Qingyun Garden truly became a garden of tranquility.
Those who came to watch opera became those who would perform it.
Just fitting that saying—life is like opera, opera is like life.
“Old Ancestress, mother-in-law, Concubine Yu, I see Sister Wei has something to say to you all. I should withdraw.” Qiu Sanniang proactively proposed to leave. What Mo Zi had just whispered in her ear was a suggestion to leave quickly.
The Princess Consort’s original intention was also for Qiu Sanniang to leave, but thinking that her eldest daughter-in-law couldn’t help her and not knowing if her third daughter-in-law had household management ability, she wanted to observe Qiu Sanniang’s performance. Moreover, Qiu Sanniang proactively requesting to withdraw quite suited her intentions, showing she was indeed clever and sensible.
“Never mind, you stay. You and Sixth Miss are both from Luo Zhou, spent over a month together, and are close in age. If there’s truly something, you can act as a good sister and offer suggestions.” The meaning was that fellow townspeople of the same age had “no generation gap.”
Wei Sixth Miss showed no objection. Anyway, Qiu Sanniang had already observed plenty—whether she stayed or left didn’t matter.
Qiu Sanniang exchanged a glance with Mo Zi, softly assented, and sat back down.
Mo Zi thought to herself, not knowing what this Wei Sixth Miss would ultimately do. Since she had the determination to refuse marriage before her elders, she might very well be about to speak of her feelings for Xiao Erlang. However, a woman proactively saying she liked someone’s son would lose all favorable impression. She was genuinely curious about a method that could preserve face while achieving the goal. Might as well learn something herself? Learning is endless! Then, hearing Wei Sixth Miss finally speak, the first two sentences made her admire her to the ground. Wei Sixth Miss truly was someone with ideas.
“Sixth Miss will marry no one. Please allow Sixth Miss to become a nun!” The effect of a bomb. Not saying she had feelings for so-and-so, but starting by abusing herself!
The flaw Mo Zi perceived was that if she wanted to become a nun, fine, but why was Wei Sixth Miss kneeling before Xiao Someone’s mother and grandmother? Those two seemingly had no family relationship with her. Therefore, this was a heavyweight prelude, first making people’s heads buzz.
“My child, what kind of talk is this?” Sure enough, the Princess Consort was buzzing. “For no good reason, why do you want to become a nun? Absolutely not. You came to our prince’s mansion as a guest. Your parents sent you here, yet you want to become a nun—how would we explain this to your family?”
The Princess Consort’s anxious manner didn’t seem fake—she was truly shocked.
The Old Princess Consort, however, spoke gently with a calm tone. “Sixth Miss, has someone bullied you?”
Mo Zi silently applauded. Ginger is indeed spicier when old—she understood immediately upon hearing.
Wei Sixth Miss just shook her head without speaking, tears falling pitter-patter.
Hearing the Old Madam say this, the Princess Consort instantly understood seventy to eighty percent. Looking again at Wei Qiongyu beside her, rarely seeing such overcast clouds on her gentle face with an expression of being furious, she understood ninety-nine percent more.
When she opened her mouth to ask again, her voice had calmed. “Sixth Miss, if truly someone has bullied you, speak out. A perfectly good young lady of a wealthy family, coming to our mansion and crying about becoming a nun in less than a month—there must be an explanation.”
“No… no one… bullied Sixth Miss.” Sobbing uncontrollably, “Sixth Miss just doesn’t want to marry and wishes to remain by Buddha’s lamp forever, praying for Old Madam, Princess Consort, and aunt. Please fulfill Sixth Miss’s wish, elders.”
If they truly fulfilled your wish, you’d cry yourself to death. Mo Zi, watching the excitement, could only have rich inner activity.
“Good! Good!” Wei Qiongyu suddenly lost her temper. “If you want to become a nun, then become one! Today I’ll have someone send you back to Luo Zhou. After you inform your parents, do whatever you please. Don’t embarrass me here.”
Having finished scolding this end, Wei Qiongyu spoke to that end. “Old Madam, elder sister, you needn’t concern yourselves with this matter. Let me make the decision.”
“Qiongyu, what are you doing? Your own flesh and blood niece has suffered grievance, and instead of speaking for her, you’re getting angry at her?” The Princess Consort—
Was the Princess Consort ultimately good-tempered or deeply calculating? Mo Zi truly couldn’t tell. She’d said it before—don’t take ancient people for fools. There were quite a few clever ones and very few truly stupid ones.
“Qiongyu, this is your wrong. Though you’re part of our Xiao family, if someone from the Xiao family gave your niece the idea of becoming a nun, under no circumstances can she just be sent home like this.” Both the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.
Wei Qiongyu sighed and said, “Old Madam, elder sister, this matter has nothing to do with anyone in our mansion. It’s just that this girl misses home and refuses to marry far away. She told me about it days ago, but I didn’t agree. Her parents’ intention is to find her a good match in the capital and have already entrusted it to me. Since ancient times, marriage is a major matter decided by parents. Now that she’s listening to me, how can she be allowed to act recklessly on her own? She’s making a scene before you now because she knows I won’t agree, so she can only seek your help in speaking for her. I truly have no solution. If she refuses to marry, can I force her? However, since she has her own ideas, I’d better send her home quickly.”
Hearing this, Wei Sixth Miss sobbed even more violently, keeping her head lowered without a sound.
“Sixth Miss, you needn’t listen to your aunt. Whatever you have to say, just tell us.” She knelt facing her—the Princess Consort didn’t think she was seeking allies but asking for someone to make decisions for her!
“Aunt… aunt wants to send Sixth Miss… back to Luo Zhou… might as well send Sixth Miss to a nunnery to take tonsure.” Wei Sixth Miss revealed nothing, insisting on having her head shaved.
Just when it seemed this would drag on endlessly, a new character suddenly appeared in the drama.
Wei Sixth Miss’s maid rushed out from the side, dropped heavily to her knees, and even kowtowed once with a loud thud. “Kowtowing to Old Madam and Princess Consort. This servant truly cannot bear to see my young lady heartbroken. May I be so bold as to say a few words?”
This maid—Mo Zi still remembered—was Wei Sixth Miss’s senior maid named Mo’er. On the boat, she’d always followed Wei Sixth Miss in and out, seemingly highly valued. It seemed she hadn’t misjudged. Whether Wei Sixth Miss could succeed probably depended on what Mo’er said. A clever move: Wei Sixth Miss was there abusing herself while borrowing the maid’s protective mouth to speak what truly needed saying, without making the elders think her shameless.
Seeing someone who could speak, the Princess Consort naturally wouldn’t let it pass. “Speak quickly, what grievance has your young lady suffered?”
Mo’er bit her lip, gritted her teeth, looking as if throwing caution to the wind, and kowtowed loudly again. “Princess Consort, this concerns Second Master!”
Aha, here it comes! The corner of Mo Zi’s mouth curved obliquely, her beautiful brows jumping. Xiao Erlang was a troublesome man! Let’s count: two concubine maids, one future imperial legitimate wife, and now a great merchant’s daughter who insisted on being entangled with him. However, she felt Xiao Er was truly too typical an ancient male chauvinist—as a modern woman, she should avoid him if possible. Otherwise, discussing respect for women with this kind of man would absolutely be like chickens talking to ducks, with two final outcomes: first, anger him to death; second, anger herself to death.
“Mo’er, what nonsense are you spouting!” Wei Sixth Miss’s body trembled, her face flushing red within the pallor, then turning greenish, looking almost ready to faint.
A quite valuable cup flew out, striking Mo’er right on the forehead. It immediately swelled into a large bump and quickly began bleeding.
“Qiongyu!” The Princess Consort cried out in alarm.
The maids and matrons below were also startled. Who didn’t know that the kindest-hearted person was this Concubine Yu? Normally she never beat or scolded servants. Even when people did wrong, she remained good-natured without turning red-faced. Now she actually struck someone—clearly she was furious.
“Mo’er, you have no shame, but your young lady still needs face, and I still need face! Usually I’ve truly been too lenient with you maids—what words do you dare speak so presumptuously before others?” Wei Qiongyu was also trembling.
Mo’er’s tears fell like rain—whether from pain or sadness, who knew? But she knelt unmoving. Even with blood flowing into her eyes, she didn’t wipe it away, her expression very determined.
With such a person, who present would doubt she was lying?
“What relationship with Wei’er? Speak quickly!” A perfectly good young lady refusing to marry, preferring to become a nun. Without even thinking much, the Princess Consort could guess what it was. But without hearing the other party say it out loud, she still held a thread of hope.
“My young lady was alone with Second Master for half a shichen.” Mo’er said.
The Princess Consort pressed her hand to her temple and groaned.
The Old Princess Consort remained calm, saying something to the senior maid beside her. That maid hurriedly left.
The most crucial part of these words rested on a single character.
Which character?
Alone!
The “alone” in “alone together”!
According to this society’s established customs, naturally a man and an unmarried woman could meet, but with a prerequisite—that a third party be present. Regardless of who the third party was, even a random passerby or one’s own people—in any case, it couldn’t be one-on-one. Of course, this custom didn’t apply in situations of male superiority and female inferiority. For example, master and servant.
Because they were alone together, no one knew what this man and woman had done. Because they were alone together, even if nothing happened, people would still believe the woman’s reputation was damaged. Therefore, once Mo’er spoke these words, everyone would believe Wei Sixth Miss was no longer pure.
This kind of thinking was extremely absurd, yet accepted by the masses as perfectly natural.
The man suffered not one bit of loss. Only the woman suffered.
“You say Wei’er was alone with Sixth Miss—when and where?” Having spoken, the Princess Consort discovered this phrasing made it seem she didn’t believe Wei Sixth Miss, so she quickly covered, “I don’t disbelieve—I just fear Wei’er will make a fuss.”
“Right on the boat that was fetching Third Young Madam. I accompanied the young lady walking on the second deck for fresh air. That day was very windy, so I returned to the cabin to fetch a cloak for the young lady. Who knew that when I retraced my steps to find her, I saw the young lady covering her face running out from Second Master’s cabin. I was naturally frightened and quickly asked what happened, but the young lady refused to say. But when I turned around, I saw Second Master emerge from the doorway—at the time, he was alone.” The blood on Mo’er’s head looked shockingly vivid.
“Elder sister, this maid is talking nonsense—she can’t be believed. Setting aside Sixth Miss, I don’t believe Wei’er would be so senseless as to be in a cabin with Sixth Miss without others present by his side.” By saying this, Wei Qiongyu was expressing disbelief that the two were alone together.
“Not only did I see it, Third Young Madam’s maid saw it too. There, that’s her, the one called Mo Zi.” Mo’er extended her hand and pointed, effortlessly identifying Mo Zi completely.
When Mo Zi heard the location of being alone together was on the boat, she’d already cried out inwardly that this was bad.
Was she suddenly being called on stage to perform? With her off-key singing?
—
*[Author’s note: A new advanced group may be established. Everyone wait for the announcement.]*