Chapter 78 Benefits
On a late autumn afternoon, sunlight filtered through sparse branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone paths of Cui's residence. The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of precious plants, and everything seemed ordinary and peaceful.
However, this tranquility was like an invisible and sticky net to Wen Youqing, entangling her and making it difficult for her to move forward.
She stood on the corridor leading to "Yi Fu Tang" where her mother-in-law, Cui Wang, lived. Her fingertips were cold and slightly sweaty.
The more gentle and considerate Cui Junji was, and the more respectful and cautious the servants in the mansion were, the more the emptiness and suspicion in her heart grew.
She couldn't wait any longer. Today, Cui Junji was tied up in the court on official business, and his return date was uncertain.
This is an opportunity.
She was going to see her mother-in-law, Lady Wang. As her mother, and as the former ruler of the Cui Mansion's harem, she must know everything. Even though... there were whispers within the mansion that Lady Wang disliked her, and their annual meetings weren't harmonious, since this concerned Cui Junji, wouldn't Lady Wang at least reveal some truth?
Wen Youqing took a deep breath and adjusted the brocade coat on her body, which was the same color as Cui Junji's clothes. The color was bright and as soft as mist in the sunlight.
She walked towards Yi Fu Hall. The incense in the hall was curling up. It was the best sinking water incense. The smell was mellow, but it could not suppress the inherent coldness of the old house.
Cui Wangshi sat upright on a rosewood bed inlaid with mother-of-pearl, dressed in an ochre-colored formal dress with round longevity patterns, her hair meticulously combed and adorned with a simple jade hairpin. Nearing fifty, her face was immaculately maintained, but her eyes, weathered by the frost of the weather, looked at her with a kind of all-seeing indifference.
"A daughter-in-law pays her respects to her mother-in-law." Wen Youqing bowed deeply, following the rules she remembered. Etiquette is something the body remembers instinctively, never forgotten.
Cui Wangshi raised her eyes, slowly fiddling with a string of small-leaf red sandalwood Buddhist beads in her hand. Her voice was calm and even, "Get up. You look better today than in the past few days. Jun Ji told me the other day that he would ask the imperial physician to come and check your pulse again. Your health is very important."
The words were caring, but there was not much warmth in the tone.
Wen Youqing followed her instructions and sat down on the embroidered cushion below. She folded her hands in her lap, her fingertips slightly white from exertion. "Thank you, mother-in-law and husband, for your concern. I'm fine now. It's just..." She paused, raised her eyes, and tried to make them appear sincere and confused. "It's just that many things before I lost my memory are still hazy in my mind, and I feel uneasy. That day, when Master Qu came and mentioned Xunyang, my husband went back home and threw a tantrum. I wonder what upset him? Or maybe... did I do something wrong?"
She asked cautiously, and every word was calculated on thin ice.
Cui Wangshi's fingers, fiddling with her Buddhist beads, paused for a moment, then returned to normal. Her gaze fell on Wen Youqing's face, as if she were weighing something.
"What nonsense are you talking about, child?" Cui Wang's voice remained steady. "You have always been gentle and polite. Have you ever done anything wrong? Zihe was sent to the Northern Frontier as a punishment by the late emperor. It's a tough place there. You both only report good news and not bad news. You know he suffered a lot there. Look at the injuries on his body. His hand is basically half-crippled... Oh... Don't mention you, I don't know either. He didn't want you to know about it. He must have his reasons. You should trust him."
This set of rhetoric is exactly the same as that of Cui Junji and his servants, and it is impeccable.
Wen Youqing's heart sank.
"Of course I believe him, but there are some things I can share with you, so that you don't have to keep the lights on in the study all night." Wen Youqing said virtuously.
The corners of Wang's mouth curled up in a faint, almost compassionate arc, but there was no smile in her eyes. "Qing'er, you're overthinking it. Your memory is impaired now, and it's inevitable that you have wild thoughts. The right thing to do is to rest and recuperate. He's busy, that's his business at court. As long as you're well, Jun Ji can focus on his official career. This is my greatest hope, and the greatest hope of the entire Cui family."
Her words were flawless and easily repelled all of Wen Youqing's temptations. At the same time, she subtly emphasized Cui Junji's core position and Wen Youqing's duty as a "subordinate" - to behave himself and not cause trouble.
As Wen Youqing listened, she felt that the smell of the agarwood was getting stronger and stronger, almost suffocating her... It smelled weird.
The mother-in-law's words were like soft cotton wrapped around hard ice, which she could neither break nor melt.
"Yes... daughter-in-law understands." Wen Youqing lowered her eyelashes, hiding the disappointment and helplessness in her eyes. She knew that asking further would lead to no results.
Cui Wangshi's attitude has already shown that in the Cui family, safeguarding Cui Junji's interests and the Cui family's dignity is far more important than telling her the so-called truth about her "amnesiac" daughter-in-law.
After sitting for a while and chatting about some irrelevant things, Wen Youqing stood up and left.
As she walked through the heavy rosewood doors of Yifu Hall, the afternoon sun stung her eyes, causing them to sting slightly. She stood in the porch, gazing at a crabapple tree in full bloom in the courtyard. Its vibrant pink and white petals, clustered together, only served to accentuate the loneliness and coldness within her.
Not only did she gain nothing, but her mother-in-law's words, which seemed caring but were actually warnings, were more like an invisible shackle, making her feel even more depressed.
She suddenly remembered how good Cui Junji was. He didn't need to visit her every morning and evening, not even on weekdays. He just needed to go through the motions during the New Year holidays.
She walked slowly along the corridor in a trance, her thoughts in a mess.
Just as I was in a trance, a figure came towards me gracefully from the corner ahead.
She was a woman in her early twenties, wearing a dark green satin skirt with gold-thread butterflies and flowery clouds, a red gold and kingfisher feather hairpin on her head, and pearl earrings. She had a bright face, but there was an indelible melancholy and pride between her brows.
Her clothing style clearly showed colors and patterns that only the wife of the first wife could wear.
Wen Youqing was slightly startled. The Cui family had many relatives, and she couldn't remember them all. Perhaps it was one of the visiting ladies? Judging from her demeanor, she was definitely not an ordinary concubine or a side branch. She searched her mind hard, but found no recollection.
The woman also saw Wen Youqing at the same time. Her eyes glanced casually at first, but when they landed on Wen Youqing's face and the delicate brocade blouse she was wearing, her eyes suddenly became sharp, like a knife tempered with ice, scraping across Wen Youqing's body.
It was just a moment, and Wen Youqing saw it. She felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her, but out of courtesy, she nodded slightly and tried to move aside.
Unexpectedly, the woman stopped in front of her, a faint and distant smile on her lips, "Why are you out shopping today? Are you feeling better?"
Cui Junji had already heard what she said that day, but he didn't even reprimand her, simply confining her to her room. Initially, she was filled with resentment, with nowhere to vent it, resenting him for being so affectionate towards the woman who wanted to kill him, while ignoring her, who truly loved him. But one day, she suddenly realized that she had come to the marriage alliance in the first place, and that the love that had blinded her was all part of Cui Junji's scheme.
Looking at this woman now, Li Wenqin felt pity for her, but she didn't dare to say anything. She only said, "I'm your cousin's wife. It's normal that you haven't seen me. The weather is getting colder recently. Please take care of yourself."
In response to this polite gesture, Wen Youqing suddenly said, "Cousin, do you know what happened to me in Xunyang?"
"I'm not sure. You went there right after you got married and worked hard there for several years before being transferred back to Beijing. What's wrong? Did something happen?" Li Wenqin didn't know and had nothing to answer.
Li Wenqin looked at Wen Youqing's distraught appearance. Her previous pity was mixed with the pleasure of revenge on Cui Junji. Suddenly, she wanted to say something -
"Sister is here, but it's hard for me to find her."
A gentle and soft voice interrupted at the right time, breaking the tense and suffocating atmosphere.
Wen Youqing looked over and saw a woman in a pale blue dress embroidered with lotus flowers hurried down the corridor. She was beautiful, not as graceful as Li Wenqin, but possessing a scholarly air of quiet elegance. She was none other than Cui Junji's other concubine, Wang Ruoti.
But Wen Youqing still didn't recognize him.
Wang Ruoti walked over quickly and first bowed politely to Li Wenqin, saying respectfully, "Madam, how are you?" Then he turned to Wen Youqing, with just the right amount of worry on his face, and gently held her slightly trembling arm. "Sister Wen, you've just gotten better, why are you exposed to the wind here? Your face is so pale, are you feeling unwell again?" Her words were natural and intimate, as if she hadn't heard the thrilling conversation just now.
Li Wenqin saw Wang Ruoti and swallowed the hint that was on the tip of her tongue. Now, apart from the main courtyard where Cui Junji and Wen Youqing lived, Wang Ruoti was in charge of all the affairs of the "outer mansion".
Wang Ruoti unobtrusively placed himself between Wen Youqing and Li Wenqin, and softly said to her, "Sister, word just came from Yifu Hall that the Madam has found a new piece of Hangzhou satin, the color is just right for you. Please come and take a look."
She moved out of Cui Wangshi. Even though Li Wenqin was very unwilling, she could not get angry anymore and could only bow to Wen Youqing and say goodbye.
After everyone left, Wang Ruoti smiled and patted Wen Youqing's hand. "I, Wang Shi, pay my respects to my sister-in-law. Our husband has been dead for over ten years. He usually stays at home and rarely goes out, so we don't see each other often. Today, we are meeting our own family so that we can get to know each other better in the future."
Wen Youqing said, "I'm your sister. I didn't know there were such godlike figures like you. Who is your uncle? It's all my fault for hitting my head and not knowing."
Wang Ruoti's eyes flickered, and he looked around before pulling Wen Youqing aside. "The Cui family has many members and complicated relationships. They're called cousins, but they're actually brothers. That's how they were included in the family tree. That damn guy wasn't very capable either, and he died a long time ago. Oh, let's not talk about these unhappy things."
Wen Youqing looked at Wang Ruoti's gentle face, which was filled with "unspeakable" emotions, and couldn't open her mouth to ask questions. She understood that in this huge Cui Mansion, no one would tell her the truth.
Whether it is the majestic mother-in-law, the polite relatives, or the seemingly friendly sisters, they all stand on the side of the Cui family's interests.
She slowly withdrew her hand from Wang Ruoti's grasp, feeling as if all the strength in her body had been drained away in an instant. The sun was still shining, the flowers were still fragrant, but in her eyes, all of this had lost its color.
After a few more pleasantries, the two bowed and took their leave. Wang Ruoti stood there, watching her departing figure. The gentle smile on his face gradually faded, turning into a complex worry. In the end, only a barely audible sigh remained. "Why did I choose such a willful and rotten person? What a trouble."
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