Auntie Ying asked whatever, and she answered accordingly, "This servant remembers, when that gentleman spoke of the Favored Concubine, his words carried some scorn. He said that although she was unrivaled in the Harem, and none could compare, she was of lowly birth and frail destiny, unable to bear such immense grace, which is why such a thing happened."
Auntie Ying then asked, "Did he say what the Favored Concubine’s surname is, what her status is?"
The woman thought for a moment, "I didn’t hear the surname, this servant doesn’t understand the rankings of the consorts in the palace. I only heard the gentleman mention in passing that the Favored Concubine’s status seemed not that high, he said that in the Harem for so many years, the only one who could be considered a Favored Concubine was this one Beauty."
At the time, she thought, that Beauty must be very beautiful, to be so favored.
Behind the screen, Lian Bao’s face paled for an instant.
Originally, he was just an observer, watching the situation in the Capital City with a cold eye, looking for an opportunity, but he never imagined that the one in the eye of the storm was his own little sister.
Uncle Ma saw Lian Bao’s face and understood.
Why do others see the light after the dark, while their darkness seems to have no end?
The young lady’s health had finally started to improve. If she were to learn of such a big mishap with the younger miss, she might relapse...
He felt a suffocating anger with no outlet, and he smashed his fist heavily on the tea table, creating a loud "bang."
Outside the screen, the woman who was speaking was startled.
Aunt Ying spoke a few more words to the woman and then sent her away.
Before the woman left, she looked at Aunt Ying with concern, worried that the person inside might harm Aunt Ying; only after Aunt Ying shook her head did she leave.
Once the woman had gone, Auntie Ying closed the door, only to see Lian Bao walk out from behind the screen, his face amiss.
Auntie Ying asked anxiously, "Young Master, what has happened?"
Uncle Ma also emerged from behind the screen, and after exchanging a glance with Lian Bao, who nodded, he told Auntie Ying about their suspicions.
Auntie Ying was shocked, "What, that Favored Concubine is the lady’s daughter?"
Even she, who had witnessed countless storms over the years, could never have imagined this.
The Favored Concubine, who was the envy of all the girls in the building... was actually the youngest miss...
Uncle Ma said gravely, "We’ve learned from other sources that the youngest miss is the one envied as the Favored Concubine in the palace. Just now, that girl also said that in the palace all these years, there’s only been one Favored Concubine. It’s very likely it is her."
Auntie Ying’s expression turned serious, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "There are many Beauties in the palace, and based only on a few vague words, we still can’t be sure. Those who come to the building for distraction often exaggerate in their words. Just a while ago, there was talk of how remarkable Consort De was, and yet wasn’t she confined just like that?"
Uncle Ma thought carefully and a glimmer of hope arose, "That does make some sense. Perhaps we are overthinking?"
He looked toward Lian Bao.
Aunt Ying looked at Lian Bao too, noting his still ashen face, and said, "Young Master, don’t be anxious. I’ll have the girls in the building inquire further about the identity of that Favored Concubine. Before there’s any new information, don’t scare yourself into panic."
"Yes, Young Master," Uncle Ma agreed.
Lian Bao’s expression eased somewhat, and he felt a warmth in his heart. He bowed to both Aunt Ying and Uncle Ma, "Many thanks to Auntie Ying, many thanks to Uncle Ma."
Concern breeds chaos, indeed he had been in disarray just now.
Now, he wished for nothing else but that the one caught in the mishap was not his little sister.
Uncle Ma helped him up, "Young Master, you’re being too formal, aren’t you?"
Aunt Ying also said, "Young Master, there’s no need for such courtesy. The lady treated me as close as a sister in the past, and her kindness to me was as heavy as a mountain. It’s only because I wasn’t assertive that I ended up in such a muddle. I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing it for the lady."
"Alright," Lian Bao said no more but turned to add, "Uncle Ma, this matter must be kept from the family, especially my mother."
"Young Master, rest assured, I won’t say a word to anyone," Uncle Ma responded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Lian Bao continued, "As for tonight’s operation, tell the brothers to cancel it for now."
"But why?" Uncle Ma exclaimed in shock. The Young Master had been tirelessly working on this for days; how could he just give it up?
If they missed this chance, it might not be possible to arrange it next time.
It wasn’t the silver he regretted; it was the wasted effort of the Young Master.
Uncle Ma knew how much the Young Master despised Guo Neng; as long as it meant making Guo Neng suffer a great loss and earn a profit, he would be happier than anyone.
Sharing his thoughts, Lian Bao said, "Uncle Ma, I need to meet someone first. I can’t wait any longer, I can only apologize to the brothers for now."
He had to confirm the matter from that person’s mouth, and it had been a long time since he had seen that individual; he was almost unable to keep steady anymore.
He was aware of how much effort his brothers had put into this matter.
He blackmailed Guo Neng because these days, he had spent a lot of Uncle Ma’s silver. Although he helped make some profits, it still wasn’t enough. He hoped to earn a substantial amount, so Uncle Ma and the others could leave their dangerous way of life behind.
These were his thoughts, but he didn’t share them with Uncle Ma and the others, pretending it was all for revenge, fearing they might overthink.
But now, just the thought of his younger sister being in danger made him restless and filled him with panic.
As long as he didn’t rule out that it was his younger sister, he couldn’t be at peace.
Uncle Ma understood. The Young Master was concerned about his younger sister’s situation and didn’t want them to meet with Guo Neng alone, which is why he canceled the operation.
In such a critical moment, not only could they not be of any help, but they also made the Young Master worry about them, bearing all the burdens alone.
Feeling very uncomfortable, Uncle Ma directly said, "Young Master, what are you saying? It’s our own incompetence that has caused so many concerns for you. Let us carry out the operation tonight. Everything is already arranged, and nothing will go wrong."
Lian Bao shook his head. Knowing Guo Neng’s sly and ruthless nature, he couldn’t let everyone take the risk, and was about to say something.
"Young Master..." Uncle Ma pleaded, "We can’t help with the Young Miss’s situation, but leave tonight’s operation to us. Rest assured, if anything goes wrong, we will withdraw immediately. We will not take any unnecessary risks."
In this matter, Aunt Ying couldn’t be of help. She saw the guilt and self-reproach in Uncle Ma and refrained from blindly urging them on, leaving the decision to Lian Bao.
Lian Bao stared steadily at Uncle Ma and finally nodded in agreement.
Uncle Ma was overjoyed but suddenly remembered a problem: if he went, then who would protect the Young Master?
As if reading his mind, Lian Bao pressed down his worries and forced a smile, "Don’t worry, I’ve asked Qian Chen to accompany me."
Uncle Ma, who had just said the Young Master was overthinking, turned out to be the one overthinking the most.
Aunt Ying’s voice cut in teasingly, "After all that grand talk, you just thought of this now, huh..."
Uncle Ma touched his nose in embarrassment, chuckled heartily, feeling relieved with the idea that Qian Chen would be there.
Qian Chen was a tough man who wouldn’t change his expression even if Mount Tai were collapsing before him—a man of few words whose martial arts were outstanding.
A few days ago at the banquet, Qian Chen tossed something into the air, sprinkled a handful of spicy pepper powder over it, and with a few quick sword flicks, scattered it evenly into the food. So well done that not a speck spilled out, making those who ate the meat cry out, each of them suffering a spicy stomachache afterward.
Yet, Qian Chen remained unfazed, enjoying his meal thoroughly. Only the Second Young Master was sharp enough to hide a large piece of meat beforehand and did not get affected.