“Then investigate,” Mingxi ordered firmly.
The matter involved Yu Wangfei and the Jingyuan Marquisate. If the heirship fell into the hands of Yu Wangfei’s younger brother, it would bolster Mingxi’s position after marrying into the royal family. With Yu Wangfei as an ally, Mingxi would essentially gain half a support arm.
As for Yu Wang’s fate…
That wasn’t her concern yet.
***
The marriage between Gao Zhan and Bai Zhiwei had become a hot topic of gossip in the capital. After all, an incident like that occurring on their wedding day was nothing short of a joke.
What’s more, Duke Gao Madam attempted to suppress her daughter-in-law using the situation, but Bai Zhiwei refused to back down. The resulting clash between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law became another laughingstock for others to enjoy.
It was said that during Bai Zhiwei’s return visit to her family at Duke Zhen’s residence, an unpleasant scene unfolded there as well. Mingxi didn’t inquire too deeply into the matter, but even without asking, she could imagine the scenario.
Bai Zhiwei, cherished by Duke and Duchess Zhen for so many years, had suffered such humiliation—how could her parents not give their son-in-law a piece of their minds?
Gao Zhan, with his inherently proud nature, was unlikely to take such criticism well.
In their previous lives, Gao Zhan had always deferred to Bai Zhiwei because their love had been an unfulfilled longing. After ten years of waiting and yearning, that love had transcended mere affection in his eyes.
But this time, things were different. Gao Zhan had yet to endure the trials of time; his temperament hadn’t matured into the steadiness of his past life.
Similarly, Bai Zhiwei hadn’t experienced the hardships of marriage or widowhood. Without the grinding weight of life, she still carried herself with the pride of the eldest daughter of Duke Zhen’s household.
For these two to come together at this stage, their life together was bound to be an interesting one.
Just look—they’d already had two major conflicts right after getting married.
As for Gao Zhan and Bai Zhiwei’s affairs, Mingxi treated them as nothing more than amusing gossip. As long as they didn’t trouble her, she had no interest in targeting them.
A few days later, she received the evidence collected by You Sanping. As expected, the waters in the Imperial Stables were exceedingly murky. Huaian Marquis had been caught off guard and schemed against, while Xingan Marquis was attempting to seize the position of shizi.
She had the evidence delivered to Chu Qingying.
After receiving it, Chu Qingying immediately went to see her older sister.
The next day, Chu Qingying visited Huaian Marquis’s residence. Within a few days, the Marquis submitted a memorial to the emperor, confessing his faults and exposing how he had been framed in the Imperial Horse Bureau.
The court was thrown into an uproar.
The emperor ordered Duan Wang to conduct a thorough investigation. This surprising decision instantly brought Xiao Muchen into the spotlight.
When Duan Mingxi learned of this, she was astonished. She hadn’t expected the emperor to assign such an important task to Xiao Muchen.
After thinking it over, she instructed Li Quan to meet with Qi He and hand over the evidence she had collected.
When Qi He saw the evidence, he was dumbfounded and immediately understood. Huaian Marquis’s confession was likely related to the young lady.
The evidence implicated only Huaian Marquis and Xingan Marquis, but the deeper internal strife within the Imperial Horse Bureau would require Xiao Muchen’s continued investigation.
For now, Xingan Marquis was entangled in this mess and temporarily had no time to meddle in the matter of the Jingyuan Marquisate’s shizi.
Chu Qingying invited Mingxi for a meal and presented a long box containing a complete set of exquisitely crafted, gold-threaded, gem-inlaid hair ornaments—a thank-you gift from Yu Wangfei.
Duan Mingxi declined, saying, “I appreciate Her Highness’s kindness, but there’s no need for gifts. I only wanted to lend you a hand. What’s your plan going forward? This is a prime opportunity. If Yu Wang steps in, the heirship will be secure.”
Chu Qingying responded calmly, “It’s hard to say with my brother-in-law, but my sister has promised to do her best.”
Duan Mingxi understood. Yu Wangfei had lost faith in Yu Wang and didn’t expect his support. She intended to act on her own.
Yu Wangfei wasn’t a simple woman—she had secured her position in the royal family with her own strength. Mingxi didn’t probe further.
After parting ways with Mingxi, Chu Qingying went to Yu Wangfei’s residence. “Mingxi refused to accept the gift. Sister, you should take it back.”
Yu Wangfei wasn’t surprised and instructed her attendants to put the box away. She then said to her younger sister, “I expected as much.”
Chu Qingying smiled. “Mingxi is different. She truly wants to help me and wouldn’t accept anything in return. Sister, what’s our next step?”
Yu Wangfei smiled. “Tell Yaonian to focus on his studies. Leave the rest to me.”
“He’s been staying at the academy lately. I don’t dare let him return home for fear of any mishaps,” Chu Qingying replied. “I’ll have someone deliver the message.”
When Chu Qingying tried to ask more about her sister’s plan, Yu Wangfei sent her back to her residence, refusing to involve her further.
Chu Qingying, knowing her impulsive nature, didn’t press the matter.
The next day, news spread that Xingan Marquis was planning to pass the heirship of his title to an illegitimate son. The rumor was detailed and credible, citing as an example how the Marquis had meddled in the affairs of Jingyuan Marquis’s family, trying to install his nephew as shizi.
This nephew was merely the son of a second wife, while the legitimate eldest son born to the first wife was still alive and well. It became apparent that Xingan Marquis cared little about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs.
Moreover, the Marquis was well-known for favoring a son born of a concubine, so it wasn’t far-fetched to suspect that his actions regarding Jingyuan Marquis’s estate were merely a trial run—setting the stage for his own illegitimate son to inherit the Marquisate.
With a precedent set, transitioning his favorite son into shizi would seem all the more natural.
Hearing the rumors, Duan Mingxi couldn’t help but laugh.
Yu Wangfei’s tactics weren’t particularly sophisticated, but at a time when Xiao Muchen was focused on investigating the Imperial Stables scandal, Xingan Marquis had neither the time nor the resources to deal with these rumors. This gave Yu Wangfei a crucial window of opportunity.
Rumors, like knives, could be lethal.
True or not, Xingan Marquis’s wife was deeply aggrieved by the allegations, leading to chaos within Xingan Marquis household.
At any time, the inheritance of a noble title was a matter of life and death.
While Xiao Muchen occupied Xingan Marquis, Yu Wangfei had ample time to make her moves. Spending so much time together, Duan Mingxi realized that they’d developed a certain unspoken understanding.
Meanwhile, Jingyuan Marquis’s wife found herself in a difficult position. Her own family blamed her for her brother’s troubles, and her sister-in-law treated her with increasing hostility. After two unpleasant visits to her maiden home, she began to lose face in society.
She suspected that Chu Qingying and her sisters were behind it, but she knew Chu Qingying’s character. If it were truly her doing, there would’ve been some trace of evidence left behind.
But there wasn’t.
As for Yu Wangfei, she didn’t initially suspect her. After all, with Yu Wang refusing to help, how could Yu Wangfei possibly dare to act independently?
If it wasn’t the sisters, then who was stirring up trouble?
With that thought, the Marquis’s wife began to believe that her sister-in-law’s accusations against her were misplaced. Surely her brother’s troubles had nothing to do with her.
Consequently, her anger at her sister-in-law distracted her from her brother’s issues, and she didn’t even request her husband, Jingyuan Marquis, to intervene on her brother’s behalf.
A few days later, Xiao Muchen uncovered the full details of the Imperial Stables scandal. During a court session, he revealed evidence of Xingan Marquis’s collusion with the chief eunuch of the Imperial Stables to frame Huaian Marquis.
Only then did Jingyuan Marquis’s Madam realize the gravity of the situation. In a panic, she rushed back to her family. If her brother fell, how could her son have any chance of competing for the heirship?
At this time, Duan Mingxi received a letter from Xiao Muchen. Her brows furrowed as her fingers tapped lightly on the table.
The letter asked if she was interested in the now-vacant position in the Imperial Stables.
Of course, she was!
