What Lingyi feared so much had happened. Danyang's father found out the truth about the boy (you can even tell who did it). You are right, the seeds of connivance and excessive guardianship of the youngest son have given abundant shoots. Parenting Lingkuan is a fairly common mistake for late and younger children. On the older child they learn, on the middle ones they correct mistakes, and the younger ones are pampered. The GM put everything she could on the middle son, not allowing him to raise his head and “imposed” the rules. And she pampered the younger one too much, compensating for the difficulties he experienced in childhood. She absolutely did not think that the middle son (in principle, a very young man) would need support. In addition, Lingyi was constantly at war, anything could happen to him, and there would be no one to lead the family. Common sense rests. I can even guess who was the source of Shiyi hearing about the scandal so quickly. Lingyi hadn’t even really calmed down yet, and Shiyi was right there. Zhaoying is a smart, observant boy who knows exactly who His Lordship can hear. Shiyi is the only one who talks to Lingyi and never accuses him of anything, and does not try to put pressure on a sense of duty. It was the same with Zhun. Everyone scolded him for being so adamant/cruel with the child, and Shiyi said she understood him. Zhun is his successor and a heavy burden will fall on his shoulders. Lingyi immediately admitted that he was wrong. This was another reason why he listened to Shiyi when it came to his son. She was ready to help him, not just scold him. You are right, Lingyi is a military man. Too quickly and cruelly he had to grow up. He is annoyed that others are not ready to grow up / take responsibility for themselves. It's hard for him to understand why. And here Shiyi does not criticize him, but shows the good in his brother. She lets him know that instead of focusing on his weaknesses, it is better to take advantage of his strengths. Almost the same behavior as with Zhun, do not scold / do not give a task that is not feasible, but ask what happened and ask for help. Shiyi exudes such calmness and understanding. She seems to be saying to Lingyi, “You can do the same, but in a slightly different way. I believe that you will succeed." A conversation with Lingkuan showed that Shiyi was right. As soon as he stopped blaming / putting pressure on his brother, and told what worries him, he instantly changed. Lingkuan, like Zhun, wants Lingyi's recognition, they want him to be proud of them. For the sake of recognition of his brother, his beloved wife and himself, Lingkuan will do what his brother asks, apologize to his father-in-law. Shiyi managed to build bridges between the brothers. She is wise beyond her age. Lingyi is very lucky to have her by his side. She is his friend and associate. How can he not love his wife? The GM and Lianfang need to understand that she simply doesn't stand a chance. Qiao has nothing to offer her son other than selfishness. And he's already fed up with it.

@@Irynash11 it didn't take long for the father in law to find out. He knew the Ou family was stirring up trouble again/he wanted to get ahead of it by pretending to be Fengqing's father. Unfortunately his efforts went up in smoke. He wanted Lingkuan to step up to the plate/take responsibility in this way he could protect the family. Lingkuan is spineless/he's incapable of complex thoughts...lol He doesn't understand the bigger picture/I blame the GM for that...she coddled him too much/didn't allow him to grow as a man. Now Lingyi is telling him it's time to grow up. It's unfortunate that the GM never understood the damage she did to her son. She really crippled him. When he went off on Lingyi/told him that it wasn't any of his business...it showed his immaturity. He throw a little fit like a 5 yr old child. He didn't understand how his actions was negatively affect the entire family. Lingyi's been taking responsibility for the entire Xu family since he was a teenager/that came will an enormous amount of responsibility. Meanwhile Lingkuan was given the opportunity to enjoy his life without a care in the world. When he screwed up his mother was there to fix it for him. It's hard to believe that he's a grown a$$ man...lol The GM really screwed things up in a major way. Yes, Shiyi was right there ready to listen/lead a helping hand. She was on it....lol I agree she is wise beyond her years. She didn't just approach him. She created a comfortable environment for him to open up/tell her his fears. She even brought the props...(wine). She was compassionate, sympathetic, understanding and gentle. She knew exactly how to open up his eyes. Lingyi is quick to make snap judgments. He did it with Shiyi/he did it with his brother. He assumed that Lingkuan refused to take responsibility for his child when it was the GM that created the problem. He doesn't listen. He dictates/that's the reason Lingkuan became defensive and refused to talk with his father in law. Shiyi gave him the best advice about dealing with his brother. You're right she highlighted Lingkuan's strengthens instead of focusing on his weaknesses. She was doing the opposite of what Lingyi was doing when he was venting...lol She turned the conversation around in a positive manner/that helped Lingyi to connect with his brother. When he followed Shiyi's advice things turned around. It also put Lingkuan on the path to finally grow up.

You guys hit the nail on the head - Lingyi has a true partner in Shiyi. I even think them not having slept together is best at this point because he knows her advice is coming from a place of friendship and helpfulness. If they had been intimate he may have thought that she was trying to manipulate him through sex like the other wives try to do. The moment he opens up as a brother to Lingkuan it immediately put him in a place to understand grow as a man. And you're completely right Zhaoying knows the only pacifier to an angry Lingyi is Shiyi because she's ready to listen and provide solutions. These scenes are great to watch because it shows their emotional growth and maturity.

@@arilu89x I agree. I love that Shiyi is the one person that he listens to. She knows how to coax him especially when he's pissed off at his family. He's really lucky to have her...because she's one of the only people that listens to him....she cares about his feelings. His mother ignores what he wants...and tries to control his life. Now that Shiyi's around he's starting to fight for the life that he wants. The entire Xu family is lucky to have her.

@@arilu89x I agree that the emotional growth of their relationship can be seen. I think Lingyi is progressing more quickly than Shiyi. Shiyi moved from a position of non-intervention and aloofness from family affairs, to the position of the mistress of the estate, friend and associate of Lingyi. In Lingyi's eyes, Shiyi had changed from a child to a woman he was willing to wait patiently, just because he saw and received understanding and support that he never had. Interestingly, the nighttime conversations with Shiyi are a turning point for him. After the first night conversation in the gazebo, he realized that Shiyi is much more mature, smarter, more observant than all his wives, led by their mother. But the second conversation, after the appearance of the nephew, actually turned Shiyi into a friend and adviser. And since there has never been such an experience in his life (only a dream), friendship comes first. Zhaoying is a very observant boy. He drew the right conclusions from the actions of his master towards his wife.