Chapter 213: Zhang Liang’s Strategy and the Wall Climbing Ladder

Chapter 213: Zhang Liang's Strategy and the Wall Climbing Ladder

Xiao Shen's information was unusually accurate. Just two days had passed, and this morning, after Minglan finished her card game, she was playfully teaching the chubby boy to bow. Luzhi rushed in urgently, announcing that the Old Madam Qin had arrived.

Cui Mama's grip on the chubby boy's arm tightened noticeably, and she shot a stern glance at Minglan. Minglan slowly stood up and said, "Mama, please hand the boy over to the wet nurse. Xiao Tao, assist me to the bed. Luzhi, go and invite the eldest madam."

The last five words seemed to carry an unusual tone. Luzhi responded loudly and immediately went out.

Not long after, Shao Shi hurriedly arrived, looking flustered. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Minglan's maidservants coming and going—some boiling water and preparing medicine, while others stood guard in the yard. The expressions of the older maidservants were particularly serious, as though facing a great threat.

Shao Shi walked into the room and saw Minglan lying on the bed, weeping softly. Cui Mama and Xiao Tao were sitting beside the bed, quietly consoling her. Shao Shi was greatly shocked and hurriedly asked, "Oh my heavens, what happened?"

Cui Mama's face was full of worry as she stood up and replied, "Everything was fine this morning, but once Madam heard that the Old Madam Qin was coming, she was so frightened that she refused to meet anyone no matter what."

Shao Shi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly stepped to the bedside, holding Ming Lan's hand gently, and said softly, "Good sister, tell me what's wrong, don't scare the baby inside you."

Ming Lan slowly lifted her head from the blanket, her face pale, full of both fear and vigilance. She trembled as she said, "Sister-in-law, I'm afraid… I don't want to see her."

Shao Shi was stunned. She had been inside arranging the flowers, and when she heard that the Old Madam Qin had arrived, she stood up to prepare herself, thinking she would have to go out and greet her. She never expected it to be like this.

She hurriedly tried to comfort her, "This won't do. Good sister, if you're feeling unwell, it's the same whether the Old Madam Qin comes to see you."

Ming Lan sat up straight, her eyes wide open, revealing an unusual expression, with a hint of the fierce protectiveness of a mother wolf guarding her unborn child. "I won't go see her… she wants to harm me again, I will never see her!"

After saying this, she clutched her belly, laid back down, trembling, and began to cry softly.

Shao Shi was about to try and turn her around to comfort her, but Cui Mama stopped her and pulled her up, saying, "You see, Madam was scared last time. She's in the same situation, her belly the same, and the Marquis is also absent. The Old Madam Qin is her elder, and Madam can only be tidied up. Please, Madam, just go out and greet the Old Madam for the sake of past relations."

Shao Shi froze in place, not knowing how to respond, and was soon pushed and surrounded by the others toward the front hall. When she arrived, she saw the Old Madam Qin sitting in the main seat, drinking tea. Upon seeing only Shao Shi, the Old Madam Qin frowned. "Where's the second daughter-in-law? Even though we've separated the family, am I not her elder? Is she so esteemed now that she won't even see me?"

Shao Shi hurriedly bowed and said, "Sister-in-law… she… she's unwell, I'm afraid she cannot meet you…"

The Old Madam paused for a moment, then sneered, "Alright, alright, as soon as I arrive, she falls ill. If she can't come out to see me, then I'll go see her!" With that, she raised her foot and was about to storm inside. However, the women from Liao Yong's household, led by a few strong women, blocked her path. The Old Madam was furious and shouted, "Blind servants, how dare you block my way!"

Shao Shi was slightly startled upon hearing this. In her memory, the Old Madam had always been gentle and composed, carrying herself with grace. Though she held immense power in the household, she was never one to speak sharply—so why was she acting so vicious and fiery today?

She shrank to one side, peeking out. She saw that the Old Madam, adorned in jewelry, still appeared elegant and noble as always, but her complexion was poor, her face sallow, and her body looked significantly thinner. There was an unmistakable sense of anxiety in her expression.

Liao Yong's wife, calm and collected, respectfully said, "The rules set by the Marquis before he left are clear. Without the mistress's approval, no one can enter freely." She glanced at the Old Madam, then smiled and added, "The mistress is in her delicate condition; it wouldn't be good if something were to happen."

The Old Madam was so enraged that she staggered, pointing at Liao Yong's wife and unable to speak for a moment. After stamping her foot, she turned to Shao Shi and said sharply, "Fine! You treat this place like a golden hall, and I can't break in, afraid I'll disturb that celestial being inside! Go in and tell her that I have something to discuss. She can either come out, or I'll go in! Otherwise, I won't leave!"

Shao Shi had never dared to argue with the Old Madam, so how could she not comply? Upon hearing this, she turned and hurried off, rushing to Jiaxi Courtyard's inner room. Not pausing to catch her breath, she immediately relayed the Old Madam's words to Minglan. To her surprise, Minglan, crying and trembling, exclaimed, "What's there to see?! Is she planning to set a fire and burn me alive?"

Shao Shi was speechless. After trying unsuccessfully to comfort Minglan for a few moments, she had to call on Cui Mama to push her out. The servants around her urged her to go to the front and deal with the Old Madam. Shao Shi felt her scalp tingling. On one side was her delicate, precious sister-in-law who couldn't be disturbed, and on the other, her authoritative and strict mother-in-law. She couldn't offend either, and she was helplessly caught in the middle, like an ant on a hot pan, unable to move forward or back.

Standing there in a daze for a while, Shao Shi still couldn't think of a solution. She aimlessly slipped back to her courtyard and entered the inner room.

Xianjie'er was leaning over the kang table, writing. When she saw her mother enter with a lost expression, she asked, "Mother, what's wrong? Didn't you say the Old Madam came? Why are you back? Does the Old Madam want to see me? I've already changed my clothes and am ready to go."

Hearing her daughter's calm tone, Shao Shi suddenly seemed to find a sense of direction. She grabbed her daughter's small hand and began to urgently recount everything that had just happened, eventually explaining the situation in a muddled way. She anxiously said, "My child, how did I end up in this situation?! It's fine, but why is this happening to me? How could this…?"

After fumbling anxiously for a while, she suddenly seemed to remember something and whispered, "Do you think… your second aunt is pretending to be ill?"

Xianjie'er listened quietly, then put down her jade-handled brush. "Whether she's pretending or not doesn't really matter. Second Aunt's intentions are clear enough; she doesn't want to see the Old Madam. She doesn't even want to meet her face to face, yet she still wants you to go in her place."

Shao Shi was so anxious she was on the verge of crying, clutching her handkerchief in a panic. "You, you… what should we do…?"

Xianjie'er said, "Mother, just go speak to the Old Madam."

Shao Shi yanked the handkerchief from her face and slammed it onto the table, angry. "You little girl, you've been reading for two days and now you're talking nonsense! That's the Old Madam! How could I dare be so bold!"

"What are you afraid of, Mother?" Xianjie'er took out her own handkerchief and gently wiped her mother's tears, smiling. "Now that we've separated our households, can the Old Madam still hit or scold us?"

Shao Shi lowered her head and wiped her tears without speaking.

Xianjie'er sighed softly. "Mother, I know. You're afraid of offending the Old Madam. With Uncle away fighting in the front lines and little Tuan'er still young, if something happens, you're worried she'll make things difficult for us in the future."

Shao Shi felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow as she hugged her daughter's small frame, crying, "My good child, you're so young, yet you understand so much… Without your father, how could we not be careful in our lives?"

Xianjie'er curled up in her mother's arms, and sighed softly, "If it's about this, Mother, I advise you, there's no need to worry. Actually, whether you go out to deal with the Old Madam or not, we've already offended her."

Shao Shi was startled. "What do you mean by that? Since I entered the family, I've never been disrespectful to the Old Madam."

Xianjie'er sighed softly, "Mother, don't you understand what Father did for us back then? He refused to adopt Uncle's son as his heir, returned the land and money Grandfather gave to Uncle, and personally wrote a petition to the ancestral hall to establish Uncle as the heir. Before he passed, he even clearly laid out the family assets and told the relatives that both of the uncles had already separated their households."

Shao Shi was stunned by her daughter's words, not understanding why Xianjie'er suddenly brought this up.

"I was too young to understand when I was little, but these past few years, I've gradually grown up and learned from Mr. Xue. Slowly, I began to understand," Xianjie'er's eyes reddened. "On the surface, it seems like Father was trying to persuade Second Uncle to change his mind and preserve the Marquis title. But in reality…" She wiped the tears off her tender face. "Father did all this for you and me!"

Thinking back to her late husband's final efforts, his sole concern for her and their daughter, Shao Shi could no longer hold back. She pressed the handkerchief to her face and sobbed loudly.

Xianjie'er lowered her head and wiped the water off her face, speaking with determination, "Everything Father did before he passed—one thing after another—didn't it offend anyone? Father exchanged our future honor and wealth for the favor of Fourth and Fifth Uncle and the Old Madam! Even I can see this; how could the Old Madam not know? Now, Mother, do you still expect her not to resent Father? Sigh, Mother, Father already decided for us where we should lean. What else do you have to worry about?"

Shao Shi choked on her sobs, "Since your father made such sacrifices… why does your Second Aunt insist I handle this for her? I… I… I'm just so scared to see the Old Madam!"

Xianjie'er gently patted her mother's back, her voice soft and comforting, "Mother, Second Uncle agreed to look after us, but how he does it, whether well or poorly, all depends on Second Aunt's intentions. Mother, tell me, how has Second Aunt treated us these years?"

Shao Shi lifted her face, wiping her tears, and hesitated before answering, "…To be fair, your Second Aunt is very kind-hearted and good-natured."

Xianjie'er thought for a moment before continuing, "There's a girl among my schoolmates, the niece of Lady Zheng. Her father is a scholar who repeatedly failed the imperial exams, so he had to work as a secretary for a relative who held a government position, and went to work in another province. Even so, the head of their household, the aunt, still often cut their share of the family provisions. Their clothes and food were always delayed or in short supply."

She turned her head and looked at her mother, speaking gently, "Mother, if Second Aunt were like that, she could have saved a lot of money just by sticking to the mourning period. But instead, she didn't do that. She went out of her way to buy me furs and jewelry, and every time we went out, people said, 'I've never seen a girl in mourning dress who looked so refined and elegant. Clearly, her family takes great care in her.' As for your daily religious practices, the incense and offerings—you don't pay for them out of your own pocket. Second Aunt makes sure it comes out of the family's funds."

Shao Shi was deeply moved by her daughter's words and sincerely said, "Your Second Aunt really has treated us well, I can't say enough about it." After a pause, she gritted her teeth and added, "You're right. Even if it's to repay this kindness, I should make the effort for her."

As an adult, Shao Shi thought of another layer: when Xianjie'er gets married in the future, she would be a widow, and her maternal family wasn't very influential. There wouldn't be many connections or people to help find a good match, and she might need Minglan's help at that time.

"But… how should I speak to the Old Lady?" Thinking of her strong and capable former mother-in-law, she once again felt unsure and lost.

Xianjie'er tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Didn't Second Aunt say 'she's afraid to see her' and 'afraid she'll set another fire'? Mother, why don't you just say it directly, after all, you're only delivering a message." After a pause, a childish smirk appeared on her small face, and she muttered under her breath, "Anyway, it's not like it's all that unfair."

Hearing the first part, Shao Shi nearly jumped up, ready to scold her sharply. But when she heard the last sentence, she immediately stopped, sighed weakly, then called for a servant girl to come in and help her hurriedly get ready. She tidied herself up in front of the mirror, took a few deep breaths at the door, and stamped her foot before walking out.

When Shao Shi saw the Old Lady again, she noticed that the latter was clearly growing impatient. Upon seeing Shao Shi, she immediately sneered, "It's been so long since we've seen each other, and now you've become so important? It's just delivering a message, and yet it's taken you this long to come back!"

Shao Shi, still terrified of her, nearly wanted to turn and run. But remembering her daughter's future, she mustered up enough courage and stammered as she exaggerated Minglan's "illness" and "fear," especially the part about "fire." At the mention of fire, the Old Lady's face became dark with anger, and her fierce gaze made it impossible to look her in the eye.

Exhausted, Shao Shi finally finished speaking, and then said, "My sister-in-law said… she… she really can't see you no matter what… if you pressure her too much, she'll go to her mother's house and bring help from the Shen and Zheng families."

She gasped for breath, nearly using up all her courage. Not daring to even look at the Old Lady, she trembled and added, "… Anyway, you can't get in… maybe you should just… just go back."

The Old Lady's face turned a dark shade of blue, resembling a bronze mask, frightening Shao Shi so much that she almost knelt down. The Old Lady let out a few cold laughs, then glanced around at Shao Shi and the servants in the hall. "Alright, I've got it!" she said, her voice sharp and filled with malice.

After saying those words, the Old Lady turned and left, never looking back.

Shao Shi collapsed to the ground, and it wasn't until the maid helped her out of the hall that the cold wind blew against her, and she realized her back was drenched in cold sweat.

Liao Yong's wife, being very thoughtful, noticed the sweat on Shao Shi's forehead and immediately instructed the servants to prepare ginger soup. She also had a special medicinal soup sent over before rushing to Minglan's place.

Upon hearing the report, Minglan sat calmly on the bed, slowly sipping fish head soup with Sichuan Angelica and Bai Zhi. She softly said, "Am I being too harsh?" She gently touched her belly, feeling the regular movements of the baby—she would never, ever let that old witch meet her child again.

Cui Mama replied indifferently, "Last time when there was a fire in the manor, the First Madam didn't even ask for a bucket of water to be brought out. She should understand by now; you can't always look for greener pastures. It's better to cut this off now, lest the Old Lady keeps trying to drag her into this. Also, Miss Xian is a good child, truly deserving of the care you've given her."

Minglan nodded, "Do you remember, Mama? Last year, during the New Year's greetings, Grandmother said that Xianjie had deep blessings."

Cui Mama glanced at the water clock in the corner and turned to say, "I think Dr. Lin is almost here. Madam, you should lie down quickly."

Minglan shook her head and smiled wryly. To make the act convincing, it had to be done perfectly. Xiao Tao helped her lie down and massaged her small feet, while puzzled, she asked, "What if Dr. Lin finds out that Madam is fine? What should we do then?"

Minglan was about to lie back and stretch her limbs but couldn't help but burst into laughter. Cui Mama rubbed Xiao Tao's head and helplessly said, "Silly child, Dr. Lin is such a smart and perceptive doctor. If he sees Madam lying there moaning, could he still claim that she's not ill?"

Even a regular doctor would usually try to agree, at least partially, when they see a patient groaning, and charge a hefty fee. What more for Dr. Lin, a top doctor with both virtue and skill?

For the next two days, the family continued to invite the imperial physician, and the scent of herbal medicine filled the entire courtyard. The illness was exaggerated to the fullest. Dr. Lin, who was busy running his own clinic, ended up being visited by Minglan herself, turning it into a profitable business deal for him, while the news of Madam Gu's illness from the shock spread.

Meanwhile, the arrogant and harsh words of Madam Gu spread like wildfire throughout the capital. According to rumors, the elderly Lady of the Ningyuan Marquisate had gone to visit her daughter-in-law, but was turned away without even being allowed to see her.

After the New Year, the gossip in the capital was particularly lively, and this incident sparked much discussion among the idle noblewomen.

Some said that the fire that nearly broke out when Madam Gu was about to give birth was so strange, and since the Marquis wasn't around, it was understandable that Madam Gu was frightened out of her wits. Some remarked that being a stepmother was a hard fate, as she wasn't well regarded by the eldest son, and suggested that the censors should investigate the Gu couple for being unfilial. There were others who vaguely knew the truth and whispered that not only was there a fire, but also rumors of concubinage and adoption, which only added more fuel to the fire. The more they discussed, the more excited they became.

In reality, both of these rumors were true. The elderly Lady of the Ningyuan Marquisate had indeed been turned away; Minglan had really been 'frightened sick' by the previous incident. As for the details, people would believe whatever they chose.

Although the Lady of the Ningyuan Marquisate was furious, the truth was, in these times, fewer people stood up for justice—what was more common was the practice of elevating one while bringing another down.

Moreover—"unfilial"? Minglan let out a cold laugh several times.

Her thoughtful father, upon hearing that his daughter was 'frightened sick,' immediately sent Liu Shi to visit her, bringing along an authoritative opinion—someone like Qin Shi, who already had sons and grandsons and had split off with a large portion of the family's wealth, would find it extremely difficult to accuse her stepchildren of being unfilial. Unless the emperor had a mind to punish someone, only then would a censor be willing to cooperate in such an accusation.

Cui Mama, a sincere woman, was immediately moved, saying, "After all, he's your real father, he must be concerned about his daughter."

Minglan tugged at the corner of her mouth—her father was likely more worried that her golden son-in-law might lose interest and fall for her new stepfather.

After several days of sending people to gather news from the outside, unexpected tidbits came to light. That day, Gu Quan suddenly came to report a strange matter: "At first, we didn't notice, but I had someone keep an eye on the door for several days, and that Madam Yu had gone to the old lady's place twice in just five or six days. After I asked around, I found out that since last year, Madam Yu had been frequently visiting the old lady…"

"Who?" Cui Mama asked, confused. Gu Quan glanced at Minglan's expression and fell silent.

Minglan gave him a glance and softly said, "It's Madam Yu, Yanhong's mother." Gu Quan quickly nodded in agreement.

Cui Mama was shocked. "How could it be her? Wasn't she divorced by the Yu family? How did they end up together again?"