Pei Xuan’s promotion to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was a masterful stroke by his mentor—even Zhang Ying didn’t know about it.
After Old Madam Zhang learned of this, she wanted to arrange a marriage alliance with the Pei family.
However, the eldest branch of the Zhang family currently only had a son who was eight years old this year. The second branch’s only son was a bit older at ten, while the third branch had two sons—one seven years old and one four years old. None were particularly suitable.
Especially since after the death of the Zhang family’s eldest son, the second son had to temporarily shoulder some of the responsibilities of the main branch. If at this time they let the second branch’s son marry Pei Xuan’s daughter, the legitimate line might shift to a collateral branch, which would plant countless seeds of trouble for a large family that valued the principle of legitimate succession.
Old Madam Zhang sighed.
Ever since her eldest son passed away, everything in the Zhang family had become unlucky.
Could it be that the Zhang family’s tribulation had arrived?
Old Madam Zhang’s expression darkened.
Third Madam Zhang understood the old madam’s thoughts and said thoughtfully: “In any case, Xianguang has already arrived in the capital. Some matters don’t need to be rushed—we can take our time. The urgent priority is to properly entertain the two madams from the Pei family.”
Old Madam Zhang nodded.
Third Madam Zhang then brought up another matter: “When I came, I saw the nanny beside Young Madam Yin. She said she had been sent by Young Madam Yin to pay respects to Third Madam Pei at the Pei residence. What do you think—should we ask our eldest miss to make a trip to the Yin residence?”
The third branch of the Zhang family only had one daughter, who was actually from the second branch—Zhang Lihua.
Because the Zhang family hadn’t divided their household, they addressed her as Eldest Miss according to age ranking.
Old Madam Zhang was quite surprised and said: “A’Xuan actually has a connection with the Pei family’s Third Madam?”
In her impression, Yu Tang was a young lady from a rural gentry family who, because she was from Lin’an and Pei Yan had retired from office, had the opportunity to marry into the Pei family.
Third Madam Zhang explained the connection between Miss Xu and Yu Tang.
Old Madam Zhang couldn’t help but feel emotional.
Whatever she asked, this third daughter-in-law could answer, showing she had put in considerable effort.
The eldest daughter-in-law in the family was one she had selected most carefully, naturally excellent in all aspects and capable of serving as a model. When choosing the second and third daughters-in-law, she had followed her two sons’ preferences. Although they were well-matched in family background, she hadn’t expected them to manage the household and worried they might not get along with the eldest daughter-in-law after entering the family, so she chose youngest daughters from their families.
Who would have thought that when trouble arose, the second daughter-in-law couldn’t shoulder burdens or lift a hand, confused and unclear about everything. Yet the third daughter-in-law was no worse than the eldest daughter-in-law…
When Old Madam Zhang saw Old Master Zhang, she couldn’t help but whisper privately: “How can this continue? The family will surely have disputes. Lord Pei is still more formidable—he just directly handed the family business over to Xianguang.”
Old Master Zhang didn’t speak.
The Zhang family’s situation was different from the Pei family’s.
If the Zhang family’s third son had the capabilities of the Pei family’s third son, he too could be as decisive as Old Master Pei.
He felt that inner household matters were minor compared to court affairs, which were major.
“You handle the family matters for now,” Old Master Zhang said. “Xianguang will come tomorrow. If we still can’t turn the situation around in three to five years, we’ll learn from the Pei family and lie low.”
It was just a pity that the position he had fought for his entire life would have to be yielded like this.
Seeing her husband’s irritable mood, Old Madam Zhang didn’t want to bother him further with inner household matters. She figured that in three to five years, her eldest grandson would be twelve or thirteen and could marry. At that time, they could find him a capable and shrewd wife, establishing the primary succession, and the family would be peaceful.
She asked: “Won’t the madams from the Pei family come tomorrow?”
Old Master Zhang said: “What would they come for? They just arrived in the capital—their household must still have a pile of matters to handle. In a few days is the Buddha Bathing Festival. You can invite the Pei family’s female relatives to go to the Medicine King Temple together then. There’s no need to rush at this moment, is there?”
But it would still be better to establish connections earlier.
Old Madam Zhang made up her mind. Early the next morning, she had the Zhang family’s eldest miss send an invitation to Xu Xuan, only to have the Yin family’s people say that Xu Xuan had gone to the Pei residence and wouldn’t return until evening.
Miss Zhang was greatly shocked and said: “Isn’t Sister Xu with child? How could cousin-in-law let her go out?”
Miss Zhang and Yin Mingyuan were cousins who hadn’t passed five degrees of mourning.
The nanny who delivered the message covered her mouth and laughed: “What can Lord Yin do even if he’s unwilling? Fortunately, the young madam went by sedan chair. When Lord Yin finishes at the office this evening, he’ll probably go pick up the young madam.”
That made sense.
They were famously devoted to each other.
Miss Zhang could only wait for Xu Xuan’s reply.
On Xu Xuan’s side, she was sitting in the flower hall of the Pei family’s inner courtyard admiring flowers, eating fruit, and excitedly complaining about the young ladies of the Yin family: “…Now there’s one more. It’s Mingyuan’s cousin who married Gu Zhaoyang. She just arrived in the capital, and hearing I was pregnant, came to see me before even settling her own household. She brought a medical book and lectured me from it about how I should nurture the pregnancy. I was so annoyed with her that I told her directly—when she becomes a mother, she can come tell me these things. Right now I’m about to become a mother while she doesn’t even have a shadow of one, so she has nothing to tell me.”
Yu Tang saw that she didn’t seem angry but rather like she had gotten a new toy and was happily playing with it.
She couldn’t help but look at Xu Xuan’s protruding belly with awe, finding it miraculous: “We’ve only been apart for a few months, and you’re already…”
Her belly was as big as a basket.
Moreover, her originally jade-white face had developed several yellow spots.
Xu Xuan looked at her own belly and sighed: “I didn’t expect to conceive so quickly either.” Then she pointed to her own cheeks, “Look, look—powder can’t even cover them, and Yin Mingyuan won’t let me use powder. I haven’t been out for so long—I look too ugly. But fortunately you’ve come. Let’s go shopping tomorrow. I want to buy some fabric to make a few outfits for confinement—the midwife said I’ll give birth in summer, and it’ll be so hot then! Just thinking about it makes me feel like I’ll suffer terribly. I don’t want to give birth anymore.”
Yu Tang knew that some people’s emotions became particularly unstable when pregnant. She tried to go along with Xu Xuan, thinking that the Pei family had their own silk shop specially send new patterns to their door for them to choose from, let alone families like the Xu and Yin families. If Xu Xuan wanted to go shopping, it was mainly because she wanted to go out.
But she was so far along in her pregnancy—if someone bumped into or jostled her, it could be a matter of life and death.
She smiled and said: “I don’t have time these few days! Second Sister-in-law can’t ride in carriages and has been vomiting so much she’s still lying down! A’Dan still has to attend to her illness, and all the household matters have fallen into my hands. How about you wait a few days? Once I get the household matters sorted out, I’ll go out with you?”
Xu Xuan was truly desperate and said: “Alright then! I’ll come to your place every day to help you. Whatever you need to buy or are short of, just tell the maids and nannies around me, and I’ll have the Yin family’s steward go buy it for you.”
In her mind, Yu Tang was unfamiliar with people and places here, so this aspect must be very difficult for her.
It would also be fine if she could just sit in their house without running around!
Yu Tang kept her company chatting in the flower hall while giving instructions to the household’s maids and nannies.
When Fifth Miss came to get calming incense for Second Madam and saw Xu Xuan’s condition, she immediately cried out loudly. She wanted to touch Xu Xuan’s belly but didn’t dare: “Sister Xu, you’re about to be a mother! You’re so amazing! Won’t he kick you? I heard people say that when children are in the belly, they kick their mothers. Is that true?”
She chattered with a stream of questions.
Xu Xuan smiled cheerfully, not only answering each one but also proactively telling her many things. If A’Shan hadn’t been waiting beside them stamping her feet in anxiety, and if Yu Tang hadn’t asked whether the calming incense was urgently needed, she probably would have talked with Xu Xuan for another half day.
Even so, when Fifth Miss left, she still held Xu Xuan’s hand and told her to come play whenever she had time.
Xu Xuan was very happy and said with a smile: “I’ll come again tomorrow.”
Only then did Fifth Miss leave satisfied.
At dusk, Pei Yan returned from the Zhang residence, and Yin Mingyuan also happened to come pick up Xu Xuan. The two men went together to the inner courtyard.
This was Yu Tang’s first time seeing the renowned Yin Mingyuan.
He was handsome with fair skin, though somewhat thin, and his features carried a slight air of delicate illness. Yet his temperament was excellent—gentle as jade. Standing beside the strikingly handsome Pei Yan, he surprisingly wasn’t overshadowed by Pei Yan.
This was the first time Yu Tang had seen someone with such bearing.
She couldn’t help but look at Yin Mingyuan a few more times.
After seeing off the Yin couple, Pei Yan asked her: “Do you also find someone like Yin Mingyuan very approachable?”
Yu Tang did indeed find him more approachable than Pei Yan, especially since his words and actions radiated from his bones a warmth, gentleness, and consideration that made people feel comfortable—courteous and refined, far easier to approach than Pei Yan.
But she knew better that if she praised Yin Mingyuan like this, this peacock Pei Yan would definitely be unhappy. She quickly said: “He looks a bit sickly. Everyone naturally has to be careful around him—what if they made him ill? Wouldn’t they have to take responsibility for treating his illness? No one can afford those consequences!”
Hearing this, Pei Yan was delighted and voluntarily served her the four-happiness meatballs she had just taken a liking to yesterday during dinner.
After eating, they went to visit Second Madam.
Pei Xuan hadn’t returned yet, having been summoned by his mentor. Second Madam had recovered considerably and was supervising Pei Hong’s calligraphy practice.
Seeing the Pei Yan couple arrive, she quickly had someone brew fresh tea and said: “This is from a classmate of your second brother whose family deals in tea. Try it and see if it’s good. If it is, I’ll have them buy some tomorrow to keep on hand.”
Pei Yan had come to discuss household matters. After drinking tea, since Pei Xuan still hadn’t returned, Pei Yan thought for a moment and directly told Second Madam his purpose: “Eldest Brother deals with people from official circles. Let Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law use the outer courtyard and inner courtyard’s flower hall. I’m planning to open the side gate on the north side—I’ll use that entrance from now on. Although A’Tong is a junior, he grew up in the capital and has his own friends. I’m planning to have them move to the study compound on the west side. Tell Second Brother and see if that works.”
The study compound on the west side was originally where the family’s young men studied—a private school with over ten rooms, a dedicated entrance gate, a special kitchen, and the like.
Pei Xuan felt this arrangement was quite good. As for the front courtyard and main hall of the house, his intention was still to share them with Pei Yan. Because he had to get up at the yin hour to attend morning court, and having just arrived at the Ministry of Revenue with especially many matters to handle, he returned home very late at night and sometimes slept directly at the office, unable to rest even on rest days, he would rarely encounter Pei Yan. So he had Second Madam relay a message to Pei Yan: “No need to divide things so clearly.”