“Yes, we each gained something, so there’s no need to thank each other.” Xie Yunhuai’s smile was as pure as a bright moon.

After rain comes clear skies, everything becomes clean and bright.

This was exactly how it felt to interact with Xie Yunhuai – spacious and open. Xie Yunhuai didn’t stay long, and Shen Xihe didn’t try to keep him. She saw him off from the Princess’s residence, unaware that Xie Yunhuai hadn’t left the city but instead returned openly to Duke Xie’s mansion.

Xie Ji had smashed his favorite tea set upon returning home. Duke Xie’s mansion was still in disarray, with servants all knowing that the Duke had been stripped of his position, making them all extremely nervous.

Seeing Xie Yunhuai arrive, none of them knew how to react – they dared neither stop him nor announce him. They could only watch as Xie Yunhuai walked forward with his hands behind his back, his steps steady, wearing a smile with an unclear meaning.

“I told you long ago that he doesn’t acknowledge you as his father. I warned you not to be careless, but you said I was being intolerant. Now look at today…” Yuan Shi was complaining when she looked up to see Xie Yunhuai standing in the doorway. Her gaze turned fierce, “You dare to come here!”

“Why wouldn’t I dare to come?” Xie Yunhuai lifted his long leg over the threshold. “Did I speak any falsehoods before His Majesty today?”

He had indeed guessed that the person Xie Ji wanted him to treat was the Xun Prince. The ancestral temple fire, the Xun Prince’s resurrection – these matters had caused quite a stir. The sudden tightening of security at the city gates, all of these things indicated that the Xun Prince matter was extraordinary.

His Majesty raising a private army was such a shocking matter that he only began to guess at it after Prince Kang’s crime of privately manufacturing weapons was exposed. Prince Kang’s loyalty to the emperor meant he would never turn against any prince, so if it wasn’t for a prince’s benefit, it could only be for the Emperor.

He had deliberately visited Prince Kang’s elderly princess dowager for consultation after Prince Kang’s downfall and gathered some information from the people in Prince Kang’s mansion, which confirmed that Prince Kang was working for His Majesty.

What would His Majesty need such a large quantity of weapons for? It wasn’t hard to imagine it was for a private army. When news of the Xun Prince’s resurrection emerged, he knew who was building and training the private army. Xie Ji had once owed the Xun Prince a life debt on the battlefield – he had heard this mentioned when Xie Ji spoke with the Xun Prince during his childhood, something probably even His Majesty didn’t know.

So when Xie Ji sought him out, he had some guesses. The Xun Prince had been set up, and whoever had acted would ensure it was a fatal trap. For the Xun Prince to escape, he must have been either dying or severely injured.

He wouldn’t dare seek His Majesty, so there was a ninety percent chance he would seek Xie Ji. Xie Ji wouldn’t dare look for city doctors for fear of the news spreading, so seeking him was the best option. He understood this clearly, yet still showed extreme unwillingness, especially upon arriving at the Xie mansion and discovering it was the Xun Prince – he refused firmly.

To make him help, Xie Ji offered his mother’s belongings in exchange. Back then when he had severed ties, he had no right to take his mother’s belongings. He pretended to be moved and agreed, but this didn’t change the fact that Xie Ji was detaining him.

“Do you truly hate me this much?” Xie Ji asked in a deep voice, the corners of his eyes red.

“Should I not hate you?” Xie Yunhuai smiled back, his eyes cold. “I’m a doctor now – can you still deceive me about what you did back then?”

“Eldest son, regarding your mother’s matter, whether you believe it or not, it truly wasn’t intentional,” Xie Ji said sorrowfully.

Mockery flashed through Xie Yunhuai’s dark pupils: “Duke Xie, no need to act for me. I’m here to tell you that everything is just beginning. We have plenty of time ahead. You let my mother suffer torture for years, so I won’t give you a quick end either.”

With that, Xie Yunhuai left, and none of the servants in Duke Xie’s mansion dared stop him.

“My Lord, look at him! He sees you as an enemy, where is there any familial feeling?” Yuan Shi said coldly. “I can see now – he’s targeting us, and probably planned everything from the start. Otherwise, why would Princess Zhaoning simply give him the imperial golden token? He must have been playing the victim and slandering us to Princess Zhaoning! If you continue to let him be like this, our Duke’s mansion will eventually be destroyed by his hands!”

“Shut up!” Xie Ji shouted angrily, turning to glare at Yuan Shi. “If you could have given me even one child, would I be at his mercy?”

Xie Yunhuai was his only son. He and Yuan Shi had been married for many years without any good news, and the Duke’s mansion had no other concubines. If anything happened to Xie Yunhuai, the Xie family title would have no heir and would be recalled. Even a son from a concubine would be better than nothing…

If the Xie family title ended with him, he would be the family’s sinner.

Back then, Qi Shi’s matter had been handled perfectly, but the Xie clan members weren’t fools. It was only because the Qi family was weak, and those in charge were no longer Qi shi’s blood brothers, that no one sought justice. The Xie clan members didn’t pursue it for the sake of benefits.

As he grew older without an heir, the Xie clan members began to complain. He could adopt a child from a distant branch and register them under his name, but after his death, whether the title would be given would depend on His Majesty’s mood.

If it were Xie Yunhuai, inheriting the title would be natural.

Yuan Shi’s face turned pale. She had given birth before, and she had secretly consulted doctors who all said she could conceive. Even though she was a bit older now, after five or six years, she still had no good news. This had always been her weak point.

Xie Yunhuai walked out through the moon gate, also hearing the couple’s argument. Does Yuan Shi want to conceive? Impossible!

Because before he had severed ties, he had already given Xie Ji medicine that caused sterility!

Recently, the Xie clan members had sensed the crisis of losing their glory and wealth and had all approached him expressing their support.

He had rejected them all. Today’s events were meant to show the Xie clan members clearly who could truly support the Xie family going forward, making them more willing to be used by him.

Coming here specifically was just to divert Xie Ji’s attention, making him think everything was carefully planned by himself, and that Shen Xihe was merely being used to deal with him. This way, he wouldn’t seek revenge against Shen Xihe.

Next would be pressuring the Xie clan members to spread the word that Yuan Shi couldn’t bear children, forcing concubines on Xie Ji. With his constant revenge on one side, he wanted to see if Xie Ji could maintain his deep love.

As soon as Xie Ji took a concubine, he would have Yuan Shi deliver him a “dear son”!

He would torture Xie Ji and Yuan Shi step by step until they were unrecognizable, breeding hatred between them, tormenting each other, and using their touching deep affection to commemorate his mother!

“Princess, Doctor Qi went to Duke Xie’s mansion before safely returning home outside the city,” Mo Yuan had sent people to follow Xie Yunhuai, but seeing he was injured and fearing Duke Xie’s anger, they had protected him secretly.

“No need to send people to protect him, lest he becomes suspicious,” Shen Xihe ordered.

Xie Yunhuai had sufficient ability to protect himself. As for whether his actions this time were using her or helping her, only to benefit himself in the end, there was no need to debate right and wrong.

For her, it was enough to consider it as assistance rendered.