TRBDM -Chapter 97 Reply

This time, she truly fainted.

Shen Zhizhi had schemed so hard to provoke Xie Sheng into contending for the title, yet now, because of the Shen family, the second branch had voluntarily decided to split from the main household.

From now on, Xie Sheng would have nothing to do with the title at all.

She felt both angry and resentful, but didn’t know whom to direct it at.

She couldn’t very well resent Shen Tianci—he was the Shen family’s only heir, and without him, the Shen family would be finished.

A suffocating anger lodged in her chest, neither rising nor falling, making her so uncomfortable that she rolled her eyes and turned her back, trying to catch her breath.

After a long while, Shen Zhizhi finally woke up.

Opening her eyes, she saw that beside the bed, only her personal maid remained; no one else was there.

“Husband… husband?” Shen Zhizhi called weakly.

“Madam, Second Master has gone out. He’s not in the residence,” the maid whispered.

“Gone out? Where?” Shen Zhizhi struggled to sit up, but her body was too weak; she couldn’t lift herself.

The maid hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“Tell me! Where has my husband gone?!” Shen Zhizhi panicked. She was afraid—afraid Xie Sheng would abandon her and the child in her womb.

“I heard from the servants… Second Master went to the tavern.”

“Tavern?”

Xie Sheng didn’t like drinking; he would only take a few sips when gathering with colleagues. At home, he never touched alcohol.

He said drinking made his hands shake and ruined his handwriting.

But today, he had gone to the tavern alone, silently brooding.

Shen Zhizhi closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her forehead, tears streaming down.

“Husband, I’m sorry… Shen family… I’m sorry to you.”

After a long time, she turned over, facing away from the bed.

In her heart, she prayed: My child, please be strong. Give Second Master a son… otherwise…

Shen Zhizhi knew Xie Sheng’s temperament very well.

He never acted without deep consideration.

The only leverage she had was the child in her womb.

If it were a son, she could get through this crisis; if a daughter… she dared not imagine what Xie Sheng might do.

“Buddha, heavens, please let me have a son.”

No one knew whether the heavens had heard her prayer.

Only the maid heard her quietly sobbing and didn’t even know what comforting words to say.

At Moyun Courtyard, Xie Wanyi ran in, lifting her skirts.

“Big sister? Big sister?”

Xie Wanrou was preparing to write a letter to Xie Lan, brush in hand, when Xie Wanyi interrupted her.

“Big sister, Second Brother wants to split the household?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Everything was fine—why split now?” Xie Wanyi’s big eyes blinked rapidly, full of curiosity.

Through her eyes, Xie Wanrou saw both excitement and unease.

“I don’t know the specifics. You can ask Mother.”

Matters of the maternal family were delicate; Xie Wanrou didn’t want to meddle or stir trouble.

Xie Wanyi pouted in dissatisfaction. “Big sister, what do you mean by that? You know I haven’t been on good terms with Mother lately, and you’re asking me to go to Anhe Courtyard? You’re asking for trouble!”

Xie Wanrou glanced at her, realizing she knew she wasn’t favored by their mother either.

“I honestly don’t know. Believe it if you want, don’t if you don’t.”

Xie Wanrou picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing the letter.

Even after she finished, Xie Wanyi hadn’t left.

“Big sister, are you done? Can you tell me what happened now?”

It was rare for Xie Wanyi to be so concerned about something. It seemed she wouldn’t leave without an explanation.

Xie Wanrou wasn’t good at refusing; after declining once, she gave in the second time.

She sighed softly. “Second Brother has grown apart from the Xie residence. It makes sense that he would want to split. The reasons are complicated, but it all started with an issue regarding the ledgers.”

“Ledgers?” Xie Wanyi wasn’t completely in the dark; she had vaguely heard from the servants about the matter—something about thirteen hundred taels.

Mentioning the account book, she immediately thought that perhaps someone had embezzled the public funds, totaling thirteen hundred taels.

“I get it! Could it be that Second Sister-in-law falsified the account book and embezzled the Hou Mansion’s property?” Xie Wanyi said loudly.

Xie Wanrou frowned. “Keep your voice down. There are too many people around—be cautious with your words.”

“Heh, Big Sister, don’t restrain me with your dogmatic rules. If I want to speak loudly, I will; if I want to speak softly, I will. The one at fault is Second Sister-in-law, not me. You’re not blaming her, but you’re scolding me instead.”

Xie Wanrou’s frown didn’t ease.

“Wanyi, I’m not controlling you. Do whatever you want—it has nothing to do with me. I’m going to rest now.”

Her meaning was clear: she wanted her guest to leave.

“Fine, I’ll leave. Who cares anyway.”

Xie Wanyi, like a gust of wind, came and left quickly.

Xie Wanrou watched her retreating figure and shook her head.

With a temper like hers, she would suffer big losses in the future.

But then Xie Wanrou thought, whatever—helping others is nothing compared to helping oneself. Her own life was a mess; what right did she have to correct anyone else?

Once the ink dried, Xie Wanrou folded the letter into an envelope.

“Xiaodie, deliver this letter to the Guozijian.”

The separation of the second branch of the family was a major matter. Xie Lan wasn’t at the mansion, but he still had the right to be informed.

In the letter, Xie Wanrou didn’t explain the full reasons; she only notified him about the second branch’s separation and reassured him that with their mother around, there was no need to worry excessively.

Xie Lan was no longer a concubine-born child—now as a legitimate son, he should be present during the separation of the second branch.

But the Guozijian wasn’t an ordinary place; one couldn’t enter freely.

Moreover, the opportunity to study at the Guozijian was rare; he shouldn’t be distracted by this.

At the Guozijian, Xie Lan had just finished classes when he received two letters.

One was from Wei Zhaorong, advising him to pay extra attention to the Tenth Prince, Zhao Jingheng, and to form connections if necessary.

If other nobles in the capital saw this letter, they would surely be surprised.

The Tenth Prince was a marginal figure in the power struggle for the throne.

Even if the Ninth Prince ascended, it would never be the Tenth Prince’s turn.

Why bother currying favor with the Tenth Prince? One would be better off pleasing a favored concubine of the Third Prince—their influence far exceeded that of the Tenth Prince.

Xie Lan didn’t concern himself with such reasoning. Whatever his mother told him to do, he would do without question, following her instructions directly.

Xie Yu also read the letter and felt a bit uneasy.

“Third Brother, the Tenth Prince seems very cold and hard to approach. We’ve been here two days, and he hasn’t said a single word to anyone.”

Xie Lan had noticed the same.

The Tenth Prince kept to himself; aside from speaking to teachers, he almost never spoke.

Once, when a teacher called on him to answer a question, he gave an exceptionally brilliant response.

Xie Lan stared at the Tenth Prince’s back in astonishment.

His answer was remarkably similar to what Xie Lan had thought.

It was an almost perfect answer.

Although their social ranks were far apart, in that moment, Xie Lan felt a sense of kindred spirit.

However, he quickly suppressed that feeling.

If it were anyone else, he might have tried to befriend them—but the Tenth Prince? Forget it.

Next, Xie Lan opened Xie Wanrou’s letter.

“Second Brother, he’s separating the household!”

“Ah?” Xie Yu froze in place.

They had only been away for two days—how could such a major event occur at the Hou Mansion so suddenly?

“Third Brother, should we go back?”

Xie Lan shook his head. “Big Sister wants us to focus on our studies.”

“Oh, alright. We’ll follow her instructions.”

After reading the letter, Xie Lan replied separately to Wei Zhaorong and Xie Wanrou, letting them know he had received it and that they need not worry about him.

“Third Brother, Third Brother…” Xie Yu suddenly called anxiously.

“What is it?”

“The… the Tenth Prince… has arrived.”