Xiao Shen's information was extremely accurate. Only two days had passed. On this morning, after Minglan had dealt out the cards, she was teasing Fatty to learn how to bow when Luzhi came running in in a hurry, saying that the Madam had arrived.
Mother Cui's arms tightened noticeably as she held Tuan'er. She looked at Minglan with a stern face. Minglan slowly stood up and said, "Mother, please give Tuan'er to the wet nurse. Xiaotao, help me to the couch. Luzhi, go and get the eldest lady."
The last five words seemed to have a strange tone. Luzhi responded loudly and went out first.
Not long after, Shao came hurriedly with a panicked look on her face. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw the maids around Minglan coming in and out, some boiling water and stewing medicine, or standing in the courtyard vigilantly. The senior maids in particular looked as if they were facing a great enemy.
Shao walked into the inner room and saw Minglan lying on the couch, sobbing softly. Mother Cui and Xiaotao sat beside the bed, whispering to her. Shao was shocked and said hurriedly, "Oh my God, what's wrong?"
Mother Cui's face was filled with sorrow. She stood up and replied, "She was fine this morning, but when Madam heard that the Madam was coming, she got so frightened that she refused to see anyone."
Shao was stunned for a moment, then quickly took a few steps to the bedside, held Minglan's hand, and said softly, "My dear sister, if you feel unwell, please tell me. Don't scare the baby in your belly."
Minglan slowly raised her head from the quilt, her face pale with fear and vigilance. She said in a trembling voice, "Sister-in-law, I'm afraid... I don't want to see her."
Shao was stunned. She had been watching the flowers in the room, and when she heard that the lady had arrived, she stood up and dressed herself, thinking that she would have to go out to pay her respects. But Luzhi came in with a panicked look on her face to tell her that Minglan had invited her. She never expected it to be like this.
She hurriedly advised, "How can this be? My dear sister, if you feel unwell, it would be the same if you asked the Madam to come and see you."
Minglan sat up straight, her eyes wide open, revealing a strange look, even a bit of the ferocity of a pregnant wolf. "I won't see her... She wants to harm me again, I won't see her!"
After saying this, she hugged her belly, lay down on her back, trembling and crying softly.
Shao was about to pull her back and try to persuade her, but Madam Cui stopped her and pulled her up. Then Madam Cui said, "You see, the Madam was frightened last time. She's pregnant, and the Marquis isn't here. As the elder, the Madam has no choice but to take care of things. I only ask that the First Madam, out of our past friendship, go outside and greet the Madam."
Shao froze there, and before she could think of a reply, she was shoved and ushered into the front hall. She found the old lady already seated at the head, drinking tea. Seeing that only Shao had come out, she frowned, "Where's the second son's wife? Even if the family splits up, doesn't that mean I'm not her elder? Why is she so honored that I can't even see her?"
Shao hurriedly bowed and saluted, hesitating, "My sister-in-law...she, she...is not feeling well. I'm afraid she can't see you..."
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "Okay, okay, I came and she fell ill. If she can't come out to see me, then I'll go see her!" As she spoke, she raised her foot to rush in, but Liao Yong's family led several strong women to block the way. The old lady was furious and cursed, "You blind servant, how dare you block my way!"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Shao was slightly surprised. In her memory, the lady had always been gentle and amiable, and she handled matters with ease. Although she was the one who had the final say in the mansion and held great power, she never spoke harshly or in a harsh manner. Why was she so ferocious and angry today?
She huddled aside and took a peek, only to see that the old lady was still as elegant and noble as ever in her jewelry, but she looked pale, her face was yellow, her body was obviously much thinner, and her expression was filled with indescribable anxiety.
Liao Yongjia was unhurried and said respectfully, "The Marquis set the rules before he left. No one, no matter who they are, can barge in without Madam's permission." She glanced at Madam Tai and added with a smile, "Madam is in poor health. It would be bad if something happened to her."
The lady was so angry that she staggered and pointed at Liao Yong's house, unable to speak for a long time. She stamped her foot, turned to Shao Shi, and said sternly: "Okay! This is the Golden Palace now. I can't barge in. I'm afraid of offending the celestial being inside! Go in and tell her that I have something important to discuss. Either she comes out or I go in! Otherwise, I won't leave!"
Shao had never contradicted the Madam in her life, so how could she disobey? She turned and left, hurried all the way to the inner room of Jiaxiju, and without even taking a breath, she quickly told Minglan what the Madam had said. Minglan was so frightened that her eyes were filled with tears, and she cried out, "What is there to see?! Are you going to ask her to set me on fire and burn me to death?"
Shao was speechless, unable to offer any words of advice. She asked Madam Cui to have the maid push her out. She felt her scalp tingle as the maidservants around her repeatedly urged her to go forward and send the Taifu away. On one side was her delicate sister-in-law, who could not be disturbed, and on the other was her dignified mother-in-law. She could not afford to offend either, and she could not deal with either. Shao was like an ant on the hot pot, caught in a dilemma.
After standing there for a while, Shao still couldn't figure out what to do. He slipped back to his yard in a daze and walked into the inner room.
Xian Jie'er was leaning over the kang table, writing. When she saw her mother come in, looking distraught, she asked, "Mom, what's wrong? Didn't you say the Madam was coming? Why are you back? The Madam wants to see me? I've already changed my clothes and can go right away."
Hearing the calm tone, Mrs. Shao seemed to have suddenly found her composure. Grabbing her daughter's hand, she began to talk urgently. After finally telling her the whole story, she said anxiously, "My child, how did I get into this trouble?! This is perfectly fine, and it has nothing to do with me. How could it be...?!"
After a long moment of frantic anxiety, she suddenly remembered something and whispered, "Tell me...is your Second Aunt faking her illness?"
Xian Jie'er listened quietly, putting down the small jade-tubed, green-bristled brush in her hand. "Whether she's pretending or not, it doesn't matter. Second Aunt's meaning is very clear. She doesn't want to see the Madam, not even to meet her face, and she wants mother to make this appearance."
Shao was so anxious that she almost cried, covering her handkerchief with her hands and said anxiously: "You, you, you...what should I do..."
Xian Jie'er said, "Mother, just go and talk to the Madam."
Shao ripped off the handkerchief covering her face, slammed it on the table, and angrily said, "You stupid girl, you've only been studying for two days, and what are you talking about?! That's the Madam! I... I... How dare I be so presumptuous!"
"Mother, what are you afraid of?" Xian Jie'er took out her handkerchief and wiped her mother's tears, saying with a smile, "Now we've separated. Can the Madam still beat or scold us?"
Shaw lowered his head, wiped his tears and said nothing.
Xian Jie sighed softly, "Mother, I know you're afraid of offending the Madam. Second Uncle is fighting at the front, and Tuan Ge'er is still young. If anything happens to her, I'm afraid she'll make things difficult for us in the future."
Mrs. Shao felt a wave of sorrow and she hugged her daughter's tiny body, crying, "My dear child, it's amazing that you're so sensible at such a young age...Without your father, how can we, mother and I, live without fear?"
Xian Jie'er curled up in her mother's arms and said quietly, "If it's about this, I advise you not to worry about it. In fact, whether you go out to deal with the lady or not, we have already offended her."
Shao was shocked and said, "How can you say that? Since Mother came into the family, I have never been disrespectful to the Madam."
Xian Jie'er sighed softly, "Mother, don't you see what Dad did for us back then? He refused to adopt Third Uncle's son as his heir, returned the land and money Grandfather had given Second Uncle, and personally petitioned the clan office, requesting Second Uncle inherit the title. Before he died, he even cleared out the family property in front of us, and told the clan members that my two great uncles had divided the family property long ago."
Mrs. Shao was stunned when she heard this, not understanding why her daughter suddenly brought up these things.
"I didn't quite understand it when I was little; but as I've grown up over the past few years and learned from Mr. Xue, I've slowly come to understand." Xian Jie'er's eyes began to redden. "On the surface, it seems that Daddy is trying to persuade Second Uncle to change his mind and keep the title of Marquis; but in reality..." Tears streamed down her tender face. "Daddy is doing this for Mom and me!"
Thinking of all the plans her late husband had made before his death, all he cared about was her and her daughter, Shao could no longer hold back and burst into tears, covering her face with a handkerchief.
Xian Jie'er lowered her head to wipe the water off her face and said firmly, "Everything Daddy did before he died, how could it not offend people? Daddy used our fourth great uncle, fifth great uncle, and the Dowager to exchange for the future honor and wealth for Mom and me! Even I can see this, let alone the Dowager? At this point, Mom still expects her to not hold a grudge against Daddy? Alas, Mom, Daddy has already chosen which side we should join. What is there for Mom to worry about?"
Shao sobbed, "Since your father has been so wronged, why did your second aunt insist on me making such an appearance? I...I, I'm afraid of seeing the Madam..."
Xian Jie'er patted her mother's back sensibly and said softly, "Mother, Second Uncle promised Father to look after us, but how he does it and how well he looks after us depends entirely on Second Aunt's wishes. Mother, tell me, how has Second Aunt treated us over the past few years?"
Shao raised her face and wiped it, hesitatingly saying, "...To be honest, your second aunt is very kind and honest."
Xian Jie'er looked up and thought, "Among the sisters attending school, there's a niece of Grandma Zheng Si. Her father was a scholar, but he failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, so he had to work as a legal advisor for a brother in the family who was an official, and he followed him to a distant post. Even so, the eldest aunt in charge of the family often deducted their share of allowance, so they were either late in getting clothes or short of food."
She turned to look at her mother and said in a gentle voice, "Mom, if Second Aunt had been like that, I could have saved so much money on clothes just by being in mourning. But Second Aunt isn't like that. She even finds ways to equip me with furs and jewelry. Every time I go out, people say they've never seen a girl in mourning dress so exquisitely and elegantly. It's obvious how much care she puts into this. And Mother, when she goes to the Buddha for worship, burns incense, and donates incense oil every day, has Second Aunt ever asked us to pay for it ourselves? She always tells us to use the money from the public account."
Shao was also moved by what she heard, and said sincerely, "Your Second Aunt has been so kind to us." After a pause, she gritted her teeth and said, "You're right. To repay this favor, I should do something for her."
She was an adult, and she had another thought. When Xianjie was looking for a husband in the future, she would be a widow, and her family was not very helpful. How many connections could she have? She wanted to find a good family, and she was afraid that Minglan would have to help.
"But...how should I tell the Madam?" When she thought of her strong and capable ex-mother-in-law, she began to feel at a loss again.
Xian Jie'er tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Didn't Second Aunt say she was 'afraid to see her' and 'afraid of another fire'? Mother, why don't you just tell me directly? I'm just passing on the message anyway." After a pause, a childish sarcasm appeared on her small face, and she muttered softly, "Anyway, it's not that unfair."
After hearing the first few sentences, Shao almost jumped up and was about to scold loudly, but after hearing the last half sentence, she suddenly stopped, sighed weakly, and then asked the maid outside to come in and help her to wash and dress quickly in front of the mirror. She stood at the door, took a few deep breaths, stomped her feet hard, and went out.
When she saw the Madam again, she was already extremely impatient. She sneered at Shao Shi as she saw her, "I haven't seen you for so long, and you've become so precious to me? But it took you so long to come back just to pass on a message!"
Shao was still very afraid of her and almost wanted to turn around and run away. Thinking of her daughter's future, she could only muster up her courage and stammered about Minglan's "shock illness" and exaggerated it. When she talked about "arson" and so on, the lady's face was filled with anger and her eyes were so fierce that people dared not look her in the face.
Shao finished her words while exhausted, and finally said, "My sister-in-law said that she...she, she would never dare to see you no matter what...If you force her to do anything, she will go to her parents' home, as well as the Shen and Zheng families, to ask for help."
She took a deep breath, almost using up all the courage in her life. She didn't even dare to look at the lady, and tremblingly said: "...Anyway, you can't get in...why not...just go back..."
The lady's face was a frighteningly dark blue, like a bronze ghost's face, which frightened Shao Shi so much that she almost fell to her knees. She only sneered briefly and looked up and down at Shao Shi and the maids in the hall. "Okay, I'll remember that!"
After saying this, she turned and left, never looking back.
Shao collapsed on the ground until the maid helped her out of the hall. When the cold wind blew, she realized that her vest was covered with cold sweat.
Liao Yong's wife was very attentive. Seeing that Shao was sweating profusely, she turned around and asked the maid to boil ginger soup and send some medicine to Shao, and then hurried to Minglan's place.
After hearing the reply, Minglan sat on the kang with a calm expression, slowly eating a bowl of pork ribs stewed with papaya and bamboo fungus, and whispered, "Am I too cruel?" She gently touched her belly, feeling the strong and regular fetal movement - she would never, ever let that old witch see her child again.
Mother Cui said calmly, "The last time there was a fire in the mansion, the Madam didn't even ask anyone to bring out a bucket of water. It's time she learned that she can't just keep looking at the other side of the fence. She might as well cut off her own interests, lest she have to worry about the Madam coming after her." She added, "Xian Jie'er is a good child. She's well worth the Madam's love for her."
Minglan nodded. "Mom, do you remember? When we met at the New Year's greetings last year, Grandmother also said that Sister Xian was blessed with great fortune."
Mother Cui glanced at the dripping water in the corner of the room and turned to say, "I think Doctor Lin will be here soon. Madam, you should go back to bed."
Minglan shook her head and smiled bitterly. She had to perform the whole act to be effective. Xiaotao helped her lie down, massaging her calves as she wondered, "What if Imperial Doctor Lin finds out Madam is fine? What will we do then?"
Minglan was about to lie down and stretch her limbs when she burst out laughing. Mother Cui rubbed Xiaotao's head and said helplessly, "Silly child, Doctor Lin is such a smart and perceptive doctor, and he saw Madam lying there groaning and still said that Madam is not sick."
Even an ordinary doctor, seeing a patient groaning without pain, would often express partial agreement in a tactful way and make a fortune at the same time; let alone a top talent like Doctor Lin who is both virtuous and talented?
In the next two days, the imperial physician was invited again, and the aroma of stewed medicine filled the yard. The condition was exaggerated very seriously. Imperial Physician Lin ran a clinic, so Minglan simply patronized his family to do some business, and by the way, spread the news that the wife of Marquis Gu was frightened and fell ill.
At the same time, the arrogant and harsh remarks of Marquis Gu's wife spread throughout the capital like wings. According to rumors, the stepmother-in-law of Marquis Ningyuan rarely came to ask for help, but was driven out without even seeing her.
The capital was quite idle after the New Year holiday, and this incident excited all the idle ladies and made them talk about it.
Some said that the fire that broke out when Marquis Gu's wife was about to give birth was so strange. Now that Marquis Gu was not around, it was no wonder that Madam Gu was so scared, it was understandable. Some said that being a second wife was miserable and was not liked by the first son, and that the censors should report Marquis Gu and his wife for being unfilial. Some who knew the inside story said that there was more than one fire, and there were also turmoil such as taking in concubines and adopting children... The more they talked, the more excited everyone became.
In fact, both pieces of news were true. The Lady Dowager had truly been turned away, and Minglan had truly been "scared sick" by the previous incident. As for the true story behind it, it was up to the others to decide which one to believe.
The lady is quite energetic, but unfortunately, these days there are few people who stand up for justice, and the mainstream approach is to praise the famous and criticize the villains.
Besides—'unfilial'? Minglan sneered a few times.
Upon hearing that his daughter was "sick with fright", the thoughtful old man Sheng immediately sent Liu to visit her and convey his authoritative opinion - for someone like Xiao Qinshi, who already had children and grandchildren of her own and had taken a large fortune to separate from the family and live separately, and yet wanted to sue her step-son and step-daughter-in-law for being unfilial, it would be very difficult. Unless the emperor wanted to make trouble for her, the censor would cooperate.
Mother Cui was a sincere person and was immediately moved and said, "After all, he is her biological father, and he cares about his daughter."
Minglan curled the corners of her mouth - maybe Father Sheng was afraid that her rich son-in-law would change his mind and fall in love with his new father-in-law.
After several days of sending people outside to inquire about the wind's direction, they unexpectedly received some news. One day, Gu Quan suddenly came running in with a strange report: "...I didn't notice it before, but I had people watching the door for several days, and I found out that Madam Yu had been visiting the old lady twice in just five or six days. I then asked around and found out that since last year, Madam Yu has been visiting Madam Tai frequently..."
"Who?" Mother Cui was confused. Gu Quan glanced at Minglan's face and kept silent.
Minglan glanced at him and said softly, "She must be the mother of Sister Yu Yanhong." Gu Quan nodded quickly.
Mother Cui was shocked: "Why is it her? Wasn't she divorced by the Yu family? How did they get together again?!"
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