shi lay weakly on the bed, indifferent to her.
Xue Yueying knelt by the couch, took Fu Shi’s hand, and was suddenly overcome with grief.
“Mother, I think both of us have been schemed against by that Xue Liu.”
Fu Shi lay flat, raised her eyelids, and remained silent. Nanny Liu quickly stepped forward to help her sit up, leaning against the head of the bed.
After Xue Yueying had cried for a while, Fu Shi finally let out a cold laugh.
“Didn’t you confidently claim that you had Princess Ping Le and Young Master Gu to rely on, and didn’t need me, your maternal home’s Mistress? And now, after only a few days, you come back for your return visit to show weakness. This is not like the daughter I raised, to be so contemptible.”
Xue Yueying shook her head, tears streaming down her face, “It is my daughter’s fault for not knowing her place and misunderstanding Mother’s good intentions.”
Fu Shi looked at her coldly and sneered again.
“Enough. Don’t kneel, get up and speak. If someone sees, they’ll say I’m harsh to a Concubine’s Daughter.”
After several blows, Fu Shi’s body appeared noticeably weaker than before. She had been taking medicinal soup recently. However, it wasn’t that she lacked the strength to get out of bed; she simply knew Xue Yueying was returning for her visit and deliberately refused to give her face, feigning illness and not wanting to entertain her.
Xue Yueying had suffered enough hardship at her in-laws’ home, and on the day of her return visit, her own family treated her coldly. Her heart was filled with bitterness, yet she had to force a smile to appease Fu Shi.
“Mother, your daughter truly knows her mistake. I regret becoming estranged from Mother, making us a laughingstock…”
Fu Shi raised an eyebrow and taunted her sarcastically.
“How I treated you in the past, you know well. You are a good daughter indeed, selling me out again and again. This Qing Lan Courtyard of mine has become Master’s forbidden ground. Seeing that my husband and I are drifting apart, what use is it for you to come crying now? I had originally made plans for you, so that your future life wouldn’t be difficult, even if you didn’t achieve great success. It was you who repeatedly messed things up, who can you blame…”
Xue Yueying’s shoulders shook with sobs, unable to speak.
“It is my daughter’s youth and ignorance that have failed Mother’s intentions. Now, I wish to ask Mother to step forward and help me. My mother-in-law at the Marquis’s Mansion still hasn’t drunk my daughter-in-law tea. I am Young Master Gu’s lawfully wedded wife, yet I am treated worse than a concubine…”
Fu Shi finally understood that she wanted her to intervene and mediate.
She smiled, “You have better backing, why do you need your maternal home to intervene? On the second day of the third month, Empress Xie is holding a spring flower viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden. You can go with Princess Ping Le, and your mother-in-law will surely give Princess Ping Le face?”
Xue Yueying hesitated.
She dared not mention that Princess Ping Le had fallen out with her. She only said, “I heard that the spring flower banquet is to select a consort for the Crown Prince. Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion will also bring two unmarried young ladies to attend the banquet. As the legitimate wife of a concubine’s son, I fear I may not have enough status to attend…”
Fu Shi glanced at her and said nothing.
For such grand occasions, those who had aspirations would naturally attend.
However, even if the Xue Mansion had daughters awaiting marriage, they would not marry into the Eastern Palace.
Everyone in the world knew that the Xue Mansion and Prince Duan’s Mansion were of the same mind, and they were not aligned with the Eastern Palace.
After talking for a while with their own hidden agendas, Xue Yueying finally managed to get Fu Shi out of her “sickbed.”
With the Mistress present, her return visit banquet would not be so embarrassing.
However, as soon as they returned to the main hall, they saw Xue Sui and Xue Yuechen entering side-by-side, chatting and laughing, their relationship so close as if they were sisters. Their smiles froze.
They exchanged a glance, their faces darkening.
Xue Sui’s mood today seemed exceptionally good.
As if she couldn’t see the resentment in Xue Yueying’s eyes, she asked gently with a smile:
“Fourth Miss doesn’t look well. Is it because you’re pregnant and it’s hard, or are you not acclimatized at the Marquis’s Mansion? Look, it’s only been a few days, and your chin has become pointed, and your eyes have sunken. How pitiful.”
Xue Yuechen smiled and said nothing, sitting down to talk with Fu Shi.
Fu Shi glanced at her indifferently, her face still showing signs of illness, “You remember your parents now.”
Xue Yuechen knew her displeasure and quickly offered tea to comfort her, speaking filial words.
“Sixth Sister.” Xue Yueying, ignored by everyone, approached Xue Sui with a dark expression.
The two looked each other in the eye, scrutinizing each other. Xue Yueying no longer forced a smile, wishing she could throw all the grievances she had suffered these past days onto Xue Sui’s face.
“Ever since you returned to the mansion, you’ve been targeting me. These things are all your schemes, aren’t they?”
Schemes?
She had gone too far, but she wasn’t entirely foolish.
Xue Sui curved her lips slightly, looking at her with a gentle smile.
“The child in your belly isn’t mine, how could I harm you? Hmm?”
“You!” Xue Yueying saw Fu Shi looking at her, so she suppressed her expression and forced a smile, her eyes like daggers cutting across Xue Sui, “Sixth Sister, don’t be too pleased with yourself. There’s still a long way to go, we’ll see…”
Xue Sui chuckled softly, “I await.”
She turned and left, her posture so arrogant as if she were the mistress of the mansion. Xue Yueying suddenly felt a surge of anger, and in a moment of impulse, went to complain to Fu Shi.
“Mother, look at Sixth Sister, she has no respect for me, her elder sister…”
To feign her grievance, she forced out a string of tears.
Third Madam Qian Shi was feeding Tenth Young Lady pastries when she heard the commotion and slammed the plate down with a heavy sound.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, a married young lady crying at her maternal home is bad feng shui. Is she implying that the family’s affairs are not embarrassing enough? How unlucky! It’s only because Eldest Sister-in-law is kind-hearted that she tolerates such a person. If it were me, I would have chased her out with a broom long ago…”
Fu Shi was so angry her throat felt choked, yet she couldn’t find fault with Qian Shi.
“Third Sister-in-law, today is Fourth Sister’s return visit.”
“So what if it’s a return visit? Can she ruin her maternal home’s feng shui? Your child is grown, but my child is still young and cannot withstand such impurity…”
In the end, Third Madam used this as an excuse to make a scene. At Old Madam’s place, she complained and pleaded, saying it would harm Third Master Xue’s future and hinder the growth of the family’s children. Thus, Old Madam had to put on a stern face and reprimand Xue Yueying.
“You’ve turned a perfectly auspicious day into a funeral. Go cry at your husband’s home if you must cry.”
Xue Yueying forcibly held back her tears, biting her lower lip. Already upset and bitter, she went out to wash her face, only to see Gu Jie coming from that direction, looking dejected. Upon seeing her, he flinched as if a mouse had seen a cat…
Her heart tightened, and she knew something was wrong.
“Stop!”
Gu Jie covered his face, turning his body away from her.
Xue Yueying asked Gu Jie’s attendant, Ma Er, “What’s wrong with Fifth Master?”
Ma Er lowered his head, looking at his toes, not daring to get involved in his master’s affairs.
Xue Yueying thought Gu Jie had done something wrong that he felt guilty about. She walked over and publicly pulled his hands away from his face, only to find red finger marks on it.
Her eyes red, she sternly asked, “Who did this? Who hit you?”
Gu Jie remained silent.
Ma Er said softly, “Sixth Miss Xue.”
Xue Liu.
It was Xue Liu?
How dare Xue Liu hit her husband?
Xue Yueying was about to go mad with anger.
“Good for Xue Liu, she even dares to hit her brother-in-law, she’s truly defying heaven. I’m going to find Father to reason with him…”
Xue Qingzhi had doted on her before, and she had her way in the mansion. Even though she was married now, she didn’t believe her father wouldn’t support her.
Xue Liu hitting her brother-in-law was indefensible…
However, as she turned to leave, Gu Jie grabbed her arm.
“Ying’er, forget it. We were in the wrong…”
Xue Yueying became anxious upon hearing this, “What were we wrong about? What do we owe her?”
Gu Jie said, “I broke off the engagement and married someone else. It’s only natural for her to resent it…”
“On what grounds?” Xue Yueying’s eyes turned red with urgency, “There was no marriage contract, just a few spoken words. What kind of engagement was that between you and her? Xue Liu, relying on Madam Chun’s favor, extending her influence to the Marquis’s Mansion to cause trouble for me is one thing, but she even dares to hit you. Today, I must get an explanation from Father…”
She was furious, and all her immense resentment surged within her.
However, Gu Jie had already been humiliated enough and did not want to escalate the matter.
He couldn’t stop her, couldn’t persuade her. Seeing Xue Yueying still acting fiercely, he finally lost his temper.
“Enough!”
“I said enough!”
Gu Jie stared at her with wide eyes.
“How long are you going to embarrass yourself?”
“You think I’m embarrassing myself?” Xue Yueying pointed at her own face, looking at her once gentle and considerate husband in disbelief, seeing him look at her with such a gaze, devoid of affection, only annoyance and impatience.
Someone who had been doted on for a long time could not bear such a change.
“Young Master Gu, have you been seduced by that Xue Liu and changed your mind…”
Gu Jie took a deep breath. Seeing people peeking out from the rooms, he didn’t want to stay a moment longer, nor did he want to be stared at like a monkey and laughed at by everyone in public.
“Think whatever you want. I have other matters. I’ll return to the mansion first. When you’ve had enough of making a scene at your maternal home and want to come back, send word, and I’ll send someone to pick you up.”
Before his words had even fallen, he flicked his sleeve and left.
Xue Yueying almost lost her balance. One hand on her lower abdomen, the other barely grasping Qiao’er’s arm, she finally managed to stand steady.
“Why is he treating me like this…”
“Why has everyone changed since Xue Liu returned?”
“Everyone is targeting me, what did I do wrong?”
“Wuwu!”
She squatted by the door, suppressing her sobs, tears streaming down her face.
A group of people came out of the house. Hearing that the new son-in-law had slapped Fourth Miss’s face and left before the meal, they found it strange. They dared not approach to ask further, only watching silently and whispering amongst themselves.
Xue Yueying felt even more isolated and helpless, as if the whole world was against her and laughing at her.
And all of this had changed since Xue Liu returned…
This jinx.
She deserved to die.
She should have died back then.
Why did she have to come back?
This chapter is over four thousand characters, it’s really long…
Xue Yueying: Yes! It’s all my joke, right? You all enjoy watching it, don’t you?
Reader: …You’ve misunderstood. Perhaps you have fans too? People who like you?
