As the Chief House Steward was ready to have a long talk, Song Yixiao became even more worried. “Jian Xubai is likely to be concealed in the guise of Chan's jumping into the lake, but since he went to question Chan while I was sleeping, he may follow me and see what happens too this time? However, judging from the Chief House Steward's unhurried appearance, obviously, he is sure that Jian Xubai doesn't or won't come!”

It also indicated that the Chief House Steward was confident of the action tonight!

Lost in thought, she didn't say anything. The Chief House Steward was not embarra.s.sed at all. He waited for a while and said, “In light of your intelligence, you must suspect about this. The Old Master has three sons and a daughter. Putting aside Madam Qingjiang, the First Master is the eldest and yet a concubine's child. It is fair enough that the Old Master didn't pa.s.s down his dukedom to him. However, the Second Master and Third Master are both legitimate sons born by the Old Master's wife, but why was it the youngest master, Jian Xubai who inherited the t.i.tle of Duke of Yan but not these two masters nor the legitimate eldest son of the Second Master, Young Master Yiyou?”

Of course Song Yixiao was curious about the question, but it was not the time to satisfy her curiosity and she didn't want to be led by the nose. Thus, rolling her bracelet, she only snorted, “I don't care how Xubai acquired the dukedom, as long as he is the current Duke of Yan. Otherwise, how can I be the first-rank t.i.tled lady?”

“Madam, you are so straightforward!” The Chief House Steward said smilingly, “Then I will cut to the chase. As a man of rites, the Old Master valued the Second Master and Young Master Yiyou most! He was actually forced to pa.s.s down the dukedom to His Highness!”

He knew that Song Yixiao would not ask him how Jian Pingyu was forced to do that, so he didn't hedge and continued talking, “Actually, it is improper to let more people know about it. After all, young and innocent as Master Yiyou was back then, it was so cruelhearted for him to push his five-year-old brother into the pond in the winter and prohibit others from saving him!”

Song Yixiao was startled to hear that!

She bit her lips heavily to resist her desire to ask further and then heard the Chief House Steward talking, “Luckily, His Highness was blessed. It happened that His Highness the Crown Prince left the imperial palace and came to Jinguo Grand Princess. At that time, His Highness the Crown Prince was quite young. After paying respects to the Grand Princess, he went to play with his two cousins.”

As such, he saved Jian Xubai from imminent danger!

The Crown Prince was only 12 years old back then. Although, he had stayed with Emperor Xianjia since he was four or five years old, he was still inexperienced because he didn't go through true hards.h.i.+ps. Moreover, influenced by Emperor Xianjia, he always regarded the children of Jinguo Grand Princess as his siblings. When he happened to see Jian Xubai struggling in the pond, of course he was shocked and angry!

He not only told Jinguo Grand Princess about it but also described it to the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xianjia with indignation after returning to the imperial palace!

“Actually, Master Yiyou is the son of the Grand Princess. Despite the serious mistake, His Highness was rescued and fine. Besides, given Master Yiyou's young age, he couldn't stand severe punishment. Unfortunately, when the Empress Dowager and His Majesty asked about this, the Second Master put his foot in his mouth when pleading for Master Yiyou!”

Speaking of this, the Chief House Steward couldn't heave a sigh and said, “At that time, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty questioned Master Yiyou why he would hurt his brother. Master Yiyou was young and innocent so he confessed that as His Highness took up part of the Grand Princess's love after he was born, he thought he would be fully loved by the Grand Princess if His Highness was dead. Therefore, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty surely flew into a rage!”

Although Jian Xubai was saved then, he was still in a coma. Jinguo Grand Princess stayed with him instead of going to the court. The only one who could speak for Jian Yiyou was only his father, Jian Likuang.

However, Jian Likuang's intercession ended up with nothing so he said on impulse, “The position of Duke of Yan will be pa.s.sed down to the eldest legitimate son for sure! If the affection between these two brothers is ruined for this matter, when we are gone one day, what if the younger one has to ask the elder one for a favor?”

“How can such a horrid person who hurts his brother deserve to inherit the dukedom?” Out of fury, the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xianjia shouted at the same time.

“Because the Second Master pleaded for Master Yiyou, Master Yiyou was not allowed to inherit the dukedom. However, the Second Master has two sons only. If anything untoward happens to His Highness, the dukedom of Duke of Yan will be pa.s.sed down to no one. That was what the Empress Dowager and His Majesty was concerned about.” The Chief House Steward said, “Therefore, His Majesty ordered the Old Master to pa.s.s down the dukedom directly to His Highness skipping the Second Master and Master Yiyou!”

Moreover, “This matter disgraced the Old Master before His Majesty. Even the Empress Dowager summoned the Old Master to Qingxi Hall, questioning him how he taught his children and grandchildren. Therefore, after the Old Master pa.s.sed down the dukedom to His Highness, he submitted the application for retirement!”

Song Yixiao pursed her lips with a tidal surge of emotions, who seemed to listen with a poker face, “No wonder! There are so many male descendants in the Jian Family and Jian Xubai is not even the eldest legitimate grandson. How can he inherit the dukedom? There must be an inside story!”

And the inside story couldn't be that simple as the Chief House Steward told!

At least the reason why the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xianjia interfered in the dukedom inheritance of the Jian Family might not be merely to defend for Jian Xubai against the injustice!

“The Emperor has killed basically all the half-siblings since he took office! Undoubtedly, he did so out of extreme anger because he used to be framed by these siblings. Yet, he still set an example of hurting siblings in the dynasty. How can he not worry that his children may do the same?”

Even as an emperor, he could have such an unrealistic thought. He was the one who became the emperor by surmounting numerous difficulties at the cost of his brothers' and nephews' lives, but when he was in office, he wished that his children could be the most harmonious and least ambitious moral models!

Therefore, Emperor Xianjia who killed his half-siblings never hoped his children to follow his example!

It happened that Jian Yiyou plotted against his brother out of envy now. How could the royal family not take the opportunity to punish him as a warning to the royal descendants?

Song Yixiao snorted, “Initially, my father-in-law and Jian Yiyou should be the ones to inherit the dukedom while Jian Xubai could only develop an official career by himself. However, His Majesty's gesture is not different from showing the consequence of hurting their siblings to his children!”

She also figured out why Jian Xubai inherited the dukedom at the age of five and then started to be raised by the Empress Dowager. “The Royal Family let him inherit the dukedom skipping his elder generation not only to punish Father-in-law and Jian Yiyou but also to warn the royal descendants! In this case, of course Jian Xubai must be kept safe and sound! Otherwise, if he dies, the dukedom will go back to Jian Yiyou, since Mother-in-law only has two sons in the Jian Family!”

If it really happened, the royal descendants would be encouraged to strike first instead of showing care for siblings!

“Maybe it was also for the purpose of setting an example that Jian Xubai's dukedom was not reduced upon dukedom inheritance!” Song Yixiao couldn't help feeling sorry for her husband, “The influential families are so complicated! By estimate, Jian Yiyou was only seven years old back then and shockingly, he did that to his brother. If it were not for the timely help from the Crown Prince, Jian Xubai would be killed for nothing!”

After all, Jinguo Grand Princess, the birth mother of Jian Xubai wouldn't kill her son to avenge another.

“You've heard so much. In light of your intelligence, you must have understood what I mean?” The Chief House Steward sighed, “The people on the list I gave you last time have been a.s.signed to Master Yiyou since the Old Master got retired. That is to say, they never mean to work for you and His Highness! Then what is the point detaining them in the duke's mansion?”

“As you just said, Yiyou attempted to murder Xubai.” Song Yixiao held back her emotions and glimpsed him, saying with mockery, “Even if Yiyou was young and innocent, Xubai was almost killed indeed! Isn't it fair enough that Xubai makes trouble for him now? If I didn't know the inside story, I might let it go then. Yet, since I've known it, on what ground do I agree with you?”

The Chief House Steward shook his head and said, “Madam, no need to say so. Everyone knows that His Highness always follows your advice now. As long as you can nod at it, His Highness will approve too!”

He added, “Moreover, the arrangement of the Old Master was also for the sake of High Highness apart from showing concern for Master Yiyou!”

He explained, “Back then, even without the incident, His Majesty didn't want the influential officials over two dynasties to keep staying in the court! At that time, the Old Master was more than 50 years old at that time, which aroused the suspicion of His Majesty, let alone His Highness who has inherited the dukedom at the age of less than 20. If he also captures the old subordinates of the Old Master, do you think that His Highness will end up well?”

Song Yixiao thought that he would constrain her by all means. Worst of all, she might have to experience what Wei Chan suffered before. Unexpectedly, the Chief House Steward made such a statement. She didn't know much about the court affairs indeed.

However, she did know about the consequence if one's merits surpa.s.sed the emperor.

“Jian Xubai didn't need his wife to be high-born while choosing a wife back then. He might have taken that into consideration!” She couldn't help ruminating, “No wonder when Mother-in-law selected me, he agreed directly despite disgruntlement.”

Yet, the Chief House Steward said, “Actually, the Second Master and Master Yiyou are also ordered by the Old Master to estrange His Highness. For one thing, His Highness used to be too soft-hearted and afterwards became too innocent and pampered by the Empress Dowager. The Old Master was worried that it would be hard for His Highness to fit in the political environment! However, since His Highness was raised by the Empress Dowager, the Old Master didn't dare to interfere too much. Hence, he could only come up with this idea. For another, it is to make His Majesty rest a.s.sured!”

Although Jian Xubai was a high-born duke well favored by the Empress Dowager, if he was alone, who didn't get along with his father and brother, and was disliked by his grandfather, how threatening could a 17-year old be?

Not only was he saved by the Crown Prince who was most valued by Emperor Xianjia but also he and the Crown Prince were as intimate as brothers since childhood. Moreover, he was also raised by the Empress Dowager. No matter how suspicious Emperor Xianjia was, he shouldn't suspect Jian Xubai's loyalty to him and his son or think that this nephew would become a potential mortal malady against the imperial power in the future!

“However, Madam, you know, His Highness has been raised by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager since he was five years old. Even his name was granted by Her Majesty, regardless of the naming rule of the Jian Family. It is said that the kindness of upbringing is greater than the bloodline. How can the Old Master tell his plan to His Highness?” The Chief House Steward observed Song Yixiao's changed countenance and said pitifully, “Therefore, as time goes by, His Highness really has harbored grudge against the Old Master, the Second Master and Master Yiyou! Now it is no use telling His Highness about it now. After thinking back and forth, I can only ask you to help persuade His Highness!”

Song Yixiao remained silent for a while and said, “If I agree on this, how do you want me to leave a proof?”

That was what she was most concerned about at the moment.