Chapter 200: Consultation
"Same as before," Housekeeper Shu replied with a smile. "Only, Consort Wu has been exempted from morning and evening greetings."
Madam Yu nodded slightly.
Housekeeper Shu continued, "What do you think about adding two more servants to Consort Wu’s quarters?"
"That’s the young mistress’s affair, not mine," Madam Yu said, casting a glance at Housekeeper Shu.
Housekeeper Shu immediately sobered and smiled apologetically. "Look at me—the more lenient you are, the more I chatter." She then added, "I’ll go inform Steward Yu right away and have him send someone to Nanjing to fetch the ginseng."
Madam Yu gave a faint "Mm" and picked up her teacup.
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Meanwhile, the young lady now addressed as "Consort Wu" also held a teacup, though she merely stared at it in a daze.
Beside her stood a newly appointed young maid, quietly recounting her visit to the Wu Family: "...Madam Wu said you should focus on resting during your pregnancy. If you bear the eldest son, for the sake of his dignity, the Yu Family will surely lend a hand to the master teaching in Songjiang and the second young lady raised by the first wife in Zhoushan." She spoke at length, but Consort Wu remained as still as a clay statue, listening without reaction. The maid looked up uneasily and called out, "Consort?" Her brows furrowed with timidity—she was the same maid whose eyes had lit up when Housekeeper Shu yielded to Madam Zhao.
Her name was Lianxin, purchased by Madam Wu to serve Consort Wu. When Consort Wu came over, she brought Lianxin along.
Consort Wu responded listlessly, "You may go. I’ve heard enough."
It was unclear whether she had truly taken it in or not.
Even if Lianxin were dull-witted, she knew her fate was tied to Consort Wu’s—and she was far from dull. Otherwise, Madam Wu wouldn’t have chosen her from so many candidates.
She thought of her aunt back home, who had borne three daughters in a row and was despised by her mother-in-law and husband, always gloomy as a result. Then, when she finally conceived a son, she miscarried in her seventh month... If Consort Wu remained this despondent, might she also miscarry?
Lianxin grew worried.
"Oh, something else happened when I returned to the Wu Family," she said, hoping to lift Consort Wu’s spirits with outside news. "Madam Wu had Steward Yu’s nephew, Runbi, drive us to Shi Family Alley in a carriage. He parked it in the alley, but then Madam Zhao from next door returned with a cart full of flowers and trees she’d bought, blocking the path..."
"Wait!" Consort Wu, who had been expressionless until now, suddenly perked up. She cut Lianxin off. "Madam Zhao? The wife of General Zhao? The one who lives east of the Wu Family? The one with a son and a daughter?"
"Yes!" Lianxin, encouraged by her interest, grew more animated. "That’s the one. Madam Zhao had gone somewhere with her son and daughter..."
"You saw their young lady and young master?" Consort Wu asked curiously.
Lianxin nodded eagerly. "Madam Zhao’s children look just like her—as pretty as the golden boy and jade girl in New Year paintings."
"What happened next?" Consort Wu pressed."Later, the Zhao family's coachman had Runbi move the carriage closer to the wall..." Lianxin vividly recounted the scene, growing more animated as she spoke, her voice rising with excitement. "...But then Mama Shu just said, 'Let it be,' and his face turned green with anger..."
Consort Wu quickly shushed her, lowering her voice. "Keep it down, or someone might hear."
Lianxin stuck out her tongue, tiptoed to the door, and peeked outside. Seeing no one in the courtyard, she turned back and shook her head at Consort Wu.
Consort Wu sighed in relief and chuckled softly. "Since when does anyone's face turn green when they're angry? You're just making things up!" Though her voice was quiet, there was a hint of amusement in it.
How long had it been since Consort Wu had been this cheerful?
As Lianxin pondered, she heard Consort Wu murmur, "Madam Zhao is a good person..."
Curious, Lianxin asked, "Does Consort Wu know Madam Zhao?"
No wonder Consort Wu perked up at the mention of Madam Zhao.
"No, I don't," Consort Wu hastily denied, her expression tinged with melancholy. "But I know of her."
What did that mean?
Being young, Lianxin didn’t understand and stared at Consort Wu in confusion.
Consort Wu smiled faintly, her lips parting as if to say something, when the sound of cheerful, bell-like laughter drifted in from outside.
Lianxin tensed and whispered, "The young mistress is back."
Consort Wu’s eyes dimmed as she murmured, "Probably with the young master..."
Whenever the young master was around, the young mistress's laughter was especially bright.
She instructed Lianxin, "It's almost noon. Go to the kitchen and fetch our meal."
The young mistress disliked having her around, so except for morning and evening greetings, Consort Wu stayed in her room. Now that even those greetings were waived, she hardly ever stepped out.
But perhaps it was for the best—she no longer had to endure those strange looks.
Lianxin nodded repeatedly and withdrew.
Consort Wu leaned back against the pillow.
Since the kang was near the window, the young mistress's sweet voice reached her ears clearly: "Really, you mustn’t lie to me! Otherwise, I—I won’t speak to you for three days!"
"A man's word is his bond. How could I lie to you?" The warm, laughing voice belonged to the young master. "Tomorrow, I’ll make you a shuttlecock myself."
"De Pu..."
The young mistress's voice was tender and lingering, reminding Consort Wu of the way Yu Jingxiu looked at Fan Shi.
A sudden wave of bitterness washed over her.
On the third evening after meeting Madam Yu at Tanzhe Temple, a small sedan chair carried her into the Yu household. That very night, Yu Jingxiu stayed in her room... but before she could even rise, he called for a maid to prepare his bath and then returned to the main house.
Though Yu Jingxiu spent several nights in her room afterward, he never spoke a word to her—not even asking her name.
Then her monthly courses came.
Yu Jingxiu scowled and muttered, "Bad luck," before retreating to the main house.
When she was diagnosed with pregnancy, even the usually stern Madam Yu couldn’t hide her joy. But Consort Wu heard Yu Jingxiu exhale deeply in relief... From then on, he never crossed paths with her again.
If they were so deeply in love, why had they dragged her into this?At this thought, Consort Wu felt her eyes sting, her vision blurring.
She hastily wiped away her tears and burrowed under the covers.
Since the young mistress disliked her so, would she be allowed to raise the child herself before it grew old enough to understand?
Would it be a son or a daughter? A son might be manageable, but what would become of a daughter?
She turned over restlessly.
Suddenly, Fu Tingyun came to mind.
What would Madam Zhao do in this situation?
The thought flickered and vanished, making Consort Wu laugh bitterly.
No matter how far she fell, how could someone like Madam Zhao ever be reduced to a concubine like her?
She was heaven’s favored daughter—how could she ever understand the suffering of weeds trampled into the mud?
The door slammed open.
Consort Wu startled upright.
"Who is it?" she asked fearfully.
"It's me, my lady," Lianxin rushed to her bedside, her face deathly pale. "My lady..."
She stared at Consort Wu, hesitating to speak.
Recognizing her, Consort Wu relaxed.
Softly, she asked, "What's wrong? Weren't you fetching food from the kitchen? Did the Housekeeper give you trouble? Or did you make some mistake? Don’t be afraid—I’ll plead for you."
"No, no," Lianxin shook her head like a pellet drum, "While waiting for the food, I overheard someone say... say..."
Tears welled in her eyes as if she might burst into sobs.
Consort Wu smiled and pulled her into an embrace. "Don’t be afraid. Together, we’ll find a way."
Lianxin burst into tears, stammering, "The washerwoman... said the young mistress must be pregnant... and... and... they wondered what you’d do then!"
"What did you say?" Consort Wu gripped Lianxin’s shoulders, her eyes wide, her face as pale as mourning cloth. "Who told you this?"
Lianxin winced at the painful grip but dared not protest, sobbing, "It was that woman who calls Mo Zhuan her sworn sister... she said it..."
Consort Wu went limp, collapsing onto the pillow.
Lianxin rushed to her side. "My lady! My lady!"
"I’m fine," Consort Wu whispered weakly. "Don’t mind me—go fetch the food. If you’re late, the kitchen women will gossip again..." Yet tears trickled down her temples onto the pillow.
"My lady!" Seeing her ashen face, Lianxin was terrified. Hesitant to leave, she comforted, "Maybe they were lying... yes, they were lying... they love to spread nonsense..."
"I know. Go get the food now!" Consort Wu urged, but as the words left her lips, her expression froze. "Why didn’t I think..." she murmured. "The young mistress’s clothes are handled only by her personal maids from her maiden home. Even if she were pregnant, how would the washerwomen know?" The thought filled her mouth with bitterness, as if she had bitten into gall.
An heir was no small matter.
Lianxin was just a naive little maid—had someone deliberately spoken within her hearing?
Consort Wu patted Lianxin’s hand. "Go on."
Not daring to say more, Lianxin fretted, "My lady, I’ll be right back," and hurried to the kitchen.
Consort Wu closed her eyes.
※※※※※Madam Yu raised her hand as if to hurl the teacup to the ground, but upon seeing the trembling little maid before her, she took a deep breath and gently placed the cup on the kang table beside her. "Since the young master sent you to fetch the imperial physician, go inform Steward Yu!"
The little maid, as if granted a reprieve, murmured a "Yes" and fled Madam Yu's inner chamber like a startled hare.
Housekeeper Shu exchanged a meaningful glance with Madam Yu's senior maid.
The senior maid discreetly led the other attendants out in single file.
Only then did Madam Yu's fury surface fully.
"Tell me, what exactly is she trying to do?" she demanded of Housekeeper Shu. "Pregnant, possibly two or three months along... Could she not know whether her monthly courses came? Is she dead, or are all her attendants dead? And now summoning an imperial physician... Fine, fine, fine. If she wants to make trouble, I'll let her have her way. Let's see what tricks she can pull!" With that, Madam Yu slammed her hand down hard on the kang table.
The teacup she had so carefully placed earlier clattered noisily from the impact.
Tea spilled across the kang table, then dripped down to stain Madam Yu's precious blue Xiang skirt embroidered with golden patterns.
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Had business out today, so just one chapter... O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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