Without waiting for an answer, the Old Madam already knew the response. She grumbled angrily, “Where on earth has she gone at this crucial moment? She didn’t even send someone to inform us. How old is she now, still so playful?” Her words were light, but inwardly she couldn’t help but guess. Madam Du used to frequent the palace and was acquainted with many people. Disappearing suddenly after the court meeting, she probably went to complain to someone, causing more trouble for the household. The Old Madam felt uneasy but dared not make a fuss. She only sent someone to inquire from the Du family.
However, the Du family had already left, and the servant dared not ask others, so he could only return to report. The Old Madam was very angry. She was old and tired, only holding on by sheer will. She waited impatiently for a while, seeing most people had left, but still no sign of Madam Du. The sky turned gloomy, and heavy snow began to fall. Irritated, she frowned and said, “Leave a carriage for her. We’ll go first.”
Peony had been eager to return home and naturally agreed without objection when she heard the Old Madam’s words. The Old Madam, however, had another idea. She left behind one of her trusted maidservants, Chang Ma, ostensibly out of concern for Madam Du, but actually to see where Madam Du would return from. She also sent someone to inform Jiang Zhong’s attendant about this matter, so that Jiang Zhong would be told immediately upon his exit. After arranging everything, she finally left for home with Peony.
Upon arriving at the Marquis’s mansion, banners had already been hung in the courtyard. Xiao Xuexi swallowed her grievances and greeted the two at the door, rushing forward to support the Old Madam. She smiled and said, “The spiced wine and the five pungent dishes have been prepared. We’re just waiting for the Marquis and others to return home so we can present the birthday offerings.”
The Old Madam nodded with satisfaction and praised her a few times. Xiao Xuexi, being shrewd, immediately noticed that Madam Du hadn’t returned. She deliberately asked the Old Madam cautiously, “Where’s Mother?”
The Old Madam, fearing any new troubles, was always wary of Xiao Xuexi. She replied coolly, “She had some matters to attend to and will follow later.” Seeing that Peony had also alighted from the carriage, she advised, “Go change your clothes quickly. They won’t be back for a while, so you should lie down and rest for a bit. You’ve been through enough today.” She then glanced at Peony’s belly, realizing she hadn’t noticed earlier how big it had become.
Peony, hearing the Old Madam’s rare concern for her, was slightly surprised. She quickly understood it was probably because of Jiang Yunqing’s matter. Pleased that the Old Madam had to treat her well for the Princess Consort of Fen’s sake, she gladly accepted this “care” and took her leave to return to the Yingxue Hall.
Being the eldest grandson’s wife and pregnant made a difference. Xiao Xuexi felt a pang of jealousy seeing this. She forced herself to refocus on pleasing the Old Madam. Regardless, Jiang Changyi was right – a daughter-in-law was different from a daughter. Whatever they did, they had to have reason on their side. They were only from concubines, so it was fine. Now that Madam Du had lost favor with the Old Madam and Jiang Zhong, and Jiang Changyang and Peony were unwilling to deal with the Marquis’s household, while Jiang Changzhong was away and unmarried, this gave her an opportunity. If one day Jiang Changzhong married and became successful, where would their position be? She hoped her father could settle that matter today, feeling a surge of inner joy at the thought of returning to Madam Du exactly what she had done to her.
Though heavy snow was falling from the sky, the entrance to Yingxue Hall had already been covered with straw mats. Lin Mama praised Kuan’er, who had stayed behind to take care of things: “Kuan’er is so thoughtful. No matter how much snow falls, we don’t have to worry about slipping when we want to go out.”
Peony nodded in agreement. A thin layer of snow on the smooth stone surface was extremely slippery. Unlike before, her greatest fear now was falling. When she lived by Qujiang Pool, she wouldn’t go out when it snowed, staying indoors and taking walks inside. But here, it was different. She couldn’t avoid going to the Old Madam’s place every few days.
Lin Mama chattered on, “Heaven truly favors good people. If it had snowed like this when we were in the palace, soaking our clothes, who knows how cold we would have been.”
Peony smiled, thinking her luck was indeed good. Just as they boarded the carriage and the Old Madam arrived, the snow had started falling at the perfect time. She then thought of Princess Ankang wanting to play polo, which probably couldn’t happen now.
She slept very well, waking up feeling warm all over. The snow’s reflection brightened the room through the windows, making it quiet and comfortable. She couldn’t help but feel in a good mood. Just as she was about to stretch, she heard soft breathing beside her. Looking up, she couldn’t help but smile. Jiang Changyang was dozing off next to her. His long eyelashes curled upwards, his nose straight, his lips red and slightly pouted, looking nothing like his usual serious, expressionless self, but rather quite adorable.
He had accompanied Little Four until midnight last night and risen before dawn, so he hadn’t slept well. Peony felt a surge of tenderness. She cupped his face and gently pressed a kiss to his lips. Seeing no reaction, she used her hair to trace his eyelashes. Jiang Changyang pursed his lips and reached out with his large hand to press her down, indicating she was being mischievous. Peony quieted down and lay beside him, resting her head on his shoulder as they silently leaned against each other. She found it strange though. She had slept for quite a while and wondered what time it was now. Why hadn’t anyone called her to offer the spiced wine and five pungent dishes for the birthday celebration? And why had Jiang Changyang come to take a nap with her?
Thinking this, she could no longer lie still. She got up quietly and pulled the screen closed for Jiang Changyang. Kuan’er and Shu’er, hearing movement, immediately came in to attend to her. They first found a set of crimson brocade jackets and skirts for her to wear, then asked how she wanted her hair done.
“Just style it simply and elegantly,” Peony said, running her fingers through her smooth black hair. She asked in a low voice, “What time is it? Has the birthday ceremony already taken place outside? I feel like I’ve slept for quite a long time.”
“It’s already 3 pm. The birthday ceremony hasn’t happened yet, so we didn’t wake you,” Shu’er, always well-informed, replied. “The Marquis hasn’t returned home yet.” Naturally, they couldn’t hold the ceremony without the head of the household present.
“What about Madam?” Peony was surprised. Jiang Zhong had left with Jiang Changyang and Jiang Changyi, but while the sons had returned home, he hadn’t. What could this mean? Had the couple planned this together?
Shu’er smiled and said, “Madam returned home at 2 pm. She went straight to the Old Madam’s room to apologize, looking radiant as if something good had happened. If you want to know what it was, I can go find out and tell you. As for the Marquis, I heard he was dragged off by some old friends for drinks. He probably won’t return until dark.”
Peony laughed and scolded her, “Do you think I’m really that bored, wanting to meddle in these affairs? Don’t you have anything better to do?” She didn’t want to cause trouble, but she knew that living here, she couldn’t restrict her servants too tightly. This way, if anything happened, she wouldn’t be completely in the dark.
Shu’er laughed, “I know you’re busy. But if it’s really good news, you’ll probably hear about it tonight anyway. No need for me to ask around.” She then asked Kuan’er to hold up a mirror behind Peony so she could see the back of her hairstyle. “What do you think?”
“It’s very nice,” Peony was always satisfied with her handiwork. She only glanced briefly before asking Kuan’er to put the mirror down. Properly adorned, she reclined to one side, watching the two maids do needlework. She had just seen Kuan’er sew the edge of a small garment and Shu’er finish half a small shoe sole when Lin Mama came in and said, “The Old Madam has requested your presence. It seems she has something to ask you.”
The snow had stopped, and the Old Madam’s courtyard and steps had been swept clean. Lücao, standing by the curtain, saw Peony and her servants approaching and smiling, announcing to those inside, “The First Young Madam has arrived.”
Kuan’er supported Peony as she stepped onto the first step. Just as she was about to take another step, she suddenly stumbled and began to fall. She nimbly steadied herself, but before she could fully regain her balance, she slipped again. This time, she completely lost her footing and began to fall rapidly. In the rush, her first action was to let go of Peony’s hand to avoid dragging her down too. Peony, being closest, instinctively reached out to support her, but Lin Mama swiftly pulled her hand away, moving her to the side. By the time they reacted, Kuan’er had already fallen where Peony had been standing moments before, grimacing in pain and unable to get up. Peony felt a rush of fear, realizing that if she had held onto Kuan’er or if Kuan’er hadn’t let go of her, she might have been pulled down as well.
Lin Mama looked ahead and saw that the steps were covered with a thin layer of ice, which was slightly loose – the most treacherous kind of ice. How could there be such negligent servants outside the Old Madam’s room? But with the cold weather, it was perfectly normal for ice to form right after sweeping snow. Understanding the situation, but unwilling to let this slight pass, she pretended to be crude and ignorant of etiquette, shouting, “Heavens! The First Young Madam is truly blessed! Fortunately, Kuan’er took the fall first, and this old servant was quick enough to pull you away. Otherwise, what would have happened?”
Lücao’s smile froze halfway on her face. She quickly ordered someone to bring felt to cover the steps, then went down personally to help Peony up, asking earnestly if she had been frightened. She also ordered people to carefully help Kuan’er up and take her to a nearby side room to check if she had injured any bones.
By now, the Old Madam and others had heard the commotion and rushed out, all showing great concern for Peony. The Old Madam, somewhat fearful, said, “It’s good you didn’t fall.” Otherwise, Jiang Changyang might have turned this place upside down.
Madam Du also said, “You’re truly blessed with great fortune. The servants also attended well. If that maid or Lin Mama had reacted a bit slower, Danni might have… Speaking of which, who was so careless? They didn’t even clear the ice properly. I’ve said before that this surface is too smooth, and a thin layer of snow or ice is most dangerous. We should have laid down some carpets. See, we nearly had a big accident, didn’t we?” As she spoke, she looked towards Xiao Xuexi. These trivial matters had long been under her management, so how would she explain this?