Complex Affairs of a Noble Family

When Rong Lian finally returned to the Prime Minister Manor, it was well into the afternoon. That overbearing cousin of hers hadn't let her leave until they'd gossiped to their hearts' content over lunch prepared by the capital's most talented chefs.

Five steps through the manor's main doors, however, and she was already stopped by Qian-mama¹, who served at her grandmother's side. Apparently, the Old Madam was waiting for her at Serene Courtyard.

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¹-mama (嬤嬤): A form of address for an elderly servant woman.

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Rong Lian wanted to grimace as she followed the elderly servant, her maids right behind her. Nothing good could be waiting for her there.

Just what could her dear stepmother be planning now?

She rolled her shoulders back and took even longer strides. Whatever it was, Rong Xuan was safe at the academy for the moment. She could handle this.

After passing a few elegant buildings and meticulously trimmed gardens, they arrived at the receiving hall of Serene Courtyard. Two servant girls thoughtfully opened the doors at their approach but unlike other times, they didn't greet Rong Lian and only bowed their heads.

Her smile didn't falter as she stepped inside. It seemed her grandmother, who usually stayed out of the household affairs unless necessary, wasn't pleased with her.

This only made her more eager to see what else her dear stepmother had in store.

The inside of the hall was simple yet elegant, decorated in soft tones of blue and pearl white. A few famous paintings were displayed and the rest of the furnishings were made out of high-quality rosewood.

In the middle, an old woman sat in the master's seat, her grey hair held back in a neat bun. She was listening to the conversation of her two daughters-in-law and her only other granddaughter, the third young miss. But as soon as Rong Lian entered, her cool gaze had locked onto her.

"Old Madam, Eldest Miss is back," Qian-mama announced, moving to stand behind her mistress.

Rong Lian stepped forward and gave a graceful bow. "Greetings to Grandmother, Mother, and Second Aunt. Lian'er hopes Grandmother has been well." She straightened and turned to give a gentle smile to her cousin. "Third Younger Sister, it's nice to see you."

Her cousin, Rong Xia, stood up to greet her with a smile of her own. "Likewise, Eldest Sister. Only..." her eyes gleamed, "what has Eldest Sister been doing out all day?"

"Especially with such horrible rumors about you going around!" cried out Madam Hua, her stepmother, while dabbing a silk handkerchief to her red eyes. One of her hands was placed over her growing belly, as if to remind the world she was pregnant.

Rong Lian's brows creased for a moment. Strange...should her stepmother be showing that much?

Her attention was soon diverted, as from the side, the Second Madam patted Madam Hua's other hand. "Now, now, Eldest Sister-in-law. It's best you don't get too emotional, remember the baby."

"But," Madam Hua sniffled, "those rumors...they could cause Lian'er to be ruined!"

The Second Madam's reassuring smile froze but she still attempted to comfort the silently crying Madam Hua. Throughout all of this, the Old Madam stared at her with an expressionless gaze, but Rong Lian could see the disappointment hidden in its depths.

She wanted to laugh. Of course, her stepmother would take advantage of her pregnancy to manipulate the rest. Even her lofty grandmother had been taken in by her!

There were no hurt feelings in her heart, however. She had learned her lesson a long time ago --- only Rong Xuan was her true family in this large, cold-blooded manor.

Suddenly, the Old Madam thumped her cane against the wooden floor. They all fell silent.

In a voice that was neither cold nor warm, her grandmother simply asked, "What do you have to say for yourself, eldest girl?"

Rong Lian smiled. At least she could always count on her grandmother allowing her to speak for herself.

"Answering Grandmother," she said in a clear voice, filled with conviction, "Lian'er doesn't agree with Mother's words."

Madam Hua began to tear up once again, her shuddering sobs muffled by her handkerchief.

The Second Madam panicked at this before reprimanding in a loud voice, "How can you cause such distress to your mother, Lian'er? It's not enough you played outside the whole day while the entire capital is talking about you, now you dare go against your mother!"

"Eldest Sister," Rong Xia spoke up as well, voice full of concern, "you might not know yet but...outside, people have been calling you an abandoned woman, shameless for hanging onto His Highness Prince Jing." She shook her head. "Of course, this younger sister doesn't believe such things but it's true these rumors could ruin you!"

The Old Madam remained silent, clearly waiting to see how she would defend herself.

Yet Rong Lian was still smiling, not shaken at all by their theatrics.

"Second Aunt and Third Younger Sister's words are rather amusing. It's true people are talking about the return banquet, that's normal. But even when my easily identifiable carriage was on the streets, never once did I hear the words 'shameless' or 'abandoned woman' thrown about."

She sighed. "Rather, it's poor Eldest Miss Mu who is being disparaged, despite her valiant efforts in aiding His Highness. Maybe Second Aunt and Third Younger Sister got confused?"

The mother and daughter pair looked at each other, speechless. It'd been Madam Hua's personal servant that told them about such rumors. Otherwise, in such little time since the return banquet, where would they have the chance to hear about these things?

At the side, Madam Hua was sitting there frozen in disbelief, while the Old Madam remained as impassive as ever except for the deep crease between her brows.

But Rong Lian didn't give any of them time to react, her face darkening in the blink of an eye.

"What I can't understand is how Second Aunt and Third Younger Sister could mention these things to Mother in her delicate state! Even if you were sure the rumors were about me, you should've talked to me first!" Rong Lian looked at her stepmother next with softer eyes. "Mother, I'm really sorry for worrying you, but I promise none of the rumors talk badly about me."

Which was actually the truth. Originally, after fainting and having her engagement broken for another woman, she was supposed to become the new laughingstock of the capital. Even her status as the prime minister's only legitimate daughter and the empress's favored niece weren't enough to save her from humiliation.

But now?

All the rumors still compared her to the startlingly beautiful Mu Lingxue. But instead of making fun of her, people sympathized and talked about how virtuous and talented she was. While the female lead was cursed for being a seductive fox, her brilliant medical skills almost forgotten in favor of juicier gossip.

Madam Hua wiped away her tears with a smile. "Lian'er...I'm sorry for not believing in you." She let out a laugh and looked down at her pregnant belly. "It seems I can't control my emotions these days."

"And these two took advantage of that," the Old Madam scoffed while sweeping a severe look over the offenders. "As punishment, the Second Madam and Third Miss will not be allowed out of their chambers for a whole month."

"What!" Rong Xia burst out, looking around her with pleading eyes.

When her gaze locked on Madam Hua, it seemed like she'd found her savior. She rushed to kneel down in front of her.

"Eldest Aunt, it's actually all my fault, I heard a few servants talking and got so worried I convinced my mother to tell you before we investigated. We really didn't mean to cause you or Eldest Sister any harm!"

The Old Madam banged her cane, shouting: "Third girl, behave yourself!"

But Rong Xia refused to move, staring up at her Eldest Aunt with tears glimmering on her lashes.

Rong Lian watched on with a cold smile. She knew her stepmother was behind all of this, and had the sneaking suspicion that even Rong Xia's begging was a part of her plan.

As expected, Madam Hua only let out a heavy sigh before helping Rong Xia up. She looked at the furious Old Madam with a generous smile.

"Mother, Xia'er is still young and prone to making mistakes. Besides," Madam Hua shot Rong Lian a worried glance, "I was hoping for Xia'er to accompany Lian'er to Her Majesty's upcoming tea party, since I won't be able to go with her once again."

Silence reigned in the hall as they all waited for the Old Madam's decision.

But Rong Lian knew what her grandmother would decide. Not only must she already be exhausted from all this commotion, her stepmother had finally gotten pregnant after so many years. It was imperative to not cause her any undue distress.

She lowered her head, hiding the sneer curling her lips. So this was her stepmother's goal all along.

"Do as you please," the Old Madam finally said, using Qian-mama's hand to rise. Without another glance at any of them, the matriarch left the hall.

After a few moments passed, a sweet voice chirped: "Thank you, Eldest Aunt!"

Rong Xia was beaming now, no trace of her earlier tears to be found. She even took one of Rong Lian's hands and gave a comforting squeeze.

"I also need to apologize to Eldest Sister, it was my fault all of this happened."

Rong Lian wanted to tear her hand away, but forced herself to smile as gently as possible. "It's all right, Third Younger Sister. You were only worried for me, after all."

Second Madam came near as well, her smile slightly forced. "I must also apologize, Lian'er, letting myself believe such ridiculous things."

She was about to refute again, when Madam Hua laughed heartily and linked arms with the Second Madam.

"That's all done with, Second Sister-in-law. What we must focus on now is preparing Lian'er and Xia'er on their outing to the palace."

Second Madam nodded and was soon swept into a conversation about appropriate dresses and palace etiquette. Rong Xia followed them out, almost bouncing with excitement.

As for Rong Lian, she exited the hall at a much slower pace, with her maids joining her at the door. Once they were out of Serene Courtyard, she directed them towards her own residence --- Magnolia Courtyard.

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An hour and a half later, after taking a long, relaxing bath, Rong Lian was at her desk with the files of her marriage candidates spread out in front of her.

She had divided the files into three piles.

The largest was obviously the rejected candidates. It was made up of young masters from families that didn't have enough power to suppress her stepmother, or had an unforgivable flaw like too many concubines and tongfang².

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²tongfang (通房): lit. "passing through the room"; the lowest rank in concubine. Usually of low birth, likely former servants.

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Meanwhile, the medium-sized pile contained all the possible candidates. All young masters of influential families or heirs to noble titles, with actual ability to back them up --- meaning, she wouldn't have a useless, dandy husband.

And finally...the last pile, as well as the smallest.

This one included all the lesser male leads, except for Sheng Ye, who wasn't originally from Xiyue.

She ran her eyes over the familiar names. Each of these lesser male leads was great husband material, even that scheming villain Long Yihan. The problem was, other than, again, Sheng Ye, she had no idea if they would follow the plot or not.

And it'd be a waste of her time trying to attract one of them if, like before, the plot found new ways to continue --- having them fall in love with the female lead despite her interference.

Rong Lian sighed, rubbing her aching temples. Today had been much too hectic.

"Young miss, why don't you take a break?" Huixin said with a slight smile, setting down a platter with her favorite snacks.

Yiyue also appeared behind her while placing gentle hands on her back. "And this servant can give the young miss a massage." A light snort. "After such a warm welcome, the young miss definitely deserves it."

Rong Lian laughed, slapping away Yiyue's hands. "I wouldn't want a massage from you unless I want my bones to be broken. But," she smiled up at Huixin, "I will be taking one of these."

As she chewed on her cookie, Yiyue whined about favorites while Huixin shot her down with one of her calm yet scalding retorts. Soon, they devolved into their normal bickering.

Warmth suffused through Rong Lian as she watched them. Like always, they knew how to make her feel better after a long day.

She glanced down at the files and decided to put them away for now. It was better to take things step by step, one day at a time. Just like everything she did.

While she was finishing, Yiyue suddenly clapped her hands, as if she'd just remembered something.

"Young miss! When you were taking your bath, one of Third Miss's servants came to invite you for shopping tomorrow." Yiyue tilted her head in confusion. "Are you and the Third Miss going out somewhere together?"

Huixin furrowed her brows as she began braiding Rong Lian's now dry hair. "That...shouldn't be. The Third Miss has a much lower status than our young miss and wouldn't be invited to the same events."

Rong Lian laughed. It sounded mean, but it was the plain truth. The Second Master of the Prime Minister Manor was also the Old Madam's son, but didn't have even half the ability of his older brother. He was still a petty sixth-ranked official after so many years.

This was why her cousin had been so excited to go to the palace, she had never been there.

And what made her such a good pawn for her stepmother to use.

"Madam convinced Grandmother to allow her to come with me to Her Majesty's tea party," Rong Lian explained with a yawn. "Also, send one of the lower-ranked maids to tell her I agree."

Yiyue nodded and left to do so.

Rong Lian closed her eyes and enjoyed her hair being braided. Her thoughts, however, still drifted to her stepmother and the upcoming tea party.

Now, not only would she have to worry about saving the female lead, she would have to be on guard for whatever trick her stepmother was planning on using Rong Xia for.

This hadn't happened in the original plot. Because by then, her reputation was already in tatters and her stepmother didn't have to put as much effort. Instead, her stepmother had gone against her father's and grandmother's intentions in sending her away to a temple.

Not out of the goodness of her heart, of course. Her stepmother merely wanted to see her suffer more.

To see her desperately struggle to regain her engagement with the knowledge that, at any time, her stepmother could easily deal with her and later on Rong Xuan.

Rong Lian's breaths quickened as the visions of her desolate future overwhelmed her. She wanted to believe she could get her and her little brother out of this, had even resolved to take things one day at a time not even ten minutes ago, but what if it was too late?

The plot was already in motion by the time she knew the truth and even now, with Su Yan's help, it could all be too late.

"Young miss!"

Her eyes shot open to see Yiyue and Huixin's worried faces. She blinked a few times, feeling even more exhausted than before as she came back to her senses.

"Is the young miss okay?" Huixin asked, placing a cool palm to her forehead. She sighed in relief when she found there was no fever.

Yiyue harshly bit her lip. She didn't say anything, unable to form the words. Rong Lian smiled weakly at them both. They always got anxious, but especially Yiyue, whenever she showed signs of sickness or exhaustion.

"I'm okay, don't worry. I've just had a stressful few days."

It seemed Yiyue found her words, because she was soon scolding her: "Not only that, young miss! After being seriously sick with a high fever, you didn't rest. Instead, for the whole last month, you've been staying awake past midnight practicing the zither!"

"Yiyue is right, young miss." Huixin gave a solemn nod. "We servants understand the young miss has been doing all of this for the young master's sake, but if the young miss doesn't take care of your health..."

"...you won't be able to properly protect him!" Yiyue finished, looking unusually strict as she glared down at her.

Rong Lian stared at them for a long time before a brilliant smile lit up her features.

How could she be so stupid? She wasn't alone in this, she had Su Yan, Rong Xuan, and these two to support her. Her stepmother might have the power of the Duke Hua Manor behind her, as well as years of controlling all of the Prime Minister Manor...but she'd still found ways to survive, right?

She had survived this long, with her own strength and wits. Now that she was finally willing to rely on those who wanted to help her, her stepmother didn't seem as threatening anymore.

"Thank you, the both of you, for always being there for me."

Not paying attention to their stunned faces, Rong Lian stood up and stretched. She looked outside the window and found the sun was starting to set. It was time to sleep, then.

As she entered her bed, her mind was racing, eyes bright with calculations.

Tomorrow, she should get someone to follow her stepmother. It couldn't be either of her own maids, they were too well-known in the manor. And it wasn't guaranteed the other, lower-ranking maids in her courtyard weren't spies for either her stepmother or the Second Madam.

Maybe one of the new guards Su Yan had promised to send her...

Either way, a woman as scheming as her stepmother had to have a few skeletons in her closet. She was sure that gracious façade, which she'd learned to emulate, wasn't as clean as it seemed.

It was at this very moment that Rong Lian recalled her stepmother's pregnant stomach.

'It was too big to only be two months along...'

Her eyes widened. The next moment, she had sprang up from the bed, her long braid slapping her back.

Her maids rushed to her side, questions dying at their lips when their eyes landed on her face. They couldn't help shivering.

Because despite how gentle and sweet that smile seemed, they knew better.

"Yiyue, Huixin, bring me a brush and paper." Rong Lian's voice was soft in the dimly lit room. "There's an urgent message I need to send."

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Names:

Rong Xia (荣霞): Rong (荣) is a surname meaning 'honor; glory', Xia (霞) (pronounced 'shiah') means 'rosy clouds; morning or evening glow'.