Chu Mochen was truly fed up with Sun Xinrou. This entire day had made his “stupidity-aversion” flare up.
“You may not know what kind of opportunity you just missed. I hope you and your daughter will not regret this in the future.”
Seeing that Lin Yanran had already left with her entourage, Sun Xinrou’s courage grew, and she shifted from sobbing to wailing aloud, “My Lord, Yun’er and Yu’er are flesh of my flesh; I cannot bear to part with them.”
Seeing their mother, Sun Xinrou, crying, Chu Yunyun and Chu Ruoyu followed suit, wailing loudly as well.
The entire room was filled with the sounds of their crying. Chu Mochen did not feel a shred of pity; he only found it deafeningly noisy.
Chu Mochen had never been a man who empathized with others. After today’s ordeal, he could see that he had pampered Sun Xinrou to the point where she was delusional.
The Marquis’s estate was wealthy and held a title, but this wealth and status belonged to the two children born to the legal wife; the Imperial family would never agree otherwise. If any accident were to befall Xuan’er or Heng’er, the Imperial family was not foolish; the entire Marquis’s estate would be ruined.
Therefore, with a dark face, Chu Mochen scolded, “Enough! Since you cannot bear to part with the children, they will be raised by your side! But I warn you: the Mistress is the daughter of the Grand Princess Changning. She holds the title of a Princess (Junzhu) herself, and the Empress Dowager in the palace frequently summons her. Within this estate, whatever the Mistress says is law. If the Mistress strikes you, you will endure it. As for Yun’er and Yu’er, you two must love and respect your elder brothers. If your brothers tell you to go east, you shall not go west. If you disobey and your brothers discipline you, you will have to bear the consequences yourselves.”
Sun Xinrou had neither expected the Mistress’s background to be so grand nor that the Marquis would be so ruthless toward the three of them. Now, her tears were truly born of sorrow. “My Lord, it doesn’t matter how the Mistress treats me, but Yun’er and Yu’er are only children. If the legitimate elder brothers bully them…”
“Then they will simply have to endure it.”
After saying this, Chu Mochen looked at the two children crying pitifully. He looked Sun Xinrou in the eyes and instructed: “This Marquis’s estate will belong to the Heir, Chu Yunxuan, in the future. This title will either be his, or the Imperial family will reclaim it. So, do not entertain any messy thoughts; they are useless. The wounds on my back were inflicted by the Grand Princess Changning. If any harm comes to the Mistress’s two children, the Grand Princess will have the three of you executed. The Emperor would likely only punish her by docking a year of her salary. Therefore, if you cause trouble, I cannot protect the three of you without risking the lives of my entire clan. Just now, I suggested that the Mistress raise Yu’er partly for her future, and partly to bind the three of you to the Mistress’s side. Unfortunately, you are a fool. Now that you have entered the estate, your only path is to act with propriety.”
Chu Mochen believed he had made himself perfectly clear, but Sun Xinrou had been spoiled by him for years and was used to being superior. How could she resign herself to being trodden into the dust?
Stupid as she was, Sun Xinrou knew she could not defy the Marquis of Wenxuan any further. She could only sob and agree, promising that she and the children would behave.
Chu Mochen’s back was already aching, and after the day’s turmoil, as he relaxed, he felt as if his entire back no longer belonged to him. He could only grit his teeth and order Muqing, “Find a courtyard to settle Concubine Sun and her children, and then go personally to report to the Mistress and ask her to arrange for Yun’er to attend the clan school.”
Muqing bowed, acknowledged the order, and said to Sun Xinrou, “Concubine Sun, Young Miss, and Third Young Master, please follow me.”
Sun Xinrou, holding Chu Yunyun and Chu Ruoyu by the hands, bowed to Chu Mochen before following Muqing.
Muqing knew the Mistress disliked the three of them, so he chose a courtyard far from the Main Courtyard and far from the front courtyard. However, the courtyard was well-maintained; at the very least, the three of them were quite satisfied upon seeing it.
Sun Xinrou, however, disliked the name of the courtyard. She asked Muqing, “I do not like the name ‘Shiyun Courtyard’ (Servant of Clouds). Can I change it?”
Muqing bowed respectfully, “You must ask the Mistress for permission; you may only change it if the Mistress agrees.”
Sun Xinrou was dissatisfied with this answer. “If I ask the Marquis, can I change it?”
Muqing replied strictly, “If the Marquis agrees, it can of course be changed.”
However, Muqing did not believe the Marquis would disrespect the Mistress over such a trivial matter. After all, the Marquis was only lustful; he did not intend to break ties with his wife. Now that the beauty had entered the Marquis’s residence, the Marquis would surely be working hard to appease the Mistress.
Hearing this, Sun Xinrou felt slightly better. Looking at the empty courtyard and thinking of her belongings at the previous residence, her mind stirred: “Steward Mu, could you send someone to fetch my things from where I used to live and bring them into the estate?”
As the steward of the Marquis’s estate, Muqing was well-informed. He already knew that those items had been sold by the Mistress’s people. Where was he supposed to find them?
Muqing replied truthfully, “Concubine Sun, it is not that I am being deliberately difficult, but your house and belongings outside have already been disposed of by the Mistress’s people.”
“What?” Sun Xinrou’s voice was so loud that the birds in the trees took flight in terror.
In her anxiety, she reached out to grab Muqing’s sleeve. Terrified, Muqing stepped back three or four paces and said firmly, “Concubine Sun, please show some self-respect!”
Seeing Muqing’s reaction, Sun Xinrou realized her action was improper. “Steward Mu, that is not what I meant; I was just agitated by what you said. What did you mean by your previous statement?”
“Exactly what you heard.” After saying this, Muqing retreated a few more steps toward the door. He was grateful that he had brought the servants who would be attending to Concubine Sun when he arrived. Otherwise, if something were to happen, he would not be able to clear his name.
“How dare the Mistress? Those were my private assets! By what right did the Mistress dispose of them? I want to go see the Marquis to demand justice…”
As Sun Xinrou began to walk toward the exit, Muqing hurriedly intervened, “Concubine Sun, in order to get the three of you into the estate, the Marquis not only endured a beating from the Grand Princess, but he also gave his private treasury to the Mistress. Do not cause more trouble for the Marquis. By law, even concubines have no private assets, let alone your status…”
Muqing’s unspoken implication was clear: even concubines have no private assets—why are you, a former mistress, making a fuss?
Sun Xinrou hated this so much that her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palms. The frustration drove her nearly insane. “Then what are we three supposed to live on?”
Muqing pointed to the three maids standing behind him. “These three are to serve the Concubine, the Young Miss, and the Third Young Master personally; the Marquis chose them for you. Everything else will be arranged by the estate. Daily expenses will be paid from the public accounts, but there is a limit—there are set allowances. Once your allowance is spent, you must pay for any extras yourself. Your monthly allowance is two taels of silver per month, two sets of clothes per month, and every meal includes one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup, plus two plates of refreshments. You get one set of jewelry per year. The Young Miss’s monthly allowance is five taels of silver, also two sets of clothes per month, two sets of jewelry per year, and the same meals as you. The Third Young Master’s allowance is the same as the Young Miss’s, except he receives no jewelry; however, he receives an additional five taels of silver per month.”