Mingxi understood Xiao Muchen’s meaning: even with trusted allies, some things were better left unsaid.
A single misstep or slip of the tongue could be fatal—especially when their enemies were the Empress and her son. Caution was paramount.
“I understand. Don’t worry. As for the Marquis Household, I’ll only say a word or two to Second Brother. I’ll keep the rest of them in the dark,” Mingxi nodded.
Duan Ning was too sharp. If he came to check on her, he might sense something.
If Duan Qi were still in the capital, even more so—he’d be impossible to fool.
Xiao Muchen nodded. “You don’t need to waste effort. I’ll speak to Second Brother. Let him handle the Marquis Household.”
Tsk.
Mingxi nodded fiercely. Yes, that was a good plan.
Give him an important role—rope him onto their ship. That way, Duan Ning wouldn’t be able to lash out at her so easily.
Xiao Muchen almost burst out laughing in frustration at her expression. He was still feeling shaken, while she was already acting carefree and relaxed.
One day, she was going to give him a heart condition.
Not only was she bold, but she also dared to act without warning.
She didn’t even give him a heads-up—but worst of all, he couldn’t bring himself to scold her.
Truly, this was karma incarnate—he’d gone and married a little ancestor.
Xiao Muchen still had to meet with Ren Mian to get the medicine and figure out how to plant it in Kunde Palace, then have Ding Zhao “discover” it.
He had no time to keep Mingxi company. Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed, “Stay inside and focus on recovery. Don’t leave the residence.”
Mingxi obediently nodded. She had no plans to go anywhere.
Xiao Muchen left, still uneasy, and ordered Fang Mama to watch over Duan Wangfei closely.
Mingxi leaned back against the soft couch, speechless for a while.
Are they treating me like a thief now? But at least this hurdle was cleared.
…Wait. Something felt off.
Why did she care so much about Xiao Muchen’s feelings now?
She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, but she didn’t have time to worry about it.
For now, things were going her way—that was enough. Everything else could wait.
News of Mingxi being poisoned spread quickly from the palace. Duchess Wei spared no effort in publicizing the Empress’s cruelty.
Everyone at the Dingyuan Marquis Household was scared out of their wits. The Old Madam immediately ordered a carriage to take her to Duan Wang’s residence.
Upon hearing the news, Mingxi quickly had Li Mama invite them in. All the elders from the Marquis Household arrived—except for Madam Jiang.
Once they saw Mingxi, they immediately surrounded her with concerned questions.
The Old Madam sat by her side and looked her over from head to toe. “How are you feeling now? How could something like this happen? It scared us all half to death.”
“Grandmother, I’m feeling much better now. I made you worry—it’s all this granddaughter’s fault.”
“Silly child, why say such things? Your grandfather couldn’t come, so he asked me to see how you were. But look at you—why is your complexion so poor? What did the imperial physician say?”
“They said thankfully the dose wasn’t high. With some rest and proper care, I’ll recover gradually,” Mingxi said gently.
Second Madam added grimly, “This is outrageous. Our Marquis Household may not be what it once was, but we won’t stand for such bullying. We must demand justice.”
“Second Sister-in-law is right,” Third Madam said, face dark. “Mingxi, don’t worry. Your eldest brother has already entered the palace to request an audience with His Majesty. Just wait for news.”
Mingxi was genuinely startled. “Big Brother went to the palace? At a time like this?”
Oh no—he might be walking straight into the Emperor’s line of fire. He could be punished.
Madam Xiao added from the side, “Yes. As soon as he heard, your brother changed clothes and headed to the palace. After what you’ve suffered, how could we just sit by in silence?”
Since none of the younger generation were present, the elders spoke without much restraint. Madam Xiao, as the principal wife, spoke with full authority.
The Old Madam looked at Mingxi and asked, “What did Wangye say?”
The most crucial matter was the attitudes of Consort Shu and Duan Wang. If they demanded a full investigation, justice could be served.
If the Marquis Household acted alone—it wasn’t to belittle themselves—but they simply didn’t have that kind of power.
Their younger generation still had a long road ahead.
“Wangye is deeply distressed, and Consort Shu was also furious. She has petitioned His Majesty to investigate thoroughly,” Mingxi said to reassure everyone.
The Old Madam and the others looked visibly relieved. “That’s good, that’s good.”
Seeing that Mingxi still looked pale, they didn’t stay long. After leaving behind the medicinal tonics and supplements they brought, they rose to take their leave.
Mingxi called for Fang Mama to escort her family out. Fang Mama personally supported the Old Madam as they walked out.
No sooner had the people from the Marquis Manor left than Kang Wangfei arrived. Her eyes were red, and the moment she saw Mingxi, tears fell.
“As soon as I got the news, I rushed to see Duchess Wei’s household. What she said frightened me so much—my heart was pounding, truly pounding! Fourth Sister-in-law, how are you now?” The tears streamed down her face.
Mingxi: …
She cried more sincerely than her actual sister-in-law.
Madam Xiao, as the main wife of the Marquis Manor, had to maintain her dignity and resisted showing too much emotion. Kang Wangfei, on the other hand, didn’t care for appearances and cried without restraint.
Mingxi feared crying the most and hurriedly said, “I just need some rest and care. Look, I’ve woken up now, haven’t I?”
“And the child in your belly? Is everything alright?”
Mingxi paused. No wonder she’d felt something was missing earlier—no one from the Marquis Manor had even asked about the baby. It was almost funny. Clearly, to them, she was more important than the child in her womb.
They had all fussed over her for so long without a single person thinking to ask about the baby.
Remembering Xiao Muchen’s advice, Mingxi slowly said, “I still need to take care and rest well. The Imperial Physician prescribed medicine, and I’ll take it properly—don’t worry, and please don’t cry.”
Kang Wangfei wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. “I didn’t want to cry, really, Fourth Sister-in-law. You must think I’m a mess. I just couldn’t hold it in.”
When she was first named Kang Wangfei and married into the imperial family, she’d been full of unease. Her husband was out of favor—how well could a princess consort in such a position fare? It was all thanks to Fourth Sister-in-law taking her under her wing that she managed to gain a foothold.
With Mingxi shielding her, no one dared to bully her easily. Even when Qi Wangfei made some unpleasant remarks, Mingxi would retort on her behalf.
She truly didn’t want anything to happen to Fourth Sister-in-law. Thinking of this, she said resentfully, “Her Majesty the Empress has gone too far. How could she do such a thing? You’re a Wangfei, not some harem concubine—how could she poison you like this?”
“We haven’t been able to catch hold of any solid evidence against her before,” Mingxi said quietly. “This time might be a blessing in disguise. Together with the Qiping case, we might finally get what we’ve been hoping for.”
Kang Wangfei pressed her lips together and looked at her. “My father has already joined with several of his associates to prepare a memorial to the throne. First, to speak up on behalf of Duke Wei; second, to seek justice for the Qiping case; and third, to raise your matter as well. They may even call for the Empress to be impeached in court.”
“My father said, whether or not it succeeds, we must make everything public—let everyone know what the Empress has done. She used to be praised as the model of virtue in charge of the inner palace. This time, we must reveal her true face.”
Mingxi hadn’t expected the Fengcheng Marquis to move so quickly. Clearly, he and Xiao Muchen had already laid out a plan. Her own poisoning had simply added fuel to the fire—gave them a stronger spark to burn with.
Thinking of this, she looked at Kang Wangfei and asked, “You went to Duke Wei’s residence—do you know how he is now?”
Earlier, Xiao Muchen had said his condition was life-threatening, and Mingxi had been worried since.
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Thinking about the baby means her value is only there if she had a baby. but no one from the family or consort shu or duan wang cared more about baby but Mingxi was the priority. it was really nice seeing her living a good carefree life surround by love. the only story where i saw the mc letting go of hate with her family and living peacefully with them.