Half a quarter before the hour of shen, the Zhen family carriage stopped in front of the Song mansion. Madam Meng, accompanied by Jiafu, was led through a side entrance by servants and eventually brought to a side hall. There was neither tea nor anyone to receive them, only two servant women standing stiffly to the side, staring blankly at each other. After waiting for quite some time, they finally heard a series of approaching footsteps.

Lady Song, dressed in brand-new finery, adorned with gold and jade ornaments, made her entrance surrounded by a group of maids and servant women like stars encircling the moon. She sat down and, after Madam Meng and Jiafu had paid their respects, said nothing. Her gaze, like two fine combs, swept Jiafu up and down several times, missing not a single detail.

She then pointed to a chair nearby and invited Madam Meng to sit, saying, “Earlier, women from the Marquis of An Yuan’s household visited, and I talked with them for a while, which delayed my receiving you.” She glanced around and raised her voice to scold the servant women for their lack of manners, not knowing how to serve tea to visitors, asking how they were any different from common household servants. The servant women had clearly been instructed to treat them coldly, but now being scolded severely, they dared not talk back and hurriedly served two cups of tea, apologizing to Madam Meng.

Madam Meng quickly demurred. Lady Song, with a half-smile, said, “Your Zhen family in Quanzhou is considered a prominent household. The mother and daughter have come to the capital, and on your first visit to my home, the servants’ lack of manners must be amusing to you.”

From the moment Lady Song appeared, Madam Meng felt her displeasure. Those few sentences were full of indirect barbs and sarcasm—how could she not understand? She also noticed Ye Mama standing beside Lady Song, with cold eyes and a sidelong glance, appearing completely different from how she had been when they parted at the dock that morning.

The Song family now wielded significant power and influence. Lady Song was arrogant and overbearing; not only did Lady Xin have to consider her feelings, but she even had to interfere in the marriage between Madam Meng’s daughter and the heir of the Duke of Wei’s mansion. Madam Meng understood the complexities involved, which was why she had been keen to maintain good relations to avoid trouble. Now she was completely confused, not knowing what had gone wrong, but for the sake of her daughter’s marriage, she could only endure and respond with empty pleasantries.

Lady Song’s attention remained on Jiafu. After a few words, she beckoned Jiafu to come forward. Jiafu walked over with her head lowered and eyes downcast, calling her godmother. Lady Song asked her age and what she usually did at home. Jiafu answered each question obediently.

Ye Pozi had rushed back to the Song home early that morning and immediately told Lady Song everything she had been holding in, adding embellishments. Lady Song was very displeased at the time.

Technically, a family marrying off a daughter, passing by a temple, and incidentally seeking a fertility talisman was perfectly justifiable, even for a second wife. It wasn’t Lady Song’s place to interfere.

But she was unhappy nonetheless. In her view, for the Zhen family’s daughter to be recognized as her goddaughter and marry Pei Xiuzhi, filling the void left by her unfortunate daughter, was an enormous favor—a sparrow flying onto a golden branch. They should be overwhelmingly grateful and think of consulting her first in all matters. She wasn’t forbidding the Zhen girl from bearing children in the future, but now they were hiding this intention from her so early on, clearly targeting her grandson, which was intolerable.

With her temperament, how could she contain herself? Moreover, hearing the servant woman describe how the Zhen girl had such a bewitching appearance that men would surely be unable to resist her pillow talk, she felt like cats were scratching at her heart, desperately wanting to summon the girl immediately to see for herself. There had been no Lady of the Marquis visiting to delay her; she had just deliberately held back her temper to make them wait, arriving late on purpose. The moment she saw the Zhen girl’s appearance, her heart skipped a beat, knowing Ye Pozi had not exaggerated—the girl was far more beautiful than her deceased daughter. She immediately disliked her. While making small talk, she secretly observed the girl’s every word, action, and expression, not missing even a glance. The more gentle and obedient Jiafu appeared the more suspicious Lady Song became, feeling she was putting on an act. Her disgust doubled. Finally, her eyes fixed on the small pouch partially visible at Jiafu’s waist beneath her outer garment. She suddenly smiled and said, “The embroidery on that pouch looks distinctive. Did you make it yourself? Let me have a look.”

Madam Meng suddenly remembered the talisman they had obtained at Guanyin Temple along the way. She had instructed her daughter to put it away but later forgot about it.

The fertility talisman was adorned with pomegranate patterns, easily recognizable. If her daughter still had it in her pouch and it fell under Lady Song’s eyes, it would be rather embarrassing. Feeling uneasy, she was about to change the subject when Jiafu had already removed the pouch and presented it with both hands, shyly saying, “Indeed, I embroidered it myself, but my needlework is poor. Godmother, you flatter me.”

Lady Song took it, turning it over in her palm, offering a few insincere compliments. Under the pretext of examining the inner stitching, she tugged at the opening, stealing a glance inside. She saw two small scented sachets at the bottom of the pouch and, as expected, a talisman. Using the excuse of wanting a closer look, she completely inverted the pouch, emptying its contents, only to discover it was merely an ordinary protective talisman. She glanced at Ye Pozi.

Ye Pozi had been excitedly waiting to see the Zhen girl humiliated. After all, for an unmarried maiden to be caught carrying a fertility talisman would be quite disgraceful. To her surprise, what was emptied was just a protective talisman. Seeing Lady Song look her way, she leaned in and desperately raised her eyebrows and winked, suggesting that the Zhen girl must have put it away and wasn’t carrying it.

Having failed to catch her out, Lady Song had no choice but to offer a few more compliments put everything back in the pouch, and return it to Jiafu.

Jiafu took it back and casually reattached it as if nothing had happened. Madam Meng, beside her, breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they had been fortunate. She quickly produced an envelope and smiled, “My daughter is foolish, and it’s thanks to your elevation that you wish to recognize her as your goddaughter. My mother-in-law is grateful. Before I left, she specifically instructed me to bring some local products. They’re not valuable, just a small token of our appreciation. The items have already been delivered by our servants, and this is the list for your review.”

Madam Meng had heard that Lady Song was greedy and fond of valuable goods, so she had prepared generous gifts to appeal to her tastes. While calling them “local products,” the items listed were quite valuable, with several being exceptionally fine pieces.

Lady Song took the list, glanced at it, and felt somewhat satisfied, thinking that at least the Zhen family had some sense. Having received something good, her expression improved slightly.

Madam Meng observed her reactions, secretly exhaling in relief. Remembering Young Master Quan, she thought it would be improper not to inquire about him since she was here, so she smiled and said, “Earlier when we visited the Pei family as relatives, I thought we would see Young Master Quan, but they said he had come to your home. Young Master Quan must be around four years old now. Our family matriarch especially had a hundred-blessings gold lock made for Young Master Quan, blessed by a high monk, to protect the child’s fortune and longevity.” With that, she took it out.

Lady Song knew that the marriage between the Pei and Zhen families had progressed to this point, and she had previously given her approval and recognized Jiafu as her goddaughter. Now, even if she was dissatisfied with the Zhen girl, she couldn’t find a presentable excuse to interfere. It would be better to call Young Master Quan out, using this opportunity to put the Zhen girl in her place, letting her know her boundaries. After she married into the family, Lady Song could find another pretext to send a trusted servant woman to keep an eye on her, ensuring she wouldn’t cause much trouble.

Having made up her mind, Lady Song replied, “The old lady is thoughtful. I’ll have someone bring the child out for you to meet.”

Madam Meng naturally agreed. Lady Song gave the order. Shortly after, they heard children’s laughter from the corridor outside. A handsome sixteen or seventeen-year-old maid was crawling on all fours, with a four or five-year-old boy sitting on her back, making their way in.

That child was Young Master Quan. Originally quite delicate in appearance, his fondness for food had made him quite round and somewhat heavy. Sitting on the maid’s back, with several other maids following, lightly supporting him to prevent falls, the maid on the ground crawled in, panting and sweating profusely. He held a willow branch in his hand, waving and whipping it about, making sounds like “giddyup, giddyup” as if riding a horse, entering this way.

Jiafu watched him, a smile on her lips, but her gaze was very cold.

In her previous life, after marrying into the Pei family, Pei Xiuzhi was very fond of her, and she soon became pregnant. When she was five months along, one day she stepped on some mung beans and fell heavily, immediately miscarrying. The bleeding wouldn’t stop, and it took a long time to recover, but her health was permanently damaged. Afterward, whether with Pei Xiuzhi or after going with Xiao Yintang, she never conceived again.

Those mung beans had been scattered under her feet by this child. Jiafu remembered that Pei Xiuzhi had been furious and had seized the boy to give him a severe beating, but Lady Xin had stopped him. The next day, Lady Song learned of the incident and came to make a scene, saying the child was young and didn’t know any better, and might even have been wrongly accused. Later, the matter was left unresolved and forgotten.

Thinking about it now, not having children in her previous life had been a blessing in disguise. But for the child before her, Jiafu could not, in any way, generate feelings of affection.

Madam Meng watched in astonishment, but the Song family people seemed accustomed to it. Lady Song smiled, her eyes full of doting affection, lightly scolded him for being naughty, and called for someone to bring the child to her.

Young Master Quan liked to ride on people, specifically choosing pretty maids to ride on, but at the Pei house, he didn’t dare play like this. Someone had reported him to the Old Lady, who had summoned Lady Xin, and afterward, Lady Xin had forbidden Young Master Quan from riding people. But the Song house didn’t mind, so Young Master Quan preferred to come here.

Ye Pozi hurriedly went to carry Young Master Quan over. Lady Song took him and sat him on her lap. The child wriggled and squirmed, wanting to get down, but she held him firmly. Looking up at Jiafu, she said, “I had only one daughter, as precious to me as my heart’s flesh. Now that she’s gone, Young Master Quan is no different from my own flesh and blood grandson. I’m a person who values gratitude and grievances. Whoever is good to my Young Master Quan is good to me…”

She paused, narrowed her eyes, and emphasized, “Whoever has designs on him, if even a hair on his head is harmed, if I find out, don’t expect me to let it go.”

Madam Meng drew in a sharp breath upon hearing this. Jiafu, however, widened her eyes and nodded vigorously, saying, “Godmother, you speak justly. Young Master Quan is precious—who would dare touch him?”

Lady Song wasn’t sure if she had fully understood, and as she stared at Jiafu, the child on her lap also stared at Jiafu. Suddenly, he slipped down from her arms, ran to Jiafu, looked up at her with his hands on his hips, and pointed, demanding, “Get down! I want to ride a horse!”

Jiafu walked over to the child, stopped in front of him, and bent down with a smile, saying, “I can’t let you ride me, but I can hold you to play.”

Young Master Quan immediately fell to the ground, kicking his legs wildly while wailing, “Don’t want to be held! I want to ride a horse! I want to ride a horse!”

Madam Meng’s face darkened. Lady Song quickly signaled to Ye Pozi with her eyes. Ye Pozi stepped forward to pick up Young Master Quan, coaxing, “Let’s go outside, we can ride a horse outside.”

Young Master Quan spat at her, repeatedly pounding her with his fists, shouting, “She’s pretty! I want to ride her!”

Jiafu stood there, coldly watching the child throwing a tantrum on the ground, a faint smile still on her lips.

At this point, even Lady Song was a bit embarrassed. She coughed, and several maids came forward together with Ye Pozi, carrying the crying and screaming Young Master Quan out. As the crying gradually faded, the side hall finally quieted down.

Lady Song forced a laugh: “This child isn’t usually like this; he’s just a bit naughty today.”

Madam Meng managed a strained smile, stayed a bit longer, and then rose to take her leave. Ye Pozi returned after comforting Young Master Quan, saying, “My Lady, you’ve seen it with your own eyes, haven’t you? Look at her bewitching appearance—what man wouldn’t be entrapped? Today, before she even arrived, the young master personally went to the dock to meet her. My Lady, you didn’t see how he stared at her without even blinking, how could he remember any good that Young Master Quan’s mother did for him? As the saying goes, where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather. Once she bears her children, Young Master Quan may even lose his father’s affection! My Lady, you must not be deceived by her; this girl is two-faced. Having lived and traveled with her these past few months, I know her all too well.”

Lady Song thought of her deceased daughter, feeling both sad and helpless. She frowned and said, “How could I be satisfied with this Zhen girl? But I had already agreed, and following your advice, recognized her as my goddaughter. It’s a settled matter—how can I speak against it now?”

Ye Pozi hit herself hard on the mouth. Just then, a little maid who had left earlier came running back in panic. Ye Pozi glared, “So reckless, startling my Lady—watch me pierce your mouth with a needle!”

The maid kept waving her hands, crying out, “It’s Young Master Quan! The young master isn’t well!”

Lady Song was startled, “What’s wrong?”

The maid gestured, “Just now, we were playing with the young master in the courtyard when he suddenly cried out that insects were crawling on him. He was scratching all over. I was watching him, and goodness, his face—it swelled up like bread rising, becoming puffy all at once…”

Lady Song’s expression changed. She hurriedly rushed out. Young Master Quan had already been carried back to his room and was lying on the bed, crying incessantly. Lady Song went to look and saw his face covered in red rashes, swollen as if inflated with air. Terrified, she hugged him, calling “my dear, my dear” a couple of times, then hurriedly sent someone to fetch the Imperial Physician. When the physician arrived, Young Master Quan’s face was as swollen as if he had been stung by hornets, his entire face puffy. Rashes were scattered all over his body, and due to the itching, some had been scratched open. He lay there whimpering and crying non-stop.

The physician couldn’t determine the cause, only prescribing a decoction to be applied to reduce the swelling, but the swelling simply wouldn’t go down. After a night of struggle, by the next day, it had only slightly improved.

Lady Song originally didn’t want Lady Xin to know, but unfortunately, the next day, people from the Pei family came to pick up Young Master Quan. Lady Song couldn’t hide it anymore and had to explain what had happened, feeling quite wronged herself, saying the child had been fine one moment and then suddenly fell ill. Upon hearing the news, Lady Xin rushed over in a state of anxiety, with a stern face, and took Young Master Quan away.

Lady Song felt quite embarrassed, but still worried about Young Master Quan, she sent people repeatedly to the Pei house to inquire about his condition. She learned that Lady Xin had made indirect accusations in front of her servants, greatly angering Lady Song. However, since the child had fallen ill while in her care, she couldn’t assert her authority and could only forcibly restrain her anger. By the evening of the second day, she finally heard that the child’s swelling had subsided considerably, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Ye Pozi felt that after months of hardship in Quanzhou, suffering considerably, the Zhen family had only given her twenty taels of silver as a dismissal, which she found deeply unfair. She therefore took it upon herself to break up this marriage. She whispered into Lady Song’s ear, saying that as soon as the Zhen girl arrived at their home, the previously healthy young master had developed this unprecedented strange illness, suffering greatly, which showed that their Eight Characters were incompatible and that she was an unlucky match for him.

One of Lady Song’s specialties was shifting blame, and with Ye Pozi’s instigation, she became suspicious. Another night passed, and on the third day, the warehouse manager reported that among the items sent by the Zhen family two days earlier, the most supposedly valuable jades and pearls were discovered to be of inferior quality when stored. Although still considered treasures, they were not top-grade items, significantly reducing their value. He asked how they should be categorized.

Lady Song recalled Madam Meng’s respectful attitude when she visited, and figured the Zhen family wouldn’t have the audacity to deceive her with inferior goods. She presumed these must be the best items they could offer. Full of disdain, she spat, “I thought the Zhen family was wealthy, but they’re just ordinary. The Pei family is willing to form this marriage alliance, showing how impoverished they must have become!”

…

Three days passed quickly, and today was the sixtieth birthday of Old Lady Pei of the Duke of Wei’s mansion.

Although the Duke of Wei’s mansion had declined, its status remained. The old Duke of Wei had illustrious military achievements, and Old Lady Pei held an imperial decree of rank above the first grade. Her daughter had been the Empress of the Tianxi Emperor, though she died early due to an epidemic. The Tianxi Emperor had always remembered her fondly. Old Lady Pei’s position was extraordinary, and for her sixtieth birthday, early in the morning, a eunuch from the palace had already arrived with imperial bestowals, showing the Emperor’s favor. The aristocratic and powerful families of the capital who had previously associated with the Duke of Wei’s mansion also came to offer birthday congratulations. On this day, the main gates of the Duke of Wei’s mansion were thrown open, with decorations inside and out, seemingly recovering some shadow of its former glory.

After returning from the Song mansion that day, Jiafu hadn’t gone out at all for these few days. Madam Meng had heard that Young Master Quan had fallen ill and been taken back from the Song house. Although she disliked the child, she had still gone to visit him and reported back to Jiafu, “He’s almost recovered. It’s just that he scratched and broke the skin in a few places himself and is still crying and making a fuss.”

At the time, Jiafu had pursed her lips and said nothing. Madam Meng, her mind heavy with thoughts, didn’t mention the matter again. On this day of celebration, Lady Xin, overwhelmed with many matters, asked her to come early to help. Madam Meng naturally agreed, instructing her son not to go out playing, changing into the clothes prepared for the occasion, and afternoon, took both her children to the Duke’s mansion.

Mother and daughter sat together in the carriage. Madam Meng remained silent throughout the journey. Jiafu leaned over and nudged her mother’s arm, “Mother, what are you thinking about? I’ve noticed you’ve been quiet these past two days.”

Madam Meng was lost in thought for a moment, then said softly, “Mother had only heard that the child was somewhat naughty, but never imagined it would be to this extent. After you marry into the family, mother fears it might be difficult for you…”

Jiafu hugged her and said with a grin, “Mother if in a few days, they find me unsuitable and I can’t marry cousin, would you scold me for being useless?”

Madam Meng was startled, surprised by her sudden words, and looked at Jiafu, “As long as you’re not heartbroken, why would I scold you? If it weren’t for your grandmother, mother would rather…”

She stopped, sighed, and lovingly embraced her daughter.

Jiafu’s smile faded, and her small face rested against her mother’s bosom as she closed her eyes.

Everything was going smoothly; events were unfolding step by step according to her expectations.

Young Master Quan’s sudden strange illness that day was within her predictions.

This small child was the most crucial figure in her plan to withdraw from the engagement.

In her previous life, there was an occasion when Young Master Quan was fine one moment, but after visiting Lady Xin’s room, soon after leaving, his head and face swelled, and rashes appeared on his body, with unbearable pain and itching. Ointments were ineffective, and only after several days did he slowly recover. Unexpectedly, not long after, he developed the same illness again, suffering repeatedly several times. The imperial physicians couldn’t determine the cause, and Lady Xin was beside herself with worry. Later, an attentive servant woman discovered that each time he visited Lady Xin’s room, he would fall ill after leaving.

Initially, Lady Xin thought her room was unclean and quickly invited people to perform rituals to expel evil spirits, but it had no effect.

Later, it was Jiafu who found the root of the problem.

The issue was with the ambergris incense that Lady Xin burned in her room.

True ambergris has a soft, rich, and profound fragrance, lively yet elegant, with a pure scent without any impurities. The aftertaste of frozen dragon brain incense carries a special, faint moss-like scent. Most people find it difficult to distinguish between these two fragrances.

Jiafu was very familiar with fragrances and identified that what Lady Xin burned in her room was not her usual ambergris but frozen dragon brain incense. Counting the days, it was precisely after switching to this box of incense that Young Master Quan began suffering from the strange illness. Once the incense was removed, Young Master Quan never fell ill again. Later, the imperial physician said that Young Master Quan had a unique sensitivity to that particular fragrance, a rare condition, and advised against using this incense around him in the future.

Ambergris was renowned as a heavenly fragrance. Top-grade ambergris could retain its scent for up to several months. Wealthy families in the capital who could afford it all used ambergris, which was also a symbol of status.

Lady Xin had always burned ambergris, and even though times were tight, she still refused to switch to anything else. This box of frozen dragon brain incense had been a gift from an estate manager who claimed it was expensive ambergris. Lady Xin couldn’t distinguish the authentic from the fake. When her original supply ran out, she started using this box, not realizing it was counterFut incense, causing Young Master Quan much suffering. Upon learning the truth, she had quite a temper tantrum at the time.

This incident had thrown the entire Duke of Wei’s mansion into chaos, leaving a deep impression on Jiafu. In this life, she naturally thought of using frozen dragon brain incense to help extricate herself from her predicament. This was why she had been using frozen dragon brain incense since returning from West Mountain Temple.

Ordinary people close to her would only smell that she used ambergris, not knowing that this fragrance was not that fragrance.

Gradually leading Lady Song to be dissatisfied with her was the setup.

She needed a pretext for an outburst, so she provided one. Using the excuse that she and Young Master Quan had incompatible fates, Lady Song could step forward to disrupt this marriage—this was Jiafu’s potent remedy.

This method was certainly not kind to the child, but at that time, Jiafu only hesitated briefly before making her decision.

In her previous life, she had been kind to others, yielding at every turn, and tolerating everything, but she had not received any so-called good karma in return.

Life is inherently difficult. In this life, whoever was good to her, she would be good to them, repaying them doubly if possible.

That was enough; the rest wasn’t worth considering.

“Mother, sister, we’ve arrived!”

The carriage gradually slowed down, and from outside the window came the voice of her brother, Zhen Yaoting.

“Jiafu, we’re here. There will be many people here today, and Mother will be busy and unable to look after you. Don’t squeeze in the front to avoid disturbing others. Stay in a quieter room in the back, and Mother will send someone to call you later.”

Madam Meng gently patted her daughter’s shoulder.

Jiafu opened her eyes, smiled sweetly at her mother, and responded with a sound of agreement.