Her illness wasn’t due to fear. If she couldn’t eat well and sleep well, the cold took the opportunity to enter her body, leading to illness.
Being physically weakened, she couldn’t conceal her emotions. As soon as Wei Luo sat down, she burst into tears. Wei Luo wiped them away with a handkerchief. Clinging to his arm, she threw herself into his arms, seeking solace.
On the bed, Wei Luo was always gentler than outside. He stroked her hair gently and asked, “Did you hear something that scared you?” Yin Hui nodded repeatedly, uttering only, “King Qin”
Those words were enough for him to understand. Wei Luo hugged her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid. You take care of my mother for me while I’m outside.”
That night, they shared an intimate moment in secret. Perhaps it was his warmth or his words that worked, but the next day, Yin Hui recovered and regained her spirits.
“Third sister?”
Observing Yin Hui’s silence, Ji Xianxian reached out and tugged at her sleeve.
Yin Hui snapped back to reality, looked at Ji Xianxian’s pale face, smiled, and said, “I’m not afraid. Our father has made military exploits and cared about the people. He never violated the laws of the court. They can’t harm him.”
Ji Xianxian regarded her with a skeptical gaze. “If they want to catch him, there’s no need to find an excuse.”
Lacking Wei Luo’s ability to comfort, Yin Hui knew she couldn’t calm down Ji Xianxian’s worries. She suggested, “If you are truly afraid, consider hiding some banknotes in advance. I heard that some businessmen who travel long distances sew banknotes into the interlayer of their underwear.”
Ji Xianxian’s eyes shifted. Yin Hui’s idea seemed practical. She promptly left, likely to implement the suggestion by sewing banknotes into her belongings.
Shortly after Ji Xianxian departed, Fu Shan arrived.
Fu Shan’s due date was in the early twelfth lunar month, with only twenty days remaining. Her belly protruded, and she needed the support of a maid to cross the doorway.
Yin Hui greeted her, supporting Fu Shan with one hand, and remarked, “If there’s anything, you can send someone to call me. There’s no need for you to run around by yourself.”
Fu Shan smiled, saying, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I am in good health. I was feeling bored, so I came out to get some fresh air.”
In contrast to Ji Xianxian’s pale face, Fu Shan’s complexion was rosy, seemingly unaffected by the external events.
Once inside the household, Fu Shan instructed the maid to step back, took Yin Hui’s hand, and inquired, “Third sister-in-law, have you heard about the outside affairs?” Yin Hui nodded, smiling, “Second sister-in-law just left.”
Surprised, Fu Shan looked at her and asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Recalling the words used to reassure Ji Xianxian, Yin Hui turned the question back to Fu Shan, “What do you think?”
Fu Shan responded quietly, “I am not afraid. Before I got married, my father Khan told me that my father-in-law is a hero. As long as I don’t make mistakes, I can enjoy a lifetime of blessings.” Yin Hui cautioned Fu Shan not to share this with others.
Fu Shan replied, “I know, I told you because I was afraid you would be frightened by the outside news.”
Yin Hui smiled and patted her hand.
In her previous life, when she fell ill, Fu Shan had also told her that, but she hadn’t paid heed, thinking that the Khan of the Kingdom of Jin had overestimated her father-in-law.
In the afternoon, snow began to fall.
Wei Luo rode into the city on horseback, returning early that day. However, the streets were deserted. Occasionally, passersby recognized him and cast sympathetic glances.
The news of cutting down the vassals had already reached the ears of the common people. With both vassal kings fallen, the populace likely believed that King Yan would be the next.
Upon returning to the palace, Wei Luo, as usual, went to visit his father first.
Despite his father’s claim of illness, he and his eldest brother were aware of the situation and prepared in an orderly manner under their father’s command.
By the time Wei Luo emerged from Qinzheng Hall, it was almost dark.
Entering the east harem, while passing Changyuan Hall, he noticed his second brother, Wei Yan, standing at the door, waving at him with a sigh of relief.
Wei Yan then invited him into the study.
With servants standing guard outside, Wei Yan poured Wei Luo a bowl of wine and said with a smile, “It’s cold outside, third brother. Warm yourself up; second brother specially prepared this for you.”
Wei Luo picked up the wine bowl. The wine was warm. After taking a sip and putting it down, he looked at Wei Yan and asked, “Second Brother, you’re looking for me. Is something wrong?”
Wei Yan sighed, and while looking at Wei Luo’s expression, he said, “The news from King Dai came, your second sister-in-law is afraid, has nightmares at night, so she can’t sleep well. This morning, she went to meet your wife, and when she came back, she started to sew banknotes in the seams of her clothes. After I inquired, I realized that she learned from her. Tell me the truth. Is the father really going to be captured without a fight?”
Lately, the eldest and third brothers frequently visited their father. Although their father allowed other brothers to visit, Wei Yan always sensed that their father preferred to be alone with the eldest brother.
Wei Yan responded coldly, “Who could arrest Father?”
Glaring at him, Wei Yan demanded, “Stop pretending to be clueless. Tell me quickly; I should know.”
Wei Luo replied, “I have nothing to say. I simply know how to fulfill my responsibilities. I will discipline Mrs. Yin, and I ask you to take care of my second sister-in-law. Otherwise, if this matter reaches our father’s ears, we will both be scolded.”
With a sullen expression, Wei Luo left, appearing as if he genuinely intended to go home and address matters with his wife.
Wei Yan probed in vain and sighed. As for Ji Xianxian, he had no intention of dealing with her.
In Chengxi Hall, when Wei Luo returned, he spent time with the children first. Regardless of the events outside, Xiao Heng continued attending the lectures daily, diligently studying and completing his homework. Xiao Xun, approaching two years old, could speak quite a bit and had learned a few poems from his brother.
While listening to his sons recite poems, Wei Luo cast a sidelong glance at Mrs. Yin. Despite her normal behavior in recent days, he thought she knew nothing about the outside world. However, it turned out she was aware of how to hide banknotes.
After the meal, Wei Luo, who hadn’t spent much time in the backyard lately, finally stayed again.