The First Madam had already been so angered that she took to her bed.

When the siblings entered, Lidong was slowly massaging her chest.

“Mother!” Fifth Miss and Ninth Brother rushed to her side, one on each side.

Seventh Miss, however, first stood on tiptoe to carefully examine the First Madam’s complexion.

Good, good—although the First Madam had been severely angered, she was still full of vitality and hadn’t actually fallen ill from her rage.

After scheming so painstakingly to create such a major disturbance, if the First Madam had actually fallen ill from anger in the end, Seventh Miss would truly feel it wasn’t worth the cost.

She inquired in a soft, delicate voice, “Mother, does it feel like something is stuck in your throat? Are you having trouble breathing?”

She had long suspected that the First Madam had asthma. Asthma patients easily become short of breath when their emotions are agitated.

The First Madam weakly nodded her head.

She only glanced at her several children, then closed her eyes again and began wheezing with labored breathing.

“We should still call for a skilled physician!” Ninth Brother was about to rise.

But the First Madam anxiously waved her hand.

“Don’t—don’t make a fuss!” Her voice was faint, accompanied by coughing and wheezing. “Isn’t… isn’t this… humiliating enough already?”

This short sentence was spoken by the First Madam with heart-wrenching sorrow, as if every syllable could wring out blood and tears.

The children all fell silent.

Seventh Miss let out a long, deep breath.

“Mother, please don’t think too much about it.” She came forward to comfort the First Madam in a gentle voice.

Then she lowered her eyes and took over from Lidong, slowly massaging the First Madam’s chest. “In this matter, Father naturally has his own judgment. It’s not something we women of the inner courtyard can casually interfere with. Please just set your mind at ease…”

The First Madam wheezed laboriously several more times before letting out a bitter laugh.

This laughter sounded almost like crying.

“I never imagined it would be your Second Aunt!”

The sadness in her words was quite genuine.

After all, they had been sisters-in-law for so many years, and she was her own cousin. Now that things had reached this point, how could the First Madam not feel emotional?

“Please don’t think too much!” Fifth Miss couldn’t help but scold the First Madam. “Second Aunt did wrong—what does it have to do with you? Instead, you’ve only harmed your own health by getting angry over nothing.”

The siblings then comforted the First Madam one after another with their words.

The First Madam’s spirits gradually improved, and gradually, her breathing became more even.

She struggled to sit up halfway, letting Seventh Miss help her slowly drink the medicinal tea that Lidong brought.

“Thank goodness our Ninth Brother has great fortune and destiny.”

Looking at Ninth Brother, her eyes were full of relief. “Thank goodness our Ninth Brother has great fortune and destiny…”

She then dispatched Ninth Brother: “Your father’s heart must also be troubled. You should go to the outer courtyard to check on him too!”

It seemed that Ninth Brother’s entering the main courtyard to visit the First Madam without any hesitation had brought the old lady some comfort in her heart.

Ninth Brother was greatly hesitant. “But you—”

The First Madam would hear none of it and called for Nanny Wang. “Personally escort Ninth Brother to the outer side courtyard and let him talk with the Master. Alas… I know the Master’s heart won’t feel good either!”

Nanny Wang obediently agreed with lowered brows and submissive eyes, then led Ninth Brother out of the eastern side room.

Though Ninth Brother looked back frequently, he obediently followed behind Nanny Wang.

The First Madam sipped a few more mouthfuls of warm medicinal tea, then indicated for Seventh Miss to take away the white porcelain cup.

“I’m fine.” She smiled with effort, murmuring to comfort her two daughters. “I just got worked up for a moment…”

Fifth Miss couldn’t wait to inquire about the day’s events. “Could it be that Second Aunt really—”

Seventh Miss bit her lip but didn’t stop Fifth Miss.

The First Madam let out another long breath.

“The witness and physical evidence are complete,” she couldn’t help grinding her teeth again. “What else is there to say? Your Second Aunt is truly a vicious woman! I really never imagined she could be cruel to this extent! She actually secretly nurtured little demons… For many years, she’s been privately cursing and suppressing our First Branch’s descendants!”

Fifth Miss and Seventh Miss both drew in sharp breaths.

“Many years?” Seventh Miss was somewhat puzzled. “Didn’t they say Second Aunt only had the intention of asking Master Tongguang to perform rituals?”

There’s naturally a big difference between merely intending to commit a crime and having committed crimes for many years.

The First Madam laughed coldly several times.

Seventh Miss was still young after all and didn’t understand how treacherous human hearts could be.

“Your eldest sister already found it strange long ago.” She mentioned First Miss, who was far away in Yuhang, in a detached tone. “Over these years, the descendants in our household have never had peace! If it’s not one thing, it’s another… And Ninth Brother has had mishaps one after another…”

“Didn’t they say it was Third Concubine—” Fifth Miss asked in surprise.

The First Madam’s brow was covered in gloom. “How many years has Third Concubine been dead? Just after her death, we performed sutra recitations and rites for her year after year. Even if her resentment was great, she wouldn’t linger in the mortal world for so long, would she?”

People are like this—once they accept one explanation, they find all sorts of reasons to repeatedly verify it, becoming more convinced the more they think…

“Most likely it was still your Second Aunt. When she heard we were suspicious about the strange occurrences at home, she had someone pretend to be supernatural and shift the blame onto Third Concubine!” The First Madam grew angrier as she spoke. “She’s always believed in Daoist Master Jiushou from Plum Blossom Temple. At the beginning of this year when we held religious ceremonies at our home, she strongly wanted to bring Jiushou in and have him enter Hundred Fragrance Garden—her intentions were truly sinister!”

At that time, the common belief about cursing rituals was that the closer the proximity, the more effective they were.

Some people would even stuff talismans under their target’s bed, just like in *Dream of the Red Chamber*, where Aunt Zhao tampered with Sister Feng’s and Baoyu’s beds.

*The Story of Golden and Jade Children* also had similar plot elements.

The First Madam had clearly imagined a complete story for herself, with twists and turns and even the underlying causes all figured out.

Even the Second Madam’s simple gesture of trying to curry favor had been assigned such motives.

Seventh Miss naturally wouldn’t defend the Second Madam.

“How could this be!” Her face showed shock and lingering fear.

“Fortunately, we thought there were already enough monks and Daoists in the garden and didn’t need one more from Plum Blossom Temple.” The First Madam’s tone was cold. “So I declined her. Not long after, I contracted smallpox—that little demon truly holds grudges!”

Even the smallpox incident had been woven into the story.

Seventh Miss’s eyes widened. “How can such people exist in this world!”

She quickly comforted the First Madam: “Thank goodness Mother has great fortune and destiny…”

Fifth Miss also looked incredulous. “Usually I just thought Second Aunt was rather dull. I never imagined, never imagined… truly never imagined…”

The First Madam and Fifth Miss and Seventh Miss all exclaimed together for a while.

“My kind heart was treated like a donkey’s liver and lungs—all my sincere feelings toward her were eaten by dogs!”

The First Madam sighed repeatedly. “The misfortunes our family has experienced these years have finally found their source.”

Seventh Miss immediately understood the First Madam’s psychological process.

People are like this—sometimes they would rather believe their bad luck comes from someone scheming behind the scenes than from fate itself.

After all, intangible things like luck, unlike enemies, cannot be defeated…

She echoed the First Madam: “From now on, our family will only get better and better…”

The First Madam gradually regained some energy and asked for some refreshments.

This time she had Fifth Miss feed her congee.

Fifth Miss rarely served others and was clumsy—either the spoon knocked against the First Madam’s teeth or she spilled rice grains onto the bedding.

Even she felt a bit embarrassed and apologized repeatedly.

At first, the First Madam endured without scolding Fifth Miss, but when Fifth Miss knocked her teeth again, she finally couldn’t help but speak.

Seventh Miss quickly interceded: “Fifth Sister was also exhausted today! She hasn’t even had her afternoon nap…”

After all, it was getting late.

The First Madam’s expression greatly softened, and instead urged Fifth Miss: “You go sleep. Letting your Seventh Sister serve me is enough.”

“I’ll learn with practice!” But Fifth Miss was quite insistent.

A faint determination appeared on her gradually maturing beautiful face.

The First Madam looked at Fifth Miss and smiled.

“Good, good.” She agreed with seeming helplessness.

Seventh Miss slowly turned her eyes away.

They were mother and daughter by birth after all—the affection between them was indeed different from others.

#

The next morning, several young masters from the branch families came together to the Governor’s Residence.

The Great Master called them into the outer side courtyard and spoke with them for a full hour, then instructed Steward Zhang to properly send the young masters back to Shantang Academy to study diligently.

It was said that Da’ge and Hong’ge got into the carriage in tears.

But Min’ge’s face bore deep disappointment and grief.

Of course, Seventh Miss only heard about the outer courtyard matters through others’ accounts.

With such a major incident occurring in the family, all the branches sent maids out to gather information, but from the second day onward, both the Great Master and the First Madam carried on as usual, and even the First Madam showed not the slightest sign of anything being wrong.

Early in the morning she opened the hall doors again, allowing all her children to come pay their respects. After her afternoon nap, she continued handling the household’s various affairs large and small.

It was as if the outer courtyard incident was a dream—once awakened, the First Madam was still that leisurely noblewoman, the Great Master was still that overwhelmingly busy pillar of support, the concubines were still concubines, and the young misses were still young misses. Only the Second Madam was no longer the Second Madam but a prisoner.

Yet naturally it was relaxed on the outside but tense within.

Seventh Miss didn’t go to school and remained by the First Madam’s side in attendance.

If it weren’t for the approaching New Year, the First Madam would have wanted to call First Miss back to her natal home.

“These letters are all rather difficult to write.” She instructed Seventh Miss with furrowed brows. “Especially this letter to Uncle Qin—it’s best to explain the matter clearly.”

Seventh Miss couldn’t help feeling puzzled.

She had never been very familiar with the people and affairs on the First Madam’s natal family side.

The First Madam had to explain a bit.

“Your eldest uncle is, after all, Second Aunt’s blood cousin.” There was a faint shadow in her brow. “And with me, well, we have different mothers…”

Seventh Miss suddenly understood.

Human hearts are like this—even biological brothers sometimes scheme against each other, let alone siblings who have different mothers.

If the matter wasn’t explained clearly, Uncle Qin might misunderstand and think the First Madam had found an excuse to turn against the Second Madam, framing her falsely and making mountains out of molehills… After all, matters involving ghosts and spirits were the most difficult to explain clearly.

She listened to the First Madam’s intermittent dictation while writing vigorously on the letter paper.

“…Abbot Tongguang of Huiqing Temple came to explain the circumstances and produced a debt note and handprint as evidence… Wang Shi was evasive and could not explain herself.” The First Madam recounted the entire sequence of events in detail, then added: “…Matters have reached this point and are likely irreversible. The division of the family is imperative…”

Seventh Miss’s brush couldn’t help but pause.

They had finally arrived at the topic of dividing the family.

Among prominent clans with rapid population growth, family division wasn’t unusual.

Speaking of it, the Fourth Minor Branch’s property had already been divided when Second Master married.

However, over these years, the two brothers had divided property but not the household—outwardly they were still brothers of one branch, and even their children’s birth order was counted together.

Now that the Second Madam had committed such a scandalous deed, the two branches absolutely had to divide.

This was also the mildest way to handle it.

Otherwise, no matter what was done, it would stir up a bloody storm and cost the Second Madam her life.

“Wang Shi is already under strict supervision.” The First Madam pondered and added a few more sentences. “After the two branches divide, Wang Shi will presumably go to the capital with Second Brother. If Eldest Brother has doubts, he can directly question Wang Shi in person…”

It seemed Uncle Qin and the Wang family had quite a close relationship.

The First Madam looked over Seventh Miss’s shoulder at the elegant handwriting on the letter paper.

“Our Little Seven’s calligraphy is no worse than Third Miss’s.” She didn’t spare her praise.

Seventh Miss pressed her lips together, only smiled, and said nothing.

“However.” The First Madam suddenly remembered something. “Do you know that the one the Zhang family came to propose for Third Miss wasn’t the third young master from the concubine line, but the second young master from the legitimate line?”

“What?” Seventh Miss looked completely shocked.

And somewhat alarmed.

She was about to rise and explain.

After all, when she had conveyed Fourth Concubine’s meaning, Fourth Concubine had sought the third young master. For it to suddenly change to the second young master… if not careful, the First Madam might develop a misunderstanding.

The First Madam waved her hand amiably.

“According to the Master, originally they also intended to seek a match with the third young master. When Madam Li went to inquire, she also asked about the third young master.” She smiled and patted Seventh Miss’s head. “However, after our family received the title of Left Pillar of State, the Zhang family felt the family standings were somewhat mismatched, so they changed to seeking with a legitimate son. It just so happens the second young master is taking the examinations this session, and presumably his success and fame are assured… Your father has already agreed.”

As long as the Great Master wasn’t foolish, he naturally wouldn’t mind the Zhang family raising the level of their marriage proposal.

Seventh Miss furrowed her brows in thought.

The First Madam sighed again.

“This happened a few days ago. Otherwise, I really would have wanted to use this matter to go after the Fourth Branch!”

Seventh Miss couldn’t help being startled and was about to speak.

“I know, I know.” The First Madam patted Seventh Miss. “Dividing from the Second Branch is still the major matter. Your mother knows what’s important!”

Yes, the top priority right now was still dividing from the Second Branch.

How to divide the family properly and with dignity without airing the family’s dirty laundry was the greatest challenge at hand.

Seventh Miss then rarely revealed a trace of a young girl’s coquettishness: “Mother knows everything. From now on, Little Seven will just stop talking and only write!”

The First Madam was amused and laughed heartily.

Ever since the Second Madam had once again been confirmed guilty of nurturing little demons and performing cursing rituals, she seemed to have also let go of her last trace of suspicion toward Seventh Miss and Ninth Brother.

“I also need to write to your Third Aunt, to your Second Uncle. Your father is also writing to Second Uncle… When the time comes, they’ll all be sent to the capital for separate delivery.” She carefully explained to Seventh Miss: “It just so happens that New Year is approaching. As soon as spring begins, we’ll immediately send someone to the clan registry to create a new register for the Second Branch. From now on, their family’s affairs will never trouble our family again!”

Seventh Miss spent the entire day writing with her head down. Only when the lamps were lit did she return to the western side courtyard.

Lixia immediately came forward.

She removed Seventh Miss’s embroidered lotus and silver-threaded cloak.

“The results have been posted.” As she helped Seventh Miss undress, she said: “The Li family’s eldest young master, third young master, and fourth young master all passed the provincial examination. There’s also the Zhang family’s second young master—he passed with a low ranking. However, the provincial graduate title went to Feng Jin, who was the top scholar in the silver flowers exam that year…”