The room fell silent again. After a very long time, Seventh Miss slowly said, “Yu An, do you know where you went wrong?”

Yu An lowered her head. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “Yu An should have told sister-in-law at the time…”

“Even if you didn’t tell me then, later when I asked you to watch your second sister, you should have told me.” Seventh Miss felt her heart was like still water. All joys and sorrows had suddenly receded far away. She wasn’t even angry at Yu An anymore. “Even if you didn’t say it then, on the day your second sister disappeared, you should have told everything without reservation.”

She paused, then continued, “Yu Qiao’s willfulness and your silence directly led to the deaths of the three from Xiao Liujiang. Their three lives weren’t much more worthless than yours. In this matter, I don’t know how you see it, but perhaps after a hundred years, you can explain it to them yourself.”

Yu An’s face became even more deathly pale. She suddenly knelt down, her voice trembling. “Sister-in-law, Yu An was confused. Yu An didn’t think…”

“To say Yu Qiao was confused, I believe that.” Seventh Miss gazed deeply at Yu An. “Would you be confused? It’s sister-in-law who was confused. Sister-in-law didn’t realize you so desperately wanted to marry into the Fan family… What were you afraid of? Even if we had found Yu Qiao then, her purity was already ruined. We still would have needed someone to marry in her place…”

Yu An suddenly stopped trembling.

Not only did she stop trembling, she instead raised her head high and met Seventh Miss’s gaze directly.

“Yu An did something wrong.” She said softly. “But at that point, what would have been the meaning of finding Second Sister back? Better to let her stay outside, to spend this lifetime with someone who truly loves her and whom she truly likes, and never be found again.”

In this moment, this little concubine-born daughter who had always been shy, cautious, even somewhat weak, suddenly erupted with a resolve that seemed not inferior even to battlefield generals like Xu Fengjia.

For a moment, Seventh Miss was left speechless by her. After a while, she could only say in a low voice, “You’re still too naive.”

“Whether sister-in-law believes it or not.” Yu An didn’t acknowledge Seventh Miss’s words. She poured out her feelings almost recklessly. “I never imagined Second Sister would use elopement as the way to end this marriage arrangement. Yu An may very much want to marry into the Fan family, but would never achieve her wish by encouraging Second Sister to elope. Otherwise, if Second Sister was found and honestly confessed, how would Yu An handle herself?”

Seventh Miss couldn’t help but believe Yu An’s words: this little concubine-born daughter wasn’t stupid. She just used her own methods to obtain the maximum benefit for herself in all situations. At the time, she had deliberately given Yu Qiao a pass, not exposing her private meetings with Cui Zixiu. After Yu Qiao eloped, she decisively approached her, using her goodwill and sympathy, as well as the favor owed, to secure the best future for herself.

If the situation were reversed, would she, like Yu An, maintain such meaningful silence about Yu Qiao’s affairs? If Fifth Miss had had the courage to elope then, if Feng Jin had reciprocated Fifth Miss’s feelings…

Seventh Miss quickly killed off these flying thoughts viciously.

Many times, morality couldn’t withstand such harsh questioning. The choices faced in life were never like exams with one correct answer. The situation between Yu An and Yu Qiao had never been the same as what she and Fifth Miss faced.

Yet Seventh Miss couldn’t help wondering: if Ninth Yiniang hadn’t died, if Ninth Yiniang hadn’t given birth to Ninth Brother, would she be in Yu An’s image, would she be the current Yu An…

To answer this question, one first had to resolve another question: was Yu Qiao’s elopement right or wrong, brave or willful, or both?

She almost painfully closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

“Sister-in-law doesn’t mean to blame you at all.” Seventh Miss opened her eyes. She said slowly, “It’s just that everyone must pay the price for their choices. Yu An, I hope you can understand that you must bear some responsibility for the deaths of Liu Jiang, Gui Jiang, and Rong Jiang. You must carry a lifetime of guilty conscience for your second sister’s whereabouts. Elopement is improper. If Cui Zixiu truly treats your second sister well, that’s fine. But if he’s only greedy for novelty and treats her badly in the future, beats her, scolds her, even sells her into a brothel, or casually gives her to others, no one will speak a word for her. For her entire life, she won’t have the chance to interact with family. Even if you see her, you must pretend not to recognize her. She has no natal family. Her lifetime of happiness depends entirely on a lowly actor. And all of this happened, while it’s because she was too frivolous and unable to bear her own responsibilities, it’s also because you didn’t fulfill your sisterly responsibility and didn’t warn her in time of everything that might happen.”

A trace of unease flashed across Yu An’s face. Her lips were already bitten pale. For quite a while, she didn’t answer Seventh Miss.

“As your understanding of worldly matters deepens, you’ll increasingly understand what kind of burden you carry on your back. I hope you can handle this heavy load and continue with your life.” Seventh Miss said almost bitterly, “Sister-in-law truly doesn’t mean to blame you, because I myself am not flawless either. Living in this world, one’s palms can never be free of dirt. It’s just… it’s just that in many matters, you may deceive everyone else, but you can’t deceive your own heart.”

“Second Sister isn’t a child anymore.” Yu An suddenly said stubbornly. She fought with Seventh Miss almost unyieldingly. “Why should I be responsible for what she did? Even if I didn’t speak, she should know what she would face once she walked out that door… If she doesn’t regret it, I don’t regret it either!”

An indescribable bitterness flashed through Seventh Miss’s heart. She said softly, “Because you’re her sister… Sigh, only after many years will you understand what these two words ‘sisters’ actually represent. At that time, will you be able to face your own heart?”

Thinking of Fifth Miss’s deathbed words, her heart ached. In her ears seemed to ring Second Miss’s words again.

“Also don’t know whose hands are hoeing the green grass on Fifth Sister’s grave each year.”

Five or six years from now, would Yu An’s heart also be concerned about Yu Qiao’s life and death? Or was she fundamentally different from herself, not caring at all about this so-called sisterly affection?

She sighed from the depths of her heart, saying wearily, “Forget it. I won’t tell anyone else about this matter. From now on, everyone will act as if they don’t know. Look after yourself well. When you reach your husband’s family, absolutely don’t let out a single word about Yu Qiao.”

After thinking, she couldn’t help adding, “I hope Second Young Master Fan is worth your silence!”

Yu An raised her head sharply.

In this instant, the stubbornness and unyielding spirit showing on her face was almost carved from the same mold as Yu Qiao.

“Even if he’s not worth it.” She said. “I’ll make him become worth it!”

#

Seventh Miss was silent all afternoon. It wasn’t until Xu Fengjia returned that she showed a smile, stepping forward to help him remove his outer robe.

“Was it busy at the office today?” she asked softly. “You’ve really worked hard these past days, running around continuously without properly resting.”

But Xu Fengjia still looked full of vigor. He waved his hand carelessly. “How did your talk with Mother go?”

Speaking of this matter, Seventh Miss felt somewhat embarrassed. She poked Xu Fengjia’s chest, asking rather dissatisfied, “I’m asking you, why do you tell your mother everything? You didn’t tell her about our agreement too, did you?”

“What’s wrong with telling her that?” Xu Fengjia raised his eyebrows in surprise. Seeing Seventh Miss’s great anxiety, he laughed heartily. “No, no, I’m not that thoughtless.”

After the two had seen Fourth Lang and Fifth Lang and sat down to prepare for dinner, he softly explained to Seventh Miss, “Mother isn’t home year-round, so she’s inevitably unclear about your character. Isn’t it good for me to speak well of you? When there are matters at home in the future, she’ll naturally support you.”

Though Seventh Miss knew he meant well, she still felt a bit shy. She gave Xu Fengjia a look and said softly, “You wait. I’ll go praise you to Ninth Brother too, telling him in detail about everything you’ve done. Let’s see what you do then.”

“I’m not like you. If you’re willing to praise me, I’d be happy beyond measure.” Xu Fengjia said unhurriedly. Seeing Seventh Miss’s eyebrows stand up, his laughter grew louder. “Eat, eat.”

Seventh Miss had matters on her mind. After eating half a bowl of rice, she couldn’t eat anymore. Seeing Xu Fengjia eating heartily, she knew he had indeed been exhausted these past days. She waited until Xu Fengjia put down his chopsticks before saying, “Mother’s meaning is that there’s no time like the present—we should go make things clear with Father tonight… In this matter, she hopes I’ll be the one to speak.”

Xu Fengjia raised one eyebrow in surprise and didn’t speak for a long time. After a long while, he said decisively, “This matter should originally be said by her. Since Mother has no intention of speaking, we shouldn’t go too far either. I’ll be the one to say it!”

Seventh Miss immediately breathed a sigh of relief: Xu Fengjia was after all a man, with a much broader mind than Madam Xu, and better understood how to share pressure with her.

She said softly, “Whether you speak or I speak, it’s actually the same. I’m also a party to this matter—you can’t leave me out. Without me present, if Father plans to handle it lightly, who will remind him of the Yang family’s, Sun family’s, and the palace’s Noble Consort Ning’s power and influence?”

She had another sentence she didn’t say aloud: if she didn’t go to Menghua Studio with Xu Fengjia, when word reached Madam Xu’s ears in the future, her relationship with Madam Xu would probably become delicate. Though they occasionally had friction now, they were still on good terms overall. For the foreseeable future, she didn’t plan to break this relationship, so though this trip would be awkward, she still had to go.

Xu Fengjia had nothing to say. After the couple discussed briefly, Seventh Miss held the small box while Xu Fengjia personally carried the lantern. Without bringing a single maid, the two walked shoulder to shoulder out of the room.

Seventh Miss rarely went out at night. Even when she did, it was always with attendants before and behind, the whole way brilliantly lit. Now walking shoulder to shoulder with Xu Fengjia in darkness with only a single lantern’s faint light before them, she couldn’t help feeling a faint tremor in her heart. In a daze, she felt that perhaps Fifth Miss was somewhere in this courtyard, watching her and Xu Fengjia’s figures slowly heading toward Menghua Studio.

She couldn’t help gripping Xu Fengjia’s arm tightly, leaning her body toward that reassuring source of warmth.

#

Duke Pingguo naturally hadn’t slept yet. Hearing news that the young Xu couple sought an audience, he quickly let them into the study. Seventh Miss even brushed shoulders with a beautiful maid: this young lady was two or three years younger than her. Seeing the Xu Fengjia couple, her face was covered with an alluring blush. With a sway of her waist, she slipped into the west wing where Duke Pingguo usually resided.

Seventh Miss didn’t know what to feel. She took a deep breath, followed behind Xu Fengjia looking straight ahead, and entered the room to pay respects to Duke Pingguo.

“Coming so late—is it because the Sun family’s madam invited you over yesterday? Is there some matter?” Duke Pingguo’s gaze quickly fell on Seventh Miss.

Worthy of being the family head, though this was a guess, it was eight or nine parts accurate. Seventh Miss felt a drop of cold sweat immediately seep from her forehead. She didn’t answer, but looked at Xu Fengjia, silently stepping forward to place the small box on the desk.

Duke Pingguo’s gaze followed Seventh Miss to Xu Fengjia. Xu Fengjia took a deep breath, stepped forward and said steadily, “Father, regarding Shanli’s death, your son has already investigated the general situation. As for who the true culprit is, I’m afraid we’ll need you, sir, to help investigate together.”

Duke Pingguo immediately stood up, his surprise evident.

His eyes also quickly fixed on Seventh Miss. This sharp gaze seemed to want to pierce through Seventh Miss’s head, seeing through every thought in her mind. He softly repeated Xu Fengjia’s words. “Shanli’s death, you’ve already investigated the general situation?”

This sentence was actually directed at Seventh Miss.

Between Seventh Miss and Xu Fengjia, who was more likely to have investigated the truth of Fifth Miss’s death? Of course this couldn’t be hidden from Duke Pingguo. Seventh Miss glanced at Xu Fengjia and steeled herself. “Yes, we only recently obtained this information. However, our thinking is simple and crude—we don’t know if it counts. This is also a matter of life and death, so we still need to ask Father to review it.”

Duke Pingguo’s pupils contracted. He muttered to himself, “No wonder your mother suddenly returned this morning… Speak quickly! Who is this person!”

Unknowingly, his attitude became increasingly severe, as if he commanded thousands of troops whose orders were never disobeyed. This sharp command startled even Seventh Miss. She took another breath before saying, “Please allow your daughter-in-law to explain step by step.”

At this point, having Xu Fengjia speak further had no meaning. Only her familiarity with the case could withstand Duke Pingguo’s interrogation.

Seventh Miss swallowed. She cleared her throat and said in a heavy voice, “The matter goes back to last year. At that time, Xiao Qi had just taken over household affairs. After expending effort to pacify the restless matrons young and old in the household, mentally exhausted and sleeping very poorly at night, I invited Imperial Physician Zhong to take my pulse. Because Fifth Sister’s death anniversary was approaching, Imperial Physician Zhong inadvertently heard servants reporting about preparing religious ceremonies for Fifth Sister. He became thoughtful. Xiao Qi noticed the signs and inquired in detail. Imperial Physician Zhong then told Xiao Qi: at the time, he had a conversation with Fifth Sister. He reminded Fifth Sister that with her constitution, during the postpartum period she absolutely must not take blood-activating herbs like wang buliuxing and saffron, or her life might be in danger. But after speaking, Imperial Physician Zhong felt something was wrong, because the door wasn’t closed—these words might have been overheard. When he left the room, there were indeed several others inside. However, Imperial Physician Zhong only recognized one person: Fifth Sister Yu An.”

Duke Pingguo stood with his hands behind his back, listening carefully without saying a word.

Seventh Miss paused, then continued, “However, Imperial Physician Zhong’s status is rather elevated. Xiao Qi didn’t have him write a deposition. Therefore, this part only has verbal testimony, no written confession. If Father wants to verify, he can only personally ask Imperial Physician Zhong.”

Without waiting for Duke Pingguo’s response, she continued, “Since Imperial Physician Zhong remembered Yu An, Xiao Qi naturally next found Yu An to understand the situation. Yu An still remembered there were two people in the room at the time. But because she herself didn’t hear the conversation between Imperial Physician Zhong and Fifth Sister, she didn’t realize this point’s crucial nature at all. Upon this explanation, she immediately remembered: these two people were an old matron and Xiao Songhua.”

She further explained to Duke Pingguo, “Yu An is at home. If Father wishes, he can summon her for questioning at any time.”

“Next, Xiao Qi had people investigate the backgrounds of the old matron and Xiao Songhua.” Seventh Miss explained her thought process step by step very clearly. “The old matron’s background is clean, and her loyalty is unquestionable. Her suspicion is definitely minimal.”

Duke Pingguo couldn’t help nodding slightly. He said in a heavy voice, “Continue.”

“Xiao Songhua’s family background also seemed very clean. She only had one sister married to another place with whom contact was lost. Xiao Qi asked cousin Feng Jin to help find the whereabouts of this woman’s sister’s family.” As Seventh Miss spoke, she observed Duke Pingguo’s expression. She said slowly, “This woman’s brother-in-law, Qiu Zhi, is a company commander in the Guangzhou military. When Shengluan went south to Guangzhou the second time, he was part of the fleet.”

Even with Duke Pingguo’s composure, he couldn’t help being shocked. Before he could react, Seventh Miss continued.

“So we divided into two routes. Fengjia had people arrest the company commander and bring him to the capital. Xiao Qi tortured Xiao Songhua. This girl couldn’t withstand punishment and quickly confessed everything. Here is a deposition. Father, please look.”

She glanced at the box, took out Xiao Songhua’s confession, and respectfully pushed it to Duke Pingguo’s hand.

Duke Pingguo immediately picked it up to examine carefully. As his reading progressed, his expression grew increasingly grim. By the time he finished reading, his face was so dark it could wring out water.

“Simultaneously, we also obtained the company commander’s confession. Father, please look.” Seventh Miss took out Qiu Zhi’s confession and placed it by Duke Pingguo’s hand. After Duke Pingguo finished reading, she continued, “The leads from these two both point to the Wu Xun family. Qiu Zhi confessed his maternal nephew relationship with Wu Xun’s wife. There are two genealogies as proof. Father, please examine the genealogies.”

Seeing Duke Pingguo’s expression uncertain, she added, “If you wish to investigate, both their ancestral homes are written in the confessions. Father can certainly dispatch trusted soldiers in disguise to inquire.”

She explained every step clearly. How to verify—she had already thought it through for Duke Pingguo. This line had obvious logic, sufficient evidence, pointing directly at the Wu Xun family.

And after last year’s events, who stood behind the Wu Xun family—wouldn’t Duke Pingguo know?

Duke Pingguo went back and forth, examining the evidence Seventh Miss provided several more times. His breathing grew increasingly rough, veins gradually appearing on his forehead. After another while, he raised his head and said viciously, “Someone! Lock up that scoundrel Xu Yujing and that slut Zhang Shi and bring them here!”