Several elderly ladies were chatting animatedly, and it took Gu Xi quite a while to understand what had happened.
It turned out that after Yu Tang fainted, the Pei family had hired a medical woman skilled in moxibustion to treat her. This medical woman not only knew moxibustion but also massage techniques, which she recommended to Yu Tang. When the Second Madam learned about it, she recommended her to several elderly ladies.
Gu Xi couldn’t help but frown. After the two young ladies from the Song family arrived, she casually brought up this matter with them, laughing as she said, “I’ve only had acupuncture before, never massage. Hearing Second Madam Pei describe it so interestingly, I’m tempted to try it myself. Would you like to join me?”
As Gu Xi had anticipated, Miss Song Six jumped up immediately upon hearing this and said, “Those from humble backgrounds simply have no manners. These medical women go from house to house, most fond of gossiping about this family and that, stirring up trouble. Everyone avoids such people like the plague. Only she would recommend her to the Second Madam and want to introduce her to the elderly ladies. If something goes wrong, can she bear the responsibility? No, I must go talk to the elderly ladies. We can’t let her act recklessly and disrupt the Pei family’s household culture.”
Miss Song Seven grabbed hold of Miss Song Six and, looking at Gu Xi while speaking to Miss Song Six, said, “The elderly ladies have eaten more salt than we’ve walked roads. What kind of person this medical woman is, whether to summon her to the residence—they have their own judgment. What do you, an unmarried young girl, understand? Moreover, this is the Pei family’s affair. How the Pei family’s household culture is managed is hardly for us Songs to comment on. I think you should calm down and watch how the elderly ladies handle this matter first.”
Miss Song Six wouldn’t listen. Miss Song Seven steeled her heart and, regardless of everything, dragged her before Fourth Madam Song and handed her over.
After learning the full story, Fourth Madam Song trembled with anger. She ordered the servants beside her to watch over her and confined her to her quarters.
Gu Xi hadn’t expected Fourth Madam Song to be so decisive. After a moment of shock, she discussed this matter in low voices with Miss Wu, sighing, “I wonder who in the Pei residence helped Miss Yu hire this medical woman? She truly has formed connections with people from the Pei family. Even so, everyone still protects her wholeheartedly!”
Though Miss Wu knew Gu Xi was trying to use her to investigate who was caring for Yu Tang, she still couldn’t resist looking into it.
The Pei family hadn’t concealed this matter, so one inquiry revealed everything.
Miss Wu ground her teeth in frustration, feeling that if she wanted to marry Pei Yan, Yu Tang was a hidden danger. Setting aside everything else, they were both beauties—though she always carried a hint of cool pride even without smiling, while Yu Tang was especially alluring when she smiled. One was like a peony, the other like a herbaceous peony.
She decided to tell this matter to Lord Wu the Elder and have him make a decision for her.
When Gu Xi learned that the medical woman had been hired for Yu Tang by Pei Yan, her heart turned ice-cold. When she later discovered that her failed attempt to visit Miss Xu at noon was because Miss Xu had gone to Yu Tang’s place, tried the medical woman’s massage techniques, and even recommended her to Third Madam Yang, she felt even more displeased.
Why must Yu Tang always oppose her?
Couldn’t the two of them coexist peacefully?
Gu Xi carefully recalled everything she’d done since meeting Yu Tang, feeling she hadn’t wronged Yu Tang in the slightest. On the contrary, Yu Tang always inadvertently ruined her plans. Of course, with her life experience, she never believed anyone would “inadvertently” ruin her plans.
For a moment, she even developed a sense of irreconcilable hatred toward Yu Tang.
Throughout the entire afternoon, though she sat quietly in the dharma hall listening to Master Wuneng’s sutra lecture, her mind was occupied with how to make Yu Tang thoroughly lose face before the Pei family. At the very least, she needed to let the Pei family know that Yu Tang wasn’t anything good either!
Yu Tang, however, spent a very pleasant afternoon.
With Miss Xu detained by Nanny Shi for two full hours, she had quietly finished copying the sutra book for Pei Yan.
Looking at the neat rows of hairpin-style small regular script, she was extremely satisfied. This made her unprecedentedly patient with Miss Xu as well, asking her, “What would you like to do tomorrow? After I meet with the abbot tomorrow, I won’t have anything else to do!”
She didn’t know Pei Yan would be away for several days. She wanted to finish the dharma ritual before Pei Yan returned.
That way, as long as Pei Yan didn’t specifically ask about it, he wouldn’t know what she’d done.
Miss Xu felt a bit guilty.
Pei Yan had merely helped care for the sick Yu Tang in passing, yet Yu Tang was so grateful she’d copied sutras for him, asking the bodhisattva to bless Pei Yan with fortune, prosperity, longevity, and joy. Before leaving the capital, Yin Mingyuan had secretly given her five thousand taels in banknotes, which she’d accepted carelessly and left.
Thinking about it, although the Yin family was wealthy, they were also strictly managed. Five thousand taels in banknotes represented five years of Yin Mingyuan’s allowance.
She secretly wiped away her sweat and said, “Tomorrow morning I’ll go with you to find the abbot. No matter what, I must finish copying the sutra book for Yin Mingyuan tonight.”
Yu Tang didn’t believe her and smiled with pursed lips.
The two had dinner together and went together to pay their respects to Old Madam Pei.
Setting aside Old Madam Pei’s conversation with them about Nanny Shi’s massage services, in the following days, Yu Tang and Miss Xu were inseparable, going together to find the abbot and performing a small dharma ritual together. Even when Yu Wen found an opportunity to visit Yu Tang, Miss Xu didn’t avoid him. Following the etiquette of family friends, she performed a full courtesy to Yu Wen, delighting him so much that he privately told Chen Shi, “Did you see? That’s what a proper young lady from a great family looks like. You should have A’Tang learn more from Miss Xu.” He also instructed Chen Shi, “When people respect us one foot, we should respect them ten feet. Regarding Miss Xu, you must treat her like your own niece. Whatever delicious or fun things you have, if there’s a portion for A’Tang, send her one too. Though she may not care for such things, we must show our sincere intentions.”
Chen Shi found this both amusing and exasperating, pushing Yu Wen out the door: “You think it’s your thick face? Miss Xu is only doing this for A’Tang’s sake!”
Yu Wen left with hearty laughter.
Gu Xi wanted to cause trouble for Yu Tang, but unfortunately Yu Tang didn’t participate in the dharma hall activities, leaving Gu Xi with several schemes but no opportunity to implement them.
Four or five days passed like this, and the Qu brothers returned, bringing a letter delivered by A’Tiao.
Yu Tang didn’t want to stare at people, so she found an excuse to return to her own wing room.
Miss Xu took the letter and hurried to Third Madam Yang’s place.
As Third Madam Yang read the letter, her expression grew increasingly stern.
Miss Xu, sitting opposite and watching Third Madam Yang eagerly, quickly asked what the letter said.
Third Madam Yang said, “Your Second Brother Yin tells us not to speculate wildly. Since we’re at the Pei family’s residence, we should openly stay with the Pei family’s womenfolk. As for our concerns, he knows everything. The Yin family and Pei family are also considered longtime family friends. Some matters can no longer be separated—it’s a situation where all prosper together or all suffer together.” After speaking, she sighed, “Your Second Brother Yin says in a few days he’ll find a way to go to Hangzhou, and we should also go to Hangzhou to meet with him. He has letters for us to bring back to the capital.”
Miss Xu didn’t understand: “When did our family become so intertwined with the Pei family in mutual prosperity and downfall? How come I’ve never heard the family elders mention this?”
That’s because at that time you hadn’t yet decided whether to marry into the Yin family.
But Third Madam Yang couldn’t say this, so she could only comfort her: “I didn’t know before either! The Pei and Yin families never even exchanged New Year’s gifts before.”
In this, she wasn’t deceiving Miss Xu.
She wasn’t very clear about exactly what relationship the Pei and Yin families had.
This was probably a matter between clan heads.
The current generation’s Yin family clan head was Miss Xu’s Second Brother Yin—Yin Hao.
Miss Xu’s attention was diverted. She was very curious about the relationship between the Pei and Yin families and looked forward with anticipation to meeting Yin Hao. When she saw Yu Tang, she couldn’t help but encourage her to go to Hangzhou together: “Second Brother Yin will secretly go there too. Don’t you want to know what Pei Xiaguang is up to?”
Yu Tang felt this was the Pei family’s private matter and she should actively avoid it.
Miss Xu began acting shamelessly, grabbing her sleeve and refusing to let go: “Let’s go! Let’s go! Hangzhou is so fun! I’ve never been there! Maybe this will be my only chance in this lifetime to go to Hangzhou. After this, I’ll only be able to see you when you come to the capital. We get along so well—wouldn’t it be regrettable not to have some memorable experiences worth cherishing?”
Yu Tang was somewhat tempted, but she didn’t want to trouble the Pei family again, and besides, she needed to discuss this with Chen Shi and Yu Wen.
“Let me think it over carefully,” Yu Tang delayed. “If I can go, I’ll definitely go with you.”
She could also take her mother along for a trip.
Haste makes waste. Miss Xu didn’t press her to make an immediate decision and instead talked about the Qu brothers: “The two people you recommended are quite reliable. But do you know them well?”
Yu Tang didn’t know what had happened.
Miss Xu told her, “They both want to follow me to the capital and even asked if the Yin family needs people—they’re willing to sell themselves into servitude.”
Yu Tang was extremely surprised.
In her previous life, the Qu brothers had been untamed and rebellious. Many gang figures more formidable than them had failed to subdue them. However, times were different now. Whether the Yin family or the Xu family, both were renowned aristocratic families of the current dynasty, even more famous than the Peis. Being able to pledge themselves as hereditary servants to such families would certainly be much better than struggling alone.
She said, “Specifically, I’m not too clear either. If you have this intention, you’ll probably need to thoroughly investigate their background yourself.”
The environment had changed, and people would change accordingly. She now didn’t dare guarantee anything, even regarding people and matters she’d been very familiar with and understood in her previous life.
Miss Xu said, “Our family doesn’t really need anyone. But the Yin family doesn’t have many people. I’ll ask Second Brother Yin about it.”
Yin Hao, who could serve as prefect of Huai’an—a jurisdiction containing both the Grand Canal Governor’s Office and the Lianghuai Salt Administration Office—was no ordinary person. Having him help make the decision would certainly provide more assurance.
Yu Tang nodded repeatedly.
Pei Yan, who was supposed to go to Hangzhou, looked at the note that had arrived by carrier pigeon from the capital, his expression inscrutable.
Peng Yu had been quietly staying at the Censorate without any movement, but because of one note from him, when the Zhang family investigated Peng Yu, they inadvertently discovered Sun Gao’s covert actions.
They had always thought the Gaoyou case was only meant to cover up the Third Prince’s case. Unexpectedly, Sun Gao was actually preparing to use the Gaoyou case to create an earthquake in the officialdom and pull down the current Chief Grand Secretary, Lord Shen.