Chapter Seven: Schemes

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At the end of the hour of the Pig (05:00), the maidservants in the east courtyard of the county office were already up.

“It’s been a full month now. Will the new Lady come to pay her respects to the Grand Madam?”

“Hush! What new Lady? Do you want to lose your life? Did you forget how a maid from the third branch was beaten nearly to death—thirty strokes with the military rod, just because she gossiped about the new Lady behind her back? It was said to be the military rod, almost fatal!”

“…I— I just let it slip! Besides, we’re from the Grand Madam’s courtyard—”

The Grand Madam was the matriarch, the mother-in-law of Lady Cui, a senior in the family.

In these prominent clans, one may not claim that even the cats and dogs in the elders’ courtyard are esteemed, but as a daughter-in-law, one must treat those around her mother-in-law with extra regard.

This, too, is a form of filial piety.

Yet another maid’s eyes flickered oddly: filial piety?

Ha! Lady Cui was nothing like Lady Jiang before her. Lady Jiang married up into the Wang family.

Thus, after entering the household, Lady Jiang was cautious, gentle, and dutiful. For seven years, morning and evening, she performed her duties without fail, attending to meals and never neglecting her responsibilities. If the Grand Madam was displeased, she would deliberately punish Lady Jiang by making her kneel, under the pretense of “picking lucky beans,” sometimes for an entire afternoon.

Yet, none of this could be called abuse, so even though Wang Lin cherished Lady Jiang, he could not plead for her.

Lady Cui, on the other hand, did not marry beneath her station; she had her own backing.

Since the wedding, a whole month had passed, yet Lady Cui had never come at the prescribed hour—at the end of the hour of the Pig—to pay her respects to the Grand Madam. Nearly every day, it was after the hour of the Dragon, by which time the Grand Madam and her daughters-in-law and granddaughters had already finished breakfast, that Lady Cui would arrive, leisurely and late.

Such disregard for propriety, and the Grand Madam’s brow never so much as furrowed, let alone any scolding or punishment.

The Grand Madam was never known for leniency, at least not toward her daughters-in-law; she was hardly a model of kindness.

Yet toward Lady Cui, she was exceptionally indulgent.

It wasn’t that the Grand Madam had changed her nature, nor that Lady Cui was especially beloved; it was that Lady Cui had the means.

Such a proud daughter-in-law, likely didn’t even know how to write the word “filial.”

She would hardly care for propriety or extend any kindness to her mother-in-law’s servants out of mere affection for the household.

“Lady is coming!”

While one maid was lost in her own thoughts and another trembled with fright, the sound of a cleaning maid announcing arrival came from the gate.

Lady? If not for the harsh lesson learned from the third branch’s maid, the servants of the Wang family might still hesitate—Lady, was that Lady Jiang or the new Lady?

But since the third branch’s maid had nearly died for her words, no one in the Wang household dared to utter “new” or “old,” “Jiang” or “Cui.”

There was only one Lady in the Wang family now—the new wife, Lady Cui!

Both maids perked up, one lifting a lantern and stepping down to greet, the other standing ready to lift the curtain.

Soon, seven or eight maids crowded around a woman dressed in a bright red robe embroidered with gold threads as she entered the courtyard.

“Your servants greet you, Lady.”

“Mm!”

Seeing even the maids from the Grand Madam’s courtyard treating her with utmost respect, a flash of pride shone in Cui’s bright phoenix eyes.

Clan, propriety—what are those but empty skin?

Certain people in the Wang family had tried to use her status as a second wife as leverage, deliberately referring to her as the new Lady.

Lady Cui didn’t bother with words—she dealt with them directly.

A round of military rods, and the whole Wang household learned to behave.

So, as long as one has confidence and strength, there is no need for the schemes and plots favored by women of the inner chambers.

Thanks to this, Lady Cui quickly established her authority in the Wang house and secured her footing.

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But it wasn’t enough.

Lady Cui touched her lower abdomen. Her monthly cycle had not come this month, though it was always regular.

If it hadn’t come, perhaps she was pregnant.

Whether son or daughter, the child would be her treasure.

If a son, he would be the legitimate heir of the Wang family.

But if a daughter… the place of legitimate eldest daughter had already been taken, so hers would only be the legitimate second daughter.

Lady Cui would not accept that.

Her lineage far surpassed that of Jiang, so why should her daughter stand beneath Jiang’s?

Thinking of Jiang, a shadow crossed Cui’s gaze.

It had been a month since their marriage, and Wang Lin was gentle and attentive to her.

His behavior fulfilled every expectation and dream Lady Cui had for a new husband.

But as a woman, Cui possessed keen instincts in certain matters.

For example, whether her husband held someone in his heart—Lady Cui could detect clues from the smallest signs.

It was said that Jiang was exceedingly beautiful.

It was said that Wang Lang fell in love with Jiang at first sight, so much so that he disregarded all concerns of family status and insisted on marrying her.

It was said that Jiang was married for seven years and bore only a daughter; the Grand Madam was so dissatisfied she wished to dismiss Jiang, but Wang Lin refused to allow it.

In the end, it was the Grand Madam who relented, personally selecting two fertile maids for Wang Lin.

Though he had sons and daughters with those maids, he never favored them.

Instead, he continued to cherish and protect Jiang.

It was said…

Lady Cui truly had not been idle in the Wang household, constantly investigating and inquiring.

Since she asserted her authority with the third branch’s maid, the servants all shifted their loyalties toward her.

Thus, it was not difficult for Lady Cui to obtain more, and more secret, information.

And so, even though Jiang had departed, Lady Cui deeply envied and resented her.

“Jiang is gone, but she left behind her little wretch!”

Lady Cui hated Jiang, and now, carrying a child, she began to fight for her unborn daughter’s right as legitimate eldest, fueling both old and new grievances until she could no longer tolerate Wang Heng.

Clutching her handkerchief tightly, Cui suppressed her emotions.

She ascended the steps, entered the main hall, skirted the screen, and arrived in the Grand Madam’s inner chamber.

The Grand Madam, assisted by her other two daughters-in-law, was already dressed and washed.

Upon seeing Cui, the Grand Madam nearly glanced at the hourglass in the corner—was it the hour of the Pig, or the Dragon?

Still, the Grand Madam was old and composed; she might not be unmoved by a mountain collapsing before her, but she would never lose control.

She accepted Cui’s greetings blandly and exchanged a few casual words.

Cui had little patience for idle talk; what she loathed most was the Wang family’s “hypocrisy.”

It was just household matters—was there any need to shroud them in ambiguity and roundabout words?

If there was something to say, say it plainly and directly—how much better!

“Mother, my aunt, that is, the Madam of the Lou family, has come to Hedong.”

“My cousin has taken a manor in the east of the city, and my aunt and the Lou family ladies have moved in.”

“My aunt heard that I married here in Hedong, and since the lotus flowers in the new manor are blooming, she invited me to visit.”

Lady Cui rattled off her news without pause.

The Grand Madam wasn’t used to Cui’s manner of speaking, but she quickly seized upon the key point: “The family of General Lou has come to Hedong?”

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Previously, Lou Jin was only stationed here; the army could move at any moment.

In these chaotic times, if Hedong were left without troops, it wouldn’t just face attacks from rebels and bandits—even the local powerful families would be hard to deal with.

Wang Lin, as magistrate, was eager to make his mark.

Three consecutive years of drought had been hardship for the people, but also an opportunity—the fields outside the city had become ownerless.

Now that the famine had passed, Wang Lin’s first priority was to restore agriculture.

These “ownerless” fields were his leverage.

He could issue a proclamation, informing the people that anyone who reclaimed wasteland would receive fifteen acres.

Those fields, nominally wasteland, had been fertile before the drought.

With just a little work, each person could have fifteen acres; in good years, an acre would fetch three or four strings of cash.

All this was given freely by the government.

Naturally, the people would rejoice and work eagerly to reclaim and cultivate.

With land and grain, Hedong’s economic foundation would be solid, new births would follow, and a virtuous cycle would take hold.

Wang Lin’s position as magistrate would become more secure, and he would have dazzling achievements to show his superiors.

But land is valuable; Wang Lin wanted it, and so did the local gentry.

In fact, they had already acted in the spring, secretly occupying the ownerless fields.

If Wang Lin wanted to “reclaim,” he would be competing with these clans for the spoils.

The Wang family had retainers, so did the other clans.

Unless the Wang family could call in outside help.

The Cui family—or rather, Cui’s in-laws the Lou family—were Wang Lin’s greatest support.

Yet Lou Jin was a military man, not naturally aligned with Wang Lin, the civil official.

Madam Xie and Wang Lin both hoped to use Cui to build a connection with the Lou family.

Before Madam Xie could even find an opportunity to speak, the chance arrived itself.

Madam Xie’s stern face suddenly broke into a smile. “Good! Since Madam Cui is inviting, you may go…”

Madam Xie wished to exchange a few more pleasantries and slip in a request—to have Cui bring along the other two branches’ ladies.

But direct and forthright Cui interrupted her, saying, “This Lou family gathering is a family banquet. I want to take Ah Jiu with me!”

Madam Xie was stunned. “Ah—Ah Jiu?”

Wang Heng!

The daughter left behind by Jiang?

Cui had shown no fondness for Ah Jiu. After the wedding, she’d only seen Ah Jiu once, the day after the ceremony.

Throughout, Cui’s face was dark, showing not even the semblance of kindness.

Ah Jiu, for her part, was a simple girl, concerned only with eating, never worried about facing a less-than-loving stepmother.

For the next month, Cui seemed to forget Ah Jiu entirely, leaving her in the east side courtyard to live with Madam Xie.

Madam Xie thought this was how it would remain—Cui unwilling to play the loving mother, Ah Jiu content to eat and eat.

Mother and daughter had settled into a peculiar form of “peace.”

Yet barely a month had passed, and the illusion was shattered.

Thunk!

Madam Xie, surprised, shrank into the corner, gnawing on a peach.

Hearing Cui call her by name, she shivered instinctively—and the peach dropped to the floor…