Chapter 75

Qin Bi was in a good mood, but Jiang Shi felt uneasy.

Jiang Xu was uneasy too; strategists and generals are highly valued in any noble household. Qin Bi could scold a woman with delusions, but disrespecting a strategist was improper.

Besides, he had just seen that Jiao Ran was beautiful; keeping her would likely be a disaster.

Qin Bi read everyone's expressions clearly. She understood Qin Tang and the others' concerns; no one knew the methods of a powerful marquis's heir better than the people of Qin Yan Hou Fu.

Otherwise, they would not have lost their legitimate eldest daughter and still be eyeing the position of Rong Juan's legitimate wife.

This marriage was a step up. The entire Qin Yan Hou Fu worried she couldn't hold the position of heir's wife; they only felt relieved after Rong Yang arrived. Just now, when she made a scene, Qin Tang and the others feared Rong Juan would be angry.

Would Rong Juan be angry? Who cares!

Could Rong Yang eat yet? She ate meat with vegetables and took a sip of soup. The young heir's upbringing reassured Qin Tang greatly. When Jiang Shi tried to feed the child, Qin Bi shook her head and refused.

"No need," Qin Bi said.

The child also said, "Auntie, no need."

This child was so good, so Jiang Shi stopped and picked up her chopsticks to eat.

Qin Lang thought little of it; seeing Qin Bi's calmness, he recalled her previous idea and chuckled. Rong Yan also wanted to laugh, yet felt uneasy. After everyone had eaten their fill, Lin Yao arrived at the side hall.

"Eldest Young Master of the in-laws, Young Mistress, Second Young Master." Lin Yao, dressed elegantly like a scholar, bowed and said, "By order of my Young Master, I am to request you go to the front courtyard."

"Has the Young Master arrived?" Qin Bi asked.

"No," Lin Yao said.

Qin Tang and the others looked at Qin Bi. Qin Bi said, "You go."

Qin Tang and his wife, along with Qin Xun, felt puzzled. Lin Yao then asked Rong Yan, "Does Young Master Rong Yan wish to come along? Young Master Jiang Xu may also join, as a post-meal stroll."

Qin Lang became interested; he wanted to go too.

Unfortunately, Lin Yao did not invite him. If everyone left, who would accompany the Heir's Wife?

Jiao Ran's scene had already been reported to Rong Juan by the guards. Qin Bi's actions had truly angered Rong Juan. Scholars have integrity; how could one trample on strategists and guards so hard? Was she leaving no trusted men for Rong Yang?!

These people would all be reserved for his and Qin Bi's children in the future.

"The Heir's Wife told her eldest brother that even if the Young Master is angry, she will not return to her natal home."

A smile crossed Rong Juan's handsome face; he felt both annoyed and amused. Leaving Jiao Ran alive was not an option. Rong Juan sneered, "A blind thing."

Jiao Ran could not simply vanish without a trace. Rong Juan gave orders for Lin Yao to summon Qin Tang, Qin Xun, and Jiang Shi to watch Jiao Ran be beaten to death, so no one would later claim he had kept her as a mistress outside the manor.

This was not unheard of among noble families; those unsuitable for the manor were kept outside.

Summoning Rong Yan and Jiang Xu was to give Qin Bi face; look how capable she was. Even though she angered Rong Juan, he still considered her everywhere. No matter how she caused trouble, Rong Juan would back her.

In the cold winter courtyard, Jiao Ran was beaten until her skin tore and flesh bared. Qin Tang and Qin Xun were first surprised, exchanged a glance, and then watched coldly. As Qin Bi's natal family, they were the ones most eager to kill Jiao Ran.

Jiang Shi felt much more confident; even if their own legitimate eldest daughter were still alive, she would not necessarily be protected by the Rong Heir so fiercely.

Jiao Ran could not die inside the manor. Beaten until only a breath remained, she was thrown out.

Qin Lang ran to watch and waited until Jiao Ran drew her last breath before returning. Upon hearing this, the noble families of Jingcheng weighed the matter in their hearts and dared not send beauties to the Rong Heir anymore.

Qin He was even more shocked: "Jiao Ran accompanied the Rong Heir for so many years, and was beaten to death like this?"

A trusted subordinate bowed his head: "Indeed, she was beaten to death."

"Truly a skilled move." Qin He blamed Qin Bi.

She waited; Qin He wanted to see what Qin Bi would do after provoking the Rong Heir's displeasure.

This was Qin He's thought. When the noble ladies heard this, they were stunned. Could one deal with a woman trying to enter the household this way? Good heavens, the ladies began asking each other about this Heir's Wife.

Qin Bi did not attend banquets and did not interact with the ladies; they did not even know her!

Some knew her but were not close, yet it was satisfying!

Those whose husbands were military generals wiped their handkerchiefs in regret. They thought, when that wretch relied on a life-saving debt to stay by their husband's side, they should have used the Rong Heir's Wife's method.

As if they didn't know; the people around their husbands were all protecting that wretch.

How powerful the Rong Heir's Wife was! Once she saw through this, anyone favoring the wretch would be taken into the manor as a concubine. Thinking of the losses they suffered, the principal wives regretted until their intestines turned green.

"Why didn't this illegitimate daughter of Qin Yan Hou Fu marry the Rong Heir sooner?"

If this had happened earlier, she couldn't have thought of such a brilliant trick; at least she could have learned from it.

Lin Yao and the others dared not go out; whenever they did, colleagues mocked them. Lin Yao and the guards simply did not stay in the manor. They hurried off to the fiefdom to tend the ten mu of vegetable plots for the young heir.

The Great Yan Emperor heard this and looked utterly confused. After thinking it over, he said to Rong Juan, "My Lord, strategists decide battles from a thousand li away; you cannot indulge the Heir's Wife like this! You must be stern with her!"

Rong Juan waved his brush to approve memorials, not looking up: "She is carrying a child."

The Great Yan Emperor thought this made sense. He Yan had longed for a child so much he envied others' children; how much Rong Juan valued this child was obvious. He could not urge Rong Juan to be stern with the Heir's Wife.

"Then wait until after the child is born to be stern with her," the Great Yan Emperor said, slapping the table.

"No," Rong Juan said.

The Great Yan Emperor was puzzled: "Why?"

Rong Juan fell silent and continued approving memorials. The Great Yan Emperor waited patiently.

After a while, Rong Juan said, "I cannot bear to."

The Great Yan Emperor: "..."

Rong Juan remembered that Qin Bi carried the child he had longed for across several lifetimes. A tenderness appeared on his handsome face. The Great Yan Emperor secretly observed him. Rong Juan smiled at the corners of his mouth. Oh heavens, compared to He Yan, Rong Juan's longing for a child was no less.

If Rong Juan could not bear to be stern with the Heir's Wife, so be it. The Great Yan Emperor let it go.

When Rong Yan and the others returned from the fiefdom, they were as if possessed. They laughed while eating, laughed while walking. Whenever they thought of Qin Bi planning to take the strategist and guards as concubines for the Rong Heir, Rong Yan burst into laughter.

"Oh my mother!" Rong Yan slapped the table and laughed heartily.

His father scolded him: "Having a fit?"

Rong Yan continued laughing. In Qin Yan Hou Fu, Qin Lang was the same, as was Jiang Shi. She would laugh when thinking of it in her own courtyard, but she also laughed occasionally after leaving the courtyard, leaving others speechless.

Qin Tang and Qin Xun also wore smiles on their faces; their mood could not have been better. Seeing these few, He Shi felt a headache.

In the courtyard of the second branch, Cui Shi could probably guess Qin He's scheme was involved. Taking a deep breath, Cui Shi said to the nanny beside her, "Now she should give up hope."

The nanny said, "Miss Qin He truly needs to settle down."

Cui Shi glanced at the nanny, and the nanny dared not speak further. Qin He's hand reaches too far, and she meddles in too many affairs. Do you still think that because you are unmarried, you can compete for favor before the two young masters?