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As Lu Man approached the Gate, she encountered the eldest Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam, and the eldest Young Madam along with her son, all arriving in sedan chairs to pay their respects.
Madam Hong inquired, “How is the old Marquis doing, Zhanwei’s wife?”
Lu Man replied, “He’s doing much better. I just administered acupuncture and medication for him, and he’s currently resting. However, the grandmother isn’t feeling well, she’s resting in bed, so it’s best not to disturb her.”
In this household, everyone except the eldest Madam wished for the Princess to live a long life. Therefore, upon hearing Lu Man’s words, all three of them quickly expressed their understanding.
Once Lu Man had left in her small sedan chair, Madam Hong coldly remarked, “A mere concubine’s daughter-in-law, sent away to another mansion, couldn’t even hold her own there. Look at her attitude, pointing fingers at us elders as if she’s above everyone.”
Madam Huang added, “She is a physician, perhaps she truly believes the mother-in-law’s health should not be disturbed.”
Normally, the Third Madam wouldn’t easily offend the eldest Madam. However, upon hearing about the Princess’s declining health, her mood turned particularly sour.
On one hand, she was reluctant. Her son was getting married next month, and if the Princess fell seriously ill, there would be no joy in the household. If the Princess passed away, her son wouldn’t even be able to get married. Moreover, her husband was trying to advance in his career, their son had failed the imperial examination last autumn and was looking to secure a good position. If the Princess could live a few more years, it would make things easier for the father and son. Additionally, with the old Marquis in a confused state, the household would descend into chaos without the Princess’s influence…
Thinking about these troublesome matters, the Third Madam let out a heavy sigh and hurriedly walked away.
Watching the Third Madam’s departing figure, the eldest Madam snorted and remarked to the eldest Young Madam, “See that? That concubine’s daughter-in-law has captured the hearts of the old Princess and the old Marquis, even the Third Sister-in-law is trying to curry favor with her. Hmph, pushing the legitimate ones aside for the illegitimate, only our mansion would have such a situation.”
Young Madam Han, fearing the worst if something happened to the Princess, simply murmured a noncommittal “Hmm” and remained silent.
Finding the conversation uninteresting, the eldest Madam proceeded towards the main quarters.
Back in the Donghui Courtyard, as soon as Lu Man entered the room, she heard little Yue’s loud voice of joy. Little Yue was delighted upon hearing her mother’s footsteps approaching.
Lu Man couldn’t help but smile at the cunning little girl who could discern family members’ footsteps at such a young age. The angelic voice of her daughter dispelled all the gloom in her heart. After washing her hands in a copper basin, she entered the room, lifted her daughter from the heated brick bed, and planted a couple of affectionate kisses on her cheeks.
Giggling, little Yue also hugged her mother’s neck and returned the affection with a few kisses.
Lu Man then asked He Mingzhu, “Has Cheng not returned from Tongren Hall yet?”
Glancing at the rain outside, He Mingzhu replied, “Not yet.” She then chuckled, “I heard that Li specifically hired a cook and maid to take care of household chores for him. His days will be much better now. Today, I had Cheng bring him some seafood and even a black chicken…”
Lu Man glanced at He Mingzhu, knowing her deep concern for Manager Li was out of seniority as an older sister. Lu Man refrained from advising her too much, but she secretly hoped that He Mingzhu would marry Manager Li before Lu Fangrong returned, preventing that “phoenix man” from causing trouble. If he managed to lure the naive He Mingzhu, it would be infuriating.
He Mingzhu continued, “Another family has come to propose marriage to Cheng. I think this family is quite good, the father is the secretary at the Ministry, and I heard that my son-in-law is a fourth-grade official……”
Currently, suitors frequently came for He Cheng. They were mostly from merchant families, medical families, minor officials, and affluent households.
Lu Man wasn’t keen on arranging a marriage for He Cheng at the moment. At fifteen, he hadn’t yet made a name for himself, so marrying into a family now wouldn’t be ideal. Families like the one discussed today probably saw potential benefits from the Princess Changting’s influence and Zhanwei’s future. Rather than being a support for He Cheng, they might have more sinister intentions. Lu Man wished for He Cheng to gain more skills and reputation in the medical community before seeking a spouse. She had discussed this with Lady Yang and planned to look for suitable matches in a couple of years within the Xie family’s extended branches. If that didn’t work out, they would explore other options. A reputable and upright main family was crucial for He Cheng to marry into.
She shared her thoughts with He Cheng, who agreed. He wasn’t eager to enter into a marriage proposal at the moment.
Lu Man advised, “Mother, Cheng is still young. Let’s wait a bit longer for his marriage arrangements.”
He Mingzhu was used to following her daughter’s and son’s lead. Although she thought the proposed marriage was suitable and He Cheng was growing older, seeing her daughter’s disapproval, she let go of the idea for now.
He Cheng returned in the evening.
Lu Man called He Cheng into the room and discreetly mentioned her wish to privately meet with Miss Liu to examine her lump. She explained that she had encountered a patient showing symptoms similar to a suspected poison but was uncertain.
He Cheng replied, “On the fifth and tenth of each month, the peddler usually sells goods in the alley around the hour of the Shen (3-5 PM). Little Xi occasionally goes out to buy things, I’ll have Baizhi keep an eye out.”
Lu Man nodded, realizing they would have to wait. It was April 18th today, with Xi possibly coming out on the 20th.
After dinner, the household masters gathered once again by Princess Changting’s bedside to attend to her illness. Even Marquis Jiang’s new daughter, Jiang Zhen, born in February of this year, was carried off by her nurse.
Jiang Zhen, a beautiful little girl born in February, was the apple of Marquis Jiang’s eye, hence the name Jiang Zhen, cherished like a treasure.
Upon seeing the infant girl, the eldest Madam was incensed. While the Second Master named his illegitimate children “Guilty”, Marquis Jiang named his illegitimate daughter “Precious”. How could this illegitimate child be treasured more than legitimate sons and daughters? The woman had grown bolder since giving birth, infuriating the eldest Madam to the point of grinding her teeth.
She harbored a deep resentment, even directed towards Princess Changting. If she had the power, she would have disposed of the mother and daughter pair long ago. However, she was limited to managing her own courtyard and had no control elsewhere. Furthermore, her eldest son not only refused to help but also repeatedly warned her not to touch the mother and daughter pair, claiming he had other ways to deal with them.
Thinking further, she seethed with anger towards Han, who only sought to ingratiate herself with Princess Changting, disregarding her own mother-in-law.
She believed that her maternal family’s strength would ultimately bolster her position. She hoped the Crown Prince would ascend the throne soon, her cousin would become Empress Dowager, and her niece would eventually become a Concubine, ensuring no one dared disregard her authority.
Princess Changting, feeling overwhelmed by the large number of relatives, expressed a desire for peace and requested only her eldest grandson, Jiang Zhanju, to attend to her. She further instructed that no one should perform ritual morning and evening greetings for her during this time, with only her three sons and eldest grandson accompanying the elderly couple for dinner.
Marquis Jiang, content to see his son favored by his mother, led the others out of the room.