Chapter 1 Father and Son Gather - 麀
A side room in the Biqiong Garden of the Marquis of Anyi's residence
With the last entry in the ledger, Meng Qingci rubbed her neck. She had finally managed to sort out the young lady's private accounts before noon.
She felt no fatigue, only a sense of joy. Once the eldest daughter married into the Eastern Palace, those were the days that brought her such joy. Then, she would no longer be anyone's slave or maid; she could live freely and happily, making her ten years of planning worthwhile.
Zi Fu lifted the bamboo curtain and came in. Seeing Qing'er hunched over her desk, she helped her wash the wolf-hair brush and hung it on the sandalwood brush holder. She smiled and teased, "You're the only one who's been working yourself to the bone here. Outside, because Third Master is returning to the manor, everyone in the manor, even the cats and dogs, have found an excuse to come forward and join in the fun, hoping for a reward."
"Then why aren't you going over there yet?" Meng Qingci shook her head with a smile. She had been a maid in the Marquis's mansion for ten years and still couldn't bring herself to be obsequious. Besides, she was about to leave the mansion, so it was impossible for her to go and fawn over the people for a couple of reward coins.
Meng Qingci was the principal dancer of the national classical dance school. She died in a plane crash while traveling abroad for a competition, which completely extinguished her desire to return home.
When she transmigrated to the Zhaode Dynasty, her body was only five years old. She was being dragged by human traffickers to the back gate of the old Anyi Marquis's mansion and picked over on the street.
She had just transmigrated and hadn't figured out where she was, nor did she have any memories of the original owner.
They stood together with men, women, children, and slaves of all ages, for the stewards of the Marquis's mansion to look them up and down, and for the nannies of the Marquis's mansion to pick out livestock, touching them up and down, examining their palms, and opening their mouths to check their teeth.
Among the group of little kids, she was considered fair-skinned and well-proportioned, with an outstanding appearance. Although she looked thin, her hair was jet black, unlike other children her age whose hair was dry, yellow, and sparse, whose complexion was sallow, and who were just skin and bones.
The sharp-eyed old nanny of the Marquis's mansion could tell at a glance that she came from a good family, but no one would ask where she came from. Once she was sold into the Marquis's mansion, she would become a servant of the Marquis's mansion.
Meng Qingci could only console herself that being transmigrated into a world where everything collapsed at the beginning, and being sold into the Marquis of Anyi's mansion by human traffickers, was better than being sold into some brothel or private place, where there would be no one to help her.
When they first entered the manor, they lived in a shared servants' room where twenty people were crammed together. They were first made to learn the rules of the Marquis's manor for a month before being assigned rough jobs such as sweeping, doing odd jobs, and running errands.
From the age of three to thirty, Meng Qingci danced, and aside from performing on stage, she was always waited on by nannies and assistants. She barely knew how to boil water. For Chief Meng, who had won countless awards and was always greeted with applause and cheers wherever she went, every second after transmigrating was hell.
After gritting her teeth and enduring a year, Fu Jingyu, the eldest daughter of the main branch of the Marquis of Anyi's mansion, reached the age to enter school. She needed to choose a maid of similar age to accompany her in her studies. Meng Qingci finally seized the opportunity to escape her misery and even got the servant name Qing'er.
Zi Fu sighed, "Who told me I was born with such a busy life? I just went to the storeroom to get the pair of mutton-fat jade ruyi that the old lady wanted to add to the eldest young lady's dowry, the ones you brought yesterday. Those scoundrels in the storeroom are heartless. They know it's an order from above, but they insist that you, Miss Qing, go there in person before they'll sign and release them!"
"I'll go there later, why waste time arguing with them?" Meng Qingci's thoughts returned, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly as she gently advised.
Zi Fu and she were both top-class maids favored by the young lady. Zi Fu was straightforward and quick-witted, and it was obvious without asking that she must have just had a quarrel with the people in the storeroom.
Zi Fu's almond-shaped eyes widened in dissatisfaction: "They were the ones who failed to deliver it to us before, and now they're trying to act tough in front of us. They're heartless, rotten old bastards who only know how to drink, gamble, and find ways to torment people."
“That’s the old lady’s maidservant, and she also has the key to the mansion’s storeroom. She only recognizes the old lady. Besides, our eldest master is born out of wedlock. In front of his legal mother, the eldest master can only show respect. It’s common for them to put on airs with the eldest son’s family. Even if this matter is brought up to the old lady, all she can say is, ‘Be honest and cautious in your work.’”
"When you enter the Eastern Palace with the young lady, you must change your temperament and not always be so impulsive."
Meng Qingci thought that with Zi Fu's impulsive nature, she would probably have a hard time protecting herself in the palace intrigues. However, her whole family had been assigned to serve as maids to the eldest young lady, and she was also pleasing and beautiful. It was clear that she would help her master secure the emperor's favor in the future.
Although Zi Fu was still indignant, she knew she couldn't win the argument. Their eldest son was just the eldest son of a concubine in the Marquis's mansion. The second son, who was born of the legitimate wife, inherited the title, and he was not as good as the third son, who was born of the legitimate wife, in terms of official position. If their eldest daughter hadn't been chosen as the Crown Princess, the eldest son of a concubine in the Marquis's mansion would not have the face they have now.
Upon hearing the mention of entering the Eastern Palace in the future, Zi Fu quickly glanced outside the curtain. Seeing no one in sight, she lowered her clear voice and said, "You really want to leave the manor? If you follow the eldest young lady, the second branch of the family will still have some reservations. But if you leave the manor, how can the young master let it go? When the eldest young lady enters the Eastern Palace, he will be too far away to reach you. If he really uses force, your pure jade will be tarnished, and you will be ruined."
Meng Qingci was not surprised that Zi Fu knew about her removal from the household registration system. Her household registration was handled by the eldest young lady a couple of days ago by having Zi Fu's brother go to the yamen.
Upon seeing the future Crown Princess's handwritten letter, the Yingtian Prefecture immediately revoked her status as a slave and even established a female household for her—if she had gone there herself, it would have been impossible for an unmarried woman to establish a female household.
"At worst, I can leave the capital and find another way to make a living. They won't go to great lengths to chase after me." Meng Qingci had already planned to leave the mansion, but he was unwilling to discuss it in detail with Zi Fu.
Zi Fu was a servant born into the Marquis's household. Her master and the Marquis's household were her everything. It was already hard to understand why she wanted to redeem herself. If they knew that she had planned this all along, they would definitely suspect that she was not loyal enough.
Zi Fu was worried. She leaned forward and lowered her voice, "I'm afraid that one day the Crown Prince will find out that the dance that sealed our love... was actually danced by you for the eldest young lady... What should we do then?"
"Don't you underestimate the Crown Prince?" Meng Qingci gave her a meaningful look: "Do you think the Crown Prince, who is second only to the emperor, would fall in love with a woman because of a dance? That Crown Prince of the Zhaode Dynasty is far too ignorant of the world."
"Could it be... that's not true?" Zi Fu looked astonished. "Now everyone outside is saying that the Crown Prince chose our young lady as his Crown Princess because he admires her talent and beauty, and her virtuous reputation. His Highness the Crown Prince fell in love with her at first sight and was captivated by her dance. He praised it as a 'perfect match made in heaven, a golden and jade-like union'."
Why is it that when it comes to Qing'er, it's a completely different story?
"Of course, it's because our eldest young lady has a powerful third uncle who is the governor of Fujian and Guangdong, and secondly, there isn't a suitable daughter of marriageable age in the second branch of the family." Meng Qingci thought she should give the girl a few more pointers so that she wouldn't be so clueless as to offend the nobles when she entered the Eastern Palace.
Even though Zi Fu was pure and straightforward, she suddenly realized what had happened, as if struck by lightning. The Crown Prince, who seemed like an immortal descended to earth, instantly lost his allure, and her almond-shaped eyes were filled with a sense of unbearable loss.
After chatting for a while, Zi Fu couldn't resist and went to join the fun in the front yard.
At the Yanfu Residence of the Marquis of Anyi, Madam Lin earnestly instructed her daughter, Fu Jingyu, on how to be obedient and how to serve her husband after marriage. She spoke for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
Back then, Madam Fu stole her lover, and Marquis Fu couldn't swallow the insult of demoting his wife to a concubine. This led to the birth of his eldest son, Fu the eldest. Later, due to the early death of his beloved, he completely broke ties with Madam Fu. In the end, the old Marquis, filled with resentment, followed her in death.
This old grudge became a thorn in the side of Madam Fu, and she held a grudge about it all this time. In order to disgust the young marquis and his illegitimate eldest son, the Lin family, whom Madam Fu had betrothed to, was nothing more than the illegitimate daughter of a minor official of the sixth rank.
Lin was raised at home to be narrow-minded and overly cautious. After entering the Marquis's mansion, she became even more subservient and habitually tried to please her stepmother, the domineering and ungrateful Madam Fu.
Fu Jingyu knew her mother's nature well and pitied her for walking on thin ice under her grandmother's oppression for many years. Even though she knew that her mother's talk of "women's virtues" would be of no help to her, she still listened patiently with a good temper.
Madam Lin was quite pleased with her daughter's gentleness, and then she remembered another matter on her mind and asked, "I looked at your dowry list, why is Qing'er's name not on it?"
Fu Jingyu sighed inwardly, but showed no disgust on her face: "Her ambitions lie elsewhere, and my daughter has already agreed to let her leave the manor."
Upon hearing this, Madam Lin frowned: "Why is that? She has been with you since you were little and excels in everything. If you have someone as capable as her by your side to help you plan when you enter the Eastern Palace, you will definitely be able to win the Crown Prince's favor, and then your mother will feel more at ease."
Fu Jingyu secretly rejoiced that she had not inherited her mother's dullness. It was all thanks to her great-grandmother's planning for her and the nanny she was assigned to raise her. She spoke gently to Madam Lin: "In terms of temperament and methods, the nanny my great-grandmother assigned was from the palace and is more experienced than Qing'er. If it is to secure favor, being smart and beautiful is not easy to control. Zi Fu, Chun Xi, and Yun Jian are all servants, which is more suitable than Qing'er who has no father or mother."
Fu Jingyu thought that Qing'er's heart was not in this place. If she forced her to stay, with Qing'er's stubborn nature, a rift would inevitably arise between the master and servant. It would be better to let Qing'er leave the manor and preserve the master-servant relationship that had lasted for many years. However, Fu Jingyu did not want to say more to her mother about this.
Madam Lin pondered the matter carefully and felt that her daughter's words made some sense. Then she remembered what her mother-in-law had told her the other day: "Your grandmother mentioned Qing'er to me the other day, saying that she wanted to give this girl a great fortune. She said that Qing'er has been your childhood study companion, and her manners and learning are excellent. Since the young master likes her so much that he has even asked her to do so, why not elevate Qing'er to be the young master's concubine? She can also often advise the young master to improve himself. This is much better than sending an orphan girl out of the manor to suffer hardships. Isn't that a hundred times better?"
“Mother is confused, this is absolutely unacceptable.” Upon hearing this, Fu Jingyu could no longer contain herself and slammed her teacup heavily on the table. She was secretly annoyed that her mother was too easily swayed by her grandmother. But her mother’s confusion was truly a headache.
After being rejected by her daughter in succession, Madam Lin was somewhat embarrassed, and her tone became somewhat displeased: "Why not? Does a mere servant girl look down on her master?"
Fu Jingyu's face darkened slightly, a hint of undisguised disgust flashed in her eyes, and her voice turned colder: "Who in the Marquis's mansion doesn't know what kind of people my second uncle and cousin are? Apart from our eldest son's family, which of the girls in the Marquis's mansion with any looks hasn't been defiled by the father and son?"
Qing'er has been my study companion for many years, and our relationship is special. How could I just watch her push into that fire pit?
Even disregarding the bond between master and servant, if outsiders knew that my cousin's personal maid had followed my cousin, how would they talk about my reputation as the Crown Princess?
If another scandal involving incest between father and son were to surface in the second wife's household, the world would only say that I, the maid, am shameless, and I, as her mistress, would not be considered a good person either. At that point, how could I, the Crown Princess, face anyone? How would His Majesty view me, his daughter-in-law?
Upon hearing this, Lin was so shocked that her face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down her back. She leaned weakly against the armchair to barely support herself. Only then did she belatedly realize that she had been tricked by her mother-in-law again, and she felt both regret and fear.
At that moment, she even felt it was inappropriate to let Qing'er leave the manor. The second branch of the family had always acted recklessly, and if she were to bring Qing'er back into the manor, there would be endless troubles. She said urgently, "Even if we let her out, it won't stop the second branch's filthy thoughts! Why not... why not find a way to solve this once and for all..." As soon as she spoke, she lost her composure and felt flustered and confused.
Fu Jingyu felt a slight pain in her temples as she listened, and sighed wearily: "Mother, I am not yet married, and I have unjustly punished the maid who has been by my side since I was a child. What will outsiders think? Those with ulterior motives will definitely use this as an excuse to criticize me and make up stories about my mistakes."
No one will investigate what a maid did wrong; they will only say that I am mean and ungrateful, unable to tolerate even my closest confidante! How could the royal family want an unkind crown princess?
Moreover, the sudden death of a woman's personal maid on the eve of her wedding is a very bad omen! The second branch of the family is just waiting to see the first branch of the family make a fool of themselves! Mother, please don't get involved and cause any more trouble..."
Just then, Lin's trusted nanny came in to report that Third Master Fu Heng had not returned directly to the manor, but had gone to the palace to meet the Emperor by imperial decree. It was unknown when he would return, and the manor had been told not to wait any longer.
Knowing that her words had angered her daughter, Madam Lin was at a loss for how to smooth things over, so she quickly followed up on the old woman's words, saying, "Your third uncle's return to the capital this time is mostly for your marriage with the Crown Prince. In the future, when you are in the Eastern Palace, you will still need to rely on his help in court. When you meet him, be sure to greet him properly and don't let the long absence make you feel distant."
Seeing that her mother had finally stopped harping on Qing'er's matter, Fu Jingyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the fleeting cold hatred and disgust in her eyes. Today's events, ostensibly about a servant girl, were in reality a direct attack on her, the future Crown Princess. Fu Jingyu would remember this debt owed by the second branch of the family, and would certainly settle it with interest one day.
Since the eldest daughter, Fu Jingyu, had gone to Yanfu Residence early in the morning, no one from Biqiong Garden came to report back. Naturally, Meng Qingci had no way of knowing that the third master, Fu Heng, had not returned to the mansion but had gone straight to the palace to meet the emperor.
She silently calculated the time, guessing that the entire household must be gathered in the front hall to welcome the Third Master Fu Heng, who had not returned to the capital for a long time and held a high position. The eldest son's family had no time to play tricks on her, so she took two maids to the storeroom.
"Oh, who do we have here? It's time to lock the storeroom, and you've come all the way here. It's Miss Qing'er, what a rare guest." Chen Yourong, the storeroom manager, greeted her with a meaningful smile.
Meng Qingci pretended not to see it, her gaze calm and unwavering: "Steward Chen, please forgive me. Biqiong Garden has been extremely busy lately, which is why it's late. But the eldest young lady's dowry cannot be delayed. Please bring the pair of mutton-fat jade ruyi that the old lady added to the eldest young lady's dowry."
A note from the author:
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The story has started! [Three-colored cat head], pay attention to the key point [pigeon], the male lead is feudal and old-fashioned, and his inability to date leads to a tragic case of forced marriage. There is a ten-year age gap.
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