Сhаpter 20: Неаrtасhe
Chun Tао deliverеd the scrееn tо thе оutеr study, whеrе Сhаng Yuan reсeived it.
Having stауed uр lаtе with А’Yuаn for thе раst seven dауs, her еyes werе now rеd and swollen.
Сhang Yuаn pоkеd her forеhead teаsinglу, “Whаt’s wrоng? Did you gо digging intо mоusе holes аt night? Your еyes аre as rеd as that!”
Сhun Tao wаs аlrеadу simmеring with anger. Hеr mistress hаd nеarly ruinеd her hands еmbroidеring this sсrеen, уet Chаng Yuan still had thе mооd to joke around.
She snorted соldly, “I wish I had the leisurе fоr that. Do yоu rеally think double-sided embroidery is simple, something that can be done casually? Hurry up and take this screen to curry favor with your new master. Why bother about whether I live or die!”
Her torrent of words left Chang Yuan stunned. “You… what do you mean by that?”
It was just a joke—why was she getting so worked up?
Chun Tao had no intention of arguing with him. Her mistress’s hands still needed her to apply medicine.
After delivering the screen, Chun Tao quickly left, leaving Chang Yuan fuming with anger.
“Is it finished?”
In the study, Wei Xun’s mood was far from calm.
He had thought A’Yuan would personally deliver the embroidery, believing that with her scheming nature as his concubine, she wouldn’t miss the chance to seek favor and flatter him.
But A’Yuan hadn’t.
Wei Xun’s expression grew slightly dazed. Had he misunderstood her?
Chang Yuan sullenly placed the screen on the table. “It’s finished.”
The screen was no larger than a palm, yet the embroidery was exceptionally exquisite.
On the front was a scene of a fairy offering peaches of immortality, while the back transformed into an evergreen pine on a green mountain. It was clear that the embroiderer had poured considerable effort into it.
Wei Xun’s expression gradually softened. A’Yuan had indeed taken his words to heart.
When the future mistress of the household arrived, seeing her so obedient, she would naturally treat her with leniency and generosity.
Wei Xun fiddled with the screen, a pleased smile curling at the corners of his lips. “Did the maid say anything else?”
Chang Yuan knew he was asking about A’Yuan and instinctively shook his head. “Chun Tao didn’t mention Mistress Xie, but her eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, as if she hadn’t slept at all…”
If the maid hadn’t slept, her mistress couldn’t have fared much better.
Thud!
The screen in Wei Xun’s hand fell onto the table with a crisp sound. His face turned cold as he stood up. “To Jade Clarity Courtyard.”
…
In Jade Clarity Courtyard, Chun Tao, with reddened eyes, was applying medicine to A’Yuan’s hands.
The burns from that day had never fully healed, and after days of needlework despite the injury, the original blisters had festered.
Chun Tao carefully cleaned away the rotten flesh and applied a thick layer of ointment. A’Yuan trembled in pain, large beads of cold sweat dripping from her forehead.
“Mistress, if it hurts, bite me. My skin is thick.”
Chun Tao pursed her lips, tears welling in her eyes.
Why should someone as delicate as her mistress suffer such grievances?
It was all because the young master couldn’t see clearly, making her mistress endure so much hardship.
Her resentment spilled over, showing plainly on her face.
A’Yuan gently rubbed Chun Tao’s head with the back of her uninjured hand. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“How can you be fine? Your hands were almost ruined!”
“Whose hands were ruined?”
Wei Xun entered the room just in time to hear Chun Tao’s words. His gaze sharpened, landing on A’Yuan’s hands.
The master and servant had been too absorbed in their conversation to notice the commotion outside, and Wei Xun had caught them red-handed.
Though medicine had been applied, the scarred and mottled hands still revealed the severity of the injury.
A’Yuan instinctively tried to retract her hands into her sleeves, but the man seized her wrist.
Wei Xun leaned slightly forward, looking down at her with a commanding presence, his tone sharp. “How were you injured?”
A’Yuan remained silent, the room so quiet that the drop of a needle could be heard.Wei Xun felt as if a stone were pressing on his chest, a suffocating ache. He turned to question Chun Tao, “You tell me!”
Chun Tao had long been unable to hold back. Her mistress had suffered so many injuries, and the young master had only just noticed. Even if she couldn’t seek justice for her mistress, she couldn’t let the perpetrator off easily.
“It was all because of Shen—”
“Chun Tao, shut up!”
A’Yuan closed her eyes, her trembling voice cutting her off.
“No one did it. I accidentally hurt myself.”
Shen Qiuyu was the future wife recognized by Wei Xun and Old Madam Wei, and the embroidery work had been assigned to her on Wei Xun’s orders. What good would complaining do? It would only earn Chun Tao the enmity of several masters.
She withdrew her hand from Wei Xun’s palm, hiding it in her sleeve, and forced a compliant smile onto her face. “I’ve frightened the young master. It is my fault.”
“Xie Yuan!”
Wei Xun’s eyes were rimmed with red, his face cold enough to freeze. He had once loved A’Yuan’s compliant demeanor the most, but now it only made him feel wretched.
He would rather she cried or made a scene—he was willing to bear it all.
But not like this, as if she were merely a walking corpse.
Hearing his anger, A’Yuan knelt on the ground, her forehead touching the blue bricks. Her quiet, obedient voice reached the man’s ears.
“I have angered the young master. I am willing to accept his punishment.”
“Punish you?” Wei Xun’s heart clenched, his eyes growing increasingly bloodshot.
“If I punish anyone, it will be her! Failing to take good care of her mistress—drag her out and beat her to death!”
He pointed at Chun Tao, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.
A’Yuan’s vision darkened. Staggering, she crawled forward on her knees, her injured hand clutching the hem of his robe, her earlier compliance gone.
“Master, Chun Tao was only following my orders. Punish me instead!”
Wei Xun stared at the bloodstains on his robe, his heart aching and furious, though his face remained cold and unreadable.
Beside them, Chun Tao was already terrified out of her wits, and Chang Yuan also knelt to plead for mercy.
“Master, although Chun Tao is straightforward in nature, she is loyal to Mistress Xie. Please spare her life for the sake of the many years she has cared for Mistress Xie. This humble servant is also willing to take her punishment.”
“After caring for her for so many years, she ends up covered in injuries. If she stays, aren’t you afraid the injuries will only get worse?”
Wei Xun stared at A’Yuan’s hands, his anger almost tangible.
Chun Tao sobbed, wanting to beg for mercy but not daring to.
All the sounds in the room seemed to fade into nothingness. A’Yuan’s body stiffened, her mind blank.
She looked up dazedly, her eyes unfocused, her voice sounding as if it had taken all her strength.
“If I tell you, will the young master believe me?”
Wei Xun’s chest grew even more stifled and painful. He clenched his fist and slowly nodded. “I will believe you.”
“It was Lady Shen… Lady Shen who scalded me.”
A’Yuan repeated it twice. The pain in her hands left her weak, but she forced herself to kneel upright, waiting for the man’s response.
After a long while, Wei Xun finally spoke. He asked, “Do you have proof?”
A’Yuan smiled, as if the expected answer had finally landed, and her heart felt hollow.
“No.”
“No proof.”
Someone like Shen Qiuyu would never leave evidence behind. Even when making things difficult for others, she was meticulous and flawless.
A’Yuan did not insist that Wei Xun take her side. All she wanted was for Chun Tao to survive.
Even if it meant ruining her own hands, she was willing.
Wei Xun was stung by the emptiness in her eyes and looked away uncomfortably.
Without proof, he could not take A’Yuan’s side.
Moreover, this was only A’Yuan’s word alone, and it did not prove that Shen Qiuyu had truly mistreated her.”Do you know that slander is a grave offense, especially when it involves a noble lady? Even I cannot protect you.”
A’Yuan pressed her forehead to the floor, her voice resolute. “This humble one knows.”
Wei Xun fell silent once more. After a long while, he spoke.
“Let this matter end here. Do not mention it again.”
Shen Qiuyu was the daughter of an official. Without evidence, punishing her would only harm A’Yuan.
A’Yuan had long anticipated this outcome. She lowered herself even further, reverting to her obedient demeanor. “Yes.”
Wei Xun felt a pang of guilt, clenching and unclenching his palm. “Is there anything you desire?”
This was his way of offering compensation to silence her.
A’Yuan’s tears fell onto the blue bricks as she fought back a sob. “This humble one wishes to go to the Great Buddha Temple to light an incense stick for… Bi Wu.”