“Miss Li.”

Zhu Qing felt guilty and didn’t dare meet Li Buyan’s eyes.

“Don’t casually draw your sword in the future. It won’t solve any problems—it’ll only make things worse. The Xie household isn’t like other places. Everything has its rules.”

Li Buyan gave a smile: “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

“Also, Master said he will definitely give both young ladies a proper explanation. Master is measured in his words and actions—he doesn’t make promises lightly.”

Zhu Qing continued: “Please be patient and wait a few days, Miss. Don’t act rashly again.”

“Anything else?”

“Also…”

Zhu Qing’s eyelid twitched as he racked his brain for nonsense: “When you have time, let’s spar. If you win, I’ll… I’ll take you as my master. How about that?”

How about that?

Not happening!

“I’m not part of the Xie household, so your Xie household’s rules mean nothing to me.”

In the past, this person always wore a smile. Now that her face was stern, even her entire being radiated an inescapable coldness.

“Second, if this matter isn’t properly resolved, I’m sorry, but I’m not Yan Sanhe—I don’t have such a good temper. Finally…”

Li Buyan frowned, looking at Zhu Qing with disdain. “I don’t accept dull gourds as students.”

The dull gourd: “…”

After watching Li Buyan leave, the dull gourd calculated the time and hurried back to the courtyard.

“Brother Zhu Qing?” Shuncai came up to him.

“Where’s Master? Has he returned?”

“No. Isn’t Master…”

Shuncai felt a figure flash before his eyes, and Zhu Qing had vanished. “I wasn’t finished talking yet. Why such a rush?”

Zhu Qing was naturally anxious.

Third Master had asked him to lure Li Buyan away so he could enter Miss Yan’s room. What he planned to do there, no one knew.

“Nothing better go wrong.”

Not daring to think further, Zhu Qing flew to Quiet Contemplation Residence. Not daring to barge in directly, he leaped onto the wall to eavesdrop.

Third Master wasn’t there!

The Old Madam’s Sien Hall?

Not there!

The Madam’s Knowing Spring Courtyard?

Not there!

The eldest master’s Fangzhou Courtyard?

Not there either!

Where could he be?

Zhu Qing was frantic with worry, and suddenly a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart.

…

In Sien Hall, only mother and son remained facing each other.

The Old Madam’s lips twitched, a mocking expression appearing.

Her son had dropped from her own belly. Though he held a high position and made waves outside, some things couldn’t be hidden from her.

The performance just now—her son had staged it for her to see.

First, to clear Aunt Liu of suspicion. Second, to make her believe in Aunt Liu’s innocence by using Second Son’s desire to marry Yan Sanhe.

“You trust her that much?”

Xie Daozhi nodded silently.

“But besides her, who else in this household has such cunning?”

“Mother, the investigation is ongoing. The real culprit will eventually be found.”

Xie Daozhi continued: “Today’s incident has likely made Yan Sanhe consider leaving. If Mother can’t bear to let her go and wants to keep her, only marriage can do that. So we might as well fulfill Second Son’s wishes.”

Hearing mention of marriage, the Old Madam was immediately hit in her weak spot.

Xie Daozhi understood his mother’s vulnerability and added: “At least it aligns with Mother’s wishes.”

…

When Xie Daozhi walked out of Sien Hall, raindrops were already falling.

Steward Xie held a black umbrella, waiting at the courtyard gate. Seeing his master emerge, he hurried forward. “Master, we’ve investigated most of it.”

Xie Daozhi glanced at him: “Walk and talk.”

The master and servant walked into the rain. The large umbrella concealed their figures and muffled Steward Xie’s voice.

The matter was simple.

The Madam wanted to please Miss Yan, so she had the small kitchen prepare a pork rib and lotus root soup that day, specifically instructing that the ingredients be fresh and the soup flavorful.

It happened that the Master and eldest son were dining in the study that day and had drunk several cups of wine.

With Third Master out at a social engagement and not yet returned, the small kitchen began preparing sobering soup according to past custom.

Poor families had their methods for sobering soup, rich families theirs. In a household like the Xie estate, dried tangerine peel was typically used.

Unfortunately, Master had been experiencing acid reflux these past few days. Tangerine peel is acidic in nature, so he couldn’t consume it. Therefore, the head cook, Madam Chen, used a bit of crushed lingzhi mushroom in the soup instead.

Lingzhi could neutralize a hundred poisons. Using it in soup to clear alcohol was the most effective of all sobering soups.

The method was also particularly simple: slice the lingzhi, simmer over low heat for an hour and a half, add some honey before serving.

But how expensive was lingzhi? Besides royalty, nobility, and generals, even households like the Xie estate could barely afford it.

Coincidentally, Second Master had received a package while conducting business outside a few days ago. He stored the whole root in the storehouse and gave the remaining inexpensive lingzhi scraps to Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu had no use for it, so she had a maid deliver it to Madam Chen, specifically instructing that it only be used for sobering soup for the masters.

And so, one pot of meat soup started cooking first, one pot of sobering soup started cooking later.

In between, Madam Chen had a stomachache and went to the privy, leaving only her granddaughter Er Ya in the small kitchen.

Er Ya had just turned eight and helped Madam Chen with small tasks in the kitchen.

After Madam Chen returned, Er Ya went off to play. An hour later, Li Zheng’s wife came with servants to collect the meat soup.

Who would have known that several spoonfuls of lingzhi soup had been mysteriously added to the meat soup?

Lingzhi was a type of mushroom. Its potency was more than ten times that of ordinary mushrooms. Just one spoonful was enough to harm Yan Sanhe.

“Master, Li Zheng’s wife brought three servants into the small kitchen. Madam Chen had already ladled the soup—they only needed to place it in the food box and carry it away.”

Steward Xie observed his master’s expression: “This old servant interrogated Madam Chen and her granddaughter separately. Both tearfully protested their innocence. What do you think about this matter…”

Xie Daozhi shot him a sidelong glance, and Steward Xie quickly lowered his head in fear.

This cleared the Madam of suspicion, but greatly increased Aunt Liu’s—because those lingzhi scraps were given by Aunt Liu.

And the reason Madam Chen could manage the small kitchen ultimately came down to Aunt Liu’s pillow talk.

Aunt Liu was from the south and preferred light flavors, unable to stomach the heavy northern seasonings. In the entire Xie household, only Madam Chen’s cooking was most bland.

The small kitchen managed late-night snacks for various quarters. Light flavors were most suitable—wasn’t this a natural promotion?

The small kitchen had its perks.

For those perks and to repay Aunt Liu’s kindness, Madam Chen might very well help Aunt Liu do things that couldn’t see the light of day.

Xie Daozhi never imagined that after patting his chest and making guarantees to the Old Madam, the matter would actually point back to Liu-shi.

Just then, thunder rumbled in the sky and torrential rain poured down. The raindrops pounded against the umbrella fabric, as if pounding on his heart.

“Go bring Madam Chen and her granddaughter to my study. I’ll interrogate them personally.”

Xie Xiaohua shivered, unsure if it was from the rain or from Master’s cold gaze.

Alas!

The Xie household had been so peaceful. The wife and concubines each kept to their place; the legitimate son served as an official, the illegitimate son conducted business—all lived in harmony.

This incident was like tearing away that fig leaf. There would surely be trouble ahead.

Xie Xiaohua handed the umbrella to Master. “Yes, this old servant will fetch them immediately.”

“Wait!”

Xie Daozhi suddenly thought of something: “Where is Third Son? I haven’t seen him all evening.”