To the west of the Dingxi Marquis’s Estate, separated by a road, stood the residence of the Marquis’s own full brother, its courtyards and buildings much like the main estate, only slightly smaller.
When Cai Qing entered, two maids were dozing on the floor outside Madam Chen’s sleeping quarters. Cai Qing woke them softly.
“Sisters, we won’t dare again,” the two maids said quickly, bowing low in distress.
“Go sleep outside,” Cai Qing waved them off in a low voice, without any reprimand.
The maids hurriedly thanked her and withdrew.
Cai Qing pushed open the chamber door and saw a single lamp burning inside, illuminating Madam Chen, who was reclining on the heated kang-bed in her underclothes, her gaze fixed upon the opulent floral carpet spread across the floor.
“Madam, the black chicken soup is ready,” Cai Qing approached and said, placing the bowl on the table beside the bed, then taking a cloak to drape over Madam Chen. “It’s getting chilly at night; shall we light the charcoal brazier?”
Madam Chen sat up straight. Cai Qing knelt before the bed, holding the soup bowl, and fed her spoonful by spoonful. After only a few sips, Madam Chen shook her head and refused to eat more.
“Madam, this will not do,” Cai Qing urged anxiously, begging Madam Chen to take a little more.
“How can I possibly eat?” Madam Chen sighed, shaking her head.
“Madam, please don’t worry. I have already sent someone to follow. The Young Mistress will certainly be fine,” Cai Qing said, finally standing up to set the soup bowl down.
Madam Chen gazed into the distance in silence for a moment.
“It seems there is no other way. Dragging this out will only make Yue Niang suffer more, and I fear she might do something foolish if she cannot bear it. How can I face those below the ground…” she suddenly began, stopping herself mid-sentence, swallowing the name that had slipped out—a name that could not be spoken aloud.
“What then? If the First Madam had her way, the divorce would have happened long ago,” Cai Qing also sighed.
“We must persuade Yue Niang to propose it herself,” Madam Chen stated.
“Why would the Young Mistress agree? She is truly devoted to the Heir Apparent. Didn’t you warn her at the time not to accept this marriage? She ran off to cry before the Old Madam, causing you to be barred from entering the East Estate,” Cai Qing lamented, shaking her head.
“Which young girl doesn't dream of romance, especially with the Heir Apparent’s status?” Madam Chen reasoned. “And the Old Madam doted on her so, painting such a wonderful life for her. As a child, how could she understand the capriciousness of the world? By now, she must surely understand.”
Cai Qing nodded.
“But if the Young Mistress proposes it, will the East Estate agree? Of course, they are desperate to annul the marriage immediately, but it was decreed by the Emperor. A divorce requires official approval. The Marquis, always seeking seclusion, how would he consent to something that might displease the Emperor?” she continued.
Madam Chen reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose; this point was clearly the greatest obstacle.
A sudden wave of fiery frustration surged through her. She reached out, seized the soup bowl nearby, and hurled it viciously onto the floor. “That damnable old hag!” she spat out through gritted teeth.
The thick carpet muffled the impact; the bowl did not shatter, rolling with a dull thud under the table.
“Madam,” Cai Qing knelt quickly, pulling at her sleeve. “Please, do not let your anger consume you. You must take care of your own health.”
“This body of mine, this body should have gone with your master long ago,” Madam Chen said, her frame trembling.
“Madam, please don’t say that.” Cai Qing hung her head, tears falling.
Madam Chen took several deep breaths and gradually calmed her emotions.
“I know. I must be well. I am the only one left now; I cannot die,” she murmured, reaching out to help Cai Qing stand. “Go, bring me another bowl of black chicken soup.”
Cai Qing wiped her tears and nodded with relief.
The night began to wane, the eastern sky paling.
Morning light streamed into the chamber. This residence was spacious, and the interior instantly brightened.
Qi Yue stretched languidly in bed, throwing back the covers and pulling aside the canopy.
A’ru, who had not slept a wink in the outer room, rushed in the moment she heard movement.
“Young Mistress…” she spoke, biting her lower lip until it drew blood, her expression weary.
“Heavens, look at you. It’s as if we’ve lost everything,” Qi Yue laughed, standing up and walking over to pat A’ru’s face. “It’s nothing major; we were just caught off guard and lost a position. Victory and defeat are common in warfare.”
“Young Mistress, this is hardly the time for metaphors,” A’ru was nearly in tears from worry.
Qi Yue sighed and turned to look at A’ru.
“A’ru, you must understand, I am more anxious than anyone,” she said.
A’ru’s tears immediately began to flow.
“Young Mistress, please don’t be anxious…” she managed to say.
Qi Yue couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Seeing her smile, A’ru cried even harder.
“Alright, alright, let’s discuss serious matters,” Qi Yue said, turning to the bronze mirror on the dressing table to gather her hair. “The current situation is that your wretched bastard of a Heir Apparent kicked us out. What we need to do now is figure out a way to get back in.”
“Young Mistress, is there any way left?” A’ru asked, her face full of desperate hope.
Qi Yue quickly tied up her hair and glared at her reflection in the mirror, gritting her teeth.
That brute! That shameless wretch!
“Tell the Marquis?” A’ru suggested.
Qi Yue shook her head.
“What good would that do? That is his son. No matter how close anyone is, they cannot be closer than a son. A wife complaining about her husband to his parents gains nothing,” she explained.
Leaning on the dressing table, Qi Yue gazed into the mirror. The beautiful daughter reflected there was clouded with worry, and Qi Yue let out a heavy sigh.
It was all for naught. This was not a company, an enterprise, or an office. This was the past, a noble household where everyone was merely an appendage to those two exalted men. Their word meant life or death.
The only solution was to win that man’s favor.
Qi Yue ran her hands through her hair, messing up the part she had just neatly combed.
“Young Mistress… the food is ready.”
A timid voice called from outside the door, interrupting their conversation.
“Just a moment,” A’ru called out quickly, wiping her tears and ushering Qi Yue back to sit before the mirror.
With swift, practiced movements, she re-combed Qi Yue’s hair and dug out clothing from the bundle hastily and messily wrapped the night before.
“Don’t be picky about anything now; it’s all fine material. Just wear something,” Qi Yue instructed.
“How can that be, Young Mistress? What about your dignity?” A’ru countered, finally selecting an outfit for Qi Yue to change into.
“Exactly. We may lose the battle, but we mustn't lose face,” Qi Yue smiled.
Granny Kang collected the dishes and respectfully withdrew, carefully closing the door. As she hurried out of the courtyard gate, four or five waiting old women suddenly swarmed around her.
“Well? How was it?”
“What kind of person is the Young Mistress?”
“Did she give you any trouble?”
“What did she say?”
They peppered her with eager questions.
Granny Kang showed a hint of smugness.
“Quiet down, let me put this stuff down first. We had unexpected visitors, and there’s so much work to clean up at the estate,” she said, trying to push past them to leave.
The women laughed and held her back, setting the food box aside.
“You old gossip, you’ve never been so quiet in your life. Hurry up and tell us,” they teased.
Granny Kang finally laughed and dusted off her clothes.
“When I pushed open the door, I almost thought I was dreaming,” she said, hunching over and gesturing widely as she spoke in a low voice.
“Why was it like a dream?” everyone asked, confused.
“First, the door to the sleeping quarters opened, and out walked a girl wearing a black brocade vest trimmed with dark red floral edges. Oh, she was so exquisitely lovely,” Granny Kang recounted. “Whenever we were fortunate enough to visit the main estate, we thought the girls at the gate were beautiful, but this girl—she was far more captivating than any of them. Her clothes weren't particularly fine, but there was just something different about her.”
They were the lowest-ranking servants, assigned to guard this rural estate. Unlike the other estates, which offered beautiful scenery for the Marquis, Madam, Young Masters, and Young Ladies to enjoy, this was a coarse farm supplying fruits, vegetables, and raising pigs, sheep, and chickens. The manor’s masters rarely visited all year, and the servants rarely got a chance to go to the main estate. Even if they did, they only stood outside the outer courtyard while unloading carts; they never saw the young masters and ladies, or even the higher-ranking maids and servants.
Everyone listened, utterly captivated.
“Are you truly dizzy from enchantment, old hag?” someone laughed.
“I thought so, but then, that girl walked out, and someone else emerged behind her,” Granny Kang paused here, clasping her hands in prayer. “Merciful heavens, I barely glanced, and I nearly fainted. Goodness, it was as if I had stumbled into the realm of immortals, seeing goddesses—a place only accessible in dreams!”
“You old fool, even in a dream, you wouldn’t get into an immortal’s dwelling,” someone scoffed, nudging Granny Kang. “Spit it out, spit it out!”
“The person behind her was the Young Mistress. Her beauty…” Granny Kang continued, then stopped abruptly.
“Say it, what was she like?” everyone urged when she paused again.
“She was so beautiful, I don’t even have the words,” Granny Kang confessed.
The others protested, chattering and pushing her playfully.
“Truly! If you get a chance, see for yourselves. All the words I know in my lifetime aren’t enough to describe the Young Mistress,” Granny Kang said, smiling.
“See her doing what? It’s obvious she made a mistake and was sent here.”
“Right. She hides in her room all day and barely eats; how would we ever get a chance to see her…”
Before they could finish speaking, a young woman’s voice sounded from the courtyard.
“Help is needed!” someone shouted.
Everyone startled, then rushed over.
They saw a girl of seventeen or eighteen standing by the door, dressed exactly as Granny Kang had described. They immediately knew it was the maid.
The women quickly glanced at her, but dared not stare directly, bowing their heads instead.
“Sister, do you have an instruction for us?” the leading old woman said, bowing and scraping.
“Nothing much. The weather is nice, and I thought I’d take a short walk to stretch my legs. Can one of you lead the way?” another female voice called out.
“Yes, yes,” the old woman replied quickly. She cautiously lifted her head and froze.
Standing in the doorway, seemingly appearing from nowhere, was another woman dressed in a pale pink outer jacket embroidered with plum blossoms over a light red skirt, her hair styled in neat crescent loops, hands held demurely as she looked their way.
Her face was truly like that of a celestial being. For a moment, everyone present was stunned into silence.
“Then let’s be on our way,” Qi Yue said with a laugh, elegantly stepping forward.
Currently, there are the Traditional Chinese version of Yao Jie Tong Xin (still awaiting full samples), the Simplified Chinese version of Chongsheng Zhi Yao Xiang, and between four to six sets of the Traditional Chinese version to be given away, postage paid, ha ha.
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