Pingling pressed her lips together: “Mother, His Majesty ordered Fifth Brother to care for you. Go to Prince Xin’s residence first – Ninth Brother’s mansion is next door. You can visit often or stay there through Ninth Sister-in-law’s invitation. As long as Fifth Brother doesn’t object, His Majesty won’t interfere.”

Noble Consort Rong’s expression softened, but she still worried about Xiao Changqing remembering: “Pingling, should we tell your Ninth Brother? Mother fears if he remembers one day, and Ninth Brother isn’t prepared, would he…”

“No!” Pingling firmly rejected this. “Fifth Brother means more to Ninth Brother than Mother and I do. If Ninth Brother knows, he’ll surely side with Elder Brother. Telling Ninth Brother is the same as telling Fifth Brother. We won’t even need to wait for Fifth Brother to remember…”

Noble Consort Rong regretted even more, wondering how she had become so angry earlier that she couldn’t hold her tongue.

Now they could only take things one step at a time, hoping Xiao Changqing would never remember.

The events in Hanchang Hall remained unknown to others. Shen Xihe stayed in seclusion during her pregnancy, her only concern being His Majesty. To her surprise, despite knowing his time was limited, His Majesty hadn’t become paranoid or dramatically changed his temperament.

He remained a diligent ruler, as if unaware of his condition, handling state affairs as usual.

Many of Shen Xihe’s precautionary measures proved unnecessary, especially regarding the Northwest.

November arrived, and the capital saw heavy snowfall. On the first day of the tenth month, Shen Xihe received good news – Xie Yunhuai had returned.

“He’s back?” Shen Xihe asked eagerly. “What about Beichen?”

Tianyuan lowered her head: “His Highness didn’t return with Doctor Qi.”

The light in her eyes instantly dimmed. Shen Xihe gave a self-mocking smile: “I was too hopeful.”

How could he return so quickly? If the cure were that simple, why would he leave in such a way, even initially planning to keep her from knowing he had faked his death to seek treatment? The poison was not easily cured, perhaps even fatal.

“Your Highness, shall we summon Doctor Qi for an audience?” Tianyuan asked.

Although the Crown Prince hadn’t returned with Xie Yunhuai, since they had left together, Xie Yunhuai must know much about His Highness’s situation.

But Shen Xihe shook her head: “He might… have returned for his affairs.”

If Xiao Huayong had sent anything or messages back with him, Xie Yunhuai would have come without being summoned.

If not, why pressure Xie Yunhuai?

She hadn’t forgotten that Xie Yunhuai’s family matters remained unresolved.

“Duke Xie’s youngest son must be four now,” Shen Xihe murmured.

She knew this was why Xie Yunhuai had returned.

Indeed, the returned Xie Yunhuai hadn’t sought an audience with Shen Xihe. He’d barely let anyone know of his return, coming back only to settle scores with his father and conclude the scheme laid years ago.

Though he rarely returned to the capital these years, most of the Xie clan had secretly aligned with him.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, big news, big news!” Ziyu, the palace gossip, could always get the first scoop from noble households even within the palace. She rushed to find Shen Xihe, “Big news about Doctor Qi!”

Further along in her pregnancy, Shen Xihe had grown increasingly languid. Though initially uninterested, when Ziyu mentioned Xie Yunhuai, despite her suspicions, she perked up: “Tell me.”

“Yesterday, several ladies were viewing plum blossoms in a garden when they caught adulterers – Duke Xie’s wife with her former brother-in-law.” Ziyu’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

It was shocking – people had heard of affairs between sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, but never between a remarried woman and her deceased husband’s brother, her former brother-in-law.

They were caught in an intimate moment, completely unclothed.

“Your Highness, you’ll never guess what happened next – it’s even more fascinating.” Ziyu was excited but trying to build suspense.

Seeing her blinking and withholding information, waiting for Shen Xihe to ask, Shen Xihe instead said: “There was an adulterer, but not the former brother-in-law.”

Ziyu nearly popped her eyes out: “Your Highness… you’re truly amazing!”

Shen Xihe smiled without explaining. It wasn’t amazing – she remembered Xie Yunhuai telling her that Yuan Shi had a daughter with her first husband but had hidden this from her family. To keep the Xie family from discovering this, she suppressed her brother-in-law’s achievements, preventing his promotion.

This brother-in-law, able to break through despite being suppressed by Duke Xie for so long, couldn’t be foolish. He must have known who had harmed him so badly and surely hated Yuan Shi – how could he possibly have an affair with her?

“Duke Xie’s wife’s lover was indeed someone else. To escape Yuan shi, they set her up…”

Yuan Shi’s actual lover was an idle baron who, like Duke Xie, had once admired her. After she married distantly and then remarried Xie Ji, he thought he’d missed his chance. But when Xie Ji couldn’t resist clan pressure and took a concubine, Yuan Shi felt betrayed. In her resentment, she began an affair with this man who still fantasized about her, resulting in what was now believed to be Xie Ji’s youngest son.

Yuan Shi wanted a child but tried to end things afterward. However, having tasted forbidden pleasure and with the child as leverage, the man wouldn’t let go. Recently his wife noticed something amiss and found evidence.

This wife was ruthless – wanting to save face and protect the child but unable to swallow this insult, she forced her husband to set up Yuan shi. As for why the former brother-in-law was involved, that was Xie Yunhuai’s choice.

This man was not only greedy but had discovered Young Lady Yuan’s secret and blackmailed Yuan Shi, repeatedly gaining favors. Yuan Shi worked with both Duke Xie and the baron to advance his career. After discovering her affair with the baron, he grew even more demanding.

When caught in the act, to prove his innocence, Yuan Shi’s former brother-in-law revealed everything, including about the baron and even that the young master of the Xie household was the baron’s son.

“Duke Xie fainted from anger right there. When he woke this morning, they say he could barely speak,” Ziyu described vividly, as if she’d witnessed it all. “Now the Xie clan members are avoiding Duke Xie and seeking Doctor Qi to acknowledge him as heir.”

The cherished youngest son was illegitimate, not even his child – he had only Xie Yunhuai as his true heir.

The title must pass to a biological son. Even for an adopted heir to inherit, they would need to arrange matters with the Court of State Ceremonial, gain support from the Three Excellencies and the Court of the Imperial Clan, and finally have enough face before His Majesty to secure it.

The more the Xie clan valued this title, the harder they would pressure Xie Ji to beg Xie Yunhuai.

“He won’t return,” Shen Xihe smiled faintly.