Font Size:
After dinner, Chen Feng began packing for Chu Lingxuan and wrote letters to Mrs. Wang, Madam Jiang, Dabao, and Chu Hanyan. The letters to the two little ones were particularly heartfelt, accompanied by many gifts. Regretting her delay in returning, she feared how they would react.
Chu Lingxuan returned in the middle of the night.
Chen Feng, deeply asleep, was stirred awake by Chu Lingxuan. She cooperated, knowing it might be a while before they met again.
In Chen Feng’s mind, she heard the Golden Swallow’s complaints about her mother’s actions, causing her embarrassment. She nudged Chu Lingxuan, urging him to hurry to avoid more embarrassment.
Muttering to himself, Chu Lingxuan remarked about focusing and inquired why she wasn’t as attentive as before, pleasing her husband.
Unaware of when Chu Lingxuan finished or when she drifted back to sleep, Chen Feng felt as though she had just dozed off when she heard the rustling sounds of Chu Lingxuan getting up. Rising to serve him breakfast, she then watched him disappear into the snowy night after ushering him out of the courtyard.
Despite her concern for his two hundred-mile journey in such weather, Chen Feng understood his eagerness to return promptly. Although the carriage offered warmth, Chu Lingxuan preferred speed over comfort.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, while the less fortunate struggled, those with ample supplies carried on with their festivities. It was a day for visiting one’s maternal home, and nearly all the women, including Third Madam, returned with their families.
Having no maternal home to visit and unable to travel in such weather, the Yongning Marquisate was quiet, with only Chen Feng and her two children in the inner courtyard and the old Marquis in the outer courtyard.
After ensuring her sons were fed, dressed warmly, and playing on the heated brick bed, Chen Feng had the old Marquis brought to the Bamboo Pavilion.
The elderly man, feeling awkward due to the city’s strict etiquette, hesitated to visit his daughter-in-law’s courtyard. Upon receiving Chen Feng’s invitation, he eagerly arrived.
The two boys could now roll over, lift their heads, smile, and often amuse the old gentleman, bringing hearty laughter to the scene.
In the west side room, Chen Feng personally prepared a fish hotpot. Despite the thick cotton door curtain blocking the sound, she could faintly hear the laughter of the old gentleman.
Later in the afternoon, surprisingly, Marquis Chu arrived and was directly invited to the Bamboo Pavilion.
It seemed he had come specifically to see his grandsons and brought gifts for them – two small ebony arrows that he had carved himself during his free time.
Chen Feng mused to herself about how bored he must have been at the Princess’s residence to create such items.
Upon his arrival, the two boys were shamelessly asleep, which didn’t deter the Marquis from quietly observing them sitting by the heated brick bed.
Feeling uneasy staying in the room, Chen Feng served him tea and then retired to the west room to read. The old Marquis, unable to bear the solitude, entertained himself with the birds in the main hall.
After observing for an hour, the Marquis bid farewell and left.
Subsequently, he visited the Bamboo Pavilion nearly every day to see the children, always accompanied by the old Marquis. These visits were brief, ranging from fifteen minutes to half an hour, with one instance lasting only half of a quarter hour. Each time he came, he brought a variety of gifts for the children – toys, books, and other items.
As the blizzards raged on and the number of affected people increased, with countless deaths from cold and starvation, the situation worsened further north. The price of grain soared, and with limited supplies arriving from the south due to transportation difficulties, many grain stores ran out of supplies. Despite official efforts to distribute food from granaries starting from the sixth day of the first lunar month, the crisis persisted.
Amidst the calamity, people began turning to spiritual explanations, resulting in more accusations against Princess Rong Zhao. Many believed she had offended the deities. Accusations extended to Marquis Chu and the Yongning Marquisate, particularly from supporters of the Second Prince.
On the tenth day, the Fengyunlai in Dingzhou and its branches in the capital donated six thousand catties of grain to the authorities and distributed an additional one thousand catties to the people.
Led by Fengyunlai, other grain stores with remaining stocks followed suit, significantly alleviating the pressure on the court and saving countless lives.
These businesses received recognition and commendation from the Emperor, with Fengyunlai being personally awarded a plaque reading “Praiseworthy Charity”. The Empress Dowager issued a commendation for Chen Feng, hailing her as a role model for women nationwide, and awarded her two jade ruyi scepters.
Chen Feng’s charitable act brought honor back to the Yongning Marquisate, reducing the number of accusations against the Marquisate.
On the fifteenth day, the Third Madam Chu, initiated the “Warmth and Love Campaign”, leading donations to repair houses, buy quilts, and winter clothes for the disaster victims.
As the leader, Third Madam contributed five hundred taels of silver. The princesses and noblewomen from the palace and prominent families enthusiastically joined in.
This initiative was Chen Feng’s idea, and Third Madam gladly took it up. She presented the “Proposal” written by Chen Feng to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, receiving high praise and setting an example for the royal women.
Empress Wang and Concubines Sun and Ma were frustrated that they hadn’t thought of the idea themselves. Empress Wang and Concubine Sun wanted to enhance their sons’ reputation, while Concubine Ma aimed to improve her daughter’s image.
However, the idea came from the troublesome Princess Changhua, the wife of the Third Master of Chu, meaning credit would go to her regardless of the donations. Reluctant to donate less or not at all, they contributed accordingly. The Empress Dowager donated five hundred taels of silver, Empress Wang three hundred taels, and Concubine Ma two hundred taels.
Upon learning of this, Princess Rong Zhao sought permission from the Empress Dowager to donate silver in the palace. The Empress Dowager sent a maid to collect the donation, leaving Princess Rong Zhao reluctantly giving a hundred taels of silver.
In response to the initiative, Chen Feng promptly donated a hundred taels of silver and contributed twenty taels on behalf of Chu Hanyan. By the sixteenth day, there was no response from the Second Family Branch of Chu. Third Madam suspected Li was behind this delay, sending her maid to collect donations from the women in the Second Branch.
Young Madam Song, being a secondary daughter-in-law with modest means, contributed twenty taels of silver – a commendable effort. Young Madam Madam Shen’s family was not affluent despite her father being a fifth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy. Still, she managed to donate twenty taels, considering her husband, Chu Ling’an, Li’s only legitimate son, should have some wealth. Several young ladies also made contributions, with the second daughter Chu Zhen giving ten taels, and the third daughter Chu Lin and fourth daughter Chu Bi donating two taels each.
However, Madam Li claimed she had no money and refused to donate, citing the “Proposal” emphasizing voluntary contributions. Despite having enough, she refused to donate, unwilling to embellish Third Madam’s accomplishments.
Third Madam coldly handed over the “Merit Register” of the Chu family for the old Marquis to review.