Songxiang, upon seeing Jiang Zhong, hurriedly bowed and greeted him, intending to inform Madam Du. Jiang Zhong stopped her and entered the room first. He saw Madam Du lying on the bed, her back to him, motionless. He coughed loudly, but Madam Du didn’t respond. Left with no choice, he sat down disgruntled.
Songxiang brought in tea and, seeing the situation, stammered, “Madam has been vomiting and having diarrhea. She can’t keep anything down and has no energy. She just managed to take some medicine and fall asleep…” Though not as adept at reading the room as Baixiang, she felt the awkwardness and tried to ease the tension, giving both masters a way to save face.
But her attempt at flattery missed the mark. Jiang Zhong glared at her, causing Songxiang to shrink back and quickly leave. Whatever happened between the two of them was none of her business; she didn’t want to end up like Baixiang, scolded and gaining nothing for her efforts.
Madam Du had never been asleep; she had been waiting for Jiang Zhong. After years of marriage, she knew him too well, recognizing his footsteps at the door. But having reached this point, she knew that trying to please him would be futile, so why demean herself? She feigned sleep, inwardly preparing what to say next. She would wait until Jiang Zhong could no longer bear it and spoke first before responding.
Jiang Zhong wanted to call out to her but felt it would be embarrassing. He wanted to lose his temper but knew that no matter how angry he got, Madam Du wouldn’t acknowledge him now. After Du Qian had set the one-year deadline, Madam Du tried to please him, showing more care than before. But he felt her efforts were merely expected, given that her selfishness and cruelty had brought everyone to this state. If she didn’t humble herself and atone, it would be beyond redemption.
So no matter what she did, he felt it was only right, and he was at ease with it. Moreover, the rift between them couldn’t be mended quickly. Whenever he had a moment of peace, he would recall those events, and returning home from outings always put him in a foul mood. With the Old Madam constantly picking at him, he didn’t want to deal with Madam Du. After several rebuffs to her attempts at reconciliation, she naturally stopped trying. Over time, they stopped speaking altogether, leading to the current Cold War.
But husband and wife are still husband and wife, with shared interests. He was a man; he shouldn’t quibble with an inexperienced woman. After a moment of stiffness, Jiang Zhong suddenly threw down his teacup and asked coldly, “Are you feeling better?”
Hearing his tone, Madam Du felt as if a heavy stone pressed on her heart, cold and painful. She had intended to ignore him but thought, having endured for so long, why stop now? Without turning, she replied flatly, “I’m not dying. I can still manage to complete the tasks assigned by the Old Madam and the Duke.”
Jiang Zhong’s prepared speech caught in his throat, unable to be spoken or swallowed. After a long silence, he said grudgingly, “Why did you let Concubine Xue cause such a scene? You’re not managing Yunqing’s situation either. We have guests in the house; it’s mortifying. If word gets out, you’ll lose face as the mistress of the house.”
Now he cares about losing face? When she had worked so hard to manage the household well before, neither he nor that old hag had a word of praise. Everything was taken for granted. They were so wary of her involvement in Jiang Yunqing’s affairs, and now he comes to talk about saving face. This man truly never learns.
Madam Du let out a cold laugh, “I’ve been advising and scolding as needed. If she insists on acting this way, what can I do? Kill her? If I intervene too much, I’m harsh. If I say too much, I have ulterior motives. When problems arise, it’s because I’m causing trouble. I’m wrong no matter what. Please, my Lord, teach me what I should do. Give your orders, and I’ll follow them to the letter without mistake. As for the face, what face do I have left now? I’m worse off than a maid. Maids get a smile for a job well done, while I work myself sick and don’t even get a kind word.”
Jiang Zhong was left speechless, filled with hatred and anger. After a while, he said, “How have you become like this? The household is in a difficult situation; we should set aside our grievances and work together to overcome this crisis. Instead, you’re dwelling on petty grudges. Rest and recover. When you’re better, many things require your attention. The tax collection is coming up, and there’s a new room to arrange. We mustn’t let the Xiao family find any faults…” He trailed off, unable to continue. Having enjoyed years of glory and respect, this sudden fall from grace left him with indescribable feelings. Though he had always been low-key, he had still been respected. Even the arrogant Xiao family hadn’t dared to cross him before. Now, he had to be extra cautious, fearing the Xiao family would find something to criticize. It was truly depressing.
As he rambled on, Madam Du felt, for the first time in her life, how annoying he was. In the past, he hadn’t talked much or meddled in household affairs. Whatever she said went, and although she found it tiring and secretly complained about his lack of involvement, she had still felt pleased and thought her husband dignified. But now that he had started managing household matters, why did she find him so irritating? Madam Du frowned impatiently, “Speaking of this, I also have something to discuss with you, my Lord.”
As someone accustomed to being in charge, Madam Du naturally felt uneasy about Xiao Xuewei’s arrival and the division of her already limited power. She would certainly cause trouble. Although Jiang Zhong believed that after her grave mistake, she should humble herself, he considered that pushing her too far might lead her to abandon her duties, which would cause many problems. He prepared himself mentally and said, “Go on.”
Madam Du smiled slightly, “Let Changyang’s wife come back to help me. I’m not well and can’t manage everything.”
Jiang Zhong was surprised that in one day, these two usually discordant individuals had both suggested moving back. He looked at Madam Du suspiciously, wondering if she was plotting something against Jiang Changyang again, having failed before.
Madam Du smirked, “To be frank, given the current situation, I’m afraid of taking responsibility. If something happens again, I won’t be able to stay in this household. With Mudan here, if anything occurs, there will be a witness. It will be easier to communicate with the Old Madam, and not everything I say will be contradicted. This household is truly difficult to manage.”
What she said was true. The Old Madam opposed everything she agreed with, often just to spite her, even if things ended up being done as originally planned. Madam Du’s blunt honesty about her grievances and dissatisfaction left Jiang Zhong at a loss for words. He could only ask, “Do you trust her that much?”
Madam Du looked at him, her eyes carrying a hint of mockery, “She’s far more impartial than many. She sees things as they are, and doesn’t suddenly hate someone over one mistake, disregarding decades of friendship and loyalty. She won’t scheme behind my back or kick me when I’m down. I trust her.”
Jiang Zhong was taken aback, his face flushing. Then he thought, it was precisely Madam Du who schemed and kicked others when they were down. How dare she say these things to him? Whenever she wanted to achieve her goals, didn’t she always speak righteously, pretending to be more just and reasonable than anyone else? On the surface, she said she trusted Mudan but wasn’t Mudan the one she was most wary of? He let out a cold laugh and turned his head, saying, “We’ll discuss this later.”
Seeing his non-committal response, Madam Du smiled faintly, “It’s up to you. If you don’t trust her to be with me, thinking I might harm her, then you can assign her a specific task to report to the Old Madam. I won’t interfere or get involved, how’s that? This isn’t just for my sake, but for Changyi’s good, for the household’s benefit, and even for her good. She’s not familiar with the clan members yet, is she? After all, she is the main wife of the eldest son.”
Jiang Zhong remained silent. This suggestion had some merit. The Old Madam was getting on in years, sometimes biased and ill-tempered, inevitably leading to oversights that could cause embarrassment. The household couldn’t afford any more embarrassments now. Having Mudan oversee things would indeed be more reliable than leaving everything to Madam Du.
Madam Du wearily rubbed her forehead, “I’m tired. Please forgive me for not attending to you properly due to my illness, my Lord.” She then lay down on the bed and didn’t move.
Jiang Zhong sat silently for a moment before quietly leaving. The evening was deepening, with flowers and plants seeming as if dipped in faint ink, much like his heart—sorrowful and desolate. He looked at his calloused hands, hands that had once held reins and swords, killing enemies and protecting the country, now reduced to managing trivial affairs. He surveyed the entire courtyard, wondering if the latter half of his life would be spent in such dimness.
Was it really as Jiang Changyang had said? Was the Emperor truly not forgiving him because of that incident? But at the time, the Emperor had clearly said he didn’t blame him and had never mentioned a word about it since. Indeed, it wasn’t his fault; she had been the most powerful woman in the entire dynasty. What could he have done? Moreover, he had tried his best to remedy the situation afterward, but even heaven didn’t give that person a chance to live. How could he be blamed?
Jiang Zhong heaved a long sigh. Remembering how he had seen Ayou, in fine clothes and on horseback, meeting Fang Bohui outside the palace earlier that day, their affection evident, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. His luck was truly terrible; how had he ended up in this situation?
“Son pays his respects to Father.” Jiang Changyi, dressed in a sapphire blue round-collared narrow-sleeved robe, stood beside him and bowed, looking handsome and refined.
Jiang Zhong noticed he had grown taller, no longer as thin as before, showing some of his former grace. Thinking of his son’s recent performance, which had been quite pleasing, his heart warmed, and his tone became particularly gentle, “You’re back? Have you paid your respects to your grandmother?”
Jiang Changyi cautiously replied, “I just came from there. Hearing that Mother is unwell and you were here, I came to check on her.”
Jiang Zhong nodded, “Go ahead.” After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “Be more considerate and respectful to your mother.”
Jiang Changyi responded innocently, “I will do even better, Father.”
Jiang Zhong watched his son’s retreating figure and sighed softly. Having Jiang Changyang and Mudan move back to help with household matters seemed like a good idea after all.