"...At least for the sake of our childhood bond, please speak to Second Madam on my behalf. Both Eldest Young Master and I will remember your kindness." A middle-aged woman stood beneath the corridor, clutching the sleeve of a neatly dressed steward's wife as she whispered urgently.
The steward's wife replied softly, "I understand. Second Madam has been particularly busy lately—otherwise, she would have remembered even without your reminder. Just think back over all these years: when has Second Madam ever neglected Eldest Young Master's education and studies?"
Though the middle-aged woman was dressed in fine silks and satins, her demeanor remained timid and cowering. At these words, she flushed with awkward embarrassment.
After they parted, the steward's wife turned and stepped out of the courtyard. Another steward's wife hurried to catch up, muttering under her breath, "Cuichan, you're too kind-hearted. If this isn't handled properly and Second Madam becomes suspicious of you, what will you do?"
Cuichan sighed lightly. "Let it be. We grew up together after all, and she's having a hard time now."
"Hard time? If she hadn't been so eager to show off back then, wouldn't she be more respectable than us now?"
Cuichan shook her head. "This isn't for us to discuss. You should attend to your duties." The other woman smiled. "Alright then, what about that matter I asked you to..." Cuichan smiled back. "I haven't forgotten." The other woman repeatedly expressed her thanks, beaming with delight as she walked away.
After watching her leave, Cuichan continued toward the main residence. Along the way, every maid and matron she encountered promptly set aside their tasks to bow and greet her respectfully.
Just as Cuichan entered the main hall, she heard voices from the inner chamber. Recognizing them as her mistress and Second Madam Wu of the Sheng family's main branch, she immediately halted, holding her breath by the doorway.
"...Cousin, please help me! My children have never been apart from me since they were born!" Second Madam Wu's soft sobs came in broken whispers.
"Stop your weeping. Over the years, I've advised you all I could, but it went in one ear and out the other—as if I were just trying to scare you. Well, now you've finally provoked Eldest Aunt's wrath. To put it bluntly, this is a matter between the main branch's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law behind closed doors. Not to mention I'm just a married-off daughter—even my brothers shouldn't interfere. On the surface, what grandmother wouldn't want to personally educate her own grandchildren? Who could possibly find fault with that?!"
Second Madam Wu was no fool—she understood the reasoning perfectly—yet she continued weeping bitterly. "Mother is furious with me, but... what could I do? She is my birth mother after all, cousin..."
"Ah yes, cousin is so filial, remembering her own birth mother. Meanwhile, my own birth mother remains all alone in the ancestral temple back home." Second Madam's voice suddenly turned cold.
Realizing her blunder, Second Madam Wu quickly said, "Cousin, please don't be angry! I misspoke—I'm just foolish! Aunt has always been so kind to me, and now my mother has brought this upon her... I truly don't know how to atone." As she spoke, she began crying again. "I know full well how grievous my mother's sins are, but when I went to visit her at the House of Repentance, she was worn down to a shadow, sobbing endlessly when she saw me... As her child, how could I bear to watch..."
"I told you long ago not to visit, but you insisted."
Second Madam Wu wept, "Since Grandmother passed away, Uncle and Aunt no longer wish to care for Mother. Elder Brother is restrained by his wife. If not me, then who else...?""So it's thanks to Brother Changwu's promotion that you can now visit your mother in the House of Repentance!" Second Madam's voice dripped with sarcasm before shifting tone. "Speaking of uncles and aunts, I heard our Wang cousin recently had another son? One must say our aunt has good judgment - the second wife she brought in truly brings prosperity to her husband and blessings to her children."
Wu Second Madam started in alarm. Meeting her cousin's meaningful gaze, she stammered, "C-cousin..."
"You should be content. My uncle and aunt have treated you generously enough. Though furious at heart, they've never taken it out on you. Think of Yuan'er - her in-laws are our own maternal uncle and aunt! Yet you keep pushing your luck - one moment visiting your mother, the next begging Old Madam for forgiveness! Old Madam rarely returns to the capital, and you had to kneel weeping at the entrance of Longevity and Peace Hall during New Year, bringing nothing but ill fortune!"
"Now that Old Madam has recovered her health, she's already given word for Aunt to return. Everyone enjoys wealth and honor, the whole family is content. Besides... besides she's my mother..." Wu Second Madam tried to continue but was immediately cut off.
"I know she's your mother! Everyone knows she's your mother!" Second Madam's voice was thick with mockery. "I can't be bothered to revisit that old dispute. That Old Madam is unharmed is due to her great fortune, but Aunt's malicious intent is undeniable. Our Sheng family's main and secondary branches have shared decades of affection, closer than ordinary separated brothers. This bond must continue. My uncle and aunt would never let you create discord between our households! Understand this clearly - no matter how justified you feel, you must choose one side. Don't expect everyone to understand and accommodate you! You're clever enough to know what to do!"
After this lengthy speech, Second Madam seemed weary and began to see her guest out. Wu Second Madam could only stifle her tears and sob her way out. Cuichan quickly stepped aside, standing by the main door holding the curtain aside while curtsying.
After seeing Wu Second Madam off, Cuichan slowly entered the inner chamber. Finding her mistress sitting on the kang with a dark expression, she was immediately addressed: "What took you so long?! I've been waiting forever."
Knowing her mistress's temperament, Cuichan smiled as she approached the kang, exclaiming playfully, "Oh my dear Second Madam! How could I barge in while the mistresses were talking? Poor me, running my legs off only to wait outside."
Second Madam was amused by her theatrical manner, her expression softening slightly.
Reading her mistress's mood, Cuichan smiled, "If you ask me, it's only because you're too kind and generous that Wu Second Madam keeps coming here to weep. Anyone else would have either shut the door in her face or scolded her directly."
Second Madam had a straightforward nature - quick to anger but quick to cool. She sighed with a laugh, "I just pity Cousin Yun'er. All these years, she's shown compassion to the elderly and weak, distributing porridge and rice, doing many good deeds. Ah... a white phoenix flying out of a crow's nest - what kind of situation is this..."
Cuichan ventured cautiously, "This time... what did Wu Second Madam want...?"Second Madam snorted coldly: "Cousin Kang's wife grew so weary of her pestering that she urged, 'Only the Marquis of Gu can secure a release from the House of Repentance. Why not plead with the Marquise of Gu?' To think our cousin took it seriously—she actually pricked her finger to write a blood letter intended for Shu! Fortunately, the stewardess left in the capital by Da Bomu was sharp enough to intercept it. When the news reached our hometown in Youyang, it gave Uncle quite a fright. Had that letter truly been sent, Sixth Sister might have brushed it off, but her husband would have assumed it represented Brother Changwu's intentions!"
Cuichan was also startled: "Second Madam Wu is far too bold."
"Hmph!" Second Madam wore an expression of exasperation. "When this first happened, I advised her to see reason and not stake herself against the entire second branch—no one in the main branch would support her. Four years ago, after Da Bomu confined her to our hometown for a full year, I gently urged her upon her return to stop her endless weeping, as Da Bomu was already furious. Last year, when she knelt recklessly at the gates of Longevity and Peace Hall, Da Bomu fell ill from anger. Two months later, a respectable concubine of good background was brought into the household. Ai, she never learns from her mistakes—I've grown tired of wasting breath."
Noticing her mistress was parched from agitation, Cuichan silently poured a bowl of warm tea and handed it to her.
"Actually, I knew of this matter early on," Second Madam said after drinking the tea and steadying her breath. "Da Bomu originally intended to summon our cousin back to our hometown and never allow her return, planning instead for that respectable concubine to become an equal wife and manage affairs on Brother Wu's behalf. Thankfully, Brother Wu is sentimental—he pleaded earnestly, arguing 'this would be improper,' and thus managed to preserve our cousin's position."
Cuichan sat on the kang, gently massaging Second Madam's legs as she soothingly said, "Don't anger yourself, Madam. In my opinion, when the main branch's madam ordered Second Madam Wu's children to be brought back, it wasn't solely for punishment. Setting aside Old Madam's kindness to the main branch, ultimately, the main branch are merchants with only Second Master Wu in official service, and he's a military officer. But our family? How many civil and military officials do we have? In this generation, our two branches remain as close as one family. But if Second Madam Wu continues like this, occasionally taking the children to visit their suffering Kang grandmother in the House of Repentance, teaching them through words and deeds, won't the young masters and misses grow to harbor secret resentments when they're older?"
Second Madam slapped her thigh: "You've struck the very chord in my heart! I too worry about this. Fortunately, Uncle and Aunt are sensible—they're taking the children back to raise them properly while they're still young. But this is the only chance. Brother Changwu has already promised his mother that if it happens again, he'll send his wife back to our hometown and elevate another equal wife."
She sighed and added, "That vicious aunt of ours must never be released. I've heard she curses our entire family daily inside there. Ai, speaking of which, Yun'er's marriage was still arranged by Old Madam. I wonder if she ever remembers Old Madam's kindness."
After talking for some time, Second Madam noticed Cuichan's prolonged silence and couldn't help but laugh: "What's wrong with you? Have you suddenly gone mute?"
Cuichan hesitated before finally speaking: "Hearing Madam speak of conscience, I don't know whether I should relay a message from someone."
Second Madam pondered briefly, her expression gradually darkening: "It's Yun'er being soft-hearted again, and you're soft-hearted too. What has she asked you to tell me this time?"Cuichan smiled bitterly and said, "Concubine Song says the eldest young master is growing day by day, and it's clear he's not cut out for studying—he prefers martial arts instead. Our master doesn't have time for this, so she wonders if the mistress could find him a weapons instructor."
The second mistress snorted coldly. "She has quite the appetite, daring to say anything."
Cuichan stood quietly to the side, not making a sound.
Although she was now the most trusted person in the second mistress's service, originally, Concubine Song had been the second mistress's personal maid since childhood. Other mistresses might be willing to give their personal maids to their husbands as concubines, but the second mistress had grown up watching Consort Lin's domineering ways and fundamentally disbelieved in harmony between wife and concubines. Thus, no matter how anxious she had been back then, she never considered any of them for that role.
Who would have thought that when Concubine Song saw the second mistress injure her health while giving birth to the eldest young lady, she developed other ideas—since there would be no legitimate son, then surely the eldest illegitimate son would be most valued. She took the initiative to propose 'sharing the mistress's burdens'... After that, although the second mistress said nothing and everything continued as usual, Cuichan knew she was heartbroken.
The second mistress's original plan had been to find a second or third-class maid whose parents and brothers' contracts were all in her hands. After all, this was someone who would bear the second master's eldest illegitimate son—it wouldn't do to be too close. If things went well, everyone would be happy; if not, and she became arrogant because of her son, if they had to break relations, it wouldn't damage their childhood bond.
Cuichan often wondered, if even she could discern the second mistress's thoughts, how could Concubine Song not know? Yet she still insisted, 'Others can't be trusted, but I'm closest to the mistress. The son I bear will be no different from one from the mistress's own womb.'
When the eldest young master was first born, the second mistress was naturally relieved, and Concubine Song was immensely proud. But man proposes, God disposes—later, the second mistress regained her health and successively gave birth to legitimate sons, and the couple grew even more devoted.
Thus, the existence of the eldest illegitimate son became awkward instead; and Concubine Song grew increasingly anxious.
After a long silence, the second mistress said quietly, "Tell me truthfully, have I ever treated them poorly all these years?"
Cuichan whispered, "Heaven knows it was Concubine Song who hurt you first. You've been more than fair to her. Both are concubines raised from maids—look at the food, clothing, and expenses of our family's Concubine Xiang and the sixth young master... They should be content."
A glimmer of tears seemed to flash in the second mistress's eyes but quickly vanished. She took Cuichan's hand and said tearfully, "Fortunately, before I married, Old Madam gave you to me. During the most difficult times, you encouraged and comforted me every day, helping me persevere."
Cuichan said sincerely, "Old Madam said long ago that the mistress is kind and warm-hearted. Following you would never be wrong."
After mistress and maid chatted and laughed for a while, Cuichan suddenly remembered something. "Oh, mistress, you haven't even asked me how my errand went yet."
The second mistress pressed her forehead and bit her lip, laughing and scolding, "It's all your fault, making me ramble on until I forgot where we were. Quick, tell me—didn't I send you to deliver ginseng first thing this morning? How is Fourth Sister? Has she given birth yet?"
Cuichan smiled. "After struggling all morning, Fourth Aunt has given birth to another young lady."
The second mistress exclaimed, "Another girl! That makes four now!"
Cuichan also sighed inwardly. Four in a row—truly, heaven remains silent when questioned.Fortunately, Fourth Aunt had inherited some of her birth mother's true skills. Though her mother-in-law disliked her, she could at least keep her husband hooked; they only hoped Consort Lin's abilities were reliable, enabling Fourth Aunt to continue enticing her husband to have children.
Second Aunt sighed for a while, then said weakly, "What a mess. Sixth Sister gives birth to sons one after another, while Fourth Sister pops out girls every time she spreads her legs."
Cuichan said softly, "I heard the child Fourth Aunt lost in her first pregnancy was actually a boy."
Second Aunt curled her lips and said regretfully, "Not just that. Two years ago she miscarried again, a fully formed male fetus." Molan actually had strong fertility—her tragedy lay in miscarrying all the sons while giving birth only to daughters.
"After all these years, I don't hold any resentment anymore. I just hope Fourth Sister will be more sensible, stop quarreling with the concubines, take good care of her health, and have a son in her next pregnancy." Second Aunt kept sighing.
Cuichan's eyes held a smile. Over the years, Second Aunt had become increasingly kind-hearted. Even her past grievances with Consort Lin had dissipated with the wind. She wholeheartedly pursued goodness, wanting to accumulate more blessings for her children.
"Fifth Aunt is better off—one girl and one boy, alternating births, making Sixth Aunt quite envious."
"She's another troublesome one. While Sixth Sister envies her, she envies Sixth Sister in return."
Second Aunt scoffed lightly: "Sixth Brother-in-law treats Sixth Sister like the apple of his eye—afraid she'll melt in his mouth, afraid she'll fall from his hands. He refuses to be separated from her for even a moment. But Fifth Brother-in-law needs occasional reprimanding. Some time ago, Fifth Brother-in-law's superior gifted him a concubine, and Fifth Sister made quite a scene. Who knows how that turned out."
Cuichan listened and also smiled: "Fifth Aunt isn't actually intolerant of others. It's just that whenever the Wen family son-in-law wants to take a concubine, he must get her approval first. Weren't the previous two quite good—honest and well-behaved?"
"She's competing with Sixth Sister!" Second Aunt said. "How can she compare with Sixth Brother-in-law? He suffered so much in the first half of his life, his temperament is stubborn, and he absolutely can't stand outsiders meddling in his household affairs."
She remembered that year when the Prince of Shu gifted two beauties—Sixth Brother-in-law immediately passed them on to soldiers who couldn't find wives. Later when four more dancers were gifted, Sixth Brother-in-law provided them with good food and shelter, having them perform at every family banquet. Half the nobility in Shu had seen them, all praising the Prince of Shu's palace for training such talented women with both beauty and skills.
Thinking of that Fengxian from the former Ningyuan Marquis Household, Second Aunt shook her head with a secret smile.
Later the Prince of Shu became angry and tried to cause trouble, but Gu Tingye preemptively submitted a memorial against him. Third Brother Changfeng once vividly explained the general meaning of that memorial:
Your Majesty, this subject gave away the women the Prince of Shu sent, which angered the Prince. This subject admits his wrongdoing—what the royal family bestows, even if it's a chamber pot, shouldn't be casually transferred! So when the Prince of Shu sent women the second time, this subject kept them and frequently put them to use. Banquet guests who saw them all praised them, yet the Prince of Shu became unhappy again, claiming this subject failed to understand the proper way to use the women he gifted. Your Majesty, now the Prince of Shu wants to control how this subject uses women in his household—will he try to control how this subject commands his troops in the future?Your Majesty, I truly have no wish to take a concubine. You know full well how I suffered from domestic turmoil in my early years, which led to my family's ruin. The Prince of Shu insists on forcing me to take a concubine—what benefit could he possibly gain from this? As your official, I devote myself entirely to Your Majesty's affairs, to the extent that I have no time to tutor my youngest son. If this continues, I'll have to send him to the capital like his two elder brothers, to serve as companions to the imperial princes under the guidance of the royal tutors. That would set my mind at ease. Your Majesty, what do you think... perhaps you could take in one more?
[Imperial Edict to Gu Tingye: The quota for imperial study companions is full. Your family already occupies two spots, and many senior officials have expressed dissatisfaction. Keep your remaining son yourself. PS: Your eldest shows great promise—mature beyond his years and reliable in handling affairs. He has earned the favor of both myself and the Crown Prince. The second son speaks too little, exhausting his tutors. When your brother-in-law Sheng Changbai returns to the capital next month to assume his post, we shall return the boy to him. He deserves careful nurturing.]
The Emperor had been waiting for this very opportunity. He immediately issued a stern decree reprimanding the Prince of Shu—"Even imperial princes should not casually associate with officials. You, a feudal prince, have repeatedly connected with frontier commanders—what are your intentions?"
The subtext was clear: I myself ascended the throne as a feudal prince and promptly dealt with two other princes upon my accession. Are you attempting to follow suit?!
In the following years, the Emperor reduced the Prince of Shu's guards by two-thirds, stripped him of his authority to mint coins and manage mines in his domain, and incidentally bestowed upon the Prince of Shu's residence several "imperially appointed Chief Household Stewards."
Whenever Second Madam recalled the letters from her sixth sister arriving from distant parts, she couldn't help but smile, feeling both comforted and warmed.
Cuichan observed from the corner of her eye as Second Madam's lips curved in a smile, as if recalling something amusing, completely dismissing her earlier displeasure. Relieved, Cuichan noted that mentioning Sixth Concubine always lifted her mistress's spirits.
Seeing this, Cuichan pressed further with a cheerful tone: "When I returned to the estate earlier, I saw Old Ge unloading goods at the side gate. He said our master has sent things from beyond the frontier, including a wild fox pelt with such dazzling patterns it made my eyes swim—truly magnificent. Old Ge mentioned our master hunted it himself, skinned it with his own hands, and had it tanned by the finest craftsmen beyond the pass. He intends to have a new winter cloak made for you, Second Madam, in time for the New Year."
A sweet warmth spread through Second Madam's heart, coloring her cheeks: "After all these years of marriage, now grandparents ourselves—what nonsense is this? People will laugh. What truly matters is that he returns before the New Year. The rest is unimportant."
Seeing her mistress's cheerful expression, Cuichan felt reassured.
Second Madam counted on her fingers, calculating the days: "Speaking of which, there's much to attend to before the New Year. Shi Ge really ought to have a proper tutor now. Even if we can't find another as excellent as Zhuang Xiansheng, he shouldn't spend all his time mixing with the younger children in the family school. I must speak with Changbai's wife later—third brother needs to begin his studies. Concubine Song wants to hire a martial arts instructor for staff and blade training, so we should expand the training ground. Perhaps some of the younger ones will take to martial arts later. Looking at Shi Ge and the others, I doubt they're cut out for scholarly pursuits..."After thinking for a long while, Second Young Madam suddenly remembered something and instructed Cuichan: "Right, don't forget to send a portion of those furs to the Lady and Eldest Sister-in-law. Send them openly, just make sure they look presentable. Then send another portion to Concubine Zhang, but don't make it too conspicuous - the items should be genuinely practical. Huh? Why hasn't there been any sound from the Lady today?"
Although since the Old Master had stripped his wife of her household management authority and told his daughter-in-law she needn't pay daily respects, the opportunities for direct interaction between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had greatly diminished. But in the past, whenever goods arrived from beyond the passes, the mother-in-law would behave like a hound catching a scent - sending people openly and secretly to inquire about the contents, restlessly coming to inspect them herself, fearing her daughter-in-law would keep everything.
In fact, the mother-in-law had originally wept and stamped her feet, demanding her son deliver the goods directly to her so she could distribute them among the daughters-in-law of various households. It was only after being scolded severely by the Old Master that she abandoned this idea.
Cuichan suppressed a smile and leaned close to Second Young Madam's ear: "Last night, the Lady had another quarrel with Concubine Zhang. During the scuffle, she scratched the Master's face, and the Master slapped her in return. The Lady is currently lying in bed, fuming with anger."
Second Young Mistress had no affection for her mother-in-law whatsoever. Upon hearing this, she asked quietly, "How many days will she be lying down this time?"
Cuichan hesitated before replying, "Should I go find out how severe the palm mark is?" After all, they'd have to wait until the mark faded.
Second Young Mistress gently tapped her forehead and teased, "When Mama Fang said you were mischievous, she wasn't wrong at all."
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