Before the maids could enter to attend to her, Jiang Qian forced herself to dress despite her body’s soreness and walked to the window, pushing it open.
The wind blew in, carrying a warm, heady scent that mixed with the languid atmosphere inside the room, creating a sickeningly sweet and nauseating feeling. Jiang Qian, however, had long grown accustomed to this. She stood by the window, lost in thought, gazing at a cluster of lush green banana leaves outside.
Having lost so much face at the Earl’s mansion, she had seen no shortage of mockery in the eyes of those in the Marquis’s household these past days. She had originally planned to wait a while before bringing up the matter of inviting Jiang Si over, but Cao Xingyu couldn’t wait.
She dared not delay any longer, for she knew better than anyone what kind of person Cao Xingyu was. Once he became unhinged, there was no reason with him. It was better to let things flow than to obstruct them. Rather than letting him create a huge mess that would drag her down with him, it was preferable to indulge his wishes and invite Jiang Si over for him to look his fill.
Jiang Si was her cousin, a proper young lady from the Earl’s household. Cao Xingyu wouldn’t dare to act rashly for now; at most, he would feast his eyes.
A maid’s request for entry came from outside. Jiang Qian responded, ignoring the maids who filed in as she made her way to the study.
Given her current situation, inviting Jiang Si over wouldn’t be easy. In her grandmother’s eyes, she was someone who brought bad luck. Even if Jiang Si were willing to come, it was highly unlikely that her grandmother would agree.
Jiang Qian carefully composed two letters and ordered them to be delivered to the East Peace Earl’s mansion.
When Second Madam Xiao received Jiang Qian’s letter, tears immediately fell from her eyes. With slightly reddened eyes, she made her way to the Hall of Compassion.
The sound of operatic singing drifted from the Hall of Compassion.
Since Old Madam Feng’s eyesight had improved, she had developed a fondness for watching opera. While maintaining a full-time opera troupe in the household was somewhat impractical given the Earl’s finances, Second Master Jiang was a filial son. He had purchased two girls, just over ten years old, from an opera troupe, specifically to entertain the old lady.
“Old Madam, Second Madam has arrived,” announced a servant.
As it wasn’t the usual time for paying respects, Old Madam Feng didn’t even raise an eyebrow upon hearing this. She continued to keep her eyes closed, tapping out the rhythm as she listened to the two young girls in opera costumes singing.
Old Madam Feng’s coldness towards Madam Xiao was unmistakably clear.
Everyone in the Hall of Compassion understood that this was because the old lady was still angry about the incident involving the Second Young Madam.
It was no wonder Old Madam Feng was furious. The Taoist Nun Liu’s ritual had inexplicably become the talk of the capital, which was bad enough, but then Taoist Nun Liu was murdered. The officials from the Shuntian Prefecture had been in an uproar for days, unable to catch even a shadow of the culprit.
What do people love to gossip about most in this world? Not events that have passed, but unresolved matters.
As long as the murderer of Taoist Nun Liu remained at large, the citizens of the capital would not lose interest in the case anytime soon. Consequently, Taoist Nun Liu’s connection to the East Peace Earl’s mansion would continue to be chewed over in conversations.
Now, a rumor had even started circulating that Taoist Nun Liu had met her demise because she had pointed out that the Marquis of Changxing’s daughter-in-law was possessed by an evil spirit, which had caused the Marquis’s household to lose face.
Of course, this rumor was baseless. The nobility would laugh it off, but the common folk who believed every whisper they heard took great pleasure in spreading such gossip, embellishing it with increasingly vivid details.
Old Madam Feng’s chest ached with anger just thinking about all this, so it was no wonder her attitude towards Madam Xiao was less than cordial.
Madam Xiao stood outside for a full half hour before being invited in.
“Do you have business?” Old Madam Feng asked curtly.
Madam Xiao, holding a small box, smiled and said, “Young Master Cang happened to acquire a string of agarwood prayer beads. Knowing you like them, he immediately had them sent back.”
Hearing Madam Xiao mention her eldest grandson, Old Madam Feng’s expression softened slightly. She gestured for A-Fu to take the box, and said coolly, “He should focus on his studies instead of wasting effort on such things.”
Madam Xiao immediately replied, “Showing filial piety to you, Old Madam, is only natural. How could it be considered a waste of effort?”
Old Madam Feng’s eyes were half-closed as she caressed the palm-sized redwood box.
Her displeasure was genuine, but no matter how much she disliked her second daughter-in-law, she couldn’t possibly entrust the household to her third daughter-in-law.
She still had to maintain some face for her second daughter-in-law.
Old Madam Feng opened her eyes and said flatly, “I know you all have filial hearts.”
Madam Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her smile growing even warmer as she carefully broached the subject, “Today, Qian’er sent a letter to you, Old Madam…”
As she spoke, she took out the letter.
Old Madam Feng’s face immediately darkened. “If she’s not running home every other day, she’s sending letters home. Is she unable to live in the Marquis’s household?”
Hearing this, Madam Xiao dabbed at the corner of her eye and said, “Old Madam, Qian’er truly cannot live comfortably in the Marquis’s household anymore. She married above her station, to begin with, and after two years of marriage, there’s still no sign of a child. Her ability to stand firm in the Marquis’s household relied on your love for her, but now—”
Old Madam Feng remained unmoved.
Madam Xiao secretly gritted her teeth and, throwing away her pride, pleaded, “Old Madam, you know that Qian’er has always been sensible. She would never dare to disturb your peace. She just wants to invite her sisters to stay at the Marquis’s mansion for a couple of days. It would also prevent those in the Marquis’s household from looking down on her and our Earl’s mansion…”
Madam Xiao’s meaning was clear. Because of the incident with Taoist Nun Liu, the Marquis’s household thought that the Earl’s mansion no longer cared about their married-out daughter. If the young ladies from the Earl’s mansion were willing to visit the Marquis’s household for a couple of days at this time, such speculation would naturally be disproved, thus resolving Jiang Qian’s predicament.
Old Madam Feng listened to Madam Xiao’s words with an expressionless face, her gaze falling on the letter.
The letter was written in a graceful hand: “Granddaughter Qian humbly requests Grandmother’s attention.”
Looking at the familiar handwriting, Old Madam Feng’s heart softened a bit.
From the beginning, she had never liked her eldest daughter-in-law, and the eldest granddaughter born to her was dull and foolish, so naturally, she couldn’t bring herself to like her either. However, her second granddaughter, who was of similar age to the eldest, had been clever and endearing from a young age, earning much of her affection. The second granddaughter had even begun her literacy lessons in the gauze-curtained study of the Hall of Compassion.
Old Madam Feng thought for a moment, then opened the letter and began to read.
Jiang Qian’s eloquence was fully displayed in the letter. By the time Old Madam Feng finished reading, her expression had softened further.
Madam Xiao seized the opportunity to plead, “Old Madam, please take pity on Qian’er. I heard from the servant who delivered the letter that Qian’er has become as thin as a rail…”
“Very well, it’s a good season now. Let those girls go out for some fresh air,” Old Madam Feng finally relented.
Madam Xiao’s face lit up with joy.
Old Madam Feng’s tone changed, “However, let me make this clear: if they cause any trouble and make the Marquis’s household laugh at us, Qian’er, as their elder sister, cannot escape responsibility!”
“Rest assured, Old Madam. Qian’er is most loving towards her sisters and will surely take good care of them.”
In the Begonia Residence, Jiang Si took Jiang Qian’s invitation, glanced at it, and casually tossed it onto her desk. She instructed A-Qiao, “Go and find out if the other young ladies received invitations.”
Before long, A-Qiao returned with her report: “Third Miss, Fifth Miss, and Sixth Miss all received invitations.”
This result was not unexpected to Jiang Si, but it still made her sigh.
Two days later, four young ladies from the Earl’s mansion set out in the same carriage, heading towards the Marquis of Changxing’s residence.