She had thought the sedan chair contained silk for the brocade competition, but instead, it held a bound Matron Gu. Madam Zhao jumped up from her chair in shock: “Matron Gu?!”
Gagged, Matron Gu could only look at Madam Zhao and whimper while shaking her head desperately. Her hairpins had fallen out, her bun was disheveled, and her graying hair hung over her face—she couldn’t have looked more wretched.
Madam Zhao’s lips trembled, her body shaking slightly.
Just when Ji’s mother and daughter thought Madam Zhao was about to explode, she sat back down and turned to Madam Ji: “You mentioned earlier that Matron Gu acted on her own… Hmph, this old thing got carried away, relying on her position as my wet nurse!”
She slammed her palm on the table with fury: “A mere servant daring to act on her own! Take her away and give her twenty strokes before reporting back!”
Beat Matron Gu? Beat her? Or fake it? Or just make a show of dragging her away before letting her go? These thoughts swirled in the Zhao family servants’ minds, but their hands and feet didn’t stop moving. The punishment board was always ready in the flower hall for handling household matters. As they lifted Matron Gu from the sedan chair, others were already rolling out a reed mat on the ground.
This was her wet nurse. Not only had the Ji family bound her, but they’d brazenly delivered her back to the Zhao house. If the Ji family didn’t have justice on their side, they would have had to forfeit their Huanhua Dye House and family secrets. Madam Zhao hadn’t lost her mind. Without even asking for an explanation, she moved straight to punishing Matron Gu.
The palm strike on the table vented her anger while concealing her shock and heartbreak. The stinging pain helped Madam Zhao stay even more clearheaded.
“The Zhao and Ji families have been neighbors for many years. When the doorman said Madam Zhao had come, I brought my daughter to personally welcome you at the second gate, but who would have thought Matron Gu would emerge from the sedan chair.”
“…So it was Matron Gu acting on her own!”
Madam Ji’s earlier words played like a lantern show in Madam Zhao’s mind, cold sweat breaking out on her back.
Impersonating her to mock the Ji family was a minor matter. But for her wet nurse to act as though she were the Zhao family’s Old Madam… if Madam Ji merely spoke those words, Matron Gu’s life would be forfeit.
For great families, dignity and reputation were more important than life itself. The brocade competition was important, but the Zhao family’s face was more important. Not winning the Brocade King plaque for over twenty years wouldn’t ruin the Zhao family, but losing dignity and face would leave them open to everyone’s contempt.
Understanding her mistress’s look, the head maid beside her bowed and retreated outside the hall, giving a slight nod.
The thick bamboo board, carved from nanmu wood, fell. Matron Gu let out a muffled grunt and closed her eyes.
“Madam Ji, it’s all my fault for being too lenient with her, letting her forget her place. I’ve been remiss in managing my servants, and I sincerely apologize to you!”
This time, Madam Zhao’s apology to Madam Ji was willing and sincere. She only hoped Madam Ji would let the matter drop, seeing how she had taken the initiative to punish Matron Gu.
Madam Ji had once thought Madam Zhao merely courteous, then later found her overbearing. Today’s Madam Zhao once again refreshed her understanding. She secretly sighed at her shortsightedness—the Zhao clan hadn’t sustained itself for a hundred years for nothing, and this woman wasn’t a simple household matriarch.
The dull sound of the punishment board continued outside. Madam Ji didn’t intervene. She had no intention of revealing that Matron Gu had impersonated the Zhao family’s Old Madam. Madam Zhao would question her later. Madam Ji only wanted to hold onto this leverage to make life easier for Yingying in the Zhao family in the future.
“Madam Zhao, you’re too kind. How could this be your fault? It was all Matron Gu acting on her own. You’ve punished her, so let’s put this matter to rest.” Madam Ji said gently.
“Mother,” Yingying called softly, thinking her mother must be blind—those board strikes were raised high but landed lightly, not even as heavy as what Xiang’er had received last time.
Madam Ji shot her a sharp glance, scolding: “When elders are speaking, how dare you interrupt? Madam Zhao taught you last time to study the ‘Female Analects’ seriously—go home and copy it two hundred more times!”
Yingying could only lower her head and respond: “Yes.”
“Madam Zhao, last time you mentioned liking the brocade handkerchief my daughter embroidered. I’ve written down detailed instructions about matching threads and the stitching techniques used. If anything isn’t clear, you can send an embroiderer to ask.” Madam Ji took out a bamboo tube from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
Madam Zhao’s heart jumped again—the Ji family had just handed over their silk-matching method like this.
By now the twenty strokes were finished, and the servants had untied Matron Gu and carried her back into the hall.
Madam Zhao said coldly: “Thanks to Madam Ji’s intercession, I only gave you twenty strokes. Thank Madam Ji for her mercy.”
The twenty strokes had been only thirty percent genuine. Matron Gu had been Madam Zhao’s wet nurse in her youth. After her husband died and her daughter married, she devoted herself to serving Madam Zhao for nearly thirty years, never suffering such humiliation. Seeing Madam Zhao condemn her without asking for an explanation, her heart broke completely. Humiliated and forced to thank Madam Ji, she couldn’t process it all and suddenly cried out: “This old servant has been wronged!” Before turning to slam her head against a pillar.
“Thud!”
A dull sound echoed through the hall.
Madam Zhao watched Matron Gu collapse limply to the ground, her mind buzzing.
“Madam, Matron Gu has only fainted from the impact.” Madam Zhao’s head maid felt for breath at Matron Gu’s nose and sighed in relief.
Just fainted from the impact… Thank the Buddha! Madam Zhao kept praying silently while hearing her voice speak distantly: “Madam Ji, please excuse this. It’s my fault for indulging her due to her having nursed me. A servant who doesn’t know her place deserves death! Take her away!”
The servants didn’t even check if Matron Gu was still breathing before carrying her out with stern faces. They moved quickly to apply water and clean her up.
While Madam Ji and Yingying were still in shock, the hall had already been cleaned spotless.
Madam Zhao took the bamboo tube containing the silk-matching method and smiled at them: “Thank you, Madam Ji. If anything isn’t clear, I’ll send someone to inquire at your house tomorrow.”
She gracefully lifted her tea.
Madam Ji let out a long internal sigh. Plans truly couldn’t keep up with changes—in an instant, the situation had reversed. Originally the Ji family had justice on their side, but Matron Gu’s head-knock had diluted that. Madam Ji was just grateful Matron Gu had only fainted; otherwise, it would have become a case of the Ji family driving Madam Zhao’s wet nurse to death. Even so, another knot had been tied in the relationship between the Zhao and Ji families.
After leaving the Zhao mansion, the mother and daughter boarded their mule cart. Yingying finally came to her senses: “Matron Gu didn’t have much strength, she just fainted from the impact. And the beating wasn’t even that hard. We’re the ones who were wronged, how did it turn out like this? At least we have those maids’ confessions.”
“Thank heaven no one died. Return those confessions to the Zhao family too.”
Yingying didn’t understand: “Wouldn’t it be better if we kept them, in case things aren’t clear in the future?”
“You’re still young, you don’t understand these inner courtyard machinations.” Madam Ji sighed her thoughts in turmoil. “Yingying, let’s not go through with this marriage. Consider the brocade silk-matching method of payment for this incident. From now on, let the Zhao and Ji families just be neighbors with minimal contact.”