Chapter 024: The Prince’s Greed
When Qin Chanyue first awoke, the sky had already darkened, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was evening or night.
She lay nestled in soft, smooth silk, her bones and muscles experiencing a strange sense of stretching and satisfaction, like the comfort of a long stretch after deep sleep.
The voluptuous and beautiful Madam rolled gently within the silk, the cool fabric brushing against her fair skin, bringing a smooth sensation. Qin Chanyue gradually awakened, like a peony nourished by rain and dew, each petal glistening with moisture. She stretched her plump, languid limbs, rubbing her ankles against the silk before relaxing again, curling up with the quilt and drifting back to sleep.
In that hazy state between wakefulness and slumber, memories of earlier events slowly returned to her mind.
She was in the Prince’s mansion, not the Houfu. During the day, she had been drugged, sought out a male companion, and then—
A fiery, taut warrior’s chest, arms strong enough to lift her with one hand, hurried breaths, and those uncontrollable—
Qin Chanyue’s fox-like eyes suddenly snapped open, all traces of sleep vanishing. As she sat up, her clear, sharp gaze swept around the room, instinctively searching for that figure.
What met her eyes was a quiet side chamber—the male companion was nowhere to be seen.
He had probably been taken away and sent off after the antidote took effect.
At this thought, Qin Chanyue felt a twinge of regret—she hadn’t even gotten a good look at what he looked like.
Thinking of him inevitably brought back memories of the earlier absurdities—the scorching chest pressed tightly against hers, the pillow that had been wedged behind her waist and later rolled away somewhere.
She remembered most vividly how, at the most intense moment, she had bitten his shoulder. It was the first time she had experienced what was called “earthly bliss”—a sensation that Zhou Ziheng, that sickly old man, could never provide.
A thought crossed her mind: after Zhou Ziheng died, she would bring this man back and keep him as a little male companion, to savor the exquisite pleasures of this world.
But before that, she had to deal with the current situation.
How dare he—no, how dare he drug Liu Yandai! Zhou Yuanting must have a death wish!
Qin Chanyue’s beautiful face gradually turned cold as she slowly rose from the bed.
At the time, the doors and windows of the side chamber had been tightly shut, with not a single flicker of light inside. Only the moonlight outside filtered through the thin curtains, casting a pale, square patch on the floor. The old incense on the low couch by the window had burned out, replaced by a newly lit stick of incense. The room was filled with cool air, clearly because fresh ice had been added to the ice vat in the corner.
She then glanced at herself—she had been tidied up, obviously washed, and even the silk bedding had been replaced with a new set. On the low cabinet beside the bed lay a new set of red silk clothing.
These details were too meticulous. With a single glance, Qin Chanyue thought to herself, it must have been done by Nanny Li or Liu Yandai.
Liu Yandai wasn’t thoughtful or attentive enough, so it was likely Nanny Li.
She called out twice for a maid from within the side chamber, but no one entered from outside. She had no idea where they had gone, so she leisurely dressed herself, casually pinned up her hair, and stepped out of the side chamber in her Pearl Shoes.
When she emerged, the courtyard was filled with a sky full of stars. Lanterns hung along the surrounding corridors, but no private soldiers stood guard on patrol. Everyone seemed to have disappeared, leaving only her daughter-in-law seated by the goose-neck chair.
She looked closely and saw that Liu Yandai had actually fallen asleep leaning against the goose-neck chair on the long corridor.
Her skin was fair and delicate, and when moonlight fell upon her, it seemed as if moonbeams had condensed upon her body. Her skin, smooth as warm goat’s milk, shimmered with a cool luster. The thin gauze she wore swayed gently with the breeze, and she resembled dewdrops on a lotus leaf—scattered pearls gathering once more, a pool of quicksilver rippling with clear waves.
It was late at night, the moon quiet and stars still sparse. The scent of pine and rain-drenched dew permeated the air. From a distance, Liu Yandai seemed enveloped in the chilly dampness of night dew. This silly child, why was she still waiting under the eaves of the corridor!
Seeing her sleeping soundly, Qin Chanyue couldn’t bear to wake her. Instead, she took a few steps to the side, intending to call for a couple of people to escort Liu Yandai back.
As Qin Chanyue passed under the eaves and descended two steps, she spotted Chu Heng’s deputy general from afar. He was dressed in a warrior’s short green robe, wore armor, and held a blade, standing guard beneath the corridor eaves.
Chu Heng’s deputy general was surnamed Qian. He had followed Chu Heng for many years and could even be said to have been raised by Chu Heng himself.
To combat Gu Poison, the Qin Family Army had ingested various toxins to alter their constitutions, rendering most of them unable to bear children. As a result, they often adopted orphaned children from war-torn areas as their own. Among these, those with strong physiques were selected to serve as personal guards.
Deputy General Qian had been picked up by Chu Heng, then still a junior officer, at the age of six. He had been raised by Chu Heng’s side ever since, growing up to become a deputy general and a trusted confidant.
When Qin Chanyue approached, Deputy General Qian heard the sound of pearl shoes and initially thought it was Liu Yandai. To his surprise, when he turned around, he saw Qin Chanyue instead.
Under the moonlight, Qin Chanyue had changed into a water-red silk long skirt with crossed collars. Her hair was simply tied up with a golden hairpin at the back, revealing a face of striking and enchanting beauty. As she descended from the corridor, each step seemed to tread upon the very heartstrings of those watching.
At the sight of Madam’s mesmerizing, fox-like eyes, Deputy General Qian felt a momentary dizziness.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but today Madam appeared particularly different. Standing there, she seemed to radiate a soft, shimmering glow, as dazzling and radiant as a luminous pearl.
“Young Lady—” Upon seeing Qin Chanyue, Deputy General Qian snapped back to attention and quickly bowed in greeting. “Greetings, Young Lady. What instructions do you have?”
He thought to himself, since Qin Chanyue had emerged, the Wangye must have returned to his chamber, right? But he hadn’t seen him!
Liu Yandai was waiting under the eaves for her Pomu, while the deputy general was guarding outside for the Wangye. Neither of them had seen when the Wangye had left. The only possibility was… the Wangye had climbed out through the window while Qin Chanyue was asleep.
Since he had escaped through the window, and considering Qin Chanyue’s calm and composed expression now… it meant she still didn’t know who had been sleeping beside her.
Deputy General Qian couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at the thought of their Wangye scrambling out through a window.
Their Wangye was decisive in life and death; the mere mention of Zhennan Wang could silence a crying child at night. Yet, in Qin Chanyue’s presence, he seemed forever to be that quiet, adopted son of the Qin Mansion.
“Summon two maids to escort Shizi Furen from under the eaves back to her side chamber to rest. I will also stay here tonight,” Qin Chanyue instructed, unaware of the deputy general’s thoughts.
After giving her instructions, she glanced at the sky. It was already the end of You Hour, approaching Xu Hour. Since there was a curfew in Chang’an City, she could not return to the Houfu now and had no choice but to stay here for the night.
Well, it was fine. After all, the Prince’s mansion was filled with courtyards everywhere, and there was certainly no shortage of a room for her.
Before returning to her room to prepare for sleep, Qin Chanyue asked as usual, “Has Elder Brother woken up?”
“Not yet,” Deputy General Qian shook his head decisively, covering for their prince as he had been doing all along. “The prince has been unconscious all this time. However, some Gu physicians have been summoned from Chang’an City these past few days and will arrive tomorrow. It’s unclear whether they will be of any use.”
Gu physicians, as the name suggests, were doctors within Dachen who knew how to treat Gu. Such physicians were extremely rare in Dachen and did not serve in the imperial court at all. Even the emperor of Dachen would find it difficult to request their services.
In Nanjiang, there were the Nan Gu People, skilled in using poisonous insects to create toxins. These toxins differed from ordinary poisons. Ordinary poisons entered through the mouth, reaching the internal organs, causing severe illness or death upon poisoning. Gu poison, however, was different. Gu worms could infiltrate the human body in countless ways. Some Nan Gu People could even cause Gu worms to enter a person’s body through simple touch.
Once these Gu worms entered the body, they could produce all sorts of bizarre effects.
At its most severe, Nanjiang’s Gu poison could even destroy an entire city. The people of Dachen had either heard of this or witnessed it firsthand.
In earlier years—around the ninth year of Yongchang, when Qin Chanyue was five years old.
There was a city in Chang’an called “Luoyang City,” located near Nanjiang. It was an extremely prosperous town. In order to invade Luoyang, the Nanjiang people poisoned the city’s well water with a type of Gu poison called “Living Dead Gu.” Tiny Gu worms contaminated the water source, and once ingested, it took only two hours for a person to turn into a “Living Dead.”
The Living Dead had no human reason, with crimson eyes, a preference for darkness, and an aversion to light. In appearance, they were no different from ordinary people, but their limbs were more agile, and they were as fierce as starving beasts. They felt no pain, feared no torches, and upon seeing a person, would pounce and bite until the victim was torn apart alive. Unless the Living Dead’s head was severed, their actions could not be stopped.
Moreover, anyone bitten by a Living Dead would also be infected with this Gu poison. After collapsing for just a moment, they would rise again, searching for others to bite. It was even more terrifying than a plague.
Back then, almost everyone in Luoyang City was overwhelmed by the Living Dead Gu. The entire city’s population turned into Living Dead, hiding during the day and emerging at night, continuously spreading outward. At that time, the people of Dachen would turn pale at the mere mention of Gu.
Later, Luoyang City was cleared by the Qin Family Army. It was an indescribable disaster. The Qin Family Army surrounded the entire city and fired flaming arrows for ten consecutive days, burning Luoyang City to the ground until not a blade of grass remained, finally bringing an end to the catastrophe.
This event was recorded in history as the “Ten-Day City Burning.”
What was even more terrifying than shooting down the Living Dead were the living people who died in the city. They hid in cellars, in houses, waiting for Dachen’s generals and soldiers to descend from the heavens and rescue them. But at that time, the Qin Family Army had not yet obtained the Divine medicine, and they too were unable to resist this Gu poison. They could not save them.
Those inside could not get out, and those outside could not get in. To prevent the Gu poison from spreading further, the Qin Family Army had no choice but to burn both the Living Dead and the living people alive together.
The sounds of sizzling flesh and agonized screams converged into a nightmare song, entangling itself in the bones of every person in Dachen, startling them awake in the depths of midnight.
Later, that once-prosperous city of Luoyang turned into a ghost town, only gradually regaining its vitality decades later.
After that incident, everyone in Dachen lived in fear. Some physicians volunteered to study Gu Poison, attempting to learn from the enemy to counter them. After a year or two of research, the foremost authority among the imperial physicians finally deciphered the medicine used by the Qin Family Army, thus reversing Dachen’s decline.
Now, many folk Gu physicians still roam within Dachen. However, to study Gu insects, these physicians must venture deep into the mountains to capture various insects, making it impossible for them to reside long-term in the bustling Chang’an. Thus, most are scattered across the land, extremely difficult to find.
This time, if they could find a Gu physician, perhaps it would awaken her elder brother.
Upon hearing “Gu physician,” Qin Chanyue felt a wave of relief wash over her. She then said, “When the Gu physician arrives tomorrow, I will also go to meet them.”
Gu physicians in this world were hard to come by, and her elder brother’s life lay in their hands. Even someone as proud as Qin Chanyue was willing to put on a smiling face and flatter them.
Only after Deputy General Qian lowered his head did Qin Chanyue leave the place.
Watching that flash of vibrant red disappear down the corridor, Deputy General Qian immediately turned and summoned two maids to carry out Lady Qin’s orders to take the Shizi Furen away. Once the maids departed, he turned and headed to the prince’s side chamber.
He pushed open the door to the inner room with certainty. Sure enough, as soon as the door swung open, he saw the prince seated on the bed. Even while sitting on the soft couch, his tall figure remained upright and rigid.
The prince held a mask in his hand, lost in thought. His usually stern and dignified face bore a trace of bewilderment, his sharp, single eye staring intently at the mask as if seeing someone through it.
The prince’s face—his brows and eyes faintly tinged with pink, his typically pale lips now a deep rouge. Even more embarrassing was his shoulder—a bite mark imprinted there, with faint traces of blood showing through.
Below the shoulder were faint scratches left by a woman’s nails, almost invisible now, only two of them remaining. In the quiet of the night, they cast an ambiguous hue over the air.
Without a doubt, he was thinking of today’s events.
The day’s happenings felt like a dream—so beautiful, so intoxicating. He was drunk on it, unable to sober up, unable to break free. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could recall everything from today.
Qin Chanyue lay soft in his embrace, like an obedient and docile kitten. When he gently pinched the soft flesh of her cheek, she nestled closer, curling into his arms with soft murmurs and nuzzles. Sweat-dampened strands of hair clung to her forehead, her eyelashes clumped together from too many tears, the corners of her eyes warm and damp, tinged with a faint pink that made it impossible to look away.
Qin Chanyue was a military general’s daughter, with a sturdy build. Though already thirty years old, she still possessed a strength that clung to a person with fervor. Perhaps it was because she had never been satisfied in her past with Zhou Ziheng, or perhaps the effects of the medicine were too potent. In any case—it was not something that could be concluded in a short while.
He had never been with a woman before, and having tasted the sweetness, he momentarily lost composure, indulging endlessly with her from afternoon until evening, only stopping when she fell into a deep sleep.
She slept, but he remained awake, watching her quietly in the still room before slipping out through the window to fetch water.
Since she did not want to alert outsiders, he handled the rest alone, repeatedly climbing in and out of the window before finally leaving.
When he departed, he inspected the room over and over again, filled with reluctance. Even after returning, he sat on the couch as if his soul had been lost.
Deputy General Qian did not conceal his footsteps as he entered, subtly hinting at his arrival. However, the man seated on the bed was so lost in his chaotic thoughts that he failed to notice the heavy sound of military boots. It was only when the door suddenly opened that Zhennan Wang snapped back to reality.
He first tucked away the silver mask in his hand, then cast a cold glance at Deputy General Qian.
Deputy General Qian quickly suppressed the teasing thoughts in his mind, knelt on one knee, and reported, “Your Highness, I have investigated the matter of the drugging.”
Chu Heng’s chaotic thoughts finally found an anchor. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “Speak.”
Who exactly had drugged his adopted sister?
The kneeling Deputy General Qian replied, “I inquired along the way and learned that the food box came from the Houfu. It was personally handed to Shizi Furen by the Shizi, and later, Shizi Furen sent it over to share with Madam. The issue with the food box was concealed by both Madam and Shizi Furen. It seems the problem lies with the Shizi.”
“However, since Madam and Shizi Furen did not raise the issue, I did not investigate further at the Houfu.”
Qin Chanyue was not the type to swallow grievances and pretend nothing happened, keeping her suffering to herself without telling others. Her temper was fiery, and if she did not raise the issue on the spot, there must have been a reason. Therefore, Deputy General Qian did not go to the Houfu to stir up trouble.
Upon hearing this, Chu Heng sat on the bed with a heavy expression, deep in thought.
It seemed the Houfu was not as stable as he had imagined.
Back then, he had entrusted Qin Chanyue to Zhou Ziheng, firstly because Qin Chanyue liked him, and secondly because Zhou Ziheng appeared gentle and refined, someone easy to get along with. Qin Chanyue could lead a good life with him. Later, when he married Liu Yandai off, it was with the same thought—both were like family to him, having grown up under his watch. They should treat each other well. Qin Chanyue, as the Pomu, would not deliberately humiliate Liu Yandai or impose strict rules on her daughter-in-law. Liu Yandai, as the daughter-in-law and someone he had raised himself, would naturally respect her Pomu and not secretly clash with her like other daughters-in-law, causing her distress.
This was the best arrangement he could think of.
But now, it seemed Zhou Ziheng had kept an outside concubine for over a decade and even brought her into the household. Moreover, the Shizi of the Houfu had drugged the food he sent to his wife. The Houfu, by all appearances, was far from stable.
Thinking again about Qin Chanyue drugging her own husband, his heart ached.
Drugging was always the method of the weak. If Qin Chanyue truly had the ability to resolve everything, why would she resort to such means to seek revenge?
His Chanyue, his sister, seemed to have grown quite a bit since the old days.
Long, long ago, back when Qin Chanyue was still a young lady, the slightest bit of dissatisfaction would send her into a fit of rage, her temper as fierce as a little lion. The Qin family doted on her, loved her, and even when Chanyue was in the wrong, they would stubbornly take her side.
Chu Heng loved her too, but he was always afraid she would suffer, so he hardened his heart to teach her, hoping she could learn to be wiser. Sometimes, it wasn’t the fiercest person who gained the most, but Qin Chanyue never seemed to learn.
Now that Chanyue had truly learned, he began to regret that he couldn’t give her more.
If he had more power, his sister wouldn’t have to endure such grievances.
Those thoughts flashed through his mind, finally settling into one resolve: first, bring down the Second Prince.
Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, his own status would rise even higher. Then, no one would dare to trample over his sister.
With this in mind, Zhennan Wang closed his eyes and said, “Leave now. Let this matter rest. Also, there’s a man missing outside the neighboring side chamber—remember to send him back. Tomorrow, invite the Crown Prince to come.”
The missing man outside the side chamber was a male favorite personally chosen by Liu Yandai. Later, when Zhennan Wang climbed through the window, he knocked the man unconscious and tossed him into a corner.
As for inviting the Crown Prince, it was because he needed to work with him as soon as possible to advance the plan to bring down the Second Prince.
Deputy General Qian understood—the matter of the drugging ended here. For now, Zhennan Wang had no intention of confronting the people of Zhongyi Hou Mansion. As for when he would make his move, that remained unknown.
“Yes.”
Deputy General Qian bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Once Deputy General Qian pushed the door open, carefully closed it behind him, and left, the side chamber was once again occupied only by Chu Heng.
He remained in the same position as before, sitting quietly on the bed, but his state of mind had shifted. Those beautiful, dream-like scenes were gradually fading from his memory.
Tonight, he had merely seized an enormous stroke of luck, spending a night with Qin Chanyue. When he opened his eyes tomorrow morning, he would still be Zhennan Wang Chu Heng, not the man from last night, and Qin Chanyue would still have nothing to do with him.
It felt as though he had returned to that dead city, where before him lay the things he had stolen—things related to Qin Chanyue. These were all he had.
He wanted to hold onto them, yet he couldn’t. Time and loneliness were the greatest thieves in the world, more skillful than Chu Heng. To steal a single night with Qin Chanyue, Chu Heng had to go through countless schemes and efforts. Yet, for these two thieves to steal his memories, they needed to do nothing at all. They simply had to cling to him, and bit by bit, they would carry away all the beautiful things he cherished.
Clutching the mask in his hand, he felt as though a great hole had been torn open in this dead city.
Everything about last night—the soft touches, the loving whispers, the warm candlelight—all of it slipped away through that hole, leaving Chu Heng with nothing but the dead city once more.
No, the dead city now had a hole, and through it blew piercingly cold winds that chilled him to the bone.
He shivered violently in the scorching summer heat, desperate to slip back into Qin Chanyue’s side chamber, to fill himself again, but he could not.
Qin Chanyue’s poison had been cured; she no longer needed men.
Yet his poison had just taken root, now raging through his body.
Zhennan Wang clutched the mask, gradually collapsing onto the bed. He placed the mask back over his face and pulled out from beneath the pillow a crimson mandarin-duck undergarment—the one Qin Chanyue had worn earlier, which he had secretly taken away.
When he picked up this small garment again, he pretended he was still lingering in that night from yesterday, conjuring up an illusion for himself to sink deeper into.
This dream, he hoped, would never end.
——
That night slipped away quietly within the Prince’s mansion.
The next day dawned.
Early the next morning, Qin Chanyue received word from the Houfu that something major had happened there, so she set off to return.
Before leaving, she wanted to see Zhennan Wang, but Deputy General Qian used the excuse that “the Gu physician is in consultation” to put her off—because the bite mark on Zhennan Wang’s shoulder hadn’t healed yet, and such an ambiguous mark was something Qin Chanyue must not see.
Qin Chanyue didn’t think much of it and left.
After Qin Chanyue left, the Crown Prince arrived. He discussed matters with Zhennan Wang for a long time before finally rising and leaving the side chamber.
The Crown Prince should have taken the gravel path directly—the shortest route—but before departing, as if guided by some unseen force, his steps shifted, and he walked along another corridor.
Coincidentally, it was the same corridor where he had once bumped into Liu Yandai. As he walked through it, he couldn’t help but think of that day, of the woman who had collided into his arms, soft enough to make one sink in.
Strangely, ever since that encounter with Liu Yandai, he had often thought of her. Each time he recalled her, his fingers would go weak, as if gripping soft flesh once more.
His steps slowed, and his gaze drifted inexplicably toward the other end of the corridor.
Empty. No one bumped into him today.
But as he passed through the corridor, he happened to overhear several of the Prince’s personal soldiers gathered together, chatting.
“They say yesterday, Shizi Furen personally picked out a man, cleaned him up, and took him back to her room. He wasn’t sent back until midnight.”
“The man was unconscious when the Deputy General brought him back. Tsk tsk, the Deputy General even told everyone to keep it a secret.”
“To think it was like this—”
Upon hearing these words, the Crown Prince’s brow furrowed tightly, and his pace abruptly quickened.
What a wanton, shameless woman! A woman from the barbaric lands, ignorant of propriety and utterly disgraceful! How could he have ever thought of such a woman?
——
Meanwhile, Liu Yandai knew nothing of this.
She had stayed up on the corridor eaves the previous night, keeping watch over her Pomu, and eventually fell asleep. Later, she was helped back to her room by the maids and was now still sprawled heavily on her bed, fast asleep.
The fair and delicate Shizi Furen was wrapped in her blanket, smacking her pink lips softly, dreaming of eating pastries.
What playing with men?
Yandai knew nothing about that.
——
At the same time, Qin Chanyue had just returned to Zhongyi Hou Mansion.
Zhongyi Hou Mansion was currently in utter chaos.
——
In the morning light, Zhongyi Hou Mansion basked under the sun. The Ridge Beasts on the eaves glimmered with the dawn’s glow, while private soldiers at the entrance stood guard with weapons in hand. The sound of wheels approached, and the carriage from Prince of Southern Pacification’s Mansion stopped at the entrance.
As soon as Qin Chanyue stepped down from the Houfu carriage, she saw Nanny Zhao waiting anxiously at the entrance.
In the sweltering summer heat, beads of sweat dotted Nanny Zhao’s forehead. Seeing Qin Chanyue return, she hurriedly waved and said, “Madam, you’re finally back! It’s terrible—something big has happened!”
Qin Chanyue leisurely allowed herself to be supported by Nanny Zhao as they walked past the screen wall.
Behind the screen wall lay a lotus pond, its blossoms shimmering brilliantly in the early morning light. As the gentle summer breeze of dawn swept through, dragonflies danced above the water, and the fresh scent of plants and grass lingered in the air. Maids from the Houfu were gathering lotus flowers in the pond—these freshly picked blooms were perfect for arranging in vases to admire. In the distance, a cool breeze stirred, causing the Glazed Jade ornaments hanging beneath the eaves to chime softly, their sound pleasing to the ear.
Perhaps because the young male companion from last night had served her well, she now felt thoroughly relaxed and refreshed. Hearing Nanny Zhao’s words didn’t irritate her; instead, she even had the mood to play along, raising an eyebrow as she asked, “Go on, what major event has occurred?”
In truth, Qin Chanyue could vaguely guess some of it. Early this morning, when she left the Prince’s mansion, Nanny Li had specifically mentioned it to her.
Yesterday, Nanny Li had left the Prince’s mansion to investigate matters concerning the two young masters. It was said that Zhou Yuanting had secretly schemed to retaliate against Zhou Chiye. Qin Chanyue had overheard a bit, only grasping the general idea, and still didn’t know the specifics of what had happened.
Seeing Nanny Zhao’s anxious expression, she inwardly sneered.
It wasn’t Nanny Zhao she was mocking—it was her past self. Nanny Zhao was just like her in her previous life: appearing fierce toward everyone, yet genuinely caring for these people deep down.
In her past life, she had been just as anxious as Nanny Zhao—though after she was driven out of the mansion, Nanny Zhao, as her trusted confidante, hadn’t met a good end either. She had been sent off to some unknown estate. Now, it was only because Nanny Zhao knew nothing of the truth that she was so earnestly planning for these people.
“A major event!” Nanny Zhao was so frantic that tears nearly fell from her eyes.
In recent times, what incident in the Houfu hadn’t been major? From the Marquis falling gravely ill to the concubine entering the household, from the brothers fighting over the title to the third young master getting injured, from the brothers vying for the same woman to the second young master running away from home—each matter was as urgent as a fire at one’s heels. In any other household, the lady of the house would likely have been driven to despair, yet Qin Chanyue felt no distress at all, listening to it all as if it were mere gossip.
But Nanny Zhao was genuinely worried! She spoke in a flurry: “Does Madam still remember, some time ago, when the second young master was bewitched by that Bai family enchantress and actually left a blood letter before running away from home?”
Qin Chanyue certainly remembered.
At the time, Zhou Chiye had even confronted her about it, accusing her of mistreating Bai Yuning and favoring Zhou Yuanting—as if he never considered the things Bai Yuning had done!
When Bai Yuning and Zhou Yuanting were together, it was clearly a mutual affection. They both knew Zhou Yuanting was married, yet they willingly clung to each other, entangled in their own desires. Who was any purer than the other? If Zhou Yuanting was at fault, wasn’t Bai Yuning equally guilty? That fool Zhou Chiye, the moment “love” was mentioned, would blind himself completely—utterly hopeless.
Even setting aside Bai Yuning’s deliberate seduction of the two young masters, just consider how she harmed others in the Houfu to save her own parents—how utterly malicious! The Bai Mansion had brought trouble upon itself, yet she didn’t see her own wrongdoing, instead blaming others for not rescuing them. It was utterly unreasonable.
Were her parents the only ones who mattered? Were other people’s parents not parents too? Using the excuse of saving her parents to harm others was simply unforgivable.
If Bai Yuning were her own daughter, she would have long since beaten her to death with a stick, wrapped her in a straw mat, and tossed her into a mass grave.
Now, whenever she thought of Bai Yuning and her adoptive brother who was murdered in her previous life, she felt a burning anger in her heart. Her tone turned cold as she replied, “Remember, wasn’t it said that he didn’t return to the Houfu for a whole night?”
At that time, they were walking through the garden.
It was midsummer in the garden, with lush and flourishing plants.
Qin Chanyue loved flowers, so the courtyard was planted with various large, blooming flowers, many of which were rare varieties in the capital. They had been personally dug up by Zhennan Wang from the borders of Southern Gu and sent all the way to the capital.
He did not love flowers, nor did he love Nanjiang, but he knew Qin Chanyue would love them. So, he would dig up every flower from Nanjiang and carefully have them delivered to the capital.
When spring filled Chang’an, the flowers in Qin Chanyue’s courtyard were the most vibrant. He had paved a path of flowers from Nanjiang to win her favor.
The radiant Madam lifted the hem of her skirt and, supported by the nanny, strolled through the garden, leisurely admiring the flowers and plants.
As the group passed through the garden, the pomegranate-red skirt trailed over the clean, neatly laid pebble path, brushing against the bright red flower branches. The sound of footsteps gradually blended with Nanny Zhao’s voice.
“The Marquis gave the order to find the Second Young Master, so the Houfu’s private soldiers searched everywhere. They finally found him in a neighborhood. When the soldiers arrived, the Second Young Master was with Miss Bai and refused to return.”
At this point, Nanny Zhao’s tone grew agitated: “To bring the Second Young Master back, the soldiers drew their swords. It wasn’t until the hour of Yin that they managed to bring the severely injured Second Young Master back to the Houfu. Some careless fool injured the Second Young Master’s arm—it’s now a bloody mess. Who knows if he’ll ever be able to wield a sword again—”
For those who practiced martial arts, they understood the agony of such old injuries. If it truly left a lasting wound, how would the Second Young Master ever take the Martial Examination or serve as a general on the frontier?
As they spoke, they had already arrived at Jianming Courtyard.
The Houfu was vast, and its courtyards were divided early. The two legitimate sons had their own courtyards from the age of six, no longer living with Qin Chanyue. Each day, they were attended to by specially assigned maids and servants.
Jianming Courtyard was Zhou Chiye’s courtyard, a simple one-entry garden. The maids and servants there had served Zhou Chiye for many years, similar to Shuhai Courtyard. If Zhou Chiye were to marry in the future, his wife would reside in Jianming Courtyard, just as Liu Yandai lived in Zhou Yuanting’s Shuhai Courtyard.
As Qin Chanyue approached the entrance of Jianming Courtyard, she heard chaos inside.
The maids and servants originally attending to Jianming Courtyard had retreated to the long corridor. In the courtyard, on the bluestone bricks, knelt two rows of private soldiers.
Qin Chanyue walked closer from the courtyard, almost able to hear the angry shouts coming from the side chamber. The closer she got, the clearer the voices became, tinged with a heartache of disappointment.
“You unfilial son, unfilial son! How could you do this for a woman!”
It was Zhou Ziheng.
Zhou Chiye’s voice, filled with grief and sarcasm, pierced through the window gauze with fervor: “What’s wrong with me doing this for a woman? Isn’t Father the same? Didn’t you also force Mother to step aside for a woman? You even wanted to give the position of Shizi to an outside son—what a colossal joke! What right do you have to criticize me?”
Zhou Ziheng was left speechless.
If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will follow suit. Both father and son were equally absurd in matters of love—who was fit to judge the other?
Qin Chanyue’s pearl shoes paused slightly before she continued walking as usual.
“Father, please do not be angry. Allow me to explain things carefully to Second Brother.”
It was Zhou Yuanting.
“And what gives you the right to speak to me?” Zhou Chiye’s voice grew even more resentful. “Have you forgotten how you bullied Bai Yuning? Just because others see you as the Shiziye and don’t mention it, do you really think you never did it?”
Zhou Yuanting’s voice faltered at that.
Just as Qin Chanyue lifted her skirt to step through the doorway, she heard the maid at the entrance announce, “The Marquise has arrived.”
As the maid’s trailing voice faded, the quarreling inside abruptly ceased.
The three men in the side chamber had all committed their share of wrongs, but Qin Chanyue alone was blameless. Seeing her, they all felt a pang of guilt. As one, they turned to look, just as Qin Chanyue entered from outside.
Today, the Madam wore a set of pomegranate-red robes with a round collar, paired with an outer gown of deep blue Floating Light Brocade. Blue and red were both exceptionally vibrant colors; on most people, they would appear overpowering and dull. Yet Qin Chanyue possessed a radiant, dazzling face, so even the boldest colors and styles seemed perfectly harmonious on her. As she stepped inside, the very room seemed to grow more splendid.
Upon entering, Qin Chanyue swept her gaze across the room, taking in everyone present.
The door between the inner and outer rooms was wide open. In the outer room, a tea table lay overturned. Zhou Chiye stood at the threshold between the two rooms, his arm wounded, a fierce and menacing expression on his face as he stood inside the outer room. It seemed he wanted to charge out but couldn’t. A Fine Iron Chain was locked around his waist, connecting him to the wooden bed in the inner room, tightly restricting his movements. With every shift, the chain rattled noisily.
The blood on the wound on his arm had already dried. Not just his arm—his brocade robe was torn and stained with mud. His handsome, sharp-featured face was dark and livid, his brow tightly furrowed as he glared at the father and son opposite him like they were enemies.
At the doorway stood Zhou Ziheng and Zhou Yuanting, both dressed in elegant scholar’s robes, their faces tinged with reluctance and helplessness. Standing together, the father and son appeared to be on the same side.
In a corner knelt a doctor kept by the household, doing his best to shrink his body, almost hiding behind the Huanghuali Wood clothing rack. His face was deathly pale, clearly frightened out of his wits.
As soon as Qin Chanyue entered and surveyed the scene, she frowned and looked at Zhou Ziheng, asking, “Husband, what is going on here?”
Zhou Ziheng’s face was ashen, and he said nothing, merely flicking his sleeve aside. Beside him, Zhou Yuanting hurriedly answered on his father’s behalf: “In reply to Mother, Father sent private soldiers yesterday to bring Younger Brother back. But Younger Brother fought with the soldiers and was accidentally wounded on the arm.”
This explained why a large group of private soldiers was kneeling outside the courtyard—they were being punished. Such was the lot of servants: they diligently carried out their master’s orders, yet if anything fell slightly short, they too faced punishment.
“Father called a doctor for Younger Brother. His arm cannot be delayed any longer, but—” Zhou Yuanting looked at Zhou Chiye, his face full of an elder brother’s helplessness. He sighed softly and said, “But Second Brother refuses treatment. He says he wants us to release him, that he will not return to the Houfu, and that he is going to find Bai Yuning.”
As Zhou Yuanting spoke these words, his face, as serene and refined as the Moon-Water Guanyin, lowered slightly, seemingly helpless over his second brother’s absurdity. Yet, when he lowered his head, a flicker of wild delight danced in his phoenix eyes.
No one knew this was his doing.
Among the private soldiers his father had sent to capture Zhou Chiye, two had accepted his bribes and secretly dealt Zhou Chiye a heavy blow, leading to his severe injuries.
This was his means of revenge against Zhou Chiye and Bai Yuning.
What delighted him even more was that his foolish younger brother had chosen this moment to throw a tantrum.
The longer the delay, the worse Zhou Chiye’s arm would be to treat. If his arm couldn’t be healed, the pain would be his alone to bear; no one else would suffer for him. On the surface, Zhou Yuanting wore an expression of utmost distress, but inwardly, he was laughing heartily.
Only a fool would punish himself to threaten others.
Amid his excitement, Zhou Yuanting hadn’t forgotten to steal a glance at his mother. Yesterday, he had given Liu Yandai the drugged wine along with some food. He didn’t know what happened to Liu Yandai afterward. Though he had been somewhat concerned, he also held onto a sliver of hope. He thought, surely nothing happened. Liu Yandai loved to eat but wasn’t fond of drinking. That pot of wine likely went untouched and was probably discarded.
Now, his mother appeared calm and composed, without a trace of anger or any sign of targeting him. It seemed nothing had happened.
With this thought, Zhou Yuanting’s mind returned to the current situation. He added one final remark, saying, “Chiye, why break Father’s heart over a woman? Father means well for you. That woman isn’t worth it.”
After hearing Zhou Yuanting’s words, Qin Chanyue’s gaze fell upon Zhou Ziheng’s face.
Zhou Ziheng was genuinely heartbroken. Though the brothers Zhou Yuanting and Zhou Chiye were at odds, in Zhou Ziheng’s eyes, both were his sons, and he loved them equally. He couldn’t bear to see his son injured, but in the heat of anger, love could drive one to commit many mistakes.
Just like now, Zhou Ziheng’s usually refined face flushed red with rage, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes filled with fury. All sense of grace and elegance was cast aside as he pointed at Zhou Chiye and roared, “You unfilial son! Acting so recklessly, you won’t set foot outside this mansion from now on! Guards, lock up the Second Young Master! Until he admits his mistake!”
Standing opposite, Zhou Chiye was also filled with resentment. How could he not hate this? The Young Lady he loved had been wronged and driven away. He had only wanted to protect her—what was his crime? His father had sent men to injure him, capture him, and force him to submit against his will. Why should he bow his head?
Zhou Chiye lacked Zhou Yuanting’s scheming cunning, but he possessed a reckless spirit and unyielding pride. His rebellious nature was inherited from Qin Chanyue—without her patience but with all her arrogance. The more others tried to control him, the more he resisted, even if it meant breaking his head and shedding his blood.
“I am not wrong!” he shouted hoarsely. “I am not wrong! You favor Elder Brother. Your son bullied Bai Yuning, yet you never stood up for her, only drove her away. You act unjustly—what right do you have to teach me?”
“You’re rebelling against me—” Zhou Ziheng trembled with rage, shouting toward the outside, “Guards, guards! Bring another chain! Hold down this unfilial son and lock him up with a Fine Iron Chain!”
Zhou Chiye once again lowered his head and tried to charge out, the clanking of the chain filling the tense air.
To an outsider, it would seem less like a father and son and more like mortal enemies.
Zhou Ziheng had run out of ways to deal with his second son and could only pin his hopes on Qin Chanyue. Helplessly, he turned to her and said, “You handle this. Our son won’t listen.”
His health had only just begun to improve over the past two days, and now he had to deal with this. His chest heaved with anger, and he feared he might faint at any moment, risking another stroke. That would be a loss he couldn’t afford. It was better to leave all the trouble to Qin Chanyue.
After all, it had always been this way. When it came to matters involving their children, Qin Chanyue took charge personally. As their birth mother, she would never mistreat her own children, and today would be no different.
Qin Chanyue would handle everything.
Upon hearing this, Qin Chanyue nodded slowly, then turned to Zhou Yuanting and said, “Husband, go out and rest for a while. Yuanting—take good care of your father.”
Zhou Yuanting was still preoccupied with the earlier incident involving the sachet and didn’t dare meet Qin Chanyue’s eyes. He lowered his head and replied, “Yes.” With that, Zhou Ziheng and Zhou Yuanting left the side chamber.
Qin Chanyue then turned her attention to Zhou Chiye.
Zhou Chiye’s face was taut with tension, and he refused to look at Qin Chanyue—he resented his mother too. He knew that his father and mother stood on the same side. His father had sent people to capture him, and his mother had known about it too. So, he hated her as well.
Last night… after those private soldiers injured him, they knocked him unconscious and dragged him away. He hadn’t even had a chance to see Yuning, only hearing her screams. He didn’t know how she was now.
Just thinking about it filled him with indignation.
Why could his father, who had done wrong himself, so righteously control him? Just because he was his father’s son? If he had known it would come to this, his father might as well not have brought him into this world!
His father was like this, and his mother was surely the same! He would fight them to the end!
So, when his mother stood before him, Zhou Chiye refused to look at her, declaring firmly, “Mother! I won’t change my mind. If you don’t let me go, I won’t treat my wounds! I’ll bleed to death right here!”
Zhou Chiye had always known how to threaten his mother.
Qin Chanyue had seen too many deaths—her father, her brothers, her loved ones had all perished. She feared seeing her own family bleed again. In the past, whenever Zhou Chiye got even a minor injury while practicing martial arts, her heart would ache.
She feared losing more of her loved ones, feared their blood running dry, leaving her with nothing but cold corpses. Because of this fear, she had always indulged her family without limits.
In her previous life, this tactic would have worked on Qin Chanyue.
A mother’s love for her son often seemed boundless. Even if she hardened her heart occasionally, it never lasted long. At the sight of her child’s suffering, she would inevitably soften and offer help.
That was why, in her past life, she had ended up in such a predicament.
Zhou Chiye was confident that his mother would never stand by and watch him die, which was why he dared to pressure Qin Chanyue so boldly. Like a warrior in battle, he proudly raised his head, waiting for his mother to yield.
He knew that his mother would scold him furiously while fetching bandages to dress his wound, then coax him into obedience, bustling around him in a flurry.
As long as he insisted on seeing Bai Yuning, in the end, his mother would give in.
So he stood his ground unwaveringly, waiting for his mother to come and soothe him.
In the tug-of-war between mother and son, he had never lost. No matter the reason or the rules, the one who is loved always has nothing to fear.
Yet his mother stood before him without uttering a word.
She did not fly into a rage, did not rush forward to strike him, did not curse him as a “wretched thing.” She simply stood there, gazing at him with a look Zhou Chiye had never seen before.
Zhou Chiye found it hard to describe that gaze. It appeared icy, as if laced with something piercing—so still, so heavy. When he met her eyes, they seemed like a lifeless, deep pool, threatening to drag him in and drown him, leaving him feeling suffocated.
After a moment of silent confrontation, he finally saw his mother move.
Zhou Chiye immediately adjusted his posture, waiting for her to approach and speak softly to him.