From the moment she stepped through the gates of Sheng Mansion, the Elder wore an expression cold as ice. She first sent little Changdong off to go see Xiang Yiniang on his own, and then went to the main room to look in on Wang Shi. Before she had even reached the courtyard gate, she heard a shrill female voice: “…You had better give up on that idea! I would rather keep this daughter my whole life than let that wretched creature have an easy time of it!” Then came Sheng Hong’s bellow: “Then what do you propose to do to resolve this!”
The Elder turned and looked at Hai Shi. Hai Shi’s face went red, and she quickly nudged the maidservant beside her. The maidservant immediately raised her voice: “The Elder has arrived!”
The voices inside fell silent. The Elder and her party lifted the curtain and entered, passed through the display cabinet partition, and went straight through to the inner chamber. There lay Wang Shi in bed, wearing a honey-lotus-colored underrobe, settled into the gold-threaded brocade quilt. Her face was a waxy yellow, with an unhealthy flush on her cheekbones — the telltale sign of a temper just spent. Sheng Hong, who had been standing to one side, quickly came forward to pay his respects when he saw the Elder enter.
The Elder cast him a cold glance, said nothing, and walked over to Wang Shi, who was struggling to rise and pay her respects. Minglan hurried forward to press her gently back down. The Elder went over and said in a warm voice: “Do not get up — rest properly.”
Minglan stole a look at Sheng Hong and Wang Shi, and was inwardly startled: Sheng Hong’s temples had suddenly sprouted streaks of gray, as if he had aged seven or eight years in one stroke. Wang Shi’s face too was haggard, as though she had been through a serious illness. Seeing the situation was clearly delicate, Minglan dared not linger. She gave Sheng Hong and Wang Shi proper bows of greeting, asked after their health, and then respectfully withdrew, going straight back to Muxuanzhai.
Wang Shi glanced at Hai Shi standing beside her; Hai Shi gave a small nod, making it understood that the Elder had already been informed of the full story. Wang Shi’s eyes filled with tears: “Elder…your daughter-in-law is useless — right under my own eyes, such a disgraceful thing was allowed to happen. I…I…”
The Elder waved her hand, cutting Wang Shi off: “What happened to Molan is not your fault. A thief can be a thief for a thousand years, but even the sharpest eye cannot guard against a thousand years of thieving. Besides, when it comes to someone so favored by the Master — who else would dare manage her with a heavy hand?”
This was said with a sharp edge of satire embedded within it. Sheng Hong’s face flushed red; he kept his head bowed and said nothing, not daring to respond. Seeing the Elder speaking up in her defense, Wang Shi pressed her handkerchief to her face and wept loudly: “The Elder is absolutely right! If not for deference to the Master, who would have ever let those sneaking maneuvers of theirs come to anything! And yet my child had to suffer for it…”
The Elder cut her off again: “What happened to Molan is not your fault — but what happened to Rulan is your fault. How many households were you going to promise one daughter to? Always looking at the next mountain and thinking it is higher, one day pointing east and the next day west. Your mother-in-law in your family loves you so dearly — and now even she has lost patience with you. You had better reflect on yourself properly.”
Wang Shi thought of her mother’s fury and her own sister’s betrayal, and a wave of bitter pain swept through her. She buried her face in the pillow and wept in broken, heaving sobs.
Sheng Hong wore an expression of shame and lowered his head: “Mother, what do you think…what should be done?”
Sheng Lao still paid him no attention, and spoke directly to Wang Shi: “You rest and recover properly. Set aside those vexing matters for now. Rulan has only just had her coming-of-age ceremony; her marriage can be arranged slowly.” She then instructed Hai Shi to attend to Wang Shi carefully and the like, and then turned and went straight out. Sheng Hong, seeing the Elder’s expression harsh and cold, dared not say a word, and could only watch helplessly as she departed.
No sooner had Minglan returned to Muxuanzhai than she found Ruomei leading a group of junior maidservants standing in a neat row at the door to welcome her. Minglan smiled, and stepping inside, saw that the rooms had been cleaned until the windows shone and the tables were bright. A kettle of rolling hot tea sat beside the door, and on the table stood a set of white porcelain cups painted with colored designs that Minglan used in the spring months, with a dish of fresh fruit placed at the center. Minglan was quite satisfied, and gave Ruomei some heartfelt words of praise.
As soon as they were inside, Danju cheerfully opened a small trunk and took out a pale purple thin-silk wrapped bundle, which she tucked into Ruomei’s hands: “No wonder young miss set aside an especially generous portion for you. You truly are a good one!”
Ruomei tilted her chin with a touch of pride, took the package, and said coolly: “I am not one who knows how to make myself agreeable to the young miss the way you elder sisters do. I was left here all alone to look after the courtyard — of course I could only put in more effort.”
Luzhi, who had been buried head-first in unpacking trunks, heard this and could not help starting to climb out again for a verbal skirmish. Yancao pressed her back down. Danju smiled gently and made no further response. Xiaotao could not resist: “Ruomei Sister, the young miss told me — if she had left anyone else behind, she could not be sure they would guard the courtyard. You have a steady nature and are reliable; that is why she felt at ease leaving you in charge of the gates.”
Ruomei gave an indifferent purse of her lips and turned to go out. Then Xiao Zhu Xiu came ducking under the bamboo door curtain with a smile sweet as honey: “All you elder sisters have worked hard. Ruomei Sister already had us straighten the beds in your rooms. Once you are done with the young miss’s things, you will be able to rest straight away. Ruomei Sister just has that mouth of hers — in her heart she thinks about all of you.”
Hearing this, Luzhi let out a breath and went back to work with her head down. Danju and the others could not suppress a quiet round of laughter.
It took the entire afternoon to finish unpacking, and only then was Minglan free. She scrubbed herself from head to toe in a proper bath, and only then felt somewhat of the weariness washed away and her body a little lighter. She went directly to Shouan Hall to eat dinner and stay close to the Elder.
The Elder’s rule was no talking during meals. The two of them sat properly and ate together. Minglan quietly kept an eye on the Elder’s expression while spooning up her food. The Elder did not appear to be in any particular bad temper — only her brows were deeply furrowed, as though she had a severe headache.
After dinner came a bowl of clear tea. Minglan did not know what to say to the Elder, so she went over and began gently kneading her shoulders.
“…Do you think I should involve myself in this wretched business, or not?” the Elder said at last, in a slow, drawn-out voice. The warm steam from the tea floated and drifted around her face, her expression all weariness. A moment ago, Nanny Fang had already come to report: Lin Yiniang had been locked in a side room, and Molan was shut in her own rooms. Sheng Hong had issued an absolute order that no one was permitted to see either of them.
“…Get involved.” Minglan said it before she had even thought it through. Seeing the Elder’s expression turn unhappy, she immediately added: “But not easily…without at least making Father come to beg you…hmm…five times!” She held up five plump white fingers.
The Elder rolled her eyes at her and said with a hmph: “This very afternoon your father has already come to beg twice.”
Minglan felt sheepish. She internally complained that Father was too impatient, gave a dry laugh, and said: “Then…at least five times.” All five plump white fingers spread open.
The Elder sighed, shaking her head slowly: “Blood is thicker than water — they are still my own flesh and bone. Very well, things cannot simply stay like this forever. And yet…” the Elder could not suppress a gnashing of teeth, “…I am not willing to let that shameless creature have her way!”
Minglan slowly stopped rubbing, thought for a moment, and said: “Each matter is its own matter. Lin Yiniang’s wrongdoing is one thing; the family’s face and standing is another. What deserves punishment must be punished; what needs to be salvaged must be salvaged.”
The Elder sat with eyes closed in thought for a moment, then said: “That is correct.”
The following day, the Elder had Minglan distribute all the things brought back from Yuhang. Wang Shi continued to lie in bed recovering. Hai Shi, seeing the Elder had returned to the mansion, felt the weight lift from her shoulders, and her spirits improved considerably — her color was not quite so dreadful. In the afternoon, Minglan brought the freshly prepared osmanthus oil to Daoran Residence to offer comfort to the victim.
As Minglan had guessed, at this moment Rulan was either in the middle of a tantrum, had just finished one, or was building up toward another. Yet contrary to expectations, Rulan was not as furious as Minglan had imagined. Although her tongue remained merciless when Molan and her mother were mentioned, she was surprisingly rational, and even had the composure to sit and have her maidservant trace embroidery patterns.
“She brought ruin on herself — there is no one else to blame. And yet she had to drag us all down with her!” Rulan said with indignation — then smoothed out her brow: “Marriage is a matter of fate. Heaven looks out for you and gives you what you’re meant to have. Nothing to go on about.” Looking at her expression, she clearly felt nothing in particular for either Qi Heng or the Wang family cousin-brother, so she wore an expression of complete indifference.
“Fifth Sister, you have really grown up,” Minglan said with genuine feeling. Then a sharp flick of a finger landed heavily on her forehead.
These had been difficult days for Sheng Hong too. The family’s reputation had been shattered, and his usually formidable wife had collapsed into uselessness. He had no choice but to go and beg the Elder. He had gone to find her four times over those two days, and every time he had been sent back before he could even open his mouth, battered with cold words and cutting remarks. Sheng Hong knew the Elder had long quietly held it against him for being too lenient with Lin Yiniang over the years and failing to properly restrain her. And now look — disaster had come, just as she had said it would. It served him right.
On the fifth day, first thing in the morning, Sheng Hong went sheepishly to try the Elder again. The Elder had been counting on her fingers, and having reached a full hand, relented somewhat and showed him a slightly less hostile expression. Sheng Hong was overjoyed beyond expectation and earnestly begged: “Your son knows he was wrong. I beg Mother to manage this matter!”
The Elder looked steadily at Sheng Hong, and said slowly, word by word: “I hear that Lin Shi had a maidservant of hers given to you, and the girl is now with child — and this during the National Mourning period, was it not?”
Sheng Hong’s face went crimson to the ears, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, saying over and over: “Your son was confused!”
The Elder let out a cold harrumph: “No wonder she had the boldness to stir up more trouble — she had won your favor again.”
Wang Shi regarded Sheng Hong the way one watches a prisoner. Lin Yiniang, sweet-tempered and perceptive, had provided him with a lovely, tender, beautiful maidservant — precisely what Sheng Hong had secretly wanted. Afterward, Sheng Hong himself had felt considerable regret; he had always placed great importance on his official reputation, and this time he had been led astray.
“All of it is your son’s fault! Mother, please punish your son as severely as you see fit!” Sheng Hong bowed his head and knelt before the Elder.
The Elder brought her palm down on the table with a resounding slap and laughed coldly: “You foolish wretch! Taken in by someone’s scheme and you don’t even know it! Have you not thought — was Molan’s affair something that could be planned in a day or two? Those people had long since calculated everything out — and naturally they first had to lure you into their trap, make you do something you ought not to have done, and give them a handle to use against you!”
Sweat broke out on Sheng Hong’s forehead in steady streams. The Elder breathed several deep breaths before composing herself, and then said slowly: “Hongzi, do you still remember — those years ago, after Yiniang Wei passed away, the conversation you and I had?”
Sheng Hong’s heart gave a jolt; he understood: “Your son remembers.”
The Elder sighed: “At that time I already asked you to keep a firm hand on Lin Shi. But you did not take it to heart. And so today this great disaster has been brewed. I told you then: when the home is not in order, how can the official career go smoothly? And now, the way things stand…”
Sheng Hong was overwhelmed with shame. The late spring days were growing warmer, yet cold sweat broke over him in waves. In his heart, he had begun to truly hate Lin Yiniang. If not for her constant stirring up of trouble, how would his colleagues have cause to whisper and point behind his back?
The Elder said gravely: “You truly want me to step in this time?” Sheng Hong touched his forehead to the floor and said in a clear, firm voice: “Your son has neither virtue nor talent. All these years I have relied entirely on Mother’s guidance. I beg Mother to take on this burden once more.”
The Elder fixed her eyes on Sheng Hong’s face, and said slowly, one word at a time: “This time I am not merely speaking words. Afterward there will be severe punishment — can you bear to see it?”
Sheng Hong heard the icy finality in the Elder’s words, thought carefully, then steeled himself and said in a loud voice: “Certainly! That wretched woman has death coming to her! Even if she were killed, it would only be repaying the life of Yiniang Wei!”
The Elder stared at Sheng Hong for a long while, then nodded with no expression on her face, and said flatly: “I will not take her life — but neither can she remain in Sheng Mansion any longer. Once this night is through, first thing tomorrow morning, she will be sent to the rural estate.”
That evening, after dinner, the Elder chased Minglan back to her rooms. Minglan kept her wits about her, and made an excuse to leave Danju behind in Shouan Hall to relay back a live report.
The Elder and Hai Shi had quite different ways of handling affairs. Hai Shi, having come from a scholarly and learned family, preferred to win people over with virtue and reason, and ideally wanted the other party to be sincerely convinced and genuinely admiring. The Elder, born as the legitimate daughter of a titled noble house, had always spoken and acted with absolute authority and no patience for entanglements. She would state things clearly — I understand; you do not need to. That was enough.
Sheng Hong and Wang Shi sat in the inner chamber of Shouan Hall — one at the table, one on the daybed by the window. Husband and wife each held in their own anger, looking everywhere but at each other. Outside, Sheng Lao sat alone in the main hall. She called for Lin Yiniang and Molan to be brought before her.
Lin Yiniang was sensible enough to kneel at once. A beautiful maidservant in a water-red robe helped support her. The Elder glanced at the maidservant several times — she saw the girl had bright almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, with an expression full of warmth and charm; only her waist was somewhat thickened. The Elder could not help giving an inward cold smile. To one side, Molan was far more obstinate. Although these past days of hardship had left her plainly dressed and somewhat dispirited, she still held her chin high as she stood at the center of the room.
The Elder looked at Molan and spoke slowly: “I will spare you the grand principles — your father and your elder sister-in-law have certainly said enough already. I have only one question for you: you cannot marry into that family now. What do you intend to do to resolve this?”
Molan had a stomach full of grievance jammed up in her chest. She said with a harrumph: “It comes down to just the one life anyway — what is there to make a fuss over? If you want me to die, I will die and be done with it!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the Elder said sharply: “Well said. Bring it out.” Nanny Fang entered from the side, carrying a tray in her hands. The Elder pointed to the objects on the tray: “Here is one length of white silk, and one bowl of arsenic tea. Take your pick. It will count as washing clean the name of our Sheng family.”
Molan’s small face went white as chalk. The defiant expression she had been sustaining could hold no longer. Looking at the white silk and the poison on the tray, her whole body shook violently. Lin Yiniang let out a horrified cry and kowtowed: “Elder, mercy! Molan — will you not quickly kneel and beg your Grandmother’s forgiveness? …Elder, please do not go through with this — Molan did not know better and has angered the Elder. Elder, for the Master’s sake…”
The Elder flung out a hand. A teacup struck the floor with a crack. She pointed at Lin Yiniang and said in a cold, sharp voice: “Shut your mouth! The single greatest regret of my life is that I was too soft-hearted once and let you enter this household and then formally become a concubine. Over these many years, how much trouble have you stirred up — I will not settle that account with you just yet. But if you insert one more word, I will have this arsenic poured straight down your daughter’s throat right now. You know me. I say what I mean and I do what I say.”
Lin Yiniang’s throat made a gulping sound. She lowered her head, her eyes sweeping the room in search of something. The Elder said coolly: “You need not look for the Master. He will not be coming today. I am handling everything.”
Lin Yiniang sagged to the floor, her expression a picture of piteous sadness — but she dared not open her mouth again. From the inner chamber, Wang Shi let out a sardonic laugh, and then turned to look at her husband. She saw Sheng Hong completely motionless, and felt her own spirits lighten considerably.
Molan saw that the situation was clearly wrong, and immediately dropped to her knees, saying repeatedly: “Grandmother, spare your granddaughter — I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong! Your granddaughter does not dare again — your granddaughter…does not want to die!” And with that she burst into tears. She caught a glance at Lin Yiniang kneeling beside her, thought of their scheme from before, and quickly said: “Your granddaughter had no such intention. It was only because of being confined at home every day that she truly felt stifled, and so she went out to offer incense — thinking to pray for the Elder’s longevity and Father’s advancement. Who could have known that such a thing would happen? Your granddaughter had no idea…it was nothing but an unintentional mistake…” Molan looked up and saw the Elder watching her with a face of sardonic amusement, and could not continue.
Wang Shi in the inner chamber nearly fell over backward with rage. At this point, Molan was still trying to deceive people. The Elder outside also found it simultaneously absurd and exasperating, and spoke slowly: “Your Yiniang had been laying plans for Liang’s household since several months ago. She sent one of her former trusted servants to befriend the gatekeepers at the Liang household and find out when the Honorable Liang Han would be accompanying his mother to offer incense. Then you had your maidservant Yun Zai dress up as you and lie in your bed pretending to be ill; you put on servant’s clothes, slipped out, and had Xia Xian hitch the carriage for you, dressed properly once you were outside… One round of the plank and the servants told everything. If you and your mother are not afraid of bringing shame upon yourselves, I will have them all brought here to face you directly. Hm — you dared tell such lies right before my eyes. You truly are something. Lin Yiniang has spent her whole life twisting truth into falsehood — and you have learned that skill perfectly.”
Every drop of color drained from Molan’s face. Knowing the Elder had gotten to the bottom of everything, she prostrated herself on the ground, trembling like a sieve.
From the inner chamber, Wang Shi gave Sheng Hong a contemptuous glare. Sheng Hong felt deeply ashamed, and turned away. In the main hall, the Elder nodded for Nanny Fang to set the tray to one side, and then spoke again: “You have ruined your own name. It will be difficult to make a proper match with a respectable family now. Liang’s household has not accepted you either. Having done what you have done — have you thought about what comes next?”
At this, Molan gave a sudden start and said loudly: “No proposal has been made yet — how do we know Liang’s household does not want me?”
The Elder said coldly: “So that was the plan you mother and daughter were hatching. But have you considered — what if they simply have no interest in you? It has always been the man’s family who comes to propose to the woman’s family. Even when the reverse has occurred, it was always after both sides had communicated beforehand. If our family went to propose and were turned away, where would your father put his face?”
Molan wiped the tears from her face and argued: “If Madam Liang looked favorably upon Minglan, why would she look unfavorably upon me? How am I in any way inferior to Minglan? Besides, my Yiniang is far better than her mother ever was!” Her tone still carried a seething undercurrent of resentment.
The Elder gave a thin, sardonic smile: “Why they might not look favorably upon you — that I cannot say. I only know that since that day, the Yongchang Marquis household has not sent a single word. Your father put out some cautious feelers, and it was like throwing a stone into a bottomless lake.”
Molan’s chest heaved violently, her breathing coming in great gulps. Then, like a drowning person seizing a piece of driftwood, she shuffled forward on her knees and grabbed the hem of the Elder’s robe, crying out in desperate supplication: “I beg Grandmother to take pity on me! Minglan is your granddaughter — but so am I! You plan and scheme for her without end, and you cannot simply abandon me! I know I have brought shame on the family, that I have made Father furious. But I had no choice — they hate me and my Yiniang, they would gladly devour my Yiniang alive. How could they put their heart into arranging my marriage? My Yiniang and I only wanted to secure a good match — so that our lives in our later years would not be made a misery by others.”
As she spoke, Molan’s tears ran freely down both cheeks; her eyes had gone quite red. Still weeping, she cried: “I have been envious of Minglan — she is more well-liked in every way. Grandmother likes her, Father likes her, Elder Brother and Elder Sister-in-law like her. And now Madam Yongchang Marquis likes her too! I am not convinced, I simply refuse to be convinced! Why should she be able to marry better than me? Grandmother, things have come to this point — please grant me this one wish. Take pity on your granddaughter!”
By the end of it, Molan had collapsed on the ground, sobbing without stopping, her voice choked with grief.
“How do you want us to grant you this wish?” the Elder said slowly.
Molan raised her head at once, as if she had glimpsed a thread of hope: “I beg Father to go and petition the Yongchang Marquis. Father has a fine official reputation — the Marquis will not deny him face. Besides, Madam Liang had originally intended to form a match with our family — it is only a matter of which daughter, and are we not all daughters of Sheng? How am I in any way inferior to Minglan? I beg Father to go, and Grandmother to go as well. If I enter the Liang family, it will also be a benefit to Sheng. As long as Father and Grandmother are willing to put in the effort, this cannot fail. Give me a path to live!”
In the inner chamber, Wang Shi was laughing soundlessly in continuous bitter derision. Sheng Hong’s fists clenched with fury, his face having turned the color of plum sauce. He had spent his entire career in officialdom with the utmost caution — never unnecessarily making enemies, never asking favors without cause — and had achieved his current standing as a result. And now he was being asked to go and humiliate himself in public for the sake of a concubine-born daughter who knew nothing of propriety, to beg for a match that might not even succeed — and in a city as small as the capital, if word got out, where would his face be in the future?
The Elder looked at Molan’s tear-streaked face, then glanced at Lin Yiniang on the side. Something in her chest grew cold by degrees. She said sardonically: “What you mean is — if things come to nothing, then it is your father and I who did not try hard enough? That it is we who gave you no path to live?”
Molan was startled and lowered her head: “Father loves me — he ought to think of my welfare!”
The room fell completely silent. For a long while, there was not a sound — only the rustling of the branches of the osmanthus tree outside the courtyard. In the inner chamber, Sheng Hong’s face had gone dead white with fury. He was utterly cold toward Lin Shi and her daughter. Wang Shi saw the pain on her husband’s face, and her own heart softened somewhat.
After quite some time, the Elder said at last, in a slow, unhurried voice: “You have grown to this age, and how dearly your father has loved you — there is not a single person in this household who does not know it. You are a concubine-born daughter, yet your food and clothing have matched Fifth Young Lady’s in every respect, and even I have never dared slight you, for fear of causing your father grief. Compare yourself with the concubine-born daughters in Kang Maternal Aunt’s family, then search your own conscience before you speak. And today you have the audacity to say such unfilial and outrageous things! All your father’s efforts and devotion have been fed to the dogs. The greatest difference between you and Minglan is this: she is content with her lot and knows what she should and should not do. You say I scheme and plan for her — but I have done the same for you. Have you been willing to cooperate? You are always casting your eyes greedily at wealth and splendor, and that is precisely what I dislike. Ah…very well. Do not go and petition. I will go.”
At these words, everyone both inside the inner chamber and out in the main hall was struck speechless. At this point, Sheng Hong’s expression was utterly frozen. He felt that if a bowl of poison were sent to Molan, it would not be unjust. Wang Shi also leapt to her feet in shock.
Molan stared at the Elder in disbelief, the sullen resentment on her face instantly replaced by joy. Before she could even express her gratitude, the Elder continued in a self-possessed voice: “I will put this old face of mine to use and go to the Liang household to propose on your behalf and speak well of you. But as they say, man proposes and Heaven disposes — whether the Liang family agrees or not, your Grandmother cannot guarantee.”
Molan’s heart gave a lurch. The Elder fixed her eyes on Molan’s face and spoke with exceptional deliberateness: “If Madam Liang is willing to accept you as her daughter-in-law, you need not thank me — that is your own good fortune. But if Madam Liang refuses, no matter what is said…” Molan’s fingers trembled. The Elder continued: “…your father and brothers still have to serve as officials in the capital. A daughter of Sheng cannot go to Liang’s household as a concubine, and your elder sister’s husband is Liang Han’s superior — your elder sister cannot be made to lose face in this way. I will then send you back to Yuhang, and have your aunt find you a solid, respectable farming household to marry into.”
Molan was so frightened that cold sweat broke over her head; even the back of her robe was damp. She was still about to argue further, but the Elder pointed toward the tray that held the white silk and arsenic, and said matter-of-factly: “If you would prefer to keep resisting and making a scene, then choose something from that tray — or the shaving blade beside it. I will see to it that your funeral is conducted with proper ceremony, and I will come to pray for you in the convent regularly.”
Molan froze and dared not speak. Yet in her heart, Lin Yiniang was secretly glad. She knew the Elder’s temperament well — since she had promised to do her utmost, she would not go through the motions falsely. With the Elder herself going to make the case, Sheng Hong would certainly go to the Yongchang Marquis as well.
Having said all of this, the Elder did not spare Molan another glance. She turned instead toward the maidservant in the water-red robe standing beside Lin Yiniang, and gave the girl a gentle smile: “You are called Ju Fang, are you not?”
The girl had been terrified into trembling silence by the Elder’s formidable display the whole time, and had been crouching in a corner trying to disappear. Hearing her name, she immediately kowtowed.
The Elder’s expression was kind: “Truly a fine-looking girl. What a pity…”
Ju Fang heard the first sentence and the Elder’s expression, and felt a brief flash of pleasure — then the next sentence chilled her to the bone. She stared at the Elder, uncomprehending. She heard the Elder sigh: “This child — someone has done you harm and you do not even know it.”
Ju Fang was greatly startled and said in a trembling voice: “Who…who has harmed me?”
The Elder shook her head with a look of compassionate sorrow: “How many months along are you?” Ju Fang’s powdered face flushed a deep crimson; she answered shyly: “Four months.”
“Then it was conceived during the National Mourning period,” the Elder said in a flat, cold voice. The words struck Ju Fang like a plunge into an ice pit. Her mind was thrown into chaos; great panic came over her, and after a moment she began to wail repeatedly: “I did not know! I did not know! It was Yiniang who told me to serve the Master!”
“Your mistress had deep intentions.” The Elder’s eyes flicked toward Lin Yiniang. “A pregnancy during the National Mourning period — how could the Master afford to have such a thing held against him? When he loses his temper, you will be finished.”
In the inner chamber, Wang Shi glared venomously at Sheng Hong. This matter had been concealed from her entirely. To have another vixen appear out of nowhere like this — how could she not be furious? Sheng Hong turned his face away from Wang Shi’s gaze, while in his heart he cursed Lin Shi’s viciousness without end.
Ju Fang was frightened out of every last trace of color. She wept aloud: “Elder, save me!” She cursed Lin Yiniang in her heart for being so wicked. If Lin Yiniang had truly meant to secure a good future for her, she would have waited until the National Mourning period was past before making arrangements — instead of harming her like this.
Sheng Lao beckoned to her. Ju Fang ran forward and knelt at the Elder’s feet. She heard the Elder say slowly: “Let us do this: Nanny Fang will prepare a gentle and mild medicine to bring on a miscarriage. You will first remove this vulnerability from yourself and rest and recover properly. And then I will give the formal order: you are to be properly elevated to the status of Yiniang. What do you say?”
Though Ju Fang could not bear to part with the child in her womb, she thought of Wang Shi’s violent temper, then looked at Lin Yiniang’s fate, and steeled herself and agreed. In her heart, she buried a deep and bitter hatred of Lin Yiniang.
Seeing this scene, Lin Yiniang was truly frightened for the first time. She began shaking uncontrollably. She had still been counting on Sheng Hong’s old affections — thinking that after a year or so had passed, with the children making constant pleas on her behalf, Sheng Hong would bring her back. But if he allowed this young, beautiful, charming woman who harbored deep resentment toward her to remain at his side, whispering in his ear day after day — she feared that by the time Sheng Hong thought of her, it would be with nothing but hatred.
Lin Yiniang’s heart flooded with dread. She turned her desperate, imploring gaze toward her daughter. Molan saw it, and was about to open her mouth to plead for her birth mother’s sake — but the Elder had already risen to her feet. Supported by Cuiping, she walked toward the inner chamber. Halfway there, she suddenly turned back, and said to Molan: “In a few days, I will go to the Liang household. If things go well…”
Molan’s heart lurched. She pressed her lips together and listened to what the Elder had to say. She heard the Elder’s voice carrying a note of weariness: “The Yongchang Marquis household is more powerful than the Sheng family, and you are entering in this manner besides — after that, you will have to rely entirely on yourself. Winning your husband’s affection, winning the favor of your parents-in-law — if you are hoping to rely on your maternal family, that will be difficult.”
Hearing these words, Molan felt a sudden surge of resolution in her chest. She set aside Lin Yiniang’s situation for the moment, and made a silent and firm vow to herself: she would take hold of everything — inside the household and out. And then she would let her family see how she would carry herself with authority.