Madam Xu returned to Duke Pingguo’s residence very early the next morning.

Even though Seventh Miss had mentally prepared herself, for everyone else at Duke Pingguo’s residence, Madam Xu’s return was really too sudden. The Grand Dowager was quite surprised. “I thought you would stay until Mid-Autumn Festival before returning this time.”

After nearly half a year of almost perfect recuperation, Madam Xu’s complexion had improved greatly. This noblewoman not yet quite at the age of knowing heaven’s mandate not only had color in her face, but even the lines at the corners of her eyes and brows had faded somewhat. To the Grand Dowager’s question, she only smiled and said, “Wasn’t it just that yesterday I suddenly remembered Father’s eightieth death anniversary is approaching? Though Elder Brother isn’t in the capital, it wouldn’t do to brazenly stay at Xiaoshan Mountain pretending not to hear. I had no choice but to send word to Fengjia to come fetch me.”

As expected of Madam Xu, this excuse was both casual and proper, quite free-spirited in flavor. Even with the Grand Dowager’s experience, she couldn’t find fault with it. She only said with a trace of displeasure, “Yesterday when Fengjia left in the middle of the night, I thought some major matter had occurred. Turns out it was you, Qin Shi, having a sudden whim.”

As she spoke, she laughed again, covering over the situation with harmony.

Seventh Miss couldn’t help exchanging a glance with Xu Fengjia. Before she could speak, Duke Pingguo had already asked Madam Xu, “Even if you hadn’t returned, I was planning to send someone to ask you—with Uncle not in the capital, should we still hold this eightieth death anniversary? Since you’re back, shall we visit the Qin family together tomorrow?”

Madam Xu smiled. “Good. We can also bring Fourth Lang and Fifth Lang along to meet Second Uncle.” She glanced at Seventh Miss with a slight smile.

Seventh Miss understood her meaning. After handling household affairs, she held a small box and entered Qingping Court. “It’s been a long time since I paid my respects to Mother.”

Because Xu Fengjia still had official duties after all and couldn’t spend every day focused on household matters, after accompanying Madam Xu home and speaking at Leshan Residence for a while, he had already been dismissed by Madam Xu to the Thousand Household Office.

Looking at Seventh Miss, Madam Xu’s eyes held several parts emotion. She took several deep breaths, but her first question was, “Does your mother know about this matter?”

Seventh Miss answered without hesitation, “Though she knows a bit of the shadow of it, as for what exactly happened, I must first ask Mother before I can tell others.”

This daughter-in-law has more and more of her own ideas… Madam Xu couldn’t help narrowing her eyes slightly, feeling a bit displeased.

That Seventh Miss had given her natal family advance warning about this matter was naturally to apply invisible pressure to her marital family, forcing Madam Xu not to cover this matter up. Though the approach was beyond reproach, it still made Madam Xu somewhat unhappy.

Yet Seventh Miss was calm and composed, sitting steadily as if fishing: the sky is high and the emperor far away—this had its advantages. Since Madam Xu was unable and unwilling to provide her own support in the matter of concubines, allowing Seventh Miss to suffer all the ostracism from the Grand Dowager and the Fifth Branch, then in many matters, she need not look at Madam Xu’s expression either.

The interactions between people were sometimes just this subtle. When Madam Xu herself was a daughter-in-law, she made her mother-in-law suffer countless hidden losses. Now that she had become a mother-in-law herself and encountered the neither humble nor arrogant Seventh Miss, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. But after all, she was sophisticated in worldly matters. After only a moment of silence, she had already calmed her emotions and instead said, “Well, after all I’m not in the capital. In many matters, you have no one to consult with either.”

She actually found a way down the stairs for Seventh Miss herself, then said, “Fengjia spoke in empty generalities last night, leaving me completely confused. Tell me the whole matter carefully again.”

Using the physical evidence, Seventh Miss explained how she had obtained Yu An’s lead from Imperial Physician Zhong’s mouth, then from Yu An’s memories found the old matron and Xiao Songhua. After eliminating the old matron’s suspicion, she fully investigated Xiao Songhua’s background, and through Feng Jin, unknowingly discovered the positions of Xiao Songhua’s brother-in-law’s family. Then she severely tortured Xiao Songhua and Qiu Zhi to obtain two precious confessions, and obtained the genealogy—this precious clue that could directly prove the connection between Qiu Zhi and the Wu Xun family.

Her words were clear and she had physical evidence for support, confessions as proof. She spoke in an orderly manner. Listening to her, Madam Xu’s expression changed several times. After a long while, she came to her senses and said with emotion, “Last August’s matter was originally a disturbance, but looking at it this way, it turned out to be a great blessing. If your fifth sister-in-law hadn’t thought to make things difficult for you, she wouldn’t have exposed Wu Xun’s wife under the sun, leading to this oversight that revealed her weakness.”

She was worthy of being the household’s principal wife for many years. Just from Seventh Miss’s account, she grasped the reason for Fifth Younger Madam’s defeat. Yet Seventh Miss raised half an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Madam Xu. Madam Xu smiled. “Last night Fengjia told me everything that happened after you took over household affairs.”

She paused, then praised, “You did very well!”

Without waiting for Seventh Miss’s response, she continued, “Including in this matter, your request that Fengjia not mention his injury or the matter of one hundred thousand taels—all done well. Duke Pingguo is not stupid. On the contrary, he’s quite just. When he should understand something, he won’t play dumb.”

Seventh Miss tentatively asked Madam Xu, “Then in this matter, having Mother tell Father, would it be more…”

But Madam Xu interrupted her without consideration. “In this matter, I think it would be more appropriate for you to personally tell Duke Pingguo!”

Seventh Miss immediately showed surprise.

Her request that Xu Fengjia tell this matter to Madam Xu still somewhat meant asking Madam Xu to appear before Duke Pingguo to explain the situation. After all, they had been husband and wife for many years. Many things Madam Xu could say without any reservations, but she and Xu Fengjia couldn’t even mention them.

Madam Xu gazed deeply at Seventh Miss. She said softly, “I heard that because of Yu Qiao’s matter, lately Duke Pingguo has gained some fondness for Zhang Shi again, but increasingly finds you disagreeable—he doesn’t like this, finds that displeasing. Now he even plans to overstep his bounds to manage the concubine matter for you?”

Seventh Miss’s face showed embarrassment. “Father can’t stand that Xiao Qi is soft-hearted and unwilling to have blood on her hands… He also feels that Shengluan has been back in the capital for a year and a half, yet the Sixth Branch still has no news of childbirth…”

“Isn’t it just the Grand Dowager whispering in his ear?” Madam Xu said coldly. “Since having Hexian, how many years has the Fifth Branch had no children? Not to mention our Sixth Branch already has Fourth Lang and Fifth Lang as heir sons. What your father fears most in this life is Fengjia using his heir status to push out his brothers. That night when Fengjia squeezed Zhang Shi, he did very poorly. I’ve already told him so.”

Precisely because Xu Fengjia wouldn’t yield a single step that night, he lost even more badly before Duke Pingguo. This principle—Seventh Miss understood it well. She lowered her head and sipped tea but didn’t speak.

When a mother-in-law criticizes her own son, the daughter-in-law must never join in. This principle—she had understood very well in her previous life.

Perhaps thinking of events over the years, a trace of viciousness flashed in Madam Xu’s eyes. She said lightly, “The more this is so, the more I want him to know how difficult it is for our Sixth Branch in the Duke’s residence. What a great threat those older brothers pose to Fengjia… Hmph, that arrow on the South Sea—it’s only today that it will shoot back into the heart of the instigator! Having you as the daughter-in-law tell him about this matter is the greatest humiliation for him! Only this kind of humiliation will make him remember it in his heart!”

Seventh Miss wanted to speak but stopped, finally only saying in a low voice, “Yes, then Xiao Qi will…”

“There’s no time like the present,” Madam Xu’s face was rigid. “When Fengjia returns, you should go directly to Menghua Studio, spread the evidence before him, and see what your father-in-law says!”

It seemed that over these many years, Madam Xu’s heart wasn’t without resentment either.

Compared to the Eldest Madam, Madam Xu’s cleverest point was hiding her resentment until today to erupt.

Unknowingly, goosebumps had already risen on Seventh Miss’s spine. She forcibly suppressed the excitement in her heart, gently nodded, and said in a low voice, “Xiao Qi won’t disappoint Mother.”

Madam Xu showed Seventh Miss a kind smile again. She patted the back of Seventh Miss’s hand. “Fengjia told me everything… You’re very good. Marrying you into the family is truly his fortune.”

Though the two had some conflicts, as long as Xu Fengjia was there, and without the conflict of concubines, they would forever be allies.

Seventh Miss smiled faintly with pursed lips, then asked Madam Xu, “On Yu An’s side, should we give some advance warning, lest Father wants to confront her face to face…”

Madam Xu pondered for a moment, then decisively nodded. “I think it would be best if you go speak to Yu An.”

#

At the earliest, Xu Fengjia could only return from the office in the afternoon. When Seventh Miss came out of Qingping Court, it was already lunchtime. She simply returned to Mingde Hall to eat lunch first, then entered Lvtian Hermitage.

Yu An had just finished lunch and was under the eaves learning Huaiyang dialect with a little maid. While listening to the little maid speak, she laughed, “So that’s how those two matrons from Third Aunt’s family talk—like nine-headed birds calling, chirping away.”

Seeing Seventh Miss arrive, she jumped up to greet her. “Sister-in-law, why are you coming at this hour?”

This was truly someone with a thoughtful mind. Seventh Miss secretly nodded to herself. She said with a smile, “I just came to chat with you—don’t worry, when we enter the sixth month, I was planning to have you learn Yangzhou customs from those two matrons anyway.”

Yu An immediately blushed. She waved her hand, dismissing the little maid, and invited Seventh Miss into the room before mumbling, “I was just bored and had her come chat. As for learning anything, that’s not the case.”

“That you know to learn—as your sister-in-law, half my heart can be at ease.” Seventh Miss had no intention of teasing Yu An at all. She said seriously, “Don’t be like Yu Qiao…”

Thinking of Yu Qiao, she thought of the lead Second Miss had revealed yesterday. Seventh Miss’s heart couldn’t help feeling a complex mix of emotions. She sighed before cutting off this topic and saying in a low voice, “This time I’m looking for you, there’s actually a small matter.”

She half-revealed, half-concealed the fact that tonight Duke Pingguo might summon her to investigate the matter’s origins, telling Yu An, “When the time comes, just describe what happened. As for who you’re identifying, don’t worry about that. Just say you listened to Imperial Physician Zhong’s words, recalled this incident, and told me. That’s all.”

Though it was midsummer, Yu An’s face immediately went deathly pale. Her lips trembled slightly. “Sister-in-law, could it be—could it be—”

Seventh Miss’s face was grave as water. She slowly nodded. “The true culprit has probably been found.”

However, this matter was after all the Xu family’s scandal. Without Duke Pingguo’s authorization, she wouldn’t rashly tell Yu An who the murderer was. This principle—Yu An herself understood. She bit her lip and swallowed several times before saying resolutely, “Good, I understand sister-in-law’s meaning. If Father questions me, Yu An knows what to say.”

Seventh Miss nodded, then through Yu An’s window, looked toward the opposite courtyard, the small hall that had originally been Yu Qiao’s residence.

This small courtyard had three sections in total. Looking out from Yu An’s position, she could just see the back window of Yu Qiao’s hall—through the glass, she could vaguely see several poetry collections on the hall’s bookshelf, but they were already covered in dust. As the sunlight shifted, she could faintly see the dust inside the room also slowly dancing to its own rhythm.

Her gaze immediately became melancholic. After a long while, she finally heard Yu An’s question.

“…Sister-in-law…”

Seventh Miss snapped back to attention. She felt somewhat embarrassed. “What was Yu An saying? I couldn’t quite understand for a moment?”

Yu An repeated softly, “Looking at sister-in-law’s demeanor, coming this time, it seems there’s something else on your mind…”

In the Xu family, this matter could probably only be discussed with Xu Fengjia or Yu An.

Seventh Miss couldn’t help sighing. She lightly traced the window lattice pattern on the glass with her fingernail and said in a low voice, “A friend told me that outside Donkey Meat Alley, she saw a young lady who looked very much like your second sister…”

Yu An’s expression changed dramatically. She stared blankly at Seventh Miss, as if she hadn’t yet grasped the meaning in Seventh Miss’s words. After a while, she said dully, “This—this means she still hasn’t left the capital…”

Seventh Miss glanced at Yu An, her heart immediately stirring.

In Yu An’s expression, there seemed to be a trace of fear that shouldn’t be there…

Countless conjectures surged up in her heart. After a moment, she said casually, “What do you think—should I tell Father about this matter or not?”

“Sister-in-law!” Yu An suddenly pressed down on Seventh Miss’s hand.

She seemed to quickly realize she was being too emotional, so she immediately withdrew her hand, bit her lip and lowered her head, not daring to look at Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss’s heart sank. She suddenly had an epiphany: at the time, fearing word would leak out, she had hurriedly moved the two young ladies out of Lvtian Hermitage. From start to finish, no one had thought to interrogate the two sisters. Everyone felt that since even the personal maids didn’t know any clues, the two sisters would be even less likely to know anything.

Looking at it now, this idea was of course too presumptuous.

She remained impassive, only looking at Yu An without speaking, her eyes cold as stream water in the twelfth month.

With Yu An’s intelligence, how could she not understand Seventh Miss’s perceptiveness?

Before long, she couldn’t sit still herself.

“Second Sister is…” Yu An stammered, then glanced at Seventh Miss, gripping her hand as if begging for mercy. “If Yu An’s guess is correct, Second Sister might be with Cui Zixiu…”

It really was Cui Zixiu!

Seventh Miss felt dizzy and disoriented. She suddenly raised her hand and said softly, “I don’t want to hear it!”

The room immediately fell silent. Yu An looked at her toes without speaking again.

After quite a while, Seventh Miss lowered her hand. She looked seriously at Yu An and said word by word, “Yu An, did you already know at the time that your second sister had private dealings with Cui Zixiu?”

Yu An’s face alternated between red and white. She nodded, but her tone instead became calm. “It was just last year when we went to the Quan family to watch opera together. I was looking for Second Sister and inadvertently discovered she had entered the small courtyard. I knew I shouldn’t, but I still quietly followed… Through the window, I saw her talking with Cui Zixiu.”

She had a trace of self-defense in her tone. “Second Sister had never been that happy before. Even the way Cui Zixiu looked at her was very gentle. I thought, I thought if I spoke of this matter, Second Sister would certainly be severely punished and would probably hate me to death. I never imagined she would be so bold…”