The spring sunlight was warm and pleasant, and the courtyard was filled with lush flowers and plants.
This leisurely scene was shattered by Nanny Liu's curses. She dragged Shi Jun along, cursing as she walked, and the maids along the way turned to look at them at the sound.
The maids' curious gazes fell on Shi Jun like needles.
Some meddlesome maids who had seen Tang Zhisheng frequently going to the flower house gathered together and condemned Shi Jun in a few words, their looks turning to contempt and disdain.
Nanny Liu cursed all the way to the main hall, and upon seeing Lady Cui sipping tea inside, she suddenly changed her expression.
She blinked her wrinkled, sagging eyes, squeezed out tears, and raised her voice to shout inside.
"Madam! Madam, you must seek justice for me!" Nanny Liu cried out repeatedly. Inside, Lady Cui furrowed her brows and sent someone out to ask what was happening.
Shi Jun pressed her lips tightly together, standing before the main hall at a loss.
Since she had come to the Marquis's estate, she had been cautious in word and deed, never daring to stand out, focusing only on the flower house.
She had never encountered anything like this.
Lady Cui invited the two of them inside. Shi Jun's face showed difficulty, her feet as if weighted with lead, each step filled with trepidation.
As soon as Nanny Liu saw Lady Cui, she knelt down and wept in complaint.
"Madam, two days ago my son told me that Qingwu had agreed to marry him, but now that disaster has befallen my son, she's changed her mind." Nanny Liu sobbed, growing more sorrowful as she spoke. "He's now had both legs broken and his tongue cut out, and there's still no reply from the authorities after reporting to the yamen."
Nanny Liu's aged tears flowed freely. "In his condition, how can he ever marry? Look at this ungrateful girl—how would someone like you dare to trust her with important matters? In the future, she'd surely betray her masters too."
"Madam, you have a son yourself. Have pity on me—I've only had this one son all these years!"
Lady Cui sat upright at the head, her head aching from Nanny Liu's clamoring. But Nanny Liu had been with her since childhood, and she did feel some compassion.
With this in mind, Lady Cui's brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze slid toward Shi Jun.
She saw that Shi Jun wore clothes washed to a stiff, pale white, kneeling quite straight with her head bowed and eyes lowered. Looking more closely, she was actually rather pretty.
Shi Jun felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny from above. She was about to open her mouth to defend herself when she heard Lady Cui speak coldly.
"Since this is the case, I'll settle it for you. Take her back with you. Later, have the storeroom give you two bolts of brocade and a set of hair ornaments." Lady Cui let out a light breath, picked up her hare's fur teacup, and took a sip of tea.
At these words, Shi Jun suddenly raised her eyes, her face turning pale with urgency. "Madam—"
"Madam has already spoken. What more is there to say? Why don't you give thanks and leave, instead of disturbing Madam's peace."
Before she could finish, Mama Wei, who stood beside Lady Cui, swept her gaze over the kneeling Nanny Liu, and the two exchanged a look.
Mama Wei paused, and catching a glimpse of Lady Cui's indifference from the corner of her eye, seized the authority to raise her voice: "You young girls, you're still young—don't expect Madam to settle everything for you!"
Having said this, she glanced at Shi Jun and retreated to Lady Cui's side.
Lady Cui had never wanted to bother with this matter in the first place; she simply found Nanny Liu pitiable. Since Nanny Liu had a request, granting it was no trouble, and it wouldn't be in vain for decades of mistress-servant loyalty.
Having received Lady Cui's words, Nanny Liu wiped away her tears with a sweep of her hand, stood up, and reached again to grab Shi Jun's arm.
Shi Jun thought that Nanny Liu's arrogance was only possible because Lady Cui backed her, while she herself had no one to speak for her.
After a moment's deliberation, Shi Jun resolved to gamble.
"Madam, the young master has already kept this servant in the Eastern Garden to attend to him. This servant belongs to the young master in life and death. If I am to be married off, I must ask the young master first."
At this, Lady Cui set down her teacup, the bottom touching the table with an extremely soft sound.
She raised her eyelids and looked at Shi Jun.
"Very well." The corner of Lady Cui's mouth moved almost imperceptibly. "In that case, go kneel at the gate. Kneel until Xuechen returns."
Hearing that there seemed to be room for negotiation, Nanny Liu thought—her son was already a cripple; if she couldn't even secure Shi Jun, who would ever be willing to marry her son in the future?
At this thought, grief welled up in Nanny Liu's heart. She raised her hand to cry again, but seeing Mama Wei send her a look, she had no choice but to hold it back.
Shi Jun gritted her teeth and accepted the order.
Kneeling for now was still better than going back with Nanny Liu, though there was no telling how long she would have to kneel.
From early morning until the third quarter of wei hour, Shi Jun's knees ached terribly, and she could only hope that Xie Changxi would return soon.
A cold crescent moon climbed up the corner of the eaves, its clear light spilling over the black tiles of the marquis's estate like a thin layer of frost.
There seemed to be movement in the main hall. A maid hurried in, lifting the curtain as she entered.
"Madam, the young master has arrived."
Lady Cui sat upright on the rosewood arhat bed, holding a cup of tea that had long gone cold, her heavy gaze fixed on the door curtain.
Shi Jun had just seen the maid enter when she heard another set of steady footsteps, and the evening breeze carried a faint fragrance of orchids.
Orchids.
As if remembering something, Shi Jun suddenly raised her eyes. The person bearing the orchid fragrance had already swept past her.
It was Xie Changxi who had come.
Xie Changxi walked with swift steps, his peripheral gaze sweeping over Shi Jun.
Entering the main hall, Xie Changxi stood outside the curtain and bowed inward. "Mother."
Lady Cui acknowledged him with a faint sound and ordered someone to offer him a seat.
A maid brought over an embroidered stool. Xie Changxi inclined slightly toward Lady Cui before lifting his robes to sit.
Lady Cui glanced at him from the side and said coldly, "You came quickly enough."
Xie Changxi pressed his lips together, his gaze calm and deep. "Mother is joking. I came here to take someone from you."
Lady Cui said, "The one outside is yours. If you want to take her back, take her back."
Xie Changxi pressed his lips together and shook his head. "Mother, the one outside is indeed my person. The one I want to take is Lady Liu."
Lady Cui set down her teacup with a heavy thud and fixed her gaze on Xie Changxi.
"Xuechen, what do you mean by this?" Lady Cui said with a cold snort. "That Lady Liu, as you well know, is an old servant of mine."
Lady Cui's meaning was clear—the one outside was his person, and he could take her away freely. But Lady Liu was hers; how could she allow him to take her at will?
Even for the sake of a mother's dignity, she could not let Xie Changxi take her people without consequence.
Hearing this, Xie Changxi suddenly changed the subject. "Mother, in a few days I am to be transferred to Jiangling Prefecture."
Lady Cui's brows furrowed even deeper. "What do you mean by telling me this?"
She understood well why he was being transferred to Jiangling Prefecture, but she was unwilling to say it outright.
Three years ago, the Grand Empress Dowager had passed away, and the new emperor ascended the throne. The old faction was swept clean by the new faction.
Because the old lady had been a close friend of the Grand Empress Dowager, and Xie Changxi had been personally promoted by the Vice Director of the Secretariat, he was naturally classified as part of the old faction.
The old marquis had passed away early, and Lady Cui alone held up the entire marquis household. She dared not take the slightest wind of change in the court lightly.
Back then, she had seen that the old faction's cause was lost, and before the Grand Empress Dowager's death, she had married Xie Ningyu off to the current Duke's youngest son.
However, that Han Xing was a libertine by nature, never home day after day, causing Xie Ningyu to be tormented by her mother-in-law. Within two years, she was gone.
Back then, Xie Changxi had just earned the rank of Tanhua when he was sent out of the capital by the emperor. Now he had only just returned to the capital, and he was to be transferred again.
It seemed someone did not want him to remain in Bianjing. Moreover, Xie Changxi's stance was unclear, and no one dared to give him an important post.
Thinking of this, Lady Cui thought of her daughter who had died young. Worry crept onto her brows, and her gaze lowered.
Xie Changxi's voice turned cold as he said flatly, "Mother knows what I mean. Since you were willing to sacrifice even your daughter, Mother should hand the person over to me for disposition. That would also set right the atmosphere of the marquis household."
"Enough." Lady Cui's voice was low as she let out a long sigh.
There was little need to argue with Xie Changxi half the night over a servant woman. Besides, she was not short of a Nanny Liu. She had already given her due face earlier. It was only a pity for her son…
Lady Cui took a step back and then asked the question weighing on her heart. "Xuechen, you are no longer young. Men your age already have children. Do you have any plans? If you have taken a liking to some family's daughter, I can speak on your behalf."
"If you have no plans, Shu'er would like to come see you, her elder cousin. It has been many years since you last met—let us not forget each other." Lady Cui slowly raised her eyes, studying Xie Changxi's expression.
The candlelight in the room flickered, and suddenly a lampwick burst with a pop.
Xie Changxi rose and bowed to Lady Cui. "Mother once made decisions for my sister. Now, do you wish to make decisions for your son as well?"
Hearing Xie Changxi mention Xie Ningyu, Lady Cui found it hard to speak again. After Xie Ningyu's death, Xie Changxi had not sent a single letter home. For those two years, mother and son had not exchanged a single word.
Lady Cui could tell that Xie Changxi's visit today was to challenge her—to tell her not to meddle in his affairs again.
But what wrong had a mother done in planning her child's marriage? The Duke's household was noble and prestigious; her daughter had not been wronged in marrying down.
The marriages of noble daughters were meant to be between families of equal standing.
Lady Cui saw nothing improper in it. She only sighed inwardly that her daughter's life had been too short, that she had not lived to see the clouds part and the moon shine bright.
The moon hung above the branches, and the stars were sparse.
Shi Jun did not know when Xie Changxi had come out. She had knelt until she was dazed, her kneecaps burning like fire.
A faint fragrance of orchids drifted through the wind.
"Miss need not kneel any longer. The young master asks you to return to the Eastern Courtyard." Hemu had the attendant maids help Shi Jun up.
The moment they applied force, her knees felt as if they were being torn apart, and her whole body could not muster strength. It took both maids working together to support her to her feet.
Shi Jun endured the pain, forcing herself upright, and thanked them both.
Hemu said, "Madam should be thanking the young master instead."
When his young master returned to the residence and did not see the orchids, he immediately asked about the situation and learned that she had been taken away by Lady Liu's people.
Shi Jun nodded and replied, "Indeed, I should thank the young master. He has helped this servant far too much."
"Madam need not worry that Lady Liu will come again. The young master has taken Lady Liu away from the lady of the house." Hemu reassured her.
Shi Jun immediately asked, "How does the young master plan to deal with her?"
Hemu paused. Earlier, following the young master's orders, he had already arranged for Tang Zhisheng's legs to be broken and his tongue pulled out so he could not speak.
This time, Xie Changxi had personally taken the person, saying only that he would send Lady Liu off to the estate. But Hemu could tell it was not that simple.
"Sending her to the estate also saves her from harming other households." After Hemu escorted Shi Jun back to the Eastern Courtyard, he went to the study to report.
Shi Jun supported herself against the wall as she returned to her room, pushing open the door with difficulty.
The burning pain in her kneecaps made it hard for her to bend, so she could only sit quietly by the table.
She had barely been in the room for a moment when a figure followed to the door.
"Madam, the young master ordered me to deliver medicine. These days, Madam should rest and recuperate. Return to your duties only after you have healed." With that, Hemu bent down and placed the medicine at the doorway.
Shi Jun's gaze trembled slightly, and warmth spread through her heart.
In the Hou Mansion, where rules were strict and people fawned over the powerful while trampling on the weak, Shi Jun felt for the first time that human hearts could be warm.
It was only a pity that Ahe was no longer there.
Had she met Xie Changxi sooner, perhaps Ahe would not have passed away from that illness.
Shi Jun rose shakily to her feet, enduring the bone-gnawing, heart-searing pain to fetch the medicine.
Looking at the packet of medicine, she burst into tears for no reason at all.
Apart from the few times she had cried when Ahe died, she refused to shed tears no matter how much grievance she suffered on other days.
Such days were too bitter—but fortunately, she was about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.