Li Qu knew Zhou Jin’s patience was limited, and she knew Auntie Li’s warning was the Old Madam’s final act of tolerance.
She was unwilling to accept it.
She felt as if a stone had been pressed onto her shoulders, trying to bend her spine, grind away her dignity, and nail her firmly into the mud.
She felt she could hardly breathe.
It was as if she had returned to Yi City, to the Yan Prince’s residence.
As if she had been pulled behind a folding screen by Lin Wanru, and had watched with her own eyes as Princess Consort Yan beat a concubine to death.
Li Qu could no longer remember the reason—only that a vibrant life, full of fear, pain, and despair, had vanished from this world of spring flowers and autumn moons.
Lin Wanru had looked at her with concern: “Did I frighten you?”
She smiled, gentle and charming: “Don’t be afraid. This is all quite common. Within the inner household, as long as a concubine knows her place, most can live out their days in peace.”
Like a caring elder sister, she softly patted her back: “What’s truly frightening is a concubine who has lost favor. The lucky ones spend their remaining years in some deep courtyard; the unlucky ones are passed from hand to hand, ending up in fates worse than death.”
“After all, a concubine is a commodity, bought and sold—like pigs and sheep, like swine and dogs.” Her hand paused, withdrew, and she patted her shoulder.
Her smile remained as gentle and gracious as ever.
But Li Qu remembered how her heart and liver had trembled, how her hands and feet had gone ice-cold.
Auntie Li watched Li Qu, who said not a word, her eyes staring blankly, her body seeming to tremble more and more. Solemnity gave way to concern: “Madam?”
Nanny Xu hurried forward to support Li Qu, only to discover she was burning with fever, and cried out in alarm: “Madam!”
A breath suddenly caught in Li Qu’s chest.
Shut up!
Shut up!!
She was of respectable registry, with money and beauty—she could clearly have been a lawful wife. Why should she be made a lowly concubine, bought and sold like merchandise!
Her vision went black, and Li Qu collapsed onto the bed.
Fanghua Garden descended into chaos.
Li Qu seemed to return to that afternoon six years ago—in the Yan Prince’s residence, heavy snow falling, red plum blossoms in bloom, when the young man kissed her cheek.
She was stunned.
His cheeks were slightly flushed, his gaze gentle.
In that moment, her heartbeat gradually thundered, and all manner of romantic fantasies galloped through her mind like a parade of scenes.
The red plums by the window could not compare to the sweetness of his lips.
She could also see, in Xiao Cong’s eyes, the ardor and affection he held for her.
A boy of fifteen simply could not hide his feelings.
Nor did a young nobleman of fifteen fear expressing them.
Following the earlier probing, the dragonfly’s touch on the water, when he leaned in once more, it was with the composure of one commanding the whole board.
Only after leaving the strict, high-walled compound of the Yan Prince’s residence and returning to her own chaotic two-courtyard home did she suddenly wake to the truth—she had been living a spring dream.
Once the dream ended, she did her best to avoid being alone with Xiao Cong, and added a touch of distance to the respect in her manner toward him.
She knew full well that, disguised as a boy and mingling in the circle of young noblemen, she could only be compared to the dogs at their masters’ sides.
But Xiao Cong mistook her pride for stringing him along, believing she coveted the position of heir’s consort.
He had said: “A-Qu, for the heir’s consort of the Yan Prince’s residence, skill in the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting is merely refinement of temperament; skill in managing the household is hardly worth mentioning. The duties of the principal wife of the clan are not something an ordinary person can bear.”
She remembered the look in Xiao Cong’s eyes at that moment—doting, with a careless possessiveness, and a hint of a lofty reminder.
She had avoided his gaze, pretending to look at the distant scenery.
On the field that day, it was not only her and Xiao Cong—Wu Xubai, her benefactor, was there as well.
Wu Xubai clearly knew something.
He smiled and chimed in: “Our A-Qu’s only flaw is her humble birth. If not for that, she wouldn’t have to stay beneath others.”
She caught the unspoken meaning between the two of them and took the chance to voice her true thoughts.
Back then, everything had gone smoothly for her; the money in her account at the Tongbao Bank had already earned dividends in the five figures.
“With a humble birth, one shouldn’t aspire to climb above one’s station—then there’s no need to stay beneath others.”
Just then, Sanbao, the errand boy of the manager of Immortal Treasure Pavilion—the business the three of them shared—came by to deliver the account books.
Sanbao was the manager’s nephew. His birth mother had died, and his stepmother was cruel, so from a young age he had left home to live with the manager of Immortal Treasure Pavilion.
Diligent, clever, hardworking, ambitious—three years older than her.
She and Sanbao were truly of the same level.
She said sincerely, “Someone of my birth would be a proper match for someone like Sanbao.”
Sanbao, not knowing she was a girl, looked at her in horror and dropped to his knees, kowtowing: “Master, spare this humble one! I don’t dabble in that sort of thing with men!”
She sprayed out her mouthful of tea and burst out laughing, easing the indescribable stuffiness in the room.
But the very next day, Sanbao disappeared.
Ever since she had met Xiao Cong at the age of eight, she had always played the humble subordinate, carefully holding him up. Because of the matter with Sanbao, they had their first quarrel.
Xiao Cong told her bluntly: “A-Qu, you’ve always been clever. Right now you’re a lotus bud just beginning to show, already drawing eyes—and you’ll draw even more in the future.
“Since I’ve kissed you, I won’t allow anyone else to kiss you.
“With your birth, being raised to a proper concubine is already climbing above your station.
“If you insist on marrying someone else, I can’t promise I won’t keep thinking of you.
“After all, our interests are tied together—we can’t cut off contact entirely.
“But sneaking around like that would be less fair to others than doing it openly and legitimately.
“Don’t you think?”
Fortunately, she was only ten at the time, still many, many years away from her hairpin ceremony.
Xiao Cong was only fifteen. Though clever, precocious, and well-versed in human nature, he was still a boy after all.
And what did she do?
She chose to lie low, to placate and prevaricate, to deliberately entice, to exploit to the utmost—and then to turn and flee…
Li Qu’s fever came on fast and broke just as fast. After one night, her mind was clear again.
The moment she sat up in bed, Nanny Xu drew back the bed curtains: “You’re awake, Madam?”
Then she felt Li Qu’s forehead. Seeing the fever had broken, she hurriedly chanted praises to Buddha.
Breakfast was a mild congee with lean meat. Li Qu ate two bowls, and some vitality returned to her body.
Auntie Li came again, this time bringing a physician.
After taking Li Qu’s pulse, the physician said her illness was caused by fright and fear compounded by grief knotted in her heart—a weariness of the heart. Once the knot was untied and the illness worked itself out, she would be fine.
He also prescribed a restorative regimen for her.
Li Qu refused to take the medicine: “Unless my Second Sister personally picks the herbs and brews the medicine herself.”
Nanny Xu tried to persuade her: “We can’t trouble Second Miss to run to the residence all day long.”
Li Qu ignored her. Leaning against the soft pillows, she said weakly to Auntie Li, “I was willful before, and caused you trouble, Auntie.”
Auntie Li was slightly surprised, but seeing that Li Qu had come around, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It was rare for Third Master to show interest in a woman, and she hadn’t quite dared to go too far against this concubine anyway.
“As long as you’ve come around, Madam.”
“Please convey a message to the Old Madam for me: the fault was mine before. Once I’ve recovered, I will go pay my respects and apologize to her in person.”
A great weight lifted from Auntie Li’s shoulders. She bowed to Li Qu, then left with the physician.
The moment Auntie Li was gone, Nanny Xu stepped forward: “Madam, about the concubine registry document…”
Li Qu closed her eyes. “I will speak with the Master myself.”
Seeing that Li Qu didn’t want to talk, Nanny Xu didn’t press further and instead called for Hongguo and Cuiguo to help Li Qu get up.
After resting for two days, Li Qu felt even more listless.
Seeing the smile gone from Li Qu’s face, Nanny Xu dared not bring up the matter of the concubine register again.
Those around Li Qu did nothing but wipe down tables or dust the furnishings with feather dusters.
Li Qu pulled the cloth from her face: “Nanny, if you have something to say, just say it.”
Nanny Xu then began her heartfelt words.
“Madam, please don’t hold a grudge against this old servant for whipping you that day. If I hadn’t played the harsh one, and Third Master had dealt with you directly, it wouldn’t have ended with just a whip.”
“You’re a clever one, Madam. You once charmed every master and mistress in this entire household into smiles—coaxing Third Master shouldn’t be beyond you.”
“As for what you told Third Master about having someone in your heart—true or not, never mention it again.”
“Once the principal wife comes through the door, if you can bear a son or a daughter, the rest of your life will be settled.”
“This old servant, along with Hongguo and Cuiguo, has been assigned to your courtyard, Madam. From now on, we rise and fall together.”
“As long as you’re willing, Madam, and we serve you with one heart, we will surely find a firm footing in the Third Household.”
Hongguo and Cuiguo nodded vigorously in agreement.
Li Qu burst out laughing, laughing until tears came to her eyes.
Cuiguo said earnestly: “Madam, what’s so funny? Setting everything else aside, your looks and figure alone are enough to keep Third Master!”
The other two nodded along.
Sure enough, Third Master came to Fanghua Garden again that evening.