Chapter 25 From now on, if Prime Minister Song beats you to death...

Has it gone up now?

Xie Yushu looked at Pei Shilin in surprise, realizing that the female supporting character [Xie Yushu]'s appeal was actually making Pei Shilin regret his past actions and reap the consequences of his own actions.

Then she'll know what to do.

She released her fingers and gently placed them on Pei Shilin's arm, saying gently and firmly, "Of course I can do it, my husband. I already despise Song Jie. If it weren't for you and your Pei family forcing me to go, how could I possibly go?"

It's Pei Shilin who can't do it.

Pei Shilin was even more confused. She seemed so sincere, as if she really wanted to have a good relationship with him.

Perhaps she really wanted to have a good relationship with him. How could years of affection have been just an act? She married him full of hope, and she went to great lengths to please his mother in order to marry him.

Isn't she the way she is now because he forced her to take care of Song Jie?

He actually felt somewhat guilty towards her. If it weren't for the ordeal of rescuing his brother, she might still be as gentle and considerate as before, dutiful to her mother-in-law...

But she slowly added, "Today I swear that from now on, even if Prime Minister Song beats you to death, I will never see him again."

It took Pei Shilin a while to react to her words. "What do you mean?" Did she think Song Jie would go to such lengths to see her that he would "beat him to death"?

The carriage swayed and came to a stop, and Zhenniang from the Yong'an Marquis's residence invited her to get out.

She didn't answer him anymore, and got out of the car with a smile.

Pei Shilin could only swallow his anger and follow her out of the carriage and into the mansion.

The Marquis of Yong'an was not at his residence today. He originally thought that the Marquis's wife would dismiss him with a single sentence, but to his surprise, she actually invited him to stay for a meal and prepared a banquet for him in the residence.

This was a treatment he had never received before. What surprised him even more was that the Lady Hou specially kept Xie Yushu with him, saying that she would send a carriage to take Xie Yushu back to the mansion later.

Pei Shilin left first and returned to the Pei residence. He was a little dizzy on the way. Why did Lady Yong'an suddenly value Xie Yushu?

Exhausted, he leaned against the carriage filled with her fragrance and thought absently that if she were willing to change, it wouldn't necessarily have to come to the point of divorce.

He had put in a lot of effort to marry her. Although she was a concubine's daughter, the Pei family had already declined, and he was just a minor scholar. The Yong'an Marquis's mansion already looked down on him, and if things escalated to the point of divorce, it would be embarrassing for both families.

Moreover, the Lady of Yong'an Marquis has suddenly become nicer to her now; perhaps there was some misunderstanding on the day of her homecoming?

※

Xie Yushu, however, was well aware of Lady Meng Min's intentions.

As soon as Pei Shilin left, Meng Min resumed her usual indifference and said to Xie Yushu, "I'm giving you face today to thank you for telling me about Liu's dried fruit shop."

"It seems that Madam has investigated." Xie Yushu no longer called her mother, but sat leisurely by the table drinking tea and said directly, "What does Madam want me to do for you?" With gifts and banquets, such a show of respect must not be just to thank her.

Meng Min looked at her and had to admit that Xie Yushu was now smart and sensible, and didn't need her to waste words.

She did have something she needed Xie Yushu to do, and she raised her hand to signal Zhenniang.

Zhenniang then said, "After returning from the Duke of Ying's mansion yesterday, Madam sent someone to investigate Liu's dried fruit shop. Coincidentally, they saw Master's attendants enter a house behind the dried fruit shop."

They went there yesterday and discovered that there was a fairly large house behind the dried fruit shop. However, the house was not inhabited by the owner of the dried fruit shop, but by a very young widow named Ye Xizhu. She was not a local of Bianjing and sounded like she came from the south.

A woman lived there with a three- or four-year-old girl, and a courtyard full of old women and maids served her.

Zhenniang and her companions spent a considerable amount of money to glean a startling piece of information from the shop's clerk: "The clerk at the dried fruit shop said that the master's attendant often goes there, and sometimes the master's carriage is also parked in the alley." She glanced at Meng Min and noticed that Meng Min's face had turned pale with anger again. She went over to pour Meng Min some tea to calm her down before continuing, "Many people have seen that widow named Ye Xizhu, and they say that she seems to be getting pregnant recently."

Meng Min couldn't swallow the tea, so she slammed it back onto the table with a "bang," splashing tea all over her sleeve.

Zhenniang quickly wiped her clean.

"Madam, please don't get angry," Xie Yushu advised her. The real trouble was yet to come. He added, "I can tell you what I found out. The youngest daughter that widow had with her was named Jiayan."

Meng Min looked at her incredulously, and immediately understood what she meant. Back then, when Xie Yushu's concubine gave birth to her, she wanted to name her Jiayu. How dare Xie Zhian ask her if it was okay? Saying it was just a name!

Enraged, she berated Xie Zhi'an. She had already tolerated a maid giving birth to Xie Zhi'an's child, yet he dared to allow his concubine's daughter to use the name "Jia" from her daughter's name! Xie Zhi'an was well aware that the name "Jia" was specially chosen for her daughter by the Empress Dowager!

Now, that widow's daughter is named Jiayan...

Meng Min couldn't sit still any longer and stood up to ask her, "Where did you find out? Do you have any concrete evidence? Are you saying that the widow's daughter is also..."

“Yes, that three or four-year-old girl is also my father’s child.” Xie Yushu answered without hesitation. She had read the entire script. In the original play, Xie Zhian had not only his mother and Widow Ye as his mistresses, but also several lovers in brothels.

This seemingly good husband never stopped sowing seeds behind the scenes, but due to his inferior genes, only her mother and this Ye Xizhu became pregnant.

Ye Xizhu was quite remarkable. She gave birth to a daughter and a son without making a sound. Before the female lead, Xie Jianing, was found, Ye Xizhu was taken back to the Marquis's mansion with her full-month-old son.

At that time, Xie Zhi'an invited all the relatives of the Xie family to put pressure on Meng Min, saying that such a prominent family as the Xie family could not be allowed to die out.

Meng Min's childlessness for many years became a major accusation that silenced her. She fell ill and had no choice but to back down, allowing Ye Xizhu to become her concubine and even registering her son under her name as the legitimate son of the Marquis of Yong'an.

Although the female lead Xie Jianing cruelly abused Ye Xizhu after returning and sold her off, the innocent child was left behind in the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, where Xie Jianing personally raised him and raised him into an obedient younger brother.

This is so unfair.

Xie Yushu disliked this kind of man's infidelity and promiscuity, and saw it as a form of "revenge" to punish women.

In her opinion, Xie Zhian should be the one sold off, along with his eldest son. Without him, there wouldn't be so many troubles.

But in this day and age, a birth permit is not required, and she certainly didn't have conclusive evidence.

“If Madam wants concrete evidence, it’s very simple,” Xie Yushu said. “Send someone to tie up Ye Xizhu’s maid and question her. I guess Madam asked me to come back today to investigate whether the child in Ye Xizhu’s belly is her father’s.”

Meng Min asked impatiently, "Have you investigated? How did you find out about Widow Ye?"

Her heart was pounding like oil on a fire; she desperately wanted a definite answer: Was Widow Ye carrying Xie Zhi'an's child?

"To be honest, Madam, I know not only Ye Xizhu, but also Song Xingshou, Li Jiaoniang, and Du Qinshi." Xie Yushu looked at Meng Min, his tone full of sarcasm: "It's very simple to know these things. Madam only needs to send someone to secretly follow Father every day, and you will know the names of many women."

Meng Min felt as if struck by lightning; she was dizzy and disoriented, and was about to fall over.

"Madam!" Zhenniang hurriedly helped Mengmin up. Seeing that her face was pale and her forehead and nose were covered in sweat, she immediately ordered the maid to bring ice.

Xie Yushu was also shocked and got up to go see Meng Min. She did not expect Meng Min to be so unable to withstand the blow.

The maidservant hurriedly took some ice, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and applied it to the lady's palms, forehead, and neck.

After a long while, Meng Min finally caught her breath and burst into tears. Between sobs, she grabbed Xie Yushu's hand and said tremblingly, "You're...you're lying to me, aren't you? You have no evidence, you're just guessing, aren't you? How could you possibly know...these things?"

Xie Yushu sighed, took her hand, and said softly, "Madam, I really want to say something to comfort you, but you should know very well that I did not lie."

Otherwise, how could she have fainted from anger?

Meng Min opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face, her throat filled with sobs. If Xie Yushu had said this yesterday, she certainly wouldn't have believed it. But last night, she sent someone to the dried fruit shop's house, and her people saw Xie Zhi'an's personal attendant, Yueming, carrying large and small bags into the house. Among the things he carried were many precious medicinal herbs and the finest flower dew.

Those precious medicinal herbs were a gift from the palace to her.

That bottle of floral dew was also a tribute from a foreign land, and the empress specially gifted it to her.

If Xie Zhian hadn't taken it, how would Yueming's attendant have dared to steal it?

"Madam, please don't cry." Xie Yushu asked her, "Where did Father say he was going when he left the manor today?"

Meng Min looked at her with tears in her eyes, and Zhenniang answered for her first: "Minister Xie sent an invitation a few days ago, inviting you to his residence for a poetry gathering and elegant banquet."

Xie Yushu remembers that in the original drama, Xie Zhian valued Ye Xizhu's pregnancy very much, hoping to give birth to a son, and would visit her almost whenever he had time.

She glanced at the sky; it was just past noon.

"Madam, please wipe away your tears first, don't get so upset that you fall ill," Xie Yushu said to Meng Min. "If Madam really wants a definite answer, would you like to come out of the manor with me for a stroll?"

"Leave the manor?" Meng Min was still crying and angry, and didn't react for a moment.

"Yes, I'll hire a carriage. It would be good for you to come out with me for some fresh air, Madam." Xie Yushu practically stated his intentions: "We'll just take a stroll around Wuyi Lane."

Isn't Wuyi Lane that dried fruit shop?

Meng Min realized what was happening and looked at Xie Yushu in surprise. Was she going to take her to catch her husband cheating? A concubine's daughter taking the matriarch to catch her own father cheating?

This is ridiculous, this is utterly absurd.

But Xie Yushu said, "No matter what others say, it's not as good as seeing it with your own eyes. Just think of it as going to digest your food and take a stroll; no one will see you."

Meng Min's heart was pounding. She knew this wasn't something someone of her status should be doing, but she desperately wanted an answer.

※

The sky darkened just past noon, as if it were about to rain.

An inconspicuous old carriage slowly drove into Wuyi Lane and stopped in front of a small noodle shop. A well-dressed old woman got out of the carriage and went to the noodle shop to buy fried dough sticks. It was Zhenniang.

Zhenniang stood in front of the noodle shop waiting for fried dough sticks, pretending to be nonchalant as she glanced behind the dried fruit shop.

Behind the dried fruit shop is a narrower alley, leading to the gate of a private residence.

There were no carriages parked in the alley; only a three- or four-year-old girl and her nanny were playing marbles at the door.

Zhenniang then carefully observed the little girl, who was dressed in the finest silk, with a longevity lock inlaid with gemstones and a piece of pure gold around her neck, and the marbles in her hand were made of agate and jade.

She turned back and shook her head at the people inside the carriage; the master's carriage was not there.

But just as she shook her head and turned to take the fried dough sticks, she heard the sound of a horse-drawn carriage not far away.

A carriage slowly drove past them, brushing past their carriage.

Meng Min, who was inside the carriage, immediately lifted the curtain and looked out. She saw that the carriage had stopped directly in front of the private residence, and the driver was none other than Yue Ming.

Yueming jumped off the carriage and helped another man down.

"Father!"

She heard the happy sounds of a little girl playing marbles, and saw Xie Zhi'an, dressed in a deep purple robe, bend down and pick up the little girl...

Meng Min heard Xie Zhi'an's voice while feeling dizzy and disoriented.

He said, "Was Jia Yan good today? Did you make your mother angry?"

Meng Min felt her blood rushing backward, her body turning ice-cold and her hands and feet losing all feeling. She was about to rush out of the car to question Xie Zhi'an, but a hand held her back tightly.

"Madam, don't be impulsive." Xie Yushu's voice rang softly in her ear. He tightened his grip on her hand, lowered the curtain, and said gently, "If you rush down now, it will only cause Father to break off all pretense and stop pretending..."

"Am I afraid he'll turn on me?" Meng Min was nearly overwhelmed with rage, trembling violently, her words choked with sobs: "Does he still have the nerve to break ties with me? He's lied to me to this extent! The robes he's wearing are the ones I prepared for him today, how could he betray me like this..."

She broke down and couldn't continue speaking; she started crying.

Her face was so pale, as if she was about to faint at any moment. Xie Yushu reached out and hugged her trembling body, saying with helplessness and regret, "He won't think he betrayed your wife. He'll only think that you forced him to do it secretly."

He would consider having multiple wives and concubines to be perfectly normal.

"Madam, have you thought about what will happen after you break ties with him?" Xie Yushu stroked her trembling back and found that she was covered in cold sweat. "Do you think he would abort Ye Xizhu's child for you? No, he will only blame you for not having an heir and make you accept Ye Xizhu's child. What will you do then?"

Meng Min raised her tear-streaked face and stared blankly at her. Yes, if Xie Zhi'an used the excuse of having no heir to pressure her and insisted on taking Ye Xizhu's child back to the Marquis's mansion, what could she do? Could she force Ye Xizhu to abort the child? If that child was a boy, she would be cursed as a jealous woman by the Xie family and the entire Bianjing!

But it was Xie Zhi'an who betrayed his promise to her...

All her grievances and despair poured out at this moment: "I have a child. My Jia Ning is just missing, not dead... How could he still think about having a son with another woman after Jia Ning disappeared..."

Her heart felt ripped out and shattered; she buried her face in Xie Yushu's arms and wept bitterly.

Xie Yushu's heart was breaking too. Why is every woman in this world so miserable! She really wanted to record this and play it for the female lead when she came back. It's her father and those despicable men who deserve to die!

Xie Yushu couldn't bear it any longer, so he gently stroked Meng Min's back and said to her in a low but firm voice, "Your daughter will definitely be found. I'm always right, aren't I?"

Meng Min froze for a moment, then hugged her and cried even harder.

"Host, you have gained 1 point of Popularity Points from Meng Min." The system's voice appeared softly.

"The female supporting character's main quest has also been refreshed." The system added, "The main quest is 8% complete."

Xie Yushu was even more heartbroken. Did the original female supporting character, Yushu, also not want to see Meng Min like this? She took care of the seriously ill Meng Min out of genuine concern. She really wanted to integrate into this "family," right?

But all her sincere actions were ridiculed as vain flattery, simply because of her humble origins.

It's alright, then she'll elevate Xie Yushu's status.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, and by the time Xie Yushu escorted Meng Min back to the Marquis's residence, the sky was already as overcast as night.

Meng Min was already in poor health, and this anger caused her to collapse again.

Zhenniang hurriedly prepared the medicine and served it to her. It took her a long time to recover.

Xie Yushu was held by Meng Min's hand and stayed by her side the whole time. Meng Min, who was emotionally distraught, would call out Jia Ning's name from time to time.

However, Xie Yushu did not play Xie Jianing in response to her this time, as she did in the original drama.

She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Meng Min to recover before withdrawing her hand and whispering, "Madam, I am Yu Shu."

Meng Min lay on her side on the couch, slowly opening her tightly closed eyes. She turned her head to look at her, her reddened eyes gradually filling with tears again. As if recalling the past, she said in a hoarse voice, "Yes...you are Yushu, not Jianing...when I was sick before, you would answer me...sometimes when I was delirious with illness, I really thought my Jianing had returned and was with me..."

“Yes, I used to pity the lady and the old lady and wanted to do my best to make you feel better.” Xie Yushu said calmly and gently, “But later I found that my good intentions were misunderstood as vanity and wanting to replace Jia Ning, so I felt it was not worth it and unnecessary.”

She smiled with relief, but Meng Min's lips trembled and she couldn't stop the tears. She remembered many things from the past. When Jia Ning disappeared for half a year, she really couldn't go on living. Her daughter, whom she had cherished and raised, was missing and her fate was unknown. Yet she still had to drag her sick body to take care of her ailing old lady.

Even though she disliked Xie Yushu, she couldn't deny that after Xie Yushu was brought back to the Marquis's mansion, she took good care of the old lady and relieved her of a heavy burden.

During the time she was seriously ill and bedridden, Xie Yushu would take care of her after caring for the old lady, bringing her tea and water, and even wiping her body and massaging her every day... Many times, she would wake up in her dreams calling out Jia Ning's name, and hear Xie Yushu imitating Jia Ning's voice, calling her "Mother," constantly comforting her: "Mother, don't be afraid, I'm here, I've always been by your side..."

Looking back now, even if Xie Yushu was faking it, what wrong did he do?

They wanted to take her back to their mansion to alleviate the pain of missing Jia Ning.

It was Xie Zhi'an who betrayed her, which led to Qiao Bao'er's pregnancy and the birth of her. She didn't choose Jia Ning herself; she was Xie Zhi'an's daughter all along.

They say Qiao Bao'er seduced Xie Zhi'an, but as a servant girl, she wouldn't even have the chance to be alone with him without his permission.

Only now has she realized what kind of good person Xie Zhi'an is? Widow Ye, courtesans... he can enjoy anything, good or bad!

"Madam, please don't cry." Xie Yushu sighed. "You need to take care of your health first so you can plan for the future. If you get sick from anger now, won't you just be making room for her? When Sister Jia Ning comes back, there probably won't be a place for her in this Marquis's mansion."

Zhenniang hurriedly wiped away Mengmin's tears: "Miss Yushu is right. You can't fall down at this time. If you fall down, what will happen when Ning'er comes back? You have to stay at the Yong'an Marquis's residence and wait for Ning'er to come back."

Jia Ning was the source of her courage to keep going.

“Yes, I can’t fall ill.” Meng Min held Zhenniang’s hand, held back her tears and forced herself to stay strong, and said bitterly, “If I fall ill, Xie Zhi’an probably won’t send anyone to continue looking for Jianing’s whereabouts. He will just rush to bring that widow into the Marquis’s mansion! I have to hold on, protect everything in the mansion, and wait for my Jianing to come back.”

"Madam, you finally understand." Xie Yushu wiped the sweat from her face and said gently, "Your most important task right now is to recover your health and pretend you know nothing."

Meng Min looked at her in confusion: "Pretend you don't know anything? What if Widow Ye gives birth to a son? Xie Zhi'an will definitely force me to acknowledge that bastard."

“It’s not just a possibility, it’s a certainty,” Xie Yushu said. “As long as it’s a son, the father will definitely bring him back.”

Meng Min was even more confused. Then Xie Yushu said, "But what can you do now? Are you going to abort Widow Ye's pregnancy? Not to mention that Father and the whole of Bianjing will accuse you of being a jealous woman, I'm afraid Father will be even more unscrupulous in finding women to carry on the family line. How many children can you abort, Madam?"

Meng Min felt a chill run down her spine. Yes, she could abort Widow Ye's pregnancy, so how could she possibly stop Xie Zhi'an from finding other women? If things really escalated to the point of no return, the Xie family clan would likely accuse her of being childless and force her to arrange for Xie Zhi'an to take a concubine.

"But what can I do?" she began to say viciously in despair, "I... I can't possibly castrate Xie Zhi'an..."

“Madam, you can’t say that.” Zhenniang quickly covered her mouth, both surprised and distressed. “There is a way. Miss Yushu is so clever, she will definitely help Madam.” Now she could only place her hopes on Xie Yushu and looked at her pleadingly: “Miss Yushu, I apologize to you on behalf of Madam for what happened before. Please have pity on Madam and help her.”

Xie Yushu's hand was taken by Meng Min again. She saw that Meng Min's face was pale, her lips trembled for a long time, and she choked out, "Yushu, I'm sorry to you and your mother... This shouldn't be your fault..."

It was just a simple sentence, or perhaps it was only after being driven to desperation that one realized it.

Xie Yushu heard the system say, "Congratulations, host, the female supporting character's main quest is 10% complete."

All Xie Yushu wanted was an apology, a promise not to be wronged again, and for someone to seek justice for her.

She lowered her eyes to look at Meng Min's hand and said, "I can help you, Madam, but you must trust me and understand that I would never harm you."

Meng Min nodded with tears in her eyes.

She patted Meng Min's hand and said softly, "The most important thing right now is for Madam to wipe away her tears and drink the ginseng soup."

Her tone was like that of someone coaxing a child.

Looking at her, Meng Min felt a pang of sadness. How long had it been since she had been "comforted" like this? In the past, Xie Zhi'an would at least pretend to comfort her with gentle words, but these past few years, she had been sick all the time, and Xie Zhi'an had grown impatient with even that.

"Host, you have gained 1 point of Popularity Points from Meng Min." The system appeared again.

Xie Yushu smiled, brought over the ginseng soup and fed it to her. Meng Min just wasn't bold enough. Why couldn't she castrate Xie Zhi'an? There were plenty of ways to sterilize Xie Zhi'an.

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Author's Note: Another generous 6,000-word update today! I'm giving myself a pat on the back. [shy]