Commander Stone paced anxiously in the room: “May I see brother-in-law’s will?”
The Master’s will? Madam Yang’s heart jumped. In front of her brother, she took a box from the study cabinet. Using her key to unlock it, she removed First Master Yang’s will and handed it to her brother.
After carefully reading it twice, Commander Stone returned it to Madam Yang with a cold laugh: “My good brother-in-law! For a concubine and an illegitimate son, he cast aside his legitimate sons!”
“Brother, what are you saying?” Madam Yang was bewildered.
“I heard rumors at the office and specifically checked the records. Recently, my brother-in-law transferred large amounts of property to someone named Shu Ye. It was done secretly, through Secretary Sang’s channels. If I hadn’t heard rumors and investigated, I would never have known.” Commander Stone said angrily, “While brother-in-law was alive, I didn’t want to make it public, only wanted to find this Shu Ye and understand why brother-in-law would do this. Now that he’s passed away, the more I think about it, the more wrong it seems. Openly he left a will dividing private property into three parts, with Yang Jingyuan receiving the smallest share. But secretly he transferred substantial assets to another name. After his death, they would quietly go to Third Son.”
Madam Yang’s heart twisted in pain.
She didn’t mind another concubine in the household. Nor did she care how much silver Yang Jingyuan spent. Compared to the Yang family’s vast wealth, that money was negligible. But she cared about her sons.
“They’re all the Master’s flesh and blood… Master, I tolerated your neglect for twenty years, is this how you repay me?” Madam Yang’s face went white as her fury was triggered. She stood up, “Please find this Shu Ye quickly, brother. I understand your meaning now.”
She straightened her back and left the study. Her exhaustion was completely burned away by the blazing flames of anger.
When Concubine Liu returned to Lefeng Court, she found all the servants had been replaced. Matron Chen personally received her and escorted her to the west wing.
She timidly asked: “Matron, where is Little Xiang?”
“The Concubine still wants Little Xiang to serve her? Isn’t the Concubine’s face too thick?” Matron Chen looked Concubine Liu up and down with contempt, “This old servant hasn’t forgotten the scene in the east wing. The Concubine knows best how the Master died. How dare the Concubine face Lefeng Court’s original servants? They all saw the Concubine… Madam replaced everyone here to avoid bringing shame to the Yang family. How can the Concubine not understand?”
Her gaze seemed to strip Concubine Liu bare, leaving her nowhere to hide. Concubine Liu covered her face with both hands and ran into the west wing room, muffled sobs following.
“A vixen kills the Master and still has the face to cry?! Pah!” Matron Chen spat and turned away. If not for Madam’s tolerance these twenty years, she wouldn’t have limited herself to verbal mockery today.
Concubine Liu cried for a while, then murmured: “Master, I’m too ashamed to live, I wanted to follow you. I just want to see Third Son once more. Third Son, where have you gone?”
Pressing her chest, she repeatedly recalled First Master Yang’s instructions to her. Finally overcome by exhaustion, she fell asleep leaning against the couch.
When Madam Yang pushed open the door, Concubine Liu was still sound asleep.
Her plain white dress flowed from the couch to the floor, her silver hairpin had slipped to the ground, and black hair spilled over her shoulders and back. Concubine Liu slept on her side, her body outlining graceful curves. Her face, half-hidden by her hair, was stunningly beautiful.
Madam Yang watched her silently. She was truly an enchanting creature. Twenty years had left few traces on Concubine Liu. She was as beautiful as when she first entered the household. This was why she had held the Master’s exclusive favor for twenty years. Madam Yang bent down and brushed aside the hair fallen across Concubine Liu’s cheek.
“Master!” Concubine Liu’s voice was silk-soft and alluring.
Madam Yang withdrew her hand as if burned. She slowly turned and sat in the round chair by the table: “Did the Concubine dream of the Master?”
Concubine Liu heard Madam Yang’s voice through her haze and startled her awake. Seeing Madam Yang, she quickly got off the couch and knelt in the most humble posture before her, carefully asking: “Why has Madam come?”
There was no one else in the room. Madam Yang hadn’t brought anyone in. She had always felt it beneath a proper wife’s dignity to contend with a concubine. Now she understood. While outwardly magnanimous, her heart had never stopped resenting Concubine Liu.
Having been generous for twenty years, she must now collect payment for her magnanimity.
“Third Son attempted to assassinate Nanzhao’s White King but failed and was captured. I came to tell you.”
“What?” Concubine Liu lost her composure before Madam Yang for the first time, “How could Third Son go to assassinate Nanzhao’s prince? Madam, isn’t there some misunderstanding? Where is he now?”
Madam Yang said mockingly: “The Concubine has always acted as half a servant, always respectfully calling him Third Young Master. I thought the Concubine only had the Master in her heart and had forgotten she had a son.”
“Madam, he was born of this lowly concubine. In my anxiety I spoke improperly, please forgive me.” Concubine Liu prostrated herself at Madam Yang’s feet, “Third Young Master considers only Madam as his mother, please save him.”
“Who is Shu Ye?” Madam Yang suddenly asked.
“Master Shu…”
After these three words, Concubine Liu slowly raised her head. For the first time in twenty years, she looked directly at Madam Yang and smiled in understanding. She said softly: “Madam, the Master once saved Master Shu in his youth, and they agreed Master Shu would help the Master once. He’s not from Yizhou Prefecture. I’ve never met him. Now that the Master has passed, Master Shu will surely come to pay respects. If Madam ensures the Third Young Master’s safety, this servant will surrender all property granted by the Master, not taking a single coin. Third Young Master knows nothing of the Master’s arrangements. Please rest assured.”
“How can I trust you?” Having confirmation from Concubine Liu’s mouth, Madam Yang’s last trace of attachment to First Master Yang dissipated. She and her sons had worked hard to manage the Yang family business. In the end, the Master had concealed most of his private property, secretly giving it to Concubine Liu and her son.
Were First Son and Second Son, not his sons too? Even if he had divided the private property equally among three sons, she wouldn’t have been this angry.
Concubine Liu removed a jade pendant from her neck and placed it on the low table: “This is Master Shu’s token to the Master. Whoever holds this token, Master Shu will give them the assets the Master entrusted to him.”
She touched her forehead to the ground, prostrating before Madam Yang again: “I beg Madam to ensure Third Son’s safety.”
Madam Yang looked at her expressionlessly: “How do you know I won’t go back on my word?”
Concubine Liu raised her head, her expression completely serene, “This servant trusts Madam. These twenty years, Madam has been generous and kind, never harsh, and carefully raised Third Son. This servant is eternally grateful.”
Madam Yang gripped the jade pendant, telling herself again this was what she deserved. She stood up and said flatly: “Third Son has been brought back to the estate. He’s still unconscious.”
Madam Yang turned and left the west wing room.
Concubine Liu sat for a long while, seeing dawn’s light through the window paper. She took out a handkerchief, bit her fingertip, and gently wrote a character on it, then tucked it into her waist pouch.
“Third Son, Mother hasn’t been a good mother. If Mother doesn’t die, Madam won’t feel secure enough to save you.” She sighed softly and threw her belt over the ceiling beam.