Because what was being discussed was related to Zhao Jiaxian, Yin Furen dismissed all unnecessary people from the room early on. When Xu Nian’an entered, the only people in the room besides Yin Furen were Nanny Su and Nanny Xian, both trusted aides of Yin Furen.

“Mother, Erxi has come to apologize.” Xu Nian’an bowed as she entered the room, speaking to Yin Furen.

Yin Furen was slightly surprised and asked, “Apologize? Why?”

“On that day when the three Da Gu Jie came to see me and Sanlang, I noticed that Si Jiejie’s eyes were slightly red, and she seemed different. When Sanlang asked about it later, I mentioned it casually. Sanlang cares about Si Jiejie, so he sent someone to inquire about her well-being, which is why he was about to come to seek Mother’s advice but was stopped by me. It was all because of my thoughtlessness that I distracted him with this matter. One asks for Mother’s forgiveness.”

Yin Furen, weary, said, “As a younger brother, caring for his elder sister is not improper. This matter is not your fault. You can go back first.”

Xu Nian’an stood up straight and said, “Mother is usually busy, and now that there is a matter, Erxi is willing to share Mother’s worries.”

Yin Furen originally wanted to say it was unnecessary, but she remembered the character of this daughter-in-law. If she didn’t already have a plan in mind, she wouldn’t have come forward so boldly to say she wanted to share her worries.

She was just momentarily angry and wanted to bring Jiaxian back. But what after bringing her back? Her husband is a jerk and can’t be relied upon as her daughter’s support. The sisters-in-law from other branches can only watch as a joke. The matter of a married granddaughter, it’s not easy to ask Guogong Yé for help. Wait for the Wu Family to come and apologize? But if they don’t get rid of that b*tch of a concubine, no matter how they apologize, she won’t accept it. If the old fool of the Wu family is so muddle-headed that she refuses to get rid of that concubine, how long will they keep Jiaxian stay in their home? Jiaxian is already pregnant! Or if the Wu Family goes too far, they might even accuse Jiaxian of jealousy….

Therefore, bringing Jiaxian back is actually like a donkey at the end of its tether, which may not necessarily solve the problem fundamentally, but also is like riding a tiger.

“Sit down and speak slowly,” Yin Furen said to Xu Nian’an.

Xu Nian’an sat down in front of Yin Furen and said, “Just now, One just heard a brief account and only got the general idea. One will have to ask Nanny Xian to explain the details.”

At Yin Furen’s gesture, Nanny Xian proceeded to recount the whole incident to Xu Nian’an in detail.

The matter is quite simple. Zhao Jiaxian takes a short walk in the Wu Residence’s garden every day after waking from her afternoon nap and after dinner. Yesterday, after dinner, she slipped and fell while walking. Fortunately, a quick-witted maid cushioned her fall with her own body, preventing her from hitting the solid bluestone path. However, Zhao Jiaxian was still frightened and experienced abdominal pain. The Wu Family summoned a physician who treated her through the night, stabilizing her pulse.

Later, when they went to investigate how Zhao Jiaxian could have fallen on the flat ground, they discovered that there were many soybeans scattered on that section of the bluestone path. They couldn’t help but investigate further and found that before Zhao Jiaxian went there, only Zheng Man’er had passed through that path with her maid. Upon further inquiry, Zheng Man’er’s maid had gone to the kitchen to fetch soybeans.

Then Nanny Xian can’t stand it anymore and insisted on bringing the matter to Wu Furen for judgement. Wu Furen had no choice but to summon Zheng Man’er’s head servant to inquire about the incident. The maid only said that Zheng Man’er was craving soybeans due to her pregnancy and had brought them along during the walk. However, the bag containing the soybeans tore open, causing them to spill out unnoticed in the darkness.

This explanation could only deceive ghosts. With so many soybeans scattered on the bluestone path, even a deaf person would have heard them fall.

Wu Furen is not a fool, so naturally she does not believe this explanation. However, before she could deal with Zheng Man’er and her servants, Wu Cheng returned, protecting the tearful Zheng Man’er and arguing with Wu Furen, which alarmed Lao Taitai. Once Lao Taitai arrived, Wu Furen’s authority was no longer effective. That old fool had her beloved grandson protect his beloved concubine and take her back to rest during her pregnancy. She then went to Zhao Jiaxian’s room and directly settled the matter with the victim.

Yin Furen had already heard this for the second time, but she couldn’t help the anger rising from her heart to her head. She thought about her daughter-in-law’s presence, so she didn’t curse loudly.

Xu Nian’an listened very attentively and then asked Nanny Xian, “In Nanny’s opinion, what kind of person is that concubine?”

At the mention of this, Nanny Xian scoffed and rolled her eyes almost to the ceiling, saying, “A woman who enters the door pregnant, how could she be a good person? Seeing her way of seducing men, I believe she came from a brothel!”

It was only then that Xu Nian’an turned to Yin Furen and said, “Mother, there are a few words Erxi would like to say to you alone.”

Yin Furen dismissed both Nanny Su and Nanny Xian.

“Mother, this concubine has a low character and harbours malicious intentions. Si Jiefu seems to be favouring the concubine over his wife, and Wu Family’s Lao Taitai is muddle-headed. For the safety of Si Jiejie’s and the Wai nephews, letting her (the concubine) stay is disastrous.” Xu Nian’an said to Yin Furen.

Yin Furen clenched her fist. “How could I not know? It’s just that, after all, it’s in another family’s house. In case something goes wrong…”

Xu Nian’an shook her head and said, “Mother, please rest assured. Since she is a concubine of the Wu Family, it should be resolved by the Wu Family members themselves. We shouldn’t dirty our hands with this matter.”

Yin Furen became very alert when she heard that there was no need to dirty her hands, and she asked, “What is your idea?”

“This concubine entered the residence while pregnant, which is the best leverage we have. Mother, first quietly send some trusted individuals to investigate her background, her family background, and how she met Si Jiefu. Once we have this information, Erxi has a brilliant plan to deal with her.”

Seeing her confident appearance, Yin Furen, though she didn’t yet know what the plan was, had already relaxed considerably and said, “That is easy.”

“In that case, Erxi will act separately from Mother. I will go to the Wu Residence to visit Si Jiejie, while Mother immediately starts investigating the concubine’s background,” Xu Nian’an said.

“No need, I will personally go to the Wu Residence,” Yin Furen said. She was worried that Xu Nian’an, being young and newly married into the Zhao family, might not have enough influence in her words.

Xu Nian’an said, “Mother, you and Wu Furen are in-laws, so there are things that might be difficult to say directly. After all, Si Jiejie still has to be a daughter-in-law. Besides, Wu Lao Taitai also has seniority over you. But it would be different if Erxi is the one who went. Wu Furen and Wu Lao Taitai can’t possibly mistreat your daughter and bully your daughter-in-law just for the sake of a concubine. If that’s the case, even if you scold the Wu Family, you would be in the right.”

Yin Furen nodded silently and then urged Xu Nian’an, “Don’t worry about anything else for now. You must help me persuade Jiaxian to take care of herself and not to worry too much. Just tell her to be patient for a while longer, as we are figuring things out at home.”

“I understand,” Xu Nian’an replied.

The mother and daughter-in-law settled their plan. Yin Furen was a woman of great initiative. She immediately instructed someone to prepare a carriage and asked Nanny Su to send capable maids and servants to accompany Xu Nian’an to the Wu Residence. At the same time, she summoned trusted individuals to investigate Zheng Man’er.

Now that everything was arranged and Xu Nian’an had left, Yin Furen became puzzled. She asked Nanny Su, “Although Xu Shi is my only legitimate daughter-in-law and Jiaxian’s biological Dixi, she is a newlywed and could have stayed out of this matter. Why did she choose to take the risk and get involved?”

Nanny Su thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps she wants to show you her abilities and gain some influence?”

Yin Furen shook her head. “Doesn’t seem like it. Since she married into the family, she has been spending her days leisurely with Huanxi, writing and strolling in the garden. She’s living a very comfortable life, not like someone eager to seize power.”

“Then, why?” Nanny Su couldn’t understand either.

At that moment, Zhao Huanxi arrived. After greeting Yin Furen and looking around, he didn’t see Xu Nian’an and asked, “Where is Nian’an?”

Yin Furen, knowing that Zhao Huanxi was aware of Jiaxian’s situation, did not hide anything from him. “She went to the Wu Residence to visit your Si Jiejie.”

Zhao Huanxi was startled and asked anxiously, “Those unreasonable people at the Wu Residence, they won’t mistreat her, will they?”

Yin Furen: “…….”

Nanny Su forced a smile and said, “They wouldn’t dare. San Nainai is Guogong Yé’s legitimate eldest granddaughter-in-law.”

Zhao Huanxi glanced at Su Mama and then asked Yin Furen, “Mom, do the people at the Wu Residence dare to mistreat Si Jiejie because Dad has no actual position, and in their eyes, I am also useless?”

Yin Furen: “…….” Suddenly, she understood why Xu Nian’an had decided to intervene in this matter.

Seeing Yin Furen’s astonished look, Zhao Huanxi himself seemed surprised that he had spoken such words. He stopped asking further because the facts were clear, and there was no need to dig deeper.

“Mom, can I wait for Nian’an at Wu Residence’s main gate?” he asked, lowering his head.

This time, Yin Furen dared not remain silent. She instructed, “You can go, but you can only wait outside the gate, do not go inside.”

Zhao Huanxi agreed, and only then did she allow him to go.

In Wu Residence, inside Wu Furen’s courtyard, her youngest daughter, who had been married less than a year, was crying in her room.

“…It was clearly a concubine sent by someone else to Da Yé (maybe her husband’s oldest brother). Da Sao was actually unwilling to take her in, and she actually said in front of relatives: The Wu family treats concubines well. With the prestigious family background (like they should be followed), it’s better to give her to my husband. I will definitely treat her well. At that time, when I saw the looks from my sisters-in-law and all the Tangsao, I really wished I could find a hole to hide in, wuwuwu…”

Wu Furen hugged her daughter lovingly, lamenting, “I know this matter is absurd, but your Zumu always protects your brother. As a daughter-in-law, how can I go against my mother-in-law’s wishes? Poor you, you are implicated in this.” She then complained about her daughter’s Da Sao from her husband’s family, “Even though the Fan family has a close relationship with the Zhao family, Fan Shi shouldn’t have vented her anger on you in front of relatives. It’s really excessive. How was that concubine dealt with in the end?”

Wu Guniang said, “Lao Zumu intervened and married her off to a distant nephew who has completed the five stages of mourning.”

Wu Furen breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Guniang continued to cry and curse, “San Ge is also foolish. She’s just a concubine, but he treats her like a queen! He only cares about his own happiness, regardless of his sisters’ lives! Fortunately, San Sao’s father is useless, otherwise wouldn’t he bring trouble to our Wu Family?”

Wu Furen said, “Who says it isn’t.”

At this time, a maid came to report that someone from the Jing Guogong Residence had arrived.

Wu Furen was already feeling uneasy because of how poorly the matter was handled the previous night. When she heard that someone from her daughter-in-law’s family had arrived, she hurriedly asked, “Is Yin Furen here?”

The maid replied, “No, it’s San Nainai’s younger sister-in-law, the First Branch of the Guogong Residence’s Xi San Nainai.”

Xi San Nainai: Xi here is referring to Zhao Huanxi

Wu Furen was a little confused, thinking to herself: Isn’t this Yin Furen’s new daughter-in-law who just married into the family? She just had her wedding celebration a few days ago. How come she’s here to speak up for Yin Furen’s daughter?”

“Please invite her to the Flower Hall (the reception room) for tea. I’ll be there immediately,” she said.