Chapter 2: The Family in Chaos

Chapter 2: The Family in Chaos

Xie Yuwei stopped mid-sentence.

The young servant at his side also noticed the Shi family's boat. It suddenly dawned on him, and he cautiously observed his master's expression before whispering, "My lord, it's Miss Shi."

Xie Yuwei, of course, knew it was her. He stayed silent.

He simply watched as she got off the boat and slowly boarded the carriage.

She looked at him calmly the entire time.

"My lord," the servant whispered, "Lord Gong is still waiting inside the room."

"Make for the shore."

Xie Yuwei turned to leave, but the servant, sensing his master's foul mood, didn't dare think twice. He quickly went to tell the boatman to make for the shore.

When Shi Yuanxi arrived at the Shi family estate, it was already dark.

The Shi family estate hadn't changed much, but her former residence, Xiyu Pavilion, was now occupied by the fourth miss, the daughter of the first wife, Madam Wang. Madam Wang had assigned her a different residence.

The new courtyard was quite elegant, though it was somewhat remote, a distance away from the main and second households.

"It's late, and the first wife said that Third Miss has been worn out from traveling. She instructed me to settle you into your new quarters for rest."

No mention was made of why Madam Wang had summoned Shi Yuanxi to the capital.

Shi Yuanxi didn't ask and, after washing up, went to sleep, enjoying a good rest.

By noon the next day, she still hadn't seen Madam Wang.

Shi Yuanxi sat by the window, gazing out at the familiar yet unfamiliar estate from the house.

She heard Zhang Mama's surprised voice beside her, "Madam has arrived."

It wasn't the first wife who came, but Shi Yuanxi's biological mother, the second madam, Yan.

The master of the Shi family and the family matriarch had two sons and a daughter. Shi Yuanxi's father, Shi Xu, was the family's second son.

Yan looked much the same as she did in Shi Yuanxi's memory. She was beautiful but favored somber colors. Her hair was meticulously arranged, and her voice was gentle.

Upon entering the room, Yan saw Shi Yuanxi and, after a moment of stunned silence, finally said, "You've lost weight."

Zhang Mama quickly responded, "Miss had been ill and couldn't keep food down, which caused her to lose weight."

"Fortunately, you've recovered now, and these past few days, you've started to gain some of it back."

"It's good that you've recovered," Yan said, slightly relieved, looking at Shi Yuanxi. "Your father mentioned you when he left the house today."

"Now that I see you're fine, he can rest easy," Yan instructed the maids to bring some items into the room.

When Zhang Mama opened them, Shi Yuanxi saw they were all medicinal herbs for nourishing the body, including an old ginseng root.

"Thank you, Mother."

Hearing her flat tone, Yan felt a little uncomfortable.

Ever since Shi Yuanxi had been old enough to understand, she hadn't been close to her. Yan had always been cautious and careful, but her only daughter was nothing like her. She usually didn't know how to interact with Shi Yuanxi.

Yan was uncomfortable in front of her, but unlike usual, instead of leaving after her routine instructions, she looked at Shi Yuanxi as if she had something she wanted to say but couldn't.

Shi Yuanxi put down her teacup and asked directly, "Mother, is there something else you need to tell me?"

Yan looked up at her with a complex expression. "It's not easy for you to have come back this time," she said.

"Yuanxi, after this incident, you should understand how things work."

Zhang Mama's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.

Yan, however, made up her mind and said in a low voice, "There are some things that, if they are not yours, no matter how hard you try, they will not fall into your hands."

"You always strive to be ahead and strong, but what good has it done you? Women of the Great Liang dynasty are not like you. Moreover, in a family like ours, the most important thing is to accept your fate..."

"Promise me that from now on, you will not act up again and will follow the family's arrangements, alright?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Shi Yuanxi raised her eyes, her usually clear black eyes now cold. "Mother, do you mean that when the first wife was going to marry me off to a forty-year-old widower, I should have just accepted my fate, been obedient, and compliant?"

Yan was speechless, her face showing clear discomfort. She defended herself in a small voice, "I also thought that marriage was inappropriate at the time, but later, didn't they change the match for you?"

"Traditionally, a woman's marriage has always been decided by her parents and matchmakers. Even in families in the capital with higher status than ours, how many women can marry whomever they choose?"

"Women have always gone through this. Why can't you?"

Shi Yuanxi was not angered by her words. Instead, she looked at her calmly. "The quality of the replacement match, you and I both know the truth."

Life was not easy for the second branch of the Shi family.

Shi Yuanxi's father had once passed the imperial examination, but due to ancestral grudges, he was suppressed by the family's matriarch and could not continue participating in the imperial exams.

Later, in Shuntian Prefecture, he obtained a minor position, which could not be considered a proper official post. Most of his monthly salary went into the family's common fund.

The expenses of the second branch were mostly covered by Yan's dowry.

Yan was from a family of minor officials, and her financial resources were limited.

The father was timid, and the mother was of humble status.

In such circumstances, Shi Yuanxi had turned out exceptionally beautiful.

If she had been plain-looking, the Shi family would not have paid much attention to her and would have married her off to a promising scholar, which would have also saved face for the Shi family.

But from the age of thirteen, her beauty became impossible to hide.

The first wife, seeing her gradually graceful figure and her beautiful face, didn't want to marry her off to a poor scholar.

Her eldest uncle was already an official of the fourth rank and needed more assistance to climb higher.

So, from the time she matured, the Shi family selected families for her that were either her eldest uncle's superiors or the concubines of noble families, specifically the legitimate sons of noble families in their prime.

The first wife's own daughter would never be given in marriage to such a family.

But Shi Yuanxi was different. Even if her marriage was a disgraceful one, it would not affect her eldest uncle's official reputation.

She was only fourteen or fifteen at the time.

In today's terms, she would be in middle school.

As Yan had said, in a family like theirs, such things were quite common.

However, there was one thing that set her apart.

She was inherently ambitious.

She read poetry and historical books, knew her duties, and strove to be diligent and progressive.

She excelled in all the skills that young ladies were expected to master, such as playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her etiquette was flawless.

Beyond that, she was especially aware of her own strengths.

It was her beauty, a face that could cause trouble.

So, after clearly understanding the marriage arrangements that the main household had planned for her, she began to deliberately scout for potential candidates.

Eventually, she successfully seized an opportunity and, before the main household finalized her marriage arrangements, she made her move first.

This resulted in the first marriage that she schemed to obtain.

And from that point on, her reputation suffered.

Before this, she had been the model of a virtuous young lady from a prestigious family. Afterward, she became known as a restless soul.

People said she flouted the rules, sought to climb the social ladder, and would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

But Shi Yuanxi didn’t give a damn.

Everyone had the right to chase after what was good, so why couldn’t she strive for a better life?

Even today, she still believed her past thoughts were not wrong.

Indeed, a woman like her could only earn a good reputation by not fighting or competing.

To conform to the mainstream meant being conservative and safe.

But that was not what she wanted.

She was determined to fight.

In the past, she could only compete for marriage, fight for love.

But from today onward, everything would change.

What she was fighting for now was power.

"If, as Ruo says, these marriages are all good," Shi Yuanxi looked up at her mother, "then why didn’t the main wife marry Shi Chuo off to them?"

"Why did she marry Shi Chuo to Jiang Hao, who was once betrothed to me?"

Yan listened to her daughter, her face turning pale. She quickly looked around, relieved to see that the courtyard was quiet and that only Zhang Mama and Le Shu were inside the room.

But she hadn’t expected that after three years, Shi Yuanxi would still be so defiant.

"Such words must never be spoken outside," Yan said coldly. "Now that your reputation is ruined, if you remain unruly, and if the main wife sends you back to Yuezhou again, there will be no room for compromise."

Shi Yuanxi stared at her mother’s panicked face and suddenly asked, "So, why did the main wife bring me back this time?"

Yan was slightly stunned and, after collecting herself, responded awkwardly, "It's nothing, but... you're still part of the Shi family after all..."

"For Shi Chuo?" Shi Yuanxi interrupted.

Clatter.

When her words were bluntly spoken, Yan was startled and quickly stood up, grabbing her hand. "You must not show this attitude in front of the first wife."

"If... it might not be a bad thing for you," Yan gritted her teeth and said, "At least Jiang Hao still has you in his heart."

Yan had come early to see her, hoping that if she were more obedient, this matter might succeed.

She had been thinking that this was the best option for Shi Yuanxi, and before leaving, she told Zhang Mama to keep an eye on her.

Zhang Mama saw Yan off, frowning as she returned to the courtyard. "If what Madam said is true, then the first wife plans to..."

"To have you... become a concubine in the Jiang family for the eldest son-in-law?"

Shi Yuanxi had been away from the capital for three years, and Jiang Hao and Shi Chuo were already married.

With Jiang Hao involved again, Zhang Mama could only see it this way.

Upon careful consideration, she found it plausible.

During the Lantern Festival temple fair, Shi Yuanxi got separated from the servants and was later escorted back by Jiang Hao's men.

That night, the fireworks lit up half of the capital.

When Shi Yuanxi looked back, even Zhang Mama couldn't help but be mesmerized, let alone the already sentimental Jiang Hao.

Shi Yuanxi had an especially unique situation—she was born on the Lantern Festival, and that's how she got her name, Yuanxi.

If he were Jiang Hao, he'd probably think of Shi Yuanxi every Lantern Festival from then on.

Later, after discussing it with his family, he decided to marry Shi Yuanxi.

The engagement was set, and the betrothal gifts were delivered to the Shi family.

At this point, the elder wife of the Shi family met with Jiang Hao's mother.

Jiang Hao was the only son in his family, and even though he insisted on marrying Shi Yuanxi, the Jiang family couldn't stop him, so they eventually gave in.

Before that, the Jiang family had gotten Jiang Hao a position in the Ministry of Rites.

Shi Yuanxi's eldest uncle, Shi Zhiyuan, was the Deputy Minister of Rites.

Jiang Hao's father had a similar rank to Shi Zhiyuan but didn't have the same real power.

After weighing their options, the Jiang family changed the bride to Shi Chuo.

Jiang Hao didn't agree, but Shi Zhiyuan and Jiang Hao's father had been building influence in the court for years. With a few maneuvers, they made it impossible for Jiang Hao to keep his position in the Ministry of Rites, so he eventually gave in.

He didn't like Shi Chuo, so it's no surprise their marriage was troubled.

The senior branch of the Shi family had taken this marriage, and now that Shi Chuo's marriage was falling apart, they wanted Shi Yuanxi to fix it.

And to make matters worse, as a concubine.

Zhang Mama glanced at the side profile of Shi Yuanxi. How could such a strong-willed girl like her become a concubine to her elder cousin's husband?

Although he had once been her fiancé.

Shi Yuanxi met Zhang Mama's gaze and couldn't help but laugh. "You're overthinking this, Mama."

She said lightly, "Do you really think a person of the first wife's standing would do something as foolish as 'inviting a wolf into her home'?"

Her tone was casual, but her words made Zhang Mama's brow furrow. "How could you be the wolf, my girl?"

"Am I not?" Shi Yuanxi said.

"I have ambition and means. I refuse to be second to anyone. If I were the first wife, I would never send someone like myself to be near her daughter."

"Right now, it's about vying for favor, but who knows what might happen in the long run."

Yan thought the same way.

As for the first wife, she saw Shi Yuanxi as a dangerous person.

The marriage had been hard to secure, so there was no way she'd put the unstable Shi Yuanxi back next to Jiang Hao.

Zhang Mama was even more confused. "Then why go through all this trouble?"

"There probably does need to be someone to mediate between Shi Chuo and Jiang Hao," Shi Yuanxi said firmly. "But what the first wife wants is for me to actively sever Jiang Hao's lingering thoughts."

Today's visit by Yan was probably arranged by the first wife herself, intending to inform Shi Yuanxi of this matter without speaking directly.

What would Shi Yuanxi do now?

With her personality, even now, she would never consent to become a concubine.

What the first wife wanted was precisely this defiance, so that Shi Yuanxi would act according to her plan. She wanted Shi Yuanxi to take the initiative and end things with Jiang Hao.

And now, after stealing her marriage, they wanted her to step forward and mediate?

Shi Yuanxi waved at Le Shu, said with a grin, "Le Shu, do you remember the token Jiang gave me? He said that if I ever needed help, no matter how big or small, I should go to his shop."

"Go and find that token, and tell Mr. Jiang—"

"I, Shi Yuanxi, will never be a secondary wife to anyone in this lifetime. If he wants to marry me, he'll have to dump his wife first."

A man who already had a wife and still thought of her—she looked down on such men. As the first wife had guessed, she would never fight for such a position.

Her words were meant for everyone in the courtyard to hear.

What she wanted was for both the Shi family and the Jiang family to be thrown into chaos.