What was it about Ji Yao that she didn’t know? Why did Ye Xian come to tell her these things?

Ye Xian continued: “Your cousin… has a child outside. I haven’t completely figured out the situation yet, but I’d estimate it’s about ninety percent certain.” He paused, then slowly said, “It was an accidental birth, but ultimately not a good thing. Don’t worry, I’ll help keep an eye on this. If he truly did this, then you absolutely shouldn’t marry him…”

Ye Xian looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

Ji Yao had a child outside? Gu Jin Chao didn’t know this. In her memory, Ji Yao and the Fourth Miss of Baron Yongyang had always been deeply in love. But with Ye Xian’s words, she recalled overhearing her grandmother speaking with Ji Yao when he had already been married to the Fourth Miss of Baron Yongyang for three years. Her grandmother had lowered her voice in the study, angrily scolding him for acting improperly, saying he had let down the Ji family. She also said what would happen if Baron Yongyang’s family found out about this.

At the time, Gu Jin Chao was confused, but later nothing happened. The strangest thing was that the Ji family had handed over the canal transportation rights in Sanhe to the Luo family. The Luo family business dominated Sanhe.

Gu Jin Chao didn’t know what connection this had to what Ye Xian was saying, but because of this incident, the Ji family’s canal business suffered a severe blow.

But someone like Ji Yao, who didn’t even have a concubine by his side, how could he have left a child outside? Gu Jin Chao couldn’t believe it. She asked softly: “Young Master, do you have any evidence for what you’re saying?”

Ye Xian sighed: “I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Do you know about the Luo family in Tongzhou? This second cousin of yours was once friendly with the Luo family’s eldest son. Luo Tai had taken him to pleasure quarters. At that time, he was dragged down by the Luo family’s eldest son and had relations with a fourteen-year-old courtesan. I’ve sent people to find this courtesan; she’s been hidden by Luo Tai all this time. Just wait for her to confront the Ji family, and then we’ll know.”

If this woman remained in Luo Tai’s hands, who knew what he might do with her in the future? He would offer the Luo family some benefits to get Luo Tai to give up this person, to prevent her from harming Gu Jin Chao later.

The Luo family… how could Ji Yao associate with Luo Tai?

Gu Jin Chao couldn’t help but think of Luo Tai’s pale, emaciated face when he died.

She felt Ji Yao couldn’t do such a thing. But while she might not believe others saying this, the one telling her was Ye Xian! The future Minister of War, Ye Xian, whom even the Chen family feared! The people under him were all extraordinary.

Gu Jin Chao clenched her hands and immediately asked: “Why did you investigate the Ji family’s affairs?”

Ye Xian was silent for a moment. When he heard that Gu Jin Chao was to be engaged to Ji Yao, he felt inexplicably angry. He hadn’t even attended to the Marquis Changxing household’s advisory matters, quickly sending Li Xian Huai to investigate the Ji family, fearing she would place her trust in the wrong person.

He said casually: “I owe you a great favor, don’t I? Rest assured, I’ll keep an eye on your affairs, not letting anyone harm you.”

Gu Jin Chao smiled: “Then thank you. Does anyone else know about this?”

“I’ve sent Li Xian Huai to bring that woman to the Ji family. The Ji family’s Old Madam has been kept in the dark about these matters. Let’s see how she handles it. If she continues to conceal it, acting as if nothing happened… you absolutely cannot marry into such a family!”

Gu Jin Chao curtsied: “Thank you, Young Master. Jin Chao knows how to handle these matters. I would request that Young Master be discreet about this. As for the favor you owe me, consider it repaid… Please don’t dwell on this favor anymore.”

After all, she was about to be married, and continued association with Ye Xian was truly inappropriate.

After speaking, she put her hood back on and walked out of the colonnade with Qing Pu, who held the umbrella.

Ye Xian snorted, not knowing exactly why he was angry. He owed her a favor, not the other way around, so what did she have to be discreet about? He was nominally her cousin, was she afraid of gossip!

As he stood silently watching Gu Jin Chao’s departing figure, a guard suddenly approached noiselessly from the side and said softly: “Young Master, someone followed us here…”

Ye Xian asked: “Who is so bold?”

“It seems to be a maid from the elder miss’s side. What should we do?”

His elder sister was indeed worried about him and had sent a maid to follow.

Ye Xian said indifferently: “…Let her be.”

The guard acknowledged the order, then held the umbrella for Ye Xian, escorting him as he disappeared beneath the colonnade.

In the west wing compound, the Fifth Madam listened to the maid’s report, her face turning pale with fright. She asked softly: “Did you see clearly? The Young Master… removed the miss’s hood?”

The little maid nodded: “This servant was close by and saw it.”

Madam Ye suddenly recalled that day when Ye Xian had come to visit her and had exchanged a few words with Gu Jin Chao in Madam Feng’s courtyard. The two had seemed quite familiar with each other… She closed her eyes briefly and said softly: “It’s one thing for him to be willful and arbitrary usually, but how can he be so reckless!”

He was the heir of the Marquis Changxing household!

Madam Ye remembered when she wanted to marry the Fifth Master Gu, how the Marquis Changxing household and the Gao family had opposed it, nearly accusing her of being unfilial. It was her grandmother, who was still alive then, who had persuaded them: “If sister Shu marries into the Gu family, if nothing else, at least her status will prevent others from bullying her… Children have their fortune, why insist otherwise?”

Indeed, after she married into the Gu family, no one in the Gu household dared to show her a red face, and even the usually stern Madam Feng praised her incessantly.

But she was merely a legitimate daughter about to be married out. Ye Xian was the future inheritor of the title, how could he possibly have connections with Gu Jin Chao?

What should she do… Madam Ye felt somewhat at a loss.

In the end, she could only instruct the little maid that this matter must not be spread. If ill-intentioned people learned of it and exploited it, the consequences would be unimaginable.

She felt she should also find Ye Xian for a proper talk.

After returning to Yanxiu Hall, Gu Jin Chao began writing a letter in her study. What Ye Xian said was one thing, but naturally, she trusted her grandmother. She needed to explain the circumstances of this matter to her grandmother since it involved not only her but also the covetous Luo family.

…She wondered how Ye Xian had persuaded Luo Tai to hand over the person.

She thought of the Luo family business in Sanhe in her previous life. Could it be… in her previous life, Luo Tai had used this child to threaten the Ji family, forcing them to give up their transportation rights in Sanhe? So in her previous life, this matter was suppressed, and no one knew about it. But why would Ji Yao mix with Luo Tai? Her grandmother had always had high hopes for him. If she knew Ji Yao had done such a thing, who knows how angry she would be…

Gu Jin Chao sighed and asked Madam Xu to give the letter to Luo Yong Ping, to be delivered by fast horse to Tongzhou.

But no matter how fast the horse, it couldn’t outpace Ye Xian’s speed. He had already found this woman and sent people to put her in a carriage, sending her to the Ji family. The carriage clattered to a stop at the Ji family gate, and a guard went to deliver a calling card, claiming to be from the Wu family of Jiangnan, coming to visit Madam Ji Wu.

The Wu family of Jiangnan was Madam Ji Wu’s ancestral home, with little contact in recent years.

Madam Ji Wu was discussing betrothal gifts with Madam Song, wanting to make them exceptionally generous and fine. They were just debating whether to lead with a solid gold statue of Maitreya Buddha or a white jade statue of Guanyin when a maid came to report the visitor.

Madam Ji Wu found it strange—it wasn’t a festival or holiday, why would the Wu family send someone to Beijing to visit her?

But since there was a Wu family calling card, there must be a reason, so she decided to receive this person in the flower hall.

She took a sip of tea and saw a young woman enter, followed by two old servants, one of whom was carrying a child. This young woman was sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pitiful appearance. Her almond eyes were as dark as if they contained mist, full of charm. Her hair was styled in a simple round bun with two red crepe silk flowers, with tiny gold-gilded earrings. She wore an ill-fitting sapphire blue satin jacket with cherry blossom pattern trim. She curtsied gracefully: “This humble one is surnamed Zhao, especially coming to pay respects to the Old Madam.” Her voice was like an oriole’s song, melodious and captivating.

Madam Ji Wu frowned. Although this woman was dressed as a married woman, she referred to herself as “this humble one.” She didn’t seem proper. The Wu family was a great clan of Jiangnan; where did this woman come from?

She asked coldly: “You presented the Wu family’s calling card. Are you from the Wu family?”

The woman raised her hand to adjust a strand of hair by her cheek and smiled bitterly: “If not for the Wu family’s calling card, this humble one couldn’t have entered the Ji family gate. This humble one is at her wit’s end, which is why I’ve brought the child back.” She had the servant pass the child to her and coaxed the child: “First time meeting your great-grandmother, quickly pay your respects.” The child was only about two years old and clutched the woman’s finger in confusion, softly calling, “Mother…”

Madam Ji Wu looked at this Zhao woman with a tight frown: “What are you saying, miss? Are all illegitimate children to be brought to my Ji family? Speak clearly, whose child is this?”

Her stern gaze fell on the child nestled in Zhao’s arms. The child was fair and delicate, indeed somewhat familiar-looking, like Chun’er… Madam Ji Wu’s heart jumped. Could it be a child that Ji Yun had left outside?

But Zhao knelt with the child and said softly: “This humble one had a brief liaison with the Ji family’s second young master three years ago, resulting in Ping Shun. Originally, these past two years, this humble one has been raising Ping Shun passably… If I weren’t at the end of my rope, I wouldn’t have brought the child to your doorstep.” She began to sob quietly, “I don’t ask the Old Madam to keep this humble one, only to give this child food to eat, don’t let him starve to death…”

The child clutched Zhao’s collar, refusing to leave her embrace, again calling out in confusion: “Mother…” But Zhao forcibly pushed the child away, saying: “Go to your great-grandmother, Ping Shun must be good.”

Madam Ji Wu was so angry that blue veins bulged on her forehead, “Tell me clearly, whose child is this? Is it Ji Yao’s?”

If she had said it was Ji Can’s, or even Ji Yun’s, she would believe it. But Ji Yao was her eldest grandson, raised by her hand, who was to inherit the Ji family in the future. How could he possibly leave such a child outside?

Ji Yao was about to be engaged to Gu Jin Chao!