Mu Shi’s face showed several traces of struggle. “Ziyu, you husband and wife are one body, and naturally any matter should be communicated between you both. It’s just that regarding your mother’s matter, after you hear what your uncle has to say, then you can decide.”

Liang Zhe looked toward Zhao Zhenyuan.

Zhao Zhenyuan sighed and said, “Ziyu, your aunt is right. All these years, you’ve persistently asked, and I’ve never told you, but it’s really because… Ai! Cough…”

At this point, Zhao Zhenyuan began coughing violently.

“Uncle…”

Zhao Zhenyuan raised one hand to stop the words Liang Zhe was about to speak, coughed for a while, then said, “Ziyu, in a moment, after Uncle tells you, don’t get angry first.”

“Uncle, Ziyu is no longer the Ziyu of the past, nor the rumored violent and dissolute Ziyu. Uncle, please just speak.”

Zhao Zhenyuan and his wife exchanged glances, and Zhao Zhenyuan finally spoke those few words: “Ziyu, your mother, she died very disgracefully.”

Liang Zhe sat upright without moving, as if he completely didn’t understand the weight of these words.

Seeing that Liang Zhe showed no unusual reaction, Zhao Zhenyuan continued, “That was at the end of September in the fifteenth year of Delong, that day…”

That day, Liang Yunshan and Zhao Zhenyuan, due to matters at court, had agreed to continue their discussion that evening.

That night, Zhao Zhenyuan went straight into the Pingxi Marquis Manor, to Liang Yunshan’s study, and the two talked for a long time until the sky turned completely dark.

“My lord, my lord, the Old Madam and Madam are quarreling again!”

A servant rushed in, speaking somewhat frantically.

Liang Yunshan felt somewhat embarrassed. “Zhenyuan, Mother and Wanniang have both been a bit temperamental lately. Please wait here for a moment, I’ll go and return shortly.”

Zhao Zhenyuan agreed.

He had previously sensed some conflict between his own sister and Old Madam Liang, because recently when Wanniang returned to the Zhao family, her smiles seemed somewhat forced.

Which family doesn’t have some conflicts?

Though Zhao Zhenyuan comforted himself this way, after Liang Yunshan left, sitting alone in boredom, he stood up and went outside for a walk.

After walking for a while, Zhao Zhenyuan thought that he had come today only to discuss matters with Liang Yunshan, and hadn’t planned to see Wanniang. However, since he was here, and with Liang Yunshan gone like this, Wanniang would eventually know he had come anyway, so he might as well go see her.

Thinking this way, Zhao Zhenyuan headed toward the flower hall where the Pingxi Marquis Manor normally received guests.

As an outside male, he generally couldn’t enter the inner courtyard, and even if he did, at most he would only go to Ning Garden to pay respects to Old Madam Liang. Therefore, when the siblings met, it was usually in the flower hall.

Liang Yunshan’s study was in the outer courtyard, the flower hall was at the junction between the inner and outer courtyards, and between the two, one had to walk a very long distance.

To avoid impropriety, Zhao Zhenyuan called one of the book boys from Liang Yunshan’s study to accompany him.

The flower hall had people serving at all twelve double-hours, and Zhao Zhenyuan was also a regular guest at the Pingxi Marquis Manor, and moreover a relative by marriage, so a steward received him in the flower hall and also sent someone into the inner courtyard to deliver a message to Zhao Wanniang.

Zhao Zhenyuan was very familiar with this flower hall, so he went to pace under the long corridor that connected the flower hall with the inner courtyard. The steward, knowing he was familiar with this place, stood far away.

The Pingxi Marquis Manor had planted many August osmanthus trees, and at this moment, the golden osmanthus was fragrant. Zhao Zhenyuan, attracted by the scent, walked a few more steps.

Who would have known that through several clumps of aged cypress trees, he heard an anxious male voice: “Wait, don’t go, listen to me…”

Then came a woman’s voice, probably due to urgency or other emotions, the woman’s voice was somewhat shrill: “What else is there to say? Go away!”

Though the man was anxious, his voice remained unhurried: “Listen to my explanation, listen to my explanation…”

Zhao Zhenyuan felt the woman’s voice was very familiar, and the man’s voice also seemed to have been heard before. Just as he was in a daze, he heard a thunderous voice filled with rolling anger and thick malice: “What are you doing!”

The voice was too loud.

Zhao Zhenyuan heard clearly—this was Old Madam Liang.

He was hesitating whether to walk over when he heard Liang Yunshan’s voice, clearly having discovered something serious: “When shall we meet again in longing? This night and moment are hard to bear… You, you…”

What could make Liang Yunshan so incoherent?

An ominous thought flashed through Zhao Zhenyuan’s mind. He hurriedly turned around the several clumps of pine and cypress that blocked him from these voices, and saw a man pulling Zhao Wanniang’s hand while Zhao Wanniang was struggling, and Liang Yunshan stood in place somewhat bewildered, holding a handkerchief in his hand.

“When shall we meet again in longing? This night and moment are hard to bear…”

Could it be words on that handkerchief?

Zhao Zhenyuan almost couldn’t believe his eyes. The person pulling Wanniang’s hand was actually Prince Liang!

Seeing Old Madam Liang and Liang Yunshan appear, Prince Liang was stunned for a moment before letting go of his hand, explaining to Old Madam Liang and her son: “It’s not like this, it’s not like this…”

Old Madam Liang said nothing, and Liang Yunshan’s face appeared dark and furious under the dim light of the wind-blown lamp. He strode toward Zhao Wanniang: “What are you doing?!”

Zhao Wanniang didn’t answer, but stared at Old Madam Liang with a complex expression. Old Madam Liang snorted coldly, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Prince Liang stepped forward to chase after her, but after walking a few steps, not knowing what he thought of, he just stood in place muttering to himself: “It’s not like this…”

Liang Yunshan and Prince Liang stood facing each other. Prince Liang was only about ten years older than Liang Yunshan, and being so well-maintained, he actually appeared several years younger than the weather-beaten Liang Yunshan.

Prince Liang had failed in his bid for the throne over ten years ago and was now just an idle prince, while Liang Yunshan held military power and didn’t need to fear him at all.

Liang Yunshan’s face was ashen. He bowed to Prince Liang and said coldly: “Prince, I don’t know what brings you to my humble manor? How is it that this marquis was completely unaware!”

Only then did Prince Liang come to his senses. He glanced at Liang Yunshan and dropped a sentence: “Pingxi Marquis, I’m sorry.”

After that, he actually put his hands behind his back and walked away on his own.

Liang Yunshan’s eyes blazed with fury. Though the man was an idle prince, he was still a prince—could he beat him up? Could he forcibly detain him?

As Prince Liang walked outward, Zhao Wanniang’s gaze actually followed him, fixed on Prince Liang’s retreating figure.

Seeing Zhao Wanniang’s expression, Liang Yunshan was overwhelmed with rage and anxiety. He raised his hand and delivered a slap across Zhao Wanniang’s face.

At that time, Zhao Zhenyuan was stunned by the situation before him. By the time he came to his senses and tried to block it, it was too late—Zhao Wanniang took Liang Yunshan’s slap squarely.

Liang Yunshan was a great general who commanded millions of troops—how could his strength be that of an ordinary person?

With this slap, Zhao Wanniang spun three full circles in place before steadying herself, half her face already swollen high.

Zhao Zhenyuan was no pushover either. Without thinking, he immediately gave Liang Yunshan a slap in return.

Liang Yunshan didn’t dare strike back, but pointed at Zhao Wanniang and shouted at Zhao Zhenyuan: “Look at what she’s done!”

Zhao Zhenyuan instinctively didn’t believe his sister could be that kind of person. He argued for Zhao Wanniang, his voice also quite loud: “Can’t you listen to what Wanniang has to say before making judgments?”

Liang Yunshan was seething with rage: “Seeing is believing—isn’t that enough?”