Madam Yan glanced at her chest, then at Xiao Zhen’s increasingly stern expression, and immediately grew anxious. “General, this… this was an accident on my part. You must believe me, General!”
A cold sneer touched Xiao Zhen’s lips, the smile freezing before it reached his eyes.
After withdrawing his hand, as if disgusted by its touch, Xiao Zhen took out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped his fingers clean. He then tossed the handkerchief onto Madam Yan’s face and left with the chest, not looking back.
Madam Yan collapsed onto the ground, seemingly stunned. How could she be pregnant? No, it was impossible. Someone must be framing her!
Was it Xiao Man? Or Ye Qing? No, no, it might be Ye Qing and Xiao Man colluding to frame her!
“You and Xiao Man are framing me together!”
Ye Qing frowned. “Madam, you can eat anything, but you can’t say anything. I am a physician and merely stated the truth. Your pulse indeed indicates pregnancy. If Madam does not believe me, you may seek another physician for a diagnosis. I shall take my leave.”
Ye Qing picked up his medicine chest and left without looking back. Steward Lu looked at Madam Yan kneeling on the ground, then at his general striding away, speechless for a moment. General, being cuckolded, and you just leave like this, isn’t that a bit… improper!
“General, General, I am being framed!” Madam Yan finally reacted, scrambling to her feet to chase after Xiao Zhen, only to be stopped by the steward’s men.
“Send Madam back to her quarters. Until the General gives his orders, she is not to leave her courtyard.”
“General, someone is harming me, someone is harming me…”
Xiao Zhen’s steps were steady as he proceeded towards the main courtyard. Nanny Xu, seeing the General return and head straight to the main courtyard to see the Old Madam, greeted him joyfully. “The General is back. The Old Madam has been mentioning you constantly.”
“Mm,” Xiao Zhen replied with a grunt, then fell silent, proceeding directly into the main courtyard.
The maids at the gate had already rushed in to report. Upon hearing that her son had returned and was coming to see her first, the Old Madam’s face lit up with a smile. “Zhen’er is back. The weather is so hot; you shouldn’t have come before it cooled down. Help the General fan him.”
“Greetings to Mother.”
“Sit down quickly. Bring the General a bowl of chilled tremella soup,” the Old Madam ordered repeatedly.
Xiao Zhen did not hurry, sitting down by the side and allowing the maids to fan him. Nanny Xu, carrying the chilled tremella soup, brought it on a small tray.
Xiao Zhen took it and slowly took a sip. “It tastes good. Thank you, Mother.”
“Drink more if you like it.”
“There is something I hope Mother can handle,” Xiao Zhen said while drinking the soup.
“What is it?” The Old Madam wondered, guessing it was about Xiao Man’s marriage or the third miss.
“Madam Yan is pregnant.”
The Old Madam’s face brightened at the news. The household hadn’t had good news in years. Now that Madam Yan was pregnant, if she could give the household another grandson, it would be a great joy.
Nanny Xu, thinking further ahead, quickly tugged at the Old Madam’s sleeve before she could speak. The Old Madam looked at Nanny Xu in surprise. What was she doing?
Nanny Xu leaned in and whispered a sentence into the Old Madam’s ear. The Old Madam’s joy instantly turned to fury, her sharp eyes almost spewing fire.
*Slap!* The Old Madam angrily slammed the table. Xiao Zhen merely raised an eyebrow, looking at her. “Mother need not be angry. This matter can be handled privately, considering the household’s reputation and Xiao Ling.”
The Old Madam was furious but still wanted to confirm. “How long has it been?”
“The doctor says it is exactly one month, no more, no less,” Xiao Zhen’s voice was cool, bringing a chill to the hot weather. “Your son did not touch her during his last leave.”
Upon receiving Xiao Zhen’s confirmation, the Old Madam felt her breath catch. She had thought Madam Yan was a good match, someone who would help her regain control of the household, but she never expected her to be so shameless!
“I will handle this matter. You do not need to concern yourself with it.”
“Then your son shall take his leave.” Xiao Zhen put down the bowl and left with the chest, without a trace of reluctance.
After Xiao Zhen left the room, the Old Madam, in her rage, swept the tremella soup beside her onto the floor. “Shameless, low-down whore, daring to debase herself by targeting my son!”
“Old Madam, please calm your anger. Perhaps the household physician made a misdiagnosis. Do not jump to conclusions before the matter is investigated. Remember, Madam has Consort Xian and the Tenth Prince behind her.”
The Old Madam took a deep breath. “Go. Find a few reliable physicians from outside, and bring Madam Yan to the main courtyard.”
“Yes.” Nanny Xu immediately ordered someone to invite the physicians and to bring Madam Yan to the main courtyard. As soon as Madam Yan entered the main courtyard, she began weeping, claiming she was framed and asking the Old Madam to uphold justice for her.
The Old Madam’s face was ashen. She forced herself not to smash the teacup onto Madam Yan’s head. She would not act against Madam Yan until the matter was fully clarified!
Xiao Zhen exited the main courtyard and headed straight for Shui Yue Xiao Zhu. Just as he reached the entrance, he stopped. At that moment, a figure leaped down from a nearby tree, landing steadily on Xiao Zhen’s back.
“Father.”
Xiao Zhen glanced at Xiao Man. “Naughty.”
Xiao Man disregarded everything and hooked her arms around Xiao Zhen’s neck, clinging to his back. “Daddy, daughter missed Daddy so much. Did Daddy miss me?”
A smile finally appeared on Xiao Zhen’s grim face. “Father brought you something fun back.”
“Then let’s go in quickly. It’s too hot outside. I was hoping Father would come see me as soon as he returned. I waited in the tree for so long, I’m almost sunburnt. Let’s go in, let’s go in.”
Xiao Zhen freed one hand to support Xiao Man, and the father and daughter entered the courtyard together.
Qiu Tong looked at Xiao Man so casually clinging to Xiao Zhen’s back and felt a little helpless. Yin Zhu’s eyes flickered, and she stepped forward. “Miss, you’re being reckless again. What if your wound splits open?”
Xiao Zhen immediately put down the chest he was holding and lifted Xiao Man off his back. “You’re injured?”
Xiao Man shot Yin Zhu a glare. “You talk too much. Father, I’m fine.”
“Yin Zhu, tell me.”
“No talking!” Xiao Man threatened Yin Zhu, who reluctantly looked timidly at Xiao Zhen, afraid to speak. Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiao Zhen carried Xiao Man into the house and took a fan from a maid, fanning her. “Were you injured during Qixi?”
“I wasn’t injured during Qixi.”
“Then it was before Qixi. Who injured you?” Xiao Zhen’s face grew exceedingly grim.
Yin Zhu gritted her teeth and immediately knelt down. “General, someone tried to take Miss’s life. They paid assassins from Jiuyou Tower to surround and kill Miss. If Prince Qin hadn’t passed by and saved her, Miss would have already perished!”
A storm was brewing on Xiao Zhen’s face. Looking at Xiao Man’s uneasy expression, he hadn’t realized he had almost lost his daughter. He reached out and stroked Xiao Man’s head. “Man’er, don’t be afraid. Father will be home with you from now on. No one will be able to harm you again.”