Volume 1 Chapter 2: The Legitimate Eldest Sister
Before she could ponder further, her thoughts were interrupted.
“I never imagined that when we meet again, it would be under such circumstances.”
As she spoke, Song Shuhua’s eyes dimmed, her brows tinged with melancholy, as if saddened by her own frail health.
Madam Song frowned but remained silent, her gaze shifting subtly toward Tanyin, signaling her with a glance.
Tanyin parted her lips: “Eldest Sister is blessed and will surely live a long and healthy life.”
“I appreciate your kind words, and I hope so…” Song Shuhua sighed with worry, her brows furrowed in sorrow. “But the physician has already diagnosed that the illness has invaded my internal organs, making it difficult to cure. I fear my days are numbered.”
“I have no regrets about my life, except for one thing—marrying the Marquis…”
Song Shuhua paused before continuing, “Your brother-in-law. For five years, I have failed to bear him, the Marquis’s Mansion, or the Xie family a single child…”
“Now, with my body so weak, I fear this task is beyond me.”
“So, Third Sister…” Her eyes glistened as she looked at Tanyin.
Seemingly moved, Tanyin’s expression softened. “Mother has already spoken to me about this matter.”
The implication was clear—she already knew the purpose of this visit, and she had agreed.
Hearing this, Song Shuhua felt a wave of relief, and her smile deepened. “That’s good, though I’m afraid I’ve wronged you, Third Sister… cough.”
Suppressing her cough, she grasped Tanyin’s hand, speaking weakly but sincerely, “Don’t worry, Sister. The mansion’s physician has already determined that my time is short. You need only focus on bearing the child. When the time comes, I will surely ask the Marquis to designate him as the heir and elevate you to the position of the principal wife.”
“After my death, the child will still be raised by you. You will be the birth mother of the heir, the most esteemed lady of the Marquis’s Mansion, and the future of the Song family will depend on you…”
As she finished speaking, Song Shuhua couldn’t hold back another cough, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, a flush of unnatural color appearing on her pale face.
The matron beside her looked anxious, and Madam Song interrupted, “Hua’er, enough! Why speak such ill-omened words on such a fine day?”
She turned to the stunned maid. “Hurry and help your Lady inside!”
The maid quickly stepped forward and assisted her into the inner chamber.
Perhaps due to the emotional turmoil, after the commotion, Song Shuhua grew drowsy after taking her medicine.
Madam Song, heartbroken for her daughter, stayed to keep her company. Tanyin, not wanting to disturb them, was led out of the main courtyard by a servant.
Once outside the main courtyard, the heavy scent of medicine that had lingered in the air gradually faded.
It was mid-morning, bright and clear outside. The lingering spring rain of the past few days had lifted, and sunlight broke through the clouds, scattering across the earth.
It was exceptionally fine weather.
Leading the way was a maid in green attire, her hair styled in twin buns. Tanyin did not specify where she wished to go, so the maid quietly accompanied her, occasionally pointing out the scenery of the mansion.
“What is your name?”
As they passed a long corridor and waterside pavilion, Tanyin stopped and spoke.
The maid was momentarily taken aback before hurriedly replying, “Answering Third Lady, this servant is named Xiao Yue.”
Tanyin: “Xiao Yue, do you know what illness Eldest Sister is suffering from? Why is it so severe?”
Xiao Yue hesitated. According to the rules, servants were not to casually discuss their masters’ affairs.
Tanyin’s gaze dimmed. “Although I am a concubine-born daughter and have spent these years outside the capital, I grew up alongside my sisters in the mansion. In my memory, Eldest Sister was always healthy and spirited. How could she fall so gravely ill in just a few years…”
“I am truly deeply worried.”
She sighed softly, her voice pure and gentle, filled with profound sorrow.
Xiao Yue had not expected to hear such words. The concern in Third Lady's tone did not seem feigned, and she secretly glanced at this Third Lady, whose beauty rivaled that of a celestial being.
As a cleaning maid in the main wife's courtyard, she naturally knew a few things.
This Third Lady before her was not only Madam's younger sister but also likely to become the mistress of the mansion in the future.
Seeing her remain silent, Tanyin offered a reassuring smile. "Never mind. If you don't wish to speak, I won't press you."
Xiao Yue felt an inexplicable pang of guilt and quickly pushed aside her scattered thoughts, speaking truthfully: "Third Lady may not know, but Madam caught a chill unexpectedly last year and has never fully recovered. Her illness comes and goes, sometimes better, sometimes worse."
"On top of that, Madam has long been burdened with guilt for failing to bear the Marquis an heir. Over the years, this sorrow has weighed heavily on her heart, and the combination has worsened her condition to its current state…"
The maids and older servants in the mansion whispered among themselves that Madam might not live to see next year.
However, she dared not share such thoughts with Third Lady.
Frowning slightly, Tanyin pondered, "Has an Imperial Physician ever been summoned to examine my sister?"
The Xie family was the emperor's maternal relatives and had contributed to his ascension. Summoning an Imperial Physician would be a simple matter.
"They have, but—"
"Xiao Yue!"
Before she could finish, a maid with twin buns in her hair called out to her from nearby.
Xiao Yue glanced at the sun, then at Tanyin, her expression troubled. "Third Lady, this servant must attend to her duties."
"Go ahead," Tanyin nodded, turning to Yin Huan.
Understanding her meaning, Yin Huan handed Xiao Yue a few silver beans.
Xiao Yue accepted them with pleasant surprise, quickly expressing her gratitude: "Thank you, Third Lady."
After Xiao Yue left, only Yin Huan remained by Tanyin's side, with no other servants from the Marquis's Mansion accompanying them.
Yin Huan asked, "Miss, shall we continue our stroll?"
Tanyin shook her head gently, a trace of weariness appearing on her porcelain-like face. "No, let's find a place to sit."
Having walked a great deal today, her legs were uncomfortable.
In the waterside pavilion, there were stone benches. Beyond the railings lay a lake, where a small patch of lotus leaves floated on the clear water, and several Koi swam freely.
Tanyin had no mind to appreciate this rare beauty. Sitting sideways on the stone bench, she gazed into the distance, her thoughts in turmoil.
She had been brought back to the Song Residence three days ago, and today her stepmother had eagerly taken her to the Marquis's Mansion.
Meeting Song Shuhua had surprised Tanyin—not only because of her health but also because of her demeanor.
Father Song was a philanderer with many children, yet Song Shuhua was the Song family's only legitimate daughter. She had always been doted on and treasured at home, her temperament willful and flamboyant. She had always been distant toward her half-sisters like Tanyin, never as gentle and amiable as she had been moments ago.
Strange.
Unsettling.
Her tangled thoughts were like a ball of yarn exploding in her mind, with no beginning or end to be found.
A flicker of irritation appeared between Tanyin's brows.
"Miss."
Her personal maid Yin Huan had stepped away for a moment and returned holding a blue bowl, a smile in her eyes. "Would you like to feed the fish?"
Tanyin turned her gaze to the contents of the bowl. "Where did you get the bait?"
Yin Huan explained, "The masters of the Marquis's Mansion enjoy watching the fish. There is a designated place nearby for storing bait. I found it and brought some."
As soon as she finished speaking, a splashing sound came from beneath the lotus leaves in the lake, and a flash of crimson fish tail vanished.
Tanyin's eyebrows lifted slightly.
Seeing this, Yin Huan offered the bait to her.
The bowl containing the bait was rather large and required both hands to hold. Tanyin did not reach out to take it.
Instead, she pinched a few grains of bait between her fingers and scattered them into the lake, one after another.
As soon as the bait hit the lake, nearby fish swarmed over, about five or six of them, red and white ones scrambling against each other. Those that hadn't managed to eat swam close to the waterside pavilion, opening their mouths toward Tanyin in eager plea.
Another handful was scattered, and the fish fought even more fiercely.
Yet this scene inexplicably irritated Tanyin, as if she had glimpsed her own situation in it.
Manipulated by others, scrambling desperately for the meager scraps that fell from their fingers, even feeling grateful to the one who tossed the bait.
Her heart was unbearably agitated, though her face showed nothing.
Tanyin pursed her lips and, in her frustration, snatched the round bowl from Yin Huan’s hands and poured all the bait into the lake.
With all the bait gone, every fish opened its mouth wide to swallow, no longer fighting. Among them, a red-and-white Koi ate especially voraciously.
The stifling feeling in Tanyin’s chest eased slightly.
Yin Huan stared, dumbfounded.
She swallowed and stammered, “M-Miss, won’t these fish… burst from overeating?”
Burst from overeating.
Tanyin paused, then said firmly, “No, Koi are clever creatures, spiritual beings. They won’t burst.”
But as her gaze fell upon the Koi in the lake, its body gradually growing rounder, she suddenly felt uncertain.
After a moment of hesitation, she parted her red lips and uttered a few words: “…If they do burst, it’s only because they were greedy and foolish.”
Yin Huan: …Feeling somewhat uneasy.
And it wasn’t just Yin Huan who felt uneasy—others did too.
Shadows swayed among the trees; from behind the rockery, a master and servant had witnessed the entire scene clearly.
The young guard Chang Feng looked slightly anxious—there were Koi that his master favored in that pond!
Just as he was about to speak, the tall, imposing man in dark robes before him raised a hand to stop him.