"Have you recently provoked someone you shouldn’t have?" Old Master Xu asked sternly.
Xu Wei had already gone over the events in his mind while kneeling. "No, Grandfather. I suspect someone set me up deliberately, framed me! That Leng Yue really was just a male courtesan I bought from a brothel! Liu Yan and the others can vouch for me!"
"Then do you think this was aimed at you or the Xu Family?"
Xu Wei’s face instantly turned pale.
"You beast! Let me ask you one more thing—was it you who harmed Steward Wang’s grandson, Little Baby?"
The room fell so silent that only the flickering of candlelight could be heard. Xu Wei could clearly hear himself swallowing hard.
"Don’t rush to deny it. If I find out it was you, remember—the Xu Family has more than one grandson to carry on the name!"
"It… it was me… I… I lost my senses for a moment… They were the ones who led me astray… Wuwuwu…"
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Old Master Xu closed his eyes.
Xu's Father kicked Xu Wei fiercely, then knelt beside Old Master Xu’s bed.
"Father! Zisi is still young! It must have been the servants who corrupted him! He knows he was wrong! He’ll change!"
After a long silence, Old Master Xu finally spoke.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Three years."
Three years—that was the same year the imperial concubine was elevated to the rank of Noble Consort. So, the scheme had been planted that early.
But why expose it now? Could there be trouble in the palace? Were they targeting the Xu Family’s reputation to undermine the Noble Consort?
If Old Master Xu were the mastermind behind this, he wouldn’t have chosen this moment to strike.
"Tell me everything in detail. Where did you buy that male courtesan? How did he know about the affairs in your courtyard? Why did Second Branch’s Pingyao conveniently go missing? Have you had any conflicts with anyone recently?..."
For the Xu Family, this was destined to be a sleepless night.
As dawn approached, Old Master Xu twisted the ring on his finger. Something felt off—this move was meant to tarnish the Xu Family’s reputation, but it wasn’t lethal.
If this was the work of a master schemer, the method was far too gentle.
"Have you offended anyone recently? Think carefully!"
Seeing Xu Wei’s clueless expression, Old Master Xu pressed further.
"Did you set your sights on a new target?"
A new target? Lu Chao? The Lu Family?
One look at Xu Wei’s thoughtful expression was enough.
Old Master Xu’s voice turned sharp. "Out with it!"
Xu Wei trembled as he recounted the events.
"You dared to lay hands on a scion of a noble family?!"
Xu Wei’s already swollen face was slapped again.
"I… I didn’t force anything… I just wanted to coax him…"
Old Master Xu’s gaze darkened.
He had some impression of the Lu Family. Thirty years ago, their branch had been among the top aristocratic families. But after the old master of the Lu Family was dismissed from office, they lacked successors and gradually declined. Still, a starved camel is bigger than a horse—the roots of such families run deep, like ancient trees with sprawling, unseen roots. No one could easily topple them.
"Today, none of the Lu Family’s young masters left the premises. I exchanged pleasantries with Lord Lu for quite a while, and he didn’t seem like he knew anything." Xu Tongfang hesitated before adding, "When the incident happened, Lord Lu looked genuinely shocked. He even took a few steps back, as if afraid I’d take a liking to him."
"To bribe your page, safely relocate them, and orchestrate Second Branch’s Pingyao’s disappearance—this chain of events is too meticulously planned. To be honest, Lord Lu is far from capable of this."
Xu Tongfang wasn’t belittling Lord Lu. They worked in the same government office, and everyone knew Lord Lu’s limits. If he had such skills, with the connections of the old Lu master, he wouldn’t still be stuck in Yingchuan City.
"Then who else could it be?"
That night, Lu Chao slept soundly, dreaming of counting silver coins.
Meanwhile, two more people moved into Lu Chao’s estate.
All of Xu Wei’s close friends among the young masters were disciplined by their families. When Lu Yuanzhao entered the county school the next day, the absence of those nuisances lifted his spirits.
On Lu Chao’s second day at school, Tian Changgeng stopped him.
"Lu Chao, believe it or not, I had no idea my cousin was that kind of person. I thought he genuinely wanted to learn how to play kickball."
Tian Changgeng blurted it all out in one breath, then exhaled deeply.
He had barely slept the night before after hearing about his cousin’s scandal. No wonder his usually aloof cousin had suddenly taken an interest in him—it was all part of a vile scheme!
"What happened to your cousin? Yesterday, he seemed to be having a great time playing kickball," Lu Chao asked innocently.
"Well… he… he likes to bully children. Don’t play with him anymore, and don’t accept anything he gives you! Wait—your family doesn’t know he approached you?"
Tian Changgeng was momentarily stunned.
"Nope, I never mentioned it. I went to your place once to play, but I haven’t seen him since."
Lu Chao nearly laughed at Tian Changgeng’s bewildered expression.
He loved spinning tales like this.
That day, when Lu Chao and Lu Yuanyi returned home from school, they found all the servants beaming as if they’d struck gold.
"What’s the good news? You all look so happy," Lu Yuanyi asked a maid serving tea.
"Young Master, the master gave us extra silver today! Of course we’re happy!"
Lu Chao raised an eyebrow. No festival, no occasion—why the sudden generosity? Had his cheap father gotten a promotion?
"Young Master, don’t ask. You’ll find out soon enough."
The maid giggled and left, leaving Lu Chao even more puzzled.
He didn’t have to wait long. Right after finishing his schoolwork, he saw Lady Lu walking cautiously, with Shishu supporting her as if she were carrying something precious.
No way!
Damn it!
"Mother?! What’s this?!"
Before Lu Yuanyi could process it, Lady Lu chuckled and tapped Lu Chao’s forehead.
"Of course you’d figure it out, you clever thing!"
"Mother, what are you two hiding?!" Lu Yuanyi squeezed in, baffled.
"Oh, Young Master, it’s wonderful news! You’re going to have a little brother or sister soon!" Nanny Liu laughed merrily.
"Wow! Mother has a baby in her belly!" Lu Yuanyi clapped his hands, delighted by everyone’s joy.
Lu Chao’s smile froze. In ancient times, where more children meant more blessings, this was indeed good news. But childbirth was perilous—why would Lady Lu take such a risk?
He was quite fond of Lady Lu, his current "boss" and protector. Losing her would be disastrous. What if some scheming woman replaced her?
"Mother, has the family physician examined you? How far along are you? Is the baby behaving?"
Lu Chao stared blankly at Lady Lu’s belly, speaking cautiously.
"Three months now. The physician says the baby is well-behaved, unlike when I carried Yuanyi—I was vomiting nonstop. I think it must be a girl, already so considerate of her mother."
Lady Lu stroked her belly. Who would have thought she could conceive at her age? She hadn’t even noticed her missed periods until the fatigue became unbearable, prompting her to call the physician.
