The capital in winter was so cold it made people shiver uncontrollably.

Gu Xi had lived in the capital for seven years but still hadn’t grown accustomed to this kind of weather.

Especially having to rise every morning during the yin hour to personally brew medicine and deliver it to the Grand Madam.

Yet her heart remained calm.

Because she now had a son.

She had conceived in the sixth year after marrying Pei Tong.

That year, Pei Tong and Shen Fang from the Shen family took the spring imperial examinations together.

Shen Fang, taking the spring examinations for the first time, passed. Pei Tong, taking them for the second time, failed.

Though Pei Tong didn’t say it aloud, his heart was bitter. During the day he went out to congratulate those old acquaintances from Jiangnan who had passed, but at night when he returned home, he shut himself in his study and drank wine alone for several days straight.

She found this version of Pei Tong quite distasteful, thinking him lacking in ambition.

How many people took the exams five or six times before succeeding? Pei Tong was still so young, yet his spirit seemed broken—far too dispirited.

Forget about men who walked in the outside world—even among women of the inner quarters like them, if she had resigned herself early to her stepmother’s torment, could she have her current position today?

That day she deliberately brought a bowl of sobering soup to Pei Tong’s study.

Pei Tong was so grateful his eyes reddened. He grasped her hand and kept talking about the Grand Madam: “She must be especially disappointed in me! Since I was small she told me to study hard… When I did well in my studies, she was happy… Father’s death was a blow to her. When I established my own branch, she was especially happy, holding her breath with one thought—that I could have my name inscribed on the golden roll, that we could hold our heads high before those people back home… Not only did I fail to make her proud, but…”

He couldn’t continue.

Gu Xi had never looked favorably upon her mother-in-law.

What kind of person was she? She had never once distinguished between north and south!

Even her own younger sister-in-law from her natal family, after meeting her mother-in-law a few times when she first arrived in the capital, no longer wanted to deal with her. Whenever there was business, she either sent a servant woman to relay messages or summoned her back to her natal home to speak. Even the Yang family—aside from when Grand Madam Yang came once after news of Pei Tong’s failure spread to console the Grand Madam with a few words—hadn’t crossed their threshold in days.

She naturally had to encourage Pei Tong at the time: “Look at my elder brother—he also plans to rest one session after passing the provincial exams before continuing to take the exams. You’re just too impatient.”

Pei Tong remained silent for a long while.

Yin Mingyuan had also told him to wait a few sessions, but his mother… so much so that even Yin Mingyuan no longer spoke his innermost thoughts to him anymore.

He didn’t want to blame all of this on his mother who had spent years in the deep inner quarters, but his mother’s urgency truly was like a knife held to his throat.

Pei Tong couldn’t help but smile bitterly, saying insincerely: “It’s still that I lack ability. Look at A’Chan and A’Bo.”

Pei Chan and Pei Bo had taken the imperial exams three years ago. They passed on their first attempt, and both were selected as Hanlin scholars. Now that their observation period in the Six Ministries had ended, he heard from Second Uncle Pei Xuan that Pei Chan had stayed at the Censorate as a censor, while Pei Bo remained at the Ministry of Works.

This was also the result of the Pei family’s struggles with the Peng and Jiang families these past years.

Whether in court or retired, his Third Uncle was not someone who could be ignored.

Five years ago, for some unknown reason, his Third Uncle began targeting the Peng family. Not only did he make the Peng family lose their resources in the Censorate, but he also relentlessly confronted the Jiang family, tearing a huge gap in the Ministry of Works that belonged to the Jiang family.

Pei Chan and Pei Bo’s placements were the fruits of those efforts.

Moreover, his Second Uncle Pei Xuan, for his skill in financial management, had just been promoted to Minister of Revenue, appointed Grand Secretary of the Hall of Diligent Governance, and made Second Grand Councilor of the Cabinet.

The Pei family of Lin’an, after many years, once again stood at the storm’s center, becoming one of the most prominent families of the current dynasty.

What Pei Tong could think of, how could Gu Xi not think of as well?

Seeing Pei Tong looking like someone so heartbroken he couldn’t even cry, she suddenly recalled the scene from the year of the branch division when Yu Tang had held Pei Yan.

Gu Xi couldn’t help but embrace Pei Tong as well, using a tone she herself hadn’t realized resembled Yu Tang’s consolation of Pei Yan back then: “It’s all right. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon. I’ll be going to deliver festival gifts to Second Aunt. I’ll mention your situation to Second Aunt. They’ve always taken good care of us.”

Pei Tong’s eyes brimmed with hot tears.

The following year she gave birth to a son.

Not only did her son resemble his maternal uncle in appearance, but even in temperament and disposition, he was like her eldest brother Gu Chang.

Thinking of her son still sleeping soundly in bed, Gu Xi’s heart felt warm. Even the capital’s bone-piercing cold wind became bearable.

He Xiang had married one of the household stewards but still served before Gu Xi.

She had become more low-key and understood Gu Xi better.

Seeing Gu Xi’s expression, He Xiang said with a smile while deftly pouring the steaming medicine into a warming pot: “Should we visit Pei Manor these next few days? This year our household was able to buy so much charcoal thanks to Second Madam.”

Those who had followed from Pei Manor still habitually used the Pei Manor ranking system to address people there—in this newly established household, it was also a way of flaunting their seniority.

Gu Xi had never considered cutting ties with Pei Manor.

This year there were reportedly bandit troubles in Shanxi. Not only had charcoal prices in the capital risen, but ordinary people couldn’t even buy it. If she hadn’t frequently appeared before Second Madam, who therefore often thought of them, their household would likely have had difficulty heating with charcoal this winter.

“We must definitely go,” Gu Xi replied without much thought. “When I visited last time, Second Madam’s cough was quite severe. This time when we go, remember to bring some of the pear syrup we make ourselves.”

Like her, Second Madam still hadn’t adapted to the capital’s climate after living there so long. The Gu family formerly had people who served as officials in the capital and left behind prescriptions for nourishing lung qi. She had made some according to the recipe with good results. Afterward, every year she would send some to Pei Manor.

She didn’t send it all at once either—intermittently, she would send some throughout the entire winter.

It was a kind of strategy.

He Xiang made note of it.

The two of them, surrounded by attendant maids and servant women, walked along the covered corridor, passed through the garden, and went to the small three-room courtyard on the east side where the Grand Madam lived.

From a distance, they could hear the Grand Madam coughing.

Gu Xi and He Xiang couldn’t help but exchange glances.

After Pei Tong failed the exams for the second time, the Grand Madam couldn’t bear the blow. She cried all night, contracted a lung ailment, and afterward, every winter she coughed until she couldn’t breathe. She therefore especially liked to summon Pei Tong for lectures when her coughing was severe.

Though Gu Xi could make pear syrup, she didn’t want to show filial piety to the Grand Madam. Therefore, the first time she sent pear syrup to the Grand Madam, she put in a lot of Sichuan fritillary. The Grand Madam complained about the bad taste, so Gu Xi added rock sugar. Then the Grand Madam ate too much rock sugar and coughed even more severely.

She simply stopped sending pear syrup to the Grand Madam and told Pei Tong: “This is just a health preservation recipe after all. Mother-in-law has probably injured her lungs—it would be better to use proper medicine.”

Pei Tong thought what she said made sense. Every year at the start of autumn, he would invite a physician to take the Grand Madam’s pulse and prescribe medicine. Gu Xi would attend to her illness throughout the entire winter. After several years, with help from her sister-in-law Yin Shi from her natal family spreading the word, basically all the inner quarters women from Jiangnan families serving as officials in the capital or married into such families knew about it, which even earned Gu Xi a reputation for being “virtuous and filial.”

The Grand Madam was angered half to death by this and found Gu Xi even more displeasing to the eye.

She tormented Gu Xi by making her rise every morning during the yin hour to brew medicine for her.

Having grown up navigating life under her stepmother, Gu Xi was very experienced in controlling the inner quarters. Moreover, the Pei family—whether intentionally or not—had handed over all the silver Old Master Pei had allocated to their branch to her. Though she had a mother-in-law above her, the household finances were controlled by her hands. If she wanted to make this household impregnable so that not a single word could spread out, then not a single word would spread out.

The Grand Madam had her schemes; she had her countermeasures.

When Pei Tong returned to the inner chambers for the night, she rose during the yin hour. When Pei Tong was studying in his study, well, that was another matter.

Additionally, after Pei Tong’s last exam failure, Gu Chang sought him out. The brothers-in-law closed the study door and talked for half the day. He even found Pei Tong a new teacher. These past two years Pei Tong spent most of his time studying in the study. Even if the Grand Madam wanted to complain, Pei Tong had to be willing and have time to listen.

So when Gu Xi and He Xiang entered, the Grand Madam couldn’t help but begin her sarcastic mockery of her daughter-in-law: “How does Young Madam have time to come today? No need to accompany your husband in his studies?”

A defeated opponent—when Gu Xi was in the mood she would exchange a few words with her, but when she wasn’t, she would lower her head in silence with a respectful and modest appearance, letting the Grand Madam get angry all she liked.

She was in a good mood today. After having He Xiang deliver the medicine to the maid serving by the Grand Madam’s side, she sat uninvited on the embroidered stool facing the Grand Madam and said warmly: “Husband rested in the study yesterday. But today I must make a trip to Pei Manor, so I need to leave early.” Then she added gratefully, “Fortunately Mother-in-law’s medicine is early, otherwise I could only rush over there hastily in the afternoon.”

The Grand Madam was so angry she immediately began coughing violently.

This was also one of the things about Gu Xi that greatly dissatisfied her.

These past years, whenever Gu Xi had time she would run to Pei Manor, showing more filial piety to Second Madam than to her, her own mother-in-law.

The attending maid hurriedly helped the Grand Madam regulate her breathing.

Having crossed swords for so many years, Gu Xi naturally knew all of the Grand Madam’s sore points.

She smiled slightly with an extremely pleased expression, continuing amid the Grand Madam’s coughing: “I heard that Fifth Brother-in-Law will also take the exams next year. I must go ask about it—I’ll need to prepare some exam preparation items to send over.”

This was another of the Grand Madam’s sore points.

Some people with good luck would have good luck their entire lives.

The Pei Dan of those days had been both gentle and shy, not standing out at all among the sisters. Who knew she would marry the best?

In just a few years’ time, Brother-in-Law Qin passed one exam after another—scholar, provincial graduate—walking that path all the way. This year he would take the imperial exams.

Minister Qin’s official prestige grew daily.

The Pei family’s ability to tear a huge gap in the Jiang family’s Ministry of Works had much to do with Minister Qin as vice minister.

Minister Qin spoke with absolute authority in the Ministry of Works. With the Pei family’s support, he had nearly sidelined Jiang Hua completely.

This was also something no one had anticipated at the time.

Gu Xi didn’t want anything unexpected to happen to the Grand Madam—otherwise Pei Tong would have to observe three years of mourning and couldn’t take next year’s spring examinations.

After staying at the Grand Madam’s quarters for a while, she returned to her own rooms. She personally watched her son Yuan Geer finish his morning meal, then held him as she went to Pei Manor.

Pei Dan’s eldest son was about the same age as Yuan Geer. Madam Qin treasured him like a precious jewel and rarely let him out of her hands. Second Madam seldom got to see her grandson, so she was especially good to Yuan Geer.

Gu Xi bringing her son over was also one of her methods for winning Second Madam’s favor.

She just hadn’t expected that when she arrived at Pei Manor, the western cross-courtyard would be thick with servant women and pages—it looked like they were cleaning those quarters.

These past years, Second Madam’s family had lived in the eastern courtyard.

The western courtyard had formerly been where Yu Tang lived.

Gu Xi’s heart immediately began pounding wildly. She quickly pulled over a familiar page to ask: “What’s all this? The Laba Festival hasn’t even arrived yet—are they already starting spring cleaning?”