On hearing this, Jiang Furen covered the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief and wept several times before saying: “How could this be Father’s own intention? It is entirely those people’s doing. Honestly speaking, I am not in favor of settling the succession matter now. Surely they should first find out who killed Brother Lang before speaking of such things. Otherwise, would it not make us the laughingstock of everyone? Fortunately Father has listened to my counsel… and that is precisely why those people came charging at me so aggressively to demand an explanation.” She glanced at Shiyiniang. “As you say, I am a daughter who has married out. I can manage for a time, but not forever. Father listens to me now entirely because he is heartbroken over Brother Lang’s death. Yet Father is not only a father — he is also a descendant of the Wang Family. When the greater obligation stands before him, he cannot allow private feelings to prevail. This matter of succession, sooner or later, will have to be settled. Fortunately our family is not the same as others — there is still a title involved. If an adopted son inherits no title, what difference is there between that and having no heir at all? The inheritance of a title is the Emperor’s grace — whom to bestow it upon is the Wang Family’s own affair. It is fortunate that I am here to manage the household affairs. Were it not for me, those collateral relatives would have long since turned everything upside down.”

Shiyiniang found these words exceedingly grating.

Jiang Furen was plainly telling her: what she cared most about was who killed Wang Lang. She wanted Xu Lingyi to help bring Ren Kun to justice. Otherwise, when it came time to settle the succession, if the Duke of Chengguo were to follow the wishes of those collateral relatives and adopt a son in, she would not interfere. In that case, Tenth Sister would become a widowed sister-in-law — not only would the Wang Family’s estate have nothing to do with her, she would also have to live at the mercy of the future young master and his wife.

Not a single word of sympathy or compassion for her newly widowed sister-in-law — instead, she was using this to coerce a brother-in-law by marriage into giving his assistance.

Not only cold and unfeeling, but selfish and calculating to the core.

What a waste that Xu Lingyi had encouraged her, before she came, to meet with Jiang Furen and see if there was anything the Wang Family needed that they might help with, and that she had boasted of her own influence — if things were truly as she described, and she held control over the succession of the Wang Family, how would those collateral relatives dare challenge her so brazenly… If Shiyiniang truly were a naive young girl with no experience of the world, nine times out of ten she would have been frightened by the implications in Jiang Furen’s words.

Shiyiniang could not help but laugh coldly to herself.

This woman was not worth befriending, let alone entrusting Tenth Sister’s future to.

It seemed this matter would need to be discussed carefully with Xu Lingyi.

Shiyiniang lowered her head and took a sip of tea, avoiding Jiang Furen’s gaze.

Since she could see through it, the Fourth Madam naturally could as well. She glanced up and noticed the First Madam’s lips parting slightly, as if she had something to say — and then recalled that in the carriage, Shiyiniang had told her about Xu Lingyi being stripped of his post. A sense of quiet urgency rose within her.

Looking at Jiang Furen’s manner and ways, she was clearly a formidable woman. If the First Madam, still unaware of the Marquis’s dismissal, inadvertently promised something, she might well be seized upon by Jiang Furen and held to account.

Under ordinary circumstances, she would have held her tongue. But compared to Tenth Sister, who had never been close with her family by marriage, she felt a greater warmth toward the sharp and perceptive Shiyiniang.

If Xu Lingyi was no longer in a position to help the Wang Family, would it be right to press him beyond what was reasonable?

She immediately pretended not to have grasped the meaning in Jiang Furen’s words and stepped in ahead of both the First Madam and Shiyiniang.

“First Honored Young Madam has truly been put through so much.” The Fourth Madam’s tone was full of gratitude. “With you watching over our Tenth Honored Young Madam, we can all rest easy.”

The First Madam had already heard about Xu Lingyi being stripped of his post the day before. From Jiang Furen’s tone, it seemed she was essentially saying that if Xu Lingyi would not help the Wang Family, she would not help Tenth Sister. She was worried that Shiyiniang, out of concern for Tenth Sister, might rashly promise something without thinking it through. She had just been about to steer the conversation elsewhere when the Fourth Madam spoke first ahead of her. Fortunately the words were fairly well-chosen, so she swallowed back what she had been about to say.

Jiang Furen, however, paid little mind to the two Madam-daughters-in-law of the Luo Family. What she cared about was Shiyiniang’s stance. Or rather, the stance of Xu Lingyi behind Shiyiniang. So she paid no attention to the Fourth Madam but kept her gaze fixed on Shiyiniang the whole time.

Shiyiniang noticed this and something stirred within her. She simply picked up the thread of what the Fourth Madam had said and carried it forward: “My Tenth Sister has just suffered a great blow and is inevitably dazed and shaken. It is a blessing within the misfortune to have someone as capable as First Honored Young Madam helping to manage things. I called on your honored sister-in-law to pay New Year’s greetings at the start of the month and happened to meet your young son and daughter at the time. You have been so thoroughly occupied with Tenth Sister’s affairs — I imagine you have had no time to properly accompany them. Thinking of this, we all feel quite uneasy.”

At the mention of the Jiang Family, Jiang Furen stiffened.

The Jiang Family had long been dissatisfied with Wang Lang’s conduct — they certainly were not going to step in to defend him. This was no secret in Yanjing. Were it not for that, why would those collateral branches be in such a frenzied rush? But what did Shiyiniang mean by raising this now? Was she subtly declining her request?

She mulled it over while saying: “Thank you for Honored Lady-Consort’s concern. My elder sister-in-law is helping to look after them — better, even, than if I were caring for them myself. You are too kind.”

“That is good to hear, that is good to hear.” Shiyiniang said, and cast a glance at the Fourth Madam.

The Fourth Madam immediately chimed in: “I wonder when Tenth Sister’s husband’s funeral rites will be held? Our side should be ready to make the necessary arrangements — Second Uncle is in Shandong, and Third Uncle is far away in Sichuan.” She sighed softly. “None of us know how to tell the two elders about this.” Then she murmured under her breath: “To have gotten tangled up in a legal case, after all.”

What she was really expressing was her displeasure at Jiang Furen using the succession matter as a bargaining chip.

Had the Luo Family not had Marquis Yongping as a son-in-law, had the Luo Family been in no position to help at all, would Tenth Sister not be utterly at the Wang Family’s mercy?

People in ancient times considered being caught up in a legal case to be a mark of disgrace.

The Fourth Madam was, in effect, saying that Wang Lang had not died honorably.

True as it was, having it said so plainly and directly to her face still made Jiang Furen’s chest ache with suppressed fury, the veins at her temples visibly throbbing.

The First Honored Young Madam stepped forward to smooth things over: “These matters are for the men to discuss and handle. We women simply need to follow the arrangements made by the men.” She then called over Jinlian and Yinping: “How is it we haven’t seen the others? Your First Madam is in such grief and distress right now — you must attend to her well. Don’t think that with no one watching over you, you can become lax and abandon all sense of propriety. Remember, you were trained in my household — if you bring disgrace on me, then all these years of teaching you have been wasted…” She launched into a lengthy reprimand of the two.

Hearing this, Jiang Furen felt a dull pain in her chest. She could not shake the feeling that every word the First Honored Young Madam said was loaded with barbs. The more she heard, the more she recoiled inwardly from the Luo Family’s relatives. And then her thoughts drifted back — if only she had not insisted on finding someone of suitable standing, if only she had not allied with the Luo Family, and had instead found some young man from a humble household as a companion for Wang Lang to keep him at home, perhaps Wang Lang would never have gone gallivanting about, would never have crossed paths with Ren Kun, and would never have died so young. She also thought: if only they had married Fifth Miss at the time, given her age, there would surely have been an heir by now, and she would not be facing today’s predicament. She would not have had to swallow her pride and go around begging favors from people.

The more she thought, the more she regretted it. The more she regretted, the more she felt this marriage alliance had been a poor one… Her gaze drifted to Tenth Sister, who sat there like a clay idol, and she ground her teeth, her chest tightening with smothered resentment.

What a useless thing!

The First Madam was thinking that Tenth Sister still had to live in the Wang Family going forward, and this presently powerful First Honored Young Madam could not be offended. Seeing that the Fourth Madam’s words had provoked Jiang Furen, she naturally stepped in to smooth things over. The Fourth Madam saw this clearly and was happy to harmonize with the First Madam. The two of them chatted about this and that for nearly an hour, and seeing the sky growing dark, used the excuse that the First Mistress was unwell and needed someone with her to rise and take their leave.

Jiang Furen invited them to stay for dinner.

Just then, a manservant came from the front courtyard: “The two honored Madam-sons-in-law and the honored son-in-law say they still need to go to the yamen about the young master’s affairs, and ask the two honored Madam-daughters-in-law and honored Lady-Consort to see themselves home at their convenience.”

This made it all the more unsuitable to stay for dinner.

Seeing that they were set on leaving, Jiang Furen personally escorted them to the ornate gate.

The Fourth Madam once again shared a carriage with Shiyiniang. Along the way, she quietly cautioned Shiyiniang: “The Wang Family’s First Honored Young Madam is rather too formidable. I fear Tenth Honored Young Madam will have a hard time of it.”

Shiyiniang smiled, unperturbed: “Those collateral relatives of the Wang Family have a point — she is, after all, a daughter who has married out. Her standing is not on solid footing.”

The Fourth Madam, seeing that Shiyiniang had grasped what she meant, also smiled, and said nothing more.

Upon returning to Gongxian Hutong, everyone first went to Luo Zhensheng’s study.

The First Madam recounted to Luo Zhensheng and the others everything they had seen and heard that afternoon.

As Luo Zhensheng and the others listened, they couldn’t help but frown. Qian Ming was the first to speak up: “My lord was stripped of his post by the Emperor yesterday — does everyone know?”

Except for Luo Zhensheng, everyone looked calm.

“I know.” Luo Zhensheng said. “I heard about it at the academy yesterday.”

“Then we cannot drag my lord down into this matter on Tenth Sister’s behalf.” Qian Ming’s expression was grave. “At this moment, the Emperor must surely still be displeased with my lord. My lord has enough to avoid on his own — how could he be the one to take the lead on this?” He glanced at Shiyiniang. “For now, we can only sacrifice the pawn to save the king.”

Luo Zhensheng thought for a moment, then instructed the First Madam: “Zichun and I will go with Shiyiniang to see the Marquis. If Father asks, tell him we stayed for dinner at the Wang Family.”

The First Madam nodded and saw them to the door.

Luo Zhensheng and Qian Ming murmured to each other all the way to the Xu Family.

Xu Lingyi was quite surprised to see all three arrive together. He asked Shiyiniang to go and prepare some food and wine while inviting Luo Zhensheng and Qian Ming to sit in the study in the inner courtyard.

Luo Zhensheng laid out the Luo Family’s intentions and the Wang Family’s wishes to Xu Lingyi from beginning to end.

Xu Lingyi listened quietly without a word.

Luo Zhensheng exchanged a glance with Qian Ming, then said what they had worked out on the road: “…The Wang Family has been somewhat unreasonable in their demands. Our thinking is that if there really is no other way, we let Tenth Sister take her maidservants and nurses to live on one of her dowry estates. It is a simple matter of providing her a hundred or so taels of silver a year as a supplement. Tenth Sister can still live freely and at ease.”

This was a last resort.

It worked well enough while she lived. But what of after death?

If the Wang Family were to deny Tenth Sister burial in their ancestral grounds on account of this, could they really place her memorial tablet in the Luo Family’s ancestral hall?

Jiang Furen’s demands, when all was said and done, were entirely directed at Xu Lingyi. Luo Zhensheng’s arrangement was also meant to put Xu Lingyi’s mind at ease.

Xu Lingyi understood every bit of this perfectly.

Only he had an idea forming in his mind that he had not yet been fully certain of, and besides, he had not yet spoken it through with Shiyiniang, and there were things he did not understand — it was not suitable to speak of it to Luo Zhensheng yet. He simply smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“Food is what matters most to people. Let us eat first.”

Luo Zhensheng had made his intentions clear and felt relieved. He ate dinner at the Xu Family and left with Qian Ming out of Lotus Flower Lane.

Xu Lingyi then returned to his room.