Chapter 025
Chapter 25: Facial Paralysis
Hearing the voice, Duan Yi Chen jumped out of the tub. Before he could dress, Marquis Xuan Ping strode in.
“Tell me, did you make Ping An Hou’s place catch fire,” Marquis Xuan Ping demanded. The stink in the air and the servants’ reports put only one name in his head.
Who but his own son could come up with a plan that was so nasty yet harmed no one.
“Father, this time it really was not your son,” Duan Yi Chen said, scrambling into his clothes. Water rolled from his hair and dampened his shirt.
Even after his son denied it, Marquis Xuan Ping’s anger did not cool. Was there someone worse than his own brat at this sort of thing?
Duan Yi Chen stepped out of the bath with a pleasing smile and said: “Father, your son is a scoundrel, yes, but not every scoundrel act in the world is mine. They pretend to be upright. Your son is open and aboveboard.”
Marquis Xuan Ping stared at him. Duan Yi Chen let him look, his expression saying even if you stare holes in me, I did not do it.
“I do not know which mean fool stank up the whole city,” Marquis Xuan Ping muttered.
“It really does stink,” Duan Yi Chen agreed, then added, “but Ping An Hou deserved it. With Lin Ye Lan’s habit of clinging to the powerful, even the latrine would hate his stink.”
Marquis Xuan Ping ran through all the people in the Capital in his mind. He still could not think who did it.
Duan Yi Chen sat quietly and behaved.
Marquis Xuan Ping glanced sideways and saw his son looking born anew. Doubt rose again: “Even if it was not you, you know who it was.”
“I do not know,” Duan Yi Chen said.
“You little rascal, do not make me force it out of you. Speak,” Marquis Xuan Ping snapped. He knew his son’s nature with his eyes closed. This much quiet meant something was off.
Duan Yi Chen bent his straight back and muttered: “What are you doing, father?”
Ping An Hou deserved it. Why was his father pushing so hard?
Marquis Xuan Ping heard that and knew his son was not being honest. He snorted and said: “Do you think I want to meddle? Lin Ye Lan may be trash, but he still has merit with The Court. With such a public mess, His Majesty will send someone to investigate. I asked questions early because I do not want you dragging Marquis Xuan Ping Manor into it.”
Duan Yi Chen dropped the lazy look, leaned in, and asked: “Has His Majesty sent someone to investigate?”
“Not yet, but tomorrow’s morning court is another matter,” Marquis Xuan Ping said, his sword brows twisting. “It truly was not you?”
Duan Yi Chen rubbed his nose, hesitating: “Yes and no.”
“What do you mean yes and no. Out with it.”
Duan Yi Chen told him the whole story, and added that he had heard Grand Madam Lin planned to use him against Xia Meng Yan: “Father, since they plotted against your son, even if Xia Meng Yan had not acted, your son would have found a chance to teach them.”
Marquis Xuan Ping looked stunned and asked: “You are saying a miss of the Xia Family did this?”
Duan Yi Chen nodded: “Father, you…”
“Wait, the same Xia Family miss who climbed the wall with you to catch fish,” Marquis Xuan Ping said.
Duan Yi Chen nodded again. Who else would it be? Xia Meng Yan was the only one by his side.
Marquis Xuan Ping sprang up and paced back and forth in frustration.
Duan Yi Chen was confused. Was father angry to madness? He was more upset now than if his son had done it.
“I knew it. You could not think of something so mean and still harmless,” Marquis Xuan Ping said, glaring at him with a look of hating iron for not becoming steel. “Even as a rake, you cannot play as well as she can. What use are you.”
It made sense. Xia Ping Yuan was a slippery old eel, both mean and slick. How far off could his daughter be.
No wonder after the attack on his son he did not bite wildly in Court. Turns out the daughter struck back for him.
“Father, I…” Duan Yi Chen felt speechless. The words did not hurt much, but the insult was heavy.
He was being told he was not as good as a girl.
Unwilling to take that, he patted his chest and said: “Who says I am worse than her. This time there was also an extra discovery.”
Marquis Xuan Ping gave a light snort and poked the truth: “Was it Xia Meng Yan who found it.”
“…,” Duan Yi Chen deflated like a punctured ball and sighed. “Father, please leave your son a little dignity.”
“Finish and get out. I do not want to see you right now,” Marquis Xuan Ping said. He had watched Xia Meng Yan grow up. Except for having bad eyes when it came to liking Lin Ye Lan, she was fine in every way. As for Xia Ping Yuan, that mouth made people love and hate him at once.
Duan Yi Chen took a deep breath. Do not get mad. It was good that father liked Xia Meng Yan.
He leaned close and whispered a few words in his father’s ear.
Marquis Xuan Ping frowned and asked in surprise: “Are you sure?”
“The proof is solid. That number is too neat. It makes one doubt,” Duan Yi Chen said.
“Does His Majesty know?” Marquis Xuan Ping asked.
Duan Yi Chen shook his head.
Marquis Xuan Ping pressed his lips. The two kids were still young and saw things too narrowly. He said: “Go into the palace now.”
“Now?” Duan Yi Chen glanced at the moon outside. The Imperial Palace gates were locked. How was he supposed to get in.
“When I tell you to go, you go. His Majesty will see you,” Marquis Xuan Ping said, then turned to leave. At the door he came back to ask: “The location.”
“the yard next to Grand Madam Lin,” Duan Yi Chen answered.
Marquis Xuan Ping strode out.
Duan Yi Chen did not know what his father was planning, but he still changed clothes, took his waist token, and hurried to the palace.
Xia Meng Yan did not know she had been “sold out.” She slept like a baby.
The next morning, Xia Ping Yuan went to court bright and fresh. Now that everyone was in the same latrine, no one could look down on anyone else.
After breakfast with Madam Lin, Xia Meng Yan returned to her own courtyard to go over the account books.
Her dowry had been brought back and left untouched. It was a good time to sort it out.
“Big miss, great news,” Chun Yue called, excited, before she even stepped inside.
Nanny Song had learned about last night. Seeing that big miss did not mind, she still softly reminded: “Change that habit of shouting.”
Chun Yue set pastries before the miss and said, barely holding in her glee: “I found out Grand Madam Lin’s face is paralyzed. The Marquis Manor invited several physicians. All said they cannot help.”
“Facial paralysis?” Xia Meng Yan pictured Lin Hong dragging the old madam to the tree. That was already not bad. At least no broken legs.
Chun Yue had rushed back with the news, bursting with the joy of bad people getting their due. “I heard Lin Hong also asked to invite an imperial physician. His Majesty agreed, and Marquis Xuan Ping went with the imperial physician.”
Xia Meng Yan raised her brows and set down the ledger: “Marquis Xuan Ping went to see Grand Madam Lin?”
Chun Yue nodded: “They say Marquis Xuan Ping went on behalf of His Majesty to visit Grand Madam Lin.”
Xia Meng Yan’s eyes moved. “On behalf of His Majesty?”
Later that day, in the wrecked manor, Lin Hong hurried up when the imperial physician came out and asked: “Imperial physician, how is my mother?”
The imperial physician shook his head and said: “Old madam inhaled too much foul air, which damaged the facial muscles. Unless the Divine Physician returns to the world, there is no cure.”
“Right, Divine Physician Luo,” Lin Hong said at once. The people often spoke of that healer. Hope lit his eyes. If they could find that person, his mother would be saved.
It was not that Lin Hong was truly filial. The Marquis Manor still needed Grand Madam Lin to appear in public. Without her, who would handle the noble ladies of the Capital.
Madam Jiang?
Impossible.
Lin Hong knew his wife well. She was shallow in knowledge and quick to anger, no match for the noblewomen of the Capital.
The imperial physician had heard of Divine Physician Luo, but that healer was as elusive as a dragon: “If the Marquis Manor can find Divine Physician Luo, then old madam might have hope.”
Marquis Xuan Ping’s lips curved the slightest bit as he said in an even tone: “His Majesty is concerned about old madam. When he heard Ping An Marquis Manor caught fire, he sent this marquis to help. Seeing the ruin here, to restore it to former shape will take at least a month. Why not move to a house owned by Marquis Xuan Ping Manor for now. When repairs are finished, you can return.”
Lin Hong had been worrying about where to live. Hearing this, he put on a grateful face and said: “We cannot trouble the marquis. We will stay at an inn.”
“His Majesty appreciates Ping An Hou’s service to the country and has ordered the repairs to Ping An Marquis Manor,” Marquis Xuan Ping said. “Do not worry, the Imperial Palace will not take a single coin from the Marquis Manor.”
Hearing the word free, Lin Hong’s eyes lit up: “Then we respectfully accept.”
Marquis Xuan Ping’s smile deepened, just a little.