Qin Shuying said, “Don’t underestimate her. To return from the frontier to the capital, she naturally has abilities that others lack. Although the Marquis’s wife knew about these twins before, she couldn’t bring them to the capital. The Marquis truly spent considerable effort protecting them. I’m afraid Concubine Yue often told the Marquis that she only wished to endure the hardships of wind and frost at the frontier and would never return to the capital. Look at her—how could she be someone who saves lamp oil?”
Old Madam Liang and Luo Meixiang weren’t unaware of the twins, but since Liang Yunshan hadn’t returned for years, the pair of children had never come to the capital.
This time, Liang Yunshan would be back for a long time, and who knew what methods Concubine Yue had used to make Liang Yunshan bring all three of them—mother and children—back together.
Ziteng said, “First Madam, because of this past connection, she still wants to curry favor with Old Madam, thinking the Marquis’s wife won’t mind. She’s probably overjoyed.”
Lu Ye said, “In the end, she’s shallow-minded and self-important, actually daring to provoke First Madam.”
Qin Shuying paused and said, “I don’t mind that she doesn’t respect me as First Madam. But she shouldn’t have tried to manipulate me.”
Since she wanted to use Qin Shuying’s hands to deal with Luo Meixiang, then let her learn some wisdom.
Only after becoming wise would she know that her greatest enemy was Luo Meixiang, and that she, Concubine Yue, should personally deal with Luo Meixiang rather than trying to manipulate Qin Shuying.
Only after experiencing heart-piercing pain and seeing clearly that her pair of children counted for nothing in the Marquis of Pingxi’s residence would Concubine Yue rise up to deal with Luo Meixiang.
Under Pine Wave Residence’s deliberate spreading, in just half a day, what Concubine Yue had said to Qin Shuying spread throughout the inner quarters of the Marquis of Pingxi’s residence.
The maids and servants giggled and mocked Concubine Yue’s ignorance of propriety and stupidity.
Even the maids and servants in Concubine Yue’s own courtyard were discussing it extensively. They had originally been working with a wait-and-see attitude—everyone knew that no matter how capable Concubine Yue was, this household was still managed by the Marquis’s wife.
Therefore, no one had told Concubine Yue about the residence’s affairs these past few days. Otherwise, Concubine Yue wouldn’t have foolishly tried to provoke Qin Shuying.
Even the Marquis’s wife couldn’t get the better of First Madam—how could a mere concubine make any waves?
Only Concubine Yue knew nothing about all this.
She paced back and forth in her courtyard, the excitement from entering the residence still not having faded.
Concubine Yue’s father had been a small soldier under Liang Yunshan’s command.
He was considered half a local—his mother was a household servant of Prince Qi, who had failed in the succession struggle over thirty years ago. After Prince Qi was killed, all his household servants were exiled to the frontier.
By Concubine Yue’s father’s generation, the Yue family had become commoners, though their circumstances were very poor.
Originally, when Liang Yunshan was leading troops through a large mountain, Concubine Yue’s father, familiar with the terrain, volunteered to guide Liang Yunshan and his group through a shortcut over the mountain.
Unexpectedly, heavy rain caused a landslide during the journey, trapping Liang Yunshan’s group in the deep mountains.
Coincidentally, the location was not far from Concubine Yue’s home, so Liang Yunshan camped not far from the Yue family.
Concubine Yue brought tea and food to Liang Yunshan, meeting him in the process.
Although Concubine Yue was very beautiful, Liang Yunshan paid no attention—it wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen beautiful women before. Luo Meixiang was a first-class stunning beauty.
The heavy rain poured for two days, making the mountain paths muddy. Liang Yunshan couldn’t proceed further and had to wait in place.
On this day, when Concubine Yue came to deliver supplies, she fell because the muddy road was too slippery, and kept sliding down the slippery surface toward the cliff edge.
Many mountains at the frontier were just peaks without trees.
So Concubine Yue had nothing to grab onto and kept sliding down the slope. If she fell down the slope, though she might not die, injury would be inevitable.
Liang Yunshan happened to come out to observe the terrain and saved Concubine Yue.
Later, Concubine Yue became close to Liang Yunshan, and finally, before Liang Yunshan left, something inappropriate happened between them.
Liang Yunshan wasn’t lacking in women around him, so after sleeping with Concubine Yue, he didn’t care much and left with style.
Two years later, Concubine Yue came looking for him with a pair of children.
Concubine Yue appeared very pitiful because her father had died. She said that now her family couldn’t support these children, and she had nowhere else to turn but to seek refuge with Liang Yunshan.
The pair of children somewhat resembled Liang Yunshan, so he generously took them in and arranged for Concubine Yue to stay in the inner quarters.
Liang Yunshan had been at the frontier long-term, so naturally he had brought several women with him.
But these women had no children, while Concubine Yue had children—this made her status different.
Moreover, although Concubine Yue wasn’t as charming and coquettish as these women, she had something they lacked—Concubine Yue was from a respectable family, while those women were either gifted singing girls or slaves.
Concubine Yue’s grandparents had been Prince Qi’s household servants, so they originally knew the rules of noble families. With her grandmother secretly teaching her strategies, Concubine Yue defeated the favored women one by one, while gradually winning Liang Yunshan’s trust and beginning to manage the inner quarters.
She was essentially Liang Yunshan’s managing wife during his time at the frontier.
However, although Liang Yunshan trusted Concubine Yue, he didn’t have her entertain officials’ wives.
Because Liang Yunshan feared Luo Meixiang and didn’t want to anger her. If not for his concern for Luo Meixiang, the women Liang Yunshan originally brought with him wouldn’t have all been of such low status.
Other high officials when away from home—who didn’t bring a wife or concubine to manage affairs? Yet Liang Yunshan only had singing girls and female slaves of low status who couldn’t appear in public.
However, none of this mattered much. Although she didn’t need to go out to entertain guests, there were plenty of officials’ wives at the frontier with good judgment who would actively curry favor with Concubine Yue.
They invited her to go shopping together, to go out and play together, to drink tea and watch opera together—Liang Yunshan didn’t stop this.
Concubine Yue’s days at the frontier were very comfortable. Not only did she gain much knowledge, but her social skills also became much more sophisticated.
When Liang Yunshan was to return to the capital, Concubine Yue’s grandmother advised her to return to the capital together, and clearly explained to her all the rules from when their ancestors were wealthy, as well as the taboos of great households.
Her grandmother said that just for the sake of these children, Old Madam Liang would definitely give Concubine Yue the dignity befitting a concubine.
Although Concubine Yue hesitated about returning to the capital, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and longing for the capital.
Now it seemed returning to the capital was indeed good. With such status, the children’s education and marriages would naturally choose the best, and everything she used was more refined than ever before.
This courtyard alone occupied one or two acres, arranged elegantly and exquisitely—even legitimate daughters of ordinary official families didn’t have such fine courtyards to live in.
Having given birth to a son and daughter, she was valued by Old Madam—what could the Marquis’s wife do about it?
With Old Madam backing her, the Marquis had even stayed overnight in her courtyard.
Everything was good—much better than she had imagined before returning.
If there was anything unpleasant, it was First Madam Qin Shuying.
Qin Shuying was the only person who had made her suffer a loss since returning to the Marquis of Pingxi’s residence.