Madam Wei had not been having an easy time these past few days.
A perfectly good New Year had been marred by Shen Jianglin's drowning incident, creating a rift between her and Shen Rui. Though she did not believe she had done anything wrong, the fact remained that a life had nearly been lost. Shen Rui had scolded her in front of a whole room of maidservants and matrons, and on the night of New Year's Day itself—when he was supposed to have stayed in her chambers—he had gone to check on Shen Jianglin at the eastern courtyard and never returned.
This made Madam Wei lose face.
She sent her trusted matron and maidservants to inquire several times, and only after learning that Shen Rui had ultimately rested alone in the front study did she breathe a low sigh of relief—had he stayed at Concubine Ye's place instead, that would have been a complete slap to her dignity, and how could she ever maintain authority over the household thereafter?
The couple had been married for twenty years now. Though she was a second wife, the two had always treated each other with mutual respect, and especially in the early years of their marriage, they had enjoyed a period of honeyed bliss.
Madam Wei was six years younger than Marquis Shen. Though she was a Shu-daughter who had married above her station, Marquis Shen still held her in esteem. She had struggled with childbearing, and it was not until she gave birth to Shen Jiangyun, her legitimate son, that Concubine Xu was allowed to bear children afterwards.
During her pregnancy with Shen Jiangyun, she had been unable to attend to Shen Rui, so she had elevated one of her senior maidservants to the status of concubine and given her to Shen Rui—that was Concubine Sun. Unfortunately, Concubine Sun was plain in appearance, did not find favor, and never bore a single child. It was instead that fox-faced Concubine Xu who, like a sow, gave birth one after another—three children in four years!
Fortunately, there had been no further pregnancies after that, and only then did Madam Wei gradually set her mind at ease.
Over the years, Shen Rui had only two concubines. Concubine Sun was one of her own people, and though Concubine Xu had a seductive appearance, she was somewhat rash in temper and loose with her tongue. Shen Rui, who prided himself on his scholarly background, did not truly think highly of her deep down, so it was with Madam Wei that he could always converse most comfortably.
Madam Wei had never imagined she would be so fortunate. Her mother-in-law lived year-round in the family temple, devoted only to vegetarian fasting and Buddhist prayer, meddling in nothing and causing her no trouble. Her husband respected her, her children were filial, and though she occasionally encountered small frictions, compared to other households, she considered herself most blessed.
And yet—who would have thought that Shen Rui, nearly fifty years old, would go drinking at a colleague's residence and come home with trouble? He brought back a "thin horse" from Yangzhou, and within mere days, she had become the household's Concubine Ye.
That Concubine Ye was barely twenty years old, her beauty no less than Concubine Xu's in her prime, and she was accomplished in every art—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Word had it she was especially skilled in dance and could even compose poetry and match couplets. Since entering the household last year, Shen Rui's visits to the main courtyard had grown increasingly rare, while he frequently lodged at Concubine Ye's quarters.
Fortunately, word had it that women from those establishments had all consumed potent medicines and could never bear children, so no matter how vexed Madam Wei felt, she could only regard her as a plaything, to be dealt with once the Marquis's enthusiasm had waned.
Still, it was an established tradition for the Marquis to come to the main wife's chambers on New Year's Day. Had he not come that day but instead gone to Concubine Ye's place, it would have been as though he were trampling Madam Wei's dignity into the ground.
Fortunately, the worst had not come to pass.
Yet in her heart, she was nonetheless far from pleased.
Because of this, as the "root cause" of the trouble, Shen Jianglin—even while still lying ill those days—was never once visited by Madam Wei. She merely bestowed some medicinal herbs and otherwise paid her no attention whatsoever.
So when she finished listening to Nanny Chen's account below and looked at Biyue kneeling on the ground, her eyes cried so red and swollen they looked like two rotten walnuts, she still found it somewhat hard to believe: "Biyue, what grudge do you have against Lin-ge'er?"
Though she did not want to believe it, the facts were right before her eyes, and Madam Wei had no choice but to believe.
She did not ask whether Biyue had dropped it. This jade pendant was something she had personally instructed Biyue to handle. If Biyue could not even manage such a small matter, she could not have become the foremost person in Shen Jiangyun's chambers.
Biyue made one last desperate struggle, looking at the people in Madam Wei's room as she said, "Madam, could you dismiss those around us?"
Madam Wei gave a cold laugh. Not only did she not dismiss anyone, she instead rebuked her loudly: "If you have something to say, say it right here. I have nothing here that cannot be spoken of before others!"
Speak privately? Then later, when rumors spread, would it be said that she herself had instructed Biyue to do it?
This Biyue was truly treacherous on the outside and foolish within, unable even to see the current situation clearly. Back then, she herself had also misjudged and chosen Biyue to send to Yun-ge'er's chambers.
A thick look of disappointment flashed through Madam Wei's eyes, and Biyue caught it. Biyue no longer dared to play any clever tricks, and hurriedly confessed everything in full: "Madam, the second young master and this servant have no grudge. It is only that he repeatedly showed disrespect to the eldest young master. This servant only wanted… to give him a small lesson. This servant truly did not expect what happened afterward!"
The original Shen Jianglin was a somewhat stubborn child. When he was with Shen Jiangyun, although he had some reverence for his legitimate elder brother, he was even more bothered by the fact that his elder brother was legitimate while he himself was a son born of a concubine. In addition, some of Shen Jiangyun's words did not sit well with the original body, so there were often arguments and retorts.
When Biyue attended them from the side, she both felt sorry for her own young master's good temper and deeply hated Shen Jianglin for not knowing how to appreciate favor.
But since even the eldest young master had not spoken, how could she, a little maidservant, interject?
That day, on the first day of the new year, Biyue took the New Year gifts and the jade pendant from Madam Wei's room. When she placed one of the New Year gifts in Shen Jianglin's study, it happened that no one was around. As if possessed, Biyue placed the jade pendant on Shen Jianglin's desk—she wanted to use Madam Wei's hand to properly discipline Shen Jianglin.
In Biyue's mind, Shen Jianglin was only a ten-year-old child, and no one had seen her put it there. As long as she insisted to the death that she had brought the jade pendant back, and observing coldly how Madam Wei had grown more and more careless toward this son born of a concubine over the past few years, Biyue thought this matter would be easy to handle.
But no one could have expected that Shen Jianglin's temper was so stubborn that he would jump into the water.
Biyue had originally judged from Madam Wei's usual words and conduct, and especially since it was the first day of the new year, that at most there would be a light punishment as a warning. She herself would have vented some anger for the eldest young master, and at the same time made Shen Jianglin a little clearer-headed, making him recognize his own status, so that he would not dare to be insolent in front of the eldest young master again.
Biyue spoke pitifully, as if wholeheartedly devoted to Shen Jiangyun, but to Madam Wei's ears, it was simply unbearable.
Madam Wei was furious beyond measure. She directly hurled the teacup in her hand fiercely to the ground and sternly called for the roughwork women to come in. She had Biyue tied up with hemp rope and thrown into the horse pen to await punishment. She herself was so angry that her chest rose and fell, and even her head began to ache.
She had actually placed such a bold, reckless, stupid thing by her own son's side, and in the past she had even thought she was a good one!
A servant who "made decisions" for her master like this was absolutely intolerable to Madam Wei. If this matter had not come to light today, Biyue's ambitions would have grown, and staying by Yun-ge'er's side in the future, who knew how much trouble she would stir up.
And this person was someone she herself had given to Yun-ge'er.
At the thought of this, Madam Wei's own hands trembled slightly.
Indeed, Madam Wei did not know that in the original book's world, Shen Jiangyun would soon enough consummate things with Biyue early on. Young and yet without restraint, he inevitably became addicted to matters between men and women, and even his temperament shifted. Later, after he married Zhao Anning, this Biyue stirred up plenty of wind and rain amid the discord between husband and wife.
But even if Madam Wei did not know these things, she still felt a lingering fear.
……..
Shen Jianglin did not know how Madam Wei ultimately dealt with Biyue. In any case, within Rong'an Marquis Manor, Biyue's figure was seen no more. At the same time, early on the sixth day, things flowed like water into the eastern side courtyard—nourishing medicinal ingredients, brocades for making clothes, and some toys children loved such as nine-linked rings, mechanism boxes, and the four treasures of the study for reading—all were sent over. Concubine Xu was delighted, touching this and looking at that, not knowing what to do with herself.
Chuntao bowed to Shen Jianglin, her face full of smiles: "Second Young Master looks much better. Madam told me to tell you that once you are well, she will bring you back."
Even though Concubine Xu was reluctant to part with him, a great stone had also fallen in her heart, and there was no one happier.
But who could have expected that Shen Jianglin would shake his head and directly decline: "Chuntao-jie, please tell Mother for me that I am already grown, and it is no longer appropriate for me to stay in the main courtyard. When spring comes, I want to be like Elder Brother—to study in quiet and solitude. It would be better to choose a more secluded small courtyard for me. As for these few days, my body is not yet fully recovered, so I will convalesce here with Concubine Xu, to avoid moving back and forth and troubling Mother again."
Chuntao, as Madam Wei's trusted senior maid, had always wielded great prestige in Rong'an Marquis Manor. She handled matters steadily and with foresight, could keep things composed in her heart, and did not reveal her emotions easily. But after hearing Shen Jianglin's words, the smile on her face faded, and a strange feeling rose in her heart.
Everyone thought that the Second Young Master would try every possible means to return to the main courtyard and continue receiving the instruction of the principal mother, Madam Wei—including the fact that even while dragging his sick body, he had to go to the Eldest Young Master's side to explain clearly the cause and effect of the jade pendant incident. All of it was for this purpose.
Madam Wei had once praised Chuntao for judging matters and people accurately, but this time, she could not quite understand.
Yet no matter what, she was still a servant. Shen Jianglin's words were an order, not a discussion, so Chuntao could only accept the command and withdraw.
Shen Jianglin gave Nanny Wang a veiled glance. Nanny Wang gritted her teeth, then immediately piled up a face full of smiles: "Miss Chuntao, let me see you out."
Although Concubine Xu had a small courtyard of her own, it could not compare at all with the main courtyard. It was only a single-entry small courtyard. Concubine Xu had only one rough-work old woman and one little maid to serve her. Now that Shen Jianglin had come, his two maids and his wet nurse Nanny Wang had followed as well. In addition, today Madam Wei, Marquis Shen, and the Eldest Young Master had rewarded quite a few things, making the small courtyard seem even more cramped, with no room to set one's feet.
So Nanny Wang escorted Chuntao to the back of the residence. Seeing that there was no one around, she quickly smiled and took Chuntao's hand, while at the same time pressing a heavy purse into Chuntao's palm: "Miss Chuntao, these past few days the Second Young Master keeps saying he was too impulsive and did wrong, making things difficult for the Madam, and he feels too ashamed to face the Madam. He's thinking he still needs to study properly and understand more principles, so that after he passes the Keju and advances in his studies, he can properly honor the Madam. That's why he came up with the idea of moving to a quiet little courtyard to study once he's recovered. I hope Miss Chuntao will put in a good word for him when the time comes."
Chuntao listened carefully, and inwardly she sighed: After going through this disaster, the Second Young Master has indeed become much more sensible—so this was what he had in mind all along.
If it had been any other troublesome matter, Chuntao would not have accepted the purse, but for this matter, she had a bit of confidence.
First, although this incident had already been cleared up, the Madam had suffered a great deal over it and had even fallen out with the Marquis. The Madam was still somewhat unhappy in her heart. The things bestowed now were merely for appearances' sake.
Second, the Second Young Master was not her own child after all, and he was a boy. Originally, the Madam had only planned to raise him at most until he was as old as the First Young Master, and then have him move out. Some time ago, she had already been thinking about which courtyard to assign him. Now, going along with the flow, it was not out of the question.
After all, having been raised for so many years, in the Second Young Master's heart, the Madam had long been his only mother. Even if he did not live in the main courtyard, what difference did it make?
Feeling that she had thought through all the ins and outs, Chuntao smiled brightly, accepted the purse, and took her leave.