Chapter 192: The Road to the Underworld
Madam Zhou had also been ill these past few days. After that incident with Cao Hongyu, she had been harboring a great deal of anger.
After all, she was an elderly person and only felt a headache and heaviness in her body. Although she had invited a doctor and received a prescription, illnesses don’t disappear that quickly, do they?
Although Liu Cuiyi came to visit from time to time, she only came to visit. She no longer served with her clothes on, as she had before.
Madam Zhou knew she was using her pregnancy as an excuse. In reality, she was no longer as virtuous and gentle as she used to be.
Thinking of this, she sighed heavily. Who could she blame but her own son for being so useless?
He was not attending to his proper duties every day, and now he was infatuated with a concubine, not even coming to see her.
“What time is it? Why haven’t the lamps been lit yet?” Madam Zhou asked.
“It’s cloudy today, so it’s not quite time to light the lamps yet,” the maid replied quickly. “Does Madam feel cold?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to add another brazier. February is the month when it’s cold for people but not for water,” Madam Zhou said. “I feel a bit better, but I have no taste in my mouth. Could one of you go to the kitchen and tell them I want some pickled vegetables stewed with ham. Use less ham, and no high broth.”
An old woman agreed and left. By this time, a light rain had begun to fall sporadically outside. This was the first rain of spring!
Just as the pickled vegetables stewed with ham were being served, Granny Yu, Madam Zhou’s companion, rushed in in a panic.
“Madam, it’s bad news! Someone from Concubine Zheng’s courtyard just came saying the Eldest Young Master has suddenly lost consciousness!”
Madam Zhou’s chopsticks fell to the floor. She couldn’t catch her breath for a moment and was unable to speak.
The maids and old women beside her quickly patted her back to help her breathe.
“What’s going on? Hurry and send for a doctor!” Madam Zhou urged. “And bring that bitch surnamed Zheng here!”
As she spoke, Liu Cuiyi slowly entered the room and said to Madam Zhou, “I just went to Concubine Zheng’s room to check. The Eldest Young Master is still conscious. I’ve already sent someone to fetch a doctor, so Madam shouldn’t worry too much.”
Madam Zhou was so angry she cursed at her, “I’ve been sick these past few days and couldn’t manage those vixen-like women, were you also dead?!”
“Madam, you’re blaming me unfairly. You know the Eldest Young Master’s temperament; how could I possibly control him?” Liu Cuiyi said with a grievance.
“Bah, don’t pretend with me here. If you hadn’t bought that little slut for him, would all those others have started fighting over him?” Madam Zhou pounded the bed and cursed, “You fool! If anything happens to my son, you’ll be the one to become a widow!”
Liu Cuiyi lowered her head and remained silent.
Concubine Zheng cautiously shuffled in. “Madam, First Madam, the Eldest Young Master hasn’t been well these past few days, so I thought he could rest in my room, and I could take good care of him. Who knew that he had lost so much vitality recently and couldn’t recover quickly. Moreover, the Eldest Young Master insisted on drinking at dinner. He only had one cup before he fainted.”
“Say that in court! You vixen spirits, seducing my son and ruining his health, do you think I’ll let any of you off?!” Madam Zhou cried and cursed. “Go outside and kneel on broken tiles!”
Saying this, she asked to be helped to see her son. Liu Cuiyi naturally followed.
Zhou Jing San lay on the bed, wearing only his undergarment. His complexion was sallow, his eye sockets sunken, and his entire body was filled with a deathly aura.
Madam Zhou threw herself on him and wailed, “My son! All my efforts in this life have been in vain! How could you have ruined yourself to this state? I’ve only not seen you for a few days!”
Although Zhou Jing San had woken from his coma, he couldn’t even lift his hand.
“That wine… that wine had…” he said weakly, “Something was put in that wine… I’m finished… Mother, you must take care of yourself…”
When the doctor was finally called and took his pulse, he shook his head. He came out and said, “It’s not that I want to speak discouraging words, but your family’s Eldest Young Master is now beyond saving, even a god couldn’t save him.”
Madam Zhou was still unwilling to give up and called two more doctors. Their diagnoses were all the same.
That night, Zhou Jing San passed away. He was not yet thirty years old.
Concubine Zheng knew she wouldn’t be spared and hanged herself with her sash.
Concubine Sun, who had always been at odds with her, naturally felt guilty. They had all done what Concubine Zheng had done, but Concubine Zheng had the worst luck.
Concubine Sun then decided to escape in the chaos of the night, but she was spotted by the Madam’s companion and brought before Madam Zhou.
Madam Zhou, already overcome with grief over her son’s early death, became even more enraged at this sight. She said, “Give all these little bitches, every single one who served the Eldest Young Master, a good beating! Tomorrow morning, drag them out and sell them off!”
After dealing with these concubines, she turned to see Liu Cuiyi and her resentment surged. “You little whore! Don’t think I don’t know that your involvement is indispensable to my son’s death!
I heard that he returned home angry on the fifth day of the month, and shortly after, you bought that maid into the household. What exactly were you planning?!”
“You all go down first!” Liu Cuiyi glanced at the servants present. “I have something to say to Madam.”
After the servants had left, Liu Cuiyi asked Madam Zhou, “How does Madam intend to deal with me?”
“How to deal with you? As far as I’m concerned, what Hongyu said before was true! You were guilty and afraid my son would beat you to death, so you came up with a delaying tactic, but you ended up causing my son’s death! How can I let you off?!”
“Madam, think carefully before you speak,” Liu Cuiyi said, unfazed by her threat. “Now that the Eldest Young Master has passed away, do you really want us to both suffer losses? In my opinion, you should pray hard that the child I’m carrying is a boy. Otherwise, the Zhou family’s title will be revoked due to lack of an heir, and you won’t be able to live in this house. The fief and the silver from the imperial court’s annual supply will also be gone. I still have my maternal home to return to, but what about you?”
Her words reminded Madam Zhou. She suddenly recalled that according to imperial law, noble families without heirs would indeed have their titles revoked, and adoption of heirs was not permitted.
She couldn’t help but stare blankly at Liu Cuiyi’s belly, unable to utter a word.
“Madam, even if Cao Hongyu’s words were true, so what? If you spread this family scandal, even if my reputation is ruined, will the Zhou family be glorious?”
“You’ve lived a life of comfort and ease. You can’t possibly lose your son in old age and then lose your family property too, can you?”
“The doctor who examined me said long ago that this pregnancy is nine times out of ten a boy. As long as this child is born safely, the Zhou family’s title can still be preserved.
To be honest, I also have tens of thousands of silver. Even if it’s just for show to outsiders, it won’t let you suffer hardship or poverty.”
Madam Zhou looked at Liu Cuiyi as if she had never known her. She had never dreamed that Liu Cuiyi would speak to her in such a tone one day.
She wanted to curse her as she always had, using all sorts of foul language.
But she felt powerless all over, a powerlessness that came from the bottom of her heart.
It was the weariness of a situation that had gone beyond recovery, a situation where it was impossible to turn the tide.
Although her son’s body had not yet been buried, he was, after all, a dead man. She could not rely on him.
The only one she could rely on was, surprisingly, Liu Cuiyi’s belly.
Did she have a choice?
