Liang Chen Mei Jin

Chapter 217: Inquiry

The commotion outside grew too loud, and Madam Chen was assisted out by Luo. "What's going on here?"

Sixth Master Chen Yanjiang stammered, "Mother, it's my fault. I accidentally scalded Third Sister-in-law... I, I don't know who put the tea on the side table! It's not entirely my fault."

Madam Chen glared at him and hurried to Jinchao's side. "Third Daughter-in-law, is the burn serious?"

Jinchao shook her head. Though the scalded area stung fiercely, it wasn't unbearably painful. "The water wasn't boiling hot. Please don't worry."

Madam Qin patted Chen Xi's back and explained to Madam Chen, "...Just now, Sixth Master and Sixth Sister-in-law were arguing and accidentally bumped into the side table. Third Sister-in-law and Xi Jie'er happened to be sitting nearby. Not only was Third Sister-in-law scalded, but Xi Jie'er was also frightened to tears."

Madam Ge looked utterly remorseful, knowing she bore some responsibility. "Mother, I'm also to blame. I shouldn't have quarreled with Sixth Master..."

Chen Yanjiang stood awkwardly to the side, at a loss for what to do.

Madam Chen raised her cane and struck Chen Yanjiang harshly. "You worthless thing! If anything serious had happened to your Third Sister-in-law, what would you have done?"

She then led Jinchao into the inner chamber to examine the injury. A large reddened area was visible, though not severely burned. A maid fetched a box of ointment to apply to Jinchao's wound and lent her one of Madam Chen's outer garments to wear temporarily.

Wang Shi told Madam Chen, "Originally, Xi Jie'er was sitting by the side table. Thankfully, Third Sister-in-law shielded her... Third Sister-in-law could have avoided it herself."

Madam Qin hadn't mentioned this earlier. Madam Chen asked Jinchao gently, "Was it you who shielded her?"

Jinchao hadn't really thought it through—it had been an instinctive reaction to pull Chen Xi close. Perhaps it was just maternal instinct, considering how much more severe the burns would have been on such a small child. "It's nothing," Jinchao replied. "I'm her mother. Of course I'd protect her."

Madam Chen affectionately patted her hand but said nothing more.

Shortly after they stepped outside, Third Master Chen arrived.

Madam Chen recounted the incident to him. His expression darkened instantly, causing Chen Yanjiang's heart to sink. His third brother might usually be amiable, but when truly angered, the consequences were dire.

Having already made a mistake, how could he possibly make amends now...

Chen Yanyun ignored Chen Yanjiang for the moment, first approaching Jinchao to ask softly, "Is the burn serious?"

Jinchao shook her head. "It's nothing... The water wasn't boiling..."

She wanted to downplay the matter... Chen Yanyun nodded. "Go back and rest first. I'll check on you later when I return." He instructed Qingpu to escort her back to Osmanthus Hall and asked Madam Chen and the other women to retreat to the side chamber.

He cast a cold glance at Chen Yanjiang and spoke slowly and clearly, "How did she get scalded? Explain everything to me."

Chen Yanjiang recounted the events and added, "...I truly don't know how that cup of tea ended up on the side table. I—I've been so frustrated lately, Third Brother. I deserve to die!" He cautiously looked up and saw Chen Yanyun still silent, his gaze more severe than ever. A chill ran down his spine, and he hastily slapped himself twice. "I deserve this! Third Brother, punish me however you see fit..."Second Master Chen was far away in Shaanxi, and in the absence of an elder brother, the younger one took on the role of a father. When it came to major decisions in the household, it was always Third Master Chen who had the final say. He was the one managing the household.

Chen Yanyun asked him, "What did Mother say?"

Chen Yanjiang quickly replied, "She wants me to stay at Bao Xiang Temple for half a year to chant sutras for Cui Shi and... that child..."

Chen Yanyun said, "This afternoon, I sent Jiang Yan to the Cui family. He told them you promised them fifty acres of land to settle the matter with Cui Shi. Where did that land come from?"

So Third Brother had indeed sent someone to follow him! Chen Yanjiang didn’t dare hide it: "I used my private savings to purchase it. Last time, you told me to do business with Duke Zheng’s nephew, and I earned several thousand taels of silver from it..."

Chen Yanyun’s expression softened slightly. "If you hadn’t been so reckless, I wouldn’t have wanted to punish you severely. Who knew you’d be so irresponsible... If Father were still alive, he would’ve broken your legs." As an elder brother, no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t actually lay a hand on him. "Starting tonight, you will kneel in the ancestral hall for five days to calm your mind. After that, you’ll move to Bao Xiang Temple for a year. I have a courtyard there where I often stay, guarded by martial monks. Your daily life will follow that of a monk—no alcohol, no meat, and absolutely no involvement with women. I’ll have people watching you."

Everything else was manageable, but staying away from women... He might as well be dead! And going to Bao Xiang Temple on his own was completely different from being sent there by Third Brother’s men. If he went alone, he could still find loopholes, but with Third Brother’s guards watching him, he’d truly be living like a monk!

Chen Yanjiang was unwilling. "Third Brother, you can’t just—"

Chen Yanyun cut him off. "If you say one more word, you’ll spend the rest of your life there as a monk."

Chen Yanjiang immediately fell silent.

Chen Yanyun paused, then continued, "As for who placed that cup of tea there, it’s easy to figure out. No one refilled the water in the room, so the tea must have been freshly brewed... Who was the last one to enter?"

Standing nearby, Chen Xuanqing’s lips moved slightly. He had always disliked Gu Jinzhao, but no matter how much he resented or suspected her, he wouldn’t go so far as to harm her like this. It was just an accident... Besides, she had shielded Chen Xi. If Xi Jie'er had been scalded, he would’ve felt a thousand times worse.

Even if Gu Jinzhao had been wrong in the past, now he had unintentionally hurt her.

"Father, this is my fault. The maid brewed the tea, but I didn’t want to drink it, so I left it on the side table..." he said quietly.

Chen Yanyun walked up to him.

His father stood half a head taller, and his silence made him seem even more stern. Chen Xuanqing knew his father well—he was truly angry. The angrier he was, the less he spoke...

Father held a special place in Chen Xuanqing’s heart. He had been raised by his grandfather and grandmother, so his bond with Chen Yanyun wasn’t particularly deep. But the environment around him had always influenced him. His mother often taught him as a child to behave and act like his father—polite, knowledgeable, and respectable. He deeply admired his father and felt he could never match his achievements.

Did Father really value Gu Jinzhao so much? If he wanted to remarry, couldn’t he have chosen anyone else? Why did it have to be Gu Jinzhao...

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Third Master Chen asked him.

Chen Xuanqing didn’t know how to explain. He gave a bitter smile. "I wasn’t thinking clearly, son."

Chen Yanyun studied Chen Xuanqing for a long time before saying, "Since it was unintentional, let it be. Tomorrow, you’ll go and apologize to her yourself. After all, she is still your mother."

Chen Xuanqing nodded in agreement.After this round of questioning, the sky had already darkened.

Having eaten too much lotus leaf rice in the afternoon, Jinchao now had little appetite. She only drank a bowl of mung bean porridge, washed up, and changed her clothes. Qingpu examined her injury and was deeply distressed. "Madam, this burn will likely take several days to subside. At least it didn’t blister."

"As long as it’s nothing serious," Jinchao replied, fastening her clothes. "Still, have the kitchen prepare dinner. Third Master Chen probably hasn’t eaten yet..."

Just as she spoke, a maid outside announced that Third Master Chen had returned.

Qingpu withdrew to relay the message, and Chen Yanyun entered, immediately instructing the maids to lower the bed curtains. Jinchao was momentarily stunned. He sighed. "I want to see your injury."

Jinchao shook her head. "It really isn’t bad..."

He walked up to her, dismissing the attending maids with a wave of his hand. Without allowing refusal, he untied the sash of her outer garment.

"Third Master... you haven’t eaten dinner yet..." Jinchao grabbed his hand.

He paused briefly, ignoring her resistance, and removed her outer robe and undergarments... revealing the pale skin of her shoulders beneath the goose-yellow Luzhou silk Dudou embroidered with twin lotus flowers. Gently pinning her hands behind her back, he carefully examined the injured area.

Gu Jinchao lowered her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. The candles had just been lit in the room, casting light on his silent profile, devoid of any smile.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"How could it not hurt? It’s red like this," he murmured. Without waiting for her response, Chen Yanyun asked, "Where’s the ointment?"

After applying the ointment for her, he asked if she had eaten dinner. She nodded. Chen Yanyun then scooped her up and carried her to the inner chamber, laying her on the wormwood-covered bed and tucking her in like a child. Softly, he said, "Sleep first. I’ll join you later."

Jinchao thought to herself—she had injured her back, not her feet. She could still walk on her own...

But she was indeed exhausted and fell asleep soon after her head touched the pillow.

In the middle of the night, Gu Jinchao woke up from pain—though not from her back...

Her lower abdomen throbbed, and she felt dampness beneath her. No way. Now of all times! Jinchao closed her eyes and calculated—her monthly cycle was indeed due around this time. The pain left her utterly drained, but she had to get up and deal with it.

She glanced sideways and saw Third Master Chen sleeping soundly, one arm still draped over her waist. It was better not to disturb him over something like this.

Carefully moving his hand aside, she called for Caifu, who was on night duty in the western chamber.

Chen Yanyun was a light sleeper. He woke the moment she made a sound, but since she clearly didn’t want to rouse him, he remained still. As her maid helped her to the washroom, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, listening to the movements inside and roughly guessing what was happening.

After changing into clean undergarments and tidying up, Xiuqu brought her a bowl of brown sugar, longan, and ginger soup to drink. Once Jinchao lay back down and saw Chen Yanyun still with his eyes closed, she quietly sighed in relief.

With pain in two places, Jinchao found it hard to sleep. She curled up, staring at the floor lamp by the bed. After a while, feeling uncomfortable, she turned to face Chen Yanyun’s direction, then shifted again moments later.

But then a large hand reached out from behind and pulled her close. Gu Jinchao stiffened. "Third Master?"

The man behind her said nothing, but the hand holding her gently massaged her lower abdomen, and the pain indeed eased somewhat.She must have woken him earlier. Jinchao whispered a thank you, her body gradually relaxing. She didn’t hear his reply and thought Third Master Chen might be a little displeased. He probably wasn’t in a good mood today either. Sixth Master Chen had done such a thing yet remained completely unaware of his wrongdoing. But he had never ignored her before...

"Gu Jinzhao." He suddenly called her name.

Gu Jinzhao opened her eyes. She had never heard Third Master address her like this before.

"Next time you're in pain, remember to tell me." His voice was calm.

"Mmm." She responded softly before closing her eyes, feeling nothing but warmth in her heart.

A long while later, her hand lightly covered his.

Chen Yanyun stiffened momentarily. When he looked at her again after a pause, he found her breathing evenly—already asleep.