The mention of Fifth Young Master Shi reminded Jian Ruonan that she had not finished digging into the gossip. She desperately wanted to know why Minister Shi would do something that hurt others without benefiting himself.
[Let me see. Why did Shi Fan find five different male cousins and have his wife bear sons for all five?!]
Dantai Mo put down his chopsticks and even slowed his breathing, afraid of missing anything.
Teng picked up his bowl and hid behind Jian Ruonan.
Hurry up and tell us, Fifth Sister-
Min and Jian Xilu remained relatively composed, their eyes lowered as they waited for the gossip.
Marquis Jian was hearing this kind of gossip for the first time. Even his toes curled in anticipation.
[Holy crap, Shi Fan really was ruthless!! Originally, he had a male cousin who passed the imperial examination in the same year as him, and that cousin ranked slightly higher. After discussing it, their clan decided to throw all its financial support behind the cousin. As he watched his cousin soar into the clouds, Shi Fan had only himself to rely on. After years of work, he was still a mere seventh-rank sesame official, aching with bitterness at night.]
[With his official career going nowhere, he stayed home to make babies. But despite seeking doctors and remedies everywhere, never mind a son or daughter-he couldn't even produce an egg.]
[An ordinary person would have sunk into despair after a blow like that. But Shi Fan was no ordinary person. He simply threw caution to the wind. To secure his clansmen's wholehearted support, he had his wife bear sons for five of his male cousins. With the clan's backing and his own scheming, he eventually entered the Grand Secretariat and became a chief minister.]
[Those who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff!]
[His Excellency the Minister wasn't just ruthless-he was ruthlessness squared!]
Teng's mouth hung wide open, his dark eyes round as saucers.
Even Dantai Mo, usually so grave and self-possessed, could not help sucking in a sharp breath.
Min nearly fell off her stool.
[Five different men, and it couldn't possibly have worked on the first try every time. How did Madam Zhang never notice?]
Jian Xilu silently nodded. Yes, why had she never noticed?
Marquis Jian stroked his beard, the words Is this really true? looping endlessly in his mind.
[Oh, oh! So he made Madam Zhang drink a drug every time before they did it. No wonder all five of his sons were so mediocre. It was because of the drug.]
"..."
As the Minister of Rites, Minister Shi commanded considerable prestige at court. Even the Fourth Prince dared not put on airs before him.
After hearing the gossip, Dantai Mo was utterly shocked.
The look he gave Madam Zhang grew far more complicated, too.
That old man, whose mouth was always full of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, had actually been so ruthless toward himself!
Teng was stunned. His young mind suffered one shock after another.
The more Jian Zeyang heard, the more alarmed he became.
He knew his elder brother-in-law was ruthless-without that ruthlessness, he could never have risen to minister-but surely he would not screw even himself over?!
Fortunately, although his own official career had been rocky, all three of his sons were his biological children...
Apart from Jian Zeyang, the others believed every word. This was his first time hearing her inner voice, so he had doubts about its truthfulness. But Jian Ruonan had no grudge against Shi Fan and would not make up slander about him in her head. This was most likely true!
Rejected without any explanation, Old Madam looked puzzled. "Why won't it do?"
Marquis Jian had yet to recover from his shock and did not manage to answer Old Madam's question at once.
Old Madam smiled. "I think Fifth Young Master and Xilu make a fine match. Xilu's engagement to the Duke Dingguo's household fell through, and people outside are saying all sorts of things. It's damaging her reputation. Fifth Young Master happens to..."
[What are people saying? That Gao Yang kept three mistresses and had three big, chubby sons before he was even married?]
[How does that damage my sister's reputation?!]
[Has this old hag picked at feet until she scrambled her brains?!]
[What the fuck! Keep this up, and the Queen Mother of the West will possess me again!]
Min: "..."
Min suddenly grew nervous. The Fourth Prince and the Shi Family's young master were both here today. There absolutely must not be another Queen Mother of the West possession. Possession was fine for frightening their own family, but no more than that.
Jian Zeyang: *?!*
Little Five could really be possessed by the Queen Mother of the West?!
I want to see that.
Dantai Mo curled his hand into a fist and coughed lightly. "I have heard a little about your household's First Miss. That day, I happened to pass through Cat's Eye Alley and saw Gao Yang accompanying his mistress as she gave birth with my own eyes. No matter how you look at it, the First Miss cannot be blamed for that marriage falling through."
Jian Zeyang: *!!*
Really!?
Everything in Little Five's inner voice was true?
I wonder whether the possession by the Queen Mother of the West is true, too.
[The Fourth Prince looks so handsome personally clearing my sister's name!! So freaking cool!]
[Ding-] [An emotional fluctuation has been detected in the target character. +3 points.]
[Huh, why did my points go up again? Nice!]
Old Madam had not expected Prince Rui to speak up for Jian Xilu. She was about to try persuading them again when Jian Zeyang suddenly stood and bowed to Dantai Mo. "Prince Rui, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'll be right back."
With that, he hurried away with his men.
Ever since Marquis Jian began cultivating immortality, he had frequently done things that flouted convention. No one thought much of it, and they continued eating and drinking.
Marquis Jian rushed to the front courtyard, where the servants had already tied up the Groom.
The Groom wore no shoes, leaving his large feet exposed. There was mud under his toenails, and black hair covered his big toes.
How could that old woman bring herself to pick at feet like these?!
"Talk! How did you hook up with my wife?!" Marquis Jian kicked him.
The Groom shuddered in fright. At first, he shook his head and denied it. His arrangement with Old Madam had been extremely secretive, and almost no third party knew about it.
Marquis Jian lashed the Groom's feet with a riding whip, making him scream.
"Talk! How did she pick at your feet?!" Riding whip in hand, Marquis Jian demanded ferociously, "Tell me everything, and I'll spare your life. Refuse, and I'll beat you to death right now!"
He knew even those details?!
Seeing that the affair had been exposed, the Groom confessed everything, spilling it all like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.
He told him how Old Madam had taken a fancy to him, how they met on the first day of every month, how much silver she gave him each time, and where they picked at his feet. He left out nothing.
Marquis Jian was so furious that he nearly lost his immortal composure.
It seemed everything in his granddaughter's inner voice was true.
Old Madam was Shi Fan's biological younger sister, so divorcing her was out of the question. But his eldest granddaughter absolutely could not marry into that family.
After dealing with the Groom, Marquis Jian returned to the Flower Hall. Once back, he opposed marrying Jian Xilu into the Shi Family even more strongly.
When Old Madam asked why, he dismissed her with a cryptic remark: "I have other arrangements for my eldest granddaughter." Old Madam was so angry that she barely ate another bite.
After the feast ended and the guests had been seen off, Marquis Jian stormed into Joy and Longevity Court with his men. The servants and maids stood guard at the entrance, not daring to go inside.
Inside Joy and Longevity Court, Marquis Jian flew into a thunderous rage, berating Shi-shi until she was drenched in abuse and smashing the porcelain on the display shelves to pieces.
Old Madam wept as she protested, "I've been wronged! I am the dignified lady of the Marquis's Estate. How could I possibly have anything to do with a groom... Eldest must have made this up!"
Marquis Jian spat. "Pah! What the hell does Eldest have to do with this? I haven't even seen him since I got back. The immortals told me all of it!"
Old Madam froze, then thought of Jian Ruonan. "My lord, that isn't an immortal. Don't be fooled! Daoist Li said she's a spirit monster! Daoist Li is already prepared. He'll subdue the demon in a couple of days!"
"Stop spouting that nonsense! You poisonous woman, how many sons of mine have you harmed?!"
On this return to the estate, Marquis Jian had also unexpectedly learned that the pregnant maid's fall into the water all those years ago had not been an accident. Wang Juhua had secretly borne him a son, and he now had two grandsons through him. He had already sent people to verify it.
"From this day forward, management of the Marquis's Estate's household affairs will pass to Eldest's wife! If you don't want to be divorced, you'd better behave!" Having vented his fury, Marquis Jian flung out his sleeves and left.
After Marquis Jian left, Old Madam put away her tears and stared venomously toward Westglow Garden, gritting her teeth. "Go ask Daoist Li whether he's ready yet!"
Jian Ruonan could not be allowed to remain.
And Jian Xilu-did she think she could simply refuse to marry?
She had ten thousand ways to make her marry into the Shi Family in disgrace.
Since Jian Zhang had shown her no kindness, he could not blame her for showing him no loyalty.
Before you continue