Chapter 254

If in the past Third Cousin had merely extended a helping hand to Fu Tingjun out of sisterly affection and sympathy for her plight, without any direct conflict with the Fu family, now Third Cousin's choice between Fu Tingjun and Fifth Master Fu was made out of righteous indignation at Fifth Master Fu's despicable conduct.

Third Cousin helped Fu Tingjun into the carriage.

The Eldest Young Mistress had given birth to a daughter and had been cast into the cold palace. It wasn't that she hadn't considered that the Yu family would take another concubine for Yu Jingxiu. But seeing how Madam Yu and Yu Jingxiu had devoted all their attention to the sickly Zhen-jie'er, she had thought this matter would wait another two or three years. She never expected it to come so soon—and with the woman sent by the Great Madam from the ancestral home in Nanjing.

"The Eldest Young Master has no heir. Whoever bears him a son will be the Yu family's greatest contributor. Everyone understands this reasoning. How could Madam possibly allow the Great Madam's or Third Madam's people into the Eldest Young Master's chambers... Then would the grandson be closer to the Great Madam and Third Madam, or to Madam herself?"

Third Cousin remained silent.

Fu Tingjun gazed deeply at Third Cousin and gave her a slight nod.

Concubine Wu listened, and for some reason, felt a leisurely detachment, as if watching scenery from an embroidered tower.

"Quanhui..." she murmured, calling Fu Tingjun's name, and let out a long sigh.

Concubine Wu was startled, saying: "What has happened now?" But when she looked up and saw Zelan standing by the kang with a perfectly composed expression, her tone relaxed, and she said to Lianxin: "If there's something to say, say it slowly. What's there to panic about!" She added, "In this regard, you should learn well from Miss Zelan."

She said to Zelan: "The Eldest Young Master has no heir. The Great Madam and Third Madam are anxious and have chosen people to serve the Eldest Young Master. This is the elders' concern—nothing to be surprised about."

Zheng San drove the horse carriage over.

"Mm!" Third Cousin responded and called for the maidservant to set out the meal.

Third Cousin, however, raised her hand and drew aside the carriage curtain.

Zelan, who had appeared so composed, suddenly jumped up: "How is that possible? Did you mishear? Even if the Eldest Young Master were to take a concubine, it would have to be arranged by the Eldest Young Mistress or Madam. How could the Great Madam suddenly send someone?" Her face was full of suspicion, which displeased Lianxin: "Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, go to the main courtyard and see for yourself. Two young ladies—one surnamed Fei, from the Great Madam's natal family, and one surnamed Liu, from the Third Madam's natal family..."

Concubine Wu drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

Could this be heaven's will?

...

Concubine Wu then instructed: "Let's make the bed and sleep! The two young ladies are matters for the Eldest Young Mistress to worry about."

Third Cousin bent over the desk, writing.

Third Brother-in-law listened, his expression gradually growing grave. When Third Cousin finished speaking, he mused: "I think Ninth Sister is not a difficult person to get along with, yet she is at daggers drawn with her own father. Your concerns are valid. As for Fifth Uncle, it's better that we not grow too close."

The implication in her words was already so obvious that ordinarily, Lianxin would have closed her mouth and smiled at Zelan. But today, not only did she not drop the topic, she even stepped forward a few paces to stand before Concubine Wu and said urgently: "Someone has come from the ancestral home in Nanjing... It's Mama Fei, who serves the Great Madam... Mama Fei accompanied the two young ladies here... From what Mama Shu said, they are, are to be, to be placed in the Eldest Young Master's chambers. They're just waiting for the Eldest Young Mistress to go over and look them over before they're elevated to concubine status..."

Yuwei let down the curtain.

Third Brother-in-law returned.

Lianxin smiled and acknowledged the instruction, then went to order the rough-service maids to fetch water.

Third Cousin saw that her husband shared her thinking and felt even more certain she had done the right thing. She reminded her husband: "Should we also inform Seventh Brother-in-law?"

Zelan regretted her words the moment they left her mouth. She stammered a few responses, then used the excuse of wanting to see what was happening and went to the main courtyard.

These were the secrets of the Yu family—things only someone like Zelan, who had served in the Yu household for generations and worked in Madam Yu's chambers, could possibly know.

Third Cousin then instructed her to grind ink: "I need to write a letter to Father... If no one can persuade Fifth Uncle, Father will need to pay close attention and think of a countermeasure early. We mustn't let this ruin the Fu family's hundred-year reputation."

Lianxin smiled awkwardly.

Zheng San cracked his whip, and the carriage clattered out of the alley.

"Ninth Sister, let me see you off!" She stepped forward and took Fu Tingjun's arm, only to see glistening tears at the corners of Fu Tingjun's eyes.

Zelan was still thinking when the door burst open with a bang, and Lianxin rushed in recklessly: "Concubine, Concubine, something terrible has happened!"

Fifth Master Fu was pacing anxiously in the hall with his hands clasped behind his back. When he saw Third Cousin enter, he said with a dark face: "You saw it too—what kind of attitude she has toward me..."

Fifth Master Fu's matter was hardly something honorable, and Third Cousin had originally not intended to tell her husband.

The personal maidservant acknowledged the order with deference.

Third Cousin's lips curved slightly, revealing a gentle smile.

She had begun tracing characters at age three, and after turning eight, she had never again stained her fingers with ink.

Third Cousin set down her brush, left the study, and helped Third Cousin-in-law change his clothes.

"What do you know?" Third Cousin couldn't help but rebuke in a low voice. "Fifth Uncle is so obsessed with promotion and wealth that he ignores everything else. That's the easiest way to invite trouble, even to go astray... Don't go spreading this around."

Third Cousin glanced at Fifth Master Fu, who looked both angry and annoyed, and immediately chased after him.

Every one of them had a formidable background.

Ever since Concubine Wu returned from visiting the Wu family to congratulate the Third Young Mistress on her birthday that day, she had spent her days sitting on the kang staring blankly into space. What exactly had happened when she went to the Wu household?

Zelan, who had finished clearing away the dishes, came in and couldn't help but take a measure of Concubine Wu.

Third Cousin-in-law noticed the faint ink stains between Third Cousin's fingers and smiled. "Didn't you say you were going to look at houses with Ninth Sister? What happened? The house viewing fell through, so you stayed home practicing calligraphy instead?"

"Let's go!" Fu Tingjun said with a smile, instructing Zheng San.

"You wouldn't know." In recent days, Concubine Wu had been quite courteous to Zelan, and Zelan had gradually lost some of her restraint around Concubine Wu, speaking with fewer taboos. She said with some puzzlement, "Those several madams appear harmonious and amiable, but in truth each has her own agenda. Especially the Third Madam. These past few years, with the Third Master staying in his hometown, the Eldest Young Master often accompanied the Third Master to social engagements. Third Madam treats the Eldest Young Master as if he were her own son—indulging him in everything, agreeing to everything he asks. And the Eldest Young Master is equally close to Third Madam, liking to share everything with her. When he's short of silver and dares not ask Madam Yu, he goes to Third Madam instead. Third Madam would dip into her private savings to support him. Once, the Eldest Young Master wanted to buy some kind of bronze vessel, and Third Madam gave him five thousand taels of silver in one go. For that matter, Madam and Third Madam had quite a falling out. Afterward, Madam kept a very tight rein on the Eldest Young Master—everyone serving in his quarters was Madam's own people. Neither the First Madam nor the Third Madam could so much as plant a maid-servant there, not even one to sweep the floor."

On his way back to Sixi Lane, Fifth Master Fu had caught sight of Fu Tingjun's carriage and followed it all the way. He had come specifically for Fu Tingjun—it was never about having business with Third Cousin-in-law. Now that Third Cousin was clearly seeing him off, without even offering the courtesy of inviting him to stay for supper, he flew into a rage and stormed off with a flick of his sleeve.

But Third Cousin did not oblige him by standing there to be lectured or by putting on a fawning smile. The moment he opened his mouth, Third Cousin laughed and said, "Ninth Sister has suffered so many grievances; it's only natural that she has a bit of a temper. Fifth Uncle is a man of experience and insight; surely you can understand." Then she shifted the topic. "Fifth Uncle, a servant just came to report that my husband has been kept behind by Vice Minister Hao to copy out memorials to be promulgated to the realm, and he'll be staying the night in the duty room. May I ask what business Fifth Uncle has with my husband? If it's not convenient to tell me, perhaps you could leave a note, and when my husband returns, I'll pass it along to him."

Based on their earlier speculations, though the post of Left Supervising Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel was minor, it carried boundless prospects. Her husband and Fifth Uncle served at court together. Fifth Uncle was the elder; the words of an elder must not be defied. But with Fifth Uncle's character... And her husband, unfortunately, was unaware of it all. If he simply deferred to Fifth Uncle out of respect for his seniority, and it ended up dragging her husband down, that would be a real problem.

Third Cousin watched Fu Tingjun's carriage recede into the distance until it disappeared entirely, then returned to the main hall.

"Let him know," Third Cousin-in-law said after some thought. "And we should also inform Fifth Brother-in-law. As for the others—if they're willing to listen, then let them hear it; if not, we won't force it."

Concubine Wu couldn't help but say, "Are you saying that both the First Madam and the Third Madam are trying to win the Eldest Young Master's favor, and that's why they both spoil him so?"

No wonder she'd been in the household for three years and still could only mingle with the low-ranking maidservants.

The two of them walked out through the hanging-flower gate in silence.

Lianxin then said, "Madam, should I go make some more inquiries to see whether those two young ladies from the maternal side really have been placed in the Eldest Young Master's quarters?"

Meanwhile, Concubine Wu at Jia Dao Street had already finished her evening meal and was sitting on the large kang by the window, holding a teacup and staring blankly into space.

"I'm fine." Fu Tingjun smiled and patted Third Cousin's hand. "Now you see why I didn't want to meet Lord Fu, don't you?"

Third Cousin followed her husband's gaze downward and saw the ink stains between her fingers.

Thinking of all this, Third Cousin told Third Cousin-in-law about Fifth Master Fu's visit: "...I had to say you weren't coming home today to send Fifth Uncle off."

"No need." Concubine Wu smiled. "What's there to inquire about? If we were discovered, people would think we were petty and jealous!" She added, "The more people, the livelier it gets. The Yu family is one that observes proper rules; my status won't be taken away from me. What do you have to worry about?"

Concubine Wu muttered quietly, "How strange." "Since Madam Yu was so worried that the Eldest Young Master would be corrupted by the First Madam and the Third Madam, and guarded against them so strictly, how could she so easily agree to let the two young ladies from her side go serve in the Eldest Young Master's quarters?" She thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking and continued talking to herself, "I wonder if Madam Wu has found out anything? What could have made Mrs. Zhao so red-eyed with anger?"

Third Cousin's personal nurse couldn't help but worry, "This isn't good, is it? After all, Fifth Master is an elder. If Second Master were to find out, I'm afraid he wouldn't be too pleased either."

"Ninth Sister," she gazed at Fu Tingjun with a very solemn expression, "you shouldn't be too upset either. The past is like water under the bridge. Just look forward. Even though you've lost your Fifth Uncle, you still have us sisters."