“I remembered wrong—I just saw your head.” The little rabbit jumped down.
The Old Princess Consort and others, seeing Mo’er begin to fall into confusion, also showed expressions of suspicion on their faces.
“You saw my head? Since you could see clearly it was me, you must remember what hairstyle I had at the time. Was it down or pinned up?” Almost time to kill the rabbit.
“Down!” When disembarking to eat, Mo’er remembered Mo Zi had a maid’s loose hair.
“Oh.” Alright, the fire could be started now.
Mo Zi smiled at Bai He, naturally earning an eye roll from Bai He. “Madam, do you still remember? After eating and boarding the boat, Bai He said she wanted to practice and pinned all my hair up, right?” There were plenty of witnesses.
Qiu Sanniang curtsied to the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort. “What Mo Zi said is correct. That day because there was such commotion, I even joked that her hair was about to shoot to the sky.”
“I also remember—it was pinned up.” Xiao Erlang came to add popularity.
Mo Zi thought, your testimony doesn’t matter either way. Having it is worse than not having it, because the Old Princess Consort clearly already suspected she was being manipulated by Xiao Erlang.
However, at this moment, almost everyone, including the Old Princess Consort, already believed Mo Zi. Facts were facts.
Mo’er slumped to the ground dejectedly, eyes staring blankly, murmuring, “I didn’t lie…”
No, you lied—you just couldn’t round out your lie properly. But Mo Zi no longer needed to say anything more.
Thinking the matter would end with Wei Sixth Miss’s failed attempt to obtain a husband, Mo Zi later reflected that ultimately she’d been too naive. Having planned so meticulously and being determined to succeed, how could failure be permitted? No matter how clever she was, though she’d cleared herself, she couldn’t change the fated outcome.
How was it, you ask?
Wei Sixth Miss climbed up in a daze. Just when everyone thought she was giving up, she suddenly rushed toward a nearby red pillar. It was a resolute death-seeking intent, so her movements were sharp without half a trace of dragging hesitation or pretense.
Even Mo Zi didn’t doubt that Wei Sixth Miss truly intended to kill herself. Otherwise, that would be unconscionable.
Of those present, not a single woman could stop the approaching tragedy. Xiao Yi could, but without Qiu Sanniang’s order, and with the other party being a stranger, she wouldn’t expose her martial arts skills.
However, Wei Sixth Miss’s head didn’t end up with a large hole, nor did Wei Sixth Miss succeed in dying.
Because though women couldn’t save her, a man could. Though martial arts-knowing Xiao Yi couldn’t act, sword-wielding General Xiao could.
At that critical moment, Xiao Erlang’s figure flickered and blocked the way before the red pillar.
The force generated by Wei Sixth Miss’s death-determined resolve actually made Xiao Erlang retreat a step, his back pressing against the pillar, forcing a muffled grunt from him. He shifted slightly to the side, and the residual force still caused Wei Sixth Miss to strike the pillar, producing a sound neither loud nor soft. He had no choice but to reach out and grip Wei Sixth Miss’s shoulders, holding her in place.
Wei Sixth Miss raised her face, head splitting with pain, tears instantly crawling across her cheeks. “Second Master, please let me die.”
Xiao Erlang’s chest felt so blocked it would explode. Being driven to the point of spitting blood by this Wei Sixth Miss, his hands exerted force, pushing her to the ground. Then, surrounded by an icy cold aura, he asked in a deep voice, “You—sacrificed your own reputation, willing to throw away your life, and are still determined to marry me?”
Wei Sixth Miss’s eyes widened. “Second Master, I…” She made a sound of assent.
“Marrying you as wife is impossible.” Xiao Erlang closed his eyes. His heart was choked to death. From childhood to adulthood, when had he ever fallen into such a situation where he had no room to retreat?
Wei Sixth Miss, having bumped her head without gaining enlightenment, heard his words were no longer as heartless as before and actively expressed her stance. “Sixth Miss doesn’t care about status—only wishes to remain by Second Master’s side.”
Xiao Erlang let out a long breath. No longer looking at Wei Sixth Miss on the ground, he turned to the several elders still in a state of surprise and said, “Before a legitimate wife enters the household, I absolutely will not take concubines. Since Miss Sixth doesn’t care about status, I don’t care either. Whatever day Old Ancestress and Mother choose to send her in is fine. Tell Lü Bi early—she’ll naturally make arrangements.”
He especially added a sentence to Wei Qiongyu. “Concubine Yu, don’t blame me for not giving Miss Sixth status. Having reached this point, even if you killed me, I wouldn’t agree. Later when my wife enters the household, let her decide how to handle it.”
Wei Qiongyu called out “my child”—those three words were completely drowned by tears.
Xiao Erlang swept his sleeves and walked away with heavy steps.
Mo Zi heard it, everyone present heard it. Xiao Erlang was stunned into submission by that final death-seeking move and finally compromised. However, though he reluctantly took the person, he bit down on the matter of status and refused to let go. In the end, Wei Sixth Miss didn’t even gain the position of concubine, on the same level as Lü Bi and Hong Luo. The Wei family members would all die of anger—a perfectly good legitimate sixth miss of the main branch serving as someone’s bed warmer.
The Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort looked at each other, neither bothering to maintain any posture.
“Qiongyu, this… what should be done?” The niece was hers, and the Princess Consort still gave Wei Qiongyu face.
“What can be done? She herself would rather die than follow this person. I, as her aunt, have nothing to say. Old Madam, elder sister, you needn’t worry about me. In any case, I can no longer lift my head now. I also have no face to see the Prince. From today on, I’ll seal my courtyard, eat vegetarian food and chant Buddha’s name, praying that the Bodhisattva blesses our Xiao family with smooth sailing. I won’t step out of the courtyard gate again. As for Sixth Miss, no need to choose any auspicious day—she has nothing left to be shy or ashamed about. Send her to Erlang’s garden shortly. From now on, I won’t care about any of her matters, nor need anyone tell me about them.” Wei Qiongyu appeared mentally and physically exhausted, shakily standing up as maids hurried to support her.
Seeing this situation, the Princess Consort couldn’t say anything more and quickly had Wei Qiongyu return to rest, telling her not to speak such angry words.
Qiu Sanniang seized the opportunity to also propose leaving. Anyway, things were as they were—what remained was selecting a day. Whether sending Wei Sixth Miss to Weifeng Residence today or tomorrow had nothing to do with her.
Mo Zi had been dragged in and nearly received discipline. Qiu Sanniang’s heart was very stifled, so naturally she had even less favorable impression of this young lady from the same city.
With matters settled, there was no need to stay longer. The Princess Consort nodded agreement for Qiu Sanniang to withdraw.
The Old Princess Consort, however, stared at Mo Zi, who hadn’t moved the entire time, for quite a while before saying to Qiu Sanniang, “Are the two characters Mo Zi the name of a Yuling peony flower?”
“Precisely.” Qiu Sanniang thought to herself, what now?
“For a maid to take such a name is too noble.” The Old Princess Consort smiled kindly at Hong Mei beside Qiu Sanniang. The startling scene just now, in this old person’s eyes, had already cleared after the rain. “Your courtyard’s second-class maids all begin with the character ‘Mo’ for silence—that’s quite good.”
Hearing this, Mo Zi thought, heh, what was this old ancestress doing? Wanting to change her name? Mo Zi? Telling her to speak less, silently turn purple? If changing a name could change fortune, just like how someone who’d been forced into taking on an additional bed warmer actually had good fortune with women and thus could say it didn’t matter—well, she too could be very indifferent.
“Old Ancestress, Mo Zi is from Yuling. There, ordinary common folk families have piles of daughters named Mo Zi—it’s not some precious name. She followed along and got mixed up in this matter today, so when I return I was going to punish her severely. Before you, I’ll demote her rank right now. Even making her a third-class maid isn’t punishment enough—I’ll make her a rough-work maid in the outer courtyard directly.” Having said this, Qiu Sanniang leaned against the Old Princess Consort acting coquettish and laughed for a while.
The Old Princess Consort thus didn’t raise the matter of changing the name again.
Qiu Sanniang walked past Mo Zi, giving her a look.
Mo Zi immediately followed, but suddenly heard Mo’er cry out in alarm—it turned out Wei Sixth Miss had fainted.
Bai He said, “How pitiful.”
Hong Mei said pitiful for what? She got what she wanted.
Mo Zi said, “When heaven wants rain to fall and a mother wants to marry, who can stop it?”
The next day, Hong Mei received news that Wei Sixth Miss had already moved into Weifeng Residence. The senior maids inevitably discussed this around Qiu Sanniang, but Qiu Sanniang wasn’t very patient.
“Madam, regarding Mo Zi’s demotion—are you serious, or just saying it?” Lü Ju hadn’t followed yesterday. Hearing such a major incident had occurred, what she cared most about was still Mo Zi being demoted by Qiu Sanniang to a tiny little maid.
“Said before the Old Madam—could it be fake?” Hong Mei felt Lü Ju was asking unnecessarily. “It’s also Mo Zi’s bad luck, running into this matter when the Old Madam was in a bad mood. Originally, it wasn’t even her fault.”
“It’s real.” Qiu Sanniang hadn’t wanted to hear about Wei Sixth Miss’s matters. Lü Ju helpfully switched to talking about Mo Zi—perfect.
Lü Ju wanted to plead for Mo Zi, but Bai He tugged at her sleeve and shook her head.
Qiu Sanniang set down her chopsticks, rinsed her mouth, stood up and walked outside. “I’m going to the study. Bai He, call Mo Zi for me. I have something to say to her.”
Bai He acknowledged and hurried to call her.
Hong Mei cleared the table, saying to the dazed Lü Ju, “Don’t worry, it’s a punishment for the Old Madam to see. Before long she’ll be promoted back. Madam has clear eyes and bright insight.”
Lü Ju made a sound of surprise, raising her delicate brows. “You’re not usually too polite to Mo Zi. Why are you suddenly speaking well of her today?”
Hong Mei smiled embarrassedly. “Am I that petty? Usually, she was second-class, I was first-class. If I were good to her, what would the other second-class maids think? Moreover, I have eyes—can’t I see for myself? Such a clever and capable person—if I hadn’t come, she’d have long been a first-class senior maid. Yesterday you didn’t see—that speaking ability, that sense of proportion, that presence—I was dumbfounded watching. Feeling ashamed inside, thinking her literacy and book learning was nothing special since I can read too. But now I understand—she’s a naturally clever person. I can’t compare.”
“You just now figured that out.” Lü Ju pushed Hong Mei and said with a giggle, “It’s fine. You were like me before—at first, we all underestimated her. Later we discovered she and I are completely different types of people. That brain of hers spins faster than a top.”
Hong Mei said that was really true.
The two continued their work, no need to elaborate further.
Now speaking of Mo Zi entering the study, she saw Xiao Yi grinding ink while Qiu Sanniang was writing.
“Madam called me? To change my name or dispatch me to the outer courtyard?” Qiu Sanniang’s behavior—how to put it? Mo Zi suddenly felt somewhat puzzled.
“Change what name? Do you want to change it?” Qiu Sanniang didn’t even raise her head, her hand writing very quickly, not like her usual lackadaisical character practice.
“I was just saying.” Mo Zi knew that changing names, though unlikely, however going to the outer courtyard had been mentioned to the Old Princess Consort.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll go watch that bamboo grove outside Mozhi Residence.” Qiu Sanniang was indeed going to implement it.
However, the bamboo grove? Behind that small building, the wall directly connected to the abandoned mansion next door.
Thoughts turned in Mo Zi’s mind as she thought—Qiu Sanniang was trying to—
“Mo Zi, though I’ve demoted your maid rank, I’m giving you a new assignment that’s even better than being a senior maid.” Qiu Sanniang stopped her brush and blew on the paper surface.
“Please speak, Madam.” Mo Zi probably knew.
“Steward.” Qiu Sanniang’s expression became serious.
Xiao Yi, unaffected by eight winds, continued grinding, grinding the ink.