As Mudan was about to “struggle” out of bed, Lin Mama had already rushed in to support her. “They haven’t arrived yet. I heard the news midway and hurried to inform you.”
Mudan anxiously asked, “Is only my mother coming?”
Lin Mama replied, “The master, the eldest young master, and the eldest madam have all come. You should rest easy. Since so many people have arrived, they surely won’t let this matter slide.”
Mudan let out a soft sigh. Although she didn’t know what Li Xing had told them, their early morning arrival suggested they were quite angry. Given the circumstances, she decided she should add fuel to the fire.
At the second gate, Liu Chengcai, caught off guard, greeted the scowling He family father and son with a forced smile, inviting them to the main hall for tea. Meanwhile, Madam Qi, who had hurriedly come out, firmly held Madam Cen’s hand. As she exchanged warm greetings, she secretly examined Madam Cen’s attire: an Xiang-colored damask blouse, a deep purple eight-panel gauze skirt, a white jade pendant, and a golden phoenix-patterned belt at her waist. Finally, her gaze settled on Madam Cen’s high-top brocade shoes.
These shoes, while not extraordinarily styled, were exquisitely crafted. The upper used a modified auspicious flower brocade, while the vamp featured purple ground with bird and flower patterns. The flower centers and birds’ eyes were embroidered with rice pearls and gold thread. Most remarkably, the shoes changed color with the light, indicating the use of exceptional silk threads.
Having grown up in luxury, Madam Qi immediately recognized the shoes’ extraordinary quality. She then observed He family’s eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Xue, dressed even more fashionably: a bright yellow skirt, jade-green silk blouse, long eyebrows extending to her temples, and an exotic fragrance. Her feet also bore brocade shoes, lacking only the rice pearls but still exquisitely made.
After appraising the He family’s mother and daughter-in-law’s attire, Madam Qi glanced at her own hastily donned red small-toed shoes. They seemed so plain and unremarkable in comparison, hardly presentable! Embarrassed and uncomfortable, Madam Qi tucked her feet back, thinking bitterly, “What’s there to show off? Everyone knows you have money. How vulgar.”
Despite her thoughts and jealousy, Madam Qi, conscious of her guilt, put on a spirited and attentive demeanor. She warmly led Madam Cen towards Mudan’s courtyard, smiling as they walked, “My dear in-law, how do you maintain your appearance? I feel you look younger every time I see you!” Though flattering, her words weren’t untrue. At fifty-six and a mother of five, Madam Cen looked no older than her early forties. Though slightly plump, she dressed fashionably and elegantly, her skin still smooth and radiant—a great beauty in her youth.
Madam Cen adjusted her shawl with her free hand and smiled faintly, “It’s nothing special. My eldest son recently acquired an expensive recipe: equal parts Asarum, Polygonatum odoratum, Astragalus, Arisaema, Chinese yam, Magnolia, Ligusticum wallichii, Angelica dahurica, Trichosanthes, and Magnolia bark, with an appropriate amount of lard. The herbs are crushed, soaked in wine for a day and night, then mixed with lard and slowly simmered over charcoal. Once the Angelica dahurica changes color, the dregs are filtered out, and the mixture is stirred until it solidifies into a face cream. I apply it every few days, sometimes all over my body if I have time. Occasionally, I also use some pearl powder.”
She casually shared this expensive secret recipe, clearly intending to one-up Madam Qi. Madam Qi responded with a sour smile, “The ingredients aren’t hard to come by, but the process is quite troublesome. Fortunately, I don’t care much for such things. Otherwise, I’d have no time to manage household affairs.”
Madam Cen glanced at her with a smile, “You’re naturally beautiful; you don’t need such things. You’re indeed busy managing such a large household and handling social obligations. Unlike me, I at least have several daughters-in-law to help.”
“You just have more sons, letting your daughters-in-law manage the household,” Madam Qi thought bitterly. “I’d like your sickly daughter to learn how to manage affairs, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!” Her tone became sharp, “Indeed! We’re both getting old and should be enjoying our grandchildren. But I’m not as fortunate as you. Mudan is very frail. I don’t dare hope for much; I just pray she doesn’t fall ill!”
Madam Cen, already seething with anger, replied with a forced smile, “Exactly! My daughter has been plagued with misfortune since birth. Her father and I went to great lengths to nurse her back to health. Thanks to your family’s care and affection, things were looking up. Who would have thought such a thing would happen? I didn’t want to disturb you so early, but I feared I wouldn’t be able to face acquaintances if I left any later!”
Madam Cen had a reason for her words. She had just seen Li Xing off yesterday, her chest still aching, when she received a note from Princess Qinghua. The gist was that she and Liu Chang were in love, and in a moment of passion, did something they shouldn’t have, hurting Mudan’s feelings and pride. She apologized, saying Liu Chang was too embarrassed to speak, so she was apologizing on his behalf. If the He family had any grievances, they should come to her, not Liu Chang.
Princess Qinghua’s actions, though brazen, carried a warning and were a slap in the face to the He family. With her coming to flaunt her power, how could the He family swallow this insult? Though not a noble clan, the He family had status in the capital, with extensive business and social connections. How could they lose face like this? Any family with pride would have ended the marriage then and there. But their situation was unique, not easily resolved with a few words. Mr. He and Madam Cen had been up all night, and at dawn, they brought their eldest son and daughter-in-law to demand an explanation.
Madam Qi, unaware of Princess Qinghua’s note, only knew that Madam Cen’s attitude was indeed discourteous, causing her anger to rise. What was this about? Coming to vent on behalf of her daughter? Once married into the Liu family, she was a Liu. It wasn’t the He family’s place to interfere. If that sickly girl wasn’t so useless, would this have happened? She had hoped to smooth things over, wanting the He family to turn a blind eye and move on as if nothing had happened. But Madam Cen’s demeanor suggested she wouldn’t let this go easily; she had come to demand justice.
Madam Qi, always proud of herself, couldn’t tolerate such harsh words. They had sought out the He family before out of necessity, and being financially inferior was one thing, but she couldn’t let them dominate everything forever. What was the point of being a titled lady then? She coolly replied, “My dear in-law, your words are strange. Sometimes what we see isn’t necessarily true, let alone hearsay. Princess Qinghua’s reputation precedes her; when doesn’t she stir up gossip? Given her status, could we have driven her away with a stick when she came to the banquet? What could we do? File an imperial complaint?”
Madam Cen was furious. Such eloquent excuses! The facts were clear, yet they stubbornly denied everything! What logic was this? Even if Mudan’s marriage into their family had its reasons, it was still a mutual agreement. No one could have forced Liu Chang to bow at the wedding if he hadn’t been willing, right? The He family owed the Liu family nothing! On the contrary, the Liu family should be grateful for Mudan’s weak constitution, needing Liu Chang to bring good fortune through marriage!
Seeing Madam Cen’s sullen silence, Madam Qi thought she had successfully intimidated her by invoking Princess Qinghua’s status. She quickly changed her expression, smiling while subtly attacking, “It wasn’t such a big deal, but Xing’er publicly slapped Zishu, embarrassing everyone. Yet Zishu didn’t say anything, even telling me he wants to live well with Mudan from now on. Mudan has been childless for three years, but he’s never said anything unkind. Look, early this morning he went out to fetch Doctor Zhu to treat Mudan.”
The matter of offspring was crucial; any woman without children was considered inferior. Based on Madam Qi’s experience, once you grasp someone’s weakness, a combination of coaxing, intimidation, and flattery could smooth even the most irritable temper. By bringing up Mudan’s childlessness, she expected the He family to feel vulnerable.
“What Doctor Zhu? He’s afraid of trouble from my husband and has run away!” Madam Cen thought hatefully. However, Madam Qi’s mention of Mudan’s three years of childlessness did put her at a disadvantage. She replied coldly, “The princess may lack propriety, and Mudan’s three years of childlessness is a fact. It’s normal for men to be fickle, but one’s reputation isn’t given by others; it’s maintained by oneself! If Xing’er saw his cousin’s husband doing wrong and didn’t say a word, what kind of relative would he be? I absolutely cannot agree that this matter is fabricated! The princess came to our house yesterday! Is this how one should live their married life?”
Madam Qi was stunned, blinking rapidly, “The princess went to your house? What for?” She had only thought about controlling Liu Chang and silencing Mudan; she hadn’t imagined that the shameless Princess Qinghua would dare to visit their home. What nonsense was this? Thinking of this, she cursed Liu Chang again. Why did he have to get involved with that vixen?
Madam Cen fanned herself with her handkerchief, fuming, “What else could she do? My son-in-law knows best! I’m too embarrassed to speak of it. Let him explain to his father-in-law when he returns!”
Madam Qi pondered, “They’ve come in such force, yet she could still exchange pleasantries with me earlier. They don’t truly want to make a scene, just to get an explanation and stand up for their daughter. If that’s the case, I’ll swallow my pride for now and deal with her. As long as their daughter is in our house, she can’t get too arrogant!”
With this in mind, she smiled and said, “My dear in-law! No need to say more. It’s crystal clear. How could there be such a shameless woman in this world? It’s a ploy to sow discord. Don’t fall for it! Xing’er must have fallen for her trick too. Let’s go see Mudan first, and we can discuss everything else later.”