Lady Ji gazed with tear-filled eyes at the departing figure, then turned to see her younger son glaring coldly, as if wishing he could skewer that heaven-sent daughter-in-law and grandson of hers.
Her gentle expression vanished instantly, replaced by sternness. “Second Son, what kind of look is that? If you dare frighten your sister-in-law or my grandson, I will not let you off lightly!”
Ji Yan sighed helplessly, supporting his mother as he carefully chose his words. “That woman is quite suspicious; we must not trust her lightly. Elder Brother has always been cautious and dislikes having women near him…”
Lady Ji shot him an angry glare. “Let’s not talk about trust for now. Which woman would ruin her own reputation and impersonate a widow? Even if she is a fraud, the fact that she, as your brother’s wife, can kowtow to him and keep vigil for his spirit is enough to comfort this mother’s heart. I have worn myself out worrying for you two brothers.”
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She jabbed a finger hard against Ji Yan’s forehead. “Your elder brother dislikes having women near him, and you keep women at a distance. Both of you are well past twenty, and I still haven’t held a grandchild in my arms! Now it’s come to this—a white-haired person sending off a black-haired one, with no grandchildren to bring joy to my old age. Are you happy about this? Do you want me to follow your brother to the grave?”
As she spoke, her body swayed unsteadily, startling Ji Yan into quickly helping her sit down. “Mother, you are right to scold me.”
Lady Ji sobbed pitifully. “My son, having no descendants is the greatest unfilial act! You unfilial child!”
For a moment, Ji Yan didn’t know how to explain the situation clearly. His mother had a heart condition and must not be agitated. Back when their father died in battle, she had nearly succumbed to a heart attack and followed him to the grave.
But this matter had to be exposed; they couldn’t let a female swindler succeed.
Ji Yan softened his voice to persuade her. “Mother, you know Elder Brother’s character well. He was the most rule-abiding person and would never secretly pledge himself to someone without your permission. Moreover, Elder Brother was chaste and disciplined. It has only been half a year—how could he have done something so outrageous?”
Lady Ji glared at him. “What do you know? When it comes to love between men and women, meeting the right person leads to deep affection, and things fall into place naturally. It seems your elder brother was more enlightened than you.”
Ji Yan: “…”
Sigh!
Neither of the brothers was enlightened in that regard.
Lady Ji clutched her chest, weeping and panting. “Yuan’er fell into the rapids below the cliff and disappeared without a trace. You hadn’t returned either. I was so worried and frightened, my heart nearly shattered. After struggling through half a year, we finally found him, but he was already gone…”
Ji Yan’s heart ached, and he quickly tried to console her. “Mother, from now on, your son will be here to accompany you.”
Lady Ji snapped angrily, “What do I need you for? I want grandchildren around my knees!” It wasn’t that she didn’t love her younger son, but with her eldest son just passed away, her heart was overwhelmed with grief.
Ji Yan felt deflated.
Sigh…
If he had known earlier, he would have let “Elder Brother” live and died himself instead.
Lady Ji shot him a sidelong glance. “Now it’s fine. Your elder brother has left behind descendants, and I can go see your father. Otherwise, you two rascals refused to marry, making me too afraid to die for fear of being scolded one after another by the ancestors of the Ji Family.”
This was too severe.
Ji Yan braced himself and said, “Mother, what if she really is a fraud, or… what if she isn’t pregnant? You wouldn’t want Elder Brother to be deceived even after his death, would you?”
Lady Ji paused, tilting her head in thought. “That girl looks quite proper and cried with such genuine emotion. She doesn’t seem like a fraud.”
Ji Yan sneered inwardly.
Mother was too naive.
Being good at deception was the mark of a true fraud!
Ji Yan was about to say more when Lady Ji cut him off. “At most, we can have the House Physician check your Eldest Sister-in-law’s pulse. If she really isn’t pregnant… we’ll discuss it then.”
She thought that at worst, she could adopt a child from the clan to carry on the family name.
In any case, with her eldest son having a wife and child, it would bring her timely comfort and provide an explanation to the ancestors of the Ji Family.
Ji Yan was overjoyed.
Once Mother allowed the pulse diagnosis, the female impostor’s true nature would be exposed.
Ji Yan stood up: “I will personally bring the House Physician to properly diagnose ‘Eldest Sister-in-law.'”
He uttered the words “Eldest Sister-in-law” through gritted teeth.
Lady Ji noticed his tone and glared at him in warning: “Behave yourself. Don’t frighten your sister-in-law.”
Ji Yan smiled gently: “Yes, Mother.”
Watching her usually calm and composed younger son rush off in such a hurry, Lady Ji felt something was amiss.
“No, I must go and keep an eye on things myself. Yan’er is too naive.”
The maidservant quickly supported Lady Ji and followed after him.
Su Tanghuan was uneasy, surrounded by several maidservants who attended to her as she bathed. After putting on a clean, plain white ruqun, she was seated before the dressing mirror to have her hair styled.
The maidservants kept stealing glances at this suddenly appearing eldest young mistress.
The eldest young mistress had fair skin and a beauty that was almost dazzling.
Her delicate and dignified face retained the youthful fullness in her cheeks. Against her fine, clear skin, her features were outlined in rich, vibrant colors.
When her small mouth opened, the soft, distinctive accent of Jiangnan was enough to make one’s heart flutter.
With such looks, even among the crowds of Chang’an, she would stand out and be noticed at a glance.
What kind of person Ji Shizi was, the servants all knew.
He was a wooden General who only knew how to lead troops into battle. For him to be so moved by passion that he disregarded propriety, shared her bed, and even got her pregnant—only such beauty could achieve that.
A maidservant thoughtfully asked: “Eldest young mistress, what hairstyle would you like?”
When Su Tanghuan entered the residence, she wore the hairstyle of an unmarried maiden.
The maidservant was unsure whether to change it to a married woman’s hairstyle, as there had been no formal wedding ceremony.
Without hesitation, Su Tanghuan replied: “A falling horse bun.”
She was to become Ji Yuan’s widow, so naturally, she should wear a married woman’s hairstyle.
As for whether her status was that of a maiden or a married woman, it was irrelevant when it came to saving her life.
After the maidservant finished styling her hair and wrapped the bun with hemp, she spoke respectfully.
“Eldest young mistress, my name is Yuzhi, and I serve Lady Ji. The mourning attire is made of raw hemp, which can chafe the skin and cause pain, so it cannot be worn directly. This plain dress is newly made by me and has never been worn. Please don’t mind it and wear it for now.”
Su Tanghuan could tell she was a senior maidservant of some standing.
Hoping to get closer and gather information, she took Yuzhi’s hand.
Softly, she said: “Thank you, Sister Yuzhi. How could I mind? I come from a humble background and never dared to aspire to the Grand Tutor’s residence. It’s just that the child in my womb is the Shizi’s, and I cannot let his bloodline wander outside…”
As she spoke, she choked up and could no longer continue.
Remembering the Shizi, who had died young, Yuzhi’s eyes also reddened.
“The Shizi was not someone who looked down on others. He was always very polite to us servants. Please don’t belittle yourself. Besides, the child in your womb is the first young master of the Grand Tutor’s residence. Didn’t you see how much Lady Ji cares for you? Please rest assured.”
Su Tanghuan sighed inwardly.
The servants of the Ji Residence were surprisingly kind.
With tears in her eyes, Su Tanghuan said: “Dear sister, I’m new here and don’t know much about Mother and Second Young Master’s temperaments. Could you tell me about them? I want to fulfill my filial duties to Mother on behalf of the Shizi and be a good sister-in-law, taking care of our second brother.”
Yuzhi replied with panic and deference, “This servant dares not accept being called ‘sister’ by you. If you have any questions, please ask.”
Su Tanghuan readily complied, “Then I shall call you Yuzhi.”
Only then did Yuzhi relax her expression and instruct a young maid to bring warm soup.
While serving Su Tanghuan the soup, she answered Su Tanghuan’s questions with great caution.
Su Tanghuan noticed that Yuzhi did not reveal everything, showing herself to be a prudent person.
Nevertheless, from the limited information provided, Su Tanghuan managed to glean useful details.
It turned out that Ji Yuan and Ji Yan were twin brothers.
No wonder the portrait resembled Grand Tutor Ji so closely.
However, the temperaments of these two brothers were entirely different.
The Eldest Young Master excelled in martial arts, was straightforward, amiable, and unpretentious, taking after General Ji.
The Second Young Master excelled in literary pursuits, was meticulous, cold and gloomy in demeanor, cautious, and skeptical of everything.
Lady Ji was already an older mother when she gave birth to the twins, and due to a difficult labor, she nearly lost her life. Later, she developed Palpitation Syndrome and her health deteriorated, leaving her unable to bear more children.
Su Tanghuan understood why Lady Ji placed such importance on her daughter-in-law and the Shizi’s posthumous child.
It seemed Ji Yan was deeply concerned about Lady Ji’s Palpitation Syndrome. Perhaps he had no choice but to keep her here for the time being because of it.
She recalled the portrait of the spirited and heroic figure.
With a handsome face and a smile as warm as the sun, he was truly an extraordinary young General.
She sighed inwardly.
Then she would take good care of the mother on behalf of the fine young man who fought on the battlefield.