Perhaps Qing Luan had played the part of the virtuous woman too convincingly. After murmuring a few words about the overly pampered Qi Yuchen during their intimate moments the previous night, Qi Zheng actually had the child brought to Feiyunxuan the very next day.
The child was still young. A good night’s sleep had washed away all memory of yesterday’s threats. Now, standing before his father, the little dumpling was exceptionally well-behaved.
Qing Luan had no intention of holding a grudge against a child. Seeing him so pink, tender, and chubby, like a plump little cat, she felt amused. She swayed her embroidered pouch, coaxing him to come to her.
“Yuchen, come to your auntie.”
Qing Luan’s heart faltered slightly. Although Qi Zheng had not explicitly declared her a concubine, she was, after all, his woman. Having his son call her ‘auntie’… surely that couldn’t be considered improper, could it?
Seeing her crouch down, a colorful, pretty object swaying in her hand, the little dumpling’s eyes sparkled.
He hesitated, turning his little face to glance at his father’s expression. The sight of that tall, imposing figure and cold demeanor made the soft flesh of his cheeks tremble with fright. Without a second thought, he threw himself into Qing Luan’s arms.
Children naturally gravitate towards gentle, kind people. With Qi Zheng, the “strict father,” present, Qing Luan got her wish to play the part of the doting mother.
Warm sunlight filtered through the apricot tree branches. Qing Luan paced the courtyard holding Qi Yuchen, her fingers playfully tweaking his little pink nose, making the dumpling giggle before he shyly buried his face in her chest.
Qi Zheng watched the heartwarming scene, a faint smile touching his lips.
Qing Luan looked at him, her smile radiant. “The Second Young Master’s eyes and brows are the very image of the General’s. When he grows up, he will surely be a heroic and handsome man, just like the General.”
Qi Zheng chuckled lightly. “Yuchen is still young, his memory fleeting. I only brought him for you to play with for a while. In a few more years, no matter how handsome he may be, studying and martial arts will be his proper pursuits. There will be no time for idle play like this.”
“The General hopes his sons will become dragons,” Qing Luan said. “This humble concubine will pray to the gods and Buddhas to grant the General his wish, that both the Eldest and Second Young Masters master both civil and martial arts. May they achieve fame and glory in the future, continuing the Qi family’s prosperity for a hundred years.”
Qing Luan was skilled at flattery. It was her melodious tone and soft, beautiful voice that made her words not sound like mere pleasantries, but rather like sweet vows of a hundred years of companionship, warming the heart.
Once a free songbird, vivid and spirited, now she remained only by his side.
Qi Zheng always found the satisfaction he sought in her. He stepped forward and gathered both her and his little son into his embrace.
His voice was steady. “I know you intentionally avoid the Second Madam. But when I am not in the residence, someone must manage the household affairs. I originally thought to let you try your hand, but then I remembered you are still young. Why trouble you to match wits with those old servants? It would only add worries and spoil your mood.”
As he spoke, he pulled a deed from his robe and pressed it into her hand. “If living in the residence brings you discomfort, you might stay outside for a while. Wait for my return, and I will bring you into the residence with all due ceremony and honor.”
Qing Luan glanced at it briefly—it was a property deed. She vaguely grasped the implied meaning behind his words “with all due ceremony and honor,” and joy blossomed in her heart.
Accepting the deed, she nestled against his chest.
Her voice choked with emotion. “The General considers this humble concubine in all matters. I have no way to repay you, except to pray day and night for the General’s safe return.”
Qi Zheng held her tighter. He desired nothing more.
The young Qi Yuchen was held between the two of them. At first, he was startled, but soon relaxed in this unfamiliar yet warm embrace. He sniffed the scent—different from his aunt’s, sweet and comforting—and nestled his little head inward, pressing against his father’s back, burying himself completely in Qing Luan’s soft bosom.
Outside the courtyard gate, a boy peered through the half-open crack in the door, watching the scene with a lonely heart.
He had just returned from his maternal grandparents’ home.
That morning, his aunt had taken him to pay respects to his maternal grandparents. The Liu family had many relatives, and Qi Zhaoye, with his proper manners, handsome and upright appearance, and excellent academic performance, was surrounded and praised by the Liu family relatives for a long time.
They all called him a child prodigy, the treasure of Qifu, destined to earn scholarly honors sooner or later, someone everyone would look up to.
Amidst the crowd, he was filled with pride, thinking that although his father treated him coldly, he valued his studies. When he returned home, he would recite an essay for his father. Once his father realized his intelligence, he would surely like him just as his uncles and aunts did.
Joyfully returning to the mansion, he heard from a servant that his father had gone to Feiyunxuan again. Without hesitation, he headed straight there, still hoping to win his father’s favor in front of Qing Luan and make her feel ashamed.
But now, standing before the courtyard gate, he couldn’t move his feet.
So this was what the mansion was like when he wasn’t around: his father would lovingly hold that woman and his younger brother, sheltering them under his wing.
Qi Zhaoye’s heart felt emptier and emptier.
His gaze, filled with unwillingness and longing, shifted stealthily from his father’s stern face to Qing Luan’s lightly powdered one. Catching the indescribable tenderness in her eyes, he felt inexplicably uneasy. When his eyes fell on his younger brother, a sudden, nameless jealousy flared up.
Just yesterday, he had said he disliked her, but today he had already switched sides. His foolish little brother, who couldn’t even understand his books properly, was truly unreliable.
The boy bit his lower lip and retreated from the doorway.
What was so good about that woman? He wouldn’t be bewitched like his father and brother.
Walking against the gentle breeze, the dampness at the corners of his eyes dried, but the image of what he had just witnessed remained etched in his mind—though he deliberately blurred many details, leaving only the picture of Qing Luan smiling as she held his younger brother.
He didn’t care.
His mother had, after all, raised him for four years. She must have held him like that too, but he had grown up and forgotten.
Unlike his pitiful younger brother, who had lost his mother to childbirth complications the moment he was born and had never experienced a mother’s love, he had been easily charmed by a woman of unknown origins.
Qi Zhaoye clenched his teeth, his nose tingling with suppressed emotion.
Three days later, Qi Zheng left the capital. Everyone from the Qi Jia and Liu family went outside the city to see him off, leaving Qing Luan alone in Feiyunxuan. Lying on the couch, she stared at the ceiling, her mind restless.
The one who had backed her up was gone, and she was alone again.
No matter how thick the stack of silver notes pressed against her chest, it couldn’t soothe her unease. Her temples throbbed.
She had been sold at the age of three, originally serving as a maid in a wealthy household. Later, when her master’s family fell into decline, she ended up in a brothel. Fortunately, her looks were decent, and before she could be fully trained, she was bought by a wealthy merchant. For four years, she was taught music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, raised as a Shouma to be presented to a nobleman.
She was lucky to have been presented to Qi Zheng, a widower who had been alone for four years. He was upright in character, held a high official position, was generous to her, and gentle in bed, never mistreating her.
Thinking of this, she pulled the corner of the quilt into her arms. The soft, flowing silk of her gown moved with her curled-up posture, wrapping around her delicate skin as her chest rose and fell gently.
She was unwilling to give her true heart, but he had left, and they would not meet again for at least half a year.
When someone is not around, it becomes easy to remember their good qualities.
Here, she had no family or friends. Reflecting on the turbulent sixteen years of her past, the only things worth recalling were the joy of receiving gold, silver, and treasures, and the lingering warmth from her feigned affection for Qi Zheng.
The wind blew in through the cracks in the window, and Qing Luan felt a chill.
After lying down for a while, the door was knocked from outside, and Yinping’s voice sounded, “Madam, the carriage is ready. Would you like to leave now?”
Qing Luan slowly sat up. On the floor in front of the bed were two camphorwood chests—her belongings.
She stepped down from the bed, tidied the stray strands of hair at her temples in front of the mirror, and opened the door to let Yinping bring people in to move the chests.
Now, the young masters, stewards, Liu Xirou, and even the older servants of the mansion were outside bidding farewell and had not yet returned home. It was the perfect opportunity for her to move out.
Arranging the carriage and dispatching servants did not require going through Liu Xirou. She could leave as soon as she wished.
Sitting in the carriage, Yinping still did not understand. “The general has just left, and you are already moving out of the mansion. Isn’t it too hasty? Although Aunt Liu manages the household, no one said you couldn’t stay in the mansion. The outside residence is not as secure as the mansion.”
Qing Luan lifted the curtain and took one last look at the gate of Qifu, shaking her head. “Without status or position, living under someone else’s roof, and without the head of the household to support me, they have plenty of ways to target me.”
Lowering the curtain, her expression grew calmer.
She sighed self-mockingly, “If I also had a maternal family to rely on, with relatives to help strategize, I wouldn’t be afraid to argue with her… Unfortunately, people like us are born as drifting duckweed, not knowing where we will float before taking root…”
Yinping understood and asked no more.
The carriage wheels rolled forward, the sounds of horses and carriages on the road and the lively shouts of vendors filling their ears.
Having spent over half a month in Qifu since arriving in the capital, this was Qing Luan’s first leisurely opportunity to truly appreciate the capital’s prosperity. Everything looked fresh and new to her.
Before long, the carriage arrived at the new residence—the house Qi Zheng had arranged for her.
Entering through the main gate, it was a two-courtyard house. Though not particularly large, in the capital where land was worth its weight in gold, this residence was adjacent to the bustling Yujie and next to Dongshi. Such a property was worth no less than three thousand taels.
The silver notes Qing Luan had saved amounted to less than a thousand taels in total, so to her, this house was more precious than gold.
The house was already furnished with large items, as Qi Zheng had fully equipped it when he purchased it and had it cleaned. Qing Luan only asked the accompanying Qifu coachman to help unload the camphorwood chests before settling in.
After giving tips and sending off the two coachmen, the two women leisurely began arranging their clothes and bedding, discussing grocery shopping.
At the gate of Qifu, carriages stopped one after another. Several women stepped down, smiling at each other, and gathered around Qi Zhaoye and Qi Yuchen, who was held in Liu Xirou’s arms, as they entered the mansion together.
After bidding farewell to Qi Zheng, Liu Xirou said that relatives from both families rarely gathered together and invited the Qi family’s aunts, grandaunts, and several of the Liu family’s aunts for tea.
The men were busy with their affairs, while the women, confined to the inner quarters, were familiar with socializing among relatives and naturally did not refuse.
Moreover, Qi Zheng held a fourth-rank official position, the highest among the men of both families, and his mansion was the most spacious and impressive. Even if Liu Xirou had not extended the invitation, they would have hoped to visit the general’s mansion more often to witness its grandeur.
“The mistress passed away early, how can the two young masters and this vast estate be left without care? When Zheng’er returns from the campaign, we must urge him to take a proper wife soon.”
“Indeed, without Second Lady looking after the household, how could Zheng’er have achieved such a fine career?”
“Zheng’er is only twenty-eight after all, and being in the military, his temperament is hard to settle. Given time, he will surely see that the right person has been by his side all along.”
The aunts of the Qi family lavished praise on Liu Xirou, openly and subtly approving of her as the next mistress of the estate.
Liu Xirou smiled demurely, holding Qi Yuchen in her arms, too shy to speak.
She was, after all, an unmarried maiden—how could she openly discuss marriage matters herself? The aunts from the Liu family walking on the other side timely picked up the conversation, responding to the relatives opposite.
“As for fate, waiting a little longer is no trouble. The general has already entrusted the household management to Second Lady, so his intentions are clear.”
“Exactly, Second Lady now lives in the estate and has raised Zhao’er and Yu’er so well. How could the general not recognize her virtues? The ladies need only wait patiently for good news.”
The women from both families chatted and laughed, as if the matter were already settled.
Qi Zhaoye walked in the middle, understanding that their words hinted at having his aunt become his father’s second wife—his stepmother.
At first, he felt indifferent, but upon second thought, his aunt was gentle and kind, and treated him and his brother so well. If she truly married his father, she would surely make his father pay more attention to them.
Thinking this, he felt the matter was quite good, and even began to regard the relatives supporting it on both sides with greater warmth.
He did not notice that the women were also secretly observing his reaction. Seeing that he listened from start to finish without any sign of resistance, they felt the matter was already half settled.
The other half would have to wait until Qi Zheng returned.
When it was time for Shangshu Academy, Qi Zhaoye bid farewell to the elders and left with his servant. Qi Yuchen, who had woken early that day, was now sleepy and was taken by a maid for a nap.
Liu Xirou invited the aunts and relatives to Jingyiju for hospitality, instructing servants to brew tea and prepare a family banquet, carrying herself with the demeanor of the mistress of the house.
Just as the atmosphere was lively, she seemed to suddenly remember something and exclaimed, “Look at my memory, I nearly forgot something important.”
The women turned their gazes toward her.
Liu Xirou maintained a ladylike posture, but her expression was somewhat helpless as she said calmly, “Last month, when the general returned from the southwest, he brought back a woman. He didn’t specify her status, just settled her in Feiyunxuan within the estate.”
Hearing this, everyone was shocked.
Qi Zheng was not one to indulge in romantic affairs. After his wife passed away, both the Qi and Liu families had been concerned about his personal life, but in the five years since, no one had managed to place anyone in his quarters. Even Liu Xirou had only moved in under the pretext of caring for the two children and had yet to get close to him.
“Did Zheng’er bring her back himself?” asked the eldest aunt of the Qi family, both surprised and doubtful.
Liu Xirou replied softly, “I heard she was gifted to the general by an official from the southwest to keep him company. She’s sixteen this year, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her appearance is said to be exquisite. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to meet her.”
Upon hearing this, the women present understood—she was a Shouma presented by a local official, nothing to worry about.
The eldest aunt grew assertive. “Since she is Zheng’er’s person, and there is no mistress in the estate, I, as his aunt, will teach her a few words on his behalf. Second Lady, send someone to fetch her.”
Liu Xirou hesitated for a moment before complying, “Very well. After all, she is the general’s woman. It is only right that the family members meet her.”
She then sent a maid to summon her.
The women in the hall suppressed their smiles and prepared themselves, ready to meet this mistress who held neither proper status nor legitimacy.
After waiting for a while, the maid returned alone.
“Reporting to Aunt and all the ladies, Qingniang is nowhere to be found. Feiyunxuan is already empty.”