"These past few days, I’ve been keeping an eye on Lady Hou’s movements, but she’s been very quiet, and I don’t know why."
"Perhaps she already guessed that I’ve found out everything, but she still manages to remain calm. It seems that she’s biding her time to make a major move." Xin He toyed with a vermilion hairpin, "In the past, I knew nothing about her, and she was already plotting to kill me. Now that I know everything, how could she still let me live? Keep a close eye on her; she’s very cunning. Don’t miss any changes."
Xiaoyu pursed her lips before saying, "Since Miss already knows Lady Hou’s true nature, why not directly tell Lord Marquis and the old lady the truth? With Lord Marquis’s affection for Miss, he will certainly not let it go easily!"
Xin He’s eyes turned slightly cold: "Back when Li Junyao was alive, she and Lady Sun were incompatible like water and fire. Did Lord Marquis ever take action against Lady Sun on her behalf?"
"But Li Junyao was arrogant and domineering, with a bad temperament!"
Xin He looked up at her and asked, "Is this her bad temperament from birth, or was it nurtured?"
"Maybe Lord Marquis and the old lady indulged her..."
Xin He shook her head, "I used to think so too, but now I feel that it was Lady Sun who either indulged her or forced her to become like this."
"Wh-Why?" Xiaoyu asked, dumbfounded.
Xin He’s face formed a cold smile, "Li Junyao was arrogant and domineering, with a bad temperament. Although Lord Marquis loved her, his trust in Lady Sun’s character was evidently higher than Li Junyao’s. In small matters, she was allowed to cause trouble, seemingly at Lady Sun’s expense. However, in reality, someone as scheming as Lady Sun would have caused Li Junyao countless hidden losses, but Li Junyao was too stupid to notice."
Even if she had discovered it and complained, would Lord Marquis believe her words with her wretched character and act against his universally acknowledged virtuous and well-behaved wife?
Xin He casually tossed the hairpin aside, "Li Junyao’s situation was such, and so is mine now. Even if Lord Marquis loves me, I have only been in the mansion for half a month, and his understanding of me is far from enough. How can he choose to trust me and doubt the wife who has been by his side for so many years?"
Xiaoyu’s face turned several shades paler: "If that’s the case... what should Miss do?"
"I also plan to rely on others," Xin He said calmly, "Lord Marquis has rarely been at home these days. Is there any big deal in the imperial court?"
"According to the housekeeper in the front yard, the enemy army is restless again in the area around Mingyue Pass. Lord Marquis seems to be very worried and may even want to lead the troops himself." Xiaoyu said.
Upon hearing this, Xin He nodded thoughtfully. She nearly forgot that the Marquis of Le Yuan had been a military commander for three generations, and even Le Yuanhou himself had been a commander in his younger days.
However, as Mu Houchu said, this happened more than ten years ago. Nowadays, the power within Le Yuanhou’s mansion has likely been taken away.
The so-called "one era of the Emperor, one era of his courtiers." Since Le Yuanhou used to be a highly regarded official of the previous dynasty, the current Emperor could never entrust him with great power. This was also the reason for the gradual decline of Le Yuanhou’s mansion over the past decade or so.
If the emperor is unwilling to trust, he will naturally not be entrusted with heavy responsibilities. The real power still lies with people like Mu Houchu, who helped the Emperor seize his throne.
Xin He’s lips slightly tighten, no wonder her father couldn’t easily accept the idea of her marrying Mu Houchu; his heart probably harbored some resentment towards Mu Houchu as well.
Xin He’s thoughts returned to the present, and she looked at Xiaoyu, saying, "Anyway, keep an eye on Lady Sun’s movements."
"Yes."
As they were talking, Shulan’s voice came from outside, "Miss, Fuquan has arrived."
"Let him in," Xin He said.
She was worried about the shop, too.
Xiaoyu stepped aside, and Fuquan entered soon after, "Greetings, Miss."
Xin He motioned for him to stand up and asked, "What’s the matter?"
Fuquan took out a letter from his coat and handed it to Xin He with a smile, "This is a letter from Lian’an Town. Please read it, Miss."
Xin He’s eyes lit up, "Really?"
She quickly took the envelope, opened it, and saw the crooked handwriting — it was Xiao Bei’s.
Her face gradually revealed a smile as she shook her head and chuckled, "This child has indeed made a lot of progress. Judging from this letter, it appears that he has learned all the characters."
The contents of the letter were quite simple; life in the countryside lacked the complexity of the capital. Xiao Cui had already married into the family, and everything was going well. Xiao Bei was studying diligently, and the big brother was managing the farmland and shop in Lian’an Town in an orderly manner.
Xin He’s smile grew warmer, "Fuquan, come again tomorrow. After I’ve written my reply, you can take it with you."
"Alright!"
"How is the workshop coming along?" Xin He put away the letter and casually asked.
"In response to Miss, the workshop is progressing as planned, and there are no problems. On the other hand, our shop has had very few customers these past few days. Li Saner said that almost all of our guests have been stolen away by that Hu Ren," Fuquan said, growing grumpy at the end.
Xin He scoffed, "What is there to fear? Let them enjoy their success for a few days. Just wait and see!"
"That’s what I think too. As long as Miss is here, we have nothing to worry about!" Fuquan laughed.
Xin He smiled lightly, "Don’t try to flatter me! Go on, get back to work."
"Yes!"
After Fuquan left, Xin He unfolded the letter and read it carefully, her lips involuntarily curving up in a smile. Suddenly, she really missed home.
With a sigh, Xin He realized that although her arrival was simple, now that she wanted to return, she found herself entangled in countless trivial matters, unable to move freely.
It wasn’t until late at night that Lord Marquis returned.
Xin He was surprised to hear this, "My father is only returning home now? What happened?"
Having just learned the news, Shulan’s face appeared troubled, "I only heard about it recently. It’s said that Lord Marquis has been drinking outside today, returning home intoxicated." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
"Why?" Xin He frowned, as Le Yuanhou rarely drinks alcohol.
"It is said that Lord Marquis petitioned the Emperor to lead the troops but was rejected. Lord Marquis is probably heartbroken," Shulan sighed softly before adding, "I heard that this matter may also be related to Marquis Mu."
"What does it have to do with him?" Although Xin He was not very interested in imperial court affairs, she naturally treated matters involving Mu Houchu differently.
"Did Miss forget? Mu Xiang is now holding great power and the Emperor often listens to his advice. This time, with Lord Marquis’s initiative being rejected directly, it may also have something to do with Mu Xiang’s intentions..."
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