Chapter 235: Turmoil
Consort Wu recalled the times when Madam Yu had tried to warm up to Fu Tingyun, only to be met with cold indifference.
For Madam Yu to humble herself like this, it was clear that the Yu Family not only lacked justification but was likely the party at fault.
Lost in thought, her expression grew somewhat vacant.
Fortunately, she had always been introverted and taciturn by nature, so Housekeeper Shu didn’t think much of it. After giving a few instructions, she went to report back to Madam Yu.
Madam Yu nodded slightly but still felt uneasy. She pressed Housekeeper Shu further, “Did you make everything clear to Zelan?”
“Yes, everything is clear,” Housekeeper Shu replied promptly. “If Consort Wu stays in the courtyard, that’s fine. But if she steps out, no matter what she says, does, or whom she meets, Zelan must report every detail to me.”
Madam Yu gave a slight nod of approval.
Housekeeper Shu exhaled in relief and tried to reassure her, “Madam, Consort Wu rarely leaves the house even once a year. And even if she does, the chances of her running into Fu Shi are minuscule—they’re hardly the type to cross paths. This was just a coincidence. There’s no need to worry too much.”
“I’m just taking precautions to nip problems in the bud,” Madam Yu sighed. “If the Wu Family were to find out about this, it would tarnish De Pu’s reputation.”
At the mention of the young master, Housekeeper Shu hesitated before cautiously suggesting, “What about the young mistress? Should we inform her…? After all, Zelan was assigned to Consort Wu without her knowledge…”
Since the birth of their child, Yu Jingxiu and Fan Shi had been referred to as “the young master” and “the young mistress” respectively.
Before she could finish, Madam Yu let out a cold snort. “Doesn’t she have the young master wrapped around her finger? Let her go cry to him. I’d like to see what excuses he comes up with this time.”
Housekeeper Shu tensed.
Consort Wu had miscarried after slipping while stepping aside to make way for the young mistress.
The child had been a boy.
Madam Yu had fainted from rage on the spot. Even the usually composed master had turned livid. Yet the young master had been solely concerned about the young mistress, fearing she’d face blame from his parents. He’d even scolded Consort Wu for being clumsy and causing the Yu Family to lose an heir…
It had taken Madam Yu immense effort to swallow her fury.
Later, seeing how frail their eldest daughter was and how the young mistress wept daily, Madam Yu had softened somewhat, thinking her plight wasn’t easy. So why was she harboring resentment again now?
Could it be because of Fu Shi?
In the past, Madam Yu had only been angry that the young mistress had bewitched the young master into committing such an unrighteous act. But since the young mistress had married into the family, Madam Yu had tolerated much for the sake of harmony. Now, however, Fu Shi had borne two children in three years, with another on the way… Anyone would feel awkward, let alone someone as proud as Madam Yu. It was likely she had redirected her anger toward the young mistress.
As Housekeeper Shu mulled this over and prepared to offer some words of comfort, Madam Yu spoke again, “There’s another matter… Consort Wu mentioned that Fu Shi’s ‘sister’ was by her side. Go and find out who this ‘sister’ really is.”
She could be a sworn sister or a female relative from another family—someone close enough to be addressed affectionately as “sister”…Housekeeper Shu quickly composed herself and respectfully acknowledged the instructions before heading to Madam Wu's quarters.
Within a couple of days, Madam Wu sent a reply. It turned out that the person accompanying Fu Tingyun to Tanzhe Temple was her fifth sister, who had come along when Fu Tingyun returned to Shaanxi to erect memorial tablets for her parents-in-law.
Madam Yu gasped in shock upon hearing this.
She immediately sought out Grand Secretary Yu and relayed the news: "...It seems the Fu family already knows Fu Tingyun is still alive. You must investigate and find out what they’re saying. The Fu family is a prominent clan in Huayin, with marriage ties all over Shaanxi. If this spreads, it could cause serious trouble."
Grand Secretary Yu was already preoccupied with his own worries.
The Emperor had uncovered the shortage of silver in the imperial treasury.
Shen Shichong was likely finished this time!
Though the matter had nothing to do with Shen Shichong directly, such a scandal occurring under his governance meant he couldn’t escape blame.
Shen Shichong knew this too and was preparing to make a drastic sacrifice—he intended to resign voluntarily and recommend someone from the Grand Secretariat to succeed him as Chief Grand Secretary.
Grand Secretary Yu was currently vying for Shen Shichong’s support.
If successful, he would replace Shen Shichong as Chief Grand Secretary.
With this in mind, he waved dismissively at Madam Yu. "Handle this matter as you see fit. I’m swamped with official duties these days."
Seeing her husband so troubled, Madam Yu sat beside him with concern. "What exactly has happened?"
At a time like this, the household couldn’t afford any mishaps!
After a moment’s hesitation, Grand Secretary Yu explained the situation.
Madam Yu was stunned. "How could this happen?" she exclaimed. "How did the Emperor even discover the missing silver from the treasury? This is a capital offense!" She sighed. "Heads will surely roll among the officials."
Grand Secretary Yu was equally frustrated. "The Emperor was raising military pay and provisions for the unrest in Guizhou. For a regional disturbance, the Ministry of Revenue could have allocated funds from anywhere. But the Emperor suddenly ordered the imperial treasury to supply the provisions. Grand Secretary Shen never imagined the treasury would be short on silver, and now the scandal has erupted." He added bitterly, "The Emperor must have been watching for a while, yet Grand Secretary Shen remained completely unaware. Ever since Qin Feiyu became the commander of the Tengji Guard, they’ve stopped monitoring the imperial princes and started spying on the court officials. If this continues, the entire court will be thrown into panic!"
"That’s a problem for the future," Madam Yu said, focusing on the present. "What are your plans now?"
"Since the Emperor intends to punish Grand Secretary Shen, he can’t openly recommend a successor," Grand Secretary Yu said calmly. "But the Emperor also won’t let Mo Yingbo take over—he was once aligned with Prince Zhuang. Fortunately, I have good relations with both Grand Secretary Shen and Mo Yingbo. I’ll have to assess the situation and see if luck is on my side."
Madam Yu encouraged him. "Didn’t the Heavenly Master Zhang of the Tianyi Sect say you’re in a period of great fortune? I believe you’ll succeed this time."
Her words bolstered his confidence. "May it be as you say! If it comes to pass, I’ll be sure to thank you for your auspicious words."
Madam Yu smiled.
After exchanging some private words, she noticed Grand Secretary Yu still had memorials to draft, so she personally brewed him a cup of tea before returning to the main residence. The next day, she summoned Yu Huaian and quietly gave him instructions. Yu Huaian handed over household affairs to the second steward and set off for Huayin.It was only after seven or eight days that Fan Shi learned Madam Yu had gifted a maidservant to Consort Wu.
She immediately erupted: "...With Zhen Jie'er hanging between life and death, while everyone is worried sick about her, she still finds time to gift a maid to a concubine? Is she implying I'm not taking good care of Consort Wu? Or does she think since the young master no longer visits Consort Wu's chambers, she needs to provide fresh blood to help her?"
Before Fan Shi could finish, her wet nurse covered her mouth: "My dear young mistress, please endure this! What if you frighten Zhen Jie'er? Whether he likes someone or not depends entirely on the young master. Otherwise, your chambers would have been filled with concubines long ago—why wait until now? Instead of being angry with your mother-in-law, you'd be better off focusing on winning the young master's heart." She added, "The real worry for women is not getting pregnant. Once you conceive, the children will come one after another. Don't fret, madam. Once you bear a son, no matter how many schemes Madam Yu has, they'll all be useless."
Fan Shi stomped her foot furiously, pretending not to see Zelan, but a suffocating resentment lingered in her heart. Especially when she noticed Yu Jingxiu's gaze lingering on Zelan several times, she could no longer hold back and said with a forced laugh, "What? Has our young master finally found someone to his liking? Though she once served Mother, since Mother placed her in my courtyard, she's now mine. I can make decisions for you too!" She covered her sleeve with a laugh, but there was no joy in her expression—only a feigned sarcasm.
Yu Jingxiu frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting now?" Ignoring her, he asked, "How is Zhen Jie'er today?"
The child's illness had worn them both down, leaving their tempers shorter than before.
In the past, he would have embraced her, swearing and reassuring her. But today, he didn't even offer an explanation.
Fan Shi found Zelan increasingly unbearable.
Zelan assumed it was because she served Consort Wu and secretly mocked Fan Shi for her pettiness and lack of a proper mistress's bearing.
But there was nothing she could do. She tried to stay out of Fan Shi's sight as much as possible, spending her days quietly doing needlework with the dull and withdrawn Consort Wu.
Lianxin couldn't help but worry.
Though she had been sent by Madam Wu, Consort Wu was out of favor, and now that her child had died, she had no standing in the Yu Family. How could she compare to Zelan, who had served Madam Yu and was born into the household? Her only hope was to align herself completely with Consort Wu.
Before she could find a chance to pledge her loyalty, Consort Wu unexpectedly approached her: "...Stay with me without worry. Even if I fall, your deed is still with the Wu Family. When the time comes, I'll send you back."
The usually indifferent Consort Wu had spoken such words to her, proving that despite her cold exterior, she recognized Lianxin's loyalty after all these years of service.
Lianxin was deeply moved, feeling she must repay Consort Wu somehow. Seeing Zelan constantly hovering around Consort Wu, she often went to the kitchen to help the old women wash rice and vegetables, occasionally bringing news to Consort Wu: "...Mama Shen said that Shitou has gone out with the Yu Family's chief steward. Household affairs have been handed over to the deputy steward, and he won't return until after the New Year!""Housekeeper Li said the mistress and master must be at odds—neither of them ate dinner. In the evening, the mistress personally went to the kitchen to prepare a few dishes and even had them bring a small jar of Jinhua wine, which was reportedly sent to the master's quarters."
Consort Wu spat at her, "Stop gossiping. Be careful others don't hear you."
But unlike before, she didn't turn her head away with annoyance.
Lianxin giggled.
On the morning of Chuyi, Consort Wu even gave her two small silver sycees as New Year's money.
Lianxin was so delighted she couldn't close her mouth, often taking them out to look at them when she went to bed at night.
Consort Wu then instructed her, "If Chief Steward Yu returns, let me know."
Lianxin widened her eyes, looking at Consort Wu curiously, "Does Consort have business with Chief Steward Yu?"
※
Sisters, brothers, pink votes have doubled, the top gods are too fierce, we've been squeezed out of the top three(>_
OpenNovel