After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Bohui addressed Jiang Changyang with a serious expression, “I have matters to attend to and can’t go with you. I came today to escort your mother and have a word with you. I’ve already spoken with Yuan Shijiu, and he’ll be here shortly.”
Seeing this, Madam Wang immediately stood up, “Mother and daughter will go for a walk outside and have our private conversation. Then we’ll take an afternoon nap before preparing to depart.”
Although Mudan was more interested in knowing what Fang Bohui wanted to discuss with Jiang Changyang, she had to respect their traditional division of roles between men and women. She reluctantly rose and accompanied Madam Wang outside. As they walked along the curved corridor, they saw Yuan Shijiu approaching quickly, fanning himself with a large cattail leaf fan. Upon seeing them, he bowed and made way, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
Mudan returned the greeting, but Madam Wang’s earlier playful demeanor changed completely. She became solemn, adjusted her clothes, and bowed respectfully to Yuan Shijiu, “Master Yuan, your great talent is well-known. I hope you can guide my son and ensure his safety.”
Yuan Shijiu was surprised by Madam Wang’s formal greeting. He straightened his clothes and returned the bow seriously, “Madam, you are a woman of great character. No wonder you’ve raised such a noble son. Please rest assured, I will do my utmost.” With that, he strode towards the study.
Mudan frowned slightly. The gravity with which Madam Wang, Fang Bohui, and Yuan Shijiu were acting suggested something significant was afoot. However, Madam Wang simply smiled and said, “Recently, I find myself constantly having to bow.”
“Why is that?” Mudan asked, supporting her arm as they walked towards the shade of the trees.
Madam Wang glanced at her with a smile, “What can I do? These people are all highly talented and proud. The more respect you show, the more sincerity you gain in return.”
She was subtly teaching Mudan how to be a good wife. Mudan nodded earnestly, “I understand, mother-in-law.”
Madam Wang nodded, “Let me tell you the story of cutting flesh to eat flesh. I’m not trying to stir up trouble or deliberately open old wounds. It’s just that you’ll inevitably have to deal with them in the future, and knowing these things will help you be prepared.” She looked up at the lush courtyard and said solemnly, “While one should not harbor intentions to harm others, one must always be cautious.”
Mudan pointed to a nearby water pavilion, “Let’s get some freshly cooled fruits from the well and sit there to talk. It’s cool and quiet.” Although Madam Wang visited them occasionally, she was always in a hurry. Mudan wanted to deepen their understanding and bring their relationship closer but rarely had the opportunity. Now that the chance had presented itself, she naturally wanted to make the most of it. Madam Wang wasn’t difficult to get along with, and Mudan genuinely respected her. While she couldn’t say she loved her yet, she was willing to do her best to improve their relationship for Jiang Changyang’s sake.
Madam Wang had the same intention. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law couldn’t be as close as mother and daughter, as the saying goes, “A domestic hen flies around the house when beaten, while a wild hen flies to the sky.” There were some things she could say directly to Jiang Changyang, even getting angry if displeased, knowing that despite momentary displeasure, she would always be his mother. But with Mudan, she couldn’t do that. She had to be tactful and considerate of Mudan’s face and self-esteem, otherwise, a single misspoken word could be remembered for a lifetime. In such circumstances, deepening their mutual understanding was crucial.
Both women, harboring the same good intentions, entered the water pavilion together. Madam Wang asked Mudan, “What’s your impression of Madam Du?”
Mudan pondered for a moment before answering directly, “Hypocritical, vicious, self-righteous, always suspecting others of ill intentions.”
Madam Wang agreed, “That’s her personality, but you should also note that she’s always suppressed her true nature because she had goals to achieve. But now it seems her past efforts might be in vain, so she’s anxious and disappointed. Any small thing could provoke her to resort to extreme measures, viewing anyone who doesn’t align with her wishes as an enemy. That’s why she keeps fixating on Dalang, even though he’s clearly stated he won’t accept the title.” She chuckled lightly and said frankly, “Of course, I’m partly to blame for this. Even after all these years, she still sees me as a rival. You must be careful.”
“She’s confused. Her biggest enemy isn’t anyone else, it’s herself. No one else is disgracing her; she’s disgracing herself,” Mudan said, her eyes bright as she looked at Madam Wang. No one understood this better than Madam Wang. People often unconsciously compare themselves to others, especially those they hold grudges against. They hope others aren’t doing better than themselves, and even if they’re doing well, they still feel uncomfortable seeing others prosper. If they aren’t doing well, they become even more jealous. If there’s no opportunity, they might let it go, but if there’s a chance, they’ll try to trip others up, harming others without benefiting themselves, just for the sake of feeling better. Madam Du and Princess Qinghua were prime examples of this.
“Well said! If you don’t cherish yourself, who will?” Madam Wang sighed, “I don’t want to say much about what happened back then. I’ll just say that when the Old Madam fell ill and seemed to be on her deathbed, some quack doctor who appeared out of nowhere said human flesh was needed as medicine. I didn’t believe it, and so I became an unfilial sinner. Her son was the flesh of her flesh, so if she wanted a piece of his flesh to eat, it was understandable, especially if it was consensual. However, a kind noblewoman who admired General Jiang heard about this and came directly to offer her arm flesh, presenting it on a jade plate with tears in her eyes, saying that the General still needed to fight on the battlefield and protect the country, so how could he be injured?”
“In comparison, I, who had been tending to my mother-in-law’s sickbed for over a month without rest, appeared truly unfilial and unloving towards my husband, only capable of jealousy and selfishness, ignorant and ungrateful. How could a woman like me be worthy of the brilliant and valiant General Jiang?” Madam Wang shuddered as she recalled Jiang Zhong’s expression at that time, “Tch! It’s unbearable to remember. Even after all these years, thinking about it still makes my skin crawl. So I decided to be the most selfish and self-loving one. That kind of selflessness, that way of proving filial piety and true love, I simply couldn’t do.”
Mudan felt a chill run down her spine. Even without witnessing it firsthand, she could imagine Jiang Zhong’s mood and attitude at that time. On one side was a noble, young, and beautiful woman who, disregarding the shame, had rushed to his home and publicly cut the flesh from her beautiful arm, presenting it on a crystal jade plate with both hands, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, gazing at him lovingly as she made such a heartfelt declaration. On the other side was his wife, who had tended to his elderly mother for over a month without rest, likely haggard in appearance, with a stubborn and irritable temper, not only refusing to cut her flesh but also opposing his doing so to save his mother, and looking at this beautiful and kind fairy-like woman with disdain and contempt, coldly ignoring her.
Who would evoke more sympathy? Certainly the fairy-like woman! At that moment, he had already ranked the two women in his heart. But he must have told himself that he was unable to resist imperial power, that it was for the sake of filial piety, gratitude, and honor that he had to take responsibility for Madam Du, who had made such a great sacrifice for him regardless of the consequences. He wasn’t betraying his original wife. He was still the loyal and righteous Jiang Zhong, faithful in both duty and love. It was all because Madam Wang didn’t understand and couldn’t empathize with him.
Perhaps at that time, it wasn’t just Jiang Zhong and the Old Madam who thought Madam Wang was wrong; public opinion might have been against her too. With Madam Du being such a beautiful, kind, and lovable angel, anyone who rejected her must be a demon! Mudan said softly, “I feel that I couldn’t do it either if I were in the same situation. It must have been very difficult for you at that time?”
Madam Wang was silent for a moment, “It was certainly difficult. Even my own family said I was wrong, so how could I expect understanding from others? My grievances weren’t important; the hardest part was taking Dalang away.” At that time, it would have been easy for her to leave alone, but taking Jiang Changyang with her was extremely difficult. But she knew she absolutely couldn’t leave her son with a woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, nor with a father who could be so easily blinded by false appearances, always thinking others were wrong and finding excuses for himself.
Mudan remained silent, gently holding her hand and saying earnestly, “Mother, it’s all in the past now. We’ll take good care of you from now on.”
Madam Wang smiled faintly, “Yes, it’s all in the past. The wind leaves no trace. Many things seem impossible at the time, but as long as you stay clear-headed and are willing to fight, you can always seize that fleeting opportunity for change. What does General Jiang fear most? Losing face. How much face would he lose if he drove his first wife to death? And if his son were raised by another man, possibly even changing his surname, how embarrassing would that be? I threatened him with my death, and he gave in. I promised not to remarry before Dalang grew up and returned to his ancestral home, satisfying his vanity. With Princess Fen mediating, he found a way to back down gracefully, and everyone came out looking perfect.”
Mudan couldn’t help but feel a lump in her throat. Hearing these bitter memories recounted with a smile made them even more heart-wrenching. But in reality, Jiang Zhong didn’t think it was perfect, nor did Madam Du. Jiang Zhong had fantasized that no matter what, everyone should love and obey him, revering him alone. So when Madam Wang remarried Fang Bohui and Jiang Changyang became successful but didn’t hold him in high regard, he felt he had lost face. Madam Du desired to erase all traces of Madam Wang and Jiang Changyang’s existence from this world, or if that wasn’t possible, she would prefer them to become beggars. Why couldn’t these people just be content?
Seeing Mudan’s eyes redden, Madam Wang couldn’t help but laugh. She grasped Mudan’s hand and said with a smile, “Danniang, I’m telling you these things not because I want you to hate them or seek revenge for me. What I want to tell you is that in life, you need to have spirit. Be forgiving when you can, and learn to let things go. Only then will you have good days ahead.”
Mudan lowered her head and blinked for a while before looking up at Madam Wang with a sweet smile, “Mother, I’ll remember everything you’ve said.”
Madam Wang shook her head gently, “It’s easy for me to say these things to you now, but in reality, it’s very difficult to do them. I haven’t mastered it completely myself.”
Mudan didn’t know what specific incident Madam Wang was referring to and was about to ask, but Madam Wang had already smiled cheerfully, “Alright, let’s leave it at that. It’s about time. Let’s take our afternoon nap and then get ready to depart!”