Volume One, Chapter 26: Clarifying One's Origins

It appeared that the Xie family would not tolerate any punishment befalling Xie Wanqing.

The Marquis of Shunqing knitted his brows, his expression grim. "In-law, it is a joyous occasion that Wanqing is with child, but..."

Arson in the ancestral hall was no small matter! How could he simply let this slide?

At that moment, Qi Xiuyu turned slightly, revealing a crooked, tattered ribbon hanging from his waist. It was a ribbon the Marquis had crafted with his own hands when he used to play with his son in his childhood.

The Marquis froze, a flood of memories washing over him. Looking at the many eyes fixed upon him, he sighed softly, avoided Xie Mingyue’s gaze, and waved his hand.

"Enough. It is rare for the Marquis’s estate to have such happy news. You are right, in-law; it was likely one of Wanqing’s servants who caused this trouble, and she has been wronged."

In the end, the Marquis’s heart softened toward his son.

With the matter seemingly resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, Xie Wanqing sobbed softly in Qi Xiuyu’s arms. Only Xie Mingyue, from her vantage point, could see the malicious, triumphant smile Xie Wanqing cast in her direction.

It was a challenge. Xie Wanqing felt immensely smug. Despite all the trouble Xie Mingyue had gone through, was she not still defeated by a few tears and a tantrum? As long as she remained a daughter of the Xie family, Xie Mingyue could never touch her!

However...

Clutching her flat stomach and meeting Qi Xiuyu’s gaze filled with anticipation, Xie Wanqing pressed her lips together tightly. Only she knew that the red rash on her hands had come from sleeping in the woodshed the night before. But with the Marquis threatening to force Qi Xiuyu to divorce her, she had been left with no choice but to tell a colossal lie. She would have to keep Qi Xiuyu close for the next few nights to ensure she truly conceived. If she managed that, she could pass off the timeline of her pregnancy by a month or so, making everything appear plausible.

Seeing Xie Wanqing staring at her stomach, Xie Mingyue masked the coldness in her eyes and walked out of the hall. Though she had succeeded in disposing of Nanny Zhang, the more important takeaway was that she now understood Xie Wanqing’s position and influence within the Marquis’s estate. She had also gauged the temperament and reactions of the entire family. Next time, she would be fully prepared.

Xie Mingyue waited on the path leading out of the estate. When Xie Changxun emerged and passed by, she stepped forward.

"Father."

Only a short time ago, she had been a daughter dutifully serving at his knees. To be looked at with such cold disdain now was almost unbearable. When Xie Changxun saw it was her, his face darkened instantly.

"Do not call me Father! You have long since ceased to be a member of the Xie family!"

He flicked his long sleeves and kept walking, but Xie Mingyue hurried after him.

"Father, I was framed! It was the wicked servant who switched the children—it was Xie Wanqing all along!" She spoke breathlessly, "If you do not believe me, look at the birthmark on my head; it is identical to Mother’s!"

She prepared to lower her head to reveal the whorl in her hair, but halfway through the motion, she stiffened. Her hair was styled in an elaborate, layered bun today; the mark was hidden... She immediately moved to undo her hair. This was an unprecedented breach of etiquette, but what did it matter if it could clear her name and prove her true identity?

However, Xie Changxun did not even look back. "Spare me your sophistry." The mere thought that this woman, with her base bloodline, had enjoyed the family’s favor for so long made him feel physically ill.

Seeing that her father refused to acknowledge her, Xie Mingyue said anxiously, "If you do not believe me, ask Mother! She knows about the birthmark on my head!"

To her surprise, Xie Changxun stopped in his tracks, erupting with fury. "How dare you mention my wife? She was worried to death because of you!" He glared at her viciously, as if he could strangle her on the spot. It was all her fault; if not for the machinations of her wicked, servant-born mother, how could his family have fallen into such a state?

Xie Mingyue felt as though she might faint. Mother was dead? How could that be...

"Master Xie, my wife is unwell and cannot endure such agitation. Please refrain from shouting."

As she swayed, a pair of strong hands caught her. Xie Mingyue stared blankly at Qi Jinshan. When had he returned?

"Had she not obstructed me, I would not have been so discourteous," Xie Changxun said, curbing his tone before this young, powerful third-rank official. He flicked his sleeves coldly and walked past. "My apologies. There are matters at home; please excuse me."

Xie Mingyue watched helplessly as her father disappeared from sight. Qi Jinshan lowered his head, using his thumb to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. "Why are you crying?"

Xie Mingyue hurriedly pulled away from his touch. Had he heard her conversation with her father? Had he seen her acting like a stray dog, following her father, desperate for a shred of parental affection? She gripped her collar, her heart aching with humiliation.

Seeing his wife’s fragility, Qi Jinshan hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Madam Xie is not dead."

Xie Mingyue looked up abruptly.

"What did you say?" She ignored all decorum and pressed close to his chest. "Husband, what do you mean?"

Qi Jinshan smoothed her disheveled hair, a flicker of pity crossing his eyes. "I must go see your father first. Go back to your room and rest; I will come to see you later."

Xie Mingyue was on the verge of tears, but she knew she could not be reckless. She pulled herself together, maintained a semblance of composure, and returned to her courtyard.

Qi Jinshan walked quickly toward the front hall. Inside, Qi Xiuyu had already led Xie Wanqing away to comfort her. The Marquis was sighing, while Lady Luo stood by, offering words of consolation.

"Do you believe my words now?" the Marquis said with a cold face. "It is not that I favor the second branch. Look at what they have done, then look at the first branch. For the sake of the Marquis’s future, how can I only care about Xiuyu?"

Lady Luo had no retort. She was from a noble house herself and knew how outrageous her son and daughter-in-law’s behavior had been. It had caused her to lose face before the Marquis. Fortunately, the Marquis was a man who valued justice over kinship; because the first branch had performed well, even that wretch of the second branch had been punished.

Under this rebuke, Lady Luo suddenly realized some things. In the past, she had guarded against the first branch as if they were enemies, funneling all the benefits to the second, only to raise a nest of good-for-nothings. Conversely, while Xie Mingyue had been difficult in the past, she never caused trouble on purpose. As for Qi Jinshan, he had always treated her with formal, distant respect, never using his position to make things difficult for her, despite her bias toward the second branch. In fact, his presence had made her life easier.

"The Marquis is right. In this household, the first branch has the true fortune." Lady Luo sighed, finally accepting that her own son was inferior to Qi Jinshan. If she maintained this neutrality, as the Marchioness, she would be safe. But if she continued to lose her sense of right and wrong, blindly protecting Qi Xiuyu, she could only imagine how much more the estate would be ruined.

"It is good that you have come to see this. Both Jinshan and Mingyue are sensible people. If you treat them well, they will naturally be filial to you in the future."

The Marquis stroked his beard, his heart finally feeling a bit lighter. A vague thought began to form in his mind: perhaps it would be better to pass the title of Heir to the capable first branch after all?