Chapter 22

The two bedchamber servants couldn’t be sent in, and now six maids were being sent back demanding dowry—Madam Hong naturally had no intention of giving it.  

It wasn’t that she coveted Ying Yue’s dowry. On the auspicious day, Ying Yue had already caused trouble right at the doorstep. Though the ceremony was eventually completed due to Fang Hanxiao’s insistence, the entire process had been rushed and sloppy. The display of the dowry had been skipped entirely. When the servants came to ask, Madam Hong, in her fury, had the Xu family’s wedding escorts dragged out and beaten. As for the trunks they had carried, she had casually pointed to an empty courtyard and ordered them dumped there. What was actually inside? She hadn’t bothered to look and had no idea.  

But that didn’t stop Madam Hong from making her own assumptions. She had dealt with Madam Xu for years and knew her all too well. If Madam Xu had actually given her stepdaughter anything valuable, the sun might as well rise from the west.  

Since it was worthless, why would she bother withholding it? The dowry hadn’t been sent to the bridal chamber simply because she hadn’t thought of it at the time—but now, her refusal to hand it over was purely out of spite!  

If she were to blame anyone for her anger, it shouldn’t be Fang Hanxiao, but her own son, Fang Hancheng.  

Yet when Fang Hancheng came to plead for mercy, his reasoning made perfect sense:  

“Mother had already promised her to me, so I acted rashly in the moment—otherwise, why would I go behind your back?”  

Her nearly grown son knelt before her, his cheeks flushed with shame even as he defended himself, his voice hushed. “Mother, it’s all my fault. Blame me, not Liuxian. She’s just a maid—if I wanted her, what could she do? I’m the one who ruined her.”  

Seeing him like this, hearing his words, the accusations lodged in Madam Hong’s chest dissolved before she could voice them. Instead, she urged repeatedly, “Get up, quickly! This isn’t worth kneeling for.”  

“I’m kneeling for you, Mother. It’s only right—I’d kneel all night if I had to.”  

Her heart softened further at his words. “Alright, I know you’re filial. Now get up before you hurt your knees.”  

Fang Hancheng lifted his head. “Then Mother won’t blame Liuxian anymore?”  

Madam Hong sighed. “Forget it!” What else could she do when it was her own son’s doing? She had no choice but to let it go.  

Only then did Fang Hancheng rise with the help of a maid and take a seat beside Madam Hong. When a maid brought tea, he stood to receive it first and presented it to his mother.  

After Madam Hong took a sip, he returned to his seat, his gaze lowered as he said slowly, “Mother, I never got the chance to ask—why was the girl promised to me suddenly given to Eldest Brother instead? Not even a word of notice. Otherwise, I would have come to confess my wrongdoing sooner, and this wouldn’t have happened.”  

With only trusted servants present, Madam Hong spoke plainly, repeating Lord Fang’s words:  

“—It was your father’s decision. True, your elder brother is mute now, and we no longer have to worry about him, but that brings other complications. Finding suitable women for his household is difficult now.”  

A cold glint flashed in Fang Hancheng’s downcast eyes. “Did Mother not tell him that Liuxian was originally meant for me?”  

“I did,” Madam Hong admitted. “But she hadn’t been formally given to you yet. When your father insisted, I had to comply, thinking it wouldn’t be hard to find you another.” She gave him an affectionate, chiding smile. “Who knew you’d be so impatient, like a greedy kitten? Now, we’ll just have to drop the matter.”  

Even knowing she had been promised to him, Lord Fang had unhesitatingly taken her away to give to his nephew.

Fang Hancheng forced a smile in agreement with Madam Hong, but there was no trace of amusement in his eyes.

Madam Hong had only him as her son, treasuring him like her very life. Noticing his odd demeanor, she set down her teacup and said, “Brother Cheng, don’t blame your father. He may seem strict, but all his efforts to build this family fortune are for you in the end.”

Fang Hancheng replied, “Mother, I know.”

He truly did know and had no doubts about it. Yet the favoritism he had felt growing up was also undeniable. He understood that Lord Fang was trying to wrest the family assets from the elder branch, but at times—like now—he wished Lord Fang would ease up a little.

He didn’t care much for Liuxian, but he resented having his things taken away so casually, especially when his cousin Fang Hanxiao, who got them effortlessly, didn’t even want them.

This humiliation was something no one understood, and he couldn’t voice it. Over the years, it had festered inside him like a poisoned brew.

Though Madam Hong noticed, she couldn’t fully grasp his feelings. After offering her advice, she changed the subject, asking, “By the way, where’s Lanxiang? I heard Liuxian took her away too. Did Lanxiang also—?”

Fang Hancheng shook his head. “No, I’m not that kind of man.”

Madam Hong smiled. “Of course not. Then what happened with Lanxiang?”

“Lanxiang chose to stay with me,” Fang Hancheng said, his tone indifferent but unable to hide a hint of smugness. “She didn’t want to go with Eldest Brother.”

Madam Hong’s expression darkened with displeasure. “Since when is it her choice? Absurd! How dare she come to you with such shameless talk? Someone—”

“Mother,” Fang Hancheng interrupted, raising his voice slightly as he stood. “Lanxiang didn’t say it to me. She only told Liuxian—just a private conversation between them. Liuxian pitied her and relayed it to me quietly. Eldest Brother is so unpredictable these days, always lost in his thoughts. It’s natural for Lanxiang to be afraid of him and not want to serve him.”

“That doesn’t give a mere maidservant the right to speak out of turn!” Madam Hong was furious. “I treated her better than the others because she was more literate, but it seems I’ve spoiled her into thinking too highly of herself. Now she dares to pick and choose among the young masters? If she thinks Hanxiao isn’t good enough, then let’s marry her off to some servant boy in the outer courtyard. We’ll see if she still has such lofty ambitions!”

“Mother, there’s no need for anger,” Fang Hancheng said. “Lanxiang has served you well all these years without fault. It’s not as if she deliberately seduced me. Just consider it a favor to me—couldn’t you indulge your son this once?”

A mere maid wasn’t worth much, but given the circumstances, Madam Hong was displeased. She remained silent, her face stern.

Fang Hancheng continued standing. “Think about it, Mother. Even if I don’t take Lanxiang, Eldest Brother won’t accept her either. Now that he knows about Liuxian and me, who’s to say he won’t suspect Lanxiang too? Once he doubts her, forcing her into his service would be pointless—he’d only guard against her. You’d just be wasting a useful hand.”

Madam Hong’s expression softened slightly. “That’s a fair point. But Brother Cheng, I know you’re kind-hearted, yet you mustn’t be too soft. Lanxiang has wicked intentions—she’s not worth keeping. Let Liuxian serve you instead.”

Fang Hancheng refused to back down. He hadn’t originally paid much attention to Lanxiang, but what caught his interest was the “misguided devotion” she and Liuxian had poured out before him earlier. Lanxiang’s disdain for his elder cousin and her willingness to risk Madam Hong’s wrath to confess her feelings to him greatly satisfied the unspoken resentment he had long harbored from being overshadowed by his cousin.

With his mother’s favor firmly in hand, making such a request was hardly troublesome, so he readily agreed.

“Mother, she’s just a maid. Why make such a fuss? Lanxiang is literate—she can help me organize my study. If you refuse even this, it’s clear you don’t love your son.”

Unable to resist her son’s persistence, Madam Hong relented slightly. “That may be so, but you’re getting married later this year. If you take too many concubines now, your future wife’s family might object.”

Fang Hancheng, two years younger than Fang Hanxiao and now nineteen, was already betrothed with the wedding imminent. He waved off the concern. “What objections could they have? Once she enters our household, her duty is to be filial to you.”

Pleased by his words, Madam Hong teased, “I fear once you’re truly married, you won’t feel the same way.”

“Are you worried I’ll forget my mother once I have a wife?” Fang Hancheng laughed. “That’s unnecessary. I’m not that kind of person. If she misbehaves, you need only correct her—I’ll never oppose you. No matter how noble her background, she has no right to disrespect you.”

Finally coaxed into good humor, Madam Hong couldn’t suppress her smile. Seizing the moment, Fang Hancheng pressed, “Then I thank Mother for your generosity.”

With a resigned wave, Madam Hong dismissed him. “Go on.”

Fang Hancheng bowed with a grin and left.

His residence was a spacious courtyard in the northeast of Earl Manor, surrounded by phoenix trees and aptly named Qiwu Courtyard.

Inside Qiwu Courtyard, Lanxiang sat dazed in the side room while Liuxian comforted her. “Don’t be afraid. Madam dotes on the Second Young Master. Since he’s willing to plead for us, we’ll be fine.”

She continued, “Trust me—if we had gone to the First Young Master, given Madam’s feelings toward him, even if we succeeded in her task, what future would we have? The manor’s wealth and privileges are kept from him entirely. If he can’t benefit, neither can we. At best, Madam might reward us by transferring us back, only to marry us off to some lowly steward. But if we serve the Second Young Master, even as mere concubines—if we bear him a child, our children would be legitimate heirs of the household. Isn’t that better than wasting our youth on a steward? And that’s assuming the steward would even want you—some might look down on you! Then you’d be stuck marrying a servant. Is that what you want?”

Lanxiang shuddered and shook her head vehemently. She held too much prestige under Madam Hong’s favor now—marrying a servant would be worse than death.

This wasn’t the first time Liuxian had made this argument. It was this very reasoning, half-truths and all, that had convinced Lanxiang to leave the bridal chamber and come to Qiwu Courtyard.

Liuxian had no choice. If she didn’t help coax Lanxiang away and Fang Hanxiao went to confront Madam Hong for justice, she would be finished. Handing over a woman who had already been deflowered by his cousin—Fang Hanxiao had every right to make a scene, and she would undoubtedly be the one sacrificed. Even Fang Hancheng wouldn’t be able to protect her.  

Of course, she didn’t want to share Fang Hancheng with Lanxiang, but she had no choice. She had to get through this immediate crisis first. So, she personally taught Lanxiang how to win Fang Hancheng’s affection. Knowing him well, her plan succeeded.  

Now, it all depended on how Fang Hancheng’s plea turned out.  

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Fang Hancheng’s somewhat refined face appeared at the threshold.  

Seeing the confident smile on his face, Liuxian shut her eyes briefly, her heart sinking along with her tears.  

It was done.  

**  

Not only was Liuxian in the wrong, but Madam Hong was even more so. Because of Liuxian’s blunder, when Fang Hanxiao sent someone to demand Ying Yue’s dowry—speaking so bluntly—Madam Hong was so furious she couldn’t even eat dinner. In the end, she had no choice but to comply.  

She couldn’t afford to make things difficult over this matter just to vent her anger. Otherwise, Fang Hanxiao himself might show up and demand an explanation to her face—why had she given him a deflowered maid? How would she answer that?  

Even his earlier actions—barging in unannounced, taking Yuzan and Shinan away without so much as a greeting—were things she couldn’t pursue. The ambiguity here wasn’t due to Fang Hanxiao’s rudeness but rather him saving face for her, his aunt. If she insisted on dragging it out, she’d only end up humiliating herself.  

Besides, she had no energy to spare for the bridal chamber right now. First, she had failed to deliver on her promise to Lord Fang and needed to figure out how to explain it. Second, she had no idea how Fang Hanxiao, holed up in Tranquil Virtue Courtyard, had learned about Liuxian and her son’s affair. Where had the leak come from? She needed to investigate her own household.  

Thus, Ying Yue’s dowry—which everyone assumed held little of value—was smoothly carried into the bridal chamber the next morning and returned to her.  

Yuzan and Shinan were overjoyed. No matter how meager Madam Xu’s dowry was, it was better than nothing. At least they could make do with what they had.  

In terms of quantity alone, the dowry was quite impressive. There were display items and containers openly visible, as well as heavy camphorwood chests tied with bright red ribbons. Yuzan and Shinan had seen them before, but they hadn’t gotten a full look on the way over. Besides, they had been too panicked and scared to pay attention at the time. Now, upon closer inspection, it was far more substantial than they had imagined, which made them even happier.  

They immediately set about checking and arranging everything. The six maids who had returned with the dowry proved quite useful. With just Yuzan and Shinan, they wouldn’t have been able to handle so many things. The six maids had been intimidated by Fang Hanxiao the night before, and since Madam Hong hadn’t retaliated, they had no choice but to follow his orders. Their previous arrogance had been subdued, and they now obediently followed Yuzan and Shinan’s lead, not daring to act on their own.  

Ying Yue was also excited. She ignored the furnishings and instead hovered eagerly around the seven or eight camphorwood chests. She hoped that inside might be the books she had collected. They were useless to Madam Xu, who might have simply tossed them in to save space.

The chest was locked. Yuzan had originally planned to tidy it up later, but seeing Ying Yue’s eagerness, she smiled and fetched the keys, squatting down to open the one closest to her first.  

Ying Yue leaned forward, watching with anticipation.  

Yuzan held a bunch of keys and couldn’t tell which one fit which lock. It wasn’t until the third try that the right key turned, and the lid creaked open.  

“Ah!”  

This exclamation came from Yuzan, brimming with delight, drawing Shinan over from the other side.  

“Sister Yuzan, what is it?”  

Without looking up, Yuzan beamed. “Come quick, look at this—such fine things!”  

The chest was packed full of silk fabrics, not only thickly layered but also of excellent quality. The sun had risen by now, and under its light, the dazzling patterns shimmered, nearly blinding in their brilliance.  

Shinan gasped in surprise. “Did Madam Xu have the wrong chest sent?”  

Otherwise, how could they have given such fine materials? Even just this one chest was worth a fortune!  

One of the six maids, Yifang, quietly stepped closer for a peek and offered with a smile, “First Madam, sisters, it seems these were part of the betrothal gifts prepared by our household.”  

Yuzan and Shinan understood immediately—it was far too strange for Madam Xu to spend her own silver on such lavish dowry items for Ying Yue. But if these were the betrothal gifts from Marquis Pingjiang Manor, it made sense. Madam Xu had pushed Ying Yue forward as a substitute bride, unwilling to provide fine dowry items herself, but she couldn’t possibly withhold all the betrothal gifts from the Marquis’s family—that would be too foolish.  

The two exchanged glances, excitement flickering in their eyes. With these, their future days would be much easier.  

Ying Yue, however, was indifferent. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the beautiful, gleaming silks, but they couldn’t compare to her beloved books. Since they weren’t what she had hoped for, her predominant emotion was disappointment.  

Yuzan, now invigorated, moved to open the next chest.  

When the lid lifted, it revealed a disorderly pile of books, haphazardly stacked—whether from careless packing or the jostling of travel, they were in a messy state, some with curled edges, looking dull and unremarkable.  

The contrast with the previous chest of silks was stark. The six maids either pretended nonchalance as they edged closer or discreetly stood on tiptoe, their gazes converging before exchanging knowing looks: *So the new mistress really was neglected in her own home.*  

“My Su!”  

Only Ying Yue cried out joyfully, immediately reaching in to sort through the books, murmuring names under her breath: “…—…—…”  

In her excitement, her pronunciation was so muddled that the maids couldn’t make out most of the titles. But that only made her giddy delight all the more genuine—impossible to fake.  

Yuzan shook her head with an amused sigh, leaving her to it, and turned to open the third chest.  

This one contained clothes and some jewelry. The items on top looked decent, but the six maids, hailing from noble households, had sharp eyes for finery. When Shinan reached in to shift things around, they all caught a glimpse of the garments beneath—plain in material, one even faintly faded along the creases.  

Yuzan and Shinan recognized them well—most were Ying Yue’s everyday clothes.  

Shinan brightened. “Miss—no, First Madam finally has fresh clothes to change into.”

No matter how beautiful the silk was, it couldn’t simply be draped over one’s body—it needed to be cut and sewn. What could truly solve the immediate problem were the old clothes in this chest.

She called out to someone, “Come, lend a hand and carry this chest inside first.”

The sixth maid looked dazedly at these two original attendants who had followed from the new bride’s maternal home. There was truly no trace of disappointment or dissatisfaction on their faces. When she turned to look at Ying Yue, she grew even more bewildered—Ying Yue was huddled beside the second chest, having temporarily stopped muttering book titles. She had rolled up her sleeves and was rummaging through the chest with such focus that her eyes sparkled. If one only looked at her and not the chest, they might think she was guarding a chest full of pure gold.

When this flurry of activity finally subsided, Yifang seized a moment to indirectly voice a bit of her confusion, also intending to probe. Shinan, seeing how helpful they had been all this time, didn’t think there was anything to hide and answered frankly, “It’s nothing. Our Madam has always been like this.”

Giving old clothes and books as dowry was simply Madam Xu’s way—perfectly normal.

Yifang: “…” She stifled a sigh. “Then First Madam also—”

She glanced at Ying Yue, who had changed her clothes but was still fixated on that chest of books, unsure how to describe it. Afraid of misspeaking and offending Shinan, she hesitated.

Shinan, only half understanding, replied just as frankly, “Exactly!”

Their young mistress—well, she was just like that.