Volume One, Chapter Four: Why Did You Marry Me?

She had steeled herself for a taxing ordeal, yet she had not expected that once Qi Jinshan took action, the matter would suddenly become so much simpler.

She had previously assumed he had relied on the patronage of the Marquis’s estate to reach his current position, but it now appeared that Qi Jinshan possessed considerable capability of his own.

Looking at Qi Jinshan’s handsome brow and eyes, she found him increasingly pleasing to the eye.

Moments later, all evidence and testimonies pointed directly to Xie Wanqing, leaving no room for refutation.

"May I ask the Marchioness, from where exactly did you derive the conclusion that Mingyue was the one who poisoned the tea?"

Qi Jinshan’s voice was deep and measured, his expression calm, yet everyone present knew he was furious.

Lady Luo, who could never truly control him, found herself shamed and frustrated now that her daughter-in-law’s scandal had been exposed; she twitched her lips but could find no words to defend her.

Remembering how Qi Jinshan had raged in the past, the hall fell into such silence that one could hear a pin drop. No one dared to make a sound.

Only Xie Mingyue, watching his lowered, somber gaze, hid her hand beneath the cover of her cloak and the tea table, reaching out to gently scratch the palm of Qi Jinshan’s hand.

She mustn't let him get too angry. Such an imposing husband—she had to ensure he stayed well-maintained so he could earn her a few more years of salary.

The unusual sensation in his palm caused Qi Jinshan’s cold, stern expression to falter.

He cast a glance at her, his eyes carrying a hint of ferocity. Seeing this, Xie Mingyue quickly pulled her hand back and sat up with dignified composure.

"Since..."

She gave a soft smile, and the invisible aura of murderous intent surrounding Qi Jinshan instantly diminished.

"Since my sister-in-law hates me to such an extent that she would not only poison me but also brand me with a reputation for viciousness in order to curry favor, how about I return the favor in kind?"

Xie Mingyue spoke with feigned nonchalance. Xie Wanqing opened her mouth to retort, but Qi Jinshan lifted his teacup and set it back down with a sharp "clink." The sound echoed through the hall, sending a shiver down Xie Wanqing’s spine and leaving her stammering, unable to utter a word.

Lady Luo could no longer stand by. As the Marchioness, even if that wretch, Lady Yun—who had risen in status solely because of her son—was treated as her equal, she was still the legal wife.

How could a man like Qi Jinshan interfere so brazenly in the affairs of the inner chambers? The inner chambers were, by right, the domain of the Marchioness.

"Mingyue, let’s leave it at that. Xiuyu is returning to the capital soon. If anything were to happen to Wanqing now, what would he think? Would you have him return home after two years away only to find his wife suffering?"

She began to pour oil on troubled waters.

"I will make the decision: Wanqing shall hand over the ledger of the main household to you. From now on, you shall manage the main household affairs as an apology. How does that sound?"

She knew that every time Qi Xiuyu’s name was mentioned, Qi Jinshan and Xie Mingyue would clash. By adding the burden of the ledger—something Xie Mingyue had never concerned herself with in all these years—she was sure the girl would be unable to manage it and would be forced to swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

To her surprise, Xie Mingyue countered immediately: "The Marchioness’s words are quite interesting. Does this mean the Heir’s wife cannot suffer, but your own daughter-in-law can?"

She glanced at Qi Jinshan: "Husband, it seems that being your wife means being considered inferior to others."

Lady Luo’s face darkened instantly: "Mingyue, do not spout nonsense!"

Qi Jinshan was a high-ranking official with real power, while the Marquis of Shunqing was merely a man of leisure. Even as a father, he had to treat his son with deference, let alone the others. By saying this, Xie Mingyue was deliberately using Qi Jinshan’s influence to intimidate the second branch of the family.

Xie Mingyue remained unmoved. Qi Jinshan looked at her slowly, catching a glimmer of craftiness in her moist, almond-shaped eyes.

Perhaps because the word "husband" sounded so pleasant, Qi Jinshan uncharacteristically felt no anger when Xie Mingyue mentioned him in the same breath as Qi Xiuyu.

A faint smile touched his lips as he said slowly: "The country has its laws, and the family has its rules. Regardless of whether Xiuyu returns to the capital or not, if my sister-in-law has done wrong, she must face the family discipline. If the Marchioness refuses to let her comply, then we shall use the laws of the land; I will take her to the Ministry of Justice."

Xie Wanqing’s jaw dropped. She had not expected this couple to sing from the same hymn sheet, threatening to throw her into prison with just a few words.

"I was lax in supervising my servants, which led them to poison my sister-in-law. I am willing to accept the family discipline. I beg my eldest brother-in-law, for the sake of keeping family shame from leaking out, to grant me one chance."

Realizing that her plan to deal with Xie Mingyue had fallen through, she immediately humbled herself, kneeling before Qi Jinshan and exposing a sliver of her pale neck in a display of fragility.

A cold, ruthless look flashed in the depths of Qi Jinshan’s eyes.

"Jinshan, if the family discipline is carried out, will your sister-in-law even survive? She was in the wrong, but you are usually so strict with your cases; why must you be so harsh with your own family?"

At this moment, Lady Yun, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke up.

Xie Mingyue knew that Xie Wanqing was adept at flattering her elders, but she hadn’t expected the girl to be so capable as to have coaxed Lady Yun into abandoning the main branch to speak for the second branch.

As soon as Lady Yun spoke, Xie Mingyue fell silent.

It was said that in the past, Lady Yun had lived in exile with Qi Jinshan, raising him single-handedly and doing all manner of menial work until the Marquis of Shunqing found them when he was a teenager.

The bond between a widowed mother and her son was deep; until she understood the situation better, she dared not go head-to-head with Lady Yun.

With his birth mother having spoken, Qi Jinshan’s gaze flickered: "Then how does Mother suggest we handle this?"

"The Heir will return soon, and you must maintain fraternal harmony. In my view, it would be better to let Wanqing experience what it felt like for Mingyue to be poisoned, and then have her offer an apology. As for family discipline, it is too bloody; let us forgo it."

Lady Yun was not yet fifty, but her face bore the marks of the hardships she had endured. Compared to the well-preserved Lady Luo, she appeared more like a compassionate mother.

"Mingyue has been wronged today, and Mother will compensate you with a box of personal belongings. Harmony brings prosperity; for the sake of the entire family, let this matter end here."

She had covered every angle. To persist would make Qi Jinshan look unfraternal and Xie Mingyue look uncharitable.

Xie Mingyue reflected and decided this was acceptable. Xie Wanqing was the Heir’s wife; the incident wasn't severe enough to truly destroy her. Now that she had reclaimed the power of household management and gained an extra box of valuables, and Xie Wanqing would be punished, it was a good outcome.

Most importantly, after today’s events, the entire household would know that she was no longer the shrinking violet she once was. Anyone wanting to move against her in the future would have to weigh the consequences.

As for her, Xie Mingyue, once she held a good hand, she had to play it beautifully.

With Qi Jinshan’s nod, a servant quickly brought a bowl of "Throat-Shattering Powder." It was the same poison Xie Mingyue had consumed; its toxicity was minimal, causing one to vomit blood before dissipating.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Xie Wanqing drank the powder with reddened eyes, and her throat immediately burned as if seared by a knife.

"Ah..."

She let out a sharp, miserable cry, collapsing to the floor in a wretched state, vomiting blood and drenched in cold sweat.

Watching this, Qi Jinshan couldn't help but wonder how much pain Xie Mingyue must have endured.

Xie Mingyue, meanwhile, touched her own throat, feeling a bit stunned.

After Xie Wanqing finished vomiting blood, she couldn't even speak, while her own throat felt perfectly fine.

Wutong noticed her confusion and leaned in, whispering: "My Lady, when you were poisoned, the Eldest Master personally fed you the imperial-gifted Lirong Nectar. That is why you felt no discomfort after waking up."

Xie Mingyue realized the truth, and a touch of warmth entered her gaze as she looked at Qi Jinshan.

Once Xie Wanqing had finished vomiting, she reluctantly knelt before Xie Mingyue to offer an apology.

"Sister-in-law, today’s incident was due to my poor supervision of the household. I hope you will forgive me."

Xie Mingyue smiled: "I believe I don’t need to tell you how to handle such disloyal servants, do I?"

The two people exposed today were Xie Wanqing’s trusted maid and a manservant she had brought from her maiden home—her right and left hands. At the thought of having to discard them, Xie Wanqing’s heart bled.

She knelt in humiliation before Xie Mingyue, forcing herself to say: "Take them away, give them twenty lashes each, and sell them off."

Twenty heavy lashes would leave them with nothing but skin hanging from bone; it was effectively a death sentence.

The maid and the manservant began to wail and howl. Xie Wanqing turned her head away ruthlessly, then rolled her eyes and fainted.

Qi Jinshan acted as if he had heard nothing and rose to leave. Xie Mingyue couldn't be bothered with Xie Wanqing either. She wanted to return to her quarters, but seeing Qi Jinshan’s retreating figure, she felt the urge to thank him.

Yet, a simple "thank you" felt too thin. What else could she do?

She did not understand the ways of a married couple and felt a bit troubled.

Wutong noticed this and secretly offered advice: "Why doesn't my Lady invite the Eldest Master to dine in your courtyard? The Eldest Master hasn't even eaten lunch today because of your affairs."

Dine together? Xie Mingyue was somewhat reluctant. The main reason was that whenever she was in front of Qi Jinshan, she felt a string in her mind pulled tight, fearing that any word she spoke might trigger his anger.

But thinking about how their relationship wasn't good, yet he had still busied himself for her sake, she decided she should overcome her hesitation.

Xie Mingyue followed in Qi Jinshan’s footsteps.

"Husband," she looked at his large, well-defined hands, remembering how he had gripped her when she first woke up. Driven by a sudden impulse, she asked: "Why did you marry me in the first place?"

As soon as these words left her lips, Qi Jinshan’s footsteps came to a sudden halt.