Not only was Xie Zhifei breathless?

Li Buyan and Young Master Pei looked at each other even more.

Though they didn’t understand why Yan Sanhe had summoned the Zhu Manor’s Second Master and his wife, once those three words “Jietai Temple” emerged, things became subtly wrong.

As if…

As if something was about to break through the earth.

Xie Zhifei pressed down his inner shock. “Did you follow them to Jietai Temple?”

“Where would I have that leisure?”

Zhu Xuangui sighed. “Fourth Brother did go with them several times.”

At these words, Yan Sanhe suddenly stood up, startling everyone.

Xie Zhifei quickly said: “Let’s stop here for today. Go wait outside the yamen. The Second Mistress will come out in about half an hour.”

Zhu Xuangui’s puzzled gaze moved from Xie Zhifei to Yan Sanhe.

Who was this girl?

Why could she sit in the Five City Military Commission?

When questioning, what had she whispered in Xie Zhifei’s ear?

Also, Concubine Fu who’d been dead for ages—what case was she involved in? Did it concern the Zhu family?

Carrying a bellyful of doubts, Zhu Xuangui left with three backward glances.

Once he left, three gazes fixed intensely on Yan Sanhe. Yan Sanhe was silent for a while, then repeated that same phrase:

“Can’t say yet. I’ll explain after finishing the questioning.”

…

Zhu Xuangui’s legitimate wife was Madam Zhang.

Birds of a feather flock together—Madam Zhang was even fatter than Zhu Xuangui, with two layers of flesh hanging from her chin.

Women didn’t need intimidation. Just four people in the room looking at her coldly was enough to alarm her.

“There’s a case involving the Zhu Manor’s mistress, Madam Mao—your fourth sister-in-law.”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze deliberately darkened. “What kind of person is Madam Mao? Explain in detail.”

Madam Zhang was stunned for a long time, then suddenly her lips curled into a smile.

This hint of a smile made even the slowest-reacting Li Buyan understand—there must be discord between these two sisters-in-law.

“Fourth Sister-in-law? She’s a shrewd one.”

Madam Zhang laughed coldly: “Among us five Zhu Manor sisters-in-law, no one is as capable as her.”

Xie Zhifei: “What do you mean?”

“Which new bride enters the house and immediately links arms intimately with her mother-in-law? As if only she in the entire Zhu Manor can say ‘Mother,’ and everyone else is mute?”

Madam Zhang burned with anger just thinking of Madam Mao’s wedding day.

The Old Master was truly biased—a concubine’s son actually married a noble family’s eldest daughter, a better match than the legitimate sons’ marriages. What kind of propriety was that?

A good marriage would have been fine, but the dowry was also excessive.

One hundred twenty-eight carrying-loads, each one heavy. Opening them revealed fine goods.

Madam Zhang’s dowry was only sixty-four loads, with two chests filled with items just for appearances. Everything was outshone by that Madam Mao.

The next day serving tea to the in-laws, when Mother-in-law praised her a few times, she lost all sense of direction, constantly praising Mother-in-law’s youth, extraordinary bearing, excellent household management—a good mother-in-law you couldn’t find with a lantern.

“Sir, you didn’t see her manner—just like seeing her own mother.”

Madam Zhang laughed coldly. “You judge—is this person fake or not?”

Xie Zhifei kept his face stern and said nothing.

“Today making new clothes for Old Madam, tomorrow cooking elaborate meals in the kitchen for Old Madam, the day after pulling Old Madam to stroll the gardens—making all of us look like we’re unwilling to spend money, lazy with our hands and feet. What kind of people have we become?”

These words had been suppressed in Madam Zhang’s belly for decades. Finally having a chance to pour them out, she didn’t need Xie Zhifei to ask—Madam Zhang spilled everything clean.

“At manor banquets, she—a concubine’s son’s wife—doesn’t properly stay in the back, but insists on ingratiating herself before Old Madam, being obsequious. Even birds in trees don’t chirp as much as her.

Madam Zhang shook her head, a circle of fat flesh jiggling.

“Only women from small places are so lacking in rules and propriety. We from the capital all have face—even toward fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law, we can’t do such sycophantic things.”

Xie Zhifei felt these words grated on the ears.

Madam Mao was a concubine’s son’s daughter-in-law. If she wasn’t sweet-tongued, didn’t ingratiate herself before Old Madam, life probably wouldn’t have been easy!

“What else?”

“Wanting the best food, the best clothes. The slightest ache or pain, she’d nag at her husband.”

Madam Zhang imitated Madam Mao’s youthful speaking manner.

“‘Master, my head hurts; Master, my stomach hurts; Master, my chest feels tight.’ Giving birth to her eldest son, she cried so loud she’d lift the Zhu Manor’s roof off.

What’s this about? Only her childbirth is painful? The rest of us just shit out our babies?”

Hearing this, Xie Zhifei frowned directly, thinking this old woman was far too crude.

“Anything else?”

“She’s jealous and petty. Wherever Fourth Brother went, who he saw—she had to ask everything clearly, manage everything. Never seen a more clingy woman.”

Madam Zhang pursed her lips. “If Fourth Brother came home an hour or two late, she’d run to the second gate to wait. Oh my, as if only she knows how to cherish her man.”

“Anything else?”

Anything else?

Madam Zhang racked her brains for a long time, then offered: “Does spending money lavishly count?”

“How so?”

“The Zhu Manor’s old residence was perfectly fine. Once they divided households, she insisted on forcing Fourth Brother to completely renovate the residence.”

Madam Zhang laughed coldly: “You didn’t see her courtyard—tsk tsk tsk, even the Empress could live there. Tell me, isn’t she wasteful?”

“Besides these, anything else?”

“Right!”

Madam Zhang’s face showed resentment, her features drawing into harsh lines. “She also wouldn’t let Fourth Brother take concubines. That should count too, right?”

The word “count” rolled on Xie Zhifei’s tongue but was swallowed back down.

He turned to look at Yan Sanhe. Yan Sanhe shook her head slightly.

So Xie Zhifei said coldly: “Alright, we’re done questioning. You may leave.”

“Master Xie.”

Madam Zhang leaned forward. “What case did Fourth Sister-in-law commit? Is it serious? Will she be arrested?”

“That’s not for you to ask.”

Even Xie Zhifei’s good temper couldn’t hold. “Someone, see the Second Mistress out.”

Zhu Qing opened the door from outside. Madam Zhang stood and walked to the doorway, then suddenly turned back.

“Master Xie, you can’t let her off just because of her status and position. When princes break the law…”

“Bang!”

Li Buyan slapped the table, furious. “Are you done or not?”

“Done, done!”

Madam Zhang jumped in fright and quickly scurried away.

Young Master Pei shook his head directly. “Does this Second Mistress not eat food, only drink vinegar? How can she be so sour—the sour taste drifted for dozens of miles?”

Xie Zhifei turned to look at Yan Sanhe: “Were her words useful?”

Yan Sanhe slowly stood up and laughed quietly. “Sour aside, they were useful.”

Xie Zhifei: “So now…”

“Find a place to rest.”

Yan Sanhe pointed to her head. “Here is full, and tired too. I need to sleep first.”

“Then…”

Young Master Pei: “You’ve figured out the osmanthus matter?”

Yan Sanhe nodded. “I roughly understand what’s going on.”

Figured it out already?

Young Master Pei looked at Xie Zhifei, then at Li Buyan, thinking: We’re all still confused!

“Quick, tell us.”

“Wait until the three Zhu masters have news.”

“I’m about to go crazy from curiosity.”

“Not yet time to go crazy.”

Yan Sanhe spoke word by word: “When you hear the truth, then go crazy!”