Upon returning to their room, Gao Qiao immediately apologized to Xiao Yongjia.

Xiao Yongjia wasn’t particularly angry, only asking if he had eaten dinner. Learning that his stomach was indeed still empty, she complained briefly then ordered someone to bring the dinner she had specially saved for him.

Gao Qiao’s mind was full of troubles—how could he have any appetite? He ate a few bites perfunctorily and stopped. A’Ju led the servants to help their master and mistress prepare for bed. After they finished tidying up, it was already quite late.

Xiao Yongjia always treasured her long hair, carefully combing it thoroughly every night before sleep.

Tonight was no different.

Gao Qiao sat on the bed’s edge, watching his wife at the mirror combing her cascading long hair, her back focused and concentrated. She didn’t seem to intend questioning his late return tonight, and his originally anxious mood finally calmed somewhat. After wandering thoughts for a while, remembering it was her birthday and how he had kept her waiting all evening without even half a word of reproach from her, he felt deeply guilty. Suppressing his worries, he rose and walked over, coming behind her. He took the comb from her hands, lifted her entire body, carried her to the bed, and laid her down.

Xiao Yongjia was now seven or eight months pregnant, her belly prominently rounded.

Gao Qiao settled her comfortably, his palm gently caressing her abdomen, saying softly, “Your hair is already beautiful enough—no need for such thorough combing. You must be tired today. Rest…”

Xiao Yongjia nodded and casually asked again, “Jingshen, did something troubling happen today?”

Gao Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. Not daring to meet her gaze, he averted his eyes while helping her with the covers, saying, “What trouble could there be? Just routine office matters—some urgent things that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. I was busy and forgot the time…”

Xiao Yongjia looked at her husband’s face and shook her head, “You’re deceiving me. It’s not like you haven’t returned late before. I can tell—tonight when you came back, it was different from usual. You have something on your mind.”

Gao Qiao’s heart raced with panic, though his face still forced a smile, “A’Ling, don’t overthink it. What could be troubling me? It’s just that today is your birthday—I promised to return early but was late again…”

His voice gradually faded as he looked at Xiao Yongjia’s examining gaze directed at him, finally falling silent.

“If it’s court troubles you don’t want to discuss, then don’t—I couldn’t help anyway. Let’s sleep.”

Xiao Yongjia asked no more, lying down and closing her eyes.

Gao Qiao watched her for a moment, slowly lying down as well, but how could he possibly sleep? The moment he closed his eyes, his mind filled with scenes from tonight’s encounter with that Shao woman, his heart heavy with thoughts. Suddenly feeling his wife turn beside him, he opened his eyes to see her facing inward, one hand pressed to her waist. He quickly dispelled his troubled thoughts, reaching over to place his palm on her lower back, rubbing in circles.

After a while, Xiao Yongjia turned her face toward him, “Our child is much more active than when A’Mi was in my belly—sometimes the torment…”

She sighed, but her eyes were full of smiles.

“I’m much better now. You’re tired too—no need to keep rubbing. Sleep.” She also smoothed her husband’s temples, her fingertips gentle and intimate.

Gao Qiao looked at her, thinking how she carried his child, her waist aching and legs swollen as the months progressed, unable to sleep well at night, yet without a word of complaint, still so gentle and considerate toward him. The matter with that Shao woman—if he continued hiding it from her, it would make him seem guilty.

If he explained it clearly to her, surely she would understand.

Gao Qiao’s chest gradually warmed, feeling he could no longer hold back, “A’Ling, I did encounter something today. If I tell you, please don’t be angry.”

Xiao Yongjia hummed, “I knew you had something. Tell me.”

Gao Qiao steadied himself, gathered courage, and finally recounted his visit to death row and encounter with Shao Yuniang. Seeing his wife’s expression change from initial shock at hearing Shao Yuniang’s name to bewilderment, then final silence without words for a long time, he hurriedly explained, “A’Ling, please don’t misunderstand! I am indeed glad she’s alive, but absolutely without any ulterior feelings! I only thought that she did save my life back then. Though she later made mistakes, they weren’t crimes deserving death. Her experiences over these years, as I just told you, have been quite difficult. Now being thrown into death row is truly a misunderstanding, a twist of fate…”

Xiao Yongjia suddenly looked up, interrupting his explanation.

“Enough, you needn’t be so nervous. Do you think I’m still that young woman from years past? It’s best she didn’t die—saves me from always feeling I owed someone something.”

Gao Qiao finally breathed a sigh of relief, sighing, “A’Ling, you’re truly wonderful. I was afraid you’d overthink it, which is why I didn’t tell you immediately upon returning. As long as you trust me, I’m at peace.”

Xiao Yongjia asked several questions about Shao Yuniang’s condition. Learning she had been tortured after imprisonment and was now seriously ill, with Gao Qiao having ordered the jailer to arrange better quarters and medical care, she nodded. After thinking, she asked, “She must hate me terribly, right? In front of you, did she speak ill of me?”

Gao Qiao immediately remembered Shao Yuniang accusing his wife of sending people to kill her.

He instinctively didn’t believe it. But looking at that Shao woman, she had seemed so earnest, not like she was lying.

First, so many years had passed—as long as the person was alive, Gao Qiao really didn’t want to cause more disputes with his wife over this. Second, it was possible that those men sent by Zhu Shi, seeing the Shao siblings escape by jumping into water, deliberately spoke thus to frame others, leading to Shao woman’s misunderstanding.

“How could she hate you? How could she speak ill of you to me? Don’t overthink it,” Gao Qiao coaxed.

“You mentioned she became a Fragrance Master in the Celestial Master sect. Had she been to Jingkou before?” Xiao Yongjia asked.

Gao Qiao was startled, mumbling vaguely, “She should have been there…”

Xiao Yongjia was lost in thought for a moment, slowly saying, “Jingshen, though she didn’t speak ill of me to you, I must be the villain first. Since she had been to Jingkou, I remembered—the masked female Fragrance Master I encountered in Jingkou before was probably her. I remember that day we were walking toward each other on the road. When I asked her to yield, that wasn’t wrong, was it? She clearly knew it was me coming but deliberately charged forward. Tell me, doesn’t she hate me?”

Gao Qiao hurried to say, “She explained this to me. She said she was sitting in a palanquin at the time, pushed forward by believers, unable to help herself, which led to offending you. She was also quite frightened. A’Ling, you’re magnanimous—don’t hold it against her.”

Xiao Yongjia smiled faintly, “She saved your life before, then nearly lost her own because of me. After barely escaping alive, these years have been as difficult as you described. Now that we’ve encountered her, it’s right for you to help her—I won’t object. I mentioned this small matter not to hold grudges against her, but to remind you not to forget what the Celestial Master sect did in Jingkou. When Jingchen stopped them, they sent assassins in revenge, and Jingchen and A’Mi nearly came to harm.”

She smiled self-deprecatingly, “Perhaps I’m used to being the villain, with a small heart, so I judge others by my own measure. I mean nothing by it, just reminding you.”

Gao Qiao was startled and hesitated.

“You speak reasonably. But she’s a woman who escaped death and fell into the Celestial Master sect—some things were probably beyond her control. She herself said she long wanted to escape and return to being an ordinary citizen, but being deeply involved in the sect, she couldn’t break free and was forced into unwilling acts. The reason she defied court orders and secretly remained in Jiankang, leading to capture, was to use this opportunity to hide and leave the sect…”

He paused, looking at his wife.

“Who is without fault? I was thinking to first let her recover, investigate the matter clearly. If she truly has reformed and repented sincerely, then help her by arranging a proper place to go, settling the past grievances between us.”

“A’Ling, rest assured—I know what I’m doing and would never do anything to wrong you.”

Gao Qiao emphasized his tone.

Xiao Yongjia looked at her husband for a moment, smiled, and said, “I know.”

After Xiao Yongjia’s birthday, Luoshen stayed home for several more days. Following her original plan, she packed her belongings, intending to spend a few months in Jingkou.

Speaking of it, since marrying, this daughter-in-law had hardly served her mother-in-law. Fortunately, the A family was good-natured and never minded such things.

The night before departure, Luoshen went to Xiao Yongjia’s room to chat, telling A’Ju not to accompany her this trip but to stay home and care for mother—that was most important.

Xiao Yongjia smiled, “I’m perfectly fine. If A’Ju doesn’t accompany you when you’re not home, I won’t be at ease.”

A’Ju glanced at Xiao Yongjia, seeming to want to speak but holding back.

Luoshen persuaded her further, but Xiao Yongjia insisted A’Ju go along. Knowing her mother cared for her, Luoshen had to give up. After returning to her room, A’Ju came again to check the luggage packed by the maids, ensuring nothing was forgotten.

Luoshen watched her back, slightly lost in thought.

Since her birthday, mother seemed somewhat abnormal.

She actually looked much the same as usual, but Luoshen just had this feeling—she seemed to have something on her mind. Sometimes when chatting with her, mother would zone out mid-conversation as if thinking of something. When asked, she’d smile and say it was nothing, speaking and laughing normally.

She couldn’t help asking, “Nanny Ju, has A’Niang had something troubling her these days? Just now I saw you seemed to want to say something to her.”

A’Ju stopped her busy hands, turned around, looked at Luoshen, hesitated a moment, then shook her head.

Luoshen hadn’t been entirely certain before. But asking this question and seeing A’Ju’s reaction, she became more convinced that something had definitely happened these past days. So she dismissed the others and said, “Nanny, don’t hide it from me. If A’Niang truly has troubles she can’t tell me about, you must let me know. Am I an outsider?”

A’Ju could no longer hold back. She came to Luoshen’s side and said quietly, “Young miss, you’re grown now—there’s something I can tell you! It’s truly infuriating!”

She leaned close to Luoshen’s ear.

“You used to want to know why the Eldest Princess and the Chancellor didn’t get along, asking me many times, but I wouldn’t tell you? I thought you were too young then, afraid you wouldn’t understand, not daring to let you know. Now you’re grown—I can tell you. It was all because of a shameless woman surnamed Shao!”

“That shameless woman has actually returned now!”

Luoshen was stunned.

A’Ju was indignant. Seeing Luoshen’s confused expression, she recounted the whole story: years ago when Gao Qiao returned from the Northern Expedition with the Shao siblings, the Eldest Princess, to show gratitude, welcomed Shao Yuniang into their household and treated her as an honored guest. Unexpectedly, Shao woman took advantage of the Eldest Princess’s absence to climb into Gao Qiao’s bed. When discovered, it enraged the Eldest Princess, who forced her to return north. Halfway there, she was intercepted by bandits and eventually jumped into the river.

“We thought she was dead, but she’s actually alive and joined the Celestial Master sect. Remember that female Celestial Master when we were in Jingkou? That was her! Playing tricks, doing all sorts of evil, yet now she has the face to show up and entangle Chancellor Gao again! Most infuriating is that Chancellor Gao believed her lies and is keeping her in Jiankang to recover!”

“If you ask me, that shameless woman saw the Celestial Master sect had no future and couldn’t bear seeing the Eldest Princess’s happiness, so she deliberately made herself look so pitiful. She just knew Chancellor Gao was soft-hearted and would remember that bit of life-saving grace, so she came crawling back! Such a shameless harlot who could strip and climb into bed—in front of men, her mouth is like honey, able to make black seem white. Men just fall for this act. Young miss, don’t you think it’s infuriating?”

Naturally, these weren’t Xiao Yongjia’s exact words. Even when asking her to gather information, her emotions were calm. Rather, A’Ju herself was furious, and speaking of it now, she was gritting her teeth, her voice trembling.

Luoshen was absolutely shocked.

All these years, she had wanted to know why her parents didn’t get along. Unfortunately, no one would tell her before. Later, when her parents reconciled, this puzzle that had troubled her for years gradually became less important.

She never imagined she’d hear the answer from A’Ju today. Even less did she expect this was the reason for her mother’s recent emotional abnormality.

“Nanny Ju, calm down first. Tell me clearly—what exactly happened these past few days?”

Luoshen finally recovered, hurriedly comforting her while pressing for details.

A’Ju took a deep breath, calming herself slightly before continuing with the story.

Three days ago, Gao Qiao returned to tell Xiao Yongjia that the jailer reported Shao woman was seriously ill and continuing to keep her in prison might be inappropriate. He had informed Xiao Daocheng, who supervised the case, and temporarily moved her to outside quarters.

Xiao Yongjia told A’Ju about this. A’Ju sent someone to investigate, who returned saying the place was in the eastern suburbs of Jiankang, quite secluded. That Shao woman’s brother Shao Fengzhi had also returned to care for her.

“Just watch. She’s counted on Chancellor Gao being soft-hearted and remembering favors. Now that she’s finally latched on again, her illness will only get worse. By the time she can walk, it’ll be the Year of the Monkey!”

A’Ju sneered.

Only then did Luoshen fully understand the whole situation, falling silent for a moment.

“Enough, enough, let’s not speak of it. Fortunately, Chancellor Gao didn’t hide it from the Eldest Princess this time, telling her everything. That shameless woman probably can’t stir up much trouble. Young miss, just keep this in mind. The Eldest Princess didn’t want you to know either.”

A’Ju finished checking the luggage—everything was complete. She closed the lid and turned to Luoshen.

Luoshen thought for a while, then said, “Nanny Ju, go tell A’Niang I’ll stay home to accompany her a few more days. I’ll go to Jingkou in a few days—the A family shouldn’t mind.”

After A’Ju left, Luoshen was lost in thought for a long time.

So all these years, behind the appearance of her parents’ discord, such a past event had been looming.

Knowing her father’s character, probably all these years in his heart, that Shao Yuniang’s death had always been a burden.

Though Shao woman had done such things back then, in father’s eyes, the wrong didn’t deserve death. Even after learning those who intercepted her were unrelated to mother, for father, the sense of guilt probably never completely disappeared.

Now, the person he thought long dead had been resurrected. Father must feel immense relief.

Luoshen felt she could understand her father’s current actions.

But understanding was one thing. Asking her to stand with father on this issue was quite difficult.

The woman surnamed Shao was actually the masked female Celestial Master who had once been famous in the capital!

Taking ten thousand steps back, even without the Jingkou incident, Luoshen held an extremely resistant attitude toward this woman’s resurrection and appearance.

After her parents had wasted so many years and finally reconciled, mother would give birth in just a few months.

She couldn’t tolerate this woman suddenly appearing at such a time and inserting herself between her parents.

Luoshen knew her parents’ characters too well.

A’Ye had probably learned from past lessons and this time didn’t hide things from A’Niang, being open and honest. But he was stubborn. In his eyes, Shao Yuniang was probably still that woman who had helped him but was excessively punished for a momentary mistake. Having barely escaped death, she’d lived a difficult life full of hardships these years, pitiable in her circumstances, needing his help.

A’Niang was no longer as impulsive as in the past. Regarding A’Ye’s actions, she seemed quite understanding.

But in her heart, how could she truly remain without resentment forever?

It wasn’t that Luoshen didn’t trust her father, but she didn’t trust that woman.

Just based on what Shao Yuniang had done in Jingkou, Luoshen truly couldn’t believe she was completely innocent, merely forced to act.

Moreover, now using such a coincidental method to be reborn before father’s eyes, gaining his sympathy and successfully establishing herself.

Luoshen couldn’t view all this with benevolent eyes.

She felt Shao Yuniang had ulterior motives. At least regarding her father, she definitely harbored unspeakable thoughts.

A’Ju’s final concern was exactly Luoshen’s concern.

Perhaps it was also A’Niang’s concern.

But such words—even A’Niang couldn’t speak them directly to A’Ye, much less herself as a daughter.

Without evidence, how could she warn father that this woman very likely had evil intentions?

Luoshen frowned, thinking repeatedly. Suddenly, she remembered something.

Initially in Jingkou, before the Celestial Master sect’s abduction of women to attract followers was exposed, there had been rumors of improper behavior. Once, neighborhood women came to chat at home, saying that female Celestial Master’s brother had seduced a young married woman in town while preaching. When the family discovered it and wanted to report him to authorities, he paid them off to settle the matter.

The women had all cursed that the Celestial Master sect was a nest of snakes and rats with few decent people. Luoshen had heard but paid no attention. Remembering now, her heart stirred.

She thought of a method.

It might not necessarily work. But even if she could just learn about that Shao woman’s experiences during her years of feigned death, it would be better than doing nothing and watching her use such irrefutable reasons to insert herself between her parents again.

Luoshen immediately wrote a letter, had someone summon A’Ju, spoke with her at length, asking her to quietly deliver the letter personally to someone as soon as possible, requesting her help.

Qin Tower.

Lu Niang finished teaching her female student the qin, saw her out, closed the door, and removed her makeup before the mirror.

The scar on her neck was fading more and more.

She felt somewhat reluctant. Deep in her heart, she seemed to hope this scar would never completely fade. She had long stopped using the ointment that person sent.

That person was quite shrewd, yet foolish about this matter. Each time he passed by and came up to sit, he’d ask about her wound. Hearing the scar hadn’t disappeared, he’d send ointment every few days.

In the rouge box, several unopened medicine bottles had already accumulated.

Her gaze slowly shifted from the mirror’s reflection of the scar on her jade neck to her face. She stared blankly at the mirror showing her features still in their prime, her brows gradually clouded with worry. Lost in thought, she suddenly heard footsteps on the stairs outside, and a servant woman knocked, saying someone sought her.

Lu Niang was about to refuse when she heard another woman say, “Miss, I’m here to deliver a message.”

Lu Niang was startled, feeling the voice somewhat familiar. She quickly rose and opened the door.

Outside stood a middle-aged woman with a respectful manner, who bowed to her and smilingly presented a letter.

Lu Niang immediately recognized her.

This woman was exactly the servant who had attended Madam Li that night on the boat.

She was quite surprised, quickly accepting the letter, inviting her inside, closing the door, and offering her a seat.

The woman called herself A’Ju, saying the young miss was still waiting for her return and dared not sit.

Lu Niang understood, immediately opening the letter.

Indeed, it was Madam Li’s personal writing.

After reading the letter, Lu Niang didn’t hesitate for a moment, immediately saying, “Please tell madam on my behalf that I remember everything and will arrange it properly, giving her news as soon as possible.”

A’Ju stepped forward, grasped Lu Niang’s hand, and said quietly, “My young miss asked me to tell you one more thing. Regarding this matter, as long as you agree to help, regardless of what news emerges, my young miss will owe you another enormous favor. In the future, she will certainly repay it.”

A’Ju smiled at Lu Niang, released her hand, left a money pouch, and quickly departed.