Chapter 440 Curiosity (Part 2)

"It's said that she entrusted the case to Mother Tao, but in reality, Mother Tao spent most of her time helping the late Fourth Madam fight against the mothers in charge, or taking care of the late Fourth Madam's health. At that time, although the late Fourth Madam had given birth almost a year ago, her body was still not completely clean. It was either too early or too late, and sometimes it took ten days or half a month. Mother Tao was extremely anxious. She only asked about our affairs every now and then. If she had anything to say, she would ask the mothers who were placed in our rooms by the late Fourth Madam to help pass on the message."

In other words, several concubines are in a situation where they are left to their own devices and graze!

Eleventh Lady pondered and said, "Then how could Aunt Tong have a miscarriage?"

"I don't know the exact details," Madam Wen said frankly. "I can only tell you what I knew at the time."

She recalled, "I remember it was the middle of spring in the fifty-third year of Jianwu. Because the second master died suddenly, the madam went to the Medicine King Temple to worship the Medicine King on the eighth day of the fourth month. Early in the morning, when several of us concubines went to pay our respects to the late Fourth Madam, the late Fourth Madam was discussing with Mother Tao about arranging the carriage to the Medicine King Temple. Mother Tao asked the late Fourth Madam to go to the Medicine King Temple with the madam to worship and pray for peace and health. The late Fourth Madam was a little moved, but she was also worried that there would be no one to take care of the family after she left. She was inevitably a little hesitant. Mother Tao patted her chest and said that she would take care of the family affairs. The late Fourth Madam then made up her mind to go to the Medicine King Temple with the madam to worship the Medicine King."

"Mother Tao happily went to the outer courtyard to pass on the message. Several of us served breakfast to the late Fourth Madam. At that time, the late Fourth Madam was in a good mood. She also said that Aunt Tong's belly was pointed, and it might be a son. She rewarded Aunt Tong and Aunt Qin with a plate of pine nut cake each. After the meal, she asked the little maid to bring a stool for us to sit on, and asked about the child with interest..."

Shiyi Niang suddenly interrupted Madam Wen and said, "We gave Madam Tong and Madam Qin pine nut cakes, but what did we give Madam Wen?"

Madam Wen looked a little embarrassed: "I was pregnant at the time, and my nurse told me not to eat anything. I was afraid that people would misunderstand me. I just said I had no appetite in front of outsiders, and after a while, people stopped forcing me to eat."

Are you afraid that someone is tampering with your food?

With Yuanniang's intelligence, it is impossible that she didn't see it. Since she saw it, given her temperament, she would not lower her status and openly embarrass a concubine.

Eleventh Lady smiled slightly.

Madam Wen did not deny it, and said carefully: "The late Fourth Madam had quite a temper. Not long after she came in, she had already made Madam Tong and Madam Tai obedient. I'm a newcomer, so I can't help but be a little wary." Her expression was a little embarrassed.

Eleventh Lady understood and nodded slightly: "So what happened later?"

Aunt Wen said, "I was very hungry at the time, so I went back to my room on the pretext of feeling unwell. When I went to serve lunch at noon, I found that the atmosphere had completely changed. The deceased Fourth Madam was sitting cross-legged on the big kang by the window, her hands on the kang table clenched into fists, staring at Mother Tao standing in front of her with a heavy face. Mother Tao's face was ashen, and the corners of her mouth kept trembling, looking extremely angry. Aunt Tong and Aunt Qin were sitting on the kang table, and they were sitting on the kang table. We stood side by side beside the floor-standing hood as if walking on thin ice, not daring to speak loudly. I saw that something was wrong, and I didn't know what had happened. I was thinking about what to say, and then I saw Aunt Tong wink at me. "As she spoke, her eyes dimmed slightly, and she sighed lightly like a spring breeze, "Biyu is not only good-looking, but also kind to others, but her temperament is too gentle..." She paused, wanting to say something but stopped.

Is it because the listener is Yuanniang's sister and it is a little inconvenient to speak? Or is it because he can't accurately express his feelings towards Aunt Tong in words?

Shiyi Niang picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, only to find that the tea had already gone cold.

"I watched and quietly walked aside." Aunt Wen whispered, "Just as I stood still, the deceased Fourth Madam suddenly glanced at me coldly and told Madam Tao to set the table. Madam Tao looked very unwilling, and after a long while she whispered 'yes' and left. Aunt Tong saw this and hurried forward to refill the deceased Fourth Madam with a cup of hot tea. The deceased Fourth Madam drank the tea and her complexion looked much better. The atmosphere also eased a lot. I took the opportunity to step forward and tell a few jokes, and just then Madam Tao waved to the maid to bring in lunch. A few of us helped to set up the chopsticks, and the deceased Fourth Madam waved her hand and asked us to leave, leaving Madam Tao alone to talk."

"I quietly asked Aunt Tong what happened. Aunt Tong told me that Madam Tao went to the outer courtyard to find the steward to arrange carriages for the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. As a result, the steward said that the axles of several carriages were broken and had not been repaired yet, and then he said that the coachmen were short of staff and that Chief Steward Bai had not yet recruited people. In short, they could not get the needed carriages. Madam Tao had no choice but to go to Chief Steward Bai. Chief Steward Bai personally brought his personal servant to the stable to select horses and carriages. Only then was the carriage issue settled."

"Who knew that the auntie specially invited by the marquis, that is, the cousin of the dowager, would come at this time. The old sisters have not seen each other for decades, so they have a great affinity. The dowager had to invite this auntie to go to the Medicine King Temple together. However, in this way, a few more carriages would be needed. The deceased fourth lady thought that if a few more carriages were added, it would be more troublesome. After returning to the house, she told Mother Tao that she would not go to the Medicine King Temple."

"Mother Tao disagreed, saying that if anyone didn't go, it should be the widowed Second Madam, or the pregnant Third Madam. It couldn't be the Madam who was in charge of the banquet. She also said that if the deceased Fourth Madam was too embarrassed to tell the Second Madam, she would tell her.

The deceased Fourth Lady became anxious when she heard this. She said, if the Second Lady asked why she was not allowed to go, could it be that she said that she needed a carriage? The Second Lady had been in charge of the inner court's internal affairs and helped the Grand Lady manage the outer court. She knew the situation at home best. When she said this, she would laugh at me, saying that I, a dignified wife of the Marquis of Yongping, could not even move the carriages at home.

Mother Tao thought it made sense, so she suggested that the Third Lady not go. The deceased Fourth Lady also disagreed, saying that the Third Lady was very stingy and would not eat even the slightest loss. Knowing that the family members were going out to visit the Zen temple but she was not allowed to go, wouldn't she go to the Grand Lady to complain? It would be even more embarrassing if the Grand Lady asked about it.

Mother Tao also became anxious. She said, "The sky is big, the earth is big, but it is not as important as offspring. Are you going to give it up like this?"

"The deceased Fourth Madam's face turned very ugly after hearing this. She didn't say anything for a long time, and finally decided not to go.

"Mother Tao began to feel sorry for the deceased Fourth Madam."

"So, my eldest sister and Mother Tao are both unhappy because of this?" Eleventh Lady asked Madam Wen.

"And she has not been very happy!" Madam Wen nodded. "In the afternoon, the mother who is in charge of sewing came over and said that according to tradition, the fabrics for making Qiu Shang would have been ordered by this time of year. She asked what to do this year. If we ask the managers of the outer courtyard to help us order, we should quickly take the matching cards and tell them; if we want the inner courtyard to order it ourselves, we should also make a decision early. Otherwise, Qiu Shang will not be ready in time.

"It was originally a very common thing, but it made the late Fourth Madam angry. Aunt Tong and Aunt Qin were so scared that they dared not go over, and they just did needlework in my room. At that time, I saw that Aunt Tong looked unhappy and tired, so I asked her to rest on my bed for a while. But she said it was okay. Because the three of us were pregnant, I couldn't force her to do some things. She said it was okay, so I didn't ask any more questions. At dusk, the three of us went to serve the late Fourth Madam dinner together. Wanxiang said that the late Fourth Madam was settling accounts with Mother Tao, and asked us to wait outside.

"We waited until the lights were turned on, but there was still no movement in the main room. My feet were aching from standing so much, and Aunt Tong and Aunt Qin were not much better off. They kept switching feet. I thought this was not a solution, so I said I had a stomachache and needed to go to the toilet. Then I rested in the toilet for half an hour before leaving.

"Who would have known that the deceased Fourth Madam was still settling accounts with Madam Tao. We stood there staring at each other for a long time. I saw that the usually honest Aunt Tong and Aunt Qin were both a little shaky, and was about to hint to them to go to the Shangjing room as well, but the door of the main room opened, and Madam Tao came out and told the little maid to serve dinner, so I swallowed my words.

"After dinner, Mother Tao accompanied the deceased Fourth Madam to the Second Madam's place. We also went back to our rooms.

"I washed and dressed and lay down. My mother, who came with me from Yangzhou, sat by the kang and watched over me. She talked to me and sewn for the child. Aunt Qin came to borrow Huaxiangzi. I put on my clothes and sat on the bed to talk to her while my mother went to find Huaxiangzi. I asked Aunt Qin what Aunt Tong was doing. Aunt Qin said that Aunt Tong felt a little tired and had already rested. Thinking of the rest just now, I asked Aunt Qin if Aunt Tong was okay. Aunt Qin said that the mother sent by the late Fourth Madam was in the room to take care of her, so she would be fine."

As Madam Wen spoke, a look of daze appeared on her face.

"While we were talking, the maid who served Aunt Qin suddenly ran over and said with a pale face that Aunt Tong was moved.

"We were all shocked. Aunt Qin ran into the house.

“I wanted to go and see it, but my mother stopped me.

"She said, 'It's the middle of the night, how can we get a doctor? Aunt Tong's child might not be saved. Others have not had time to wash themselves clean, and you are still foolishly jumping in the muddy water.'"

Madam Wen lowered her head.

"I hesitated for a long time, but still felt uncomfortable. I shook off my mother's hand and climbed onto the big kang next to the window. I lay on the window and looked out. I saw Aunt Qin hurriedly going to the main room alone.

"The yard was quiet from beginning to end, and no one came. I felt my knees were a little stiff from kneeling, so I sat down to change my position. The little maidservant who served Aunt Tong came over, looking horrified, saying that Aunt Tong was bleeding non-stop, so the mother who was sent to their room by the Fourth Madam didn't know what to do. She asked my mother who came with me from Yangzhou to go over and help. My mother refused without a second thought. The little maidservant knelt on the ground with a thump, and begged me to send a little maidservant to look for Aunt Qin. She said that Aunt Qin had gone to look for someone, but she hadn't come back yet. And she was pregnant, and if anything happened to her, everyone in the room would be dead.

"My mother didn't say a word and just pushed the little maid out the door."