“Big Brother, try looking at it from another perspective.”
“Another perspective?”
“Yes. What could matter more to Second Brother than his own heir?”
Jin Wang’s expression darkened. “Old Four, that’s not something you should say lightly.”
Duan Wang sighed. “Big Brother, you know I’m always earnest. I never speak without basis.”
Jin Wang thought to himself: That’s true—Old Four is straightforward to a fault. It’s not earnestness, it’s sheer stubbornness. Even ghosts avoid him.
Not to mention when their Royal Father had once sent Consort Shu to deliver him a beauty… what prince didn’t go through that rite of passage once they came of age?
But he just refused.
Even after being scolded by Royal Father, he still wouldn’t nod in agreement.
Because of that, Royal Father remembered it well—every time Duan Wang acted stubborn, Royal Father would bring up that incident to comfort himself.
He was the first person to ever say a beauty had soiled him!
No one could understand what was going through his mind.
Others would be thrilled to have a beauty in their arms, but when it came to Duan Wang, he’d say, I don’t like her, and when forced to bed her, he acted like he’d been deeply wronged.
That incident had spread far and wide, within the palace and beyond, and became the butt of many jokes.
It was precisely because of that incident that later, when Old Four personally requested to marry Duan Mingxi, even though Royal Father disliked her merchant background and worried his son might never meet someone he’d willingly marry, he grudgingly gave in.
The more he had looked down on Duan Mingxi’s origins back then, the more he felt the sting later—especially after Old Four earned military merit with her four hundred thousand taels and was appointed to the Ministry of Revenue.
Looking back, not only did Old Four marry the one he loved, he also won Royal Father’s sympathy, making him take a step back for his son’s sake. Stubborn as he was, Old Four was nobody’s fool—he was sharp.
Thinking about all this, Jin Wang felt the food and wine had lost their flavor.
They’d both fallen for women. His own beloved could only be a side consort, while Old Four’s could be married with full honors.
The more he thought about it, the more sour his gaze became toward Duan Wang.
Xiao Muchen pretended not to notice the sharp look, lifting the wine pot to refill his brother’s cup. “Big Brother, did you hear about my father-in-law losing his noble title?”
Now that caught Jin Wang’s interest. “Why are you bringing that up? Even if you’re upset, he’s still your father-in-law. Just endure it.”
Xiao Muchen: …
That sarcasm couldn’t be more obvious.
He sighed lightly. “It’s not that I’m upset. I just discovered that this whole affair is actually tied to Xingan Marquis. And since he’s your father-in-law, I didn’t want to be rude, so I asked you to come discuss it.”
At the mention of Xingan Marquis, Jin Wang’s smile vanished. “What do you mean by that, Old Four? You’d better explain yourself clearly. This isn’t something to speak carelessly about.”
“Of course.” Xiao Muchen’s face turned serious. He pulled out a written statement from his sleeve—it was Qiao Wan’s testimony about Xingan Marquis—and handed it over. “Brother, take a look at this first.”
Jin Wang eyed him suspiciously and snatched the document. He wanted to see what tricks his little brother was playing at.
At first, Jin Wang didn’t take it seriously. But the more he read, the more his expression changed. Then he abruptly looked up. “Old Four, forging testimony is a serious crime!”
“Big Brother, how could I do such a thing?” Xiao Muchen frowned, visibly displeased. “If you don’t believe me, return the document. I’ll submit it to Royal Father tomorrow. Whether or not you’re implicated, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
Jin Wang clutched the paper tightly and refused to let go, staring hard at Xiao Muchen. “This Qiao Wan—is she that Qiao Wan?”
The question was odd, but Xiao Muchen didn’t hesitate. “Yes, it’s her.”
Jin Wang’s face twisted. Finally unable to restrain himself, he grabbed his wine cup and smashed it to the ground!
Crash! The cup shattered, splashing wine all over.
The scent of alcohol filled the room.
“Human trafficking, forcing decent women into prostitution, and using them to do his bidding. Good—just brilliant!” Jin Wang was truly shocked. He had never thought of himself as a good man, but he would never have stooped to such vile, repulsive acts.
Xiao Muchen watched him—his eyes were bloodshot, his breath labored. The man was clearly enraged.
“Old Four,” Jin Wang said with a trembling voice, still trying to save face, “can’t we suppress this, for your big brother’s sake?”
Xiao Muchen’s tone grew heavier. “Big Brother, we’re family, so I could… but think about it. Xingan Marquis is your father-in-law, yes—but he’s working for the Crown Prince. He did this for someone, at someone’s orders.”
“Today, he uses these methods to destroy my wife’s family. Tomorrow, if someone like ‘Zhang Wan’ or ‘Lin Wan’ shows up, who knows whose family he’ll target next?”
He continued with a fiery edge to his voice, “Brother, think about what happened today. Side Consort He, flaunting her pregnancy, brought her family to storm Yu Wang’s residence. If it weren’t for Consort Xian stepping in, what would have happened to Yu Wangfei?”
“If Second Brother loses his legitimate son, then Side Consort He’s child will become his eldest surviving son. And if Yu Wangfei can never have another, that child becomes the true heir.”
Jin Wang’s heart pounded harder as he remembered how his beloved Side Consort Qian had miscarried before his own wife could even get pregnant.
He also recalled how, at Old Four’s wedding, his own wife had humiliated the bride at the urging of her family.
Could it be… if his wife couldn’t bear him a legitimate heir, then his beloved side consort would never be allowed to bear one either?
Was it possible that if his wife gave birth to a son, she would find him, her husband, an obstacle?
A chill spread through Jin Wang’s body.
He had always thought his wife was just petty and jealous—but he had never imagined that Xingan Marquis’s family could be so ruthless.
“Fourth Brother…” Jin Wang’s voice trembled. “What made you look into Qiao Wan in the first place?”
Xiao Muchen sighed. “Big Brother, I wouldn’t have paid attention to her either. It’s just—Qiao Wan tried to harm my mother-in-law and my father-in-law’s favored concubine. Luckily, my wife discovered it in time and saved them.”
Jin Wang: …
“There was that kind of thing too?”
This really was a bombshell.
Xiao Muchen looked helpless. “Yes. Who could have expected it? Brother, when I received that information, I was truly afraid. That’s why I began investigating Qiao Wan—and ended up uncovering all this.
Then I remembered that Xingan Marquis is your father-in-law. And given your distant relationship with your wife, not to mention the constant strife with Side Consort Qian… I was worried for you, Big Brother. That’s why I asked you here today, to talk about this.”
“Although I’m indifferent by nature, we are brothers—how can I just stand by while your life is put in danger in the future? Brother, I’ll leave this matter to your judgment.”
