Yining didn’t sleep well that night. As summer approached, a violent storm broke out in the early morning. Strong winds shook the crowns of trees in the courtyard, and thunderous rain pounded against the windows. The thunder woke her up.
Songzhi had come in to extinguish a candle but was startled to find Yining awake. “Young Miss, why are you up?” she asked.
Yining told her to leave the candle lit, as she couldn’t sleep anyway. She put on an outer robe and noticed the visible red marks on her wrist. Her skin was still too delicate, easily bruising at the slightest pressure.
Songzhi went out to inform the others, and Qingqu soon entered with medicine. She found Yining leaning against the window, staring blankly at the pouring rain outside. In the dim light before dawn, the courtyard was strewn with broken twigs and fallen leaves beaten down by the rain. Yining’s small face glowed like white jade, emitting a faint radiance in the gloomy weather.
Qingqu recalled the first time she saw Yining. She had never seen such a delicate and beautiful child, completely different from the children on the farm. She had wanted to play with her and get close but was told this was the Seventh Young Miss, not to be touched. That tender little bundle had grown up, meant to be precious and cherished, yet abused by that scoundrel… It was a pitiful sight.
She set down the medicine bowl and said softly to Yining, “If the Duke’s punch hadn’t ruined him, this servant would have done it for you…”
Yining snapped out of her daze. Any woman would be frightened after such an ordeal, and she was scared too. But having been through so much already, she had begun to recover. She smiled and asked, “How would you have ruined him?”
Qingqu replied, “I’d ambush him in an alley, throw a sack over his head, and beat him senseless. Forget ruining him, I could cripple him! The Duke only ruined his ability to have children. I think he got off too easy.”
In truth, Wei Ling had his concerns. If Shen Yu’s life was truly endangered, the matter couldn’t be kept quiet. So for the sake of Yining’s reputation, Wei Ling definitely wouldn’t kill Shen Yu… Yining understood Wei Ling’s thoughts. She even understood why Old Madam Wei protected Zhao Mingzhu. But she still couldn’t help feeling weary of Zhao Mingzhu.
She looked up and suddenly realized Pearl wasn’t in the room. “Did Pearl not return last night?”
Songzhi and Qingqu exchanged glances and shook their heads.
The torrential rain outside hadn’t let up.
Yining suddenly had an ominous feeling… Surely Wei Ling hadn’t taken Pearl’s life?
She called Daimao in and quickly sent her to check on Wei Ling.
Wei Ling hadn’t slept either. He had dealt with all the maids and servants who knew about the incident. His trusted people were spared, but the others were sold off or exiled. The two little maids who had been on duty at the door were beaten to death and dragged away. Fearing these disturbances would frighten Yining, he had given orders from the main hall. Old Madam Wei’s staff had been replaced overnight with his people. Finally, he summoned Pearl… It was nearly dawn by then.
After a sleepless night, his eyes were tinged with red. He told Pearl, “I won’t punish you this time.”
Pearl had been prepared to die, but hearing Wei Ling’s words, she suddenly looked up.
“Yining pleaded for mercy on your behalf,” Wei Ling continued. “From now on, your life belongs to her… How to deal with you will be up to her.”
Pearl’s tense body finally relaxed. Having escaped death, she kowtowed twice to Wei Ling. He waved his hand, dismissing her. People from the military camp were waiting for him outside.
When Pearl returned to Yining’s quarters, she found her brushing her hair.
Pearl took the comb from Daimao’s hand and began brushing Yining’s hair as usual. As she combed, tears began to fall. Finally, she suddenly embraced Yining and sobbed uncontrollably.
Yining sighed and gently patted her back.
Young Master Ting stepped in just as he heard the crying. He ran over to Yining, asking, “Pearl sister, why are you crying?” He had been put to bed early the night before by Nanny Tong and knew nothing of what had happened. Seeing Pearl holding Yining’s hand, he asked, “Why are you holding sister’s hand? Sister, get up quickly, I want to play chess with you!”
Pearl wiped her tears and stood up, saying, “Young Master Ting, the Young Miss is ill and can’t play chess with you today.”
Ting’s eyes widened. His short legs quickly scrambled onto the couch, and he leaned in close to examine Yining, noticing her poor complexion.
Yining gently pushed his little face away, saying, “Be careful, I might pass my illness to you… Go play with the little maids!”
But Ting sat cross-legged beside her, staring at her for a while before suddenly saying, “It looks like you’ve been crying.”
With a serious expression, he reached out to touch her eyes. “Nanny Tong told me that if you cry, your eyes will be swollen the next morning. Did someone bully you? You must tell me. I’m your brother, and I’m supposed to protect you in the future.”
Yining stroked his head. “No one bullied me. If you don’t go play, I’ll have Pearl bring out your writing practice…”
Hearing this, Ting quickly said he would go play and slid off the bed. The maids in the room finally smiled at his antics.
Ting ran to the corridor pillar outside and waited for a long time. When he finally saw Pearl approach, he pulled her aside and whispered, “Pearl, what’s wrong with sister?”
Pearl hesitated before quietly explaining the situation to him in the simplest terms.
Not long after, Old Madam Wei brought Zhao Mingzhu to visit Yining.
After a sleepless night, Zhao Mingzhu looked quite haggard and stood silently beside Old Madam Wei. Yining’s manner was somewhat cold when speaking to Old Madam Wei. The old lady took Yining’s hand and sighed, “Yining, I know you must blame me. But her… her family situation is truly dire. Sending her back would be no different from killing her.”
Yining looked up at Old Madam Wei and said softly, “I didn’t grow up by your side, so it’s natural for you to pity Sister Mingzhu whom you raised. You once told me about Kong Rong giving away pears, and I think it applies here. I agreed to let her stay, not because I’m kind-hearted, but because you wanted to keep her.”
Hearing this, Old Madam Wei’s eyes reddened. “What Kong Rong and Pears? I spoke poorly! It was my fault! Grandmother will never say such things to you again…”
She wanted to stroke Yining’s head, but Yining avoided her hand and sighed, saying, “Grandmother, my headaches. I’d like to rest for a while.”
Old Madam Wei was taken aback. Zhao Mingzhu, seeing this, quickly offered Yining some pastries she had brought: “Sister Yining, these are newly made milk pastries… You probably haven’t tried them before, have you?”
But young Ting’s voice came from outside: “Sister! I can’t find where I put my tangram puzzle…”
Zhao Mingzhu saw Ting enter. Remembering how close he used to be with her and realizing she hadn’t been taking good care of him lately, she offered him some pastries as well. “Ting, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you! You haven’t been coming to play with Sister Mingzhu lately… If I hadn’t come to visit Sister Yining, I might not have seen you at all!”
To everyone’s surprise, Ting stopped in front of her. With a faint smile on his childish face, he asked with a hint of confusion, “Sister Mingzhu, didn’t you tell me before that if I got too close to Sister Yining, she would take away my things, and that I shouldn’t be too close to her? How come… Sister Mingzhu isn’t afraid of having her things taken away?”
Old Madam Wei’s expression changed immediately upon hearing Ting’s words. Yining was also surprised and looked at Ting.
Zhao Mingzhu panicked, dropping the pastries she was holding. How could Ting suddenly bring this up? She quickly said, “Ting… I… I never said such things! You’re so young, you shouldn’t make things up!”
But Ting innocently clung to Old Madam Wei, tugging at her sleeve and saying, “Grandmother, you’ve always taught me not to lie, and I never lie!” He continued, “I was afraid of what Sister Mingzhu said, so I’ve always been afraid to get close to sister…”
Old Madam Wei’s hands began to shake with anger. She said, “Alright, I understand. Our Ting never lies!”
She suddenly stood up and said to Yining, “I’ll take my leave for today and come to see you another day.” Seeming unable to bear looking at Yining any longer out of guilt, she walked straight out.
Zhao Mingzhu bit her lip and hurriedly followed behind.
She had only taken a few steps to catch up with Old Madam Wei when the old lady suddenly stopped. She looked coldly at Zhao Mingzhu and said, “I may have spoiled and indulged you, but I never taught you to harm others or to manipulate them. You even taught Ting not to be close to Yining? What kind of heart do you have? What else have you done that I don’t know about?”
Zhao Mingzhu had no way to defend herself. She cried desperately, saying, “Grandmother… I know I was wrong… I understand now! Please forgive me!”
Old Madam Wei brushed away her hand and, supported by Madam Song, got into her palanquin. She coldly said, “Let’s go.”
Zhao Mingzhu followed behind the palanquin, crying and chasing after it, barely able to breathe through her sobs. Finally, she collapsed on the path.
No one dared to help her up. Everyone in the Duke’s mansion knew that she was now just a cousin, recently spurned by the Duke and now rejected by Old Madam Wei. Staying in the Duke’s mansion was merely a means of survival for her now.
Most of the maids who had served her had been sold off by Wei Ling, with only a few like Su Xi remaining, but even they didn’t dare to help her up.
How to treat Miss Mingzhu now would depend on Wei Ling and Yining’s attitudes. After all, they were the true masters, while she no longer was.
In the room, Yining pulled Ting closer and asked him, “Those words just now… did you think of them yourself?” She realized that this little brother was indeed Wei Ling’s son, with no shortage of cunning.
But Ting said, “I know she bullied you… and what I said was all true! That’s what she originally said. She bullied you when you were sick, so I bullied her too…” His expression was a bit unnatural, but his tone was firm. “Anyway, you’re my only sister.”
Yining smiled and hugged him, kissing him.
“Sister loves Ting,” Yining told him. “When our Ting grows up, he’ll surely be a general who strikes fear into the hearts of enemies far and wide.”
The little boy’s face reddened, and he squirmed in her embrace, seemingly unable to bear her affection as he turned his head away. Then he wriggled out of her arms and ran out to play with the little maids again, restless as always.
When Wei Ling heard about this from Pearl, he nearly crushed the teacup in his hand. He took a deep breath and said, “From now on, tell those around her that all of the cousin’s words and actions are to be recorded and brought to you for review. If there’s anything improper, have her thrown out immediately!”
Pearl bowed and agreed, then went to Zhao Mingzhu’s quarters to relay the instructions.
When Old Madam Wei heard about this, she was reciting Buddhist scriptures, praying for the old Duke’s blessing. She closed her eyes, sighed, and said, “…Let Wei Ling handle it as he sees fit.”