Chapter 657, Concubine
After Yan Zhigao was captured, Old Lady Yan became ill due to anxiety. Although she had been a feudal lord for several years, she had never experienced such a major event. When she saw her son in trouble, she collapsed in anxiety.
Mrs. Li was also very panicked. The Yan family had been doing smoothly over the years, and she was in charge of the small world of the Yan family's backyard. Even if she wanted to control the affairs outside, she was powerless and could only pin all her hopes on her eldest son.
Yan Zhiyuan saw Yan Zhigao being arrested with his own eyes, and he also heard with his own ears that the Yan family would be confiscated and exiled because they had delayed military intelligence. At this moment, he was so anxious that he was running around the room in circles, but he couldn't think of a useful solution.
Yan Zhiqiang usually only takes care of the Yan family's fields and farm, so he has no idea how to deal with such matters. He can only watch Madam Li and Yan Zhiyuan worry.
The other female family members and younger generations had even less experience and paid even less attention.
Han Xinran and Zhu Qiyun were a little calmer. One was born in an earl's mansion and had her own experience; the other lost her father at a young age and had an ability to withstand much more than her peers. However, both of them were new brides who had just integrated into the Yan family. Even if they had ideas, they were not in a position to express them.
When Daohua came over, she saw a room full of anxious and helpless family members.
"Big sister, are you back?"
Han Xinran first saw Daohua standing at the door.
Daohua walked into the house, glanced at everyone, and after a moment's hesitation, she said to Yan Zhiqiang, "Third Uncle, father and eldest brother are away, and everyone in the mansion is in a panic. I'd like to trouble you to lead the guards to watch over the house tonight. There are many servants in the mansion, so don't let them cause trouble. It would be best if you could patrol more frequently at night."
Yan Zhiqiang nodded quickly: "I will go and call the guards to patrol the house immediately and make sure to keep an eye on the house."
Daohua smiled and nodded: "Okay."
The other people in the room watched Yan Zhiqiang leave quickly, then looked at Daohua who looked calm, and the anxiety and panic in their hearts inexplicably eased a little.
Daohua looked at Yan Zhiyuan again and said, "Second Uncle, I heard that after the grain was loaded onto the ship, my father gave you the task of guarding it. Is that true?"
Yan Zhiyuan sat down when Daohua entered the room. When he heard Daohua's question, he nodded immediately and said, "Yes, that's the truth." Then he frowned and said, "Yiyi, what do you mean by that? You don't think I lost the food, do you?"
Daohua's smile remained unchanged. "Don't worry, Second Uncle. I just want to understand the situation. 100,000 dan of grain is not a small amount. If possible, you would also like to get it back."
Yan Zhiyuan's expression brightened slightly, but he couldn't help but mutter, "There are many people who know the location of the grain ship. Who knows who Big Brother has told them?"
Daohua simply ignored this and continued to ask, "Second Uncle, since you are in charge of guarding the grain ship, have you been there the entire time?"
Yan Zhiyuan immediately said, "Of course." After he finished speaking, a trace of guilt flashed across his eyes.
Yan Wenjie, who was standing by, suddenly held his wife's hand tightly.
Zhu Qiyun shook hands back, with worry in her eyes.
Daohua looked at Yan Zhiyuan quietly: "Second Uncle, are you sure you haven't left?"
Perhaps out of guilt, Yan Zhiyuan suddenly stood up and said sternly, "Of course I never left. Yiyi, are you interrogating your second uncle?"
Everyone else in the room was startled.
Daohua's expression remained unchanged: "Second Uncle, I'm just confirming something. As far as I know, all the yamen runners guarding the grain ship were killed."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone in the Yan family changed.
A trace of panic appeared in Yan Zhiyuan's eyes. Yes, if he had been guarding the grain ship, how could he still be standing here?
Sun Shi caught a glimpse of Yan Zhiyuan's face and immediately realized that her husband had lied. However, she still stood up and looked at Daohua with dissatisfaction: "Yiyi, it sounds like you are disappointed that your second uncle is fine."
"Fortunately, your second uncle went to the bathroom midway. Otherwise..." At this point, Sun choked up and sobbed into Yan Zhiyuan's arms, "If anything had happened to the head of the family, I wouldn't be alive."
Upon hearing this, Yan Wenjie, Yan Yihan and Yan Yile also looked frightened.
Seeing that Sun helped him to cover up his lie, Yan Zhiyuan patted her on the back stiffly.
Madam Li glanced at her daughter, who was lost in thought, and said, "Okay, stop crying. Second brother is fine thanks to our ancestors. Mother is still resting in the inner room, so don't disturb her."
Sun knew that it was not appropriate to make trouble at this time, so she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and stopped crying.
Daohua didn't say much. Seeing that Madam Li's eyes were full of fatigue, she said to Han Xinran, "Sister-in-law, please help mother go back and rest. I'll be here with Grandma."
Han Xinran quickly looked at Madam Li.
Madam Li shook her head and said, "I still don't know what's going on with your father. How can I sleep well?"
Daohua: "With big brother helping Zhou Xuan, father will be fine. Mother should go back to her room and rest. The house still depends on you to look after it."
Madam Li looked up at her daughter. Seeing that she didn't seem panicked, she remembered that her daughter's current status was different. She felt relieved and said, "Alright, I'll go back first."
Han Xinran looked at her mother-in-law in surprise, not understanding why she suddenly changed her mind.
Daohua looked at the others and said, "Everyone, please go away." After saying that, without any explanation, she went straight into the inner room to see Old Lady Yan.
Old Mrs. Yan had woken up a long time ago and heard what was said outside. When she saw her granddaughter come in, she wanted to get up.
Daohua quickly stepped forward to support her: "Grandma, lie down quickly."
Old Mrs. Yan held Daohua's hand: "Your father"
Daohua smiled and said, "Father is fine. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be able to go home tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Governor Yuan arrested Father because he lost military rations. Now that my granddaughter has made up for it, he has no reason to keep Father locked up."
Hearing this, Old Lady Yan felt relieved and then asked, "You just asked your second uncle that question. Did he do something?"
Daohua comforted her, "Granddaughter just doesn't understand the situation. Ask Second Uncle for information. Grandmother, please don't overthink it."
Old Mrs. Yan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. After a while, she suddenly sighed.
She knows her sons well. Every time the second son makes a mistake, he will bite others because he feels guilty. What exactly did this unfilial son do?
After coming out of the old lady's yard, Yan Wenjie remained silent.
Zhu Qiyun poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him, then sat quietly beside him to accompany him.
After a while, Yan Wenjie finally spoke: "You said that when my elder sister asked me that, was she doubting what I had done?"
Zhu Qiyun: "I think my elder sister asked Dad because she really just wanted to know the situation."
Yan Wenjie suddenly looked at Zhu Qiyun with uncertainty in his eyes: "Qiyun, do you think the loss of military rations is really related to Dad?"
Zhu Qiyun was shocked and immediately denied it: "Impossible, no matter how confused my father is, he would never do anything to harm the Yan family." The eldest uncle is the pillar of the Yan family. If he falls, it will not benefit the second house at all. She doesn't think that her father-in-law, who is a little calculating, would do such a stupid thing.
Yan Wenjie also felt that it was impossible, but he was unsure in his heart. He was silent for a while, took a deep breath, and then seemed to have made up his mind: "Qiyun, go to grandmother's yard again and tell my eldest sister about father's concubine."
"The excuse Mother made up earlier is completely untenable. It's better to let everyone know that Dad left to visit his mistress than to be suspected of losing military rations."
Zhu Qiyun looked at Yan Wenjie: "Are you sure? If this gets to my family, my mother will be the first to make a fuss."
Yan Wenjie nodded and sneered, "Father's concubine's son is already over three years old. This matter will inevitably come to light sooner or later. The sooner the better."
Seeing that Yan Wenjie had made up his mind, Zhu Qiyun said no more. In fact, the moment she knew that her father-in-law had a mistress, she felt that she should tell her family.
"Girl, Second Mistress is looking for you."
Daohua sat by the bed with Old Mrs. Yan. After watching her fall asleep, she was about to go wash up when Zhu Qiyun came over.
Daohua was surprised and quickly walked to the outer room: "Second sister-in-law, what's the matter?"
Zhu Qiyun nodded, looked into the inner room, and asked in a low voice, "Is the old lady asleep?"
Daohua nodded: "Yeah."
Zhu Qiyun felt relieved, hesitated for a while, and looked at Daohua embarrassedly: "Sister, my husband asked me to tell you something." As a daughter-in-law, it was really difficult for her to talk about her father-in-law having a mistress.
Daohua's eyes flashed: "Second sister-in-law, please speak, I'm listening."
Zhu Qiyun: "My father-in-law has a concubine outside, and they have a son who is almost three years old now. When my uncle asked my father to guard the grain ship, my father-in-law left to see the concubine and her son."
Hearing this, Daohua was extremely surprised.
She believed that her second uncle would not do anything to hurt her father, but there was something wrong with him, that was certain, but she didn't expect it to be such a problem.
Daohua was silent for a moment, then looked at Zhu Qiyun. "Thank you, sister-in-law, for telling me this. Go back and tell my brother that I asked my uncle today for no other reason than to learn more about the situation and recover the lost 100,000 dan of grain. I never suspected that my uncle would harm my father."
Zhu Qiyun immediately smiled and said, "Your second brother knows this, but we think that the family should still know that your father-in-law has a mistress."
Daohua nodded: "I will find a chance to tell my mother about this."
Zhu Qiyun said nothing more, said goodbye to Daohua, and left.
After she left, Daohua was silent for a while, then sent someone to find Yan Shouhou: "Tell Cao Chuan and Guangtou and others to focus on finding out about Second Uncle's mistress."
(End of this chapter)
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