Word spread that Wuzhen would join the autumn hunt this year. Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately summoned Wuzhen to the palace.
Knowing full well what the Empress wanted to say, Wuzhen obediently raised her hand as soon as she saw her elder sister and said, “I promise not to draw a bow or shoot arrows. I’ll ride slowly and won’t gallop. I won’t do anything dangerous. This time, I’m just taking the little ones out to play and enjoying the autumn mountain scenery with my husband. Your Highness, please don’t worry. Look, I haven’t been out carousing lately. It’s rare to have a chance to go outside the city and get some fresh air. You can’t keep me cooped up forever.”
With Wuzhen having said everything, what could the Empress say? She swallowed the words she had prepared and couldn’t help but glare at Wuzhen, threatening her with a few words of caution: “Make sure you do as you say. Don’t think I won’t know what you’re up to. I’ll have spies watching you. If you misbehave, you’ll be in for it when you return.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Wuzhen agreed readily.
The sisters then sat down to chat. The Empress remembered something and asked, “I heard from the servants that Physician Mei has been very popular at the Ministry of Justice these days. Do you know about this?”
Of course, Wuzhen knew. Yesterday, out of boredom, she had transformed into a cat and prowled around the Ministry of Justice, witnessing firsthand the scene of a group of officials trying to curry favor with her husband. It was so ridiculous that she nearly couldn’t hold back her laughter. If those people had seen a cat laughing like a human, it would have caused quite a stir.
“I know,” Wuzhen said, unable to hide her smile as she casually boasted about the various foods her husband had been bringing home these days.
The Empress initially listened with approval, but as she heard more, her expression darkened. She raised her hand to stop Wuzhen from continuing and asked in a dangerous tone, “Mei Zhuyu made you eat softshell turtle, bear gallbladder, and even gave you hawthorn?!”
Wuzhen asked, “Is there a problem?”
Is there a problem? The Empress almost laughed from anger. Imperial Consort Mei timely explained, “Zhuyu is truly confused. How could he give you these things to eat? They’re not suitable for pregnant women. If you eat too much, even a little carelessness could cause a miscarriage.”
The Empress regained her composure and angrily said, “I thought that between you two, Mei Zhuyu, though young, was steady and reliable. I didn’t expect him to be as unreliable as you. Feeding you everything you shouldn’t eat! Fortunately, we found out early. If we had let you two continue this foolishness, who knows if this child could even be born!”
Wuzhen wasn’t as agitated as her sister. She even crossed her legs casually and said with a smile, “It’s not that serious. I didn’t eat much.”
“You can still laugh!” The Empress was angered by Wuzhen’s flippant attitude. Imperial Consort Mei patted her hand, “Don’t be angry. Zhuyu is just overly concerned and confused. He probably heard some questionable dietary advice somewhere and didn’t know the taboos. Thinking it was good for health, he wanted to give it to Zhen. They’re a young couple expecting their first child. They don’t know much, and without elders around to guide them, mistakes are bound to happen.”
Hearing this, the Empress thought of their mother who had died early, and her anger subsided considerably. After some thought, she said to Wuzhen, “In that case, you and Physician Mei should return to the Marquis Yu’s mansion during your pregnancy. The place is spacious, with many people to take care of you. The kitchen has experienced old servants who will surely be able to manage your diet properly.”
Wuzhen refused without hesitation, “No, I’m used to living in Changlefang. I’m too lazy to move back.”
The Empress frowned. Imperial Consort Mei looked at the two sisters helplessly and gently mediated, “How about this? We have some experienced elderly palace maids skilled in caring for pregnant women. We can send two of them to accompany and look after you.”
Wuzhen considered it, thinking she could use these old palace maids’ words as an excuse to refuse to eat whatever unpalatable things her husband might bring home in the future. So she readily agreed.
The two elderly women in their fifties followed her into the Mei family residence. Wuzhen quickly forgot about this matter. However, when she returned home the next day, she unexpectedly witnessed one of the old women scolding her husband.
Her formidable husband, capable of drawing a sword to slay demons, now stood silently with pursed lips, speechless before an ordinary woman’s scolding. Seeing her husband in this state, the woman became even more overbearing, her tone contemptuous and lacking any respect, her expression tinged with disdain.
“These common market goods are not fit for a noble’s consumption. Lady Yi Guo comes from the Marquis Yu’s family, how could she be given such things to eat? How could you bring this kind of food back for your wife?” Her attitude was as if she were scolding a junior or a low-ranking palace servant. Wuzhen’s face immediately darkened. She stepped forward and used her riding crop to strike the woman, who had been holding her head high, to the ground.
The woman rolled on the ground, clutching her head. Realizing who had struck her, the woman, who had been both shocked and angry, suddenly looked terrified. She begged for mercy, but Wuzhen silenced her with a strike of the whip to her mouth. Fortunately, Wuzhen stopped after just two strikes. Apart from being covered in dirt from rolling on the ground and a red mark on her mouth, the woman was largely unharmed. She trembled as she got up and knelt to the side, not daring to make a sound.
“Who gave you the audacity to scold my husband?” Wuzhen pointed her whip at the woman, her tone cold. She was not known for her good temper. If someone offended her, she would dare to lash out even in the palace. This past year, with Mei Zhuyu by her side, she had unconsciously tempered her temper and rarely lost her cool. But seeing this scene today, how could she contain herself? If Mei Zhuyu hadn’t been watching, she would have whipped this presumptuous old woman from the residence to the street.
“Madam, please spare me! I… I was only following the Empress’s orders to look after your diet. I only spoke up because I saw the Young Master bring back unsuitable food…”
Before she could finish, Wuzhen laughed coldly, “Instruct? Who allowed you to instruct him?” She should have known. These old palace maids, usually gifted to princesses and noble ladies, often tried to suppress the son-in-law’s influence upon entering a household, to elevate their status. Relying on their palace background, they all had extremely haughty attitudes.
Wuzhen had heard of such things, but she never imagined her husband, who wasn’t even a prince consort, but a respected Judicial Officer of the Ministry of Justice and a formidable Daoist capable of lifting a thousand jin, could be bullied by such an old servant.
She didn’t bother saying more. She called for someone to tie up this sly woman and send her back to the palace.
Hearing this, the woman truly panicked. If she were sent back to the palace, forget about the Empress, even the Imperial Consort wouldn’t spare her. But despite her pleas, she was still dragged away.
Wuzhen, still not satisfied, tapped her whip and ordered, “Wasn’t there another woman? Call her over too. Send them both back to the palace.”
Mei Zhuyu, who had been silent until now, spoke up, “Keep one of them.”
Wuzhen looked at him, her tone severe, “What? Haven’t you had enough of being scolded?”
It was rare for her to speak to Mei Zhuyu like this, but he didn’t seem to mind. He said seriously, “I truly don’t know what foods you can and cannot eat. I need someone to teach me.”
Wuzhen kept a straight face, without a trace of a smile: “She wasn’t teaching you, she was just trying to cause trouble. Can’t you see that?”
Mei Zhuyu looked ashamed: “That doesn’t matter. I did wrong before, giving you things you shouldn’t eat.”
Wuzhen grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room, “What should or shouldn’t be eaten doesn’t matter. You’re being thoughtful for me. Even if I shouldn’t eat it, I’d want to.” She seemed to have forgotten how much she had privately complained about those strange-tasting things before.
Seeing her anger, Mei Zhuyu’s fingers twitched slightly. He held her hand and gently touched her belly, saying, “Don’t walk so fast. Don’t get angry.”
Wuzhen glared at him, “Do you know why I’m angry?”
Mei Zhuyu looked down at her intently, “I know, but this is truly a small matter to me. Your health is what I care about more.”
Wuzhen sighed, “Before I married you, many people called me Second Miss Wu. After marriage, at first, many people called me Madam Wu, but later I made them call me Madam Mei.”
“I’ve heard quite a few people privately disparage you, saying your family background and favors are not as good as mine. You must have heard it too.”
Mei Zhuyu spoke frankly, “Yes, I’ve heard, but I don’t care.”
Wuzhen was even more forthright, “I care, and it makes me very angry.”
“If I hadn’t seen or heard it, that would be one thing. But whenever I know someone has belittled or slandered you, I won’t let them off easily.” She snorted coldly and strode back into the room. Mei Zhuyu stood outside, listening to her older people send the other woman back to the palace as well.
Mei Zhuyu couldn’t stop her. That night, Wuzhen was still angry and didn’t speak to him. As a result, while working at the Ministry of Justice the next day, Mei Zhuyu kept thinking about this matter. He thought about it while copying important case files, while interrogating suspects and verifying testimonies, and even when summoned by Imperial Consort Mei for questioning.
Imperial Consort Mei said, “Eldest son when you go back, try to persuade Zhen more. I know her temperament. She doesn’t get angry easily, usually smiling, but when she does get angry, it lasts for a long time. This time she’s angry because you were wronged. Go back and talk to her properly. Don’t let her harm her health with anger.”
After a long while, Mei Zhuyu finally asked his aunt, “Then what should I do?”
Imperial Consort Mei replied, “She’s your wife. Just coax her.”
How to coax her? Imperial Consort Mei sent him off with a meaningful “People from the Wu family are easy to coax.”
On his way home, Mei Zhuyu thought about it the whole way. He even considered what to do if Wuzhen didn’t come home tonight and ran off to the demon market, whether he should go look for her. But when he got home, all the methods he had painstakingly thought of were useless. Wuzhen was already home, smiling cheerfully, completely different from her cold face last night.
“Husband, come quickly! I saw some good horse gear in the West Market today and bought you a set. We can use it when we go hunting in a few days.”
Mei Zhuyu glanced at the horse gear, then turned to her and tentatively asked, “You’re not angry anymore?”
Wuzhen looked puzzled, “Why would I be angry with you for no reason?”
After looking at the horse gear, she called over a kind-looking old woman and said to Mei Zhuyu, “This is a family servant who watched me grow up and once cared for my mother during childbirth. I’ve asked her to come stay here for a while. She’ll be in charge of my diet.”
The old woman’s attitude was gentle and kind, and she was very respectful towards Mei Zhuyu. After saying a few words, she smiled and bowed to both of them before leaving. After she left, Wuzhen said, “With an experienced old woman watching over things, are you reassured now? It’s just a matter of sending away two caretakers. It’s not like I can’t manage without them. I saw how worried you were last night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.”
Mei Zhuyu wasn’t worried about that. He just felt uncomfortable, as if something was stuck in his chest because Wuzhen was angry. He couldn’t sleep no matter what. He had many things he wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth, all he said was, “I thought you went to sleep early last night.”
Wuzhen secretly pouted. How could she have slept when this young husband of hers had been staring at her all night with worried eyes?