Chapter 26: Teach Her

Chapter 26: Her Lesson

Ever since the constables had visited the Wei residence, Xin He had been secretly following the case of Zhou Shuisheng.

Unbeknownst to her, however, the matter had also reached Fang Xu’s ears.

Since being accused of plotting against Xin He, Fang Xu had been confined to the Qingwu Courtyard, the northernmost part of the estate. Day in and day out, she was made to copy sutras and pray for Xin He and the child in her womb.

The two other concubines in Qingwu Courtyard had long since abandoned any ulterior motives, content to live out their days peacefully in the Wei household.

As the three shared a courtyard, the two older concubines often tried to reason with Fang Xu.

“She’s carrying the late master’s child and has the Young Master’s respect. Why must you insist on making trouble for her?”

“Exactly. The Young Master is generous and treats us kindly. Stop causing trouble and just live out your days peacefully here with us.”

But Fang Xu refused to yield. She couldn’t swallow her resentment.

She had been falsely accused, and she couldn’t allow Wei Mingjin to be deceived by Xin He into giving half of the family’s assets to the bastard in Xin He’s womb.

She was determined to find evidence of Xin He’s illicit affair.

So, when she accidentally learned that a man had died on the back hill of Ciyun Temple, and that it happened on the very night Xin He had stayed at the temple, Fang Xu immediately grew suspicious.

On both previous occasions when they had visited Ciyun Temple, Xin He had sneaked off to the back hill to meet someone in secret.

Now, a man had died on the night Xin He stayed at the temple. Could he be the one she had been meeting?

The more Fang Xu thought about it, the more convinced she became.

After entering the Wei household, Xin He couldn’t have had the opportunity to conceive a child with someone else. Therefore, the child in her womb must have been conceived before she entered the estate.

During her few trips outside the estate, she had been meeting a man in secret. That man was most likely the father of the bastard in her womb.

But perhaps they had failed to come to an agreement over some terms, and during their last rendezvous, Xin He had ruthlessly killed him.

The more Fang Xu thought about it, the more excited she became. She couldn’t wait to report this to the authorities.

But soon, she calmed down.

Xin He was cunning and silver-tongued. Even if she reported this to the authorities now, without solid evidence, they wouldn’t be able to convict Xin He. Instead, it would only alert her.

She needed to find evidence first to bring Xin He to justice.

And to find evidence, she first had to leave Qingwu Courtyard.

Soon, Fang Xu came up with a plan.

A few days later, when Xin He went to Wei Mingjin’s study as usual, she happened to overhear Feng Mo reporting, “Young Master, someone from Qingwu Courtyard came to say that Aunt Xu has fallen ill these past two days. After the physician examined her, he said it’s the seasonal plague.”

Xin He’s hand, which had been grinding ink, paused.

It had been a long time since she had last heard Fang Xu’s name.

Wei Mingjin frowned. “How did she catch the seasonal plague out of the blue?”

“This subordinate doesn’t know either,” Feng Mo shook his head. “After learning of it, Aunt Xu has already packed her belongings and requested to recuperate at the country estate.”

Since it was the seasonal plague, those infected were usually moved to a separate estate to avoid spreading the illness to others.

Wei Mingjin nodded. “Have someone arrange it.”

Feng Mo acknowledged the order and left, but soon returned.

“Young Master, Aunt Xu is here. She says that since she’s leaving the estate, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever have the chance to return alive. So before she leaves, she wishes to kowtow to you from a distance.”

Since Fang Xu had put it that way, Wei Mingjin couldn’t refuse and nodded in agreement.

Xin He set down the inkstick and said obediently, “Since Aunt Xu is coming, I shall take my leave first.”

After the veil between them had been lifted that day, Xin He still felt somewhat uneasy.

Both she and Wei Mingjin knew perfectly well that the child was his.

But the child was acknowledged as the late Master Wei’s posthumous heir. Wei Mingjin had always been cautious, and Xin He didn’t think he would actually let her give birth to the child and leave a future liability.

Yet, surprisingly, Wei Mingjin had made no move all this time.

Yesterday, Xin He had tentatively asked Wei Mingjin what should be done about the child in her womb.

Wei Mingjin lowered his gaze, smiling as he played with her dark, thick hair. “What? Is He Niang going to make the decision for me?”

“This concubine wouldn’t dare. This concubine will obey whatever the Young Master decides. If the Young Master wishes for this concubine to give birth, this concubine will give birth. If the Young Master wishes for this concubine to abort the child, this concubine will abort it.” Xin He nestled against Wei Mingjin’s side, like an obedient, clingy cat.

But in truth, Xin He still hoped Wei Mingjin would make a decision soon.

After all, if he wanted her to abort the child, the longer they waited, the more it would harm her body.

But Wei Mingjin, who appeared gentle and easygoing on the surface, was actually volatile. Now that he held her secret, Xin He didn’t dare act rashly.

“There’s no need.” Wei Mingjin set down his brush, uttered those words, and walked out without another word.

Xin He hesitated for a moment before following him.

Soon, Fang Xu was brought in.

The sky was overcast that day. As plants and trees withered one after another, only the bamboos and cypresses in Wei Mingjin’s courtyard remained evergreen.

Fang Xu entered through the courtyard gate. Dressed in austere white garments, she wore not a single bright color. She had grown noticeably thinner, a face covering her face as she occasionally lowered her head and coughed softly.

When she saw Wei Mingjin standing under the eaves, her eyes lit up. But upon noticing Xin He was also there, she was visibly taken aback. However, she immediately ignored Xin He, lifting her skirt from a distance to curtsy to Wei Mingjin.

Wei Mingjin stood under the eaves without approaching her, but his warm voice was full of concern. “There’s no need for formalities, Aunt. Focus on recuperating at the estate. If you need anything, send someone to inform me at any time. The New Year is in just over two months. I hope you can return to the estate healthy and well by then.”

Overjoyed by his words, Fang Xu knelt and kowtowed deeply to Wei Mingjin.

Before leaving, she glanced in Xin He’s direction.

Xin He had been pregnant for over three months, but in the early winter season, her loose, thick robes concealed any visible signs of pregnancy.

Xin He’s complexion had improved greatly since first entering the estate. Her skin was now fair and delicate, and pregnancy had not made her haggard but had instead made her glow with even more radiance.

She was just like her—a lowly concubine—yet now she enjoyed luxuries and lavish meals and a crowd of servants. She dressed more magnificently than the legitimate wives of other families, and now she even stood by Wei Mingjin’s side…

Fang Xu suddenly clenched the handkerchief in her hand, a flash of resentment in her eyes.

All of this had been obtained by Xin He through lies and deceit.

Previously, she had been trapped in Qingwu Courtyard, under others' control. Once she broke free from these confines, she would find evidence to prove that Xin He was carrying a bastard.

At that time, she would personally witness Xin He face the consequences of her own actions.

Fang Xu had left, but Xin He hadn't forgotten the look Fang Xu gave her before departing.

It was a look filled with resentment and bitterness.

Xin He was truly baffled. Back when Master Wei was still alive, Fang Xu had also been at odds with her.

However, Fang Xu had been proud and haughty back then. If she disliked her, she would at most make a few snide remarks, but she had never taken any further action in private.

Why, after Master Wei's death, did Fang Xu suddenly seem like a completely different person, as if she were determined to have her killed?

Apart from Master Wei, there was no deep-seated grudge between them. Yet now that Master Wei had passed away, why was Fang Xu so intent on destroying her?

Xin He couldn't understand it.

"What are you standing there for? Come in."

Wei Mingjin's voice snapped Xin He out of her thoughts. She collected herself and followed Wei Mingjin back into the study.

Wei Mingjin sat down behind the desk and extended his hand to her. "Where is the calligraphy I assigned you yesterday?"

Xin He hurriedly handed over the characters she had practiced after returning yesterday.

Wei Mingjin took them and, after just one glance, frowned. "What is this mess?"

Calligraphy emphasized both form and structure.

Yet every character Xin He had written barely achieved a semblance of form, completely lacking in structural integrity. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that her strokes followed no logical order, as if they were all haphazardly pieced together.

Wei Mingjin handed the brush to Xin He. "Write this character again for me."

Xin He took the brush and rewrote the character in front of Wei Mingjin.

Wei Mingjin was so exasperated he almost laughed.

Xin He apologized right away. "I haven't written well. I will definitely practice diligently when I return."

Having said that, Xin He prepared to leave. Wei Mingjin's voice, cold and piercing, followed her from behind. "Did I say you could leave?"

Xin He took a deep breath, turned around, and faced him with a smile. "What else would you like me to do, Master?"

"Even if you practice day and night after returning, the characters you write will still be as unpresentable as they are now," Wei Mingjin mocked without mercy.

"You are right, Master. It is my clumsiness."

Xin He thought that by being submissive, Wei Mingjin would let her go, but he wasn't about to let her off that easy.

"Come here."

Xin He obediently approached. Wei Mingjin stood up and positioned himself behind her, reaching one hand around to grasp hers.

Xin He's body went rigid.

Wei Mingjin, who was adjusting her grip on the brush, immediately tapped the back of her hand in displeasure. "Relax. Focus."

Xin He tried her best to relax her body.

But when Wei Mingjin's large hand covered hers, the palm holding the brush instantly broke out in a fine layer of sweat.

In the past, to secure a good marriage, she had indeed socialized and moved among many men.

But back then, her goal had only been to assess their family backgrounds and whether she could manage them. She had maintained careful boundaries, skillfully stringing them along without ever letting herself be taken advantage of. Before finding a suitable husband, she had never allowed any man to lay a hand on her.

The only one who had ever been intimate with her was Wei Mingjin.

Now, as Wei Mingjin pressed against her from behind, though Xin He repeatedly told herself to relax, her body refused to comply.

Unable to suppress her tension, her body abruptly tensed like a bowstring drawn taut.

Wei Mingjin's attention had initially been focused on Xin He's brush tip, but now that they were so close, he quickly picked up on her trembling tension.

Wei Mingjin's expression instantly darkened.

He was only teaching her how to hold a brush and practice calligraphy—why was she so tense?

Just as Wei Mingjin frowned and was about to turn his head to scold her, he suddenly caught a faint whiff of a subtle fragrance.

The hand holding Xin He's stilled abruptly.

That faint fragrance was like a delicate hook.

The moment Wei Mingjin caught its scent, certain fragmented memories from that night at the Drunken Moon Pavilion were instantly dredged up, crashing over his mind like a tidal wave.

Wei Mingjin's eyes instantly grew dark and unreadable.

As he lowered his gaze, he caught sight of Xin He's delicate, rosy neck, descending into the layers of her luxurious robes.

Wei Mingjin stared at that spot, his gaze lingering for a long time without shifting away.