Chapter 8

Not only did she fail to hurt the man, but she also managed to excite him. Lu Feng let out a muffled groan, his dark eyes suddenly deepening, nearly snapping her waist in the process.

Outside, the cold wind howled, while inside, the charcoal fire crackled and popped. The incense smoke rose in delicate spirals, unable to mask the atmosphere within the canopy. The gauzy curtains swayed a few times before settling into stillness. Jiang Wanrou, now as soft as water, wrapped herself in a quilt to cover the essential parts and slowly rolled toward the corner.

“Sharp teeth.”

Lu Feng indulged her, letting out a low, raspy chuckle that carried an inexplicable allure.

Jiang Wanrou silently cursed him as a “beast” in her heart and ignored him. Lu Feng draped a robe over himself, got out of bed, and poured a cup of hot tea, handing it to Jiang Wanrou. She moistened her throat and said hoarsely, “Pull up the curtains; it’s too dark.”

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. “It’s the sky that’s dark.”

His tone carried a hint of smugness.

Jiang Wanrou: “…”

What a brute.

She glanced at the dimming sky outside, wanting to get up but lacking the strength. So she said to Lu Feng, “Go check on Huaiyi’s dinner.”

She rarely spoke to Lu Feng so bluntly, but he didn’t mind. He left with a smile, startling the maids in Jinguang Courtyard.

After a while, Cui Zhu came in to assist her with bathing and changing clothes, bringing a bowl of mushroom glutinous rice porridge, six vegetarian dishes, and the ever-present black medicinal concoction.

The consequence of overindulgence was lethargy.

Jiang Wanrou felt drained for several consecutive days. Fortunately, Lu Feng was self-aware and did not trouble her during this time. He was indeed busy, leaving early and returning late every day, even neglecting to review Lu Huaiyi’s writings for several days.

About ten days before the Lunar New Year, the Emperor issued a decree. Prince Gong, Qi Xuan, was found guilty of secretly hoarding iron mines, selling weapons illegally, trading official titles, and collaborating with rebels—acts of disloyalty, injustice, and unfilial conduct, for which he deserved death a thousand times over. However, considering that traitors had misled Qi Xuan, the Emperor spared his life, stripped him of his noble title, demoted him to commoner status, and confined him to the prince’s residence for life, forbidding him from ever leaving.

Following this decree, all those implicated in the case were either executed or exiled. The number of people involved was vast, and the Ministry of Justice lacked manpower for house raids, prompting assistance from the Jinglong Bureau. For a time, the capital was engulfed in fear, with every household shutting its doors.

On the silent streets, only the shouts of the officers and soldiers echoed, accompanied by the clatter of horseshoes on the cobblestone roads, intermingled with the sobs of women and children.

This year’s New Year was particularly challenging.

The Lu Mansion was minimally affected, but many of the prepared New Year gifts ended up unused, piled in the storeroom. Items like fabric and timber were manageable, but fresh fruits were problematic, leaving dozens of crates of persimmons and tangerines with nowhere to go.

The Minister of Personnel had once provided minor favors to Prince Gong but was not deeply implicated, receiving only a year’s salary deduction—a mere scare. Previously, Jiang Wanrou had sent a message to Madam Cui, who later came to express her gratitude, delivering a crate of lychees to the Lu residence before the New Year.

Lychees, especially in winter, were a rarity. Madam Cui must have gone to great lengths to procure them, but despite Jiang Wanrou’s graceful figure and beauty akin to Yang Guifei, she wasn’t fond of lychees—they were far too sweet.

The elderly matriarch couldn’t eat anything cold due to her age. Jiang Wanrou set aside some lychees for Lu Feng and her son, distributed some to each household, and sent quite a bit to Concubine Li. Still, there was half a crate left. Lychees, being perishable, posed a problem as Jiang Wanrou pondered over the full storeroom of fresh fruits and the remaining lychees. At that moment, Second Madam Zhou and Third Madam Yao arrived hand in hand.

“Oh, eldest sister-in-law, busy?”

Before her figure appeared, her voice did. The speaker was the Third Madam, Yao Jinyu. She hailed from Jiangnan, with delicate brows, a round face, petite stature, and fair skin. Her soft, lilting Southern accent could melt half a person’s resolve.

Behind her stood the Second Madam, Zhou Ruotong, tall and slender, with a willow-like grace perfectly embodying the “slim elegance” adored by contemporary literati. She wore a turquoise damask jacket, her jet-black hair secured with a single white jade hairpin, her lowered gaze reminiscent of a lady in a classical painting.

“Second sister-in-law, Third sister-in-law, have some tea,” Jiang Wanrou said with a smile, ordering tea to be served. Seeing these two sister-in-laws standing together always amused her.

Lu Feng’s two brothers certainly married exceptional women.

In the Lu family’s prominent lineage, both women could undoubtedly be called “beauties,” though their charms were vastly different. The third sister-in-law, Yao Jinyu, hailed from a merchant family. Despite the status hierarchy placing merchants at the lowest rank, her family enjoyed imperial favor, supplying silk and porcelain to the royal court. The Emperor had even granted them the title of Jiangnan Weaving Officer, though it was merely a seventh-rank position, separating them from ordinary merchants by an insurmountable gap.

Raised in luxury, Yao Jinyu exuded refinement, adorned daily in gold and silver and favoring vibrant silks and satins. Her hair was often decorated with numerous gold hairpins and ornaments that dazzled the eye. Jiang Wanrou couldn’t help but feel that the weight of those accessories might be stunting her growth, given her petite stature.

Second Madam Zhou Ruotong stood a full head taller than Yao Jinyu, about the same height as Jiang Wanrou. Coming from a lineage of scholarly elegance, her father was a fourth-rank academic supervisor at the Imperial College. She had inherited the family’s cultured disposition, being well-versed in classical texts, fond of arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and cherishing flowers like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Her clothing and jewelry leaned towards simplicity, showcasing her refined taste.

If not for marrying into the same family, the two women likely wouldn’t have interacted in their lifetimes. Madam Yao despised Madam Zhou’s aloofness, while Madam Zhou looked down on Madam Yao for her “stench of commerce.” Before Jiang Wanrou joined the family, these two sisters-in-law had long been at odds.

Then Jiang Wanrou married into the family. Among the daughters-in-law, her background was the humblest, lacking both Madam Yao’s wealth and Madam Zhou’s aristocratic refinement. On top of that, she was the youngest, yet they had to call her “sister-in-law,” which they resented, often setting traps to make things difficult for her.

Fortunately, Madam Zhou and Madam Yao were not malicious people. After the matriarch was confined to the Buddhist hall and Lu Feng became the Commander of the Jinglong Buraeu, Jiang Wanrou’s position as the household’s mistress became unshakable. She managed the household with a demeanor befitting a matron, ensuring the second and third branches lacked nothing in food, clothing, or other essentials. Gradually, the two sisters-in-law ceased their conflicts with her.

Interestingly, with Jiang Wanrou, the “latecomer who surpassed them,” Madam Zhou and Madam Yao developed a mutual appreciation for each other and have grown increasingly close over time.

Jiang Wanrou smiled and asked, “Is there something the two of you need today?”

The petty quarrels of the past no longer mattered to her. These two, perhaps feeling guilty, would only come to her when they had a purpose. Out of sight, out of mind—Jiang Wanrou was content with the peace.

Madam Yao and Madam Zhou exchanged a glance before Yao Jinyu spoke up, “Eldest sister-in-law, we’ve come to ask—what’s the current situation outside?”

Lately, the capital had been restless. Not only the commoners but even officials’ families kept their doors shut to avoid trouble.

“What could it be? Just hunting down criminals—men’s matters, unrelated to us women.”

Jiang Wanrou took a sip of tea, and her response was impeccable. “We should eat and drink as we please and celebrate the New Year properly.”

“I’ve sent over the New Year supplies. Check if anything is missing and let me know. Oh, and the tailor will come to the residence the day after tomorrow. Don’t let the children go to the academy that day—it’s nearly the holiday season, let them relax a bit.”

In the Lu family’s main branch, there was only one heir, Lu Huaiyi. The second branch had one son and three daughters, while the third branch had three sons and two daughters—not all born to Madam Yao and Madam Zhou. The Second Master, who fancied himself a scholar, kept two beautiful maids by his side to assist with his studies, elevating them to concubines after they bore children. The Third Master, a carefree and indulgent man, had four concubines with official status in his household and even kept a few unnamed serving maids in his study, naturally resulting in a larger number of children.

After responding politely to Jiang Wanrou, the two sisters-in-law casually started chatting about trivial matters, digressing here and there, as if they were anchored to their chairs.

By the time the third cup of tea was served, and seeing that Jiang Wanrou remained composed and unreadable, Yao Jinyu grew impatient. She glanced at Zhou Ruotong and gently prompted, “Second sister-in-law, didn’t you have something to discuss with the eldest sister-in-law? Why are you suddenly tongue-tied now that you’re here?”

Jiang Wanrou had already guessed that it was Madam Zhou who had something to say. Yao Jinyu was straightforward; had it been her matter, she would have brought it up before finishing her first cup of tea. Mada Yao wasn’t overly concerned about appearances and had a knack for talking, knowing when to yield and when to insist. On the other hand, Madam Zhou, unwilling to lose face, maintained an air of aloofness that ultimately put her in an awkward position.

Graciously, Jiang Wanrou turned her gaze to Zhou Ruotong and said warmly, “We’re all family here, no need for formalities. Just speak your mind.”

Though Madam Zhou was aloof, she was not malicious. Over the past two years, she and Jiang Wanrou had maintained a relatively harmonious relationship. Not wanting to make things difficult for her, Jiang Wanrou readily agreed to her request.

It wasn’t a major matter. Master Zhou had a distant relative—a minor official in the capital—who became implicated in the Prince Gong case and was sentenced to confiscation of assets and exile. The male family members were to be sent to Lingnan after the New Year, while the women were either turned into government slaves or, if of appropriate age, sent to entertainment houses.

Master Zhou had made efforts to protect the women from dishonor. However, the number of government slaves a household could purchase was limited. The Zhou family had already acquired many government slaves during the previous Hu Liangyu case, and they could not arbitrarily dismiss or harm them. With his fourth-rank official status insufficient, he turned to his family connections.

Madam Zhou pleaded sorrowfully, “The child has just turned fifteen, poor thing, a beloved young lady from a noble home. I thought our residence wouldn’t lack the means to support one more person. Eldest sister-in-law, with your benevolent heart, please give her a place to stay. Consider it accumulating blessings for Huaiyi.”

This, however, displeased Jiang Wanrou.

She had already agreed to Madam Zhou’s request—why bring up Huaiyi to make a point? Huaiyi’s fragile health had always been a source of anxiety for her, but was Madam Zhou implying that his frailty was due to a lack of blessings?

Did she also believe that Lu Feng, as a father, had sinned so much that it diminished Huaiyi’s fortune?

Jiang Wanrou couldn’t help but feel the need to defend Lu Feng. She admitted that he wasn’t a virtuous man, but his actions were carried out under imperial orders. To put it plainly, he was a cold blade wielded by the Emperor. Why, then, did people lavish praise on the Emperor’s benevolence yet pour scorn upon Lu Feng?

As for outsiders, that was one thing—but who was Zhou Ruotong to judge? Her husband, the second master, was a pedantic scholar who couldn’t even pass the preliminary imperial exams, though he liked to parade his knowledge by admiring this masterpiece today and appraising that antique manuscript tomorrow. What right did people have to grant him such undeserved courtesy? Even the hairpin on Jiang Wanrou’s head had been bought with money earned through Lu Feng’s endeavors. They shamelessly enjoyed the benefits brought by Lu Feng, yet where did they find the audacity to criticize him?

To be blunt, the second master’s pedantry and the third master’s frivolity meant that without Lu Feng holding up the family’s reputation, who knew where the Lu family would stand? How dare Madam Zhou act condescendingly and pity others?

Jiang Wanrou heavily placed the teacup she was holding onto the table, her smile fading.

“After all, she is the daughter of a criminal. These days are tense, and it’s better for her not to be seen. Keep her in your courtyard and ensure she doesn’t wander around.”

“Of course, eldest sister-in-law, rest assured, I will handle it properly.”

Madam Zhou quickly stood up and bowed, belatedly realizing she had misspoken. She wanted to apologize but couldn’t bring herself to do so. At twenty-five years old, Zhou Ruotong had a hard time lowering her pride to a twenty-year-old like Jiang Wanrou.

Yao Jinyu, standing to the side, chuckled and stepped in to ease the tension. “Alright, alright, second sister-in-law, get up! It’s not even the New Year yet; we can’t accept such a grand gesture.”

“Looking at the time, the Second Master must be returning to the manor soon. Second sister-in-law, aren’t you going to greet him? My little Yue’er still wishes for a little brother to play with!”

The “Yue’er” mentioned refers to Lu Siyue, currently the youngest child in the Lu household.

Zhou Ruotong blushed and retorted, “If you want a little brother, ask your Third Master for one. Keep spouting nonsense, and I’ll tear your mouth apart.”

“Oh dear, eldest sister-in-law, see what she’s saying…”

…

With laughter and chatter, the tense atmosphere dissipated. Madam Zhou rose and took her leave. Yao Jinyu, still cracking melon seeds, didn’t budge. After Madam Zhou departed, she remarked with a smile:

“Second sister-in-law isn’t malicious; she just doesn’t know how to express herself. Don’t let it bother you, eldest sister-in-law.”

Jiang Wanrou glanced at her meaningfully and said, “You two seem quite close nowadays.”

Yao Jinyu laughed gracefully and replied, “Indeed, in this large household, I can only confide in Second Sister-in-law to ease the loneliness.”

Jiang Wanrou remained noncommittal, unwilling to respond and give Yao Jinyu the chance to seek her company to “ease her loneliness.”

Jiang Wanrou enjoyed her peaceful life, and aside from festive occasions, her two sisters-in-law rarely sought her out. This arrangement suited her perfectly, and she had no intention of changing it. She issued a subtle dismissal, “Third sister-in-law, is there anything else?”

“Nothing at all,” Yao Jinyu replied, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her hands. She said sweetly, “It’s all because the fruits here in eldest sister-in-law’s place are so delicious—I don’t even want to leave.”

Being two years older than Jiang Wanrou, Yao Jinyu addressed her as “eldest sister-in-law” with syrupy charm, exuding the unique allure of a Jiangnan woman, making it impossible to take offense.

Taking the opportunity, Yao Jinyu inquired about the recent meals in the household. Jiang Wanrou answered kindly, mentioning that in honor of the matriarch’s birthday, the entire household would adhere to a vegetarian diet.

Yao Jinyu then asked, “And what about the eldest master? Is he also refraining from eating meat?”

Jiang Wanrou found it a bit odd and replied, “As the head of the family, the eldest master should set an example and honor Grandmother.”

This was an old tradition practiced every year. Yao Shi had been part of the family for many years and should have understood it, so why suddenly bring it up?

Under Jiang Wanrou’s puzzled gaze, Yao Jinyu rose slowly and said leisurely, “We women in the inner quarters, sewing flowers and such, don’t exert much effort. But men, out there handling big matters, can’t afford to go hungry.”

Jiang Wanrou laughed, “Is your Third Master starving?”

“Of course not, he’s just a useless fellow. I’m worried about the eldest master,” Yao Jinyu replied.

She looked directly at Jiang Wanrou with a serious expression and said, “Eldest sister-in-law, men can’t be allowed to go hungry. If they don’t get enough to eat at home, they’ll go outside to eat. Wouldn’t you agree?”