This was the first time Li Shu had slept alone since her rebirth. The West Courtyard was not actually in a favorable location; though called a courtyard, it consisted only of one main room and two side rooms. Today, she slept in one of the side rooms. Dan Qing, fearing Dan Hong might speak carelessly, had sent Dan Hong to accompany her.
Thanks to Xiao Fu Shi’s fainting spell earlier, ice basins were delivered, and even Li Shu alone could enjoy one all to herself.
Dan Hong, always straightforward and outspoken, saw Li Shu’s wide-open eyes and found it amusing. “Why aren’t you sleeping, Miss? Is it still too hot? This servant will fan you right away, and you’ll fall asleep in no time.”
“Sister Dan Hong, will my mother be alright?” Li Shu asked worriedly.
Dan Hong replied with ease, “Miss, go to sleep quickly. You might be able to see the Madam tomorrow.”
In the Main Room
Xiao Fu Shi’s eyes were glistening with tears. She often carried a natural melancholy in her gaze, so profound it seemed impossible to dissolve. Liu Chengxu sat beside her, noticing the heat rash on her chest, and couldn’t help but say, “Why do you torment yourself like this?”
“I often fall ill and don’t even want to take medicine. If I were to truly pass away, it would be a relief for both you and Sister. But I can’t bear to leave Li Shu. She’s still so young, and I want to watch her grow up. Once she’s a little older, I’ll feel at ease.” Xiao Fu Shi knew that the one truly trapped by a wall in his heart was not her, but Liu Chengxu himself.
He felt guilty for developing feelings for her after Fu Shi’s death, and after Fu Shi’s return, he found himself unable to face the situation.
Today, she intended to break through this barrier. “I’ve been stepping back for nearly five years now, and these five years of retreat haven’t made others remember my kindness. Instead, I’ve lived worse than Concubine Su, a mere Yiniang.”
Liu Chengxu never imagined Xiao Fu Shi harbored thoughts of death. Seeing her grow increasingly frail and thin, so unlike the clever, charming, and witty woman she was when she first married him—the one who captivated him completely—he felt a pang of sorrow.
His guilt toward Fu Shi had shifted to Xiao Fu Shi, though he knew very well that Xiao Fu Shi had done nothing wrong.
She had married him only after Fu Shi’s supposed death. Who could have known Fu Shi was still alive?
Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed from the sky, startling Xiao Fu Shi, who instinctively grabbed Liu Chengxu’s hand. She was still terrified of thunder.
Liu Chengxu immediately took the opportunity to pull her into his embrace. How had she endured so many thunderous nights alone?
“You… don’t be so stubborn from now on. In the end, it’s all my fault.”
Xiao Fu Shi looked up at her husband, moved, and called out affectionately, “Husband.”
The next day, when Li Shu went to her mother’s room, she was surprised to see Liu Chengxu putting on his outer robe. As she was about to approach, her father picked her up and cautioned her, “Your mother has finally managed to rest. Shu Jie’er, don’t disturb her, alright?”
Li Shu nodded earnestly. “Father, I won’t disturb Mother. I’ll be very good.”
“Good, as long as you’re obedient. I’ll come over for dinner tonight to dine with your mother and you, alright?” Liu Chengxu was also deeply concerned that Xiao Fu Shi might lose hope.
Falling ill and refusing treatment was essentially a path toward death, even harboring a sense of despair. If he didn’t come, the servants would mistreat her and her child, which was unacceptable.
Unlike Fu Shi, he had known since their marriage that Xiao Fu Shi had endured a difficult life in her natal family. She cherished every opportunity to read, was exceptionally intelligent, but also stubborn and overly sensitive.
Li Shu smiled sweetly. “Then we’ll wait for you, Father. You must come.”
In her previous life, she had been an empress dowager, yet she still had to act coy to secure better treatment for herself and her mother. Li Shu couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed by this.
On her way to marry Zheng Hao, after boarding the bridal sedan, her husband was unexpectedly chosen as a royal consort halfway through the journey. Her subsequent marriage to Yu Maozhong ultimately ruined her life. With no birth mother by her side, and when the Yu family came knocking, Concubine Su, Concubine Ding, and Concubine Ying were unwilling to let their own daughters marry into such a humble family, so she was naturally pushed forward as the sacrifice.
Even when she had managed to escape and desperately sent a blood-written plea for help to her family, she had entrusted it to Yu Lan, who served the eldest wife, Fu Shi. In her previous life, after her mother's death, Fu Shi had shown her some care, but unexpectedly, her plea seemed to vanish without a trace.
In this life, she no longer felt any sympathy for Fu Shi. Returning to her childhood, she finally realized just how difficult life had been for her and her mother.
After her mother's death, she was moved under Fu Shi's care. Seeing Fu Shi's apparent kindness toward her, she had felt grateful at the time. Now, however, it was clear that Fu Shi was merely putting on a show for Liu Chengxu, proving she hadn't mistreated her.
Now she understood that in the struggles of the inner courtyard, there was no right or wrong. Especially after marrying into Wusun, she deeply comprehended the meaning of "the winner takes all, the loser is left with nothing."
Those who claimed not to compete and to abide by their station were often the beneficiaries of the system. Above them, everyone was equal; below them, hierarchy was starkly defined. Why shouldn't her mother have fought for her place?
That evening, for the first time, Liu Chengxu did not stay with Fu Shi but came to the western courtyard instead. Xiao Fu Shi personally cooked the meal. Her clams were not simply stewed but stir-fried to perfection, with just the right flavor. Liu Chengxu, being from Huguang, had a fondness for spicy food. Seeing how well-seasoned the clams were, he couldn't help but eat quite a few.
In addition to the stir-fried clams, there was also jade dew dumplings prepared for Li Shu. With her birth mother taking care of her, Li Shu felt like a true child again. Whatever she wanted to eat, her mother would make it for her. Her mother was also incredibly skilled, crafting delicate and exquisite dishes.
While burying my head in work, I keep focusing and concentrating on my tasks.
Of course, after Xiao Fu Shi gained favor, the thoughts in each household immediately diverged. Over at Fu Shi's place, Yu Ping and Yu Lan were disdainful. Yu Ping snorted coldly: "A few days ago when she came here, I noticed something was off. Sure enough, she came to compete for favor. Now that she's lured the master away, what will you do, Madam?"
"Yu Ping, say less." Yu Lan glanced at Fu Shi's expression and couldn't help but scold.
Yu Ping pursed her lips: "Am I wrong? The Second Madam is not like Concubine Su and Concubine Ding."
Yu Lan certainly understood what Yu Ping meant. Xiao Fu Shi was a legitimate wife, equal in status to their own madam. No matter how favored Concubine Su and Concubine Ding were, they were merely concubines. In households that disregarded rules, concubines might act arrogantly, but in a family of officials for generations, a concubine could absolutely never be elevated to the position of a legitimate wife.
Fu Shi's face was somewhat pale, but she still said: "Stop talking. The stipend allowance for Second Madam's household must be exactly the same as mine."
"Yes, First Madam, rest assured. No matter how favored she is, outsiders only know there is one legitimate madam in this mansion." Yu Lan comforted.
Yu Lan saw clearly: although the second branch of the Liu Family had two legitimate wives, it would not be proper for both to go out and socialize simultaneously, or else those who didn't understand would surely gossip. Therefore, Xiao Fu Shi was no different from Concubine Ding and Concubine Su.
Compared to Fu Shi's embarrassment, Concubine Su was in a much better state of mind. It wasn't even Mid-Autumn Festival yet, but her table was already set with fruits and mooncakes, which she was enjoying with her daughter and sons. She had contributed through childbirth—the eldest branch of the Liu Family only had a girl so far, and the First Madam would certainly not agree to a formal adoption of her only son. In that case, her own son might be formally adopted into the eldest branch, while her other son was also dearly loved by the master.
Moreover, she was over thirty, no longer young. She was even older than Fu Shi, so competing for favor was futile anyway.
"Come, have some mooncakes. This one has black sesame filling, this one has lotus seed paste. Oh, look, there are also ones with melon seeds and walnuts." Concubine Su urged everyone to eat.
Over at Concubine Ding's place, however, her people were at a loss. She was Liu Chengxu's proper second wife, having entered with a dowry and servants. The maids serving her had been with her since childhood. Compared to Concubine Su, she had family assets and trusted confidants, and her status was better.
At the moment, she was working on an embroidery piece, clearly a sachet in her hands. "The master often goes out, capturing thieves and criminals. If he wears a sachet, it can ward off evil. Inside, I've packed five-poison incense powder."
"My dear Yiniang, look—Second Madam wasn't very favored before. Her place was even colder than a cold stove, but now it's different. Her food, clothing, and expenses have doubled, and the master stays overnight every day. If this continues, what will you do?" Ming Yue was anxious.
Concubine Ding continued to bury her head in embroidering the sachet, finding it amusing: "What can I do? My father served as County Magistrate Assistant in Macheng for many years and was deeply respected by the local people. He taught me to uphold integrity in life. Flattering men, competing for a man's favor, and causing unrest in the inner quarters—that is not my wish."
Ming Yue suppressed her anxious feelings and said quietly: "Yiniang, originally Second Madam only had one daughter, and her stipend allowance was the same as ours. Now hers is more than ours. At least think about our Fifth Miss a little, won't you?"
"One basin of ice is enough. I think the First Madam had no choice but to act this way. What was originally proper, yet the Second Madam only cares for herself." Concubine Ding, on the contrary, was dissatisfied with Xiao Fu Shi's efforts to win favor, feeling she lacked propriety, failed to share hardships, and did not understand the master's difficulties.
Moreover, relying on beauty to please others may not last long.
**
Xiao Fu Shi and Li Shu had been living much more comfortably lately. Even at night, Liu Chengxu would bring back snacks for Xiao Fu Shi.
"How did you know I love this jade-green bean cake the most?"
Xiao Fu Shi's delighted expression pleased Liu Chengxu, and he smiled, "How could I not know? You enjoy pastries but don’t particularly like overly sweet ones."
Li Shu also stood on tiptoe to look at the cakes. Xiao Fu Shi and Liu Chengxu exchanged a smile: "Look at this little greedy cat."
The family of three sat around the table. Xiao Fu Shi stood up to help Liu Chengxu wash his face. Skilled at reading expressions, she immediately asked, "I wonder who has upset you?"
Liu Chengxu sighed, "Well, you might have heard about it. Recently, wealthy households in this prefecture have often been robbed, and there have even been cases of rape and abduction. But these criminals are so cunning, hiding in plain sight among the people, that I haven’t been able to capture them."
Li Shu, who had been eating the jade-green bean cake nearby, quickly sensed an opportunity: "Father, let Mother draw the criminals. Mother can draw anyone."
This wasn’t Li Shu specifically recommending Xiao Fu Shi, but based on her experience, she had never seen anyone draw people more lifelike than Xiao Fu Shi. The criminals hid in plain sight precisely because the official sketches were too vague, making it impossible for ordinary people to accurately identify the culprits.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Fu Shi immediately scolded Li Shu, "A child like you, how could I interfere with your father’s official duties?"
"Mother, the people you draw look exactly like the real ones. I think the portrait you drew of Father looks even more like Father than Father himself. I’ll go get it for Father to see…" She dashed off to fetch the painting.
Xiao Fu Shi couldn’t catch up with her and could only smile apologetically at Liu Chengxu, "Shu Jie'er, this child…"
"It’s fine," Liu Chengxu waved it off.
Soon, Li Shu returned carrying the paintings. Liu Chengxu first looked at Xiao Fu Shi’s portrait of himself. The person in the painting was vivid, as if looking in a mirror, even the patterns on the clothes he wore when he carried her back that day were clearly depicted. He glanced at Xiao Fu Shi, who shyly lowered her head.
Not to mention Xiao Fu Shi’s depiction of their daughter, capturing Li Shu’s mischievousness, obedience, or greedy-cat expressions as if they were real.
"I never knew you were so skilled in Dan Qing." His tone was no longer flirtatious but filled with genuine admiration.
Xiao Fu Shi did not boast, even feeling Liu Chengxu was overly praising her and repeatedly waved her hands in modesty.
But Li Shu knew her mother lacked confidence. In her past life, as a Han woman who became the Empress Dowager of Wusun and whose son ruled as king, it was not merely her beauty but her family’s profound learning. She had studied flood control, military strategies, and governance from a young age. After arriving in Wusun, she used her intelligence and wisdom to rise step by step.
As for her current mother, in social interactions, Fu Shi already held the position, leaving no room for her. But if she could assist Father in official matters, it would open a new path for her.
Therefore, she returned to the main topic, climbing onto Liu Chengxu's lap and quickly acting cute: "Father, my mother is really amazing. The other day she told me a story, and I asked her to draw it for me. She drew it so well. Why don't you have her draw those thieves? I'm sure she can capture them all in one go."
Liu Chengxu increasingly felt that even Li Shu was no ordinary child and said to Xiao Fu Shi, "She even knows how to say 'capture them all in one go'?"
Dan Hong and the others covered their mouths and laughed: "That's not all. The young lady can even recite Tang poetry. She's like a little adult—we can't out-talk her."
"Father…" Li Shu remained unwavering in her persistence.
Liu Chengxu thought for a moment and felt it might be worth a try. His term was ending next year, and if he could solve a few major cases during his tenure, his performance evaluation would undoubtedly be excellent.
Thus, Liu Chengxu said to Xiao Fu Shi, "Later, change your clothes and come out with me. There are some constables who have seen these thieves. I'll have them describe them, and you can draw based on their descriptions. How does that sound?"
At this point, the usually cautious Xiao Fu Shi glanced at her daughter. Li Shu looked at her expectantly. It was rare for someone to support her painting so enthusiastically, especially for something as important as catching thieves. The person who supported her the most was her beloved daughter. Xiao Fu Shi immediately made a decision.
"Alright, I will certainly not fail in this mission."