Volume 1, Chapter 27: This Daughter-in-Law Is Worth It

Looking at Lady Luo’s face, the Marquis of Shunqing thought it over and over, then dismissed the notion.

Forget it. His eldest son had expressed long ago that he would earn his own title; the heirship was never meant for him, so why stir up trouble?

With this thought, the Marquis felt an even greater appreciation for his eldest son’s household.

"Someone," he cleared his throat, feeling a sudden need to compensate the eldest branch after Xie Mingyue had been unfairly scapegoated by Xie Wanqing. "Go, bring that 'Guanyin with a Fish Basket' painting from my chambers to the Eldest Madam's courtyard."

"My Lord?"

Lady Luo sat bolt upright.

That painting was the work of the long-deceased monk Wujing from the Huguo Temple and was considered a family heirloom of the Qi clan. The Marquis had always cherished it, yet now he was gifting it to Xie Mingyue.

Furthermore...

Considering the symbolism of the painting—a Guanyin taking a mortal as a spouse, with the mortal being enlightened by this union—was the Marquis not elevating Xie Mingyue to an unprecedented height?

The Marquis smiled. "This daughter-in-law is worth it."

Had it not been for her, they would never have seen Xie Wanqing’s true face.

"Indeed. Whatever rewards Father wishes to bestow upon Mingyue, please do so, but there is no need for anything on my account."

At this moment, Qi Jinshan strode into the room, his expression stern and his attire immaculate. Though his words were light, his gaze was as sharp as a blade.

The Marquis’s smile stiffened; he knew his son had come to demand accountability.

It made no sense that Xie Wanqing could burn the ancestral tablets of the Qi family and escape unscathed.

Yes, it made no sense. Even if Xie Changxun were to come, he would be prepared to stand his ground. But that spineless wretch, Qi Xiuyu, had gone back to change his clothes and had even specifically chosen a new sash just to curry favor with him.

The sight of someone so obsessed with a woman that he forgot his own family was truly chilling.

"Jinshan, say no more."

The Marquis, somewhat intimidated by his eldest son, quickly cut him off.

"I understand your meaning. Very well, Xie Wanqing deserves punishment. However, she is pregnant. Let your younger brother bear the brunt of the consequences in her stead. How does that sound?"

Qi Jinshan was satisfied with the Marquis’s "reasonableness."

"Father is wise."

He nodded faintly, forcing a smile. Lady Luo did not dare to draw a full breath until Qi Jinshan had left, at which point she let out a long, weary sigh, her heart aching with bitterness.

Her foolish son, bearing the consequences for Xie Wanqing just like that.

"Sigh," the Marquis, seeing her distress, tried to tease her to lighten the mood. "Look at me, the father, acting like the grandson in his presence."

Lady Luo broke into a smile through her tears.

Xie Mingyue returned to her courtyard, dejected, and collapsed onto a soft couch.

Wutong dared not mention the Xie family, so she chose to offer comforting words: "Madam, looking at today, it seems the Marquis and the Marchioness no longer hold their previous prejudices against you. Your worth has finally been seen."

Xie Mingyue did not even lift her eyelids. "They have changed quite a bit, but can the hurt they caused me in the past simply be wiped away?"

She still remembered how, when she was suffering from the Throat-Breaking Powder, Lady Luo had made excuses and pleaded for Xie Wanqing.

In their eyes, they only favored whoever was sensible and whoever held value.

Neither was good.

There was only one person... someone she had once treated like cast-off shoes, yet who had never once harmed her.

Footsteps sounded by her ear. Xie Mingyue lifted her eyes to see Qi Jinshan, who had changed into a summer-grey robe, walking through the door against the light.

She had little heart to dwell on Qi Jinshan’s overwhelming presence; instead, a sourness rose in her throat, and it felt as though something might spill from her eyes.

Qi Jinshan looked at his wife, who was sprawled on the couch, and the coldness in his eyes softened.

"Husband."

Xie Mingyue raised her gaze, her liquid eyes fixed on him, rippling with emotion.

Qi Jinshan sat down beside her. "Still feeling aggrieved?"

He knew that Xie Wanqing’s actions last night had been provoked by Xie Mingyue, and so, with Xie Wanqing escaping unscathed today, Xie Mingyue must be feeling unsettled.

Xie Mingyue had already shaken off her earlier loss of composure. She smiled. "Aggrieved? Why? Someone as foolish as her, if left to her own devices, will walk into the abyss all on her own."

She was indeed regretful, but that was all.

To have her fret over Xie Wanqing? Xie Wanqing was not worthy!

Seemingly surprised by her bluntness, Qi Jinshan paused for a moment, then curled his lips into a light smile.

Xie Mingyue’s cheeks flushed slightly as she pressed, "Husband, you said earlier that the Madam of the Xie family is not dead?"

She had already asked Wutong, but having remained confined to the house for the past few years, Wutong, being a servant, had been unable to learn anything.

Now, she did not even know if her own mother was dead or alive.

Qi Jinshan looked at her deeply and asked in a low voice, "What else do you remember?"

Xie Mingyue’s heart skipped a beat.

Was he suspicious because of this question?

She tightened her grip on her palms and chose to say something insignificant. "How am I to say? I still remember the first time I saw you, at the Marquis’s banquet..."

That was when Qi Jinshan had just been recognized by his clan. Although he was a son of a concubine, Lady Luo had not kept him confined to his quarters, and he had appeared at the Marquis’s banquets.

Qi Jinshan’s gaze swept over Xie Mingyue’s evasive eyes, and he smiled with profound meaning.

He nodded, brushing the wool blanket draped over her couch. It was a tribute from the Western Regions that the Emperor had bestowed upon him, which he had then sent to the Qionghua Courtyard.

It had been unappreciated by her and had gathered dust for years, yet now she had dug it out to cover herself.

"Stop asking questions for a moment and tell me about the Xie family."

Xie Mingyue grabbed his hand, clutching it hesitantly, as if urging him silently.

Qi Jinshan smiled faintly, pretending not to notice anything, and spoke slowly: "Ten years ago, the courtyard where Madam Xie lived caught fire. Her face and head were severely injured, and she fell into a coma after inhaling thick smoke. She has not appeared in public for these years, and the outside world speculates that she has already passed away."

Xie Mingyue’s face turned deathly pale.

Qi Jinshan gripped her cold hand tightly. "Actually, she hasn't. Because just a few days ago, Master Xie invited an imperial physician to the residence and obtained a thousand-year-old ginseng from the Duke of Su. But in the Xie household these years, there has been no one else who is frail or ill besides Madam Xie."

In other words, the physician and the ginseng were undoubtedly for Madam Xie.

Xie Mingyue could no longer hold back her tears, which fell one by one.

"Mother... Mother..."

She whispered, each word filled with the deepest pain.

So that was it. No wonder the Xie family had refused to see her for ten years; no wonder her father had looked at her with such hatred when they met.

Ten years ago, something must have happened to the Xie family because of her background.

She knew it—her mother would never have abandoned her.

Qi Jinshan watched her weep in silence.

As keen as he was, he had naturally sensed his wife’s almost "possessed" reactions in recent days.

Yet, he could still tell at a glance that she was still herself, only her disposition had returned to how it was in the beginning.

Perhaps her deep-seated illness had caused her to forget many things, or perhaps she had other hidden motives.

Regardless, he understood; if she did not speak, he would not ask.

As long as she did not remain as depressed as before, even if she had other plans, he would accept it.

"I have embarrassed you, Husband."

Xie Mingyue shed a few more tears before remembering that Qi Jinshan was by her side. She masked the pain and hatred in her heart and forced a smile.

Qi Jinshan disliked seeing her like this. Once she dried her tears, he suddenly lifted her up and took down the cloak hanging nearby.

"Do not be sad," he said, his eyes deep and filled with unfathomable thoughts. "I will take you to see a good show."