Wei Hou left slightly later than usual this morning. Before departing, he instructed Chun Niang, “There’s no need to wake Nü Jun.”

His expression remained as cold as ever. Chun Niang glanced up and noticed Wei Hou’s eye sockets seemed slightly more hollow than usual, suggesting he hadn’t slept well. However, he showed no weariness; on the contrary, his gaze appeared even sharper.

Previously, except for the day he left too early, Xiao Qiao would always rise with him and see him off to the outer west room. Today, it wasn’t early, and Chun Niang, not seeing Xiao Qiao, initially felt uneasy, fearing she had angered Wei Hou through negligence. Hearing his sudden instruction before leaving put her at ease. After he left, she entered the inner chamber and lifted the bed curtains to find Xiao Qiao still sleeping soundly, face down on her pillow. Her cloud-like hair was disheveled, and her clothes had slipped to her shoulders, exposing a patch of snow-white back. Several seemingly used, unclean handkerchiefs were strewn on the floor by the bed. The air inside the curtains was slightly warm and stuffy, with a faint, distinct scent of intimacy.

Chun Niang, being experienced, understood. There had been excessive lovemaking last night. She silently wondered how the young and vigorous Wei Hou had exerted himself to the point of sunken eye sockets, leaving Nü Jun in such a state. Not wanting to disturb Xiao Qiao, she quietly cleaned up the items on the floor and retreated, standing guard outside until Xiao Qiao had slept her fill before going in to assist her in getting up.

Xiao Qiao usually didn’t have the habit of bathing upon waking. However, last night, though she had avoided great suffering, the alternative activity had been quite strenuous, causing her to break out in sweat multiple times. Now awake, she felt uncomfortably sticky all over and called for bath water. Fearing Chun Niang might see the pitiful flesh on her chest, still red from pinching, she refused Chun Niang’s usual assistance and undressed herself before entering the tub.

Her arms were sore, and it was an effort to raise them. As she was lowering her head to wash, the curtain rustled, and she looked up to see Chun Niang enter. Hurriedly, she sank lower in the water.

“The Old Madam’s household has sent someone requesting Nü Jun’s presence,” Chun Niang announced.

Xiao Qiao immediately suspected it might be related to last night’s events.

“I understand. Chun Niang, please leave. I’ll be out shortly…”

But Chun Niang had already approached and, grasping Xiao Qiao’s shoulders, lifted her out of the water like a little chick. “From the messenger’s tone, it seems urgent. Let this servant help you dress; it’ll be faster…”

Xiao Qiao hurriedly covered her chest with a bath towel, but Chun Niang still caught a glimpse. She paused, removed Xiao Qiao’s hands, and looked closely, furrowing her brow. In a low voice tinged with concern and disapproval, she chided, “The Master’s hand… was far too heavy…”

Xiao Qiao dared not mention the previous night’s events and remained silent.

“Nü Jun, please wait a moment.”

Chun Niang dashed out and returned with a box of ointment. She applied some gently to Xiao Qiao, which felt very cool. After drying off and dressing, Xiao Qiao hastily finished her grooming and immediately went to the north room. Upon entering, she sensed an atmosphere quite different from usual.

Madam Xu sat on the couch with Old Woman Zhong at her side. Beside them stood Wang Po, who had delivered the ice last night. Kneeling on the floor was a servant from the east wing, apparently one who attended to Madam Zhu outside her chambers. Xiao Qiao had seen her a few times when visiting the east wing.

The room’s atmosphere was somewhat tense. Xiao Qiao didn’t dare delay and knelt before Madam Xu’s seat, greeting her and apologizing for her late arrival.

Madam Xu smiled faintly and said, “It’s alright. Grandmother called you here to ask you a few questions.”

Old Woman Zhong then instructed Wang Po and the east wing servant to leave, and she went out, closing the door.

Only Madam Xu and Xiao Qiao remained in the room. Madam Xu beckoned Xiao Qiao to sit beside her and said, “This morning, shortly after I arose, Zhong Lin came to see me. He appeared fine and chatted briefly before leaving. However, afterward, I heard that there was some trouble in the east wing last night. It’s said that your mother-in-law summoned him, ostensibly for a meal, but for some reason, an argument ensued. He even broke down the room door, and Old Woman Jiang fainted. It seems Zheng Shu was also involved. I also heard that your chambers requested a large amount of ice last night. What use could there be for so much ice at this time of year?”

Madam Xu paused.

“Do you know what exactly happened last night?”

Xiao Qiao hesitated.

Indeed, Madam Xu had learned of last night’s disturbance so quickly. But it wasn’t clear if she knew about Madam Zhu giving Wei Shao the aphrodisiac.

She immediately recalled that twice last night, she had suggested to Wei Shao that they inform Madam Xu and seek her help, but he had refused both times.

Certainly, such a private matter would naturally make a grandson reluctant to let his grandmother know. But Xiao Qiao felt that judging from his demeanor and tone last night, as well as his normal behavior in front of Madam Xu this morning, Wei Shao seemed somewhat unwilling to let his grandmother know what Madam Zhu had done to him, despite the gravity of the situation.

He appeared to still want to cover for Madam Zhu and maintain her dignity in front of his grandmother.

He was unwilling to speak, yet Madam Xu had so quickly come to question her.

If she spoke, and he found out it came from her, it would offend his filial heart.

If she didn’t speak… given Madam Xu’s control over the household, she would inevitably find out sooner or later. At that point, Xiao Qiao would be at fault in Madam Xu’s eyes.

Xiao Qiao raised her eyes to see Madam Xu’s single eye gazing at her. After some thought, she replied, “Grandmother, I truly don’t know what happened in the east wing last night. My husband didn’t mention a word of it to me when he returned. As for the ice, I do know about that. He burst in and went straight to the bath, then called for ice. When I hesitated slightly, he urgently pressed me, seeming in dire need. I didn’t dare delay and had someone fetch ice. Only then did I realize… he wanted to soak in ice water…”

Madam Xu’s brow furrowed slightly.

Xiao Qiao lowered her head.

“Why have you stopped? What happened next?”

Xiao Qiao continued in a soft voice, “Later, I worried he might catch a cold and went to check on him. He was completely submerged in the ice water and said he was very thirsty, so I brought him water. After that…”

She lowered her head, her expression showing embarrassment, and fell silent.

Madam Xu looked at Xiao Qiao, her brow furrowing even more.

Although Xiao Qiao had only spoken briefly, how could Madam Xu not guess that her grandson and new daughter-in-law had not only engaged in passionate lovemaking but that it had been quite unusual?

From the new daughter-in-law’s description, it was clear that her grandson had reacted to an aphrodisiac.

A surge of anger immediately welled up in Madam Xu’s heart.

The Wei family had few male heirs, with both her husband and son being only sons. Now, she had only Wei Shao left as her sole grandson. Not only did she view him as the apple of her eye, but Madam Xu would willingly give her longevity, even sacrifice the entire Wei family fortune, to ensure Wei Shao’s lifelong safety and well-being.

She never imagined someone would be so black-hearted as to give him such a vicious drug!

She immediately asked, “Was Zhong Lin’s body harmed afterward? Tell Grandmother truthfully, there’s no need to be reserved or embarrassed!”

Discussing such matters from last night in front of Madam Xu truly made Xiao Qiao feel embarrassed. That’s why she had been so vague earlier, but now hearing the urgency and a hint of anger in her tone, Xiao Qiao was startled. Disregarding her embarrassment, she said, “He should be fine. At first, he was very uncomfortable, but later… he finally fell asleep.”

Madam Xu pondered for a moment, slowly exhaled, and looked at Xiao Qiao. Seeing her lowered gaze and slightly flushed cheeks, she recalled that when her grandson came to see her this morning, he had mentioned that Xiao Qiao was still sleeping and he hadn’t woken her to come along. Realizing that she must have been exhausted by her grandson last night, Madam Xu felt sympathetic. She gently patted Xiao Qiao’s hand and said softly, “Grandmother understands. There’s nothing else here; you may go back and rest some more.”

Xiao Qiao bowed to Madam Xu in gratitude and withdrew. After she left, Madam Xu called Old Woman Zhong in and shared her suspicions.

Old Woman Zhong was greatly alarmed. Seeing Madam Xu’s grim expression, she hesitated before saying, “Old Madam, please calm your anger. This servant will go and summon the Madam to inquire about the truth…”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to that side. This time, there’s no need for her to come; I’ll go see her myself!” Madam Xu said coldly as she stood up from the couch.

Old Woman Zhong helped Madam Xu down from the couch, assisted her in changing clothes, and they set off towards the east wing.

Madam Zhu had a sleepless night, and her eyes were swollen when she woke up early in the morning. Wei Shao arrived early, and remembering her son’s unprecedented anger from the previous night, she felt uneasy. Forcing herself to remain composed, she initially smiled at her son. Seeing him neither sit nor speak, but simply stand before her staring, she said in a trembling voice:

“Zhonglin, my son, what happened last night was indeed my fault. It’s all because I, as your mother, was foolish for a moment and did such a thing to you. After you left last night, I thought you might never acknowledge me as your mother again! My heart…”

Her eyes reddened, and tears began to flow. She continued, choking back sobs: “Your grandmother must have found out by now… She already looked down on me, and now it will be even worse. Well, it’s my fault for being so foolish. I’ll go to her today to ask for punishment. Whatever punishment she deems fit, I’ll accept it…”

Wei Shao’s brows were tightly furrowed. After a long moment, as if suppressing his emotions, he slowly said, “I haven’t told Grandmother about last night’s events, nor do I intend to let her know, to spare her unnecessary worry.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhu let out a sigh of relief.

“However, you must comply with two things I ask,” Wei Shao continued coldly.

“Of course, son. Please tell me,” Madam Zhu nodded hastily.

“First, send Zheng Shu away. She is no longer allowed to set foot in our Wei family home. Second, Mother, you are no longer permitted to have any dealings with witches and sorcerers…”

A shadow passed over his eyes.

“If I find out that you’ve conspired with witches again to do such underhanded and shameful things like drugging, I will immediately have the witch’s temple razed to the ground!”

Madam Zhu was startled.

Last night, when the plan failed, she had even complained that the potion from the great witch wasn’t effective. She hadn’t expected her son to know that she had obtained the drug from a witch. Seeing her son bring this up, she flushed with embarrassment and said, “I understand about not associating with witches. I deeply regret it this time. You can rest assured. But about the first condition…”

She hesitated, glancing up at Wei Shao. Seeing his gloomy expression fixed on her, she shuddered, knowing that at this moment, there was no way to keep her niece.

“I understand. But you know that Chu Yu has no one to rely on at home. If we suddenly send her away, where could she go? Son, please give me a few days to make arrangements. I know you don’t like Chu Yu, and I’ve learned my lesson from this incident. I won’t ask you to marry her anymore. She has accompanied me for all these years, and now that I have to send her away, I should at least do it properly. Let me prepare some things for her, to repay her for the filial duty she has shown on your behalf all these years… This is your mother’s plea to you.”

Madam Zhu became emotional as she spoke, and tears flowed again.

Wei Shao’s brow furrowed once more. After a moment, he finally said, “Three days. If she’s still here after three days, Mother, don’t blame me for being unfilial.”

Madam Zhu had no choice but to agree. She choked out, “Zhonglin, I was wrong this time. I’ve let you down…” Her tears dried, only to flow again.

Wei Shao looked at Madam Zhu, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately didn’t. Finally, he said, “I only ask that Mother remembers this lesson and doesn’t act so foolishly in the future. That would be a blessing for me as your son.”

…

After Wei Shao left, Madam Zhu sat lost in thought for a long while. By noon, she asked the servants and heard that Zheng Shu was still in her room, having not eaten or drunk since morning. She went to see her personally and relayed what she had promised earlier.

Zheng Chu Yu’s eyes were swollen from crying. She said, “Aunt, I only regret being so foolish as to lower myself to do such a thing. Even if Cousin hadn’t said anything, I couldn’t stay in this house anymore. I see that Cousin now resents you as well, which was never my intention. I had already decided that I would leave.”

Seeing her niece’s consideration, Madam Zhu felt even more reluctant to part with her. She comforted her in various ways, saying, “Don’t worry. The North Wing doesn’t know about this incident, and Zhonglin has promised not to tell. I’m sending you away just temporarily. After some time passes, I’ll see about bringing you back.”

Zheng Chu Yu slowly stopped crying: “Aunt, after I leave, please don’t try to force Cousin. He is a filial son and cares for you in his heart. When you face issues, you should reason with him and appeal to his emotions as you did before. I’m sure Cousin will soften. As long as Cousin protects you, the Old Madam will have to consider his face, and your days won’t be too difficult…”

“Chu Yu, only you think of me… If that Qiao girl had even half of your thoughtfulness, I wouldn’t have lost face in front of my son like this!”

“Aunt—”

“What a touching scene between aunt and niece! Even I, an old woman, am moved by such depth of feeling!”

Suddenly, a measured voice came from behind them.

Madam Zhu turned sharply, seeing that Madam Xu had somehow arrived. She stood in the doorway, leaning on a cane, her expression seemingly no different from usual. However, the piercing light from her one good eye shot straight at Madam Zhu, startling her greatly. She hurriedly let go of Zheng Chu Yu and knelt to greet Madam Xu, saying in a trembling voice, “Mother-in-law, why have you come personally? If you needed anything, you could have sent someone to call for me.”

Madam Xu ignored her, shifting her gaze to Zheng Chu Yu, who had knelt behind Madam Zhu.

Zheng Chu Yu’s face turned pale, and she dared not raise her head.

After looking at Zheng Chu Yu for a moment, Madam Xu slowly said, “Send Zheng Shu out of the family immediately. I don’t want to see her again.”

As soon as she finished speaking, two robust female servants entered and dragged Zheng Chu Yu out.

Zheng Chu Yu began to cry.

Madam Zhu’s heart was in turmoil. She hurriedly said, “Mother-in-law…” But as soon as she began to speak, she saw Madam Xu’s gaze suddenly sweep towards her, and she found herself unable to continue.

“I know you and your niece have been close for many years and have deep feelings. Don’t worry, we won’t mistreat her. Though her parents have passed, she still has uncles. Send her back with a dowry, and let the Zheng family find her a good husband. Are you dissatisfied with this arrangement?”

Madam Zhu stammered, “Everything is as Mother-in-law sees fit.”

Outside, Zheng Chu Yu’s voice could no longer be heard. The servants in the room had all left. Finally, only Madam Zhu remained, kneeling on the ground with her head lowered.

After a long while, as she was slowly about to raise her head, she suddenly heard Madam Xu strike her cane forcefully on the ground. The force was so great that it cracked the blue brick in front of her feet. Then she heard Madam Xu’s stern voice: “Did I give you permission to raise your head?”

Madam Zhu shuddered and looked up to see Madam Xu’s face full of anger, her one eye shooting a gaze as sharp as a knife.

In the twenty or thirty years since she had married into the Wei family, although she had always resented Madam Xu’s coldness towards her, she had never seen such a fierce expression. Her heart pounded, and she barely managed to steady herself. Gathering her courage, she said, “I don’t know what I’ve done wrong to anger Mother-in-law so. Please enlighten me so that I can correct my mistakes…”

Madam Xu spat at her: “What vile potion did you give my grandson last night? How dare you do such a malicious thing to try to force your precious niece into my grandson’s room? You thought it was just an aphrodisiac! If someone with ill intentions had replaced what was given to you with poison, you fool, would you still have given it to your son? Zheng Shu is your niece, but is my grandson, not your flesh and blood?”

Madam Zhu’s face instantly turned pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Knowing that Madam Xu was now aware of everything, she dared not offer any more excuses. She touched her forehead to the ground and said tearfully, “I was foolish and made a grave mistake! Fortunately, no harm was done. I beg Mother-in-law to punish me. I will never dare to do such a thing again!”

Madam Xu was furious. After her harsh rebuke, she was breathing heavily. After a moment, she calmed down slightly and said coldly, “I’ve turned a blind eye to your frequent dealings with witches and sorcerers. Now you dare to do this to your son, showing how twisted your thoughts have become! You are my grandson’s birth mother, so I can’t do much to you, lest it affect my grandson’s reputation. Very well, since you’re asking me to punish you, go face the wall in the ancestral hall! You may return when you’ve thought things through clearly!”

Having said this, Madam Xu turned and left without another glance at Madam Zhu. As she reached the door, her body swayed slightly, and Zhong Nai, who had been waiting, quickly moved to support her.

Madam Xu closed her eyes and steadied herself. Seeing Zhong Nai looking at her with concern, she shook her head and said, “I’m fine.” Zhong Nai then helped her back to the North Wing.

“Old Madam, when the young master came this morning, he didn’t mention last night’s events to you at all. It seems he didn’t want you to know what Madam had done. Now that you’ve punished Madam like this, given the young master’s fierce temperament, if he finds out you summoned the Madam, he might become angry…”

She trailed off.

Madam Xu’s single eye gazed ahead, and she said calmly, “This will be a test for the Qiao girl. If she can’t overcome even this small hurdle, how can she hope to be a lifelong partner for Zhonglin?”

Zhong Nai remained silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.