Ai Cao felt a surge of excitement at this thought.

Perhaps this man was the villain sent by heaven to punish Hu Qiaohui?

After all, the wicked must be punished by the wicked!

The wicked must be punished by the wicked.

Old Madam He shared this view.

These past few days, the Wutong Courtyard where He Yande lived had been in complete chaos.

Insults and broken things happened daily, and Fang Shi spent her days in tears, often suffering from illness. Occasionally, she would come to serve He Yande a meal or medicine, but the meeting always ended in discord.

To outsiders, He Yande was pitiful, but Fang Shi was even more so.

As a newlywed, she had no children, and her husband was infertile. She would be a widow for the rest of her life, without any support. The hardship of her life was unimaginable. Only Old Madam He knew what Fang Shi had been doing all this time.

She sprinkled excessive amounts of salt or vinegar into his food, and even when feeding him medicine, she would jump around in front of He Yande, sometimes even dressed scantily and speaking with a defiant tone…

It was as if she was constantly reminding He Yande that he was now a cripple. This was truly a case of destroying someone’s spirit.

Even though Fang Shi tried to keep it a secret, it eventually reached the ears of Old Madam He.

“Mother, should we do something about this?” Lu Shi personally served Old Madam He, placing a new hand warmer on her lap.

“No matter how much they cause trouble, they can’t leave Wutong Courtyard. Let them be.” Old Madam He said, closing her eyes to rest. “They’re all suffering; a little outburst will pass.”

This meant she didn’t intend to interfere.

Indeed, after what He Yande had done, sparing his life was already merciful; how could she let him live comfortably?

Madam Lu narrowed her eyes. “Mother is absolutely right, but that Fang woman…”

“She is quite clever.”

Knowing why He Yande had ended up in this state and understanding their attitudes, she took this opportunity to torment He Yande and vent the frustration she had been suppressing all the time.

“I’m afraid some people will rely on their cleverness and end up being too clever for their own good.” Old Madam He said calmly, her prayer beads constantly slipping between her fingers. “You should also start working on some things here; we can’t let Yan Xiu be the only one running around.”

Madam Lu understood that Old Madam He was referring to Madam Fang and replied, “Mother, don’t worry, it’s already underway.”

“Hmm.” Old Madam He nodded. “Speaking of Madam Fang, that mistress of Yan Xiu we were talking about before, you should take some time to see her.”

“I went.”

“What’s she like?”

“She’s beautiful, has a good temperament, is polite and capable, cooks very well, and knows a little about medicine.” When Madam Lu mentioned Su Yujin, a smile unconsciously spread across her face. “I think she’s very good.”

“Since it’s so good, then let’s find some time to talk to Yan Xiu and discuss it.” Old Madam He put down her prayer beads. “We’ll prepare a separate courtyard for her, so she won’t be wronged.” After all, she was someone her grandson valued so much; even as a concubine, she couldn’t be neglected.

“That was my original plan, but when I came here just now, I heard from the servants that Yan Xiu has acquired another courtyard in the capital.” Madam Lu sighed.

“Another courtyard?” Old Madam He opened her eyes, full of surprise. “Who is it this time?”

“She’s a top courtesan…” Madam Lu said with some difficulty, “and seems to have served several men, but she’s not as clean as Miss Su… and this time, it seems her belly is already showing signs of pregnancy.”

Was he planning to produce a grandson born out of wedlock?

Old Madam He opened and closed her mouth several times before finally uttering, “Yan Xiu is not usually obsessed with women.”

He certainly wouldn’t be so ignorant of etiquette.

“That’s what I think too, so I plan to ask Yan Xiu to see what the situation is.” Madam Lu frowned, sighing repeatedly in her heart.

What was wrong with her son?

Was Miss Su’s cooking not good enough? Why was he craving someone else’s food?

No wonder he had been staying in the capital and not going to Qinghe lately; he had found a new lover…

And even gotten her pregnant. What kind of mess was this?

But as angry as she was, no matter how useless he was, he was still her son, her own flesh and blood. She could deal with him behind his back, but she couldn’t let Old Madam He get angry.

Madam Lu took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger, and secretly glanced at Old Madam He’s expression. “Mother, don’t be angry. Although Yan Xiu’s actions were improper, if you think about it carefully, it’s better than those unfounded rumors…”

Old Madam He remained silent for a long time before nodding. “What you said makes some sense.”

Being a bit of a flirt, at most, would be called a philanderer, which was better than being a homosexual.

“Mother, don’t worry, your daughter-in-law will keep a close eye on her and not let this mistress cause trouble outside. If she’s restless, we’ll get rid of her as soon as possible so as not to affect Yan Xiu’s proper marriage…”

Madam Lu rambled on for a long time, and seeing that Old Madam He’s anger had subsided, she found an excuse to leave and return to her own courtyard.

As soon as she entered her courtyard, her brows furrowed into a deep frown, and she instructed the people around her, “Go to the front yard and tell the Second Young Master to come over as soon as he returns to the mansion.”

She had to ask He Yan Xiu what he was up to.

It was one thing to have Su Yujin as a mistress, but why did another one suddenly appear out of nowhere? Besides, Su Yujin was so obedient and sensible, and she was an excellent cook—how could she compare to those vixens? He didn’t even get Su Yujin pregnant, but this one is! Was this bullying Su Yujin because she was unassuming, quiet, and easy to talk to?

Madam Lu grew angrier the more she thought about it. She stood up abruptly. “Quickly, go and bring the Second Young Master back to me!”

She didn’t want to wait a moment longer!

She had to know the answer!

“Madam,” Caiyun whispered, “Madam forgot; the Second Young Master has been accompanying the Third Prince these past few days. I’m afraid he won’t be back for a few more days.”

The current Emperor advocated frugality as a means of strengthening the state and believed even more strongly that beauty could bring ruin to a country. Thus, in his vast imperial harem, apart from the Empress, all the other consorts, Shuyi, and Cairen combined numbered only a little over ten.

Because there weren’t many concubines, the Emperor only had five sons and four daughters.

Apart from the Fourth and Fifth huángzǐ, who were still young, the Eldest Huangzi, born to the Empress, the Second Huangzi, born to Xiánfēi, and the Third Huangzi, born to Shúfēi, were all around the same age, with less than a year between them.

Shúfēi was He Shuhua, the biological daughter of Old Madam He and the younger sister of He Chengye.

Madam Lu: Spread the word! The second young master is infatuated with women and has fallen for someone else! Beat him to death!

He Yanxiu: …I think I can still offer some excuses…

(End of Chapter)

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