Небо над реками и озерами очень чистое

Глава 109

"Can a maid replace a husband? What is Third Brother so upset about that he had a child with you without your knowledge?" Xie Feilan didn't understand. "Although the methods were a bit excessive, they were understandable. Why bother with such trivial matters?"

Just as her father had predicted, she hadn't expected to make the decision for her husband so directly. He... was envious, and therefore couldn't bear to see his brother's gloom even more. "Could it be that the child isn't yours?"

Those words were like a heavy stone thrown into water; Xie Yunshu immediately raised his head. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Xie Feilan ignored her brother's rebuke. "What man would neglect and distance himself from his wife just because she's pregnant, especially when they're usually so loving? Unless she's carrying..."

Xie Yunshu gave her a cold stare. "Don't mention such things again. It's an insult to both her and me."

"I don't say anything, but others will think about it." Xie Feilan snorted, retorting without fear of death. "Who can you blame? Third Brother's recent behavior has aroused suspicion. If you hadn't acted out of character, who would dare to get involved in that direction?"

Xie Yunshu was silent for a moment. "Is anyone else talking?"

"There are many rumors, and even more unpleasant ones circulating in private, saying that you'll divorce your wife soon." Xie Feilan deliberately exaggerated a bit. There were indeed rumors, but most of them were just casual conversation. Jun Pianxian lived in seclusion in a heavily guarded garden, and the deep affection between the two was obvious to everyone. Anyone with a brain wouldn't believe it.

"Which room did the sound come from?" His handsome eyes were icy cold; he was truly enraged.

Xie Feilan avoided pressing the question. "Regardless of where it started, once Third Brother recovers, the rumors will naturally dissipate."

After a long standoff, Xie Yunshu's anger dissipated, leaving only a weary and sorrowful expression.

"You're right, it's all my fault. I..." The handsome face could no longer hide the deep-seated fear.

Xie Feilan almost thought she was seeing things. "You...are afraid?"

Seeing that her brother didn't refute her, she became even more astonished. "What are you afraid of? She's not afraid, why are you?"

"You're wrong." A deep, indescribable bitterness seeped into a low murmur that no one could understand. "She's never afraid of anything; the person she's afraid of... is always me."

Her fair skin shone like soft jade in the dim light, and her delicately defined eyebrows formed a graceful arch with a powerful curve at the ends, subtly hinting at a stubborn and fierce nature. Thick, long eyelashes veiled her bright eyes, which always displayed contrasting expressions of warmth and coldness, shrewdness and ruthlessness. He knew how tough her exterior was, and also how soft she was inside.

Paradoxical, something you both hate and love...

Her delicate nostrils flared slightly as she slept peacefully. To help her recover better, calming herbs had been added to her recent prescription, which allowed him to touch her late at night without waking her.

He gazed at her quietly for a long time, then took off his coat, lifted the blanket, lay down, and tightly embraced her delicate body.

"Miss, the Third Young Master said he is busy today and asked you to go to the main garden by yourself. He will be waiting there."

She gave a casual reply, changed into her finest clothes, and sat down at the dressing table. A skillful maidservant styled her cloud-like black hair into an elegant updo, drew her eyebrows, applied lipstick, and lightly powdered her face. She then selected hairpins from her lacquered box to complement her attire, making her look graceful and beautiful. Finally, she draped herself in a white fox fur coat and crane cloak, and with a mirror in hand and an umbrella for support, she went out.

The snow fell thick and fast, covering the world in silence, broken only by the soft thud of lambskin boots on the snow.

"Miss should wear more luxurious makeup, which will not only enhance her appearance but also suit her status and temperament."

Breathing in the winter chill, she huddled close to the heater.

If it weren't for the holidays, who would bother with such tedious formalities? There are always unavoidable family dinners, and several unavoidable social obligations each year. Usually, that person would be there, never leaving, handling all the social niceties. But this year, that's impossible. How much longer will he… remain awkward?

I woke up this morning to find that the kite I had painted badly yesterday had been peeled off, repainted, and decorated with colorful butterfly patterns. The details were exquisite, making it irresistible...

After several years of marriage, we encountered another disagreement, and it was rare to see him still so considerate.

Her cool, dark eyes softened, and suddenly she smiled. The snowy scenery had a unique charm; a stroll through it would be quite pleasant.

Especially since... there are people waiting ahead.

A man in dark robes approached, took the umbrella from Shuangjing's hands, and held it up to shield her from the falling snow. Her unexpected arrival, which she hadn't expected, brought her a strange sense of joy.

No one spoke, quietly enjoying a moment of tranquility.

Snowflakes fell softly, and the fragrance of plum blossoms drifted in the distance, as if warmth permeated the world.

The Xie family banquet was held in the Winter Garden, which is planted with plum blossoms.

Snowflakes welcome spring, and red plum blossoms adorn the scene, truly auspicious for the New Year. Unfortunately, the noise and chaos inevitably detract from the elegance.

The Xie family was large and prosperous. In addition to the five sons, there were several uncles and aunts, each with wives, concubines and children. There were also many collateral relatives. During festivals, the family would be quite large, requiring a lot of manpower and resources, no less than a wedding procession.

In previous years, Madam Xie had been in charge of all the arrangements, which always gave her a headache. She treated the New Year like a tiger, with the Lantern Festival following New Year's Eve, and the constant social engagements both inside and outside the home leaving her exhausted. Xie Zhenchuan, feeling sorry for his beloved wife, entrusted everything to Xie Yunshu this year. He was so busy that he barely had time to spare, and only managed to squeeze out a little time to bring his wife over. Just as they were about to take their seats, a cacophony of polite refusals filled the air.

With all the relatives gathered, much of the conversation revolved around private discussions. Xie Zhenchuan had been handing over most of his affairs to his third son in recent years, seemingly retiring from the family. The question of who would succeed him as head of the family was self-evident, drawing even more attention. Rumors of the third young master and his wife's unusual behavior had been circulating for months, fueling speculation and boundless curiosity among the relatives. Upon seeing the two of them together, their gazes immediately turned towards them.

Jun Pianxian was already mysterious, and after entering the family, she remained secluded in the deep garden for a long time, only appearing in gorgeous clothes and makeup during festivals, which attracted even more attention.

Her hair was styled in a cloud-like bun, her eyebrows and eyes were as black as lacquer, and a plum blossom makeup adorned her snow-white forehead. She wore a red dress wrapped in a fox fur coat and walked along a path strewn with fallen plum blossoms, her beauty beyond compare. The man beside her was incomparably handsome, with a graceful and refined demeanor. One hand rested on her waist, and he casually brushed off the snow that had fallen on one of her shoulders. He accompanied his beloved wife to pay respects to her parents and elders.

The two women, inseparable and as beautiful as jade, outshone even the most magnificent sights in the hall, their charm surpassing even the slightest hint of elegance.

The noise stopped for a moment, then rose again in a low voice, and after a long while it returned to normal.

Seeing that her third daughter-in-law's health was improving and that she was pregnant, Madam Xie felt even more affection for her and spoke to her in detail for a long time. Xie Zhenchuan, as stern as ever, glanced at his daughter-in-law's complexion, nodded, and did not say much. Seeing that all the relatives had arrived, he turned and ordered the banquet to begin.

launch an attack

As is customary, the female relatives were seated separately on the side. Xie Yunshu arranged for his wife to sit down, exchanged a few pleasantries with his sisters-in-law on either side, and then someone approached to ask for instructions, so he had to go and attend to his work.

It was a rare occasion for the five sons of the Xie family to gather together, and Xie Feilan rarely participated in family banquets. Most of the people in the hall, regardless of age, were looking around. Qinglan lowered her voice and chuckled. "Every year when Third Sister-in-law comes out, it's like she's seeing her for the first time."

"That's because Third Sister-in-law rarely shows herself, and other people can't come and go from Third Brother's garden as often as Qinglan," Second Uncle's eldest son, Xie Linxia, retorted with a laugh. "It's easy to be surprised when you don't see someone often, but we're not the only ones secretly watching."

That's true; many elders are also observing.

"Is there any certainty about Third Sister-in-law's condition?" Xie Feilan forced herself to look away.

Xie Jingze put down his cup. "It was a bit uncertain at first, but the tonics I've been taking lately have been quite effective, so it's about 70% certain now."

Only 70%...

“There's bound to be some risk involved; no wonder the third brother is in a bad mood.” Xie Quheng glanced at his third brother from afar. “Second brother, think of something. Make sure your sister-in-law and child are safe, otherwise…”

The people at the table fell silent for a moment.

"I thought Third Brother was really lucky, with the young lady of the Prince's Mansion being such a rare beauty, but I never expected..." Xie Linxia said with some regret. "If he were a little healthier, he would be perfect."

"Why bother..." Xie Feilan murmured, lowering his eyes, disagreeing with his father's far-sighted calculations.

"Third sister-in-law is too stubborn. Why not just take a concubine?" Xie Linxia was quite puzzled by this. "With her beauty, she has no worries about falling out of favor. Why is she so determined to have her own child?"

“Jun Suiyu cherishes his younger sister like a priceless treasure; how could he allow Yunshu to be engaged to someone else?” Xie Quheng shook his head in denial. “The third brother would absolutely not agree either.”

"Third Brother is content as long as she can live a peaceful old age," Xie Feilan said with a faint smile.

“Fourth Brother is right.” Qinglan nodded, and couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of how that cold woman would deal with the timid concubine. “Third Sister-in-law is different from Eldest Sister-in-law; she would never share a husband with another woman.”

As soon as she spoke, Xie Quheng glared at her, and Qinglan touched her nose in annoyance and kept quiet.

Unlike the other sons, Xie Zhenchuan, the patriarch of the Xie family, never took a concubine. His married sons followed the same rule. Only Xie Quheng recently took a concubine, Xiaoxing. Fortunately, his eldest daughter-in-law was gentle and treated her concubine sisters without causing any trouble, so Madam Xie gave up after a few days. Xie Quheng's actions went against his parents' wishes, and having barely managed to get by, he naturally didn't want his brothers to bring it up again.

However, these words reminded Xie Linxia, who then inquired with considerable concern about Xie Jingze. "Second brother, haven't you always wanted to bring your confidante into the household? Why not take this opportunity to do it all at once, so as to avoid any unforeseen complications?"

Xie Jingze, who often traveled to practice medicine, happened to save a singing girl. The two fell deeply in love and their relationship became an open secret, lasting for many years. Even Su Jinrong had heard rumors and once went to his door to beat and scold him. If it weren't for her servant's quick escape, the whole city would have been in an uproar. After that, Xie Jingze was still wary and became much more cautious. The lovers were inevitably bound by mutual longing, and he was often heard sighing deeply.

Xie Jingze shook his head with a wry smile. "My daughter... how can she compare to my sister-in-law? Marrying her would only be a waste of her time. It's better to break it off and let her find a better match." Such a pure and gentle girl would likely suffer greatly if she married into the family, and delaying her would only waste her youth. He'd rather give her a generous dowry so she could find happiness with someone else. Though he said this, his feelings were still lingering, and a sadness involuntarily crept onto his face, clearly a case of saying one thing and meaning another.

Everyone in the Xie family knew that Xie Jingze was afraid of his wife, so they all burst into laughter, toasting and drinking. At the end of the year, when busy work was temporarily put aside, they were in a carefree and unrestrained mood, and the brothers quickly began to make a ruckus.

The hall was filled with laughter and chatter. Apart from the eldest and second sisters-in-law, most of the others were wives and concubines of the uncles and aunts, each with their own personal maids. The eldest sister-in-law chatted with a smile, inquiring about her well-being, her kindness and gentleness just like that of Madam Xie.

She ate very little, partly because she had a poor appetite, and partly because the food at the New Year's feast never quite matched the comforts of the garden's cuisine; she only ate a few bites and then stopped. Laughter and banter filled the men's seats, and the women's seats gradually became more relaxed as well, their conversations filled with unrestrained banter, playing drinking games with the same gusto as the men. Second Sister-in-law Su Jinrong repeatedly ordered the maids to pour wine, drinking without hesitation, displaying a rather chivalrous spirit. Before long, her eyes and brows were tinged with intoxication, and her speech became somewhat slurred.

"This toast is for my sister-in-law." Su Jinrong slammed down a glass of wine, having drunk from everyone at the table, finally choosing to make things difficult for the person who hadn't touched a drop. "Your sister-in-law is the daughter of the Jun family, and you look down on associating with us. But on this festive day, you should at least give us some face."

Qingyan remained calm and casually declined. "My second sister-in-law is drunk, and Pianxian is pregnant, so she dares not drink."

"So what if you're pregnant? A couple of drinks won't hurt. Don't make a big deal out of it." Su Jinrong chuckled and waved her hand around. "If you don't believe me, ask the sisters-in-law and aunts at the table. Giving birth and raising children is a natural thing. Everyone goes through it. None of them have had it as difficult as you."

The elder sister-in-law, sensing something was amiss, tried to dissuade her. "Jinrong, stop arguing. Pianxian is still on medication; how can she drink alcohol? The prescription was given to her by your husband."

"They're nothing more than some tonics," Su Jinrong said sarcastically, feigning drunkenness. "I heard that Young Master Jun has sent quite a few more medicinal herbs. Such a deep brother-sister relationship is truly rare."

"Second sister-in-law is right," she replied casually.

The laughter and chatter at the table had stopped at some point. Listening to Su Jinrong's veiled sarcasm, the expressions varied, with most of them wanting to watch the show.

After marrying into the family, Jun Pianxian rarely interacted with her relatives, creating a deep estrangement. Madam Xie doted on her and indulged her, allowing Xie Yunshu to spoil and pamper her, leading to her eccentric and unconventional behavior. Many of the women secretly resented her, but given her powerful background and stable position for years, no one dared to disrespect her. Only Su Jinrong, known for her sharp tongue and unforgiving nature, harbored a deep grudge from her previous setback. Now, seeing Xie Yunshu absent, she seized the opportunity, using alcohol to provoke and deliberately humiliate him.

"Who could have imagined that my sister-in-law would be so fortunate to be able to return to the Jun family after years of wandering? After entering the Xie family, she has her third brother to take care of everything, and she can comfortably enjoy the fruits of others' labor. She finally gave birth to a child, which made everyone tremble with fear, for fear of making the slightest mistake. It's almost like an empress giving birth to a dragon's child."

The harsh words passed by like a gentle breeze. She listened, glancing discreetly at the head of the table. The table where the Xie couple had been was now empty; they had all left, along with their five sons, who had presumably escorted their parents back to their residence to rest.

Her bright eyes darkened, a slight annoyance rising in her heart. A hint of coldness settled between her brows as she immediately considered leaving the table.

"...No wonder my third brother is so protective of his wife, but he's become distant lately." Su Jinrong glanced over and saw that her parents-in-law and the Xie brothers had all left the table. Emboldened, she was determined to tear off their mask of indifference. "Ever since my sister-in-law became pregnant, my third brother has often gone out and not returned until late at night, which has made my sister-in-law very curious."

"Jinrong!" The more she spoke, the more inappropriate it became, and her sister-in-law, her face pale, rebuked her. "You've had too much to drink, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Su Jinrong ignored her and became even more aggressive. "I heard that my sister-in-law used a secret treasure from the Prince's Mansion to make my third brother's medicine ineffective, which is why he became pregnant. Your family is wealthy and has countless secret treasures. I am from a poor family and have little knowledge of such things. I don't know what kind of treasures have such miraculous effects. Why don't you borrow them to let everyone see for themselves? Otherwise, it might be a complete fabrication and you could be fooled by a charlatan."

The veiled meaning in her words infuriated Shuangjing, whose expression changed drastically. "Second Young Mistress, what exactly do you mean by spouting baseless rumors!"

Jun Pianxian flicked her fingers and pressed them down, her dark eyes unfathomable.

"What does Second Sister-in-law want to say?"

“I am concerned for my sister-in-law’s reputation and hope to see evidence to refute the rumors. Rumors are flying around the manor, and my sister-in-law may not have heard them. There are all sorts of nasty things being said, and some people even…” Su Jinrong gave a slight, cold laugh, seemingly casually glancing past her side. Her quick-witted maidservant swiftly continued, “They say the Third Young Mistress’s child might not be surnamed Xie, I wonder if it is…” She suddenly stopped speaking, her beautiful face seeming to show something else, and she even trembled slightly.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Although the rumors were widespread, everyone knew they were untrue, and no one dared to speak of them openly, not even in front of the Xie brothers. Su Jinrong's triumphant revelation at this moment made everyone realize the impropriety of the situation, and fearing repercussions, they all paled.

"Sister-in-law, did you hear that? There's no smoke without fire. Shouldn't you...?" Su Jinrong continued her arrogant sneer.

"If it weren't for my second sister-in-law's reminder, I really wouldn't have known that such unsavory rumors were circulating in the manor." Qingyan interrupted slowly, without any anger, her delicate eyebrows raised slightly.

"Someone come here."

The voice was not loud, and two agile figures landed on the eaves, bowing their heads respectfully.

"What are your orders, Miss?"

"Drag this girl away and give her twenty strokes of the cane." The tone was calm and unwavering. "After the beating, send her to the punishment hall for judgment, to punish her for spreading rumors, misleading the emperor, and making false accusations against him."

Su Jinrong almost thought she had misheard. She was so angry that she couldn't speak. The maid beside her had already been grabbed and dragged away. This maid had come from the Su family as part of her dowry and had always been favored by her master. She acted arrogantly because she had someone backing her up. She had never been so frightened and was terrified.

Her delicate eyebrows lifted slightly, and the scream vanished before it could even escape her lips.

"Stop!" Su Jinrong shouted repeatedly, but her attempts to stop them were all blocked. The Jun family guards ignored her and left with the maid in the blink of an eye. The Xie family attendants stood to the side, unsure of whose orders to take. Although Xie Yunshu was the third son, he was more feared than Xie Jingze.