Chapter 57: Women of Chengen Temple Chatting, Wenhua…
The carriage wound its way to Chengen Temple, where Mrs. Zhou, Mrs. Shi, and the others were led by a novice monk to a side hall, where the sisters Shi Minghua and Shi Mingrui were already waiting. As soon as Mrs. Zhou and the others entered the hall, Shi Minghua's son, Su She, immediately abandoned his mother and aunt, skipping and jumping into Mrs. Zhou's arms, saying in a muffled voice, "Grandmother, why did you take so long? I've been waiting so long!"
Soon everyone gathered around to greet her. Shi Minghua, holding her six-month-old belly, was surrounded by the women, smiling gently as she received their greetings and blessings. Shanhe stood in a corner, not daring to approach, and could only lower her head, listening to the laughter and family harmony, which only made her feel more alone and desolate.
After the ladies and young women finished exchanging pleasantries, the novice monk led them to burn incense and pay homage to Buddha. The maids all retreated outside the hall, and Shanhe also lowered her head and was about to leave with the crowd, but was grabbed by the arm by Mama Sheng: "Why are you leaving? You are from Master Ye's household, so you should stay and pray for him." With that, she immediately pulled Shanhe away.
Shanhe's prayer mat was placed at the very back, almost touching the threshold of the side hall, half of her back exposed to the scorching sun. As soon as she knelt, the Shi sisters in front of her both turned to look back, their gazes indifferent, their assessment casual, before turning away as if nothing had happened. Shanhe heard the heavily pregnant eldest daughter of the Shi family, Shi Minghua, ask softly, "Who is that?"
Kneeling behind her, Meng Chiying said in a coquettish voice, "Cousin Liang Ye's concubine!"
Mrs. Shi clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and said in a deep voice, "This is a sacred Buddhist place; no frivolous laughter is permitted."
Meng Chiying awkwardly fell silent, leaving only Shi Minghua with a meaningful "Oh".
After paying their respects to the Buddha, the group turned past the Buddha statue and proceeded to the back courtyard of the side hall. Two large stone tables were set up on either side of the courtyard, with tea already prepared. Mrs. Zhou, Mrs. Shi, and Shi Minghua sat at one table, while the unmarried young ladies sat at the other. Su She nestled on Shi Mingrui's lap, eating chestnut cake. Shanhe stood with her maids under the eaves, but since she was unfamiliar with everyone, no one initiated conversation with her, so she could only stand there in a daze.
Before long, the young novice brought over several scrolls of scriptures, bowed and said a few words to the two ladies. Then, Mrs. Shi's gaze fell on Shanhe, and she said sternly, "Stop standing there, come here." Her tone was very impatient, as she still remembered the case from earlier that morning.
The young novice monk presented a lacquered tray containing several scrolls of scriptures. Mrs. Zhou said casually, "You can write, can't you?"
Shanhe nodded.
Mrs. Zhou then said, "The topmost one is the Manjushri Heart Sutra. Copy it a few times to pray for Ye'er's well-being."
Upon hearing this, Shanhe had no choice but to take out the scripture and say, "Yes." The maids serving nearby dared not neglect her and hurriedly brought out a small table, a prayer mat, a censer of incense, and the Four Treasures of the Study from the side room for Shanhe to copy. Shanhe washed her hands, burned incense, spread out a sheet of plain paper on the table, ground the ink to the right consistency, picked up a purple-haired brush, dipped the tip in ink, and then lowered her eyes to begin copying.
The three people at the table watched Shanhe's behavior in silence. Shi Minghua smiled first and said, "This demeanor doesn't seem like that of a maidservant."
Mrs. Zhou chimed in, "It's said that it was given to me by the old man; I used to work for him."
Shi Minghua replied, "Yes, even my father-in-law praised the calligraphy of the old master of the Liang family. I heard that there are two of his works in the palace, kept in the Imperial Study." She turned to Shanhe and asked with a smile, "What's your name? Did the old master personally teach you this calligraphy?"
Shanhe had no choice but to put down her pen and respectfully replied, "My name is Shanhe. My father taught me to write, but he has passed away." She thought for a moment and finally said, "Later, the old master saw that I had a talent for writing and taught me for a few extra days."
Hearing this, Shi Minghua didn't press further about her family background and instead asked, "So now that you're in your cousin Ye's room, are you in charge of everything in his courtyard?"
These words struck a chord with both ladies, who exchanged glances awaiting Shanhe's reply. Shanhe's heart tightened, and she replied respectfully, "With Granny Wei in charge of the master's courtyard, I am merely serving the master personally and dare not overstep my bounds."
Shi Minghua chuckled and said, "You dare not overstep your bounds, which shows you are capable. It's just that your status is insufficient, so you had Granny Wei temporarily take charge. Is that right?"
Shanhe raised her head to answer "I am terrified," but Shi Minghua smiled at her and said gently, "It's just idle talk, you don't need to be nervous. You should continue writing the sutra and not neglect your cousin Ye's important business."
Shanhe nodded in agreement, then held her breath, picked up her pen, and raised her wrist. Meanwhile, the ladies resumed their casual conversation, briefly mentioning Liang Ye and Cangfeng Courtyard before returning to their own affairs. Mrs. Zhou inquired about Shi Minghua's pregnancy, who managed the Su household, how her husband treated her, and whether the concubines were behaving themselves. Shi Minghua answered each question, mentioning that the Su household's expenses were enormous, and that her sister-in-law, Su Xizhao, was now in charge of the household, saving her the trouble of replenishing her dowry. Mrs. Zhou frowned: "Why are the daily expenses so high?"
Just as Shi Minghua was about to complain, Madam Shi laughed, "Sister-in-law, you don't know, this is a sign of the family's prosperity! Take our Earl's Mansion for example. The year before last, when the Empress gave birth to a princess and was promoted to the rank of Ninth Consort, not to mention anything else, all the expenses doubled! The most interesting thing is that the cost of planting trees in the garden also increased! I was wondering why our family would plant more trees when the Empress was promoted to Zhaoyi. I asked the steward and found out that when we held the promotion banquet, the eunuch Yan from the palace said that the Empress's Yong'an Palace had several plum trees in the courtyard, which His Majesty bestowed upon her because she loved plum blossoms! So our family took advantage of this and planted a few plum trees as well. I don't know if we were showing our respect to the Empress, but when we held the banquet at the beginning of the year, everyone who came to our mansion praised those plum trees, saying that the fragrance of the flowers was delicate and the artistic conception was elegant. Next year, it will definitely be our family's turn to host the plum blossom banquet!"
Shi Minghua was displeased, but restrained by her status as a Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine), she could not speak much and simply lowered her head to drink her tea. Seeing her daughter's sullen expression, Madam Zhou quickly changed the subject with a smile. However, after only a few words, Madam Shi returned to the Zhaoyi matter. Shi Minghua, rubbing her belly, lost her smile. Just then, Shi Mingrui, standing behind Shanhe watching her copy scriptures, couldn't help but smile and say, "Auntie has been talking about the Empress all day; is there some good news?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Shi hurriedly said, "It's not a good thing either; it's still far from certain."
Mingrui exchanged a glance with Minghua and smiled gently: "Since Aunt says so, it must be good news. It's just that she won't tell us now."
“It’s not that I deliberately didn’t tell you,” Mrs. Shi said, looking at Mrs. Zhou. “It’s only been three months, the pregnancy isn’t stable yet, and I was afraid that telling you would bring bad luck. Besides, it’s possible that the imperial physician misdiagnosed the pregnancy, and we need to see him again.”
"Oh!" Mrs. Zhou immediately beamed, "Is she pregnant?"
Mrs. Shi nodded. Minghua also forced a smile and said, "Congratulations."
Mrs. Zhou patted Minghua's hand and continued to say to Mrs. Shi, "This is good news. It seems that the Wenyang Marquis's mansion will be busy again."
Madam Shi said, "Yes, we've been discussing this with the Earl these past few days. Once the news from the palace is clear, we'll submit the memorial for the visit home." She looked at Mingrui, "When things get busy at home, we'll need Rui'er to come and help."
It was an unwritten tradition in the Great Yan Dynasty for empresses and concubines to visit their families during pregnancy. Because the empresses and concubines missed their families during pregnancy, the Emperor granted this special favor, which could be considered a glory for their families.
The group chatted for a long time about the family visit until the young novice monk came to report that the abbot of the front hall was giving a sermon and asked if the ladies wanted to attend. Madam Shi then took Meng Chiying and Meng Chijin to listen to the sermon and pray for a peace charm for Consort Zhaoyi. Madam Zhou said she wanted to have a private talk with Minghua and stayed behind. Shanhe was also unable to go because she was copying scriptures.
As soon as Mrs. Shi and the others left, Minghua's face immediately darkened: "What's wrong with Xingcheng! Every word the family says is about her Consort Zhao, as if only her daughter entered the palace or only her daughter could get pregnant!"
Mrs. Zhou comforted her, "Why are you getting angry with your aunt? She's always been this outspoken, you know that."
Minghua couldn't help but pout: "What is that? Today I finally got to see Mother and wanted to say a few heartfelt words, but all I heard was her bragging about being a Consort. If she's so capable, let her submit her nameplate to the palace and say it to her face! Mother isn't Consort Zhao's biological mother, and I'm not Consort Zhao's biological sister. The child in her belly will call me aunt in the future, a distant relative. What benefit can I get from that?" As she spoke, her voice choked up.
Mrs. Zhou hurriedly ordered Mama Sheng to dismiss the maids, and even ordered Shanhe to return to her room to copy scriptures, forbidding her from listening. Only then did she put her arm around Minghua's shoulder and ask her gently, "What's wrong? Is it not good at the Su family?"
Mingrui sat down opposite her mother and sister and poured herself a cup of tea: "It's not that it's bad, it's just that there are a lot of worries, and my sister is pregnant, so naturally she's not feeling well."
"What's troubling you? You're at home resting during your pregnancy, and the old matriarch of the Su family still wants you to set rules?"
Minghua shook her head: "It's not about that. It's just that there are a lot of things going on at home. For example, managing the household. Didn't I give all the power to Su Xizhao? Anyway, she'll be getting married in a few years, so I'm not worried about anything. It's just that the household expenses are huge these days. Before, I always used the dowry my father and mother gave me to make up for it. Now that she has the power to manage the household, where would she get so much money? She can't make up for it, so she's been asking my father-in-law for money. My father-in-law didn't say anything, but the old lady heard about it and said that I was extravagant and didn't know how to save money, making an unmarried girl fill my hole. When I tried to explain, the old lady said: 'Wrong is wrong, how can you do this?'" "So many excuses! Since the family accounts were always wrong, why didn't you say so before? Now that Xizhao has noticed, this unmarried girl is so thin-skinned, making changes in front of the servants and asking her father for money. How can you, as her sister-in-law, still have the nerve to argue?" Just that one sentence shut down all my grievances. The old lady herself is extremely extravagant. When I suggested cutting back on spending before, she scolded me, saying that a noble family like ours dared to talk about cutting back; it would be a laughingstock. Mother, listen to her! She's said everything—good and bad, right and wrong—what can I do? What can I possibly do?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhou gritted her teeth in anger: "Does this old woman bully you like this all day long? Don't go back today, come home with me and let them wait for a few days, so you won't have to go back and get angry again."
Mingrui hurriedly said, "Returning without notice will inevitably give Old Madam Su something to talk about. If you ask me, one is a granddaughter-in-law and the other is a granddaughter, Old Madam Su will definitely favor Su Xizhao. Sister, you should at least endure it for two years. Once Sister Xizhao gets married, life will naturally be better."
Minghua slammed her hand on the stone table: "Are you still my own sister?! How could you teach me to go back and suffer like this!"
Mingrui was confused and a little annoyed: "Fine, you're right. Then you can come back with us and don't worry about anything else!"
"Mother, listen to what Ruier is saying!" Minghua gasped for breath, clutching her chest. "You're being bullied over there, and you're being bullied here too. It's so pointless." She glanced at Shi Mingrui and gritted her teeth, saying, "Just now, Liang Ye's maid was here, and I even helped you. We're all sisters, but I never expected you to be so heartless."
Mingrui grew anxious: "What do you mean by helping me or not? Explain yourself clearly, and what does this have to do with my cousin Liang Ye?"
Minghua sneered, "Still pretending to be confused? You're sixteen this year, and your mother has long said she would find you a husband. Now that Liang Ye has come to the capital to take the imperial examination, your mother specially brought his concubine out. You're so smart, don't you understand what this means?"
Mingrui blushed with embarrassment and turned her back to her, refusing to look at her.
Seeing her two daughters like this, Mrs. Zhou smiled instead. She held Minghua's shoulders and said gently, "My dear daughter, don't be angry, lest you upset the baby. The baby is a small matter, but if you hurt yourself, it's like tearing your mother's flesh out."
Upon hearing this, Minghua felt a lump in her throat: "Only my mother loves me."
Mingrui deliberately said, "That's right, you only want your mother to love you. I stayed at your house for ten days and talked to you every day. I'm not a good person."
Mrs. Zhou continued, "After a few days, once Liang Ye's matter is settled, we'll hold a banquet at home, and I'll invite the old lady from that household over to personally explain things to her. With your father and me backing you up, you don't need to feel wronged." She went on and on, and Minghua gradually calmed down.
Seeing that Mingrui was still facing away from her family, but her face was subtly turned away, Minghua felt a little relieved. After all, they were blood sisters who had grown up together since childhood. This time, when she said she was unhappy, Mingrui went to accompany her without saying a word. How could she really bear to do that? Minghua said to Mingrui's back, "If you ask me, Mother, you should hurry up. When the list of successful candidates is released, I don't know if it will be Rui'er's turn. I heard from my husband that Liang Ye is quite famous among this year's candidates, and he should do well in the palace examination."
Mrs. Zhou said, "Of course it won't be bad. Your father has even helped him with some connections these past few days."
Mingrui was even more embarrassed: "Mother, sister, please stop talking."
Minghua chuckled, "Rui'er, you should think about this yourself. For one thing, look, your aunt brought Chiying and Chijin along. They're about your age, aren't you worried? The Meng family also has a Consort Zhao; even if it's not Liang Shao, they have more options for choosing a husband than you, especially Meng Chiying." She turned to Mrs. Zhou and continued, "Finding a husband after the imperial examinations is the first thing. Secondly, there's another thing, which I've only just realized these past few days."
Mrs. Zhou hurriedly asked, "What?"
Minghua said, "Since the beginning of this year, whenever Ouyang Shizhong holds a banquet, he often invites Su Xizhao to attend."
Mrs. Zhou was startled. After a moment of thought, she said, "But Lord Ouyang's two sons are already married and have children, and his grandchildren are too young to be a good match for Su Xizhao."
"I asked around, and almost all the eligible men in the Ouyang family are married. Those who aren't are of too low a status to be worthy of Xizhao. I told my husband this, and do you know what he said?"
How to say it?
"My husband says it's possible that Attendant-in-Ordinary Ouyang is going to arrange a marriage for Liang Ye!"
Just then, Shanhe finished copying the sutra and, as instructed by Madam Sheng, showed it to Mrs. Zhou. She held the newly copied Manjushri Heart Sutra in her hands and had just opened the door to the side room when she heard this passage. Shanhe lowered her face, quietly hiding behind a pillar, and silently recited the sutra in her heart.
Mrs. Zhou paused for a moment, then said coldly with a stern face, "This Liang family is utterly disrespectful! When Liang Shao got married, your father sent four or five letters, but they didn't listen. After all, Old Master Liang was our grandfather, and we couldn't go against blood ties. Now that the old man has passed away, aren't your father and I the only elders left in Liang Ye's family? Now they're bypassing us and finding a new master to arrange the marriage. Do they even respect your father and me anymore?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com