There were two concubines in the Guogongfu. One was bestowed by the Empress Dowager from Gongli, and everyone called her Concubine Xin.
Dingguogong had tried to decline for a long time but couldn’t refuse.
Even the emperor quietly told Dingguogong that if he couldn’t avoid it, he should just accept her. The Empress Dowager was powerful now and had placed many people in both the court and the Inner Palace.
Didn’t other high-ranking officials’ households also have one like this?
Having one more in the inner residence was just one more—treat her as an idle person and keep her. At most, he would cover the expenses for keeping such a person.
Because of this, Dingguogong finally brought her home.
Then, the original Shangguan Jin tidied up a remote and quiet small courtyard and settled her there.
Though Shangguan Jin didn’t say it out loud, she still had a knot in her heart.
Especially after her mother, Old Madam Shangguan, came to visit, that knot grew bigger and bigger.
Someone from Gongli, trained by the Empress Dowager—could she possibly be an easy person to deal with?
Hadn’t she seen the look in Concubine Xin’s eyes when she gazed at Dingguogong? It was as if she could sing an entire love song with just her gaze.
Regarding this, Madam Shangguan had her own way of handling it.
“Isn’t she just a concubine? If one can be taken in, then a second one can be too.
You are the mistress of the household, a titled madam. Dealing with such a person doesn’t require you to take action personally.
Let me give you an idea.
You should also arrange a concubine for Guogongye.
Let concubine deal with concubine—that’s the proper way for someone of your status.”
At that time, Shangguan Jin…
Shangguan Jin, who had no enthusiasm for handling this matter, could only brace herself and agree.
However, the issue of choosing a candidate left both Shangguan Jin and Madam Shangguan somewhat troubled.
Buy one from outside now?
That definitely wouldn’t do. Such a person’s loyalty wouldn’t be high, and in the end, she might be dazzled by so-called wealth and glory and turn against them!
After thinking for a long time, Old Madam Shangguan suggested selecting one from Shangguan Jin’s four dowry maids.
Who would have thought that as soon as Shangguan Jin hinted at the idea, three of the four dowry maids—Chuntao, Xiahe, and Qiulan—all declared they already had someone in mind.
Well, whether it was the steward’s son or the shop manager’s nephew, and so on.
Each spoke with such earnestness, as if Shangguan Jin would become the Queen Mother who separated the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl if she didn’t agree.
The Shangguan Family was a family of upright scholars—could they possibly do something so universally condemned?
Certainly not.
Thus, within a month, three of Shangguan Jin’s four main maids were married off, leaving only the last one, Dongmai.
Was it because Dongmai herself had her own little scheme and wanted to become Dingguogong’s concubine?
Hah, of course not.
It was mainly because Dongmai had looked around Dingguo Gongfu for a long time, but no one was willing to marry her.
This made Dongmai so anxious that she almost wanted to cover herself with a red cloth and wander around Dingguo Gongfu to find a husband by chance.
Dongmai was different from the other maids.
The other maids were all born into servitude in the Shangguan Family, with generations serving the Shangguans.
As for Dongmai, she was bought by Shangguan Jin from the roadside during an outing.
Shangguan Jin remembered clearly: back then, Dongmai wasn’t called Dongmai yet but Danü. She was only ten years old, kneeling straight by the roadside, with her deceased father covered by a straw mat behind her.
She was selling herself to bury her father.
However, this little girl was selling herself for the first time and had no experience.
Her small face was smeared with soot from boiling medicine for her father, and her hair was as dry and yellow as straw.
Being young, by the time Shangguan Jin saw her, she had already been selling herself to bury her father for three days, yet no one had bought her.
Seeing her pitiful state, Shangguan Jin hurriedly gave all the silver from her purse to the girl.
“Go bury your father quickly. Do you have any family left? If so, take the remaining money and live with them.
If not, come to the Shangguan Family. I don’t know what you can do, but I can certainly give you enough to eat.”
The girl quickly buried her father and then, carrying her few belongings, entered the Shangguan Family to work as a maid.
At first, she only did rough chores.
Though the work was rough, she was happy doing it. The tasks weren’t heavy, and she could eat her fill. The girl felt that Shangguan Jin was like a bodhisattva.
Once, the Shangguan Family’s aunt brought her cousin back for a visit.
This cousin didn’t get along with Shangguan Jin and her sister, and they often quarreled.
Later, when the cousin couldn’t win the argument with Shangguan Jin and her sister, she actually pushed Shangguan Jin.
Just then, the girl happened to be passing by with a small bucket of water. Seeing this, she dropped the bucket, rolled up her sleeves, and charged straight at the cousin.
She knocked the cousin and her maids flat on their backs.
In the end…
The girl received ten strokes of the cane.
While others would have needed at least half a month to recover, she was back to work, lively and energetic, in less than three days.
The day after the Shangguan Family’s aunt and cousin left, Old Madam Shangguan promoted the girl to the inner courtyard, making her one of Shangguan Jin’s four major maids.
“It’s true that maids should be clever.
But a loyal maid is even rarer. That girl has only you in her heart. Keeping her by your side, I feel at ease,” Madam Shangguan whispered to Shangguan Jin.
The Shangguan Family was a prominent household, where even the cats and dogs were given careful consideration when it came to names, let alone the personal maids of the Eldest Miss.
Initially, Madam Shangguan wanted to name the girl Dongmei (Winter Plum).
But as soon as she mentioned changing the name, the girl blurted out…
“Dongmai (Winter Wheat)!” the girl said loudly.
“Why Dongmai? Isn’t Dongmei a nicer name?” Madam Shangguan asked, puzzled.
“Madam, I just thought that if there were endless wheat in winter, no one would starve to death,” the girl replied earnestly.
Madam Shangguan and Shangguan Jin both nodded.
Good name. Isn’t a name a form of hope?
From then on, the girl was renamed Dongmai and became one of Shangguan Jin’s personal maids, remaining so until Shangguan Jin married into the Guogongfu.
Madam Shangguan soon turned her attention to Dongmai.
The more she looked, the more she felt Dongmai was the most suitable candidate for a concubine.
Her loyalty went without saying—this girl had only her own daughter in her heart.
Moreover, although Dongmai had been well cared for over the years, she was far from being a stunning beauty who could bring ruin to a country or cause chaos. Using her would be reassuring.
However, Shangguan Jin was somewhat opposed to the idea.
She felt that Dongmai had a straightforward personality and would do well marrying a steward or someone similar, becoming a proper wife. Why force her to become a concubine?
Although a concubine in the Guogongfu was more respectable than in other households, she would still be a lesser wife, still a concubine.
Upon hearing this, Madam Shangguan tapped Shangguan Jin’s forehead.
“What’s all this talk about concubines? Don’t speak like that again.
Think about Gongli. Tianjia has Huanghou as the principal wife, but beneath her, aren’t there Imperial Consorts, the Four Consorts, and those like Zhaoyi and Guipin?”
According to what you said, aside from the Huanghou, all the others are insignificant?
Silly girl, have you forgotten that your younger sister Yao’er is also a concubine of the Tianjia?
And also, how do you know that girl Dongmai wouldn’t be willing?”
Only then did Shangguan Jin realize that she had inadvertently insulted her own younger sister.
Wasn’t her own full-blooded younger sister, Shangguan Yao, the Xianfei of the Tianjia?
Thus, Madam Shangguan specifically sought out Dongmai for a talk.
Having already mastered the art of managing subordinates to perfection, Madam Shangguan quickly persuaded Dongmai.
At first, Dongmai was unwilling, shaking her head like a rattle drum.
What was a concubine? That was someone who competed with her own young lady for the Guogong’s favor. One concubine was already enough—if another one came, wouldn’t the young lady have to sleep alone every night?
For her to become a concubine? Wouldn’t that be like stabbing the young lady in the heart all over again?
Dongmai firmly opposed the idea, even going so far as to consider shaving her head to show her resolve, just like in the storybooks.
But who was Madam Shangguan? She deftly seized the moral high ground.
“Dongmai, right now, you’re the only one who can help Jin’er!”
Dongmai…
The young lady needs me? Then I must muster all my strength to face this!
“Madam, how can I help the young lady? Tell me, as long as it’s something I can do, I’ll go all out to help her,” Dongmai said earnestly.
Madam Shangguan nodded slightly with satisfaction.
Good, this is exactly the attitude needed.