Chapter 18: Provocation
Qing Zhu paced back and forth alone beneath the Bell Tower outside Chengtian Gate.
From time to time, she looked back at the Bell Tower, and only when she saw that familiar figure did she become joyful.
“Young Master Gu!”
Gu Jie, relying on the hereditary privilege of the Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion, secured a position as a clerk in the Gold Department of the Ministry of Revenue, handling miscellaneous treasury matters. He was learned and sharp-witted. Marquis Jingyuan, a renowned general, placed great hopes on his scholarly son, sending him to the Ministry of Revenue to foster connections and pave the way for future promotions.
Gu Jie had just emerged with his colleagues when he saw Qing Zhu.
“Ahem!” He bowed to his colleagues and bid them farewell. Glancing around, he walked over, “Does your Young Lady have something urgent?”
Qing Zhu chuckled. Seeing the worry in Gu Jie’s eyes, her smile brightened.
“The Young Lady has a letter for Young Master Gu. Please read it immediately…”
Qing Zhu took out a folded piece of plain paper from her sleeve.
Gu Jie’s expression changed after reading it. “Nonsense! Who gave Ying’er such a terrible idea? Absolutely not, there is no possibility between me and that Xue Liu Jue.”
“Young Master Gu, please don’t be anxious,” Qing Zhu said. “You understand best what kind of person my Young Lady is. With Sixth Miss about to become a concubine in the Prince’s Mansion, the Young Lady cannot bear to see it and insists on saving her from this sea of suffering. The Young Lady also said this is for your consideration…”
Gu Jie hesitated, “For my consideration?”
Qing Zhu said, “Young Master Gu, please think carefully. Who is Madam Chun’s preferred daughter-in-law? Our Young Lady is swallowing her own grievances to fulfill Madam Chun’s wishes. How can Young Master Gu not understand?”
Gu Jie’s heart felt like it was shattering.
Ying’er had suffered too many grievances for him.
But his mother’s background was humble and she lacked insight. She couldn’t see Ying’er’s good qualities and only favored that Xue Liu. These past two days, she heard Xue Liu had returned to the Minister’s Mansion and sighed, lamenting that she had missed out…
He feared that if Ying’er married into the Marquis’s Mansion, she would still have to endure her scrutiny…
Gu Jie clenched the letter in his hand and sighed.
“I know Ying’er is kind. But how can I, Gu Jie, be foolishly filial and become a heartless man?”
Qing Zhu noticed people passing by and did not linger.
“The Young Lady said that with Young Master Gu’s true heart, these hardships are nothing. Tonight, the Young Lady will leave the gate open for Young Master Gu. Please do not let down the Young Lady’s intentions.”
Qing Zhu curtsied and hurried away with her head bowed.
She was not worried that Gu Jie would not come.
When Fourth Miss spoke, Young Master Gu never refused.
However, she didn’t understand. Even as a maid, she could see the ulterior motives behind Xiugu’s few tears and words. Why would she instigate Fourth Miss to be a pawn for the First Madam? Didn’t Fourth Miss realize this?
To prevent Sixth Miss from going to Prince Duan’s Mansion, Fourth Miss was willing to sacrifice her beloved Young Master. She was truly generous.
–
Shou An Courtyard became lively at dusk.
Several sisters surrounded Xue Yuechen, chattering excitedly, all filled with envy.
Marrying as Princess Consort Duan was a match beyond the reach of these young ladies. Those not yet married hoped to rely on their Eldest Sister to find a good husband.
Only Xue Yue Lou, the Second Young Lady Xue, who was staying at her maternal home, was quiet and reserved.
Xue Sui couldn’t help but look at her a few more times.
The Second Young Lady’s name was Xue Yue Lou. She lacked the dignified grace of Xue Yuechen, the Eldest Sister, and the gentle tenderness of Xue Yueying, the Fourth Sister. She sat alone, looking pale and thin, without any cosmetics. Her hair was adorned with only a simple hairpin, with no other accessories.
In two words, she was bland.
She didn’t converse with anyone, appearing like an invisible person.
The day after Xue Sui returned to the mansion, Ru Yi had told her that the Second Young Lady had returned to her maternal home with her foolishly-minded son. It had been about ten days, and the Second Young Master’s husband had not sent anyone to fetch her. The First Madam’s expression grew increasingly displeased, and the Second Young Lady’s situation was difficult.
But Xue Sui’s attention was not drawn to her for these reasons.
It was because Xue Yue Lou’s husband was Yao Wei, the son of Yao Hong, the Assistant Minister of the Interior.
The person from the picture album.
Their eyes met, and Xue Yue Lou nodded.
Xue Sui also smiled at her, neither speaking much.
At the family banquet, the men and women were seated separately, with a curtain placed in the middle.
Xue Sui had been back at the Xue Mansion for a while but had not formally met the young masters of the Xue Mansion.
After many years, listening to their voices, she couldn’t distinguish who was who, but she could recognize the voice of Xue Lan, the eldest son of the main branch.
He was Fu Shi’s pampered darling, cherished as if he were the apple of her eye. His speech among his brothers was extremely flippant, making him easy to identify.
Maids bustled through the dining hall, and dishes were served in a continuous stream.
A typical family banquet, with a dazzling array of delicacies and jade plates. A quick count revealed dozens of dishes.
In her childhood, Xue Sui had no opportunity to sit at the Xue Mansion’s family banquet table. Her Master treated her well in the Old Mausoleum Swamp, but they were frugal people and would not be so extravagant. She had never eaten such a wide variety of elaborately prepared dishes.
Xue Yuechen, due to her noble status, sat beside the Old Madam.
After she was seated, everyone else took their seats. Only when the Old Madam picked up her chopsticks did the maids begin to serve dishes to the young ladies.
With her children and grandchildren gathered, Old Madam Cui was very pleased and said with a smile, “For a simple family banquet, there’s no need for so many rules. It’s rare for your Eldest Sister to return, and Sixth Girl has also been found. Why don’t we remove the curtain and let the brothers and sisters have a lively time together?”
The mansion had strict rules, and the Old Ancestor’s words carried great weight.
The younger children were overjoyed.
When the curtain was removed, and they had all seen each other, the young masters’ attention was drawn to the Sixth Miss Xue, who had just returned to the mansion…
They had not yet experienced any major events.
The name Old Mausoleum Swamp was enough to inspire fear, and their gazes inevitably held a strange look…
Old Madam Cui watched her children and grandchildren with a smile. As if thinking of something, her gaze swept across the dining hall and landed on Third Madam.
“Where is Third Master? He was supposed to be at the family banquet tonight. Where has your husband gone?”
Qian Shi had just picked up her rice bowl when she put it down again upon hearing the question. She smiled unhurriedly and replied, “Your words put your daughter-in-law in a difficult position. His legs are his own; can I tie him to my waist with a rope?”
Qian Shi, the daughter of a merchant, was notoriously ill-mannered. Relying on her family’s wealth, she had a very overbearing personality.
Her sarcastic remark made the Old Madam’s teeth ache.
“As his wife, you should restrain him a little. The younger generation is all grown up. For an elder like him to be so irresponsible, what kind of example is that? If the younger generation were to follow his lead, wouldn’t the Old Ancestor’s rules be ruined by him?”
Qian Shi pouted and responded with a forced smile. The Old Madam then stopped speaking.
Her son was her own flesh and blood; she knew his character best.
“Let’s begin the feast.”
The women’s side was very quiet, eating without speaking, adhering to the rules. However, the young masters were quite lively.
Xue Lan, twenty-two years old this year, served as a recorder in the Supreme Court. Although his official rank was only eighth grade, as the eldest son of the main branch and with his brother-in-law being Prince Duan, he was fond of grand pronouncements. He would often discuss strange cases and secrets with his brothers in the mansion without any reservations.
“Have you heard about that Third Master You’s incident? A living person, vanished into thin air…”
Xue Yi, the nine-year-old son of the third branch, listened with wide eyes.
“Could he have been taken by a vengeful spirit?”
Xue Lan scoffed, “What vengeful spirit? You read too many strange tales. When I got off work today, I saw people from Jingzhao Prefecture fishing a body out of the pond. They said that Third Master You secretly kept over a dozen beauties in a residence in Chongren Ward. This scoundrel was usually dissolute and would often beat or scold his beauties. It’s likely he tormented them severely, so they banded together to take revenge while he was injured and unable to move…”
He made a fierce expression.
“Murder and dismemberment.”
“A Lan!” Xue Qingzhi stopped him. “Don’t discuss court matters.”
Normally, his father would occasionally offer some guidance when they discussed state affairs at home, but today he forbade it?
Xue Lan didn’t notice the solemnity on Xue Qingzhi’s face and couldn’t help but add, “Some people also say that such actions are quite similar to what the Corpse Keepers of the Old Mausoleum Swamp do. Perhaps someone hired assassins to kill him…”
“Ah!” A scream interrupted him.
A maid, carrying a bowl of scalding hot soup, had spilled it all over the Sixth Miss Xue.
Steam rose from her dress, but Xue Sui didn’t move. She seemed numb, her expression unchanged.
The Old Madam was the first to speak, “How dare you! What were you thinking?”
The maid was terrified and knelt on the ground with a thud.
“Old Ancestor, spare me! I was scared just now, and when I got nervous, I… I spilled it…”
Old Madam Cui sternly asked, “What were you afraid of?”
The maid timidly raised her eyes, glanced at Xue Sui, and quickly lowered her head.
“Afraid, afraid of the Old Mausoleum Swamp…”
The three words were faint but enough to reach everyone’s ears.
This Sixth Miss, who had returned from the Old Mausoleum Swamp, made her feel afraid.
A moment of silence fell upon the room.
People had been sizing up Xue Sui earlier, and now they all turned to look at her, holding their breath as if they could empathize with the maid’s words, sensing the decay and sinister aura of the Old Mausoleum Swamp emanating from Sixth Miss.
Xue Sui took a handkerchief from Ru Yi’s hand, as if she hadn’t noticed the unfriendly gazes, and slowly wiped her clothes.
“It’s nothing.”
Old Madam Cui glanced at the maid. “Since Sixth Miss has spared you, why don’t you withdraw quickly? If you’re clumsy again, I’ll skin you alive.”
The maid kowtowed in thanks and carefully withdrew.
Xue Yueying smiled, “It’s chilly spring weather, and catching a cold would be bad. Liuli Pavilion is close to Shou An Courtyard. Sixth Sister, why don’t you come with me to change your clothes? Our figures are similar, and I happen to have a few new outfits that I haven’t worn yet…”
Xue Sui looked at her with a half-smile. “Thank you, Fourth Young Lady.”
As she was about to get up, her arm was held.
It was Xue Yue Lou, sitting beside her.
She had been silent throughout the family banquet, but now she spoke softly.
“Lian Shui Pavilion is closer than Liuli Pavilion. I see Sixth Sister is quite slender; I believe you can wear my clothes.”
Xue Sui glanced at her.
Xue Yue Lou’s eyes revealed no emotion, nor any concern.
Every word was ordinary, but her hand gripped hers tightly.
Xue Sui smiled slightly and gently pushed her hand away.
“Thank you for your kindness, Second Young Lady. Fourth Young Lady spoke first, and it wouldn’t be right for me to refuse her intentions.”
Xue Yue Lou watched her leave the table, her lips parting slightly, but she said no more. This, however, drew a cold snort from Fu Shi.
“Look after yourself. How long have you been staying at your maternal home? Your husband hasn’t even sent anyone to see you. And you’re not going back to soften your stance; are you waiting to be invited back in a grand sedan chair?”
Xue Yue Lou lowered her head and said nothing.
Sisters, please show your support during the new book period with collections, reads, and recommendation tickets, all are welcome…
