“Did Miss Yan truly say that?”

“Eldest Madam, I wouldn’t dare add or omit a single word.”

Steward Xie shrank his neck, thinking to himself that he’d only concealed the part about the dead to spare the eldest madam from nightmares.

“She’s truly clever indeed.”

Madam Zhu patted her chest, swallowing down the breath stuck in her throat. “These words preserved the dignity of both families.”

Steward Xie nodded deeply in agreement.

Chuntao on the side still hadn’t processed it. “Eldest Madam, what do you mean?”

“Let me ask you—if you were Miss Yan, would it be better to accept or refuse?”

“This…”

Chuntao put herself in Yan Sanhe’s position and thought. “It’s really neither acceptable nor refusable.”

Madam Zhu pressed on, “Why?”

Chuntao replied, “If she accepts, what if Imperial Physician Pei and Madam Pei don’t agree? Wouldn’t the Pei household be thrown into chaos?”

Madam Zhu smiled bitterly. “With Young Master Pei’s temperament, chaos would be the least of it. They’d have no peace afterward, and Miss Yan would become the culprit.”

Chuntao nodded deeply. “If she refuses, Young Master Pei is such a proud person—being rejected on the spot would be utterly humiliating. Could he accept it?”

“Even if he could accept it, his elders wouldn’t.”

Madam Zhu slowly continued.

“What kind of family is the Pei family, and what kind of family is Miss Yan’s? My son fancies her—that’s fortune accumulated by her ancestors. Yet she refuses outright? This isn’t just slapping Young Master Pei’s face, it’s slapping the entire Pei family’s face.”

Chuntao’s red lips parted in shock.

“Miss Yan is the Old Madam’s old friend and currently lives in our residence. If she slaps the Pei family’s face, that means our Xie residence is slapping the Pei family’s face. She becomes the culprit, which means our Xie family becomes the culprit.”

Madam Zhu looked meaningfully at Steward Xie.

“The Xie and Pei families have been close for decades. It’s always been mutual respect—you honor me a foot, I honor you a yard. We’ve only grown closer, never to the point where a marriage proposal would cause a complete falling out. Steward Xie, was I wrong to say she preserved both families’ dignity?”

“Eldest Madam spoke absolutely correctly.” Steward Xie sighed deeply.

By demanding that Young Master Pei present parents’ orders, Miss Yan was telling them to discuss it as a family. By bringing up her identity of dealing with the dead, she was also gently refusing.

She preserved both families’ dignity and hinted to Young Master Pei—who knows if Young Master Pei can understand?

Only then did Chuntao finally comprehend.

“Before, I only thought Miss Yan did everything coolly, wasn’t very approachable, wasn’t easy to talk to.

Now I realize she’s not unable to interact or speak—she simply doesn’t bother interacting with us or speaking to us.”

“Not ‘doesn’t bother’—she disdains to.”

Madam Zhu poked Chuntao with her slender finger. That girl knew exactly what to say and what to do—her mind was crystal clear!

Just then, a servant suddenly ran up to Steward Xie and whispered at length.

After listening, Steward Xie quickly bowed. “Eldest Madam, Imperial Physician Pei and Madam Pei have arrived.”

Madam Zhu’s bright eyes turned. “Since Imperial Physician Pei has come, you should quickly summon the eldest master back too!”

“Yes!”

Steward Xie hurried away.

Chuntao looked around, seeing no one nearby, and dared to ask quietly, “Eldest Madam, do you think this marriage can succeed?”

Madam Zhu shook her head. “Absolutely impossible!”

…

The Pei couple entered the Xie residence—one heading to Eldest Master Xie’s study, one to the inner quarters.

Madam Pei was thirty-nine this year. She maintained herself extremely well. If not for the Ji family matter causing a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and a few white hairs at her temples, she’d look even younger.

Upon entering, Lady Ji immediately called out to the Old Madam.

“Oh my, Old Ancestress, look at what that child has done! Quick, get me a prayer cushion—I must kowtow to the Old Ancestress in apology.”

The Old Madam, having lived so many years, spoke with perfect tact.

“Don’t—it’s not such a big matter. We’ve all been young. Who hasn’t been impulsive once or twice in their youth? Someone, serve tea.”

One raised it high, one set it down gently—the atmosphere in the main hall immediately livened up without a trace of awkwardness.

Lady Ji sat down, stirring the tea lid while raising her eyes to scan the room.

Madam Wu quickly waved her hand, signaling all the servants to withdraw.

Lady Ji waited until they’d gone far before setting down the tea lid and pulling out her handkerchief to dab at her eyes.

“Old Ancestress, truly not a whisper of wind reached us. Tell me, how can today’s children be so bold!”

The Old Madam smiled. “That child is straightforward—can’t keep things hidden in his heart.”

“Even if you can’t keep things hidden, you can’t act recklessly.”

Lady Ji reproached her son once. “Old Ancestress, things have reached this point. Let me speak plainly with the windows open.”

The Old Madam had already gauged Lady Ji’s thoughts from her first sentence upon entering, though her face remained impassive. “Speak freely.”

“By rights, Miss Yan helped the Ji family. Just for that alone, I should fulfill that foolish child’s wishes. Not to mention Miss Yan has looks, learning, and is extremely clever.”

The Old Madam felt more pleased hearing these words than being praised herself.

Who says otherwise!

Yan Xing’s granddaughter—except for her family background being slightly lacking, everything else was exceptional.

“But the Pei family isn’t like other families.”

Lady Ji’s tone shifted as her expression became pained.

“Old Ancestress, you know that my husband can lead the Pei family by relying on his genuine skills. Otherwise, by the rules, how could it be his turn to be the master?”

The Old Madam knew the Pei family’s affairs inside and out.

Of the four Pei brothers, Pei Yu only had the advantage of legitimacy. He had a legitimate elder brother above him and two concubine-born younger brothers below.

Old Master Pei saw that Eldest Brother Pei truly had no talent in medicine while Pei Yu possessed exceptional natural gifts, so he passed the family business to him.

For this, Eldest Brother Pei resented his own father to the core.

It was Pei Yu who voluntarily gave up ten percent of Hundred Medicine Hall’s shares to his elder brother that finally appeased Eldest Brother Pei.

Unfortunately, fortune turns.

Mingting hadn’t inherited any of his father’s medical talent. Instead, several other children in the clan, along with Pei Yu’s concubine-born son, showed signs of surpassing their master.

“Old Ancestress!”

Thinking of her son’s uselessness, Lady Ji’s teeth itched with resentment.

“If those talented children in the clan took the position of family head, I could accept it. But that person—I absolutely cannot accept.”

The “that person” Madam Pei referred to was Pei Yu’s concubine-born son, only a few months younger than Pei Xiao, whose birth mother was surnamed Qian and came from the Pei family’s old madam’s natal family.

The old madam favored her eldest son but didn’t dare disobey her husband’s wishes, so she secretly undermined the second son.

After Concubine Qian entered the household, relying on the old madam’s favoritism and having borne a son, she became extremely arrogant for a time.

If not for the Ji family’s status, Concubine Qian might have even harbored thoughts of replacing Lady Ji.

For ten full years, Lady Ji suffered under the old madam’s hand and was considerably vexed by Concubine Qian.

The only comfort was that Pei Yu conducted himself properly, protecting her in every matter.

When the old madam died, Lady Ji severely disciplined Concubine Qian, finally enjoying several comfortable years.

Who knew that as the concubine-born son’s medical talent emerged, Concubine Qian’s ambitions resurfaced.