Chapter 13: The Old Matriarch

"Elder sister, I…"

Without waiting for her to finish, Chi Nan Yi turned and left.

The matriarch looked at Meng Qingrong and Meng Qingyue with an unfriendly expression.

A low-born concubine who cannot even sit at the table dared to block Chi Nan Yi's path!

If the Crown Prince hadn't mistaken the zither player that day for this little scoundrel, she would have certainly killed this wretched spawn.

"Mother."

"Please convey my respects to Mother."

"Everyone, rise," the matriarch said, her gaze landing on Chi Nan Yi: "Are you feeling better?"

"In response to Mother, I'm much better."

The matriarch nodded: "You are frail, prone to illness since childhood; you must be carefully nurtured." She patted Chi Nan Yi's hand, a flash of tenderness in her eyes, though that tenderness was mixed with much selfishness and calculation. Chi Nan Yi saw it clearly, withdrew the hand without a stir, and coughed a few times.

"What are you two lingering here for? This place has nothing to do with you; go back."

Meng Qingrong and her companion felt as if pardoned. Just as they were about to leave, the matriarch said coldly, "Second Miss, your ear‑splitting zither skill must improve dramatically during this period, otherwise if you bring trouble to the Minister's Residence, I cannot tolerate you." She waved her hand, and Jiang Mama stepped forward, whispering, "Madam has already found a master for Second Miss; from today onward, Second Miss will practice with the master daily, and apart from meals and sleep, she may not leave the courtyard again."

What?

Meng Qingrong was startled: "Madam, I…"

"Still not going out?"

Meng Qingyue tugged at her sleeve; Meng Qingrong, though unwilling, had no choice.

She could only obediently follow her out.

The Jiang Clan let out a deep sigh: "Fortunately you reminded Mother; otherwise, if this Meng Qingrong were later exposed by the Crown Prince, our Minister's Residence would certainly suffer the repercussions."

Indeed, the suggestion to find a master for Meng Qingrong was Chi Nan Yi's idea.

She knew she would eventually have to leave, and before departing she left a formidable rival for Meng Qinghe; when Meng Qinghe later entered the Crown Prince's Residence, she would also have her to contend with.

"These past few days the residence has been busy; the thief who stole from the Minister's Residence hasn't been caught, and rumors of ghosts and deities outside have begun to spread again. It's best not to go out for now."

"Ghost and deity rumors?" Chi Nan Yi raised an eyebrow: "What ghost and deity rumors?"

"It's strange indeed. In a house outside the city, people claim they saw many items being taken inside, but when someone went to check, the interior was empty, nothing at all. The courtyard had only one entrance and exit, and goods that would fill a dozen carts vanished into thin air."

Chi Nan Yi feigned surprise: "If this is true, isn't it the same way our Minister's Residence storeroom lost items?"

The Jiang Clan nodded, a hint of solemnity flashing across the face.

"Alright, you needn't overthink; rest well, recover your health. There's no rush regarding the Crown Prince's consort matter; we will proceed slowly."

I wasn't in a hurry to begin with.

Chi Nan Yi thought that sentence in her mind, but showed no trace on her face; she merely nodded and left very obediently.

"Madam, what do you think…"

"This matter must stay buried; it must never be mentioned to anyone, especially the incident of our residence losing items. Order it down: if any short‑sighted person spreads it, I will cut out their tongue!"

"Understood," Jiang Mama hurried out.

The Jiang Clan clenched their fists; now rumors of strange powers and deities are spreading wildly, and if the Son of Heaven learns that their Minister's Residence also experienced odd events, he will likely distance himself from the entire residence.

No.

The foundation of the Minister's Residence must never be shaken.

Only if the Minister's Residence remains stable can the Jiang family's fortunes stay secure.

Chi Nan Yi returned to her room and entered the space directly.

She still remembered last night's events vividly.

"Rescuing people alone won't do; we must develop more poisons."

She scoured the laboratory's records and finally found a poison compendium in a corner, which she had acquired at an auction during a mission in her previous life.

At the time she was occupied with an important mission and had no time to study its contents; as time passed, she set it aside.

Chi Nan Yi leafed through the compendium for a while, her eyes full of delight.

She truly hadn't expected that the compendium's contents were exactly what she needed.

"Soft Tendon Powder, Thousand‑Day Drunk, Bone‑Eating Powder, Broken‑Intestine Pill, Red‑Face Calamity—these poisons exist only in legends, yet they turn out to be real," Chi Nan Yi said with a smile. "If we can refine them and coat them onto Silver Needles, it will give us an extra means of survival."

After an unknown amount of time, a cheerful voice came from outside, announcing that the old lady had arrived.

Speaking of the Meng Family's matriarch, Chi Nan Yi's eyes flashed with a warm hue.

In her previous life, she was the only one in the Meng Family who had ever felt the warmth and cold of kinship.

When she arrived at the gate, she saw a modest carriage approaching from afar.

The Jiang Clan wore a look of impatience, and Meng Hui's smile at the corner of his mouth was somewhat stiff.

If her memory served, in the previous life Meng Hui had been extremely dismissive of this old lady; the old lady came from a lowly background, her family once served as a maid in a great household, and she was taken in by the Meng patriarch as a concubine. After the patriarch's first wife died without leaving any children, the Meng Family had only this old lady's son, who was Meng Hui.

However, because of her low birth, she could not become the principal wife; thus Meng Hui was recorded under another's name as a stepson. Meng Hui proved ambitious, even topping the imperial examinations, and now serves as Prime Minister.

The Meng patriarch and matriarch passed away one after another, and the old lady finally rose to prominence.

Watching the carriage draw nearer, Chi Nan Yi's once eager heart gradually cooled.

Surviving in the Meng Family's den of tigers and wolves, and even bearing the only son for the patriarch, this old lady could not possibly be as gentle as she appears.

The old master married many women, yet only Meng Hui was his son.

Thinking of this, Chi Nan Yi felt a chill rise within her body.

Perhaps this Meng Family old lady is the most deeply hidden one.

"Huh," the driver halted the horses; a plainly dressed old lady holding prayer beads stepped down from the carriage.

Behind her, a few maidservants carried parcels; Meng Hui, to display filial piety, personally helped the old lady down from the carriage.

Seeing his pretentious expression, Chi Nan Yi couldn't help but roll her eyes.

This filial piety is performed for others; the current Son of Heaven governs the realm with benevolent filialness, and as Prime Minister, Meng Hui must set an example for all officials.

"Mother, you've come." Jiang Clan stepped forward, smiling and said: "It's made the daughter-in-law wait."

The old lady smiled, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Clan's face, then looking toward the children behind her: "You've gone through trouble, still waiting here."