Yan Qing held the amulet, her voice urgent. “This pattern on the amulet — do you know what it is?”

“Ow, my goodness, you’re squeezing me to death,” Qiao Yiran quickly pulled her arm free. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

She rubbed her arm and said, “Of course I know — this is our Qiao family crest. This family crest is not something to be used lightly. This is actually the first time it has been used on an amulet — normally it’s only carved onto ancestral worship items and coffins.”

A family crest?

Indeed, a family crest.

Yan Qing was overjoyed. She grabbed the amulet and ran out through the back door.

“Hey, where are you going?” Qiao Yiran and Ling Ai were both confused — they couldn’t understand why Yan Qing had become so agitated over one look at an amulet.

“I’m going to find Shi Ting,” Yan Qing’s voice carried back from a distance.

Shi Ting had promised to keep her safe and naturally hadn’t strayed far. The moment she stepped out, an arm reached out from the side and caught her by the wrist.

She hadn’t had time to cry out before she was pulled into a broad embrace that was warm yet carried a faint chill.

Catching his familiar scent, Yan Qing had no time for surprise. She lifted the amulet in front of him, her face flushed with excitement.

“Shi Ting, look at this quickly — what is this?”

Shi Ting was baffled by her excited state. But when he took the amulet and examined it, the expression on his face became almost identical to Yan Qing’s.

“Where did this amulet come from?”

“From Qiao Yiran,” Yan Qing said, her breathing slightly rapid from excitement. “She says this is their Qiao family crest.”

“A family crest?” Shi Ting’s eyes flickered. “It really is a family crest.”

“Yes! This pattern — aside from the animal in the center being different — is identical in every other detail to the patterns found at the Chen and Xu families. It seems the animal in the center represents the specific noble house, while the surrounding patterns carry some kind of fixed meaning.”

“Bring Qiao Yiran. We’re going to the Qiao family mansion right now.”

Upon hearing that Yan Qing and Shi Ting wanted to visit her home, Qiao Yiran scratched her head with some reluctance. “You really want to come to my house? My house has a lot of concubines — please don’t laugh at me.”

Yan Qing had long known that Master Qiao had taken nine concubines, some of whom Madam Qiao herself had selected for him.

Master Qiao was skilled at business, good at making money, not fond of gambling or opium — his only weakness was his fondness for women.

Madam Qiao had tried to manage it at first, but finding she couldn’t, she eventually let things be.

Yet Madam Qiao had great skill and cunning — not a single concubine in the household dared to cause trouble in her presence. No matter how favored they were, they behaved like mice before a cat when they saw her.

This was partly due to Madam Qiao’s own methods, and partly because Master Qiao would never allow a concubine to overshadow his wife. No matter how many concubines he took, he always showed respect to Madam Qiao. In matters of the inner household, he left all decisions entirely to her and never interfered or showed favoritism.

As the group arrived at the Qiao family mansion, Qiao Yiran steeled herself and said, “If any of those women try to talk to you, you don’t need to pay them any mind.”

As she spoke, two women dressed in flamboyant attire came toward them.

Both women stared at Shi Ting with undisguised surprise, their eyes roaming over him without any restraint.

Qiao Yiran said with utter disgust, “What are you staring at? I’ll tell Father you were trying to steal a man.”

The two concubines were indeed afraid of this favored young mistress. At her words, they quickly averted their eyes and slunk away.

“Look at them — that’s their nature. No wonder Father doesn’t mind them,” Qiao Yiran muttered through gritted teeth.

Ling Ai was astonished again. She hadn’t imagined that one man could take more than ten wives, and that all these wives lived together in one compound.

Even if each wife bore just one child, the Qiao family would have over a dozen children by now.

“The concubines in our family have no right to have children,” Qiao Yiran said, seeming to read Ling Ai’s bewilderment, and voluntarily explained. “I have two brothers, both born of my mother. Every concubine has to take contraceptive medicine. This was a rule set jointly by my mother and father. Once, one of the concubines bribed a servant and secretly had the medicine replaced. She took advantage of the situation and became pregnant, and only dared to tell Father when she was three months along.”

“What happened then?” Ling Ai asked curiously.

“Then — she was forcibly given medicine to end the pregnancy and expelled from the Qiao family. After that, no one dared to cause trouble again.”

Ling Ai couldn’t help but say, “The affairs of your family really are like something out of a storytelling performance.”

“There’s so much of this — if I told you everything, three days and three nights wouldn’t be enough. I don’t tell it, partly out of embarrassment.”

Yan Qing had no heart for listening to Qiao Yiran’s family gossip. Her mind was entirely occupied with that family crest.

She knew the truth was drawing closer and closer. They were about to uncover the secret behind the Chen and Xu families.

“Father is in the study. I already had a servant notify him,” Qiao Yiran said.

The words had barely fallen when Master Qiao came striding toward them from not far away. He was tall and refined-looking, and at first glance appeared to be in his thirties.

It was precisely his handsome looks and ample wealth that allowed him to take concubines one after another.

“I’ve lost count of how many concubines Father has taken,” Qiao Yiran whispered into Ling Ai’s ear. “I heard Mother keeps a written record — I’ll try to sneak a look sometime.”

Ling Ai heard this and felt both amused and exasperated. She got the sense that the inner workings of the Qiao household were far more dramatic than even the Shi family’s.

“Young Marshal.” Master Qiao came forward, bowed respectfully, and shook Shi Ting’s hand. “I didn’t know the Young Marshal was honoring us with a visit — I have been remiss in my welcome. Please forgive me.”

Shi Ting said, “I am the one intruding upon you.”

“Not at all.” Master Qiao smiled. “The Young Marshal’s presence brings brilliance to our humble abode.”

He glanced toward the person beside Shi Ting and bowed once more. “This must be the Young Madam? My daughter Yiran mentions her often. For one so young to already have such a distinguished reputation — truly remarkable.”

Yan Qing was accustomed to such compliments and had long since grown nonchalant. She simply smiled with gracious composure. “Master Qiao flatters me.”

“Father, this is Ling Ai — I’ve mentioned her to you as well,” Qiao Yiran added from the side with evident dissatisfaction at being overlooked.

Master Qiao immediately smiled. “Miss Ling Ai, please forgive my rudeness.”

Ling Ai also quickly returned the courtesy. “Master Qiao, you are too kind.”

“With so many honored guests here this evening, I am truly fortunate. Please, everyone — I’ll have something prepared and share a few drinks with the Young Marshal.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Shi Ting said. “Master Qiao, there is an important matter I would like to discuss with you privately.”

Seeing Shi Ting’s grave expression, Master Qiao understood this must be a matter of great importance — otherwise a man of the Young Marshal’s stature would not have come personally.

“Young Marshal, please come inside.” Master Qiao stepped aside to clear the way, and at the same time said to Qiao Yiran, “Yiran, take Miss Ling Ai for tea, and have the servants prepare some food and drink.”

Qiao Yiran took Ling Ai’s hand. “Understood. You go discuss your important matters — we’ll go have tea and chat.”

Master Qiao led Shi Ting and Yan Qing into the study and personally brewed tea.

“Please have some tea,” he said.

Master Qiao sat down across from them and kept a watchful eye on the imposing man before him.

He was a merchant; ordinarily he rarely had occasion to interact with figures like Shi Ting. Sitting face to face with him now, there was an overwhelming sense of authority emanating from his presence — even though the man before him was making every effort to appear relaxed.

Master Qiao had navigated the business world for decades and had long since forged a heart of iron. Yet facing Shi Ting, he still felt a trace of nervousness.

“Master Qiao,” Shi Ting said, picking up his teacup and taking a light sip — partly so as not to make Master Qiao too tense. “I would like to ask about Master Qiao’s ancestral hometown.”

A flash of surprise passed through Master Qiao’s eyes, though he quickly smiled and said, “Our ancestors were from Qi Shan. During the wars, we drifted to Shun Cheng.”

“The Qi Shan of Qian Guan Cheng?”

Master Qiao nodded.

Shi Ting set down his teacup. His deep-set eyes looked directly at him. “Are you certain, Master Qiao?”

His voice was perfectly calm, yet it carried an intangible pressure. The air pressure in the small study seemed to drop at that very moment.

A cold sweat suddenly broke out on Master Qiao’s back. His gaze instantly shifted away from Shi Ting, his eyeballs rolling restlessly, and the corner of his mouth gave a slight involuntary twitch.

“Master Qiao, do you have elders?” Shi Ting’s question caught Master Qiao off guard.

He nodded. “My father is still with us.”

“Is the Elder Master in good health?”

“Father has been ill and confined to the rear courtyard for many years, rarely stepping outside.”

“Would it be possible to meet the Elder Master?”

“This…” Master Qiao’s face took on an expression of difficulty. “Father’s health is not convenient. I worry his illness might spread to the Young Marshal. If there is anything you wish to ask, I can relay it on your behalf.”

“If Master Qiao will not speak honestly, what use is there in having you relay it?” Shi Ting’s gaze seemed to pierce right through to the depths of a person’s heart, and Master Qiao felt a surge of unease under that scrutiny.

“It is not that I am being dishonest. It is only that my father once impressed upon me most earnestly — regarding the question of our ancestral hometown, I must never mention it to others. If anyone asks, I am to say we are from Qi Shan.”

“Could the Qiao family’s ancestral hometown be Zhiqing County?”

Master Qiao was greatly startled, and his complexion turned ashen.

“Young… Young Marshal, how do you know this?”

Shi Ting said, “The fact that I was able to find my way to Master Qiao means I have gathered a certain amount of information. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have been easily deceived by Master Qiao’s story?”

Master Qiao’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment. “It was not my intention to conceal this from you. I ask the Young Marshal to forgive me.”

“There is a matter I must ask the Elder Master about in person. I hope Master Qiao will grant me this convenience.”

Master Qiao hesitated at length, but in the end nodded. “Very well then.”

He could perhaps ignore another person’s request, but the one before him he truly could not afford to offend.

He was an official and Master Qiao was a merchant — a single word from him could send Master Qiao into turmoil, resulting in devastating losses. Furthermore, it was clear from the situation that the other party had come well-prepared; otherwise they would never have uttered the words “Zhiqing County.”

At that moment, a servant walked in, first bowed, and then said, “Master, someone outside has delivered these items for the Young Marshal.”

Master Qiao looked at the paper bag in the servant’s hands, then back at Shi Ting.

Shi Ting said, “I had someone send these here.”

He stepped forward and took the bag. “Master Qiao, let us go.”