Lady Ji was frightened to see Su Tanghuan crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.
She quickly patted her back gently and coaxed in a soft voice, “There, there, what’s past is past. Fortunately, you were brave enough to come here. From now on, the Ji Family will be your support, and I will be your own mother!”
Overwhelmed by sorrow, Su Tanghuan wrapped her arms around Lady Ji in return, nestling in her embrace as she sobbed.
She never expected that her bold act of barging in and pretending to be a pregnant widow would earn her such motherly affection.
Worried that Lady Ji might suffer a sudden heart palpitation from crying too much, she quickly stifled her tears.
“Please don’t worry, Mother. I can accept it. From now on, I have Eldest Young Master’s child and your love. Life will only get better.”
Only then did Lady Ji feel reassured. “Be a good girl and drink a bowl of Calming Decoction, then get a good night’s sleep. You’ll still have a tough time ahead during Eldest Young Master’s first seven days of mourning.”
“Alright. Mother, you mustn’t grieve too much either. From now on, your daughter-in-law will be here to keep you company.”
Lady Ji felt deeply comforted. “Good, good. For your sake and my grandchild’s, I will take good care of myself.”
Su Tanghuan obediently drank the Calming Decoction. Finally, she could sleep soundly.
As for whether her aunt would listen to her and seize the opportunity to help cover her lie, she wasn’t entirely confident.
But she could only leave it to fate and take things one step at a time.
As Yulan helped Lady Ji out of Hemingxuan, she couldn’t help but sigh.
“The eldest young mistress is truly pitiful. Her parents just passed away, and her own aunt tried to push her into a living hell.”
Lady Ji nodded. “Yes, this poor girl has suffered too much, facing one misfortune after another.”
Yulan’s eyes reddened. “The eldest young mistress is also incredibly strong-willed, enduring all this while carrying a child.”
Lady Ji agreed wholeheartedly. “She’s a good child. We must show her the love her late parents would have given her. Go to the kitchen yourself and give instructions. She mustn’t eat only vegetarian food with us. Have some nutritious stews prepared to nourish her. Tell Yuzhi to keep an eye on things. Huan’er is overwhelmed with grief and might not sleep well tonight.”
“Yes.”
Su Tanghuan lay on the spacious carved wooden bed, gazing at the canopy overhead as if in a dream.
She never imagined she would actually be sleeping in Ji Shizi’s bed.
Seeing her eyes open, Yuzhi thought she was too grief-stricken to sleep.
She coaxed gently, “Hemingxuan is rarely occupied, so it lacks a bit of liveliness. But with me here to keep you company, you can rest easy.”
Su Tanghuan asked curiously, “Have the two brothers always been together?”
Yuzhi tucked her in properly. “Since their teens, the two young masters have been stationed at the border with the Marquis. They only return a few times a year during festivals to visit Lady Ji. But the Marquis cares deeply for Lady Ji—he writes her a letter every day.”
Su Tanghuan felt a pang of sympathy for Lady Ji.
“Mother must be very lonely.”
“Exactly. Due to her poor health, Lady Ji couldn’t follow them to the border. She has always hoped for the two young masters to marry and have children, but both said they were too busy with military affairs to consider marriage.”
Seizing the opportunity, Su Tanghuan inquired, “Have they ever been engaged?”
“Don’t even mention it. Our Shizi is a military man. As he puts it, his job is one where he carries his head on his belt. With the war unsettled, getting engaged would only delay a young lady’s future, so he has always refused to consider marriage.”
Yuzhi had grown to trust this eldest young mistress and spoke without holding back.
Su Tanghuan praised, “Our Shizi is quite a good person.”
“Isn’t he just? But then he met you, didn’t he? And now there’s a little young master on the way. Our Eldest Young Master finally has an heir.”
Yuzhi kept talking, not noticing the flicker of guilt in Su Tanghuan’s eyes.
“It’s still unknown whether it’s a boy.”
“Whether it’s a boy or a girl, the mistress will be happy. Our mistress dreams of having a daughter, but unfortunately…”
Yuzhi didn’t continue that line of thought, shifting the topic back to Ji Yan.
“When the mistress pestered Second Young Master relentlessly, there was once a match discussed. Second Young Master didn’t object, but who knew the girl fell ill and passed away on the very day the betrothal gifts were to be delivered? Because of this, there have been unpleasant rumors circulating. The mistress, afraid he’d be hurt, hasn’t dared bring up marriage proposals again in recent years.”
Su Tanghuan felt she had discovered Ji Yan’s sore spot and asked curiously, “Huh? What unpleasant rumors?”
“Just gossipy women saying our Second Young Master is a wife-killer. Isn’t that infuriating?”
Yuzhi sounded somewhat indignant: “She died of illness herself, yet they blame our Second Young Master. Our Second Young Master is so handsome and distinguished—how could he possibly lack good women willing to marry him?”
So, a wife-killer?
Su Tanghuan pondered thoughtfully.
Maybe…
Having the Grand Tutor shoulder the succession of two branches to leave an heir for the Ji Family wouldn’t be a bad idea. It’s certainly better than being sent by Aunt to one man after another.
It’s just that Grand Tutor Ji looks like someone not easy to hook.
Su Tanghuan thought of those eyes that seemed like they wanted to poke hundreds of holes in her and shuddered violently.
She quickly shook her head.
Better forget it.
First, get through the current crisis; think of a plan later.
…
Zheng Su-shi listened to Steward Zheng’s report and took a long moment to react.
She still couldn’t believe it: “You’re saying Su Tanghuan personally claimed she lived with Ji Dalang at the Zheng Family’s villa for half a year? And that she’s carrying his posthumous child?”
Steward Zheng nodded, still not recovered from the shock.
“Cousin Miss is too bold. How dare she spin such an enormous lie? That’s the newly appointed Grand Tutor Ji, the trusted aide of the recently enfeoffed Crown Prince! If Grand Tutor Ji finds out, it will implicate our Zheng Fu.”
Zheng Su-shi didn’t pay attention to the steward’s rambling. Frowning in thought for a while, she made a decision.
“Go call Second Master back from the mourning hall. Tell him I have urgent business.”
The steward assented and prepared to leave when he heard Zheng Su-shi say viciously, “Tell those who followed to the Zheng Family to keep their mouths shut. If anyone dares leak even a hint of this, I’ll have their tongue ripped out!”
Steward Zheng shrank his neck in fear: “Second Madam, rest assured, not a single word will be revealed.”
Although Second Madam wasn’t the managing madam of Zheng Fu, her ruthlessness was feared throughout the entire household.
Once, her chief maid leaked Second Young Master’s illness to a potential marriage match, causing the other party to reject the proposal. Second Madam directly had the maid’s tongue ripped out and sold her to the lowest brothel.
Zheng Er Ye, with his large belly, strode in with big steps, looking impatient: “There are many guests outside paying condolences. What urgent matter can’t wait?”
Zheng Su-shi yanked him inside and closed the door behind him: “Su Tanghuan went to Ji Residence and said she’s pregnant with Ji Shizi’s posthumous child. Now, the Ji Family has acknowledged her as the eldest young mistress.”
Zheng Er Ye jolted, his eyes widening like copper bells, his voice suddenly rising.
“What? How is that possible? With her background, she could become the eldest young mistress of the Ji Family?”
Zheng Su-shi pinched his arm: “Keep your voice down.”
“Ouch!”
The pain made Zheng Er Ye grimace, and he obediently lowered his voice: “What exactly happened? It can’t be true, can it?”
Zheng Su-shi tilted her head thoughtfully: “I also think it’s impossible. If a strange man moved into our villa and she got pregnant, the servants couldn’t possibly have been unaware.”
Zheng Er Ye rubbed his sore arm: “Exactly. How dare that little girl tell such a lie? Isn’t she afraid of being exposed and losing her reputation?”
Zheng Su-shi snorted: “Don’t let her young age fool you—she’s full of cunning tricks. She probably doesn’t want to be a sacrificial bride, so she shamelessly lied and pretended to be someone else’s widow.”
Zheng Er Ye shook his head speechlessly, lifted his robe to sit down, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip.
“But that’s taking audacity too far. How could she fabricate a lie about being pregnant? Does she never want to marry in her life?”
Seeing Su-shi’s troubled expression: “You don’t need to be so tense. Just have someone bring her back. Do you think the Ji Residence would dare not release her?”
Zheng Su-shi snorted again and sat down beside him: “The Ji Residence really isn’t letting her go.”
Zheng Er Ye was shocked once more: “Does the Ji Residence actually believe her?”
Zheng Su-shi sneered: “The head steward said that wretched girl is even putting on airs as the eldest young mistress of the Ji family.”
She couldn’t understand how Su Tanghuan, that wretched girl, managed to deceive Ji Yan and Lady Ji.
She needed to find a way to confront her.