Read Novel Full CHAPTER 48 PART2
CHAPTER 48 PART2
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Thinking of all this, Old Master Yin felt a wave of regret deeper than he’d ever known before.
He should have walked away from his business back then. Let it all go.
His gaze turned dim, fingers stroking his graying beard. After a long silence, he finally asked:
“Wan’er… if we tried to switch the two girls back—do you think the Marquis would agree?”
Madam Yin: “…”
He wouldn’t. She shook her head with difficulty.
Whether it was for fear of gossip… or for the vague hope of securing a match with the Crown Prince’s consort…
Xiao Yan would never agree.
And neither would the Old Madam.
She could already imagine what they would say.
“They’re all children of the Xiao family—what difference does it make whether they’re legitimate or not?”
They would let her child live out his life under a falsehood.
How could she allow that?!
Master Yin asked again, “Then what about a divorce?”
“No,” Madam Yin shook her head with great difficulty, biting her pale, cracked lips hard.
At her most furious moment earlier, she had indeed considered it.
But reason told her—she couldn’t.
The world was unfair to women. If she divorced, by law, she wouldn’t be allowed to take her two children, Xiao Yanfei and Xiao Ye, with her. After all, they bore the surname Xiao.
Xiao Yanfei was about to marry into a noble family—a prestigious match. Her future husband seemed decent for now, but who knew what the future would bring? Xiao Yanfei couldn’t afford to be without a maternal family to support her.
And Xiao Ye was only six. She couldn’t bear the thought of him being raised under the thumb of a stepmother.
She simply couldn’t do it.
The setting sun slowly dipped below the horizon, and the breeze that blew against them carried a chill.
“I understand,” Old Master Yin sighed.
The suffering his daughter had endured over the past decade—and the threats and manipulation from the Marquis’s household back then—could not be undone with a single divorce.
His daughter was Xiao Yan’s lawfully wedded wife, the legitimate mistress of the household. The title of Marquis of Wu’an rightfully belonged to Xiao Ye.
After some thought, Old Master Yin turned to Nanny Liao. “Have Jinsheng go to the Marquis’s residence and say that I wish to have the children stay with us for a few more days.”
Nanny Liao agreed immediately and left the western parlor.
Master Yin smiled faintly, the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes deepening. His voice was gentle, filled with affection.
“Yanfei, don’t worry.”
“Your grandfather will make things right for you.”
His voice wasn’t loud—if anything, it was a little frail—but there was a firmness to it, a calm and unwavering resolve.
Xiao Yanfei looked steadily at the elderly man in the wheelchair.
He was still recovering from a serious illness, gaunt and frail, his back too weak to stay straight. Yet his gaze was steady and resolute, like a mountain unmoved by the wind. That small, composed smile alone gave one reassurance, calming even the most restless heart.
Xiao Yanfei felt a warm tide rise in her chest. She leaned in slightly and gave a bright, impish smile. “Grandfather, don’t be in such a hurry.”
“We have all the time in the world.”
Her soft, lilting tone rose slightly at the end, playful and full of mischief.
Old Master Yin chuckled, stroking his beard. “Alright, alright. Grandfather won’t rush.”
It’s the Xiao family who should be worried.
The last traces of sunset faded into dusk, and night was falling fast.
Before the city gates closed, Steward Jin of the Yin household made a trip in person to the Marquis’s residence. But he wasn’t even allowed past the gate—he was stopped by the gatekeeper.
“Steward Jin, please wait here for a moment. I’ll send someone to inform the Old Madam,” the gatekeeper said with a smile that barely concealed his disrespect.
Steward Jin: “…”
The Yin family was the Marquis’s in-laws, and as Old Master Yin’s trusted steward, Steward Jin should have been led inside immediately while someone went to announce him.
Suppressing his displeasure, Steward Jin kept his expression pleasant and relayed Master Yin’s message about keeping the young mistress and children at home for a few days.
One of the older servant women from the gate quickly ran off toward Ronghe Hall to deliver the message, leaving Steward Jin to stand outside in the night breeze.
Darkness settled in completely. The stars and moon were dim, offering little light.
The maid didn’t even need a lantern—she moved through the Marquis’s residence with practiced ease and soon arrived at the east wing of Ronghe Hall to see the Dowager Madam.
As soon as she entered, she saw Eldest Miss Xiao Luanfei lying across the Old Madam’s lap, eyes red from crying, her shoulders trembling with soft sobs.
The room was heavy with a stifling silence.
The maid lowered her head at once and tiptoed forward to respectfully pass on Old Master Yin’s message.
The air turned cold.
The Old Madam’s face darkened visibly. With a furious slap of her hand on the table, she shouted, “Hah! That merchant’s daughter thinks she can put on airs now? If she doesn’t want to come back, then don’t!”
A short sentence, but her fury was unmistakable.
The maid understood clearly— Old Madam had no intention of seeing Steward Jin—so she quietly took her leave.
The curtain lifted and fell, swaying softly in the air.
“My dear Luan’er,” the Dowager Madam said as she stroked Xiao Luanfei’s hair, her voice tender, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t panic. Grandmother is here.”
Her gaze was full of love and fondness as she looked at Xiao Luanfei.
Luan’er was her lucky star. Years ago, she had nearly lost her eldest son, but Luan’er’s birth had brought both her son and the late Old Marquis’s remains safely back home. After that, their family had safely escorted the coffins back to their ancestral home.
Xiao Luanfei’s eyes brimmed with tears again. She wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers, but the tears kept falling. Her voice trembled with sobs.
“…I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine before.”
“Today, the Crown Prince even went to the east city gate to greet Mother and Grandfather, but… he wasn’t even allowed into the Yin household…”
“Mother… she…”
When she mentioned the “Crown Prince,” Luanfei carefully observed the Dowager Madam’s expression.
As expected—
The Old Madam’s face lit up, her cloudy eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement. Her voice grew even softer and more determined.
“Don’t worry.”
“Luan’er, Grandmother will stand behind you.”
Xiao Luanfei lowered her tear-streaked lashes. Her anxious heart finally settled. Beneath those dark lashes, her eyes shimmered with light.
The Crown Prince was her leverage—her fallback plan.
The Old Madam frowned slightly, then turned to Nanny Wang. “Go fetch Xiao Ye back. We absolutely cannot allow Madam Yin to take him away.”
Luanfei’s lashes trembled. She whispered, “Grandmother, I saw Xiao Ye at the Yin household…”
Madam Yin had already taken him away?! The Dowager Madam’s face instantly turned livid, and she nearly flung the teacup in her hand.
She inhaled sharply and ordered, “Tell the Marquis.”
That very night, Marquis Xiao Yan heard about the incident.
He sneered coldly, brushing it off as Madam Yin throwing a childish tantrum by taking her son to her family’s home and refusing to return.
He had never respected the Yin family—so it hadn’t even crossed his mind to pay his in-laws a visit.
Back then, if not for desperation, he would never have married a merchant’s daughter reeking of the stench of copper as his main wife.
Besides, Madam Yin had gone to Linqing without his permission and had even shown disrespect to his mother. Xiao Yan had already been planning to give her the cold shoulder, hoping she would lower her head and come slinking back on her own.
But he waited.
One day. Two days. Three days…
Not only did Madam Yin and the children not return—even his precious Xiao Shuo hadn’t come back.
Xiao Yan’s anger flared, his frustration growing by the day.
Concubine Cui was even more anxious than he was. She had no idea what had happened, only that after the eldest young miss returned from the Yin household, she had cried in the Old Madam’s room—then shut herself up in her courtyard ever since.
Concubine Cui had a growing sense of unease. Her anxiety became so intense that she couldn’t sleep at night. After three days of waiting, she finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and said to Xiao Yan, deeply worried:
“My Lord, it’s been three days, and Xiao Shuo hasn’t come back. He hasn’t even sent word. Could something have happened to him?”
“That child has always been obedient and filial—he’s never stayed out overnight without a word.”
“My Lord, what exactly is the Yin family up to? What are they trying to do, keeping Shuo and the others from returning?”
“I heard that Old Master Yin now has a son. This time, he even brought him to the capital. Could it be that… he’s still holding a grudge about what happened back then?”
She stopped short of saying more, but it was enough to spark suspicion in Xiao Yan’s mind.
Sixteen years ago, the Yin family’s daughter had married into the Marquis’s household with a grand ten-mile dowry procession. Old Master Yin and his wife had given nearly half their family fortune as her dowry.
But now things were different. The Yins had a son—an heir. Could he really stand by and watch so much of the family wealth end up with Madam Yin?
Concubine Cui’s words made Xiao Yan’s heart skip a beat. His expression darkened.
For years, he had served as Vice Commander in the Imperial Ceremonial Guard—neither rising nor falling, stuck in a middling position.
Recently, he’d heard that Commander Fu Chuan was soon to be transferred to the Imperial Guards. That meant the commander’s post would soon be vacant.
Xiao Yan knew Fu Chuan suffered from an old leg injury and often visited hot springs in Jizhou to ease the pain. Remembering that Madam Yin owned a hot spring villa on the outskirts of the capital as part of her dowry, Xiao Yan took advantage of her absence to send the deed to Fu Chuan, hoping it would earn him a good word before the emperor.
But Fu Chuan was greedy—he asked for a horse farm as well. Xiao Yan recalled that Madam Yin also had one in her dowry, but he couldn’t find the deed. And Madam Yin still hadn’t returned.
Face dark as ink, Xiao Yan immediately summoned the head steward.
Impatiently, he ordered, “Steward Peng, go to the Yin residence and bring the Madam back yourself.”
“Tell her—if she doesn’t return, the Marquis’s household will no longer recognize her as the Marchioness.”
His words were laced with menace.
Let her try staying away forever, if she dares!
But could she really bear to give up the title of Marchioness?
Steward Peng agreed with a bow, though he looked miserable. He had no choice but to accept this thankless errand.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan locked himself in the study, pacing back and forth in frustration, hands clasped behind his back, brows furrowed tightly.
Over half an hour later, Steward Peng returned in a hurry, his expression unreadable. He reported with a strange look on his face, “My Lord, someone from the Yin family is here.”
Xiao Yan let out a cold chuckle, curling his lip.
So the Yin’s had come to bow their heads on Madam Yin’s behalf—just as he’d expected.
But after a brief silence, Peng lowered his head even more, swallowed nervously, and forced out: “My Lord… the Yin family came to retrieve the dowry.”
“They also visited the Fu residence. They said—since you want to divorce the Madam, then the hot spring villa you gifted Commander Fu must be returned, as it is part of her dowry.”
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