Spring of the Blade - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The shock Qingru received this time genuinely kept her bedridden for several days. Perhaps in all the years she had lived, this was the only lesson she had ever been taught; it was called a joke, yet it was extraordinarily dangerous—a slight mishap could have cost her her life. However, since it was disguised as a prank, there was no way to argue with anyone about it. Lady Hu felt heartache for her daughter. Seeing her current dazed and confused state, though there were no clear physical pains, she couldn't even open her eyes properly, sleeping muddled away the whole day long. Things could not go on like this, so she leaned out and instructed Sun Mama: "Go and invite the Eldest Master here."

Zhengze arrived before long, accompanied by his wife, the Eldest Young Mistress Qiu. After the couple paid their respects to the Madam, Qiu went straight into the inner room to visit Qingru.

In the outer room, separated by a curtain, Lady Hu sighed long and hard as she sat on the southern kang: "Your sister must have been frightened out of her wits. She can't even open her eyes now. If you call her, she gives a muddled response; if you don't call her, she just buries her head and sleeps. She has been sleeping for two days and two nights already—how can things go on like this!"

Zhengze truly had nothing to say about this sister. She refused to learn any lessons; she was overbearing and arrogant, fearing no one. Yet, if one spoke of her having learned a lesson, since they were born of the same mother, thinking about it closely made one feel a pang of heartache. In truth, like his father, he rarely concerned himself with inner-household matters. Since his mother had summoned him, he had to come, but he had a premonition that the ensuing conversation would not be to his liking. To avoid being disrespectful to his mother's face, he had to gather his spirits and cope as best he could.

"Since she has been frightened, it is best to soothe her spirit. Have a physician treat her carefully for a few days, and let her mind be at ease; that should be enough."

Lady Hu said: "It is not that easy. Though she has taken two doses of the medicinal decoction, there has been no improvement. I have also had people go to the temple to seek talismans, but she still looks listless."

"Then what else can be done?" Zhengze lowered his sleeves and glanced toward the inner room. Recalling the events of that day, his lingering anger flared, and he said: "Mother, you probably won't like what I have to say. My sister and I share the same mother, and there is no one who wishes for her well-being more than I do, but sometimes her conduct is indeed too lacking in restraint. Take this time, for instance—wasn't it something she brought upon herself? To wear a man's item in public—what would others think? This was a private banquet at the Shen residence. If there had been outsiders present and word had spread, would she still be able to face people? Would anyone be willing to marry her? Lowering her own station and letting herself be looked down upon—who can she blame? She is not the only girl in this family. The eldest sister is older than them, so we won't speak of her, but the third and fourth sisters are both younger, yet did any of them get into such trouble? To be shot at like a deer—I feel ashamed just thinking about it..." As he spoke, he turned his head away in annoyance. "In any case, when she recovers, Mother should urge her to cultivate her character and mind the dignity of a young lady from a prominent family; that is what's truly important."

Lady Hu knew full well the explosive temper Qingru possessed. She was already distressed because of it, and Zhengze’s lecture only gave her a headache.

"With her in this state, you still come here to nag? I called you here to discuss how to solve this urgent problem, and you, for your part, bring a whole cartload of bricks and stones to throw."

Inside the room, Qiu heard that the tone between mother and son was not good, so she moved out from the inner chamber and stood beside her husband.

Zhengze let out a heavy sigh: "With things having reached this point, I am not a physician; what could I possibly do?"

Lady Hu said: "There is an old saying: wherever a person’s three souls and seven spirits were frightened away, that is where they must be retrieved. Your sister was terrified by Shen Run; I thought of a plan: get a scrap of cloth or a thread from him, burn it, and make your sister drink the ash. She would naturally recover."

Qiu was startled and looked at Zhengze in astonishment. Fortunately, Zhengze remained clear-headed. He frowned and said: "Mother, how could you think of such a method? That Shen Run is not Li Congxin; you know full well what the Palace Guard is capable of. Just this one scrap of cloth or a thread—if things go wrong, it could spark a witchcraft case. If we get tangled up in something like that, I fear thirty wine jars wouldn't be enough to hold our heads after the execution."

Lady Hu froze, sitting there in a daze. After a long while, she stroked her forehead and said: "I am truly confused, losing my composure because of this matter. You are right; keeping this strictly contained is the best policy. If word gets out, it will only invite ridicule." She paused and asked: "What did the Young Marquis say? Did you notice any clues?"

Zhengze said: "Don't even mention him. I am so humiliated I could die. He saw Qingru wearing that pendant and actually asked me, 'Is your sister spoken for?' I wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. In my opinion, since his heart belongs elsewhere, why does Qingru still insist on clinging to him? There are plenty of good men in the world; why must she fixate on him alone?"

Upon hearing this, the piece that had been bothering Lady Hu finally fell into place. Qingyuan was waiting right here! She had provided the Young Marquis with ammunition so that even if someone acted as a matchmaker, he could politely decline in a dignified manner. It was just that things were too coincidental. If it wasn't something Qingyuan had pre-arranged with Li Congxin, then only one possibility remained: the Fourth Girl had intentionally gotten a man’s jade pendant to fool Qingru into wearing it, leading Li Congxin into a misunderstanding and completely severing Qingru’s hopes of entering the Danyang Marquis mansion.

Thinking this was truly startling. For all her youth, the Fourth Girl’s methods for seizing a man were far more cunning than her mother’s ever were. Back when Concubine Xia entered the household, Jin Chunqing was completely left out in the cold, sidelined for days or even a month at a time without seeing the Master. Now that she had birthed such a daughter, all her past deficits had been fully compensated. It was truly someone to look at with fresh eyes.

Having cleared up the inner logic, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath: "It seems that pendant might not be the Young Marquis's after all. You go and see him tomorrow; don't let people look down on your sister behind her back."

Zhengze said: "Whether it is his or not, the matter has already occurred. What is the use of speaking of it now?"

Lady Hu frowned: "It is still better than letting him continue to misunderstand your sister."

Zhengze wanted to refute her, but noticed Qiu tugging on his sleeve. He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, offered a few perfunctory remarks, and then bid Lady Hu farewell.

By this time, the evening glow had filled the sky. Intense, fiery clouds were layered overhead, bathing everyone’s faces in a reddish light.

As Zhengze and Qiu walked back, he asked halfway why she hadn't let him finish his words. Qiu said: "Do you not know how much the Madam protects the Second Sister? If you had said more just now, it would only prove you, the brother, are unloving toward your kin, watching coldly as your sister falls into misfortune. In my opinion, the Second Sister being the way she is today is a result of the Madam’s spoiling. Out of all the sisters in the household, she is the only one who gets whatever she wants; even the Old Madam indulges her unconditionally, as if the whole family’s future prosperity depends on the prestige of this legitimate daughter. To tell the truth, not to mention the Fourth Sister teasing her, even I have no respect for her—and she is my own sister-in-law!"

Zhengze could only shake his head: "It’s a hopeless situation. I don't know how the children in this family were raised to be so spoiled."

Qiu smiled: "Isn't it because she was born to the Madam! My meaning is this: just agree with the Madam for now, but whatever you do, do not go and talk to the Young Marquis. You will only lower your own standing alongside hers. Not having this marriage is better than having it. The Second Girl has high aspirations; why is she so envious of a noble house? Under the Emperor's feet, if one has the ability to enter the palace and become an Imperial Concubine, that would be true glory, and you, as her brother, could also share in the honor."

Zhengze fell silent, finding his young wife's words quite reasonable. He truly did not want to take the lead in this. What would he say when he saw the man? Should he say, "My sister mistook someone else's item for yours"? Bah, that would be even more humiliating! So, it was better to cover it up, keeping it neither black nor white. Whoever the Second Girl marries is just a marriage; why must she try to cling to the Danyang Marquis mansion?

On the other side, Lady Hu was gritting her teeth in hatred. She could no longer count the beads in her hand and slammed them onto the kang table, pacing back and forth on the floor.

Sun Mama accompanied her, following step for step: "What is the Madam’s plan now?"

What plan? Lady Hu stared at the glass lamp on the table. The candlelight inside the shade burned quietly. People were just like this lamp; those with a shield didn't fear the wind, while those without would be extinguished by a single puff of air.

"The Fourth Girl cannot stay anymore," she said in a cold voice. "It is best to think of a way to get rid of her."

Sun Mama hesitated: "I fear the Old Madam will not agree. Back when the household was in turmoil, the Old Madam went to great lengths to bring her back from the Chen family. Not long ago, when the Master encountered a crisis, it was she who navigated and negotiated to reach the Commander’s mansion. The Old Madam is counting on her to protect the household; she wouldn't be willing to let her go."

Lady Hu scoffed: "When have we ever consulted the Old Madam on crucial matters? She is getting on in years and sits in the bottom of a well all day—what does she know of the outside world!"

Sun Mama was Lady Hu’s confidante, the most trusted among all her maidservants. The closer one was to the master, the more sharp-witted one had to be. Perceiving the Madam’s ruthlessness, she nodded: "A one-time solution would indeed be best."

Having settled on a plan, they no longer acted in a rush. Lady Hu picked up her prayer beads once more, fingering them one by one, while adopting an air of helpless resignation: "I am not someone who cannot tolerate others. If she were content with her lot, would this large family estate be lacking a bowl of rice for her? But she insists on making waves and inciting unrest in the household. Those in Hanxiang Hall and Liuhua Courtyard only care about watching the fun, and even the Eldest Girl is on her side. If this continues, won't I, the legitimate Madam, be suppressed by them? The Old Madam counts on her to settle the household, but I think the more she settles it, the less peace there is. Previously, there was a taboo about ghosts in the Danyue Pavilion at Hengtang; now that we have moved to Youzhou, Jin Chunqing’s ghost shouldn't be allowed to follow. It is better to dispose of the person early, and everyone will be at peace."

Therefore, the next day, after the morning greetings and just as the sisters were about to leave, Lady Hu called out to the Fourth Girl: "You stay behind. I will report the matter we spoke of the other day to Grandmother on your behalf."

Qingyuan had no choice but to stand still, standing quietly to the side. The Old Madam, not knowing what they were discussing, leaned on her pillow and asked: "What is the Madam reporting for the Fourth Girl?"

Lady Hu looked at Qingyuan with affection and said to the Old Madam: "The death anniversary of her birth mother is approaching. The Fourth Girl is normally a filial child. It is a pity that her mother’s spirit tablet cannot be placed in the ancestral hall. If she wishes to pay her respects, it would be extremely inconvenient. I have thought that since Biyan Temple is our family temple, the Bodhisattva can tolerate anything, so it might be better to let her set up a spirit tablet there to chant scriptures for her mother’s soul. So many years have passed; although the sins of the dead are deep, we should consider the Fourth Girl’s feelings. I know she carries this in her heart, but she was afraid to bring it up to you, fearing you would be displeased. Since she calls me 'Mother,' I must look after her, so I have come to report this to you and ask for your decision."

The Old Madam pondered for a moment before saying: "It was a mother-daughter bond after all. It is good that the Fourth Girl has this intent; preventing someone from fulfilling their filial duty is not the way of human relationships." She looked at Qingyuan: "Since that is so, you go. Prepare some incense and paper offerings, and hire two monks with real practice to chant scriptures for your mother for seven days to help her wash away her sins."

Qingyuan felt disgusted by their constant talk of "sins," but she could not show her disdain to their faces, so she bowed: "Thank you, Grandmother." She then bowed to Lady Hu: "Thank you, Madam."

Lady Hu’s upright and delicate face seemed quite composed when she wasn't being malicious. With a kind and benevolent look, she said to Qingyuan: "If you start making arrangements today, it will be exactly seven days by your mother’s anniversary. Since it must be done for seven days, running back and forth between the home and the temple will be too exhausting."

Qingyuan understood her meaning; she wanted her to stay at the temple. Although Biyan Temple was the Xie family temple, the nuns inside were, after all, mortals; human hearts were biased. Even close relatives in one's own family could not be trusted, so one naturally had to be even more on guard against outsiders.

"I know Biyan Temple; it is not too far from home. Now that the days are long, leaving early in the morning to make the journey is quite refreshing," Qingyuan smiled. "If I were to live at the temple, though it would save on travel, it is, after all, inconvenient for a young lady like me to spend the night away from home. It is better to go back and forth morning and evening."

On this point, Qingyuan’s steadiness never disappointed. If she had truly relented and intended to stay outside, the Old Madam would have been displeased instead. A young lady’s reputation was of the utmost importance; if there were the slightest mishap, it would bring shame upon the entire family.

"Since that is how you think, then we shall do as you wish. It will be a bit tiresome for seven days, but it is for your mother, after all."

Qingyuan responded in the affirmative and withdrew from Huifang Garden.

Baoxian felt relieved: "I was just worried that the Madam would insist on having the young lady live at the temple. With a young lady outside, even the slightest rumor would be impossible to explain, no matter how many mouths one had."

Qingyuan only smiled. She remained silent all the way from Huifang Garden to Danyue Pavilion. Once she entered the room and sat alone for a long while, she ordered Chuntai to call Mama Tao in.

"The Madam showing such 'kindness' this time actually makes me feel quite anxious," she said, weighing her words. "A place of Buddhism is naturally pure, but I am worried about the journey back and forth—who knows what kind of wind will blow. I have a few people waiting for my orders in Youzhou city. Mama, go pass the word for me: have them provide a distant escort for these next few days; that will put my mind at ease."

Mama Tao agreed: "When I heard the Madam wanted to send the young lady to Biyan Temple, my heart was already hanging in suspense. I was intending to ask you whether you wanted me to have my son find a few people for protection. Since the young lady already has her own people, that is even more appropriate."

Baoxian was greatly surprised: "I never knew the young lady had her own people in Youzhou city."

Qingyuan smiled: "My grandfather arranged them for me. I originally thought I wouldn't need them, but unexpectedly, this time they have helped me out of a bind." The smile faded from the corners of her lips, and she remained silent for a moment before saying: "If the Madam truly uses low-down tactics, I cannot sit idly by and wait for death. I want to see how the Xie family intends to handle it once the matter blows up."

Baoxian and Chuntai were both girls from the inner chambers and couldn't help but feel nervous: "Young lady, you must be careful; you must never put yourself in danger."

Qingyuan slowly nodded. Putting herself in danger was out of the question; it was just that to retaliate, she had to use her brain a bit more. She was prepared; this time, she could not avoid putting on a grand performance. Even if the Old Madam had the intention to suppress it, she wouldn't be able to. It was impossible to count on the Xie family to "cut off the limb to save the life," but it would be effortless to ruin Lady Hu’s reputation among the nobility of Youzhou. Those high-ranking officials and nobles valued nothing more than their reputations. Once a reputation was gone, one could not take a single step forward, and that would be more agonizing than taking her life.