(The chapter numbers were incorrect in the previous two chapters, so to avoid continuing the mistake, this chapter has been corrected... 〒_〒)
Ren Yaoying was still dreaming of becoming an official’s wife, unaware that she was already a dead person without a household registration.
Zhou Wen kept Ren Yaoying hidden away for about a month before taking her with him when he assumed his post in Yizhou. However, Zhou Wen did not bring only Ren Yaoying—he also brought along the maidservant his wife, Lady Gao, had given him as a concubine.
Lady Gao was an exceptionally well-mannered and virtuous woman. Though her appearance was merely delicate, she had a keen sense for dressing and grooming and was highly perceptive and tactful. Not only was Zhou Wen’s mother very satisfied with this daughter-in-law, but even Zhou Wen himself shared a deep bond of affection with Lady Gao as husband and wife. Even after taking Ren Yaoying, he never once considered divorcing his wife.
According to Ren Yaoying’s wishes, Zhou Wen was to keep her existence a secret from Lady Gao. However, Zhou Wen felt that his wife was a rare and virtuous woman. Considering that she would serve his parents and raise their children in the future, he could not bear to deceive her. Thus, before leaving Yunyang City, he told Lady Gao about Ren Yaoying.
Upon learning of this, Lady Gao did not blame Zhou Wen. Instead, she inquired in detail about Zhou Wen’s past with Ren Yaoying. After listening, she comforted Zhou Wen thoughtfully and offered advice: once they arrived in Yizhou, they should find a respectable family to adopt Ren Yaoying and then take her as a proper concubine. As an official, Zhou Wen would not only demean Ren Yaoying, a good girl, by keeping her by his side without a proper status, but it would also harm his future career.
Zhou Wen nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful for Lady Gao’s consideration. In the following days, he stayed in the main residence, keeping Lady Gao company.
When Zhou Wen relayed Lady Gao’s words to Ren Yaoying, Ren Yaoying flew into a rage. She said that with her status, how could she casually acknowledge an ordinary family? Lady Gao was clearly harboring ill intentions, trying to control her.
Faced with Ren Yaoying’s tears and tantrums, Zhou Wen first patiently coaxed her and analyzed the situation. But Ren Yaoying refused to listen. In the end, Zhou Wen grew tired of her unreasonable behavior and returned home to enjoy Lady Gao’s gentle affection.
Before his departure, Lady Gao expressed concern about Zhou Wen being alone away from home and insisted that the maidservant accompany him to his post. Zhou Wen initially worried that Ren Yaoying might cause another scene, but Lady Gao explained that she had two close friends married in Yizhou—one whose husband had considerable connections in the local official circles, and the other whose husband belonged to a prominent family in Yizhou. Although this maidservant was just a servant, she had grown up with Lady Gao, could read, keep accounts, manage a household, and was familiar with both of Lady Gao’s friends. Bringing her along would be an asset to Zhou Wen.
Naturally, Zhou Wen was delighted to hear this. Moreover, this maidservant was no less beautiful than Ren Yaoying and was skilled at serving others. Zhou Wen had already grown somewhat fond of her, so he happily took the maidservant provided by Lady Gao along with him.
When Ren Yaoying saw Zhou Wen arrive with Lady Gao’s maidservant, she angrily smashed two cups and sulked for days, refusing to speak to Zhou Wen. As a newly appointed official, Zhou Wen was already extremely busy and had no patience to coax Ren Yaoying. Thus, upon returning home, he spent his nights in the maidservant’s quarters.By the time Ren Yaoying realized her mistake and regretted it, the inner courtyard of Zhou Wen's new residence in Yizhou had already been taken over by that maidservant. The servants who had followed Zhou Wen this time were all prepared by Lady Gao for him, so how could Ren Yaoying possibly have a chance to interfere?
Ren Yaoying gritted her teeth in frustration, but she could only swallow her anger and coax Zhou Wen back. When Zhou Wen was finally willing to rest in her room, Ren Yaoying proposed taking charge of the household. However, during this period, Zhou Wen was busy socializing with officials in Yizhou. Letters from Lady Gao to her close friends and the assistance of the maidservant had been of great help to him. Moreover, the maidservant managed the household affairs in an orderly manner, which greatly satisfied Zhou Wen. Naturally, he refused Ren Yaoying's request to take charge.
Less than two months after Zhou Wen took office, news came from Yunyang City that Lady Gao was pregnant again—clearly conceived before he left for Yizhou. A few months later, Lady Gao gave birth to another son, further solidifying her position in the Zhou family. Zhou Wen, overjoyed by the good news, was in high spirits and walked with a spring in his step.
However, while others were happy, Ren Yaoying was not. After taking office, Zhou Wen naturally had to engage in social activities. Ren Yaoying wanted to act as the mistress of the Zhou family and socialize with the wives of officials. Although Zhou Wen was naturally flirtatious, he knew this was inappropriate and did not agree. Instead, Lady Gao's maidservant frequently visited the inner courtyards of several prominent households, delivering items from Lady Gao to the wives.
Once, Zhou Wen was so annoyed by Ren Yaoying's pestering that he reluctantly allowed her to visit a temple to burn incense. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, many official wives visited the temple, and Ren Yaoying hoped to break into their circle. However, when she went to the temple and introduced herself to several high-status wives, no one was willing to acknowledge her.
One young wife looked her over a few times and finally spoke, "The wife of the Zhou family? I remember Madam Zhou is still in Yunyang City serving her parents-in-law. I've known her for over a decade, and I don't recall her looking like you."
Several other wives nearby laughed, their gazes at Ren Yaoying as if they were looking at a clown who didn't know her place.
"Could she be some kind of female swindler?"
"I heard that Master Zhou has a concubine who, while Madam Zhou is still in their hometown, acts arrogantly, forgetting her place and claiming to be Madam Zhou every day."
"Tsk, Master Zhou is truly foolish. Madam Zhou is serving his parents and raising his children back home, yet he lets an ignorant concubine embarrass him like this."
"Well, aren't all men like that? But Madam Zhou is truly kind-hearted. In my opinion, given her background, she’s actually too good for Master Zhou. Yet she’s so gentle-natured. Just the other day, she even had her father write to my husband, asking him to take care of Master Zhou. I feel she deserves better."
Ren Yaoying was so angered by the wives' sarcastic remarks that her face flushed red, and she felt dizzy. In the end, she could only slink away in disgrace.
However, Ren Yaoying's appearance this time had a very negative impact on Zhou Wen. Rumors spread throughout Yizhou that Master Zhou favored his concubine over his wife, letting a concubine take charge of the household. Even his brother-in-law wrote to him about the matter, half-jokingly reminding him that his father-in-law was not pleased to hear about it.Zhou Wen deeply regretted allowing Ren Yaoying to go out and cause trouble, and he no longer dared to let her leave the house. He then wrote a letter to his wife, Lady Gao, at home. Lady Gao replied to comfort Zhou Wen, assuring him not to worry and that she would handle the matter properly. Not long after, Lady Gao's family spoke on Zhou Wen's behalf, helping him restore some of his reputation.
However, the Zhou family did not make an appearance in Yizhou, and the rumors outside were not so easily dispelled. Zhou Wen indeed needed a female family member who could help him socialize with other officials' wives. Although the maidservant he brought from home had some skills, her status was ultimately insufficient. Zhou Wen wrote back, hoping Lady Gao would come to Yizhou, but to his surprise, she refused.
Lady Gao's reply to Zhou Wen was sincere and deeply moving. In essence, she explained that since her husband was away from home, she, as his wife, must serve his parents on his behalf. She also comforted him by saying she would arrange for him to take a virtuous concubine to attend to him. Touched by the letter, Zhou Wen declined her offer to take a concubine.
Zhou Wen then wrote to his mother, explaining his predicament and emphasizing Lady Gao's pure filial piety. In the end, Zhou Wen's mother personally visited Lady Gao, stating that she was still young and did not need her daughter-in-law to serve her by her side. She urged Lady Gao to accompany Zhou Wen to his post in Yizhou.
After repeatedly declining, Lady Gao was finally compelled by her mother-in-law to go to Yizhou. Having given birth to two sons since marrying into the family, she brought her eldest son with her to Yizhou, leaving the younger one temporarily with his grandparents to be reunited when he was a bit older.
After much anticipation, Zhou Wen finally welcomed his wife. For an entire month, he stayed in the main residence, and the couple was as sweet as honey. Zhou Wen entrusted all matters of the inner courtyard and external social engagements to Lady Gao, and she lived up to his expectations, managing everything inside and out exceptionally well, saving Zhou Wen much worry.
Lady Gao finally met Ren Yaoying. She treated Ren Yaoying kindly, rewarding her with a pair of high-quality jade bracelets. She did not require her to pay morning and evening respects or follow strict rules, nor did she withhold food, clothing, or allowances. Outsiders praised Lady Gao for her virtue and tolerance, and Zhou Wen grew to cherish her even more.
In contrast, Ren Yaoying always viewed Lady Gao unfavorably, secretly cursing her as a hypocrite with a venomous heart and deep scheming. While Lady Gao paid her no mind, Zhou Wen gradually grew weary of Ren Yaoying's attempts to sow discord.
One day, Lady Gao visited her close friends. Three young wives sat together chatting, each keeping only their most trusted maidservants by their side.
Lady Gao offered tea to her two friends and said with a smile, "Thanks to both sisters for your support."
The wife whom Ren Yaoying had once encountered at the temple waved her hand dismissively. "Why say such things among sisters? We wives all face hardships. Men indulge in pleasure and lust, yet demand that we be neither jealous nor troublesome, understanding and reasonable. We must not only serve their parents with filial piety and raise their children but also attend to their various mistresses. If we fail in any aspect, the 'seven grounds for divorce' await to cast us out. Hah—they want all the benefits without considering whether they’ve burned enough incense in their past lives or if their ancestors' graves were placed in the right location!"
Lady Gao sighed. "As women, this is how it has always been. What can we do?"Another young woman chimed in, "Especially among noble families—which man doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? Once the principal wife grows older, she becomes little more than a decoration. The men in our families are still considered decent, at least they’re ambitious and clear-headed in important matters."
The woman who had spoken first remarked, "I think it’s because we didn’t do enough good deeds in our past lives. There are good men in this world, but we just haven’t met them. Look at our Prince of Yanbei—he’s a fine example. Not only is he heroic and upright, but he also married only one Princess Consort, and all his children were born to her. Although he once took a princess from Liao into his household, everyone later learned that she was no good and had been forced upon him by the emperor. Our Prince never even consummated the marriage with her."
Upon hearing this, Lady Gao nodded and sighed, "The Princess Consort is truly blessed. A man like the Prince of Yanbei isn’t someone everyone is fortunate enough to encounter."
It will likely conclude tonight, mainly because the major events involving the male and female protagonists at this stage of their lives are mostly wrapped up. Yanbei will remain relatively stable for the next decade or so, and continuing further would require a significant time jump. The transition to a new dynasty would also need a gradual process.
There will be several extra chapters afterward to clarify unresolved details from the main story and bring back beloved characters for the readers.
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