Yiniang spoke very politely: "Sixth Aunt, I heard something from our Madam and came to verify it with you."
"What is it? Go ahead and say it." Madam Yu's expression was calm.
She had originally had many matters to attend to, but Yiniang insisted on speaking with her clearly. She assumed it was about Madam Cao and that Yiniang had come to pour out her grievances. After some thought, she agreed anyway—otherwise, if mother and daughter made a big scene later, she, as the household manager, would be summoned again, and that would be difficult to handle.
Who would have expected Yiniang to say: "I heard that my mother used to go to Xuan Du Abbey with you to pray for children. Later, the abbey was destroyed, and it was said that their so-called child-blessing was actually drugging women and sending lewd Daoist priests to couple with them. The women dared not speak of it when they returned, and if they became pregnant, they naturally kept silent. My mother went there and conceived me, but because the scandal at Xuan Du Abbey erupted, she hanged herself. I only wish to verify with you—is this true?"
When Sheniang heard this, she could only think how for thousands of years, women had to bear children to secure their footing in their husband's families, and these charlatans relied on that desperation to act with impunity. The ones who suffered were still the women.
So Third Sister had come to ask Mother about this. She wondered how Mother would respond.
She quietly craned her neck to look inside. In the narrow side chamber stood two people. Madam Yu stood in the light, frozen in place, while Yiniang, standing in the shadows, wore a heavy, indignant expression, as if silently accusing Madam Yu.
The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. After a long while, Madam Yu finally said: "Where did you hear such idle gossip, child? Your mother died of illness. We only went to burn incense during the day—and not just us; which woman in this household hasn't been there?"
"But this came from our Madam," Yiniang said with certainty. She had felt from the start that Madam Cao's attitude was somewhat strange, and she didn't think Madam Cao would fabricate such a story without reason.
Hearing this, Madam Yu merely said: "I don't know what you're talking about. I'll be going now."
"Sixth Aunt, I heard from my wet nurse that before my mother died, she met with you. Can you tell me what she said to you?" Seeing Madam Yu's evasive gaze, Yiniang knew she was not a deeply calculating person, and felt increasingly that she had the upper hand. Her tone grew somewhat aggressive.
Madam Yu opened her mouth but ultimately said: "That was over ten years ago. How could I still remember?"
Yiniang was about to say more when a crisp voice called from outside: "Mother, what are you still talking with Third Sister about? The servants are all looking for you."
It was Sheniang's voice. Madam Yu immediately went out, without even a word of farewell to Yiniang.
When Madam Yu saw her daughter, she let out a sigh of relief. Sheniang took her mother's hand and said: "Mother, let's hurry back. The carriage harness has gone missing, and they're waiting for you to return with the household management token."
"Alright, alright, I'm going back now." Madam Yu hurried outside.
After the mother and daughter left, Yiniang finally emerged from the inner room. Nanny Chang hurried forward to ask: "Miss, what did Sixth Madam say?"
"She played completely ignorant, but I could tell she knows something—she just won't speak for her own sake. Perhaps she had a hand in my mother's death." Yiniang even suspected her mother hadn't intended to hang herself at all; perhaps it was something Madam Yu said that drove her to it.
Otherwise, why would Madam Yu be so guilty?
There wasn't much left she could do for the real Yiniang. If Madam Yu truly had caused her mother's death, she certainly wouldn't let it go. She could also ask Madam Lu—it was rare that she had gained a foothold with the old lady, and Madam Lu had been trying to cozy up to her these past few days, not even resting during her illness.
Meanwhile, Sheniang walked along with Madam Yu, who said: "Are the servants over there demanding things urgently?"
"Mother, if I hadn't said that, how could I have gotten you out of there? I overheard your conversation with Third Sister from the window corridor in the back, so I immediately ran around to the front and found an excuse." Sheniang said.
Madam Yu never expected Sheniang to know about all this. She quickly said: "Don't mention any of this to your father."
Sheniang looked at Madam Yu, wondering if her mother had also fallen victim to it, but she still needed to ask clearly. If it were true, she would have to help her mother cover it up—after all, it wasn't her mother's fault.
So Sheniang remained silent until they reached the main hall, then said: "Mother, I have something to tell you."
But Madam Yu was unwilling to discuss the matter, so she said: "You're still a child. Don't dwell on such things. Mother will handle it."
"Mother…" Sheniang tried to persuade her.
Just then, word came from outside that Aunt Mo had brought her children to pay their respects and planned to stay for a few days, so Madam Yu needed to arrange accommodations. The mother and daughter had no choice but to go attend to that, and this was not the time to bring up the matter.
Although Aunt Mo was born of a concubine, she was the only daughter of the previous generation of the Pei family, so she had married quite well. Her husband had even risen to the rank of fifth-rank official in recent years, but unfortunately died in office. The aunt now lived with her children at her in-laws' home.
Of course, this Aunt Mo, now widowed, was quite favored by Old Madam Pei, who let her stay at the Pei residence. Given Old Madam Pei's consistent compassion for the poor and elderly, this was perfectly normal.
However, Aunt Mo herself was rather plain-looking, but her son Mo Yun was a handsome young man, skilled in both letters and martial arts. Old Madam Pei, seeing his scholarly talents, allowed him to study under the eldest uncle and her father. Aunt Mo was extremely pleased and, seeing that Madam Yu managed the household, came over to say quite a few things.
That night, Madam Lu was recuperating in her room when she saw Yueniang enter with a slightly flushed face. Being well-informed and sharp-tongued, she said irritably, "Your grandmother received a letter from your sister saying that Assistant Commissioner Wang's son has already been betrothed to the daughter of the Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Our matter has come to nothing. The old lady is being so good to that Mo boy—I suspect she's thinking of marrying you to him."
Assistant Commissioner Wang was the younger brother of the Marquis of Shengping, and his son had also passed the military examination—this would have been an excellent match.
Unfortunately, the old master's death came at the worst possible time. With his passing, the match was never settled—it wasn't even a formal courtship, just a single meeting. Since the other party had become engaged, naturally our family couldn't say anything about it.
But what was the Mo family anyway? Their foundation was thin, and in the future they'd have to rely on our family. A daughter married into that household would only suffer.
Yueniang had been somewhat upset at first, but after catching a glimpse of that cousin Mo, she felt a measure of approval. However, as a young lady, she couldn't very well voice such thoughts. Hearing her mother speak so disparagingly of the Mo family, she couldn't help but say, "Mother, didn't Aunt say that Cousin manages the estate business and lives quite comfortably?"
"What does that amount to? If it were truly good, why wouldn't she have Shunniang marry him?" Madam Lu was beginning to feel some resentment toward Old Madam Pei as well.
This was the classic case of "a pint of rice breeds resentment, a peck breeds gratitude." Yueniang stammered, "I heard he's already passed the county examination."
Madam Lu snorted coldly. "You little fool, have you actually taken a fancy to him? How naive you are. Since ancient times, few women who married beneath them have lived well. Even if he were a provincial graduate, let alone a mere licentiate, I wouldn't be moved. Look at the families your sister associates with—and Fourth Miss will one day marry into the Marquis of Dingbei's household. These are all first-rate families in the capital. As the saying goes, 'Under a big tree, one enjoys the shade.' Never mind the noble households—even in a family like ours, your father, mediocre as he is, lives ten times better than ordinary officials outside because he leans on the Pei family. That plain white silk jacket you're wearing, the jade pendant at your waist, the silk-wadded skirt below—that entire outfit costs thirty taels. Your sixth uncle's annual salary is only about that much, and he's a proper sixth-rank official."
"That Mo fellow clearly knows how to work on women—that's why he's charmed both the old and the young. But he can't fool me. Even if he passed the metropolitan examination at a young age, without anyone to promote him and without money to build connections, he'd be lucky to reach the rank of prefect in twenty years of official service."
Yueniang wiped her tears, her enthusiasm cooling with every word. But she still said, "Mother, I understand your reasoning. But what's to be done? The Wang family matter has fallen through after all."
"A family that bends with the wind like that—we wouldn't want them anyway. Enough. It's just that my health won't allow me to socialize properly. If I could manage a bit of entertaining, finding you another good match wouldn't be difficult." Madam Lu said this, but in truth, she didn't have many connections at all.
These days, marriages were all about matching family status and comparing dowries. An ordinary official family was manageable, but for the very top tier, it was extremely difficult.
Yueniang had harbored a slight affection for that cousin Mo, but she was also someone who loved to outshine others. Thinking that she would be looked down upon in the future, whatever feelings she had quickly dissipated.
She thought about having her mother arrange a good match for her, so that once the mourning period ended, she could marry joyfully and hold her head high.
"Mother, please rest well. I'll take my leave now." Yueniang actually believed Madam Lu had a way, and went out with a look of hopeful expectation.
Once her daughter had left, Madam Lu sighed deeply.
Just then, word came that Third Miss had arrived. Madam Lu resumed her usual shrewd demeanor, lying back and thinking to herself—coming here at this hour, she must want something. But considering how Yiniang knew how to flatter and please, even winning over someone like Old Madam Pei, and how she herself was getting old, with Yueniang only knowing how to compete with her sisters and never winning the old lady's favor…
Third Miss wasn't close to her stepmother anyway. Madam Lu had merely been deliberately cultivating her to show Old Madam Pei her kindness, which would make her words and actions easier in the future.
So she said, "Ask Third Miss to come in."
After Yiniang entered, she first exchanged pleasantries with Madam Lu, then took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands. "I had meant to come see you earlier, but just now the old lady was hungry in the night and said she wanted steamed buns with pickled melon rinds. I had to make them fresh, and that delayed me until now. Fortunately, Second Aunt hasn't gone to bed yet."
"Oh my, pickled melon rinds are no easy thing to make—they take the most effort." Madam Lu said, then let out an exaggerated laugh.
Yiniang spoke with her for a few more moments, asking her to dismiss the attendants before getting to the point. "I heard from the elders in the family that my mother was not meant to die. It was only after Sixth Aunt paid her a visit that she passed away. I wonder if Second Aunt-in-law knows anything about what happened behind the scenes? I do not wish to remain in the dark. If you tell me, Second Aunt-in-law, I will be forever grateful and repay your kindness however I can."
Nothing in the household escaped Madam Lu's watchful eyes, but she was unwilling to leave herself open to accusations, so she shook her head. "It's not that I won't tell you—it's that I truly don't know."
"Second Aunt-in-law is a woman of great reach and insight—how could you not know of such matters? If you tell me, perhaps I can help with Second Sister's marriage prospects and your plans. I may not be able to do much, but I can certainly help with the smaller things. Especially regarding the household management—the Old Lady is always praising Sixth Madam as a bodhisattva-like figure who handles matters with proper order. Last time she was determined to hand over the reins to Sixth Madam, and this time she may let her keep them for good…" Yiniang saw through everything in the household with perfect clarity, and naturally knew how to persuade Madam Lu.
Indeed, upon hearing this, Madam Lu thought to herself: truly, the dogs that bite don't bark. She had always assumed Madam Yu was unassuming and uncontentious, but now it seemed the woman had been quietly taking the city without a sound! So she cast aside her caution and said, "I don't know much more than this. I only remember that your mother and your Sixth Aunt conceived within about a month of each other. Originally this was a great joy for the family. Your mother had a gentle disposition, and your Sixth Aunt was equally mild-mannered. I had thought they got along quite well. But then, one day before your mother's death, I went to pay my respects to the Old Lady and happened upon the two of them seemingly arguing. Your mother said to your Sixth Aunt, 'Don't be so pleased with yourself just because your dates line up—you're the same as me.' Your Sixth Aunt replied, 'You're the one who failed to conduct yourself properly, yet you blame me…'"
"I don't know what they were arguing about, and I couldn't very well stand there eavesdropping. All I know is that after your mother gave birth to you, she was weak and frail, and none of us wished to disturb her. But your Sixth Aunt went to see her, and I vaguely overheard people saying that your Sixth Aunt told your mother that the case had been exposed, and she should make early preparations, and so on. The servants attending her all said your mother wept as though her heart would break, and then she was gone."
Hearing this, Yiniang understood everything completely. It was Madam Yu who had engineered the whole scheme. The two of them had gone to Xuan Du Temple together, but because Madam Yu had not conceived from that visit, she was cleared of any suspicion that her child was illegitimate. Her mother, however, had no way to defend herself. In the end, Madam Yu delivered the final blow—telling her mother the case had been exposed—and her mother, to preserve her own honor and secure her daughter's path to survival, took her own life.
This Madam Yu truly killed without shedding a drop of blood. Perhaps she thought that with her mother dead, no one would ever know of these past events.