Fourth Master Chen remained silent.

Chen Yanyun walked toward him with hands behind his back. Just now, Fourth Master Chen had ignored his words, and in a moment of anger, he had swept everything off his desk. His hand was cut by a sharp edge of the brush holder, the cut quite deep, with blood slowly seeping out.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan didn’t dare mention it, much less try to bandage it.

He only saw Third Master Chen’s blood dripping onto the floor.

“Do you know how this thing was discovered?” Chen Yanyun said, “Mother is ill. Don’t you want to go see her?”

“I’m already in this state, what difference does it make whether I see her or not?” Fourth Master Chen raised his head impatiently, “What else do you want to say?”

Chen Yanyun smiled.

“Fourth Brother, when you gave me this string of prayer beads years ago, I thought it was out of brotherly affection. And since they were consecrated by Master Juewu, I passed them on to Mother.” He sighed, “Little did I know they would nearly cost Mother her life! Since this thing was prepared for me, you must have calculated it well. Mother’s body is too weak to withstand this poison. If it were me, it wouldn’t be a problem to endure it for five or six years. Isn’t that right?”

Fourth Master Chen was stunned.

“You… passed them on to Mother?”

He closed his eyes briefly: “I wondered why Mother’s illness was so strange… It’s truly Third Master Chen’s good fortune! Even Mother can suffer in your place.”

Chen Yanyun remained silent for a long time, then asked softly: “Is that really what you think?”

Fourth Master Chen said indifferently: “I never meant to harm her. After all, I am her child. Only when you raise children do you understand parental love. Although I have grievances against her, I never had such thoughts… Isn’t this partly your fault too? If you hadn’t given the prayer beads to Mother…”

Before he could finish speaking, Third Master Chen struck him across the face with a resounding slap.

The blow was so loud that half his face went numb.

Fourth Master Chen tasted the metallic sweetness in his mouth, looking at Chen Yanyun with cold, vicious eyes. Humiliation, anger, and resentment churned within him.

“What right do you have to hit me!” he lowered his voice, breathing heavily, “Am I your subordinate or your son? You may be the master in this house, but am I not as well? Do you need to discipline me?”

“An elder brother is like a father, and I’m disciplining you on behalf of our father,” Chen Yanyun said coldly, “Besides, you’re worse than an animal—”

Fourth Master Chen stood up, slowly beginning to smile.

He touched his face and felt blood.

“You want to know whose idea it was? Then I’ll tell you—it was Minister Zhang’s idea. Third Brother, there’s no need for all this. With your years of martial arts practice, this slow poison wouldn’t kill you. Minister Zhang didn’t want to kill you, and I couldn’t bear to watch you die either… You see, didn’t Minister Zhang think of everything?”

“When you first entered the Cabinet, Minister Zhang already wanted to suppress you. Zhang Julian’s position as Grand Secretary was seized from Zeng Anhui, so he’s most wary of such things! He promised me a position… Of course, I knew Zhang Julian was using me, and his promises might not be kept. But even if I was being used, I didn’t care anymore.” Fourth Master Chen asked him, “Third Brother, when you cut off my prospects, did you ever imagine this day would come? That the brother you looked down upon would have the power to kill you?”

“Indeed, I didn’t imagine it,” Chen Yanyun also smiled, “But even if you win, do you know what the consequences would be?”

“I know I won’t have a good end after you discover this. Third Brother, if you want to kill me, then do it.” Fourth Master Chen becomes straightforward, the victor writes the history, and he doesn’t value his life at all, “Kill me and be done with it. Afterward, when word spreads that you killed your own family, who would dare provoke you?”

“I won’t kill you,” Chen Yanyun raised his head, looking at Fourth Master Chen.

“—But you will never step foot outside this room for the rest of your life!”

He wouldn’t kill him, nor did he plan to. There were far too many things more painful than death. Chen Yanwen hadn’t experienced any of them, yet he dared to say he wanted to die. He had spent half his life protecting this large family, and look at what kind of brother stood before him?

He thought everything was simple and was dissatisfied with everything. Little did he know that without his protection, Chen Yanwen would be nothing!

Let him taste this kind of life then.

Chen Yanyun took the handkerchief Jiang Yan handed him and wiped the blood from his hand. He instructed: “From now on, no one is allowed to serve Fourth Master Chen. Deliver his three meals daily. Keep him confined here, not allowed to take a single step outside. And no one is permitted to visit him—unless I approve it.”

…That was essentially house arrest.

Fourth Master Chen stared wide-eyed, but Third Master Chen didn’t want to deal with him anymore, finding that even looking at him once was excessive.

He walked out of the study. Guards immediately entered and removed all porcelain and metal objects, anything that could cause harm. Even the display shelves were removed, leaving the study feeling empty. Only the kang bed and a long table remained.

Jiang Yan personally carried a purple sandalwood Buddha statue and placed it on the long table. With a smile and clasped hands, he said: “Third Master said that if you have nothing to do, you should recite sutras and worship Buddha to pass the time!”

Fourth Master Chen just looked at him coldly.

Having said his piece, Jiang Yan left, and the door closed with a creak.

Fourth Master Chen’s courtyard and Madam Wang’s courtyard were connected by a passageway, and servants usually moved freely between them.

The servants in the courtyard were quickly cleared out, and men were stationed at the passageway. People soon noticed something was wrong, but by then it was impossible to pass through.

Madam Wang went to speak with the Old Madam, but the Old Madam didn’t pay much attention, knowing there was conflict between the brothers. She told Madam Wang to keep an eye on Fourth Master Chen and not to interfere in minor matters. When Madam Wang returned and saw the situation, with guards so strict that even she couldn’t pass through, she became anxious, wringing her handkerchief as she stood for a while. Feeling the matter was too serious, she ran back to the Old Madam.

Now the Old Madam realized the gravity of the situation. Initially, it had just been a disagreement… how had it escalated to house arrest? She had Madam Qin help her sit up and reached out her hand, saying urgently: “Quickly… find Third Son to come here!”

Speaking too hastily triggered a fit of coughing.

Third Master Chen had just gone to the front courtyard briefly and hadn’t yet had time to give instructions regarding Fourth Master Chen when the Old Madam sent someone to summon him.

He tied a handkerchief around his wounded hand, without time to treat it properly, and hurried to the Old Madam’s place.

If the Old Madam knew her son had harmed her, she would likely be heartbroken. She was already weak, and what if she became too upset? Third Master Chen wanted to wait until she was stronger before telling her. Now that the Old Madam had summoned him, someone had probably already informed her.

He would first say a few words to his mother, and she should be able to understand.

When Third Master Chen arrived at Banzhu Pan, the Old Madam was half-reclining, with a maid feeding her rock sugar stewed pear soup.

He sat beside her, casually taking the bowl from the young maid’s hand and dismissing her.

The Old Madam drank the soup spoonful by spoonful; the rock sugar taste was extremely sweet. When half the bowl remained, she shook her head to indicate she’d had enough.

Chen Yanyun stood up to adjust her bedding: “If you’re tired, you should sleep first. I’ll stay here with you.”

The Old Madam nodded but refused to rest, clutching Chen Yanyun’s sleeve and saying: “Third Son, tell me honestly… what do you intend to do with Yanwen?”

Third Master Chen was silent for a moment, then simply said: “I’ll tell you once you’ve recovered. At present, his situation isn’t urgent.”

The Old Madam gave a bitter smile.

“Third Son, since childhood, I’ve always felt you had your ideas, knowing what you wanted and how to achieve it. You have your methodology, with strong principles, never changing because of others’ dissuasion. I thought this was good about you and never interfered…”

She closed her eyes and sighed heavily: “But why… must you apply this to your brother! Even if Yanwen was wrong, it was just colluding with the Imperial Household Department for embezzlement. Stripping him of his stewardship was enough, why must you place him under house arrest as well!”

The smile gradually disappeared from Third Master Chen’s face.

“I have somewhat wronged Fourth Son…” The Old Madam felt the soup she had just consumed rising with a bitter taste, “You and your Second Brother are both good. This child has always had an extreme personality since childhood, due to my inadequate teaching… But he is still your brother! Even if he has wronged you, haven’t you also wronged him in some way? Haven’t I wronged him in some way? Our Chen family is one large family, and if a noble family wishes to prosper, we must work together… Mother originally had no right to criticize you, but I can’t help but say a few words now.”

Chen Yanyun stood perfectly straight, looking down at the Old Madam’s alarmingly pale face. He neither spoke nor denied.

The Old Madam clutched at him, her voice hoarse: “Please let him go! Yanwen is your brother…”

Chen Yanyun felt himself standing rather stiffly.

He lowered his voice: “Does Mother think I am the kind of cold-blooded, merciless person who shows no mercy even to family? Or someone fickle, who releases others when I feel like it, but when the mood strikes, tortures them again?” He smiled, “Is that how you see me?”

The Old Madam didn’t understand.

She had only thought about Fourth Master Chen’s situation after Madam Wang came to tell her. She hadn’t imagined that Third Master Chen had further plans for him!

From his words, could there be hidden circumstances? “What do you… Third Son, what exactly are you trying to say?”

But Third Master Chen didn’t continue.

“As for Fourth Brother, I definitely won’t release him again,” Third Master Chen said, “I’ll come to see you tomorrow, and when you’re better, you can also visit Fourth Brother. Even under house arrest, Fourth Brother won’t be deprived of food or drink. Don’t worry about him, and don’t try to persuade me. Now that I’m the head of the Chen family, naturally, everything must follow my decisions.”

The Old Madam watched helplessly as her son left.

She didn’t dare say what she had intended to say, vaguely understanding that Chen Yanwen must have done something else to anger Third Son.

If Third Son didn’t want her to know, he must have his reasons.

What exactly had Fourth Son done?

The Old Madam felt some regret. She shouldn’t have spoken to Third Son without understanding the situation clearly. If she had misunderstood him, how hurtful that would be!

…

Gu Jinchao was playing with Changshuo, teaching him to speak. Changshuo sat in her lap, moving his little fingers and babbling. After a while, he grew tired. Gu Jinchao fed him half a bowl of goat’s milk, patted his back, and lulled him to sleep.

She kissed his rosy little cheeks and carried him back to the warm chamber. The elderly maid had already lit the stove, and the wet nurse was watching over his sleep.

When Gu Jinchao came out, she saw that Third Master Chen had returned.

He looked somewhat tired, leaning against the pillow with his eyes closed. His unfastened cloak lay beside him. He had dismissed all the maids from the room, leaving it empty. Only the charcoal in the stove burned bright red.

Gu Jinchao had also heard about the commotion in the Fourth House. She walked to his side, and before she could speak, she noticed his hand wrapped in a handkerchief, soaked with a dark red bloodstain.

“How did your hand get injured—” Gu Jinchao quickly sat down beside him, taking his hand and unwrapping the handkerchief. Such a deep cut! And it hadn’t even been bandaged! The flesh was visibly pale.

Gu Jinchao called loudly for Caifu, asking for gauze and medicine to bandage his wound.

He looked at her quietly, and Gu Jinchao spoke with anxiety and reproach: “Do you think your body is so good that you can ignore this blood? Letting it flow like this… what if the wound becomes infected?”

“Don’t call anyone in,” Third Master Chen said softly, holding her face with his uninjured hand, making her look at him.

Gu Jinchao felt his gaze was too deep; once drawn in, she couldn’t escape.

Something seemed off about him. In this ordinary calmness, there seemed to be a hint of sadness.

Yet his gaze was calm and gentle.

He kissed her forehead: “I want to stay with you like this. Gu Jinchao…” He called her full name, slowly and with great solemnity.

Gu Jinchao didn’t know why he suddenly called her this way, thinking about Fourth Master Chen’s situation. She just smiled, about to comfort him when he kissed her lips. Everything moved slowly, but his arms held her so tightly she couldn’t break free, yet she embraced him in return.

She didn’t know why she felt this way, but Third Master Chen must be hurting deeply inside.

She understood him.