Madam Shangguan’s meaning was simple.
You are the person your young lady values most, so surely you can’t just watch her cry her heart out every day, right?
Therefore, you’d better help your young lady secure the position of a concubine.
Think about it—the Guogongfu has already taken in two concubines in a row. Even Huanghou wouldn’t have the nerve to push another woman into the Guogongfu, right?
Besides, you were personally chosen by your young lady. To outsiders, no one can say this young Duchess is anything less than proper.
“Madam, are you saying Guogongye intends to take in another concubine?” Dongmai was shocked.
In her eyes, an ordinary family would nearly bankrupt themselves just marrying one wife. How much money would it take to marry so many?
“Tsk, this is the Guogongfu—can’t they marry as many as they want?
In the eyes of those men, with money and status, aren’t women just something you can have as many as you want?” Madam Shangguan said with a cold laugh.
Hearing this, Dongmai immediately felt it was unfair to Shangguan Jin.
“Hmph! My young lady has money and status too!
Why not let my young lady find a few Guogongye of her own!
Men! My young lady is so beautiful, wealthy, and well-educated—she could have as many as she…
Mmph…”
The maid beside Madam Shangguan quickly covered Dongmai’s mouth.
“Dongmai, so you must help your young lady, understand?” Madam Shangguan whispered.
Dongmai thought—if she could help her young lady and prevent her from suffering in the future, wasn’t that her duty?
“Madam, do you mean that as long as I become a concubine, I can help my young lady?” Dongmai asked.
Madam Shangguan nodded, then whispered a few words into Dongmai’s ear.
The more Dongmai listened, the more sense it made.
Her head, which had been shaking like a rattle-drum, now nodded like a chick pecking rice.
Wasn’t it just securing the position of a concubine?
That was simple enough.
Oh, Madam also said her main task as a concubine was to prevent Guogongye from sharing a bed with the other concubines.
Dongmai firmly remembered this point.
After she became a concubine, whenever Guogongye was reprimanded by Empress Dowager and told to visit Concubine Xin’s courtyard more often, Dongmai would always stir up some trouble.
She would either have a stomachache, twist her ankle, or claim she saw a shadow outside her room.
Then she would summon Guogongye to her own quarters.
Dingguogong, for his part, would gladly take the opportunity and come right away.
Once he arrived, Dongmai wouldn’t let him leave.
She would attend to Dingguogong as he rested in bed, while she herself slept in her clothes on the luohan bed in the room.
In her eyes, preventing Guogongye from sharing a bed with anyone other than her young lady included herself as well.
Concubine Xin, the one bestowed by Empress Dowager, gritted her teeth in frustration but could do nothing about it.
She had learned to speak with veiled barbs, mocking others between the lines.
Unfortunately, Dongmai didn’t understand such words, nor did she want to listen.
Throw a tantrum and act shamelessly? Concubine Xin felt it beneath her dignity.
In the end, Concubine Xin failed to complete Empress Dowager’s task—to make Dingguogong dote on his concubine and neglect his wife—and could only cry her heart out alone.
As for Dongmai?
She never saw herself as a concubine either.
Every day, she still rose early to serve Shangguan Jin, and continued doing so for many years.
She served until Shangguan Jin’s five children were born.
Shangguan Jin had also told Dongmai that she would find an opportunity to let Dongmai leave, change her name, and set her up with some property so she could live a carefree life.
But Dongmai just shook her head.
“Young lady, you bought me, so I am yours. No matter what happens, I must stay by your side. Please don’t drive me away, okay?
Besides you, I really have nowhere else to go.”
What else could Shangguan Jin say? She could only agree.
Gradually, everyone in Dingguo Gongfu knew that the mistress trusted Concubine Dong the most.
Even many of the household affairs were arranged for Concubine Dong to handle.
Now, after thinking for a while, Shangguan Jin found this Concubine Dong more and more interesting.
Hearing that Mama Lin outside had already sent someone to fetch Concubine Dong, Shangguan Jin also got up and climbed out of bed.
She didn’t put on her outer clothes, only wearing her sleeping garments as she looked around the room.
Looking at the furniture and decorations in the room, Shangguan Jin felt more and more dazzled by the golden light before her eyes.
The top chest, the display cabinet, and the round-corner cabinet were all made of huanghuali wood.
The nine-panel screen, the luohan bed, and even the hat mirror were also made of huanghuali.
And those things like the pierced-ear vase, the five-colored covered jar, the famille-rose gallbladder vase, and the tea set with intertwining branch patterns—in later times, these could only be seen at Sotheby’s.
Every time she saw something, Shangguan Jin instinctively calculated how much money it was worth.
Looking at all these things in the room, Shangguan Jin let out a long sigh.
Just the furnishings in this room could probably buy half a set of Tomson Riviera in later times!
What a pity…
Shangguan Jin knew she loved money—if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have gone into investment banking.
So now, seeing all these valuable objects around her but having little money left in the accounts made Shangguan Jin very anxious.
Having money in hand is the only way to feel secure.
No matter which era, this is the truth.
So even though the things around her were valuable, the lack of money in the accounts made Shangguan Jin panic.
She had to think of a way to change this awkward situation.
Just as Shangguan Jin was thinking about what to do, a light set of footsteps sounded outside.
“Mama Lin, is the young lady really alright? When I saw her condition at noon, it really scared me.”
“She’s fine now. Isn’t the mistress calling you over to discuss matters?”
As the footsteps and voices drew closer, Shangguan Jin hurriedly climbed back into bed.
Dongmai and Mama Lin gently knocked on the door and waited for Shangguan Jin to respond before quietly entering.
As soon as Dongmai saw Shangguan Jin, she was about to speak, but Shangguan Jin gestured to her and Mama Lin.
“Sit first!”
Mama Lin dared not sit, but Dongmai skillfully pulled over a small embroidered stool and sat down next to Shangguan Jin’s bed.
“Young lady, are you sending gifts to another family again?” Dongmai whispered.
Shangguan Jin…
“Dongmai, how much silver is left in my private account?” Shangguan Jin asked.
At this, Dongmai looked resentful.
“Young lady, not much. At most, it’s less than two hundred taels of silver.
If you ask me to prepare congratulatory gifts again, we really can’t take the money from the private account.
Also, please don’t touch the decorations and items in your private treasury anymore—those are your dowry!
Why should we use your dowry for gifts to Guogongfu?”
Over the past year, more than half of the congratulatory gifts sent out have come from your private treasury.
I’ve calculated that just this year, for social engagements alone, you’ve had me prepare congratulatory gifts twenty-four times.
Especially that Wudinghou family—they’ve hosted five banquets this year alone.
Every single time, they invited you. The gifts we’ve sent to their family alone would be enough to buy a manor in the countryside.
Miss, can we discuss something?
If we have to send more congratulatory gifts, let’s not send anything valuable. How about I learn to do some embroidery and give embroidered items as gifts? We should save wherever we can!”
Dongmai rattled off a long list of grievances.
Only then did Shangguan Jin realize just how many gifts had been sent out over the past year.
“Miss, that Wudinghou family is simply too much. The gifts they’ve received this year must have filled their entire storeroom!
If they host a few more banquets, wouldn’t that…”
“Dongmai, are we very short on money right now?” Shangguan Jin interrupted.
Dongmai nodded without hesitation.
“Short! Very short! You’ve already had me secretly pawn two of your jewelry sets. Isn’t that proof enough?”
“Then let’s host a banquet ourselves!” Shangguan Jin declared.
As soon as the words were spoken, the other two people in the room were stunned.
Mama Lin’s eyes welled up with tears.
The mistress has finally come to her senses! Waiting around isn’t the solution—life must go on after all!
It seems the mistress is ready for a fresh start!
Dongmai looked at Shangguan Jin with even greater admiration.
Truly, a well-read young lady! As soon as I complained about our poverty, she found a way to save money.
Hosting a banquet and inviting guests!
Think of all the congratulatory gifts we’ll receive! We’ll recover all the gifts we’ve given out over the past year—no, the past three years!
At the thought of Shangguan Jin’s half-empty private treasury soon being filled again, Dongmai’s eyes crinkled into delighted slits.