Chapter 9: Sudden Turn
"Xin'er, be good. Have you been eating well?" Yan Jingshu had always been close to his elder brother and doted on this nephew. Smiling, he stood up and took the child from the wet nurse’s arms.
"Xin'er did! Xin'er ate two big meat buns this morning!" Xin'er clung to Yan Jingshu with one chubby arm while holding up two tiny fingers with the other, his face beaming with pride as he spoke in a milky voice.
"Really? Xin'er is so amazing." Yan Jingshu immediately praised him.
Xin'er giggled shyly and buried his face in Yan Jingshu’s neck.
Yan Jingshu carried Xin'er to Old Madam Yan’s side. The old lady, who pitied the child for losing his father at birth, softened her expression and affectionately pulled him close. She then called over Xin'er’s wet nurse to inquire about him in detail.
"...Great-Grandmother has some delicious pastries here. How about letting your wet nurse take you to eat them?" Since what followed wasn’t suitable for Xin'er to witness, Old Madam Yan decided to have the wet nurse take him away after some playful interaction.
"Pastries! Xin'er loves pastries—" The little chubby boy immediately brightened up and, before the wet nurse could reach for him, slid down from the luohan bed on his own.
"Slow down, no rush." Yan Jingshu quickly steadied him and only let go with a helpless smile once the wet nurse had the little one securely in her arms.
"Grandmother, what kind of pastries are they? I’d like some too." Seeing Yan Jingshu get up to help Xin'er, Yan Jingyu sidled up to Old Madam Yan, clinging to her arm and coquettishly pleading.
"There’s no hurry for pastries. There’s something I need to discuss with you and your mother first." Though Old Madam Yan still wore a smile, the warmth had faded from her eyes.
Rebuffed, Yan Jingyu felt somewhat awkward.
Xie Shi quickly interjected, "What matter does Mother wish to speak of?"
Old Madam Yan turned to An Momo. "Tell them what you’ve heard."
"Yes." An Momo complied, recounting the rumors she had gathered in the manor that day—rumors concerning Yan Jingshu.
"How could such a thing happen?!" Xie Shi gasped in shock.
Beside her, Yan Jingyu also wore an expression of astonishment.
The Duke of Anguo frowned. The man involved yesterday had clearly been Jiang Chenghan, how had it become Zhao Xian of the Yongchang Marquisate? Suddenly, he recalled what Yan Jingshu had told him: Li Wang, following his master’s orders, had originally intended to lure Zhao Xian there.
Having spent decades navigating the political arena, the Duke was no fool. Instantly, he grasped the implications and abruptly stood, addressing Yan Zhong, who had accompanied him back to Rong’an Courtyard: "Investigate this. Find out who spread these rumors. Dig three feet into the ground if you must, but bring them to me."
Yan Zhong acknowledged the order and turned to leave, but Old Madam Yan suddenly stopped him. "No need. An Momo has already found them, they’re locked in the woodshed now."
Before the Duke could respond, Xie Shi indignantly declared, "These vile servants dare to spread lies and slander their masters? They cannot remain. Rest assured, Mother, I will deal with them myself."
"Wait, not yet." This time, the Duke stopped her before Old Madam Yan could speak. "We must first uncover who instigated this before punishing them."
At these words, Yan Jingyu’s heart lurched, her face paling slightly. Xie Shi shot her a discreet glance before feigning confusion. "The instigator? What instigator?"
"Ah, it’s a long story. I had intended to explain once we had clarity, but who could’ve expected..." The Duke had never imagined the culprit would be so malicious—not only framing Yan Jingshu but also spreading the tale to ruin his reputation and virtue entirely. The thought enraged him.
Despite his fury, seeing his wife’s bewildered expression, the Duke explained, "The truth is, Shu’er wasn’t ill yesterday. He was drugged and nearly violated by a scoundrel. However—"
"How could this be?!" Xie Shi shot to her feet before he could finish, her face a mix of horror and fury. She then reproached him, "Why did you keep this from me? I knew nothing of it!"
She rushed to Yan Jingshu’s side, clutching his hand sympathetically. "My child, you’ve suffered."
Yan Jingshu smiled faintly but said nothing.
Though interrupted, the Duke pressed on, shortening his explanation to avoid further disruption. "The one spreading these rumors is likely the same person who harmed Shu’er. So while the servants must be punished, we must first identify their master."
Xie Shi was genuinely perplexed now. If Yan Jingshu had truly been victimized, didn’t that mean the rumors were factual? How could they be certain the instigator had spread them, rather than the truth simply leaking out?
Still, now wasn’t the time for questions. "You’re right, my lord. I’ll personally interrogate them and uncover the mastermind to seek justice for Shu’er." With that, she turned to leave.
Before she reached the door, Old Madam Yan spoke coolly, "There’s no need for the mistress of the house to dirty her hands. An Momo is thorough and reliable, she knows the full story. Let her handle it."
As Old Madam Yan had spoken, Xie Shi couldn’t defy her. She stopped, though reluctance lingered. "Mother, your daughter-in-law—"
But Old Madam Yan had already shifted her attention, instructing An Momo, "Start with the maids in my courtyard. Gather them and have the culprits identified one by one."
"Yes." An Momo promptly withdrew, taking with her all the maids in attendance—including those serving the Duke, Xie Shi, and Yan Jingyu.
Xie Shi’s eyes darkened, but she could say no more. Yan Jingyu stared at Biyun’s retreating figure, cold sweat prickling her back.
Xie Shi subtly stepped in front of her daughter, blocking her nervous gaze. Recalling her earlier doubt, she voiced it aloud.
The Duke shook his head. "You don’t understand, my lady. Zhao Xian of the Yongchang Marquisate never set foot in our manor yesterday, yet the rumors claim—"
"Impossible?!" This interruption didn’t come from Xie Shi but from Yan Jingyu, whose heart had been in her throat since Old Madam Yan mentioned uncovering the rumor’s source. The Duke’s words struck her like a thunderbolt, shattering her composure as she cried out involuntarily.
Instantly, all eyes in the room snapped to her. Realizing her outburst, Yan Jingyu flushed crimson.
The Duke was still processing, but Old Madam Yan’s face had hardened. Though she had followed Yan Jingshu’s lead and ordered An Momo to investigate, a sliver of doubt had remained—after all, the rumors and the confessions of Li Wang and Qiu Lan could have been staged by Yan Jingshu himself. But Yan Jingyu’s shocked exclamation all but confirmed his account.
"Little Sister seems far more shocked that Zhao Xian never came than you were upon hearing I was nearly violated. How curious." Yan Jingshu smirked meaningfully at Yan Jingyu.
"That’s not true!" Yan Jingyu immediately protested, but her vehemence only deepened suspicion.
The Duke sensed something amiss but couldn’t bring himself to suspect his beloved daughter. Puzzled, he turned to Yan Jingshu. "Shu’er?"
Still staring at Yan Jingyu, Yan Jingshu addressed his father. "Father, would you like to know what Uncle Zhong uncovered yesterday about those two people?"
Yan Jingyu trembled violently. Xie Shi’s sharp gaze snapped to her daughter, probing intently. Unaware of their reactions, the Duke asked, "Yes, you mentioned recognizing the voices of your assailants while unconscious and had Yan Zhong investigate. What did he find?"
Yan Jingshu gave a cold laugh. "Oh, he found them, and witnessed a thrilling attempt to silence them permanently." His gaze slid deliberately to Xie Shi, who was watching him closely.
Xie Shi and Yan Jingyu were stunned. Overnight, the situation they thought they controlled had spiraled beyond their grasp—not only had their scheme gone awry unnoticed, but their every move had been exposed.
While the composed Xie Shi maintained her calm, Yan Jingyu had gone deathly pale, her eyes wide with terror.
"Silenced?!" The Duke’s eyes bulged. The thought that someone in his household could coldly murder two people horrified him. His brow furrowed deeply. "Shu’er, explain clearly. What happened?"
Yan Jingshu spoke slowly. "After I was drugged, I faintly heard two people speaking—one was my maid Qiulan, the other Li Wang, who tends the flowers in my courtyard. Assuming they’d report to their master, I had Uncle Zhong monitor them instead of arresting them immediately. But last night, someone drugged them unconscious and threw them into the abandoned well behind the garden’s rockery.
"Fortunately, Uncle Zhong’s men were watching and rescued them in time. Once they awoke, they were interrogated. Here are their confessions, Father. See for yourself." He picked up several sheets of paper from the side table and handed them to the Duke.
Before Yan Jingshu could reach him, the Duke strode over, snatched the papers, and began reading. As he did, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
No comments:
Post a Comment