Chapter 124 (Chapter 124) Drawing the Fire from Underground

The younger brother was called away by his older sister to have a private talk, and the younger sister was also pulled outside by her older brother to talk.

"What a coincidence! I was planning to come find you after my shift. I've already taken care of what you asked me to do. Here you go." He said, pulling a stack of papers from his pocket.

Shanlai wrote a letter to Wei Ying last night, asking him to help inquire about Bitao.

"Why are you asking about the Qiu family again? Didn't you previously try to stop people from going to the Qiu family? Do you have a change of heart?"

Shanlai was in a hurry to read the words on the paper, so he ignored Wei Ying's words.

Seeing that she was looking down intently, Wei Ying didn't want to disturb her, so she kept quiet and followed her to look.

He had already looked at this document once when it was handed over by his subordinates.

I didn't see anything special about it.

She was just a girl from a small family who was relatively lucky.

Why is my sister taking this so seriously?

Is there anything wrong with this person?

Shan Lai finished reading before speaking, "I want to see this person, brother, please arrange it for me."

They all match.

She did not mistake the person for someone else.

The paper reads: "Yang of the Qiu family, a native of Lin County, went to the capital to seek refuge with her cousin who was a cloth merchant after her parents died early. Last year, she became the mistress of the eldest son of the Qiu transport commissioner. After her husband's death, she was taken in by the Qiu family because she was pregnant with her husband's posthumous child and became the young mistress of the Qiu family. At the beginning of this year, she gave birth to a daughter."

Bitao left with her cousin, who was a seamstress, and immediately became the mistress of Young Master Qiu.

So it wasn't a different opportunity for her.

Bitao, this seemingly gentle but actually wicked woman, had actually caused her own death more than once.

I was puzzled from the start. Why would Miss Qiu use such a method to harm someone? It didn't make sense. She was a maid in a household, serving her master. Normally, she wouldn't have many opportunities to go out. Even if she did, she would never be alone, making it difficult to find an opportunity to strike. It would be easier to bribe someone around her to poison her. Admittedly, poisoning would cause a big fuss and risk getting back at her, but who knows how long it would take to wait for someone at the gate? But Miss Qiu patiently had someone wait for her at the Liu residence gate and devised such a clever plan, as if she was certain that Miss Qiu would go out and be alone at some point.

Even though Liu Shen valued Shanlai's talent, he did not forget that she was his son's future concubine. What good was it for a woman to show her face in public? So, although he supported Shanlai's frequent visits to Huguo Temple, he forbade the news from spreading, lest Shanlai ruin her reputation and cause his son to be talked about in the future.

Madam Le wasn't particularly cunning, but her dowry members were all formidable individuals. With their assistance, she managed her household with strict discipline, and her servants were quite obedient; no one dared to speak out of turn.

So, only a handful of people knew that Shanlai often went to Huguo Temple, and Miss Qiu was not among them.

But the peach blossoms are there.

He's quite a character. He harms people in secret, yet he can still openly ask the victim for help as if nothing happened. How many ordinary people have such a mindset?

However, although she is a remarkable person, others are not pushovers. Whether she can escape unscathed depends on whether she has extraordinary abilities.

After the older sister and younger brother finished speaking, the younger brother went to visit his brother-in-law, spoke with him, and then led his son and niece back to his own home.

Wei Xin was a military general, and Wei Ying was also a military officer. The two of them always rode horses wherever they went. After all, they were neither injured nor sick. It would not look good if they rode in carriages or sedan chairs like civil officials. However, Shanlai could only ride in a carriage, so the father and son did not care about whether it looked good or not.

The separation of men and women is strictly observed, and they should not sit together from the age of seven. However, Wei Xin and Shan Lai, an uncle and niece, one over forty and the other a young girl, not only sat together but also held each other's hands tightly.

Because this niece was lost when she was five years old, and now that she has been found, it's as if those many years that were lost never happened. Her uncle and her father still treat her like the little girl she was back then, without any regard for her feelings.

However, the absence is real; it doesn't simply disappear just because people think it doesn't exist.

Just like back then, she kept saying she was sick and couldn't remember anything, now she keeps telling people about those missing years, how she lived, and what she did.

Every time she recounts the story, she recalls the past. The more she recalls it, the more she can't help but feel grateful for her good fortune. She is content, but those who love her feel that fate has been cruel to her. They feel sorry for her and are indignant on her behalf, because everything should not have turned out this way.

After the passing of both his parents, Wei Xin's heart hardened almost instantly, becoming as hard as steel. For decades, he rarely cried; the last time was eleven years ago at his sister's funeral.

Older sister and older brother, we are both sorry to our younger sister.

When Wei Xin met his brother-in-law, he said it was to pay his respects, but in reality, he was to apologize.

The Empress was so happy that she remembered she had a younger brother in the southwest who was unaware of the joyous occasion at home. So she quickly wrote a letter asking him to come back.

This person was spoiled by the malice of those around her, so when she wrote to her younger brother, she didn't even think to ask her husband for an imperial edict.

A military general who commands a large army and guards a region, if he were to enter the capital without an imperial edict, would be considered to be plotting a rebellion.

Wei Xin only received his sister's private messages and did not receive the emperor's edict.

Therefore, he should not have left his post. All he could do was write to the emperor immediately, requesting an imperial edict to come to the capital.

But he couldn't wait. Without requesting permission, he only arranged for defenses and then rode north overnight.

He was definitely not rebelling. He believed his brother-in-law could understand his urgency, but a ruler and his subject are ruler and his subject.

He needs to have an attitude.

If he showed a sensible attitude, his brother-in-law certainly wouldn't make things difficult for him.

Because I know what's good for me, I can't stay in Xingdu any longer and have to go back to the southwest tomorrow.

He didn't want to disturb too many people, so he only invited his brother-in-law and a few others to sit together for a simple reunion dinner.

This plan was also discussed amicably, not as a formal announcement, but more as an apology, because he felt indebted to his niece.

This was just his own opinion; Shanlai didn't think so at all. She cared about something else entirely.

Time was of the essence, and as soon as Wei Ying left, Shan Lai pulled his uncle to a secluded spot.

Anything concerning his niece was a big deal, and Wei Xin's expression was quite serious as he asked, "What do you want to say to your uncle?"

Shanlai rolled his eyes and said, "I have something to say to my uncle. He has been neglecting my aunt too much."

Wei Xin didn't think much of it, so he didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"His Majesty seems to have grown tired of my aunt. I think this isn't something that happened overnight. Hasn't my uncle done anything about it?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Xin's heart immediately tightened, and he straightened up, his eyes gleaming as he looked at his long-unseen niece.

Shanlai continued, "Not only His Majesty, but also my cousin, and his aunt, with all sorts of disagreements between them, and my uncle doesn't interfere, just letting things get worse..."

"This is unacceptable!"

“A family like ours can be shattered with the slightest carelessness. Besides, our Emperor doesn’t seem to be one to hold onto old feelings. Uncle, aren’t you being a bit too careless?”

"This is not something I'm creating for myself; it's the terrifying nature of a complete catastrophe that forces people to be cautious and vigilant."

"Didn't Uncle just ask me why Liansi wasn't by my side? It's because I didn't call him back at all. We suffered such injustice, and instead of upholding justice for us, His Majesty sent us away as a favor. What does it mean that he relies on the Yue family so much? I don't believe Uncle is completely unaware."

At this moment, Wei Xin, like the old lady Rong back then, thought to himself, "What a pity about this niece."

Regardless of her methods, her sensitivity alone is something that is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"So what do you think we should do?"

"Why is my uncle asking me this? I'm just a junior; what kind of pleasant words could I possibly say?"

It's just that it's unpleasant to hear, not that it doesn't exist.

"I want to hear it, so just tell me."

This is my maternal uncle.

“Uncle, I’m really not reconciled. We gave it our all back then, even my mother and brother’s lives were lost. I was lucky to survive, otherwise I would have been taken too. Since we willingly boarded the ship, we weren’t afraid of dying, but we were afraid of dying in vain. If in the end all that’s left is nothing… what a joke that would be?”

"I'm not willing to gamble even a little bit, and I hope you won't gamble either, Uncle. If others are unjust, we can be unjust too. Being kind to the enemy is being cruel to ourselves."

"I think we should not be soft-hearted and should cut the Gordian knot."

"His Majesty had his fifth son last month..."

What does Uncle think?

Wei Xin remained silent, only gasping for breath.

Shanlai, having heard no sound for a long time, couldn't help but frown.

Did she do something wrong?

She didn't think she was wrong; she just thought her uncle was confused.

In fact, my uncle is an outsider. Only the blood flowing in their veins is the same. How can my uncle side with an outsider?

A brother-in-law is a sister's husband, a close relative, and of course, a family member. But if a brother-in-law no longer wishes to be a close relative of his sister, then he is no longer related to her and is just an outsider.

He wasn't biased towards outsiders; he was shocked by his niece's ruthlessness.

This is actually a word that carries a sense of praise.

He thought of his sister.

My sister is no match for this niece.

I was wondering why my sister had suddenly changed her ways and started to reflect on herself. I suppose it was all thanks to my niece.

The older sister must have sensed the crisis, so after complaining about his inaction over the years, she began to ask him for advice on how to reconcile with her husband.

He was both wronged and in a difficult position at that time.

How could he have been so inactive? How many times had he spoken to her, both openly and secretly, yet she hadn't listened to a word! Of course, he also had his own selfish motives. His sister was so pitiful; the younger sister could be said to have died for her. She was their older sister; how could she bear such a thing? How could he bear to let her suffer in silence? Even if everyone was hurt because of this, he still wanted her to have a quick end to her suffering.

If we didn't address it then, we're now in a difficult situation.

Reconciliation is no simple matter. A man's heart, once changed, is changed forever, especially that of an emperor. The imperial family is known for its ruthlessness and lack of gratitude. Even if you are willing to humble yourself and show goodwill, others may not be willing to sheathe their fangs.

Restoring old friendships is certainly not as effective as addressing the root cause once and for all.

He admitted that he was indeed not as bold as his niece.

"So... what do you want to do?"

A single sentence put Shanlai's mind at ease.

“After all, he is my cousin’s biological father. We will still need my cousin in the future, so we must not let this cause any rift between us… That’s why I only said this to my uncle…”

"Does Uncle know any highly accomplished people? I've heard that His Majesty's health doesn't seem to be very good."

Okay, not only are they bold, but they're also quite shrewd.