Chapter 523

Chapter 529: Discord (Part 2)

Luo Zhenxing's concubine, Wang Shi, respectfully served tea and quietly withdrew, thoughtfully closing the lattice door behind her.

"Why have you come so suddenly?" Luo Zhenxing lifted the teacup and took a sip.

"I’ve just come from Fourth Sister’s," Eleventh Miss said, holding her teacup and staring into Luo Zhenxing's eyes. "I heard from her that she asked Big Brother to intervene with the Zhu family regarding the adoption matter..."

Unlike her usual gentle demeanor, Eleventh Miss's gaze carried an unusual seriousness, which surprised Luo Zhenxing.

"Fourth Sister did bring this up with me," he mused. "However, I’d like to hear Second Uncle’s thoughts first. I've already sent a letter to Shandong..."

Luo Zhenxing was as levelheaded as always.

Eleventh Miss felt a little relieved. "Seventh Sister’s husband once promised her that if she remained childless, they could adopt one of our sisters' children to raise under her name..." She explained the entire situation in detail. Luo Zhenxing frowned deeply. "Does Second Uncle know about this?"

"I'm not sure if Second Uncle is aware," Eleventh Miss replied. "But Fourth Sister knows. Now Seventh Sister is holding her husband to his word, but we haven’t had a chance to speak with him directly and don’t know what exactly is happening in the Zhu family. Fourth Sister also wants me to talk to Lord Xu, suggesting that if the matter escalates to the authorities, he could intervene to suppress it. I thought that wouldn’t be right, so I haven’t mentioned it to Lord Xu yet. Instead, I came to discuss it with Big Brother first."

Luo Zhenxing pondered for a moment. "You did the right thing. Don’t tell Lord Xu just yet. Let’s wait for Second Uncle’s reply, and I’ll speak with Seventh Brother-in-law first. If Fourth Sister approaches you again, you should just be direct with her..."

Eleventh Miss nodded. "Fourth Sister is really upset this time, and Second Uncle has always doted on Seventh Sister. We’re still the younger generation, after all. Big Brother, do you think we should inform Father? If we allow Fourth Sister’s youngest child to be adopted by Seventh Sister, how will we explain it to the Yu family? Second Uncle and Fourth Sister are acting out of anger right now and may be biased, but we can’t just stand by. Using a favor like this would shame the family..."

"Exactly," Luo Zhenxing nodded slightly. "This is the second branch’s business, but since they’ve come to us for help, saying no outright wouldn’t be right. Yet, if we let Seventh Miss act recklessly, it could not only create discord with the Zhu family but also with the Yu family. As for Second Uncle, we’ll need Father to step in..." After a pause, he added, "Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll write a letter. Since the Xu family has access to military courier stations, please ask their office to send it urgently to Yuhang via six-hundred-li express. We must ensure Second Uncle intervenes to manage Seventh Miss. If that fails, we’ll have to invite Father to the capital..."

"Then let me grind ink for Big Brother," Eleventh Miss said, rising to her feet. "We must act quickly—wait too long, and things could get messy."

Luo Zhenxing, always practical, accompanied her to the study.

Once the letter was ready, Eleventh Miss immediately took her leave.

Luo Zhenxing saw her to the gate. "As for Seventh Sister, visit her often these days. She’s never been treated like this before and must be heartbroken. Cheer her up—it’ll help..."

"Don’t worry, Big Brother," Eleventh Miss replied as Song Mama helped her into the carriage. "I know what to do..."

Luo Zhenxing nodded, watching as she departed.

Wang Shi stood quietly behind him, head bowed.

Upon returning to Lotus Lane, Eleventh Miss immediately instructed Song Mama to summon Steward Bai while she hurried back to the main house.

After missing his mother all day, Jin Geer’s large phoenix eyes welled up with tears the moment he saw her, and he threw himself into her arms.

Eleventh Miss laughed and hugged her son. "I wish you could call me ‘Mama’—that’d be so sweet..."

Jin Geer stared at her, baffled.

Eleventh Miss chuckled, kissed his cheek, and spoke softly. "Were you good while Mama was gone?"

Jin Geer covered his mouth with his tiny hands, giggling as if to say, "I won’t tell..."

Eleventh Miss laughed again. "Answering without answering. Who knows if you understood?" She sat with him on the kang.

Soon, Steward Bai arrived.

Eleventh Miss handed him the letter. "There’s an urgent matter concerning Bowstring Alley, and we need to send this letter to Yuhang via six-hundred-li express. I know Lord Xu is strict about separating public and private affairs, so this might be difficult to arrange. Still, I’d appreciate it if you could handle this discreetly..."

Her implication was clear—Steward Bai should not inform Lord Xu.

Some things are better hidden from the master but not the staff. Steward Bai smiled in acknowledgment, accepted the letter, and withdrew.

Eleventh Miss went to change her clothes.

She didn’t want Lord Xu to get involved in this matter.

She had originally thought she could persuade Fourth Miss, so that without support, Seventh Miss might listen to reason. But now, with Fourth Miss taking such a stance, Luo Zhenxing had asked her to persuade Seventh Miss. Frank advice often falls on deaf ears, and repeated attempts could backfire, making Seventh Miss resentful. If you told her to go left, she would insist on going right…

In a sudden spark of inspiration, she suddenly thought of Fifth Madam Danyang.

Weren’t she and Seventh Miss thick as thieves? Moreover, her brother was now the adopted heir. When it came to matters of adoption, she and Seventh Miss should have common ground… And though Fifth Madam could be somewhat spoiled, she was sharp when it counted. As long as the Xu family’s reputation wasn’t harmed, what did it matter if she endured a few mocking words from Fifth Madam over her family affairs?

Having made up her mind, Eleventh Miss quickly changed and went to Fifth Madam’s quarters.

Fifth Madam was playing toss-the-sandbag with Xin Jieer and was surprised by the visit. Though the two always greeted each other with smiles, there was always a veil of formality between them, making it hard to grow close. Eleventh Miss never visited without a reason.

She greeted Eleventh Miss at the door with a smile, “Fourth Sister, what brings you here today?” Noticing she had only brought a young maid, she felt a pang of wariness, though her smile remained unchanged. “Why didn’t you bring Jin Geer? Our Xin Jieer loves playing with him. She often tells me that Sixth Brother isn’t like Seventh Brother, who cries over nothing…”

Since she had come to ask for Fifth Madam’s help, Eleventh Miss didn’t plan to dance around the subject.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, she said, “I just returned from my Fourth Sister’s place. Seventh Miss is there…”

“Ah!” Fifth Madam exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. “That silly girl! I’ve been thinking of her every day, and she comes to Yanjing without even visiting me…” But when she noticed Eleventh Miss’s lack of joy, her smile faltered, and she lowered her voice. “Has something happened?”

Eleventh Miss nodded. “Let’s talk inside…”

Fifth Madam’s expression turned grave as she agreed. The two sat in the inner chamber and dismissed the servants.

“I went specifically to see Seventh Sister,” Eleventh Miss said softly, and spilled the whole story to Fifth Madam.

Fifth Madam stared at Eleventh Miss in shock, her emotions complicated.

She hadn’t expected Eleventh Miss to confide in her about these family conflicts and even ask for her help in persuading Seventh Miss.

But gradually, she felt a sense of admiration.

From the sound of it, Seventh Miss had dug in her heels. Eleventh Miss was taking drastic steps in extraordinary times—she was truly resourceful and courageous.

“Should we invite her to the manor on the pretext of throwing her a welcome party, or should I accompany you to visit her at Madam Yu’s place?” Fifth Madam asked.

Eleventh Miss exhaled in relief.

This meant Fifth Madam had agreed to help persuade Seventh Miss!

“Let’s visit her together at Fourth Sister’s place,” Eleventh Miss said. “She’s under the weather right now. Inviting her here would require too much fuss, and I’m afraid she wouldn’t have the energy…”

“Alright,” Fifth Madam agreed. “Then let’s go tomorrow! I’d like to see her too and have a good talk.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Fifth Sister-in-law,” Eleventh Miss said politely, thanking her.

Fifth Madam then asked about the gift Fang Shi had given Jin Geer. “What book was it? Bring it out for me to see sometime. When it’s Shen Geer’s first birthday, I’d like to ask for one too…”

“Drop by my place whenever, and I’ll show it to you,” Eleventh Miss replied with a smile. After exchanging a few more casual words, she stood to return to her own quarters.

Lord Xu was playing hide-and-seek with Jin Geer. Seeing Eleventh Miss enter, he smiled. “Why did you go to Danyang’s place again?”

“Seventh Miss is here, so I went to talk to Fifth Sister-in-law,” she replied airily. “We agreed that I’d accompany her to visit Seventh Miss tomorrow…”

Lord Xu took it at face value. “How is Aunt Seventh doing now? I heard Zhu Anping is currently in Jinan…”

“That’s why we’re waiting for Zhu Anping to collect her!” Eleventh Miss laughed. “I might be visiting Fourth Sister’s place a fair bit these next few days…”

Lord Xu showed no suspicion. "I see..." he said, "Zhu Anping will be going to Jiangnan in a few days. Keeping her in Yanjing will save Zhu Anping the trouble of searching for her when he arrives, avoiding any delays to his Jiangnan trip."

With the winter solstice just around the corner, Zhu Anping still had to travel to Jiangnan—clearly, this matter was quite important.

It truly was a case of when it rains, it pours.

And now, of all times, this adoption business had to come up.

"Rest assured, my lord," Eleven Miss sighed inwardly, "Fourth Sister is here to help."

Lord Xu asked no further.

The next day, Eleven Miss and Fifth Madam met as agreed and went together to visit the elder madam.

Third Madam and Fang Shi had already arrived. Third Madam sat close to the elder madam on the heated brick bed (kang) by the window in the inner chamber, whispering about something. The elder madam appeared calm and relaxed, sipping tea while instructing the maids to feed the birds and water the plants, appearing only mildly interested.

When Eleven Miss and Fifth Madam entered, Third Madam immediately stopped talking, stepped forward to exchange greetings, and excused herself, saying she needed to submit the expense records for Jin Geer's first birthday celebration to the accounting office. She then left with Fang Shi.

Fifth Madam quickly went to the elder madam and took the elder madam's arm. "Mother, what did Third Sister-in-law come to discuss with you?"

The elder madam replied nonchalantly, "She praised Siqin's wife for being sensible and needs little coaching in manners—she’s clearly eager to return to Shanyang."

Eleven Miss smiled faintly.

Fifth Madam pressed anxiously, "Did you agree?"

"I was about to," the elder madam said, a playful glint in her eyes, "but then you arrived, so the matter was naturally dropped."

Fifth Madam hid her laughter behind her sleeve.

Then the two went to visit Fourth Miss. Fourth Miss seemed slightly uneasy about Fifth Madam's presence. When Fifth Madam went to the side chamber to see Seventh Miss, Fourth Miss couldn’t help but whisper to Eleven Miss, "Why did you tell Fifth Madam about this?"