Jinyi Spring

Chapter 129 Testing the Cai Family
The old lady's eyes were also filled with tenderness. "Yes, the first time I saw that child, I felt she resembled me. She really is a descendant of the Shui family. Now that I think about it, she not only resembles Madam Xiao, but also bears a slight resemblance to the First Prince..."

Seeing that they were completely convinced that Feng Chuchen was the little princess born to Xiao, Ming Shanyue reminded them, "This matter is not yet completely confirmed. There are still two things that need to be verified. To completely overturn the case, we must find Jiang Huaizhao, who is Wang Tu."

The old Duke ignored the question and watched as Ming Shanyue's old eyes gleamed.

"You just said that your mole turned red because of Miss Feng, so she is the one who changed your fate?"

Ming Shanyue nodded.

The old Duke laughed so hard his beard trembled, and said to the old lady, "Rong'er, we'll be holding our great-grandchild soon."

The old lady then remembered what she had just overlooked, and her face lit up with a smile. "A marriage between relatives would be perfect!"

Ming Shanming hurriedly said, "Grandpa and Grandma have misunderstood..."

They repeated that same excuse.

Before he could finish speaking, he received a slap on the head from the old Duke.

He glared and cursed, "Nonsense! How could one person change their destiny? The destined person is someone else. It's all her, there's no escaping it. She can change the color of your mole from dark black to dark red, and then to cherry red, which means she can change your destiny step by step."

"As your destinies change, the distance between you will gradually shorten. When it becomes so close that there is no distance between you, you will be able to marry her. No matter what her status is, you must marry her."

Ming Shanyue shook her head. "What if Miss Feng doesn't want to get married? She has a strong personality and is quite opinionated. Back then, Shangguan Ruyu cried and begged to marry her, but she refused him outright."

The old Duke scoffed, "That pretty boy Shangguan Ruyu is a crybaby, acting like a little girl. How can he compare to my grandson? You must marry Feng Xiaoya, or I'll beat you to death."

The old lady agreed, "What you say is absolutely right..."

Seeing that they had gone off-topic, the Duke of Mingguo quickly said, "The most important things now are five: first, to protect Miss Feng; second, to find Wang Tu; third, to verify Miss Feng's true birth date; fourth, to confirm whether Doctor Cai knows that kind of secret technique; and fifth, to try our best to find that jade bead."

The old Duke frowned and said, "Didn't you forget one thing? Sixth, your eldest grandson should marry Feng Xiaoya as soon as possible, so that she can be protected to the greatest extent."

The Duke of Ming smiled and agreed, "Father is right." He then reminded him, "This matter is top secret. It must not be revealed in the slightest except to a few of us."

Ming Shanyue emphasized, "Especially Aunt Xia, mother and daughter are of one heart. She must be unhappy about how the family treated Kong Xiyan. They are not blood relatives, so they can never be close. We must not let her know even a little bit about this."

Ming Shanyue deliberately added the character "Xia" before "aunt".

The old Duke and his wife both nodded solemnly upon hearing this.

Old people are shrewd and experienced. Having lived to this age and been immersed in court politics for decades, they naturally understand what is important and what is not. Although they already regard Xia Achan as their own daughter, this is a matter that even their own daughters cannot discuss, let alone her.

The old Duke said, "In that case, for both public and private reasons, we must side with the Crown Prince and the Xiao family."

The old lady nodded firmly, making the final decision, "Assisting the eldest prince is to uphold the rightful heir. If Lady Xiao hadn't been framed, the eldest prince would be the legitimate heir of the empress, the rightful crown prince."

"Hmph, the late emperor said when he was alive that the next emperor could not be a grandson of the Xue family, but they still harbored evil intentions and committed such heinous crimes. To be more precise, we are not taking sides, but simply following the late emperor's last instructions."

The old Duke slowly nodded, his expression solemn. "This time, my Ming family will mobilize the entire clan to: 1. clear the name of the Xiao family; 2. assist the Crown Prince in ascending the throne; and 3. protect young Feng."

"Furthermore, we must bring Shangguan Yunqi into the game. He may seem idle and powerless, but he is actually shrewd and decisive. In addition, the Shangguan family's long-standing prestige and their old friendship with the Xiao family are a great help to us."

The voice was soft, yet it carried weight.

The old lady agreed, saying, "The Feng family has saved the Shangguan family for two generations, and everyone in the capital knows that. For matters that are inconvenient for us to handle, we can have Shangguan Yunqi, or even Princess Yanghe and Shangguan Ruyu, handle them. However, we cannot tell the other two the truth."

Ming Shanyue asked the question that had been lingering in her mind, "Was Empress Dowager Xue truly unaware of that matter?"

The old Duke sneered, "Empress Dowager Xue dreamed of the 'skinless monster' first, and then Lady Xiao and Consort Xue went to Zixia Nunnery. I have always had doubts, but Rong'er always felt that she was not that cruel. Perhaps the Xue family took advantage of her nightmare to set a trap."

The old lady sighed softly, a complex expression appearing in her eyes.

"I have known Empress Dowager Xue for decades and have always felt that she is gentle and kind-hearted. In the early years, when the late emperor lost his temper and took it out on his ministers, it was she who gently persuaded him and saved those people on several occasions."

She paused, recalling that old grudge, "Only that time when the Crown Prince plotted against Xiao Wan'er really made me furious. She held my hand and explained over and over again that the Crown Prince was young and reckless, and promised that he would treat Xiao Shi well."

"Later, the emperor favored the concubines, and Xiao Shi found it difficult to move forward in the palace. It was thanks to her constant intervention and protection that Xiao Shi was able to manage things. She also repeatedly admonished Consort Xue and Consort Liu for overstepping their bounds, which prevented Xiao Shi's life from becoming too unbearable."

“I know that there is no kinship in the imperial family since ancient times. But whenever I see her love for the eldest prince, and recall her solemn vow at the late emperor’s sickbed that she would not make a descendant of the Xue family the heir, I don’t want to think of her as such a bad person.”

A long sigh escaped her lips. "Alas, the late emperor died young, and the current emperor was not yet married when he ascended the throne. Otherwise, he would never have allowed the Xue family's daughter to become a concubine, and so many things would have been avoided."

The Duke of Ming said slowly, "Regardless of whether Empress Dowager Xue was personally involved back then, Mother should remain vigilant towards her, for people's hearts are fickle."

Ming Shanyue got up and silently poured hot tea for the group.

The old woman's gaze fell upon the rising steam from the teacup, the mist blurring her vision and obscuring her former face. After a long while, she finally looked up, a smile playing on her lips, yet tinged with a sense of desolation.

“Mother knows. Between her and me... it’s no longer like when we were young, when we could admire flowers side by side and confide our innermost thoughts.”

The four discussed the matter for another quarter of an hour before Ming Shanyue and his son left.

Before long, Xia arrived.

Pearl chuckled softly, "The old Duke went to the horse farm to ride his horses, while the old lady is still resting."

Xia laughed and said, "If you sleep too much during the day, you'll easily fall asleep at night. I'll go and wake her up."

Pearl added, "The Duke and the Master just came over and talked for a while, and they left not long ago."

Xia was extremely puzzled. No one was allowed to disturb the old lady's afternoon nap, so what were they doing...?

She was heartbroken. They had never deliberately hidden anything from her before, so were they intentionally shunning her today?
Despite her years of dedicated care for the elderly couple, they still treat her like an outsider.

Indeed, I was young then, while they had weathered many storms. If they truly cared for her, how could they have let her marry that good-for-nothing Confucius?

He had already ruined his life, and now he was confining Yan'er to her home during the best years of her life. How could he not know that he was delaying her marriage?

Thinking of Confucius, and then of the person she had admired since her youth and still couldn't let go of, Xia twisted the handkerchief in her hand into a pretzel.

Realizing she had lost her composure, Madam Xia suppressed her emotions and smiled, "Alright, I'll go for a walk by the lake first, and come back after Mother has rested."

She walked to the center of the courtyard and coughed lightly.

The maidservant tending the flowers and plants looked over. She gave her a wink, and the maidservant nodded almost imperceptibly.

Xia walked slowly to the lakeside.

Green willows line the embankment, the lake water ripples, lotus leaves cover the surface, and a few lotus flowers have already bloomed, swaying gently in the wind.

Before long, an old woman came over. Xia first sent the maidservant away, then waved to the old woman.

The old woman came over and asked, "What are your orders, Madam?"

Xia pointed to the lotus leaves by the bridge and said, "You Er's wife, go and pick a few lotus leaves. The weather is getting warmer, and I want to cook some lotus leaf porridge for Father and Mother to cool them down."

Yu Er's wife laughed and said, "This old servant will go right away."

You Er's wife picked four lotus leaves and presented them to Xia Shi.

He said loudly, "Auntie, is that enough? If not, this old servant will go pick more." Then he lowered his voice and said, "I only heard one sentence from the old master, 'How could Lady Xiao possibly give birth to Red Hare?' I didn't hear anything else."

Xia took the lotus leaf and said, "That's enough." She then lowered her voice and said, "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just afraid that you two would worry too much and it would affect your health."

You Er's wife smiled, with an expression that said, "I know."

The two parted ways.

Xia had heard the old Duke say such things, both openly and secretly, on several occasions before.

Because of this, the old lady tried to stop him several times but failed. She even went to the Empress Dowager to apologize, saying that her husband was "senile and used to talking nonsense"... Fortunately, the Emperor was lenient and the Empress Dowager was kind, so she did not pursue the matter.

Now, the eldest prince is about to be granted a princely title and establish his own residence. His status is special; his birth mother was once the empress, and there are several versions of why she was deposed. Those people are probably discussing the Ming family's attitude after the eldest prince leaves the palace…

Such important matters of the court need not be discussed in detail with the women of the inner quarters.

Thinking about it this way, Xia's frustration at being excluded dissipated, and her steps became lighter without her noticing.

She went to the small kitchen of Fu Rong Tang to cook lotus leaf porridge, instructed someone to keep an eye on it, and then went to the main room to help the old lady get up.

She dressed the old lady herself and said with a smile, "It's rare for Mother to sleep so late."

The old lady said, "My eldest son and Shanyue argued for a while. Then he went back to bed and it took him a long time to fall asleep."

Xia listened intently, but there was no further comment.

The next day at noon, Old Madam Ming accidentally twisted her back and winced in pain. She quickly sent a servant to Henian Hall to invite Cai Shiyong over.

Cai Shiyong performed acupuncture and applied medicine, and after a busy period of time, dusk had fallen.

He picked up his medicine box, said goodbye, and left.

As they walked to the outer courtyard, they happened to run into the Duke of Ming.

Duke Mingguo laughed and said, "Doctor Cai, it's been a long time. Come on, have a couple of drinks with me."

Cai Shiyong said with a beaming smile, "Your Excellency's invitation is too kind; I will gladly oblige."

When the two were slightly tipsy, Ming Shanyue suddenly arrived.

He sat down without ceremony and said to the servant, "Bring another set of bowls and chopsticks."

As the wine flowed freely, the Duke of Mingguo picked up his wine cup and said, "Doctor Cai, let me toast you again. Ever since my father and mother, whenever someone in the household has been injured, it has almost always been Henian Hall that has to help. You have worked so hard all these years!"

Cai Shiyong quickly raised his cup with both hands and said with a smile, "I dare not accept such praise. The Duke of Dingguo's family has been pillars of the country for three generations. It is my honor to be able to do my part for you."

Ming Shanyue's expression suddenly turned serious. She leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice, "Uncle Cai, if anyone ever asks you what secret techniques Old Doctor Cai knows, you must say you don't know. Remember that!"

Before Cai Shiyong could even bring the piece of meat he had picked up to his mouth, his hand trembled upon hearing this, and the piece of meat fell onto the table. His face turned deathly pale.

He asked, "What trouble did my sister get into in her early years?"

The young woman is a female doctor. If she is really involved in trouble, it will most likely be related to a noble person in the palace. That would be a major event that could drag down the entire family and cost them their lives.

Ming Shanyue nodded slightly, her voice even lower, "I have an old case on hand recently, involving the late Consort Qi who passed away twenty-two years ago. And Physician Cai seems to have some connection to this matter."

Cai Shiyong felt a chill run down his spine. Twenty-two years ago, when the late emperor was still on the throne, the matter involved Consort Qi, and was very likely related to the Empress Dowager. At that time, Consort Qi plotted to murder the Empress Dowager so that her own son could ascend the throne, but after being exposed, she was given poisoned wine…

I wonder how deeply my sister is involved. Her inquiries into secret techniques are likely related to evil magic or poison.

He hurriedly defended himself, saying, "Everyone says my sister is kind-hearted and has excellent medical skills. She would never harm anyone, much less dabble in evil practices."

Ming Shanyue's eyes were sharp as she pressed on, "Old Doctor Cai, have you ever learned any secret techniques from the barbarians of the Southern Frontier?"

He was testing Cai Shiyong.

Those skilled in secret arts are mostly from the southern border regions or Tibet. Doctor Feng once studied his arts in the southern border regions. If Doctor Feng can unravel the "fake death secret art," then this secret art is very likely located in the southern border regions.

After pondering for a long time, Cai Shiyong finally spoke with difficulty, “When my sister was twelve years old and recuperating in a village in the countryside, she happened to save an elderly Li ethnic group member who had fallen and was injured. She even let her stay in the village to recuperate for a month.”

"That man gave my sister a rare and wonderful herb as a token of his gratitude. This herb is especially effective in treating sprains and bruises. Even the old Duke's severe shoulder injury was cured thanks to that herb."

"Besides that, there really is nothing else, and I haven't learned any secret techniques. Lord Ming, I am not lying. Please, you must find a way to exonerate my sister. I beg you."

By the end, he almost stood up and bowed.

Ming Shanyue and the Duke of Ming exchanged a glance, a hint of joy flashing in their eyes.

She then assured him, "Uncle Cai, don't worry. Our two families have been friends for generations. I am extremely grateful that you used the best medicine on my grandfather, and I will certainly not stand by and watch you be implicated. Besides, I also trust Dr. Cai's character."

The Duke of Mingguo further instructed, "To avoid trouble, the matter of Doctor Cai taking in the elders of the Southern Frontier must not be revealed. This is the end of it."

Cai Shiyong nodded and raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

After seeing Cai Shiyong off, the three generations of the Ming family, along with Guan Yunqi, gathered at Zhuyin Tower.

Shangguan Yunqi came to play chess with the old Duke today. The two of them drank and ate in the back hall that evening, and he was invited as well.