Mistrust

Madam Ming looked at the Matriarch in front of her. She just heard how vicious was that snake that she has to deal with. But even if she knew that she couldn't be excessive when dealing with her. Besides being toxic, Lady Ye was also a perfect white lotus that has her husband 'heart' at the palm of her hand for now. That is why she hoped that her mother-in-law could solve her for once.

"So Mother-in-law what will you do?"

"I'm, of course, going to hope that you deal appropriately this situation. Is unbecoming of me to meddle in my oldest son courtyard's affairs, don't you think so?"

'Shameless Old Fox, you know that this thing will incur Peizi's fury'

Holding her anger with a tiny smile because of the Old Fox's shamelessness, Madam Ming said that she understood and asked to be allowed to leave so that she could deal with the situation. After leaving the Matriarch's courtyard, she went to her husband study. Taking a deep breath, she asked to be announced.

"Tell her that she can come in"

Hearing the answer Madam Ming opened the door. Looking around she saw that the two girls who are usually there by this time were nowhere in site.

"Stop looking. They didn't come today, they said that they would spend some time with the baby for the next few days. That aside is rare to have you visiting my study. Did something happened?"

Different from the other three that would come to visit him with soup or tea in his study, his wife seldom came here and once she had, she had some kind of house management problem that require his help to solve. Before he wouldn't care about it, but now that they got close again, he expected her to come look for him to have lovey-dovey moments. However contrary to his expectations, she didn't come once after their reconciliation and if he wasn't looking for her she wouldn't bother him either. Plus, for the look on her face this was also not the affection she was waiting for, she came here to talk about business. Hmph, cold-hearted woman.

Madam Ming looked at her husband who just talked almost in a complaining tone and was sulking. She assumed that it was because both of his daughters decided to abandon him and play with the youngest. Approaching him she caressed his hair and with a soft voice tried to improve his humor.

"Don't worry honey, they are just excited because they waited for a long time to see him. I'm sure by tomorrow they will be like glue again in you"

All the happiness that came with the strokes went sour with her words.

'Does this stupid woman thinks that I'm upset because my little princess are not here? Although I kinda miss the lasses, I'm upset right now because this woman is so stupid emotionally. That's why Ye'uer always manages to overcome her. Such a stupid woman... if I was not her husband she may had become obsolete in someone else's backyard'

Seeing that his face didn't look better, Madam Ming still tried to save the situation.

"Hon, you know what they say although the new is exciting, once the thrill is over they always go back to the good old one"

'Is this woman calling me old? I just turned 30 this year, I'm totally on my prime. It seems that I'll need to educate her later so that she sees how old I really am'

Madam Ming took a peek on his face to see if it was effective, but saw her husband gaze darkening.

'It seems that I'll need to talk to Shu'er and Yun'er about dividing her attention to their Father too'

Nodding to herself about such a clever observation, Madam Ming decided to change the subject.

"Peizi, I came here to report about something that Mother brought to my attention"

'Old Fox, if you think you were free from this subject you are immensely wrong'

Ming Peizi raised his brow. What could his Mother have, that she needed to tell to his wife to solve instead of him?

"One of the maids of the delivery went to the Matriarch report that Lady Ye tried to buy her to kill the baby"

Ming Peizi was so startled that he dropped the brush that his was twirling in his fingers.

"What did you say?!"

Looking at the disbelief in her husband's eyes instead of mistrust, Madam Ming knew she had made the correct decision in mentioning her mother-in-law. If she didn't, he probably would had a fit and accuse her of trying to badmouth his favorite.

After serving a cup of tea to calm Ming Peizi's nerves, Li Lifen proceed on repeating everything that she heard in the Old Lady's courtyard. By the end of her narrative, Ming Peizi's hands were holding the cup tea so tightly, that it was a wonder on how it didn't broke yet.

Grinding his teeth he asked to the woman who know had a disgusted face as if what she just said left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Did you investigate it?"

'Although I can ground her without reason, if the rumors about how unjustly I punished my Second Wife because of Lifen's report spread, it would hurt Lifen'er reputation and mine too. We need concrete evidence about her crime. That way even if Ye Family come knocking on our door we will have a proper cause'

Although Peizi asked it thinking about how the results of just trusting a young maid's words would affect her, Madam Ming interpreted in a different form. She thought that he couldn't believe that his favored one could do such a horrendous thing. She was a bit disappointed that he would rather believe that the little snake was pure over her words. Taking a deep breath and think the she should have know better, since it was like that for 10 years, she lowered her gaze so that he couldn't see the sadness in them.

"... I didn't. I was to alarmed and wrongly interfered in your work, I apologize Master. Once I check all the facts I will come to you again. If you excuse me"

Without waiting for his response, she turned to the door.