Zhao Huanxi spent some time with Yin Furen before returning to Shenhui Courtyard with a small basket of freshly washed cherries.

Yin Furen sent Xuan Jie’er back to her room saying she wanted to review the account books. Once she had left, Yin Furen pulled a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Zhao Jiazhen, saying, “Take a look.”

Zhao Jiazhen took the letter and saw that it was from her father in Pingliang Prefecture, lamenting his difficulties to her mother and asking for money and goods.

“Mom, will you… give him?” Zhao Jiazhen asked, her emotions complicated after reading the letter.

Yin Furen let out a cold laugh and said, “He can support his beloved concubine and shu sons on his own. What does that have to do with me? Why should I give him anything? I’m showing you this so you know about it and understand my stance. If he shamelessly writes to you asking for money or goods, you are not to give him anything. Not only you, inform Jiashan and Jiaxian as well. No one is allowed to act on misplaced compassion. Anyone who does will no longer have me as their mother. If he’s so capable, he can write to your Zufu and ask him instead!”

Zhao Jiazheng said, “Then why didn’t you mention it when Huanxi was here just now?”

Yin Furen, unconcerned, replied, “Although your brother has money, it’s not in his hands, it’s with Nian’an. What would I say to him?”

Zhao Jiazhen: “…….”

When Zhao Huanxi returned to Shenhui Courtyard, Xu Nian’an was still asleep. He leaned on the edge of the bed and watched her for a moment, only to realize he was once again unconsciously recalling the events of the previous night. Blushing, he cleared his throat awkwardly and got up to go to the study.

Xu Nian’an slept until late morning. When she woke up, she felt refreshed. Getting out of bed, she noticed a basket of bright red, plump cherries on the table. She casually grabbed a few and walked outside, asking Mingli, who was sitting by the door chatting idly with Nuanxing, “Where’s San Yé?”

“San Yé is reading in the study,” Mingli replied.

Xu Nian’an entered Zhao Huanxi’s study and indeed saw him sitting behind the desk, reading. As soon as she entered, he looked up and smiled, saying, “Dong Jiejie, you’re awake?” He then made space for her on the chair.

Xu Nian’an sat down and remarked, “As soon as I arrived, you noticed. It seems you’re not very focused on your reading.”

Zhao Huanxi furrowed his brows slightly and said, “Just now, that Zheng Man’er came to the front gate with a child and caused a scene. Wu Taitai took them to the Fifth Branch. At first, I thought it was just a bit of commotion, but the more I thought about it afterward, the more I felt uneasy. What if this ends up upsetting Zufu?”

Xu Nian’an asked, “What do you think is the problem about it?”

Zhao Huanxi replied, “That Zheng Man’er came here with the child, and she must be claiming the child is Zhao Huanxu’s. As long as Wu Shenshen doesn’t acknowledge it, she has no way to prove it. Even if it went to the authorities, the Fifth Branch would still be in the right. But if Wu Shenshen accepted them into the residence, it would be like admitting the child is Zhao Huanxu’s. Why else would she let them in? This… how are we going to resolve this? Could it be that Zhao Huanxu will take Zheng Man’er in?”

Xu Nian’an sighed and said, “Jia Er Nainai is truly pitiful. If she were willing to part with Yu Jie’er, she’d probably be close to divorce by now.” After speaking, she popped a cherry into her mouth and then tried to give one to Zhao Huanxi. He declined, saying, “You eat it. I had quite a few at Mother’s place just now.”

He looked troubled and said, “The weather this year is bad, and Zufu’s health isn’t good. I hope this mess with the Fifth Branch doesn’t upset him.”

Xu Nian’an chewed the sweet, juicy cherry, thinking that since they had already let Zheng Man’er in, with her character, it would be easy to invite trouble but hard to get rid of it. The Fifth Branch‘s mother and son would certainly mishandle the situation. If they didn’t intervene, Zufu would likely be angered.

“Dong Jiejie, is there a way to prevent Zufu from being upset over this? I don’t care what happens with the Fifth Branch, whatever happens, Zhao Huanxu brought it on himself. But I feel sorry for Zufu,” Zhao Huanxi said, after thinking it over, with no solution in mind, so he turned to Xu Nian’an for help.

Xu Nian’an, still holding the cherry pit, looked around for something to spit it into. Seeing this, Zhao Huanxi extended his palm beneath her chin.

Xu Nian’an suppressed a smile and glanced at him, then lowered her head to spit the cherry pit into his hand.

He held the small pit and turned, tossing it out of the window with a swift motion. Turning back, his face full of smiles, he asked, “Dong Jiejie, do you think a small cherry tree will grow outside next spring?”

“Probably. When the tree grows big, if you’re bored while studying, you can climb it and pick some cherries to eat,” Xu Nian’an replied.

Both of them imagined the scene and couldn’t help but laugh.

After their laughter subsided, Xu Nian’an asked, “Did Zheng Man’er come here carrying her son on her own? With the rain so heavy outside, surely someone must have been holding an umbrella for her?”

Zhao Huanxi replied, “I heard she brought a maid with her.”

“So, her mother didn’t come,” Xu Nian’an said.

Zhao Huanxi’s eyes lit up as an idea struck him. “Are you suggesting we can use her mother to our advantage?”

Xu Nian’an nodded. “She and her mother rely on each other for everything. If anyone can threaten her right now, it’s her mother. She won’t dare to ignore her mother.She’s her greatest support, her last resort. If her mother isn’t around, she would be left helpless. Who would speak for her at the authorities if something happens to her? If we want to prevent Zufu from being upset over this, we need to get rid of Zheng Man’er before he returns to the mansion.”

“But we don’t even know where her mother is right now,” Zhao Huanxi said.

“The mess that Zhao Huanxu made, why should we clean it up for him? It’s already kind enough that we pointed it out to him for Zufu’s sake. It’s almost time for a meal now, so after we eat, you should personally go to Wenjun Academy, tell him about Zheng Man’er’s matter, and let him handle it. He has dealt with Zheng Man’er and her mother for a long time, so he should know how to deal with them. Even if he’s truly incapable and can’t manage it, once Zufu returns, you can go to him first with a plan. Zufu won’t have to come up with a solution himself, and seeing that you’re considerate and care about him, he won’t be as angry, “Xu Nian’an said.

Zhao Huanxi nodded and said, “I’ll go find him after I finish my meal.”

After the meal, Zhao Huanxi had a carriage prepared and, following Xu Nian’an’s advice, took two guards along with him to Wenjun Academy.

The students at Wenjun Academy had just finished their lunch and were resting and chatting. One of the students went to Zhao Huanxu’s class and called out, “Zhao Huanxu, your Tang Di is looking for you, he’s outside the door.”

Zhao Huanxu, puzzled, asked, “Which Tang Di?”

“Zhao Huanxi.”

Zhao Huanxu furrowed his brow, thinking: Why would he suddenly come to the academy looking for me? It’s not the ten-day break. Could something have happened at the residence? But if something happened, a servant should have come, not him personally.

With a lot of questions in his mind, Zhao Huanxu took an umbrella and went outside to meet Zhao Huanxi. He saw Zhao Huanxi standing under the eaves, childishly reaching up to catch the water dripping from the roof. From the side, Zhao Huanxi looked tall and poised, with skin like porcelain and hair dark like clouds. His presence was striking, like a young tree standing tall in the wind, making him look graceful and elegant.

Without saying a word, Zhao Huanxu watched him for a moment. Zhao Huanxi, noticing him in his peripheral vision, turned around with a smile and walked over. “This morning, Zheng Shi came to the front of the residence, holding a child and causing a scene. Wu Shenshen took her into the Fifth Branch courtyard.”

Zhao Huanxu widened his eyes in surprise.

“If you know where her mother is, go find her and figure out how to get Zheng Shi to leave the residence. Otherwise, when Zufu returns, you’ll have to deal with the consequences!” Zhao Huanxi said, ready to leave.

Zhao Huanxu asked, “Did you come here just to warn me about this?”

“Yes,” Zhao Huanxi replied.

“Why would you be so kind?” Zhao Huanxu asked suspiciously, eyeing him.

Zhao Huanxi gazed at their family carriage not far off and said in a soft tone, “You’re smart and always consider the long-term consequences, weighing the pros and cons. I can’t compare to you. What I say and do is just to ensure Zufu lives a long life and isn’t upset by unworthy descendants.”

“You—” Zhao Huanxu glared at him angrily, but the situation was so confusing that he couldn’t find the words to argue.

“Hmph!” Zhao Huanxi sneered, flicking his hands behind him, lifting his chest, and walking away with an air of satisfaction.

Once in the carriage, Zhao Huanxi reflected on his actions and suddenly realized, did he just acted a little sarcastic toward Zhao Huanxu? Hahaha, he has finally learned how to annoy people like Dong Jiejie does! This is worth celebrating!

With that thought, he called out to the coachman, “To Yugengqiao.”

Upon arriving at Yugengqiao, Zhao Huanxi, in high spirits, treated the coachman and guards to fish soup and brought a few portions back home.

On the way back, Zhao Huanxi, feeling cramped in the dark carriage, lifted the curtain and looked out at the rainy street scene. Suddenly, he noticed a man wearing a raincoat and a bamboo hat walking past the carriage. The man deliberately turned his body and lowered his head, avoiding being seen, so Zhao Huanxi couldn’t make out his face clearly.

Back at the Jing Guogong Residence, Zhao Huanxi went straight to Jiaxiang House. He had the maids heat up the fish soup, then sat next to Xu Nian’an. Turning to Yin Furen and Zhao Jiazhen, he said, “I think I saw Zhao Huanchao on the street just now.”

Yin Furen was startled and quickly asked, “Are you sure it was him?”

“Though he wore a bamboo hat and deliberately turned his body to avoid being seen when he saw our carriage, I still saw half of his profile. I think it was him,” Zhao Huanxi said.

“Since he made an effort to avoid being seen, it might really be him. Why would he sneak back to the capital?” Zhao Jiazhen asked, a little worried. This shu brother of hers had once worked with her father to put her in a difficult situation, so she had a very low opinion of him.

“He has been mingling in the capital for nearly thirty years, so he must have some shady friends. Could it be that he couldn’t stay in Pingliang Prefecture and came back to borrow money from his friends?” Yin Furen speculated.

“Given his current situation, if he has shady friends, would they really lend him much money? Zufu ordered them to go to Pingliang Prefecture to look after Gongdiē, but he secretly sneaked back. His motives must not be simple.” Xu Nian’an thought for a moment, then looked at Xuan Jie’er, who was focused on eating fish soup across the table. She asked, “Xuan Jie’er, with this constant rain lately, we can’t go out to have fun. Has Nie Gongzi come to visit you?”

Xuan Jie’er raised her head, her mouth full of fish slices. Before she could respond, Zhao Jiazhen, who was nearby, smiled and said, “He comes every day.”

Xuan Jie’er wasn’t shy. Seeing her Yimu had answered for her, she simply nodded.

“If he comes again today, ask him to inquire if there have been any movements in Liaodong recently,” Xu Nian’an said.

Yin Furen furrowed her brows slightly and looked at Xu Nian’an. “What do you mean by that…?”

Xu Nian’an replied, “Mom, do you remember what Jiahui once said? If there is another war in Liaodong and Zufu truly goes to the front, then as the legitimate eldest son, Gongdiē can still do a lot of things when he returns.”

Yin Furen tightened the handkerchief in her hand and said, “Your Zufu is already over seventy. If he still has to go to the battlefield, what use would there be for all the military officials in the court?”

Xu Nian’an responded, “It would be best if Zufu doesn’t have to go, but we’re just worried about the worst-case scenario.” She looked at Zhao Huanxi, adding, “In any case, from today on, wherever you go, you must take a few more bodyguards with you. Try not to go alone at the academy. For all we know, if Zufu is not at home and they capture you, Mother and I would be at their mercy.”