After the Marshal departed, Yan Qing immediately returned to the room. Shi Ting was sitting up in bed, turning a piece of jade over in his hands — a piece edged with a ring of gold.

This had originally been something Yan Qing had given to Little Yue, but Little Yue had felt it was too valuable and had quietly slipped it back into Yan Qing’s pocket when they were leaving.

“This child, Little Yue.” Yan Qing accepted the jade pendant Shi Ting handed her and smiled.

The grandchild and grandparent pair would not accept their gifts — they truly had a kind of unyielding pride. But Shi Ting and Yan Qing were both people who repaid even a single drop of kindness with a gushing spring in return. Giving silver directly would naturally be improper — it was far better to rebuild the dock, reopen Jiuyang Village’s external trade, and as for Little Yue and her grandfather, Shi Ting would also find them a good position, enough to see the two of them through a comfortable, prosperous life that no one would dare trouble.

Shi Ting pulled her hand and had her sit beside him.

Yan Qing laughed. “The Seventh Young Master is so gravely wounded he can barely breathe — how do you still have the energy to tease people?”

“Whether or not I have the energy — aren’t you the one who knows best?” His eyes were close, carrying a playful tease. “Is Madam reproaching me?”

Yan Qing raised a finger and pressed it to his lips, a little exasperated. “It seems you haven’t been wounded badly enough.”

Shi Ting smiled, rubbing his face gently against hers, then twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and played with it.

“What do you think the Marshal will do?” Yan Qing asked curiously.

“Why doesn’t Madam hazard a guess?”

Yan Qing leaned against his chest and smiled. “The Marshal will follow your suggestion and devise a scheme to draw out the person behind Secretary Li.”

“Then guess again, Madam — who is the person behind Secretary Li?”

“Shi Qian.” Yan Qing’s tone was certain. “Shi Guang wouldn’t be so foolish as to hire men who could so easily betray him. Once those men were caught, he’d be exposed immediately. Shi Qian, on the other hand, if he were the true culprit, could order an assassination attempt on you without a second thought. If it succeeded, all would be well; if not, the blame could be pinned on Shi Guang. After all, both you and Shi Guang are people he wants to eliminate — it doesn’t matter which one goes first.”

Shi Ting tweaked her nose. “If you were a man, Madam, you would certainly make a fine military strategist.”

“You flatter me too much, my husband. The only reason I can see this far is because I’ve watched your every move from the very beginning and come to understand the purpose and direction behind each of your steps. If you truly put me in the army as a strategist, I fear I wouldn’t last three days before being thoroughly routed.”

Shi Ting laughed heartily. “Madam is being too modest.”

Yan Qing sat up properly in his arms and looked at him with mock solemnity. “But my husband’s acting ability truly is at the height of perfection. If you can’t be the future Marshal some day, you could always go be a film actor — with your looks and your talent, you’d certainly be famous from the north to the south of the country.”

“Madam is really so very worried about my future livelihood. First she had me become a chef, and now she wants me to be an actor…” Shi Ting gave a helpless smile.

Yan Qing slid out of his arms, pinched his cheek, and said, “All right — you’re an injured man now, and injured men are supposed to lie still obediently.”

“This injured man insists on holding his beautiful wife.” He reached out to pull her back, deliberately affecting the drawling tone of a pampered young nobleman. “Little beauty, come here — let your husband steal a kiss.”

Just as Yan Qing was laughing and dodging him, a soft cough came from outside — Luo Huaimeng’s voice.

Yan Qing immediately stood up straight, her face involuntarily flushing red. Being caught flirting with her own husband by her mother-in-law — how deeply embarrassing.

When Luo Huaimeng entered, Shi Ting had already composed his face into complete seriousness. Yan Qing looked at him and felt utterly contemptuous inwardly. Just a moment ago, who exactly was the one putting on airs like a pampered young nobleman?

But Luo Huaimeng seemed not to have noticed the scene from a moment before, and asked with concern, “Are your injuries all better? Is anything still bothering you?”

“Mother needn’t worry — I’m fine.” Shi Ting gave her a smile. “Yan Qing is here by my side.”

Luo Huaimeng looked at Yan Qing, whose cheeks were still tinged with color, and shook her head helplessly. “You two — you really do give people no peace.”

She paused. “By the way — Meng Xiangyang has arrived.”

Shi Ting and Yan Qing exchanged a glance. Shi Ting lowered his eyes, and a cold smile curved at the corner of his lips. “He couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Yan Qing understood — Meng Xiangyang’s receiving the news so quickly was also Shi Ting’s doing. Since Meng Xiangyang had “planted informants” within the Marshal’s estate, how could he possibly miss this spectacle?

Before the Marshal had even settled back into his chair, Meng Xiangyang had already come in — he hadn’t even bothered to announce himself, but walked straight through the door.

A flash of displeasure crossed the Marshal’s face, though he quickly suppressed it.

“Marshal, I heard the Seventh Young Master was assassinated, and yet you have put the Second and First Young Masters under house arrest to reflect on their conduct.” Meng Xiangyang’s face was flushed scarlet. When he heard the news, he had kicked over two subordinates and overturned the table he’d been eating at.

“Is there something improper about that?” The Marshal narrowed his eyes. His outward expression was blank, but in his eyes was already an expression full of disgust. This Meng Xiangyang had planted informants in his own estate, and the moment something happened had rushed over to interrogate him — did this man still have any regard for him as the Marshal? Was it Meng Xiangyang who was the master of this northern domain?

The Marshal suppressed his rage. He knew this was not yet the moment to break with Meng Xiangyang.

“Naturally it is improper.” Meng Xiangyang seemed not to notice the Marshal’s displeasure and said in a loud voice, “The Seventh Young Master has used ruthless methods over these years and has offended no small number of people. Those who want him dead are beyond counting — so why would the Marshal first suspect his own two legitimate sons?”

He placed emphasis on the word “legitimate sons,” as though reminding the Marshal that Shi Guang and Shi Qian were born of the First Madam — pure of lineage and proper of birth — while Shi Ting was nothing more than the worthless son of a lowly maidservant, hardly fit to be compared to Shi Qian and Shi Guang.

“Those assassins have already confessed. It was Shi Guang who sent them to kill Xingzhi.”

“Mere words without evidence — is there proof?”

The Marshal narrowed his eyes. “If there were proof, I would not be merely having them reflect in confinement.”

“Does the Marshal mean that if this matter truly was Shi Guang’s doing, he would have him shot?”

“Shi Ting is his own younger brother. If he can even order the murder of his own brother, am I supposed to simply indulge him?”

“He is nothing more than a maidservant’s child. That he has found a place at the Marshal’s side is already his good fortune — does he even dare dream of one day inheriting the great enterprise? What right does he have to such aspirations?”

“Silence.” The Marshal’s anger flared. “Shi Ting is my son. He carries the blood of the Shi family in his veins — how dare you speak of him like this here.”

Meng Xiangyang seemed not to hear, and looked at the Marshal with calm, steady eyes. “Marshal, there is actually another matter to raise today. Whether in the Xi Nan or in the northwest, both have already established their successor Marshals, while the position of Marshal for our Bei Di has long remained vacant. It is time for the Marshal to put forward a candidate. Whether it is Shi Guang or Shi Qian, I will fully support whatever decision the Marshal makes and will devote myself all the more to assisting whichever of the two takes the role, to see our Bei Di flourish and prosper.”

Meng Xiangyang’s meaning was plain enough: the Marshal could choose either Shi Guang or Shi Qian — but the one person who could not be chosen was Shi Ting. Should that happen, Meng Xiangyang would be the first to object.

The Marshal’s outward appearance was calm, but his hands were already trembling with suppressed fury. Even so, he had seen enough of the world to maintain composure, and even with Meng Xiangyang pressing right to his doorstep, he could still hold himself steady.

“I will consider the matter carefully. Director Meng may return for now.” The Marshal waved his hand. “Someone — see the guest out.”

“Marshal, Shi Qian and Shi Guang are innocent. I urge the Marshal not to reprimand the wrong people in a moment of impulse.” Meng Xiangyang’s gaze was unyielding, as if he would not leave without a satisfactory answer.

“If they are innocent, then naturally I will not do anything to them.”

“There is no need to go to such lengths over a concubine’s son. Marshal, please reconsider.”

“I have my own judgment in this matter. Director Meng need say no more.”

Meng Xiangyang looked at the Marshal once more, then turned and left.

“This is absolutely outrageous.” The moment Meng Xiangyang was gone, the Marshal swept the brush, inkstone, paper, and writing implements from the desk in a single furious motion. Liu Yin heard the sound from outside and immediately entered with two guards to clean up.

“Liu Yin.” The Marshal called Liu Yin to his side.

“Marshal.” Liu Yin stood with hands at his sides, listening attentively.

“Go tell Secretary Li that I suspect Shi Qian of framing Shi Guang and ask him to investigate Shi Qian in secret.” The Marshal’s eyes narrowed. Regardless of whose man Secretary Li truly was, if he received this information, he would certainly contact that person covertly — and then whoever was hiding in the shadows would become perfectly clear.

After giving his instructions to Liu Yin, the Marshal suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.

Liu Yin stepped forward urgently to support him. “Marshal, let me summon the physician right away.”

“No need.” The Marshal waved him off. He had been angered by Meng Xiangyang — that man was like a thorn lodged in his heart, pricking him every now and then, and yet there was nothing he could do about it.

“Marshal, your color isn’t good. You really should have the physician take a look.”

“An old complaint. Seeing a physician would accomplish nothing.” The Marshal suffered from high blood pressure — a condition that could not be cured. Whenever his emotions ran high, it would cause his blood pressure to spike, followed by severe chest pain that was difficult to endure.

“I heard from the Seventh Young Master that the Seventh Young Mistress knows how to prepare a medicinal tea. Taken daily on a regular basis, it can help manage blood pressure.”

The Marshal’s expression softened. “No wonder the Second Concubine’s complexion has been improving day by day.”

In fact, the Second Concubine had recommended this to him long ago — it was he who had always dismissed it.

“Go and attend to your matters. When the time comes, ask Xingzhi for a few preparations of the medicinal tea.”

Liu Yin inclined his head. “Yes, sir.”

Previously, the Marshal had been unwilling to take medicine casually because he would never lightly place his trust in anyone. Now, he was proactively asking the Seventh Young Master for medicine — because this matter had given him an unprecedented degree of trust in Shi Ting. In the Marshal’s eyes, only Shi Ting was the loyal, obedient son who harbored no ill intentions.

News of Meng Xiangyang’s visit reached Shi Ting’s ears very quickly.

He gave a soft smile and turned the teacup in his hands. “The Meng family is finished.”