Chapter 4 — Incense Smoke in the Qi Manor

Had I been as naive and ignorant as I was in my previous life, I would have likely believed him without question upon seeing such a handkerchief. Wen Kai claimed that since men and women must remain separate, he could not confront Shen Nu directly. Yet, he knew that if I were truly suspicious, I would be just as reluctant to approach her. Even if I did ask, my mind would already be poisoned by his narrative, and every denial from Shen Nu would merely sound like a desperate, stubborn excuse. If I were convinced that Shen Nu harbored such scandalous thoughts, I would never dare to oversee her wedding arrangements. Once the marriage was delayed or derailed, he would have his opening to strike. As expected, his true intent soon surfaced.

“I am only concerned for the sake of her reputation,” Wen Kai continued, his voice dripping with feigned apprehension. “With such a wayward heart, I fear what catastrophes she might cause once she is wed into the Jiang family. If things go wrong, we will not be making an alliance, but forging a bitter enemy.”

Seeing me silent and lost in thought, he assumed his poison had taken root. “Ruoren, what do you think we should do?”

I took a deep, steadying breath. “And what do you believe is the best course of action, my husband?” Had I not been privy to his wretched schemes, I might have panicked, fearing Shen Nu would bring shame upon the Qi family and feeling compelled to call off the union. Later, when he finally ensnared her, I would have been left to believe that Shen Nu had indeed been nursing secret desires for her foster brother all along. Meanwhile, Shen Nu would have surely believed I had ruined her marriage out of spite. Wen Kai looked visibly dissatisfied with my reaction; I had not scrambled to cancel the wedding as he anticipated, but instead calmly turned the question back to him. He was forced to continue his own farce.

“Perhaps we should delay the engagement with the Jiang family? We must not let their household be tainted by a scandal later on.” He lifted his foot, preparing to leave. “I ought to speak with Mother about this. It is best to have her input as well.”

Panic flared in my chest. In one swift motion, I snatched a heavy porcelain vase from the decorative shelf and swung it against the back of Wen Kai’s head. He didn't even have time to cry out before he collapsed, slumping lifelessly to the floor.

Jade Ring was so terrified she turned deathly pale, yet she grit her teeth and remained silent. She struggled to steady her breathing. “Mistress, the Master has fainted. What shall we do?”

Looking down at his prone form, I realized my actions had been reckless. But if he had walked out of this room, who could guarantee he wouldn't manipulate his mother into believing his lies? If he whispered these falsehoods to the rest of the household, Shen Nu would have no choice but to marry him or take her own life. This concerned her entire future; I would not let Wen Kai get his way. I pressed my lips together. “The vase fell from the shelf, struck the Master, and caused him to lose consciousness.”

Jade Ring nodded immediately. “Understood, Mistress!” I regained my composure and directed her, “Help him onto the bed, then burn the finest calming incense. See to it that he sleeps soundly for a long while.”

Once he was secured, I hurried to the chambers of my mother-in-law. Wen Kai had discarded all sense of decency; I knew that if I did not inform the older woman, I could never protect Shen Nu on my own. I set aside the secret of my rebirth and recounted everything: from the moment I caught Wen Kai drugging the incense burner, to my discovery of what the substance was, his visible displeasure upon hearing of Shen Nu’s betrothal, and finally his attempt to slander her this very night. As I laid out the sequence of events, my mother-in-law’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing as she grasped the gravity of the situation.

“He intends to take Shen Nu as a concubine, but he dares not shoulder the public shame, so he seeks to pin the blame on her,” she said, her voice icy.

“That appears to be his true intention,” I replied, bowing my head.

“Shen Nu’s origins are delicate. If she becomes a concubine, the household will never know peace. She is innocent, and it would be a profound injustice to force such a stigma upon her.”

“I have come to you for guidance, Mother. I am willing to find him two other concubines if he so desires, but we must ensure he abandons this fixation on Shen Nu.”

The older woman let out a cold laugh, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. “You are truly virtuous, but that is not the kind of virtue he seeks. My son—the man you married—is not merely looking for a concubine.”

Anger flashed across her face. “A son of such ‘filial piety’! A husband of such ‘chivalry’! He has calculated his moves to ensnare all of us. He knows full well the complications regarding Shen Nu’s status. Do you think he is blind to them? He is doing this on purpose. If you had truly believed Shen Nu was acting out of desire, you would not only have resented her, but you would have eventually turned your suspicion toward me, wondering if I had encouraged her to undermine your marriage.”