Chapter 436: Not Destined to Be the Wife of a Powerful Minister's He Shizi

Qin Lang thought that He He Shizi indeed favored Qin He more.

Glancing at the child, Qin Lang did not bring up the matter.

Qin Lang helped Rong Juan tidy up; after the child busied himself for a while, he lay on the table by the window to play, opened the window, and glanced outside. The room had a charcoal brazier and was not cold. Rong Juan liked the courtyard where his mother lived.

A guard came to report: "The Little He Shizi has awakened."

Rong Juan put on a beast-patterned cloak sized for a child and went with Qin Lang to the main courtyard of the fourth branch. In the bedroom, the Little Prince and Jiang Shi were busy putting small shoes on the little bun. The child was as cute as a carved jade doll.

Lin Shi sighed: "To be honest, Qin Bi is beautiful and Rong He Shizi is handsome; the two children they bore are both handsome."

Letting He He Shizi off the hook was too painful; just count Rong Juan as Rong He Shizi's child.

The little bun was delighted and even said: "I am handsome."

"Yes." Jiang Shi couldn't help but laugh and was very supportive: "Only our Rong Juan is handsome. Your several older male cousins are not as handsome as you. Rong Juan is the most handsome of all. Look at this little face; it is truly handsome."

Jiang Shi's praise came from the heart, which made the little bun extremely happy, his small face beaming with a smile.

He laughed gaily; the child's laughter put everyone in a good mood.

When the child woke up, it was time to eat. He He Shizi's guard delivered eggs from spirit-plant chickens to the fourth branch's courtyard. Upon seeing them, Jiang Shi took the spirit-plant chicken eggs to the kitchen.

In the main hall, He Shi held the little bun while Rong Juan discussed with his maternal grandfather and uncles how to build the courtyard. The Little Prince did not participate in this; he played with the little bun beside He Shi.

Lin Shi went to the kitchen, where Jiang Shi watched the cook wash the spirit-plant chicken eggs.

"Are there any for Fu Bao?" Lin Shi asked.

Jiang Shi shook her head: "I am not sure. Given He He Shizi's favoritism toward Qin He, there should be."

Lin Shi leaned in to look at the small porcelain bowl where the eggs were being washed. There were six spirit-plant chicken eggs; with the Little Prince and Qin He's child, there would be enough for one steamed egg per person.

Lin Shi went to the living room to find Rong Juan: "Rong Juan, there are six spirit-plant chicken eggs. How should we steam them? How many people are eating?"

"Usually, it is just my younger brother and me, and the Little Prince gets two eggs each." Rong Juan turned and called the guard beside him: "Did my father say who should eat the spirit-plant chicken eggs?"

The guard's mouth twitched. The Little He Shizi could make his own decisions; why ask him?

"It is for the Little Prince and the two Little He Shizi," the guard said. "The He Shizi did not specifically mention anyone else. When we set out for Qin Yan Hou Fu, the He Shizi had already prepared the spirit-plant chicken eggs for the Little He Shizi."

The child cultivates the Dao and eats only spirit food. The staple is steamed eggs from spirit-plant chickens; the rest can be anything else. Rong He Shizi treats his children like treasures, and He He Shizi also dotes on his children.

In the living room, everyone understood that there were none for Fu Bao and his sibling.

He Shi originally wanted to say a few cutting words to He He Shizi. The child was his nephew; he had previously mistreated her illegitimate daughter, yet today he came to see her, his aunt, solely for the sake of the child.

He Shi glanced at Rong Juan and decided to wait for another opportunity to speak.

Since He Shi said nothing, Lin Shi went to the kitchen and told Jiang Shi: "There are only steamed eggs for Rong Juan and the others."

"None for Fu Bao?" Jiang Shi asked in surprise.

"Even if there were any for Fu Bao, they would not be sent to our fourth branch. Who would they be trying to offend?" Lin Shi whispered. "I wonder what they were thinking this time; there are simply none for Fu Bao."

Thinking of how He He Shizi had looked after Qin He and the second branch over the years, favoring the second branch everywhere, Lin Shi felt indignant. She could not mention Rong Juan in front of the child for fear of upsetting him.

Jiang Shi instructed the cook to steam the eggs, then stepped aside and whispered to Lin Shi: "It seems He He Shizi has given up on Fu Bao today. He is bent on compensating Rong Juan and raising Rong Juan's sibling."

"That is jumping to conclusions," Lin Shi said, unconvinced. "Given He He Shizi's feelings for Qin He over so many years, he cannot simply let them go. He might soften his heart at any moment."

Jiang Shi nodded. In that case, keeping a moderate distance from the second branch would suffice.

The fourth branch must still weigh its actions regarding the people He He Shizi protects. Everyone knows the power of a powerful minister's He Shizi. The second, fifth, and first branches might think He He Shizi is gentle and warm, but the fourth branch knows how cold He He Shizi truly is.

When Qin Bi first became engaged to the Yan Guogong Fu, without Qin He, both families were willing. Just as the engagement was about to be finalized, He He Shizi chose Qin He instead. The engagement was called off, and Qin Bi left Jingcheng.

In the subsequent engagements, the fourth branch was not very willing. Having been rejected once, who could calmly agree to an engagement with the Yan Guogong Fu? Yet, the power of the Yan Guogong Fu was something even He Shi could not resist.

Thinking of it made Lin Shi unhappy. She flicked her silk handkerchief and was about to speak, but worried about being overheard, she leaned close to Jiang Shi and said: "I do not know about Qin He, but after the first discussion of marriage, the Yan Guogong Lady came to our door several times to propose. It was not Qin Bi who eagerly sought to marry in. Qin He almost fought to marry high into the Yan Guogong Fu. Pity, she does not have the fate of a powerful minister's He Shizi's wife."

"He He Shizi protects Qin He," Jiang Shi said.

There it was; Lin Shi felt choked up. Nothing else mattered. Back then, Qin He's maid had pointed a sword at Qin Bi, demanding an apology. Because of this, Qin Bi had returned from the Yan Guogong Fu and immediately sought out Qin Di and his wife, resolutely demanding to break the engagement.

They could not break it. Qin Bi left Jingcheng and was gone for several years.

Even though Qin He's maid had been so arrogant, He He Shizi had not punished anyone around Qin He. Therefore, even if He He Shizi doted more on his own children today, no one truly believed he would abandon Qin He and her children.

Lin Shi thought for a moment and called Qin Lang out from the living room.

Qin Lang stepped out of the living room: "Sister-in-law, is there something?"

Lin Shi whispered: "Send the younger children to the front courtyard. Tell them Rong Juan is eating spirit-plant chicken eggs."

Qin Lang immediately understood Lin Shi's meaning. He pondered briefly: "There is no need. My sister does not deign to scheme over such things. Let us not add to the chaos. Let nature take its course. Rong He Shizi will not let Rong Juan suffer."

Lin Shi let it go. Once the spirit-plant chicken eggs were steamed, the Little Prince fed the little bun first.

The He Shizi's wife sent someone to the fourth branch's courtyard to ask if the child had woken up. Shortly after, Qin He Shizi's servant came as well. Thus, Qin He Shizi and his wife both knew the child was eating spirit food.

Qin He Shizi showed no expression on his face. The He Shizi's wife looked at Fu Bao, the child among the children, and felt that this child's fortune would likely be diminished. Today, it was obvious that He He Shizi cared more about his own children.

No one knew how many spirit-plant chicken eggs He He Shizi had brought, yet there were none for Fu Bao and his sibling.

The adults did not mention it, but several children discussed the spirit food. Fu Bao heard them and was not very happy. After everyone dispersed, He He Shizi picked up the child, preparing to return to the Yan Guogong Fu.

Fu Bao wanted to go along. He He Shizi swept a cold glance toward Xue He Shizi: "Xue Qing, can you really not afford to raise a child?"

The words were harsh. Xue He Shizi was also angered and shouted: "Fu Bao, come here and return home with me."

The people from Qin Yan Hou Fu who had come out to see them off exchanged glances. Qin Jue's face looked ugly. Qin Yuan stamped her foot in anger. Fu Bao was so pitiful.