Chapter 16: Vicious Scheme
“This Consort Wen is truly a jinx!” Cui Baozhu cursed under her breath. “She can’t even tolerate a virtuous person like the Little Madam. With her around, this household is bound to be in chaos.”
“My Second Miss, you see things clearly,” Granny Yang clapped her hands and sighed. “The life our Little Madam is living now is so stifling. You know her; she not only has no intention of harming anyone, but she rarely even guards against others. Now that that person is back, she’s making things difficult for the Little Madam, both openly and subtly.
Yet the Little Madam only endures it. Although the Master also dislikes that person, men can’t stay at home all day. How can they manage the scheming within the inner chambers?”
“Isn’t this Consort Wen too overbearing? Can’t she be sent back to her hometown?” Cui Baozhu asked. “No one here likes her anyway.”
“Alas, this is not something our Little Madam can decide,” Granny Yang shook her head. “Unless she commits some grave offense and can no longer find a place in the Capital City.”
Cui Baozhu stopped speaking upon hearing this and began to scheme in her heart.
Because she felt that the hope of her entire life depended on Consort Song to help her achieve it, she should also do her best to help Consort Song, which could be considered being loyal and righteous.
After seeing Cui Baozhu out, Granny Yang returned and said to Consort Song with a smile, “This Second Miss Cui is willing to help the Little Madam.”
“Even if she’s willing, her help might be limited,” Consort Song examined the round fan Cui Baozhu had given her. The lower half was embroidered with twin lotus flowers, and the upper half had a jade ruyi, symbolizing auspiciousness and wishes coming true.
“If she were to handle it herself, it would naturally be a small skirmish,” Granny Yang narrowed her eyes, smiling enigmatically. “But if we guide her, it might not be impossible to achieve something.”
Consort Song smiled slightly upon hearing this and said no more, merely fanning herself gently.
The Cui Family held no noble title, but Cui Father was currently a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel and had some influence.
Cui Baozhu was also ambitious but lacked foresight, so Consort Song was happy to use her as a pawn.
Therefore, even though she knew Gong Yu’an looked down on Cui Baozhu, she still dangled him as bait.
Unfortunately, Cui Baozhu couldn’t distinguish between genuine and fake, mistaking Consort Song, the smiling tiger, for a living Bodhisattva.
“That person did indeed go to the Zhou Family’s First Madam yesterday, and they visited a cosmetics shop and a dried goods shop,” Granny Yang spoke of Wen Mingqian’s whereabouts yesterday.
“That Liu Cuiyi is a pushover; she can’t help Wen Mingqian,” Consort Song said without concern. “The two of them meeting would only be to catch up.”
“That’s true, but yesterday the Fourth Young Master used a kite to lure our Young Master over,” Granny Yang said with some worry. “The Master also followed, and they stayed there for a good while.”
“That brat wants to steal favor,” Consort Song’s eyes turned sharp. “He’s truly seeking his own destruction!”
“Little Madam, we must guard against this! You also know that the Master dotes on his children the most, and that scoundrel is, after all, the Master’s own flesh and blood,” Granny Yang said in a hushed, submissive tone. “Although the Master hates the one surnamed Wen, even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. Seeing them together more and more, it’s inevitable that some affection will develop…”
“I understand everything you’re saying,” Consort Song interrupted her. “However, to shoot a person, first shoot their horse; to capture a thief, first capture their leader. That brat is easy to deal with. The important thing is to get Wen Mingqian away from here first.”
“Does the Little Madam have a good method in mind?” Granny Yang quickly asked.
“Since she plans to host a grand banquet for guests in a few days, we’ll just have to make her embarrass herself in front of everyone,” Consort Song lightly covered the lower half of her face with her round fan, revealing only a pair of eyes with deep meaning. “Hasn’t the Little Madam of Duke Feng’s Family returned from the Eastern Capital? She loves excitement the most; we should invite her.”
Duke Feng’s Family also had a Little Madam, Wu Shi. Any concubine who could be addressed as such naturally had her merits.
Duke Feng was now over sixty years old, while this Little Madam was only in her early twenties.
The saying “a mother’s status rises with her son’s nobility” was truly exemplified in her. Previously, Duke Feng, past fifty, had no sons, causing great worry throughout the entire household.
Families with noble titles feared being childless the most, as it meant their titles could be revoked, and their generations of wealth would end.
Duke Feng had over thirty daughters, but what use were they?
Over the years, he had taken over a dozen or twenty concubines, and each year several children were born, but every son born died before reaching one month old.
It wasn’t until he took a household maid as a concubine that he had a son within a year.
This child not only safely passed the one-month and hundred-day milestones but also didn’t fall ill even once before the age of three.
This concubine then became the foremost contributor to the Duke’s Mansion. Not only did the Duke cherish her, but even the Madam held her in high regard.
The Duke even specially petitioned for a noble title for her, which was extremely rare.
This Little Madam Wu Shi had an excellent relationship with Consort Song. On one hand, Consort Song was good at flattering, but more importantly, both of them were concubines, yet outstanding among them, sharing a sense of mutual appreciation.
The reason she didn’t attend the previous Peony Banquet was that she was not in the Capital City but had gone to the Eastern Capital to worship Buddha.
Duke Feng had once made a vow at the Guanyin Temple in the Eastern Capital: if he were to have a son, he would burn incense and fulfill his vow every year.
“The Little Madam of their household is closest to you; if you ask, she will surely come,” Granny Yang said.
“I will naturally go to invite her personally, and I will also invite their Young Heir. You know that child has a serious illness; it would be a shame not to exploit that,”
Granny Yang’s eyes immediately widened, and she clapped her hands, “Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! The Young Heir is the apple of their eye, and he has epilepsy. If Wen Mingqian provokes him, she will have offended the Duke’s Mansion.”
The Feng family’s child, from five or six years old, seemed fine, but was spoiled to the point of being lawless.
Unexpectedly, one time he had a high fever that wouldn’t subside, leaving him with a chronic condition. Once he became extremely angry or frightened, he would have seizures and become manic, which was particularly terrifying.
“This one alone is not enough. Since we’ve decided to act, let’s do it thoroughly,” Consort Song put away her benevolent facade and revealed her venomous fangs. “The day Wen Mingqian returned, the Marchioness Jiangxia was very friendly to her. Since that’s the case, she should reciprocate the favor.”
“The Little Madam means…” Granny Yang couldn’t quite grasp it for a moment.
“Everyone has their hidden worries, and the Marchioness Jiangxia is no exception. However, Wen Mingqian hasn’t been in the Capital City for many years, so she naturally wouldn’t know. But if she were to expose the Marchioness Jiangxia’s hidden worry in public, what do you think would happen?”
“This old servant understands,” Granny Yang suddenly realized. “One should not expose others’ flaws when speaking, nor strike someone in the face. The Marchioness Jiangxia values her face the most. If her flaws are exposed in public, won’t she hate her to death?”
“Wen Mingqian offends the two most prominent guest families on her first hosting. Do you think this household can still tolerate her?” Consort Song asked with a smile.
