Chapter 10: Seeking an Alliance

  Mrs. Tao saw He Huan's heart and didn't say anything else. The carriage soon arrived outside the Shen family gate. The doorman, knowing that the visitors were Mrs. Tao and He Huan, did not immediately dismount from the threshold. Zhang Bo followed He Huan's instructions and whispered two sentences to the doorman. The man looked deeply at Zhang Bo, while slowly leading the carriage in, stopping near the second door.

  He Huan was helped down from the carriage by Bai Miao, and then went to help Tao Shi down. When she caught sight of Shen's maid, Si Zhu, hurrying towards them, she felt a sense of surprise. She had thought it would be Zi Lan who came instead.

  For more than a year, Lin Xiyu had two first-class maids by her side. One was her dowry maid, Zilan, and the other was Sizhu in front of her. In the new house, the first maid she saw was Sizhu. At that time, she instinctively thought that Sizhu was Shen Jinglu's woman. In fact, she was just a big maid in the yard, speaking and doing things very carefully and thoroughly.

  It's not uncommon for someone of Shen Jinglin's age and status to have a few concubines, let alone a wife. In reality, there isn't a single woman by his side, and he doesn't even like it when maidservants flutter around him in his daily life.

  When they had just gotten married, on her inconvenient days, she had hinted whether to arrange others to serve him. He only said three words: "No need." After she became pregnant, he answered her with the same three words. She originally thought it was because she was in the early stages of pregnancy and he was afraid that she would feel uncomfortable in her heart. In fact, during her pregnancy, he really didn't touch other women.

  Thinking of this, He Huan suddenly became nervous, she even wanted to tell him that she was Lin Xiyue, and she wasn't dead.

  "Mrs. He, Miss Biao." Silken Bamboo greeted He Huan and Mrs. Tao with a bow, recalling He Huan's thoughts.

  "Are you Sī Zhú, Cousin's maid?" He asked. After she nodded, she explained in a low voice: "We just received the news last night, and because of our anxiety, we didn't even have time to send a message before rushing over."

  "Mrs. He, please forgive me." Silently, the bamboo instrument kneeled down in front of the two and paid his respects, "After Madam passed away, Master was so grief-stricken that he has been staying in the house with Madam's body. The funeral arrangements were only made this morning."

  "Has her brother-in-law been guarding her sister all along?" He Huan only felt a sour nose and hot eye sockets. He had actually been guarding her corpse for a day and two nights. She had always thought it was just her own one-sided love for him.

  "Yes." Silken Bamboo nodded. "It was only when the housekeeper told Master that Young Master Xuan cried loudly this morning that he left his room."

  "Xuan Xi? Shen Xuan Xi, is this the name you've chosen?" He Huan used all his might to barely control his emotions. They had already named their son, and now he had gone and changed it to Shen Xuan Xi.

  He Wan didn't know how she had entered the mourning hall. She stood woodenly behind Mrs. Tao, following her in paying respects, her mind buzzing with thoughts.

  "Huan'er?" Mrs. Tao gently pulled at He Huan's sleeve.

  He Huan only then realized that they were already in the small flower hall of the Shen family's side house. She hastily concealed her emotions, but in her heart, there was a voice constantly repeating in her ear: You know where he is, you can take a peek from afar, and maybe even see your son.

  "Huan'er, what's wrong with you? Didn't you say that you must see your aunt today?" Tao Shi looked at He Huan in confusion.

  "Yes, I have to see Auntie." He Huan bit her lower lip and looked up at the sky, forcing herself not to let tears fall. She told herself that she would be able to stand by his side again soon. Now, their son was safe, but those who were truly in danger were her mother and younger brother.

  "Just now you let Zhang Bo say something, and they actually let us in so easily?" Tao's reluctance to come over was precisely because she was afraid that they would be rejected at the door.

  He Huan shook his head and said, "Nothing, actually the Shen family is more afraid of losing face than we are."

  Mrs. Tao immediately understood her implication. Although she didn't agree, things had come to this point and saying more would be useless. She could only sit aside with a humiliated expression, wanting to remind He Huan of something but not daring to speak out rashly.

  He Huan took advantage of Xiaoyan's serving tea and asked: "Where is Aunt now?"

  "Miss Hui, Auntie's body isn't feeling well, she went back yesterday."

  "Go back?" He Huan was taken aback.

  "Did Mrs. Lin say when she's coming over today?" Tao interjected.

  "Returning to Mrs. He Dajie, I don't know." The little maid shook her head.

  He Huan signaled for the little maid to withdraw. For a moment, she was distracted and her mind was filled with thoughts of Shen Jinglin and her own mother.

  Outside the door, Silky Bamboo called over the little maid who had brought up the tea. The two of them whispered a few words to each other under the eaves, then Silky Bamboo took her leave and walked towards the gate, giving some instructions to Purple Orchid as she came face to face with her. Purple Orchid nodded and strode off towards the small flower hall.

  "Hello, Mrs He and Miss Biao." Zilan stood at the door of the house, greeting the two with a hint of disdain in her eyes.

  He Huan snapped back to reality, took a deep breath to calm down. Tao Shi smiled apologetically and explained to Zi Lan: "We received news last night... after all, it's a close relative..."

  "Please excuse me, Mrs. He. At this moment, it doesn't matter if it's the master or the old lady, the hostess, everyone is in a state of grief and hasn't got the energy to entertain you and Miss Biao." Zi Lan's implication was not only to drive them away but also to tell them that the Lin family and the Shen family were the real close relatives. Not to mention that the He family and the Shen family had no connection from the start, even between the Lin and He families, they had lost contact several years ago. They didn't even have the qualifications to mention the word "close relatives".

  Tao was rebuked by Zilan, her face turned pale and then blue. He Huan was both angry and amused. Zilan had always been her confidant, deeply trusted by her. At the beginning, she had told her that Shen Jinglun's concubine was a matter of time, but absolutely could not let Wei Shi and He Huan succeed. Now, she had become He Huan herself, this matter had become a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on her own foot.

  He Huan helped Tao Shi sit down, looked up at Zi Lan and said: "Zi Lan, sister-in-law trusted you the most. Now that sister-in-law is gone, if you still consider sister-in-law's thoughts, you should calm down and think carefully about who is the biggest threat to Nian Xi. In fact, it's not just Nian Xi, but also Auntie and brother-in-law... maybe someone can't wait any longer."

  Zilan suddenly understood. Her master had long told her that the He family was just a poor and shameless family, while the Lin family's second house was truly sinister and cunning. She was afraid that before her master's funeral, they would propose to Shen Jinglun to continue marrying Lin Mengyan. For the sake of Nianxiao Young Master, she didn't want to see such a thing happen, but she was just a maid, what could she do?

  He Xuan saw her expression relax and continued: "Think carefully about what your sister has said to you, and why she had no choice but to marry into the Shen family."

  "Miss Biao, you've said so much to me, and I'm very clear about what you're implying." A hint of sarcastic smile flashed across Zilan's lips as she told Hehuan that everyone was well aware of the situation, and she also wanted to marry Shen Jinglin.

  He Huan was not angry, but just sighed lightly: "Who lives in the world is not for himself, for a better life?"

  Before she had even finished speaking, Zilan suddenly looked up at her. She remembered very clearly that three years ago, on the night when Master made his final decision, she had stood blankly by the window, staring at the dark sky and said the same words.

  He Huan saw the astonishment in Zilan's eyes and spoke again: "Zilan, at this time when Brother-in-law is grieving, as long as he can calm down after three months, he will definitely make the best choice for Nianxi."

  "Miss Bai, I'm just a lowly servant. No matter how much you tell me, I won't be able to help you with anything."

  "Zilan, at this moment, is it useful to argue over pride? We have a common goal, don't we? As for what will happen eight months later and what decisions my sister's husband will make, everyone has their own abilities. Are you afraid that he will choose me?"

  "Huan'er!" Madam Tao shook her head slightly at He Huan. If this were to spread, the consequences would be unpredictable.

  He Huan turned back and smiled at her, indicating that she didn't need to worry. After all, she was a maid who had grown up with Zilan since childhood, so she understood Zilan.

  As expected, Zilan hesitated for a moment, looked up and asked her: "Miss Biao, what do you want to do?"

  He Xuan pursed her lips and bowed her head in contemplation. Before arriving at the Shen residence, she had already thought it through - she must make Shen Jinglu deeply regret her death, this was the first step of her plan. However, he guarded her corpse for two nights and one day, and even named their son "Nian Xi", how could she bear it?