Upon hearing this, Consort Zheng immediately declined, “The princess consort is virtuous and kind, but since you yourself use only silk floss and cotton wadding, not fur, I dare not overstep.”
“You are delicate and frail, unlike me, who used to often accompany the great prince on hunts. I have committed too many killings and must endure the hardships of ascetic practice.” Princess Consort of Chu took her hand, her gaze gently sweeping over the other’s thin face, warmth mingled with pity. “Use it. We entered the manor together and have accompanied each other for many years, as close as sisters. If your health suffers, I would worry too.”
“Yes, I thank the princess consort.” Consort Zheng had no choice but to bow in gratitude.
Princess Consort of Chu continued to probe, “And Fourth Young Master? Why is he not here?”
“I fear you will laugh at me, Princess Consort. I have heard that Third Young Master is diligent in his studies, having already mastered the Four Books and Five Classics at a young age. In contrast, the foolish child I gave birth to stumbles even in learning his first characters, which truly worries me. Lately, I have been keeping him hard at work. I do not hope he can catch up to his third brother, only that he will not anger the great prince over this matter in the future.” Consort Zheng’s expression stiffened slightly.
By all accounts, Princess Consort of Chu could not be called a peerless beauty, but she was still lovely—with dark brows, red lips, and jet-black hair. When unsmiling, she was dignified and serene; with the slightest hint of a smile, she was gentle as water.
Yet Consort Zheng feared her deeply, feeling as if her eyes were filled with an icy coldness, like a bottomless, frigid pool.
“You worry too much. How old is Xiao Silang? He has only just begun his studies a year ago—what can be discerned at this stage?” Princess Consort of Chu ignored Consort Zheng’s fear, maintaining her virtuous demeanor. “The great prince will soon return to the manor. I will not disturb you further. Please rest.”
“I respectfully see off the princess consort.” Consort Zheng sighed in relief, leaning against the couch. After catching her breath slowly, she grabbed her maidservant’s hand, her voice urgent. “Where is Nanny Guan? Go find her quickly. Tell her the princess consort has noticed something and to hurry around through the back gate to enter the courtyard. If anyone asks, just say she went to the accounts office to collect the monthly silver.”
But as luck would have it, Princess Consort of Chu, seeing the crisp autumn weather and wishing to indulge in a touch of elegance, decided to take a detour to the garden to admire the chrysanthemums before the evening glow faded.
This detour led her to the back gate of the small courtyard where Consort Zheng resided, where she ran into a maidservant in a hurry—
Shiwu.
“Princess Consort, be careful.” Her personal maid, Bihe, quick-eyed and swift-handed, stepped in front of her master.
“This servant deserves death, deserves death! I have offended the princess consort. I beg for your mercy.” Shiwu was so frightened she knelt on the ground, her face ashen.
“Rise quickly. I am unharmed.” But Princess Consort of Chu did not punish her, instead smiling gently. “Was the food box too heavy, causing you to be distracted?”
“No need, this servant can carry it herself.” Shiwu shook her head desperately. “Truly, no need.”
However, Bihe gave a meaningful glance, and the young maidservant following behind immediately stepped forward to snatch the food box from her hands, saying, “The princess consort is benevolent and kind, ordering me to help you carry it, sister.”
Shiwu naturally resisted, but the maidservant was strong. In the struggle, the food box suddenly fell, spilling the medicinal dregs everywhere.
Bihe pointed. “Princess Consort, look.”
“What is this?” Princess Consort of Chu looked surprised and suspicious.
Another accompanying maidservant said, “This servant thinks it looks like medicinal dregs. There is still undried moisture on them, clearly just taken from the medicine pot.”
“Where did you get these medicinal dregs from?” Princess Consort of Chu’s expression turned solemn as she glanced at Shiwu.
“How dare you hesitate before the princess consort? Answer quickly!” Bihe shouted loudly.
"Someone, go summon Tian Nüshi. We must interrogate thoroughly." Seeing Shiwu unwilling to answer, Princess Consort of Chu sighed helplessly, "But remember, the great prince is Benevolent and Filial, and often tells me that household management should prioritize virtue and morality. Even if this servant girl has truly committed a grave mistake, we must not resort to violence."
Tian Nüshi came from the palace and had been assisting Princess Consort of Chu in managing the household since the establishment of the estate. Swift and decisive, upon learning that Shiwu was a servant from the Beast House, she brought people to question her the very next day.
Shen Hui had long known of her formidable reputation. However, having been coached by Aunt Duan several times on how to respond, she simply feigned dullness and caution on the surface.
"Shiwu once cried thief to catch a thief, falsely accusing you?" Tian Nüshi, in her thirties, had sharp, piercing eyes that saw through Shen Hui's pretense at a glance.
This was a trap.
If Shen Hui was still unaware of Shiwu hiding the medicine dregs, she could not determine it was a case of crying thief to catch a thief.
"This servant does not understand what 'crying thief to catch a thief' means. That day, after the medicine dregs were dug up in the huafang, Shiwu brought people to search this servant's room for evidence and immediately went to look under the bed." Shen Hui recounted the events once more, repeating the same story.
Tian Nüshi stepped forward, staring intently at her: "I heard the outcome of this matter was that Shiwu returned empty-handed. Why? Did you find the medicine dregs in advance?"
"No." But she kept her head bowed, pretending not to sense the sharpness in Tian Nüshi's tone.
Feigning cleverness is difficult; feigning foolishness is simple. Shen Hui summoned the haze of attending early morning classes after staying up all night, displaying a kind of clear stupidity, as if her mind were completely empty.
After asking a few questions, Tian Nüshi deliberately left her hanging. The silence in the courtyard was chilling, but Shen Hui had already mastered the skill of entertaining herself by weaving stories in her mind. While thinking about what to eat for lunch and recalling where she left off in the melodramatic little scenario before bed last time, she remained calm and composed.
Thus, Tian Nüshi wasted half an hour with Shen Hui to no avail.
"Watertight, truly your teaching." Before leaving, she glared at Aunt Duan, her expression unfriendly.
Life in the Beast House had tempered one's disposition; Aunt Duan had become much more tactful: "I dare not claim such praise. This servant is dull-witted, how could I compare to your decisive actions and meticulous mind, Nüshi?"
"But back in the palace, it was you whom our teacher always praised as peerlessly clever." Tian Nüshi pressed aggressively.
"Just a momentary cleverness." Aunt Duan bowed respectfully to her former senior fellow apprentice, flawlessly deferential, leaving the other with no fault to find.
Tian Nüshi gazed at her deeply for a few moments, then turned and left in a huff.
"Find someone to keep a close watch on Duan. We absolutely cannot let her leave the Beast House and climb back into the princess consort's favor." Tian Nüshi was extremely wary of Aunt Duan and quickly instructed the maid beside her.
In the Beast House, Aunt Duan was quite satisfied with Shen Hui's performance today.
"Ah Hui, you handled yourself appropriately today, truly well done." She praised loudly.
But no one answered her.
Aunt Duan frowned, turned to look, but saw no trace of Shen Hui.
"Where is Ah Hui?" she asked Liu'er.
Liu'er and Qi'er, holding hands, were about to head out: "It's time to eat. Sister went to the kitchen to find Sister A Wei."
Speechless, Aunt Duan only wanted to take back her earlier praise: "This girl is good in every way, except she's always thinking about eating."
"Sister often says she reflects on herself three times a day: what to eat in the morning, what to eat at noon, what to eat at night. Thinking about eating is normal, right?" Liu'er scratched his head.
"What nonsense is this? I told her to study the Lunyu (Analects), and she learned it like this?" Aunt Duan was so angry she held her forehead. "And you two, what are you going to do?"
Liu'er and Qi'er answered truthfully: "Eat… eat…"
"Alright, alright, go ahead." Aunt Duan was completely at a loss for words, torn between laughter and tears, and silently waved her hand.
That child Shen Hui really is… well, never mind, she's quite interesting. A glutton she may be, but at least she's a clever glutton.
In the Servants' Kitchen, the "clever glutton" Shen Hui was devouring her food with the ferocity of a starving ghost seeking revenge.
Tian Nüshi had begun interrogating people early in the morning and continued all morning, leaving Shen Hui so hungry she felt her stomach was pressed against her backbone. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she picked up her bowl and started eating, holding the bowl in her left hand and using chopsticks in her right to shovel food into her mouth, sweeping through it like a whirlwind.
Today's lunch was millet rice topped with minced meat stewed with alfalfa, similar to a rice bowl. This way of eating could be traced back to the "Chun'ao" from the "Eight Delicacies of Zhou."
"Sister, did Tian Nüshi give you a hard time?" Shen Wei poured tea for her sister, worried she might choke.
"No, I have nothing to hide, so I just answered truthfully." Shen Hui didn't even look up, her fierce eating manner making her seem more like a wild beast than even Jinyun. "What else did you save for me? Hurry up, I'm starving."
"This time, it's not something I saved for you—I made it myself." Shen Wei brought over two small dishes of side dishes.
She had a small appetite, so half a bowl of rice was enough for her. The side dishes were all for Shen Hui: one plate of steamed cured meat and one plate of mixed lettuce.
"You're truly my good sister. When you have time, come to the Beast House to play, and I'll let you pet Jinyun." Shen Hui didn't hold back.
"Out of everyone in the mansion, you're the calmest, not panicked at all." Shen Wei rested her chin in her hands, admiringly saying, "Look at those young maidservants who usually come to deliver food boxes to the senior maids. They usually try to linger in the kitchen for half an hour, asking for food before leaving. But after what happened with Shiwu, everyone is on edge. Not only do they not linger, but even those coming to order food have decreased."
"A Wei, you're still free, right? Can you help Auntie make the food that needs to be sent to Tian Nüshi?" Halfway through the meal, an unfamiliar cook leaned lazily against a low cabinet, picking her teeth, and sent Shen Wei off to work.
Shen Wei nodded without delay and promptly stood up.
As she rose, she revealed Shen Hui sitting beside her.
The cook, seeing her from afar, was startled and quickly cut off her words: "Oh, Miss Shen Hui is here! You two sisters should eat and spend more time together."
According to the maidservants from the Beast House, this Shen Hui would release Jinyun to bite people at the slightest disagreement. Better not offend such a madwoman.
She was a bully who feared the strong, and the thought of Jinyun made her abandon any thought of slacking off.
"That cook isn't asking you for help for the first time, is she?" Shen Hui pulled Shen Wei back and snorted coldly.
Shen Wei didn't want to cause trouble for her sister and forced a smile, her round eyes curving. "It's fine, sister. Those who can do more should do more. I asked Nanny Zhang. Originally, there were only two kitchens in the mansion. Later, as the masters had more attendants, a separate Servants' Kitchen was added for the servants. That's why the staffing here is a bit disorganized. There shouldn't be any maidservants here—aside from the Steward, it's just cooks and young maidservants."
"What are you trying to say?" Shen Hui interrupted her. "Do you feel guilty because you entered the mansion through your aunt's connections?"
"Not just that. Nanny Zhang dotes on me, which has already caused resentment among others…" Shen Wei spoke timidly.
Shen Hui said impatiently, "What does it matter if others are resentful? What does it have to do with you? It's important to guard against others. Just focus on doing what Nanny Zhang asks of you, stay alert, and don't overdo it trying to please others—otherwise, they'll only bully you more."
"Sister's quick thinking and courage are far beyond my reach." Upon hearing this, Shen Wei leaned in closer. "And with your formidable reputation, how would they dare bully me?"
"Can I protect you forever?" Though Shen Hui disliked her flattery, she still patiently offered her younger sister advice. "Learn to refuse. Next time, simply ignore the cook's demands. Usually, maintain the demeanor of a third-class maidservant, and win over the young maidservants who do odd jobs below you. Balance kindness with authority, understand?"
Shen Wei seemed to grasp it vaguely, striving to comprehend her elder sister's teachings.
That night, a cold moon, sharp as a blade, hung in the sky, its pale, fragmented light like frozen frost clinging to the horizon.
"Side Consort, Tian Nüshi requests an audience." After the incident, Nanny Guan had been taken away and had not yet returned. Only two or three second-rank maids remained in Consort Zheng's chamber.
As soon as the words were spoken, the beaded curtain was lifted, and Tian Nüshi stood at the doorway.
"What brings Tian Nüshi here?" Consort Zheng knew she could no longer hide the truth and did not continue her strained facade, allowing her pallid complexion to show.
"By order of the princess consort, this official has come to assist Fourth Young Master in moving to the front courtyard's Songzhu Tang, so that you may recuperate in peace." After speaking, Tian Nüshi simply apologized for the intrusion.
"Excellent. Now it will be even easier for Consort Cui to target my child." Consort Zheng felt neither sorrow nor joy; illness had left her eyes dull and numb.
"Side Consort, you are a senior in the household and should understand the rule that consorts must not conceal their illnesses. Yet, you secretly took medicine while instructing Nanny Guan to bribe the servant Shiwu to dispose of the dregs. Fourth Young Master is still young. If you were to pass your illness to him and word spread outside, it would appear as though the princess consort mistreated a concubine's son, causing him to fall ill without reason." Tian Nüshi frowned slightly. "Rest assured, Songzhu Tang was originally prepared for the young masters to reside in. All necessities are provided, and Fourth Young Master will not be mistreated."
"Has the princess consort been waiting for this day?" Consort Zheng, exhausted in body and mind, could no longer be bothered to act out the charade of sisterly harmony.
"Side Consort, your actions have truly crossed the line. The fact that the princess consort has not punished you already shows consideration for your years of sisterly affection." Tian Nüshi did not understand why she had taken such a flawed step. "Could it be that you do not trust the princess consort?"
It was true that Consort Cui had been eyeing Consort Zheng and her son covetously, but in this matter of concealing her illness, Consort Zheng had made the worst possible move.
Consort Zheng lacked even the strength for pretense and silently stared at Tian Nüshi, her gaze unsettling.
Unfazed by her meaningless resistance, Tian Nüshi raised an eyebrow indifferently and withdrew.
"You may all leave." Consort Zheng dismissed the servants and sat alone by the latticed window, lighting a candle.
As the red wax burned away, a slip of paper was revealed.
"Mission accomplished," it read.
Consort Zheng smiled with relief.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. This time, the princess consort had been too hasty.
After all these years of vegetarianism and Buddhist prayers, one wonders whether she has cultivated compassion or merely nurtured her desires.