In the inner courtyard of the Chancellor’s residence, a theatrical troupe sings with lilting voices on the stage.
Inside the rear chamber, the Taihu stones cast eerie silhouettes resembling Chimei through the lamplight beneath the window.
The maid Lürong’s eyes brim with tears.
“You have been married to the Second Master for three years, yet the child of his outside woman is already four. Not to mention, now they brazenly bring the outside woman into the household.”
Tearfully, she gazes at the woman sitting quietly in the room and smashes the bowl of medicinal soup in her hand.
“Miss, today they dare to add extremely cold herbs to your medicine; tomorrow, they might dare to take your life!”
Shen Fuyan’s expression remains unchanged: “Let them bring her in. Since I already know the truth, I will no longer be the fool kept in the dark. Don’t make a fuss about this medicine—pretend you don’t know.”
As she rises, her lake-blue skirt ripples, revealing her graceful figure.
Lürong is about to speak when the Chancellor’s second son, Xuan Wenyang, angrily pushes the door open.
“What exactly are you sulking about?”
His refined face is mixed with indignation.
“Ayan, since we are hosting a family banquet today, Mengyu will enter the household no matter what.”
Shen Fuyan stares at him quietly, as if wondering why the once gentle and elegant husband has become like this.
Has he changed?
No.
It is she who misjudged him, and he has shed his disguise.
“Before Xu Mengyu became a songstress, she was the most talented woman in the capital. Would she be willing to be a concubine?”
Her tone is calm, making it hard for Xuan Wenyang to get angry.
“She is a noble concubine. Back then, I took her while drunk, and she bore me a son. Given her status as the daughter of a disgraced official, the position of noble concubine suits her well.”
Shen Fuyan remains unmoved: “Noble concubine? Does the Second Master still remember what he said when he married me?”
A hint of coldness appears at the corner of her mouth.
Three years ago, under the flowers and moon, Xuan Wenyang vowed to be with her for a lifetime, just the two of them.
Shen Fuyan’s eyes are full of mockery.
“Xuan Wenyang, you once swore by the entire Xuan family. Do you remember those vows? Since you have broken them, those vows will likely come true one by one.”
“Shut up!” Xuan Wenyang’s face turns ugly. “You have produced no children in three years, and now you are so jealous as to want the Xuan family to have no heirs?”
Hearing this, Shen Fuyan gives him a strange look, as if barely suppressing a cold laugh.
So Xuan Wenyang still does not know.
He does not know that she has long since discovered the truth—that all these years he has been giving her illusion drugs to fake their intimacy.
She and he have not yet been truly husband and wife. How could she, alone, have produced children!
“It seems Xu Mengyu is determined to enter the household today.”
Her expression calms.
“Yes, rest assured, Mengyu is obedient and sensible. I have discussed it with her—after she enters, she will live on my side and will not easily come to disturb you.”
This is out of fear that she, as the principal wife, might mistreat his precious darling.
Shen Fuyan lowers her eyes, avoiding Xuan Wenyang’s current face.
Speaking of his beloved, his earlier anger vanishes completely, and his brow is full of tender affection.
It makes her sick.
“Today is the family banquet. What does it look like for you to sit here alone sulking? Come with me to the front courtyard now. Mengyu and Chen’er are waiting to serve you tea as the principal wife.”
Xuan Wenyang takes her silence as acquiescence and reaches to touch her hand.
Shen Fuyan slaps his hand away with a sharp “smack.”
“Since I am the principal wife, why is it not she who comes to see me, but rather I who must go to her?”
Her usually gentle brows and eyes now show a stern chill.
“Shen Fuyan!”
Xuan Wenyang seems to have exhausted his patience.
“You are the daughter of a military official, with no learning to speak of. After marrying into the Chancellor’s estate, being able to manage the household is already quite an achievement. Mengyu possesses both virtue and talent, and is in perfect harmony with me. I have already decided on her. Moreover, Father and Mother greatly admire her literary talent as well.”
There was contempt in his eyes.
“Today’s banquet was originally arranged to welcome her through the door. If you don’t want to come, then don’t!”
Having said this, Xuan Wenyang flicked his sleeves and left.
Shen Fuyan felt as if she had a fishbone stuck in her throat, and swallowed her unwillingness whole.
For these three years, she had toiled like an ox and horse in the Chancellor’s estate. When her mother-in-law was unwell, she personally attended to her; the estate’s affairs were numerous, and she often pored over account books late into the night, only to rise early the next day to serve her parents-in-law and manage the inner household affairs. Even because her father-in-law was incorruptible, the Chancellor’s estate’s accounts were always in deficit, and the household expenses were great—she filled the gaps with her own dowry.
All these contributions had been fed to jackals.
“Lürong, go fetch my dowry list…”
Thinking of this, Shen Fuyan reined in the sorrow in her eyes.
She had never been a woman given to sentimentality. If the Xuan family was unrighteous, then she would be unrighteous in turn!
Lürong was just about to move when Xuan Wenyang returned after having left.
“Now is not the time for petty quarrels. Hurry and come with me to the front courtyard!”
Fear flickered in his eyes.
“Pei Yanwei is here.”
A trace of surprise flashed through Shen Fuyan’s eyes.
She glanced at her attire, then rose and walked toward the front courtyard.
That person could not be slighted.
…
In the front courtyard of the Chancellor’s estate, a dense crowd of sword-bearing guards stood at the entrance.
The man stood tall and elegant, his ink-black hair bound with a gold crown, dressed in a vermilion and purple python robe, smiling with unrestrained abandon.
He sat beside Chancellor Xuan, his long fingers tracing the rim of a mutton-fat jade cup, crow-feather lashes covering his eyes, his expression dark and unreadable.
Chancellor Xuan secretly speculated on the purpose of Pei Yanwei’s visit.
He was the leader of the pure stream, honest and upright; Pei Yanwei was the Emperor’s hawk and hound, arbitrary and willful.
The two had only ever been at odds, and had never sat together for idle conversation.
“This humble wife greets Commander Pei.”
Shen Fuyan, having hurried to the front courtyard with Xuan Wenyang, performed a dignified salute to the imposing man.
“Miss Shen need not be so formal.”
Pei Yanwei’s lips held a smile, and Shen Fuyan’s brow twitched.
He did not call her Madam Xuan, but Miss Shen?
She quickly raised her eyes to glance at him, and saw that his eyes, full of laughter, were fixed directly on her.
This man!
Shen Fuyan was furious inside, yet had to smile on the surface.
“I heard the Second Young Master Xuan is hosting a banquet to welcome a honored concubine. This Commander has come to share in the joy as well.”
Pei Yanwei set down his teacup with seeming carelessness and strolled to Shen Fuyan’s side.
He spoke the most festive words in the most sinister tone, and everyone in the Xuan family shuddered.
“The Commander jests. It is merely a family banquet arranged at home,”
Chancellor Xuan said politely.
“A family banquet at home, yet you even hired a troupe. It seems the Second Young Master Xuan truly treasures this honored concubine,” Pei Yanwei curved his thin lips. “Since I’m already here, this Commander will request an opera to listen to as well.”
He spoke slowly.
“This Commander wishes to hear ‘The Case of Beheading Chen Shimei.'”
The performers on stage slowly began to sing, and Shen Fuyan stood to one side, her expression obscure and difficult to read.
With Pei Yanwei present, Xuan Wenyang dared not speak, and merely stood to one side with Xu Mengyu and the illegitimate child, even nudging the mother and son further behind him, terrified that Pei Yanwei might see them.
To have an illegitimate child older than the principal wife’s entry into the household was indeed not a glorious thing.
Pei Yanwei watched the stage intently. When Chen Shimei drew his sword to stab his wife, he suddenly rose to his feet.
“This Commander is weary. The rest, you may watch at your leisure.”
Having said this, he swept past Shen Fuyan’s side like the wind, leaving behind only a faint, barely detectable scent of blood.
Chancellor Xuan hurried after Pei Yanwei to see him off, and everyone in the courtyard let out a collective sigh of relief.
Xu Mengyu’s eyes flickered. She suddenly picked up a tea tray from the side, walked straight over to Shen Fuyan, and knelt before her.
“Mengyu greets the Lady. I beg the Lady to consider the bond between me and Lang, and to grant us your blessing.”
Shen Fuyan looked at her coldly. “No need for such posturing. After all, when the two of you were carrying on, I had not yet entered the Xuan household.”
The old madam’s gaze followed the departing figures, and only now did she speak: “Our Chancellor’s residence stands at the head of all civil officials. Don’t make things so ugly. Fuyan, you are the principal wife—you should have the tolerance befitting your station.”
Shen Fuyan gave a cold laugh and said nothing. The old madam, for once, did not scold her as she usually would.
Her brows were tightly knit, her mind fixed on what had just transpired.
“That eunuch came charging in out of nowhere, and then put on this little show…”
The old madam suddenly stiffened, grabbing her son’s hand.
“Wenyang, is His Majesty trying to send us the Xuan family a message?”
Xuan Wenyang was shaken and uncertain. “Is it… because of today’s concubine-taking?”
Pei Yanwei was the Emperor’s right hand. If he was acting on the Emperor’s behalf, then wouldn’t that mean…
“Quickly, dismantle the banquet and dismiss the opera troupe.”
At that moment, Chancellor Xuan returned, his expression grim.
“He came from the direction of the imperial city. His Majesty places great weight on propriety and abhors concubines and bastards. I fear Pei Yanwei was acting on orders—today’s actions have displeased His Majesty.”
He waved his hand broadly. “The honored concubine cannot be taken!”
“What?” Xuan Wenyang was swayed by the heartbreak visible in Xu Mengyu’s eyes, and could not help but speak up. “Father, Chen’er is already this old. If we don’t allow Mengyu to enter the household, it simply won’t be justifiable.”
“What is there that isn’t justifiable?”
The old madam cast a shrewd glance at Shen Fuyan.
“It just so happens that Fuyan has produced no child in three years. We’ll register Chen’er under Fuyan’s name, and the Xuan family will have a legitimate eldest son.”
As for Xu Mengyu… naturally, they would keep the child and dispose of the mother.
Shen Fuyan stood to the side, a trace of cold sharpness showing between her brows.
The Xuan family had quite the scheme—sucking her blood and devouring her flesh.
They ate her food, used her resources, deceived her person, and sought her life.
Old and young alike, they schemed against her at every turn. Did they truly take her for a merciful Bodhisattva made of mud?
She suddenly stepped forward. “Xu Mengyu has rendered the Xuan family the merit of bearing a child. Of course, this concubine must be taken.”
For a moment, the expressions in the courtyard shifted. Xu Mengyu’s eyes gleamed with a dark satisfaction.
Shen Fuyan had been so proud for so long—hadn’t she finally bowed her head?