Xu Wen sat by the bed, embracing her son, Sheng Shu, and entertaining him. Her mind raced, dwelling on Empress Jing'an's health. The more she thought about it, the more fear she felt. The affairs of the inner court were never something that could be resolved simply by avoiding them. Her eldest sister-in-law's tolerance of a concubine nearly cost her niece her life.
Xu Wen stayed indoors because she had grown cold towards her husband, unwilling to see him, much less those beautiful women dangling around. But to outsiders, it wasn't so. Not only did the servants see her, the legal wife, avoiding the concubines, but the concubines probably saw it that way too. Once they had a suspicion, they'd always do something to test it, and the best way to test it was to poke at her soft spot.
Xu Wen leaned against her son's chubby face, her eyes growing sharper. If she guessed wrong, fine. She could still leave a bowl of rice for them at home. Xu Wen didn't want to emulate Empress Jing'an again. If those concubines dared to harm her son, she would let them experience the methods of the mistress of the house.
Empress Jing'an always said, "Why should women make things difficult for other women? Men are the original sin, and no matter what happens, women are not to blame." Therefore, Xu Wen never treated her concubines the way her mother did. Seeing that the third place winner was not a good man, Xu Wen withdrew all her affections, lived a secluded life, and did not give trouble to those women who made things difficult for her. But now, the reality is that when you pity others, they will make things more difficult for you. Wasn't Empress Jing'an the victim of a scheme by her best friend, who caused her to lose two sons?
Xu Wen felt deeply saddened by her resolute decision to marry a lowly scholar, thus severing ties with the Yongyi Marquis's mansion. She was the eldest daughter of the Marquis's family, raised in luxury, not to mention the countless treasures lavished upon her by the mansion, and the love and care of her father, mother, and brothers. Yet, she had abandoned the family for a heartless man. She had always believed she was innocent, but now, after all she had experienced, she realized how deeply she had been wrong. She couldn't bring herself to admit her fault, fearing she would be rejected. Just as she was lost in thought, Qiu Ling entered cautiously.
"Miss, Concubine Chun just gave birth to a son a few days ago." Qiu Ling came up carefully to report the news.
Xu Wen nodded in silence, then said, "I'll resume greetings tomorrow."
Qiu Ling was delighted when she saw this and clapped her hands in approval: "Miss, you are right. It is the right way for the wife to set the rules."
Xu Wen held her son in her arms and thought that she could never be a snow lotus on the mountain. For her son and herself, she could only be a legal wife in the secular world.
Qiu Ling went down to report, and Mother Cui led the servants to start cleaning the house inside and out, and even bought some mugwort and sprinkled water on it. In Mother Cui's words, "The little goblins will be coming tomorrow, and we have to take good care of this place. The goblins are so dazzling, you know."
Xu Wen thought Sheng Huairen already had five concubines, but the one he loved most was Hong Yi Niang, with whom he had grown up. They had a close relationship, and Hong Yi Niang was known for playing the pitiful role. Xu Wen had suffered many setbacks at Hong Yi Niang's hands, further cooling the already fading bond between the couple. Xu Wen had been deceived by Hong Yi Niang's pity, believing she too was deeply in love with Sheng Huairen. Furthermore, Hong Yi Niang had served Sheng Huairen since childhood, and the two of them shared a common sympathy: both had been betrayed by their husbands' love for beauty.
Xu Wen listened to Qiu Ling's letter, revealing that her son's wet nurse and Concubine Hong had a connection. The maidservants around Concubine Hong were so close to her, they were like godparents. Xu Wen broke out in a cold sweat. She had only been away for a few days, and Concubine Hong had already set her sights on her son. If anything happened to her son, given her unyielding temper, she would have beaten Concubine Hong to death right in front of Sheng Huairen. Concubine Hong had been a hindrance to her in life, and even in death, she could destroy their love.
Xu Wen sat in the chair for an hour, then swept the teacup on the table to the ground, sneered, and looked towards the door with determination.
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