MSBCH Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After a deep sleep, Wen Ninghan was awakened by the sound of the door opening, followed by Zhixin’s voice.

It had to be said that the inn, inside and out, exuded an air of long neglect. This courtyard could be considered one of the better ones, but even the door, when opened and closed, let out a heart-wrenching screech.

Wen Ninghan suddenly realized, as she looked around the room, that the man in black had disappeared. She had no idea when he had left.

“Miss, you’re awake! I’ve prepared hot water and breakfast. I’m here to serve you…”

Zhixin had originally intended to say she would help Wen Ninghan change her clothes, but when the words reached her lips, she noticed that Wen Ninghan was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. Having slept in them all night, the dress was now all wrinkled.

Following Zhixin’s gaze, Wen Ninghan finally noticed her own appearance. Needless to say, she must have looked a bit disheveled.

Zhixin immediately pouted, looking like she was about to burst into tears. “Miss…” She looked as if Wen Ninghan had suffered some great injustice. Her mistress clearly hadn’t rested well last night—

Zhixin’s gaze paused on Wen Ninghan’s fair, slightly flushed face. Looking at her beautiful, delicate features, full of energy, and with a face that looked well-rested, she couldn’t bring herself to say that her mistress hadn’t slept well last night.

If she really hadn’t rested well, she should have looked like Zhixin or anyone else—maybe even like the Seventh Young Master— with dark circles under their eyes and a pale complexion.

Wen Ninghan lightly coughed to mask her awkwardness. “It got too late last night, and I don’t even know how I fell asleep.”

Over the years, she had kept a regular schedule, going to bed early and waking up early. Staying up as late as she did last night had become rare. So, even though she had a little bit of caution in her heart, she still ended up falling asleep without realizing it.

There was absolutely no situation where she hadn’t rested well.

After getting herself ready, Wen Ninghan looked around and saw that most people had a poor complexion, with dark circles under their eyes. It made her realize that her own rosy complexion seemed rather out of place.

Qin Kaihai only learned what had happened last night after waking up in the morning. Naturally, Qing Zhu had explained everything to him in detail. As for Qin Rongxi’s impulsive behavior, he hadn’t had a chance to say anything about it yet, when the boy had already taken the initiative to apologize, leaving him unsure of how to respond.

As for Wen Ninghan, Qin Kaihai had initially planned to offer her some words of comfort, but seeing her looking refreshed and in high spirits, compared to Qin Rongxi, who still had dark circles under his eyes, it seemed she didn’t need any consolation at all. He couldn’t help but laugh.

The rest of the journey back to the capital went smoothly. However, after the excitement of the previous night, everyone was somewhat on edge. But after spending a night resting at a villa in the outskirts of the capital, their weary spirits gradually recovered.

Qin Kaihai was staying at the villa to recuperate, while Qin Rongxi with face full of reluctance, was responsible for escorting Wen Ninghan back to the Wen family.

“Xiao Jiu, what’s so great about the Wen family? Why do you insist on going back?” Qin Rongxi just couldn’t understand this. Ever since he found out that Wen Ninghan was going back, he hadn’t been able to make sense of it.

“Because there are some things I need to retrieve with my own hands!” Although she had explained this many times already, Wen Ninghan still smiled brightly, showing no sign of impatience.

However, there are some things she couldn’t explain in detail. First, even if she told them, they probably wouldn’t believe her. Second, the more people who knew, the more dangerous it became. Wen Ninghan was planning to test the waters first, to gauge the situation, and then figure out how to help the Qin family navigate the impending political upheaval.

As for the Wen family, that was just a secondary matter.

Qin Rongxi scoffed, “Why go back to that filthy place?”

He had a very low opinion of the Wen family. Although he was still young when Wen Ninghan was brought back to the Qin family, he knew everything he needed to know. The Wen family’s disgraceful behavior deserved to be thrown straight into the garbage!

Clearly, Xiao Jiu was living well in Jiangnan. Qin Rongxi really couldn’t understand why she would travel all the way to the capital just to give those useless people from the Wen family any attention.

Wen Ninghan smiled, pursing her lips. After all, Qin Rongxi was just grumbling. It didn’t matter because there in no point at what he said. As long as he wasn’t planning to personally drag her back to Jiangnan, she’d just let him vent.

Wen Ninghan had switched to a simple, humble green cart, with only Zhixin accompanying her. Qin Rongxi, the Seventh Young Master of the Qin family, was personally driving the cart for her.

As they traveled, hearing Qin Rongxi complain the whole way, Zhixin, who had been busy stealing glances at the scenery around them, looked over at her mistress, who was smiling contentedly. She couldn’t help but offer a reminder, “Seventh Young Master, look, Miss didn’t bring much luggage, so she definitely won’t stay long at the Wen family. You can rest assured!”

Upon hearing Zhixin’s words, Qin Rongxi’s lips curled into a more pronounced, disdainful sneer. “Did we stop her from bringing anything? Even if it’s just for a few days, our Qin family’s young lady doesn’t need to go through such discomfort!”

She had even deliberately switched to this cheap little cart. A couple of boxes and several bundles were piled up in the corner, cramped and jumbled, making it difficult to even find space to step.

What was the point of all this? Was she trying to make the Wen family think the Qin family was on the verge of bankruptcy, or was she trying to show the Wen family that Wen Ninghan wasn’t favored in the Qin family and had been sent packing, only to return to the Wen family in disgrace?

Qin Rongxi snorted. Although he knew very well that Wen Ninghan must be scheming something against the Wen family, he just didn’t think it was necessary. Why go through all the trouble and risk damaging things, like a cat chasing a mouse and accidentally breaking the porcelain? Why should he sink to the level of the Wen family’s trash?

It really wasn’t worth it.

Moreover, with so many people in the Qin family, it was only a matter of time before they took action and dealt with the Wen family.

Wen Ninghan of course understood Qin Rongxi’s thoughts, but she was more focused on severing the ties between the Qin family and the Wen family, and cutting off connections with everything in the capital.

Ideally, she wanted those caught up in the power struggles of the imperial court to completely forget about the Qin family’s existence. Only then could she pull the Qin family out of the turmoil. But she knew that was impossible.

As the richest family in Jiangnan, the Qin family was like a large piece of fat meat, tempting and irresistible. As soon as people realized they could take a bite, too many would rush to tear it apart. The Wen family was merely a trivial excuse in this larger game.

Right now, apart from taking things one step at a time, the best course of action for Wen Ninghan was to strengthen herself. At the very least, she needed to make others realize that if they wanted to target the Qin family, they would have to get past her first.

Propping her chin in thought, Wen Ninghan fell into contemplation.

But that threshold was not easy to overcome. In this world dominated by imperial power, a single word from the royal family could send people’s lives into chaos. If the emperor was in a good mood, they might find a lofty excuse to take action, but if he was displeased, with a stomp of his foot, people would vanish without a trace.

The most straightforward way was to secure a few powerful allies—ones so solid and unshakable, that even the main character’s halo couldn’t easily topple them.

Wen Ninghan calculated for a moment. Aside from the major antagonist in the plot—who almost managed to overthrow the male and female protagonists but was ultimately killed off by a plot twist—there was one person who could potentially have the greatest influence on the imperial power, threaten the male protagonist’s position, and divert the female protagonist’s attention. That person, whom she could also figure out a way to approach, was none other than the Crown Prince, who was set to pass away at the end of the year.

Others might not know, but with the guidance of the plot, Wen Ninghan was well aware. The Crown Prince’s death wasn’t a mere natural passing due to illness. He had been poisoned.

The royal physicians had tried every means to delay the poison’s effects, but it was only treating the symptoms and not the root cause. The Crown Prince had struggled with illness and weakness for many years, and would continue to suffer until his death at the end of the year.

In fact, aside from the Imperial Medical Institution, the Crown Prince had also been searching for the legendary doctor, Yu Changsheng, who was said to be able to offer a glimmer of hope. As long as Yu Changsheng was around, the Crown Prince would have a chance at survival. Unfortunately, in the original plot, the Crown Prince never found the famed doctor and thus missed his chance.

As for now, while Wen Ninghan couldn’t exactly track down the elusive, mysterious doctor who seemed to vanish into thin air, she was confident that if she stepped in, even if she couldn’t fully cure the Crown Prince, she could at least buy him more time.

The current problem was how to get in front of the bedridden, reclusive Crown Prince, who was surrounded by wolves, and convince him that her medical skills were truly worth trusting!

Sigh, it’s really troubling.

The Wen family still carries the title of the Marquis of Yong’an. Although they have long since fallen to the lower ranks in the capital, they are still an old aristocratic family. If you trace their lineage, their ancestors once earned military merit on the battlefield.

The Marquis of Yong’an holds a decent position and still has a place among the noble families and officials in the capital. However, each generation has been weaker than the last. At this rate, with Wen Ninghan’s father having no accomplishments of his own, the title will likely be stripped from them soon.

Further down, it would be hard to watch. At least in Wen Congyan’s eyes, this was an absolute humiliation. He considered himself to be in the prime of life, strong and capable, and believed that if he worked harder, he could certainly elevate his family’s title. However, the capital was filled with talented people, many of whom had solid family backgrounds and were backed by powerful patrons, while he was lacking in opportunities.

Of course, this was just Wen Congyan’s personal perception, his blind confidence. He always felt that he wasn’t any worse than others, and what he lacked was simply an opportunity to rise to the top.

These days, a great opportunity had presented itself to Wen Congyan, but he hesitated.

Although the Third Prince didn’t explicitly say it, the implication in his words was clear, he was very much looking forward to forming a marriage alliance with the Marquis Yong’an family. To be honest, before this, Wen Congyan had been thinking of finding a “good” match for his daughter, Wen Ning Shuang, but he had never considered the possibility of involving the royal family.

He felt both gratified and hopeful that his daughter, Wen Ning Shuang, had such a fortunate opportunity.

However, the Third Prince was not young anymore and already had a main wife. What the Third Prince was offering was a position as a secondary wife for Wen Ning Shuang. Don’t underestimate the title of a secondary wife. If the Third Prince were to rise to power, Wen Ning Shuang would at least hold a concubine’s position.

Although it hasn’t been explicitly stated, the Crown Prince has been bedridden with illness for many years, and it’s uncertain when he might pass away. Wen Congyan knocked on his own head, as if trying to shake off the rebellious thoughts in his mind, yet he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Since the passing of the late empress, the current emperor has not taken another empress, and even the favored Concubine Su has not been able to persuade the emperor to choose a new empress. Therefore, the Crown Prince is the emperor’s only legitimate son.

If the Crown Prince were to die, and the emperor has no legitimate heir, then the question of succession would be raised. With the Second Prince having died young, the Third Prince would be the most legitimate successor!

Concubine Su is favored, but she is not the Empress. The Fifth Prince she gave birth to is not the legitimate heir, and the Third Prince will inevitably fight for the position.

In the past, with the capable and virtuous Crown Prince above them, no one dared to hope for the throne. But if the Crown Prince were to die, everyone would have a chance.

Thinking of that day, Wen Congyan felt his throat go dry, and a dazzling array of colors danced before his eyes.

This was the chance to ride on the coattails of the dragon¹“從龍之功” refers to gaining glory or power by aligning oneself with the emperor, often implying a great political achievement or the success that comes from supporting the ruler.. It was unthinkable before, but now the opportunity lay right before him. How could he not be tempted?

Wen Congyan sat in the study for a long time, his mind filled with a whirlwind of thoughts. It wasn’t until the door was gently knocked and a cautious voice came from outside, “Lord…”

“Get out!” The illusion before him shattered, and all the splendor turned into smoke. Wen Congyan, already in a foul mood, immediately threw the cold tea cup in his hand.

Li, the housekeeper, was covered in cold sweat. He knew very well that he shouldn’t disturb the master while he was in the study, especially today, when the master had been inside for such a long time without calling for anyone.

It was clear that something significant was happening. But now, Li had his own urgent matter to report, one that was difficult to resolve, and he had no choice but to bite the bullet and seek the master’s guidance.

“Master, I have an important matter to report,” Li said, fully aware that he would have to face the master’s wrath. However, if the issue wasn’t handled properly, it would be more than just anger that he had to deal with.

By now, Wen Congyan had regained his composure and had already formed a rough plan in his mind. He responded with irritation, “Speak.”

Li, the housekeeper, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He lowered his voice as much as possible through the door, though he was afraid the master wouldn’t hear clearly. His voice trembled as he spoke, “Master, the young miss has returned… She is at the gates of the mansion…”

“The young miss?”

When Wen Congyan first heard this term, he didn’t immediately register the meaning. He instinctively scolded, “So what if she’s back? Does she expect me to go personally greet her?”

Li, the housekeeper, really didn’t know how to respond to this. Normally, this mess could be traced back to that concubine in Jianjia Courtyard, but since she had the master’s favor, no blame would fall on her. And now, when the problem was unresolved, it was still him, the scapegoat, who had to face the master’s wrath.

Moreover, judging from the master’s tone, it seemed like he had completely forgotten who he was referring to as “the young miss.”

“Master, the young miss has returned… the one from the Qin family in Jiangnan,” Li managed to explain carefully.

• 1
  “從龍之功” refers to gaining glory or power by aligning oneself with the emperor, often implying a great political achievement or the success that comes from supporting the ruler.