As soon as Ji Lan entered Rui Ying Hall, she knelt before the Old Madam with tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Mother, for standing up for A Cui and A Cheng. However, with Wang Yueniang’s scandalous affair, I fear the Wang family won’t let this matter rest. I’m worried it might implicate First Uncle and Second Uncle.”
The Old Madam instructed Yun Jin, who stood nearby, “Quickly, help Third Madam up.”
After Ji Lan was seated, the Old Madam spoke, “We are all one family. No matter who is hurt, it pains all of us Shens. There’s no need to thank me or your First and Second Uncles. They all care deeply for their niece A Cui. If our family’s daughter were to be trampled upon without us uttering a word, even our ancestors would rise from their graves to curse us as unworthy descendants.”
Ji Lan’s face flushed, realizing the Old Madam was indirectly scolding her.
The Old Madam was utterly disappointed in Ji Lan. After all, she was a merchant’s daughter, only concerned with profits and lacking any backbone. This was precisely why she had initially opposed Shen Ying marrying Ji Lan. Looking at Ji Lan reminded the Old Madam of Ji Cheng, and she couldn’t help but think how an aunt could be outshone by her young niece. However, the Old Madam tempered her expectations for Ji Cheng, given Ji Lan’s nature, and thus refrained from meddling in Ji Cheng’s marriage affairs.
Despite her disappointment, Ji Lan was still her daughter-in-law. The Old Madam couldn’t bear to see her living so foolishly. She signaled to Yun Jin, dismissing all the servants from the room.
The Old Madam then continued, “A Lan, you must understand that without integrity, a person will be despised at heart, even if they wield immense power. Look at the Yan and Xu families from the previous dynasty. Once they fell, what was left of them? Now consider the Lu and Xiao families. Despite setbacks, their foundations remain strong, and their descendants are capable. They’re poised for a comeback. This is the difference between having integrity and lacking it. I’ll be frank with you today: people like the Wang family won’t last long. You should distance yourself from them, lest you drag down Old Three’s future.”
Hearing this, Ji Lan’s tears ceased. She looked defiantly at the Old Madam, determined that she would never be a burden to Shen Ying. After all, wasn’t everything she did for his sake? “Mother, everything I do is for my husband. How could it be for my benefit?”
“If it’s truly for Old Three’s sake, you should keep your distance from the Wang family,” the Old Madam replied. “Old Three’s abilities are evident to all. There’s no need to rely on in-law connections, which only invite gossip.”
Ji Lan thought to herself, ‘You say Old Three is capable, but why is his situation as it is? Surely you understand, Old Madam?’ Aloud, she said, “Mother, my husband has been frustrated for years. You’ve said he’s capable, but his talents are suppressed by those above him. I feel for him, which is why I…”
The Old Madam furrowed her brow, seeing through Ji Lan’s inner conflict. She loved all her sons equally, but their exceptional talents made them vulnerable. Her eldest was astute and capable, so the Emperor had him marry a princess and gave military power to her second son. The second son was honest and had guarded the northwest, preventing foreign invasions. The Great Qin couldn’t do without the Shen family, and Emperor Jianping knew this. If the third son were to succeed, working in tandem with the second son both inside and outside the court, no emperor would be at ease.
Even if the Emperor were comfortable with this, the Old Madam herself wasn’t. She feared the adage “When the cunning hare is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.” Thinking of the bigger picture, she hadn’t pulled strings for her third son in recent years. She had intentionally asked others to keep him in check.
But Ji Lan couldn’t see the bigger picture and focused only on her family’s interests. Her lack of perspective in trying to gain face among her sisters-in-law disappointed the Old Madam greatly. However, she couldn’t speak plainly about these matters, as they all concerned her sons.
After hearing Ji Lan’s words, the Old Madam could only sigh softly, “When you reach my age, you’ll understand. All one seeks is peace and safety. Nothing is better than having the whole family safe and sound.”
But the Old Madam knew this was the thinking of an old person. Young people always wanted to strive for more.
Ji Lan followed the Old Madam’s lead, “Yes, peace is a blessing. But with the Wang family’s scandal, given their usual arrogance, how will it affect our family? I’m worried it might implicate First Uncle and Second Uncle.”
The Old Madam looked into Ji Lan’s eyes without speaking. Ji Lan, feeling guilty, gradually lowered her head. After all, the Old Madam had acted for Shen Cui and Ji Cheng’s sake, while Ji Lan feared for herself.
“A Che will handle this matter well. You needn’t worry,” the Old Madam said calmly. “I’m tired now. You may leave if you have nothing else.”
Only then did Ji Lan realize that Wang Yueniang’s affair was orchestrated by Shen Che. She wondered how he would resolve this situation. She couldn’t understand why the Old Madam favored Shen Che so much. Was it because he was the eldest legitimate son of the main branch, the princess’s son? He was nothing but a prodigal who only knew how to indulge in food, drink, women, and gambling. Letting him handle this matter, no wonder the approach was so blatant as if they wanted everyone to know it was the Shen family’s doing.
In Ji Lan’s view, once Shen Zhuo and the princess were gone, Shen Che wouldn’t be able to sustain the Marquis Qi’s household. It would inevitably decline, so she naturally had to seek other options.
While Ji Lan was making her calculations, Ji Cheng was pondering who had arranged Wang Yueniang’s affair. The people behind this could only be Marquis Qi Shen Zhuo, Shen Yu, or Shen Che. Although she couldn’t explain why, Ji Cheng’s first thought was Shen Che.
Ji Cheng also recalled that when Shen Che had rescued her and Shen Cui, he had mentioned the eldest young lady in the carriage. It seemed he had already guessed what had happened. This person’s thoughts were likely not simple.
As for the Shen family’s treatment of Wang Yueniang, it was indeed satisfying. Otherwise, even if the Shen family had confronted them, Wang Yueniang would at most have been sent to a family temple, which would be considered a severe punishment. If lighter, she might have just been married off to a distant place.
Feeling pleased, Ji Cheng practiced sword dancing in the courtyard that night. Now that the weather had cooled, she had moved back to the small side courtyard from the garden, making it more convenient for sword practice. With her mood lifted, her sword movements became more fluid and swift, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself.
After sword practice, taking a comfortable bath was the ultimate enjoyment. Ji Cheng, assisted by Liu Ye’er in washing up, noticed Yuqian’er pouring milk into the bathtub. She asked, “Where did you find so much milk?” It must have cost quite a bit of silver.
Yuqian’er, while pouring the milk, turned to answer Ji Cheng, “It’s a gift from Madam Guo from the main kitchen. Young Miss used to love milk baths at home, but it hasn’t been convenient here, and it’s been a long time since you’ve had one. Young Miss has been in low spirits recently, and I happened to mention it to Madam Guo. She said she knew where to buy milk, so I asked her to purchase some.”
The kitchen staff were now very friendly towards the people in Ji Cheng’s courtyard. Money talks, after all, and Yuqian’er was skilled at sweet-talking and getting things done. Ji Cheng’s life was much more comfortable now compared to when she first arrived.
Ji Cheng didn’t bother scolding Yuqian’er, knowing she meant well. However, other young ladies didn’t have such luxuries, and having only her enjoy them seemed too conspicuous as if flaunting her wealth. With so many people in the household, there were many mouths to gossip, and everything had to be considered carefully. Thinking about it, it was quite tiresome. Back in Jin, even if the eldest young miss of the Ji family ate dragon liver and phoenix marrow, no one would dare comment.
Ji Cheng sighed inwardly, realizing that gain always comes with loss. “Don’t buy milk anymore. No one else in the manor uses it like this. We shouldn’t set this precedent here.”
Yuqian’er stretched her neck and said, “Oh. Young Miss, what do you think will happen to Young Lady Wang after such a scandal?”
Indeed, what would happen to Wang Yueniang? This was the most troubling issue for the Wang family. Second Madam Wang had only this one precious daughter, Wang Yueniang, whom she had spoiled since childhood. Although her temper was somewhat disagreeable, she was still a talented and beautiful young lady. Now, with such a sudden scandal, it was as if the sky had fallen.
“My lord, you must seek justice for Yueniang. How dare the Shen family bully us like this? Yueniang is threatening suicide. If she dies, I’ll place her body at the Shen family’s doorstep for all the world to see how black-hearted and shameless they are. How could they do something so lawless? I want to go to the palace and ask Her Highness to intervene—” Second Madam Wang had cried so much these past two days that her eyes were swollen.
“Nonsense! Her Highness has enough troubles of her own. Don’t add to her burdens,” Wang Rong scolded with a furrowed brow. “Besides, do you have any evidence that the Shen family is behind this?”
This question stumped Second Madam Wang. If they had evidence, they would have already gone to the palace to petition the Emperor. But the deed done by Chen Bin and Wang Yueniang, with Pockmark still missing, must have fallen into the Shen family’s hands. Yet the Shen family had left no trace of their involvement in this matter. If not for Chen Bin confessing everything they had done, Wang Yueniang’s situation would have been a mirror image of Shen Cui’s, and they wouldn’t have known the Shen family was behind it.
Without evidence, if they were to petition the Emperor, they would have to reveal what Wang Yueniang had done to Shen Cui, making it clear that she had brought this upon herself.
“Then what should we do, my lord? Their Shen Cui is still fine, while our Yueniang is suffering. My lord, are we just going to let the Shen family off the hook?” Second Madam Wang sobbed.
“Enough. If she hadn’t been foolish enough to target Shen Cui, would the Shen family have turned against us? Her Highness is already in a difficult position in the palace. We had finally managed to ally with the Shen family, and now this unfilial daughter has ruined everything. Do you think Her Highness will stand up for her? Don’t dream. Her Highness probably wishes she could strangle herself.”
Second Madam Wang finally understood Wang Rong’s meaning. “Then what will happen to our Yueniang? What future does she have? The Wang family’s face has been slapped like this, and we can’t even make a sound?”