“Miss, Xie Feng’an has five concubines in total. This time, four were sent over at once. The oldest and most senior among them is An Nian-Nian. She was formerly a maid serving the old Marchioness and has some basic literacy. In your second year of entering the Xie Family, when Xie Feng’an returned from the Southern Directly Administered Area and wanted to take Su Yao’er as a concubine, the old Marchioness summoned you for a discussion. Upon returning, you brought An Nian-Nian back with you. She was purchased from outside and has no roots in the estate. She has always been honest and, after a year, gave birth to Duan Ge’er, who is also Xie Feng’an’s eldest son.
“Although An Nian-Nian is literate, she is no match for Su Yao’er, who hails from the Qinhuai district. After An Nian-Nian became pregnant, Xie Feng’an doted exclusively on Su Yao’er and even planned to take her back to the Academy in the Southern Directly Administered Area. To counter this, the Marchioness elevated Xia He to serve as Xie Feng’an’s unofficial concubine. Xia He is the daughter of Liu Sui, the gardener in charge of plants and trees, and was born into the Xie Family as a servant. She has a strong-willed nature and competed with Su Yao’er for nearly half a year. In the end, Su Yao’er became pregnant, and Xie Feng’an took no one with him when he left for the Southern Directly Administered Area. However, upon his return, he brought back several ‘bosom friends.’ With Su Yao’er already in the picture, the Marchioness was prepared, and the beauties were dismissed before they could even enter the estate.
“To make Xie Feng’an settle down, the Marchioness gave him Liu Tian-Xing. Liu Tian-Xing’s father is the steward of the Ning’an Marquis Estate’s northern Zhuangzi. She has a somewhat naive and charming disposition, and Xie Feng’an favored her for over a year before casting her aside. To this day, she has not borne any children.
“Then there is Cui Jin-Niang. Her father is a Recommended Man, making her a respectable concubine.”
When speaking of Cui Jin-Niang, A Chi’s face flushed with a faint anger, and her tone grew increasingly sharp:
“Cui Jin-Niang’s father, Recommended Man Cui, once received guidance from the Master. After passing the provincial examination, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and nearly squandered the family’s wealth. Two years ago, during the imperial exams, Recommended Man Cui brought his family to Yanjing but fell ill himself. Cui Jin-Niang, leveraging her past connection with the Master, came begging before you, Miss. You had Chui Yun step in to treat her father’s illness and even rented a house for them to stay in Yanjing. Yet, that Cui Jin-Niang used visiting you as an excuse to frequently come to the estate, and before long, she entangled herself with Xie Feng’an. When she was three months pregnant, she knelt and begged you to fulfill her wish… Miss, did I say something wrong?”
A Chi was inwardly cursing the ungrateful Cui Jin-Niang and the lust-driven Xie Feng’an when she noticed her mistress staring at her, and she grew flustered.
Her mistress had a gentle and kind nature. Even regarding Cui Jin-Niang, she had only remarked, ‘Long impoverished and without support, reaching this point is like a drowning person grasping at reeds to save themselves—truly pitiable.’ She would never permit A Chi to speak in such a manner.
Zhao Su Rui was listening with great interest, widening Shen Shiqing’s eyes in astonishment. His father, the late Emperor, and his mother, the Empress Dowager, had a deeply affectionate relationship. Their only two sons were his late elder brother, the Crown Prince, and himself. His mother, the Empress Dowager, had been quite shrewd even as Empress, managing the rear palace as tightly as an iron barrel. As the youngest son born to the Empress, Zhao Su Rui had only heard of women vying for favor but had never witnessed it firsthand. This spectacle of several women competing for attention felt rather novel to him.
It was also because he was bored out of his mind in this Zhuangzi.
Unable to make decisive judgments, let alone kick eunuchs in the rear, he could only amuse himself with these trivial tales from the inner quarters.
“And then? Four out of five concubines were sent away. Was it the peerless Qinhuai beauty Su Yao’er or the cunning strategist Cui Jin-Niang who remained in the manor?”
A Chi was startled by her mistress’s words—what “peerless Qinhuai beauty” and “cunning strategist”…
“It was Su Yao’er who remained in the Ning’an Marquis Manor.”
“Oh… So the peerless beauty prevailed after all. This Xie Feng’an truly is a lecherous man.”
Zhao Su Rui idly twirled the brush in her hand as she watched A Chi nod vigorously.
“Exactly! Mistress, Xie Feng’an is utterly depraved!”
Ever since learning that the Xie Family was determined to force her mistress to voluntarily seek divorce—and might even harm her life—A Chi had stopped referring to him as “the young master.” She now addressed every member of the Xie Family by their full names with blatant disrespect. Hearing her mistress openly call Xie Feng’an lecherous made A Chi feel like she was finally venting long-suppressed resentment.
Zhao Su Rui actually appreciated this petty loyalty—how the maid shared her master’s worries and hatreds. A faint smile touched her lips as she considered entrusting A Chi with managing affairs at the Zhuangzi estate. She asked:
“Among these people, who do you think might be useful?”
A Chi thought for a moment before replying: “An used to be Old Madam’s maid and still holds some favor with her. Xia was born into the Xie Family’s servant class and has connections among the lower staff. Liu’s father counts as a trusted follower of the Ning’an Marquis. As for Cui… Cui…”
“Among them, you fear that cunning strategist the most because she’s ruthless, willing to sacrifice everything, and completely shameless.” Zhao Su Rui didn’t need to look to know what A Chi was thinking.
After a moment’s silence, A Chi whispered: “She repaid your kindness with betrayal. Just based on character alone, she’s the lowest of the low.”
“Villains have their uses. If you want to employ them, you must never fear them.”
How many among the entire court of civil and military officials were truly virtuous gentlemen? When dealing with scoundrels, one need only tempt them with power, lure them with wealth, and intimidate them with imperial authority. The day their craving for power and wealth outweighs their fear of the throne’s majesty is the day they can be executed.
Recalling several people she had previously ordered executed, Zhao Su Rui yawned:
“Go check if they’ve finished crying in the back. Bring them here when they’re done.”
“Yes, mistress.”
After A Chi left, Zhao Su Rui stood up and stretched in Shen Shiqing’s body.
On the table were refreshments brought in by Tu Nan: a plate of golden-brown sesame-sprinkled crisps, a plate of shelled walnuts, a plate of honeyed dates, and a pot of steaming chrysanthemum tea.
Zhao Su Rui glanced at them and sneered: “Only a woman raised in Shen San Fei’s impoverished household would enjoy such common treats.”
She casually picked up a honeyed date and ate it, followed by two crisps and half a pot of tea. Slumping into the wen chair that Shen Shiqing always used, she exhaled deeply before grabbing a handful of walnuts and crunching them noisily.
This small Zhuangzi estate of the Ning’an Marquis Manor only had four courtyards—smaller than half of Zhaohua Yuan. In her eyes, it wasn’t even spacious enough to turn around comfortably. Yet this tiny place had been stuffed with four of Xie Feng’an’s concubines, plus their maids and matrons—over a dozen people altogether.
Looking out the window at the thoroughly unremarkable scenery, Zhao Su Rui found it strange that Shen San Fei could stay cooped up in such a place without going mad.
“Crunch, crunch…”
Taking another sip of tea, Zhao Su Rui felt as if he were surrounded by the sweet fragrance of newly bloomed peonies in autumn.
“It’s quite remarkable how this Shen San Fei finds ways to make her life comfortable. Pity such cleverness hasn’t brought her true happiness.”
In this world, who can avoid contention?
The temporary peace bought by cowardly survival is like a thin porcelain cup—it shatters at the slightest touch.
While lost in thought, Zhao Su Rui faintly heard crying from outside the window. He casually threw his cup in that direction:
“Tu Nan, take some men and see to it! Anyone who dares shed another tear will be dragged straight to the river and thrown in!”
Tu Nan, standing guard at the door, acknowledged the order.
The concubines of Xie Feng’an gathered at the courtyard entrance were first startled by the flying cup, then bewildered by the sudden harshness from their usually gentle mistress.
Among them, only one woman wasn’t crying. Looking around, she smiled and said, “Sisters, since we’ve come to Zhuangzi, we should follow our lady’s orders. Even if we miss our children, we must swallow our tears for now.”
Hearing this, A Chi sharply turned to look at the woman in the blue silk jacket.
The woman merely smiled back without speaking.
Leaning on the bedside table while watching the silent exchange outside, Zhao Su Rui immediately recognized that seemingly kind-faced woman as Cui Jin-Niang, whom he called “the female outlaw.The other women had come to see their mistress confined to this country estate with probing intentions—their tears initially two parts genuine, eight parts feigned. But Cui Jin-Niang’s mention of children reminded them of being forcibly separated from their flesh and blood, making their tears now eight parts real.
Xia He, always reckless and sharp-tongued, was about to wail aloud when someone firmly covered her mouth.
An Nian-Nian held her head, whispering in her ear, “Don’t be provoked by Concubine Cui.”
Liu Tian-Xing, the last to enter, still wanted to cry but, lacking support and feeling fearful, could only bite her handkerchief.
As the women finally quieted down, Zhao Su Rui’s mood improved. Waving a hand out the window, he said, “Keep them standing outside. A Chi, find Pei Feng and have her bring everything they found.”
“Yes, miss.”
By noon, the barren courtyard was bleached white by the sun. Peering into the house revealed only darkness, nothing distinct.
The women huddled together, waiting until the door swung open and a foot in satin embroidered shoes stepped out.
At first sight of Shen Shiqing, Cui Jin-Niang couldn’t help but frown.
It was still the same thin, delicate face and jet-black eyes, yet she felt this “Shen Shiqing” differed from the “Lady Shen” who, after watching her briefly, had merely said “take care” before making her Xie Feng’an’s concubine.
Wearing a patterned long jacket of oriental blue, a goose-yellow horse-face skirt, and adorned only with a jade bead hairpin—her face completely free of makeup—the usually gentle and demure second young mistress strode out. Under the eaves stood an elm armchair covered with a new drape. “Shen Shiqing” stepped over, sat down, and crossed her left leg over her right.