Spring of the Blade - Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Fangchun was now five months pregnant. To suffer a fall at such a time was truly the greatest possible calamity.

Qingyuan was pacing back and forth in a flurry of anxiety. Being a young maiden who had never experienced such things, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to think of everything, so she begged her grandmother to accompany her to the Shen mansion. The carriage sped toward the residence; fortunately, it wasn't far, and they arrived in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

The matron at the gate had been waiting; seeing the carriage arrive, she immediately stepped up to greet them, paying her respects to Old Madam Chen and offering blessings to Qingyuan. She said, "Young Lady, please go and take a look at our Mistress... she is bleeding, and I fear the situation is grave."

Qingyuan hurriedly supported the Old Madam as they made their way to the West Garden. Upon entering the courtyard gate, she saw a neat row of lanterns hanging from the eaves of the main room. Within the ribbons of light, silhouettes were moving back and forth—people carrying basins, others lifting hot water, colliding in the confusion.

Fangchun’s cries and screams seemed doubly desolate in the dark of night. For a moment, Qingyuan was truly afraid; she looked back at Old Madam Chen, "Grandmother..."

Old Madam Chen patted her hand, "Do not panic." As she spoke, she led her forward, following the servant into the main room.

A heavy, thick scent of blood permeated the room. Basin after basin of bloody water was carried out, enough to make one feel dizzy. Qingyuan knew things were not looking good and rushed over to see Fangchun. Fangchun’s face was covered in sweat, her large eyes brimming with tears. Seeing Qingyuan, she sobbed, "Qingyuan..."

Qingyuan quickly reached out to grasp her hand, "Don't be afraid... don't be afraid... the doctor is here." She looked back at the Old Madam, who was inquiring about the situation with the physician. The physician remained silent, only shaking his head. Her heart instantly went cold—at this rate of blood loss, let alone the child, it would be fortunate if Fangchun herself survived.

Qingyuan was also terrified. On one hand, she was busy wiping sweat from Fangchun’s face, and on the other, she was gently soothing her, "For now, don't think of anything. Don't cry either; you must save your strength." She then asked those nearby, "Has a boy been sent to Shangjing to deliver the news? It is urgent to have the Second Master return."

Unexpectedly, it was Haoxue who replied. Clutching her handkerchief, she said, "The moment Sister Fangchun fell, someone was already sent. I expect the Commander will be back before long."

Qingyuan murmured an acknowledgment. Although she felt puzzled by the omnipresence of this young lady from a noble family, she was too anxious and pressed for time to investigate further.

Fangchun’s pain did not seem to diminish with the passage of time; rather, it grew increasingly severe. At first, she was still aware enough to cry and moan, but later she collapsed into a faint. Everyone in the room was flustered and panicked. Qingyuan was so worried she was crying, but the Old Madam pulled her aside, allowing the doctor to take the pulse and administer acupuncture. After a long ordeal, though the patient regained consciousness, the child was lost.

It was a boy, five months developed, with all his limbs complete. He was wrapped in white cloth and brought out, a sight that truly made one's heart ache.

The servant asked, "Young Lady, how should we dispose of this?"

Qingyuan also felt troubled. She pondered for a moment and said, "The Second Master should be home soon. Let him see before we decide."

Just as she finished speaking, she heard Haoxue sobbing beside Fangchun, whispering, "Sister, don't be sad. It is just that we lack the fortune to keep him."

Fangchun stared with vacant eyes and asked, "Was it a boy or a girl?"

Haoxue wept even harder, "It was a boy..."

The Old Madam, standing to the side, frowned, though she didn't want to speak too harshly. She said gently, "Young lady, do not lead her to tears. A child only 'takes root' after three years; if they come and go, it is because the fate was insufficient. Do not be too brokenhearted. The Second Mistress is young and can have more children in the future. The priority now is to care for your body; one must not cry during the 'small confinement,' as crying will ruin your eyes and you will regret it beyond repair."

Things were fine, and suddenly such a tragedy occurred; the household was in complete disarray. There were even old matrons who, amidst the chaos, were neglecting their duties and standing in the courtyard whispering to one another. Qingyuan watched with cold eyes; it was truly unseemly. With the Old Madam holding things down inside, she had the manager of the West Garden summoned. Standing under the eaves, she raised her voice, "The affairs of the West Mansion are not my place to govern, but since your mistress is indisposed and we are all part of the same household, I must act on her behalf. Now that night has fallen, lock the courtyard gates as appropriate. Those in the main room should stay to coordinate, while those who are not should return to their respective duties; keeping the residence secure is the first priority. When the Second Master returns, what will it look like if there isn't even someone to welcome him? Mother Yang, keep an eye on them for me. Anyone who refuses to follow orders or goes around spreading gossip, write it down and report it to Mother Zhou. We will settle all accounts after the fact."

Once the future First Mistress had spoken, no one dared to disobey. Mother Yang quickly signaled to the others, "What are you standing there for? Disperse at once!"

Everyone hurriedly assented and retreated from the main courtyard like a receding tide. By this time, it had started to rain; the dense rainfall made the banana leaves in the courtyard bow their heads. Qingyuan couldn't help but sigh. Fangchun and Shen Che had been married for two years and had been looking forward to this child; to have finally reached five months only to lose it—it was hard to believe they would be willing to accept this!

However, everything had been fine; how could she have just fallen for no reason? She summoned the servants who attended to Fangchun to ask questions. A maid named Jiying wiped her tears and said, "Replying to the Young Lady, ever since our Mistress became pregnant, we have been cautious in every detail. We even replaced all the table corners with rounded ones for fear of bumps or bruises. But today, it was a coincidence; our Mistress had a sore in her mouth and was reluctant to take medicine, so she cut a piece of 'elephant gall leaf' and dug out the flesh inside to hold in her mouth, saying it would clear the internal heat. Later, I don't know how, but the leftover skin fell to the floor. Our Mistress didn't see it, stepped on it, and then..." As she spoke, she wailed, "It is all our fault. If we had been more careful, this would not have happened. Young Lady, please punish us severely. We failed to serve the Mistress well and betrayed the Second Master's trust."

The sound of this crying gave Qingyuan a headache. She frowned and said, "Silence. Your mistress is weak right now. Do you think she feels better with all this wailing and commotion?" After she finished, she looked back, "When did Miss Haoxue arrive?"

Jiying replied, "Replying to the Young Lady, Miss Yao the Ninth has been here all day, keeping our Mistress company and cheering her up."

Hearing the ranking, Qingyuan thought to herself, "Goodness, the Yao family truly has a robust population to reach the ninth daughter." The more daughters a family has, the less attention the youngest ones receive; no wonder she was allowed to linger at other people's houses all day.

"Then, when your mistress fell, Miss Yao the Ninth must have been there. Did she not see that piece of elephant gall skin either?"

Jiying hesitated for a moment and slowly shook her head, "Something that small, falling on a wooden floor, is truly hard to distinguish without looking closely."

Qingyuan fell silent and said nothing for a long time. Just as she was about to turn away, she saw Shen Che enter from outside. Because he had been rushing through the rain, his entire body was soaked. He wiped the raindrops from his face as he walked. He came up to her and called out "Young Lady," "It is so late, yet I have troubled you to make this trip..."

This was the strict decorum of the Shen household. Fangchun could still joke and call her "First Sister-in-law," but before the official marriage ceremony, Shen Che would never make a lady feel embarrassed. Qingyuan nodded, "The Commander is too polite. We live close by, so it was no effort to come over. The child..."

Shen Che’s expression was one of deep sorrow, with tears even faintly visible in his eyes. He raised a hand, signaling that she needn't say anything, "I have already seen."

Qingyuan rarely saw a grown man look so miserable. She couldn't bear to look, sighed, and said, "Go inside and check on her. Furthermore, this matter... it would be best to investigate it carefully."

Shen Che nodded and walked quickly into the room.

Fangchun had been drifting in and out of sleep, but hearing her husband call her, she forced her eyes open. Upon recognizing him, she clung to his neck and wept bitterly, "Chengbing... I have failed you..."

The two of them truly looked like a couple sharing adversity. Shen Che held her tightly, soothing her constantly, "It doesn't matter. Losing this one means he didn't have the fortune to be born into our home. Once you have recovered your strength, we can conceive again—perhaps a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. By then, I fear you will be too busy to handle it."

In Fangchun's current situation, no one but her closest person could comfort her. Shen Che continued with gentle, warm words, completely unlike the decisive, thunderous warrior she knew, his heart filled entirely with pity for his wife. Qingyuan felt a pang of sorrow; the people in the room had mostly finished cleaning up, and seeing this scene, they retreated one after another. Haoxue looked back with every step, walking even slower than the others, wondering if she was looking at Fangchun or at Shen Che.

Qingyuan called out, "Miss Haoxue. It is hard on you to be busy until so late. If you don't go back now, I fear your family will be displeased. I will send someone to escort you. You needn't worry about Sister Fangchun; now that the Commander has returned, no one knows better than he how to comfort her."

Haoxue replied, "I never expected such a thing to happen."

Qingyuan didn't say more and had someone sent over to escort her out of the West Mansion.

Once everything was properly packed and settled, Qingyuan returned to her mansion with her grandmother. On the way, the Old Madam lamented, "What a pity. If it had been two months later, the child could have been raised. Seeing that little person, it was truly pitiful."

This change had come too quickly; in the blink of an eye, life and death were decided. It was a shame that the Shen family had waited so long for this child, only to have it end in an empty dream—it was truly heartbreaking.

The Old Madam patted her hand again, "I originally said that the Commander's wife might be one step ahead of you, so your burden would be lighter. But with things like this, it seems the whole family is counting on you now."

Qingyuan felt a bit embarrassed, "One cannot rush these things. Besides, even after we are married, it is not as if our goal is only to have children."

The Old Madam laughed, "You may not be in a hurry, but I fear the Commander will be. Their lineage has too few descendants, and both brothers are the type who do not take concubines... I was telling your grandfather at home that the late Master and Madam Shen must have had excellent upbringing to raise such two children. However, having a pedigree and character that are too good doesn't necessarily mean they won't attract covetous eyes." The Old Madam paused and said, "That young lady at the Second Mistress's bedside today, which branch of the Shen family is she from?"

Qingyuan replied, "She is not a relative of the Shen family; she is from Fangchun's maternal family. Her father serves as the Assistant Magistrate of Xuanzhou, and they just moved their whole family to Youzhou."

The Old Madam said, "No wonder she acts and speaks with such impropriety; so she is a relative from the maternal side. But at this hour, for a young lady to be here without an elder to accompany her, why would she run to someone else's mansion?"

This was something Qingyuan couldn't fathom either. According to etiquette, no matter how close they were, it shouldn't reach this point, especially since Fangchun had married into another family. This was only because the Shen family lacked a mother-in-law to hold the fort; if there were one, would she still be able to come and go without any inhibition?

She shared the details she had gathered with the Old Madam, "She has been at the Shen mansion this entire time, saying she is keeping Fangchun company to relieve her boredom. I asked the young maidservants, and it is said that Fangchun fell because she stepped on the skin of the elephant gall. Grandmother, do you think it is all too much of a coincidence?"

Old Madam Chen pondered for a moment and nodded slowly, "Whether it is an act of God or human disaster is hard to say. You cannot go and advise her; they are 'their own people,' and if things go poorly, they might blame you. You only need to manage your own household well and don't give that girl a chance to get close. Remember, getting close to you means getting close to your husband. Do not be afraid of being seen as 'small-minded'; in such matters, prevention is better than cure. Previously, only the second brother was married, so they didn't divide the household, but if the time is ripe in the future, it is better to divide the residences. That will save you much trouble."

Qingyuan knew the Old Madam had her best interests at heart, but since only the two brothers were left in the Shen family, dividing the household as soon as they were married felt truly devoid of human sentiment. Therefore, she merely nodded and agreed, not taking it fully to heart.

The next day, she sent someone to the Commander's mansion to inquire, and hearing that Shen Che was still there, she did not go to visit Fangchun. By the third day, hearing that Shen Che had returned to Shangjing early in the morning, Qingyuan ordered the carriage and went over.

Walking from the long corridor to the west, she walked and asked Mother Zhou, "Is Miss Haoxue here today?"

Mother Zhou replied, "She is here. Not just today; she was here yesterday as well."

Qingyuan stopped in her tracks, "Wasn't the Commander in the mansion yesterday?"

Mother Zhou gave a bitter, awkward laugh, "Yes, he was." But she couldn't help that the girl insisted on coming; since she was already at the gate, it wouldn't be proper to drive her away.

Qingyuan sighed deeply. This was truly improper. An unmarried girl, wedged between a husband and wife—what was the meaning of this!

So, when she went in, she kept her guard up and didn't have anyone announce her arrival. When she reached the outer room, she heard whispering inside. Haoxue said, "If it were me, no matter how urgent the matter was, I would put it aside. For a sister to lose her child is a life-and-death matter, yet he only stayed for a day before walking away just like that. Seeing this, I feel it is not worth it for you, sister. When he went to Yunzhong to ask for your hand, you threw away your family and business without a word to follow him to Youzhou. Since he knows you are here all alone, he should have been even more considerate. Never mind the small things, but now that such a major event has occurred, he just leaves as he pleases. If your father knew, I wonder how much his heart would ache for you."

Fangchun naturally tried to make excuses for her husband, saying in a faint, weak voice, "The Palace Commandery is such a massive office, with duties numbering in the thousands. He was away for two days; I don't know how many tasks must have piled up..."

"No matter how much official business there is, it is not as important as you, sister. You truly have a good temperament. Outsiders only say you live a glorious life, not knowing how bitter it is on the inside..."

Qingyuan could not bear to listen any longer. At this moment, her earlier suspicions were truly confirmed; this girl was not aiming for their marital harmony. Fangchun was at her most vulnerable, and now, instead of comforting her, she was constantly adding to her distress. Thinking about it carefully, this was truly malicious.

She walked into the inner room and said calmly, "Miss Haoxue, you may not know about the duties of the Palace Commandery, but you should at least understand the principle that in officialdom, one must either advance or retreat. They report directly to the Sage, unlike other officials who have every fifth day off. As long as the Sage gives an order, whether one is eating or sleeping, one must rise and leave. This is an imperial mandate, not a child's game. There are many servants to attend to things in this mansion. Furthermore, the Commander entrusted me with this—regardless of what Sister Fangchun needs, whether it is ordering the servants or sending word to me, it is all the same; the Commander need not guard her every day. I also know that Sister has suffered a great ordeal and feels at ease only with her husband by her side. I expect that once the Commander returns to the office, he will apply for leave again. Sister, you might as well wait for him for two days." She sat down at Fangchun’s bedside, soothing her with soft words, "When the Commander came to request the wedding date, he left for Shangjing without a second word. I saw that his palms were covered in calluses, so he must have urgent cases in the office that need to be processed immediately. Once this period of busyness is over, they will all return. During this time, I will come more often to keep you company. If you have anything on your mind, feel free to tell me."

Fangchun agreed with her lips, but her face remained troubled. The loss of this child was too great a blow; no matter how she was comforted, she remained listless.

People always have times when they get stuck in a rut. It is as if they have been fed a hypnotic potion—they cannot hear good words, yet every bad word is taken to heart. Haoxue felt embarrassed by Qingyuan’s rebuttal, and Fangchun, terrified that she would be unable to step down, had to mediate between the two, saying, "You don't need to worry about me. You are busy preparing for your own wedding, so how could I have the heart to trouble you? In any case, I have Haoxue here; having her to keep me company is enough. You should focus on your own affairs. It is I, who should have been helping, who is now lying in bed unable to move."

Qingyuan heard the rejection in her words—she still trusted her maternal family more. Haoxue was clearly driving a wedge, and yet Fangchun didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Seeing this, Qingyuan could only let it be. After all, it was someone else's domestic affair, and as she hadn't officially married in yet, it was inconvenient to interfere too much.

Walking out of the West Garden, Qingyuan walked slowly along the wooden corridor. It was already autumn, and there was a chill in the wind.

Mother Zhou followed closely behind, "Young Lady, would you like to take a look at our own mansion? Someone from Shangjing brought the Master a large red sandalwood folding screen as a tribute; it was just delivered."

Qingyuan said there was no need, only whispering quietly, "Mother, please keep a close eye on the West Mansion for me. The Second Mistress is in poor health and is easily swayed; don't let those with ulterior motives agitate her, or it will end up disrupting the peace of the household."

Mother Zhou understood immediately, "Yes, I understand what you mean. That Miss Haoxue does come too frequently, and it is not proper for us servants to say much. Now that you have given the order, we will naturally keep a close watch. Please rest assured, Young Lady.”