Chapter 7: Empress Mingde

Chapter 7 Empress Mingde

Upon hearing of Li Niang’s visit to the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence, Madam Yu observed that She Niang showed no hint of disappointment, remaining as composed as ever—a stark contrast to the little girl who once vied for her parents' affection.

“She Niang, how about I take you to your maternal grandparents’ home tomorrow?” Madam Yu suggested.

She Niang quickly shook her head. “Mother, there’s no need. I have lessons tomorrow.”

In truth, these days were the most carefree for her—studying, exercising, and playing, all without a single burden. Her sole focus was to observe her mother and those around her, to understand their true circumstances; other matters could wait until the immediate crisis had passed.

With this in mind, she noticed Madam Yu looked particularly well today. Even her father had no concubines, which meant there was no so-called rivalry between wives and concubines. Could the threat then originate from someone outside the sixth branch?

Once this thought occurred to her, she pondered for a while but couldn't recall anyone her mother might have offended. Her mother neither managed the household nor sought prominence; even the servants spoke highly of her.

Unable to unravel the mystery, She Niang didn't dwell on it, maintaining her usual demeanor.

Meanwhile, Yi Niang was different. While paying respects to Madam Cao, she voiced her request: “In a few days, it will be my mother’s death anniversary. I humbly ask that you arrange a ceremony for me to pay my respects, so I may fulfill my filial duty.”

“We already held a joint ceremony during the Chongyang Festival. Did you think I would forget? This was your father’s instruction,” Madam Cao replied, though her expression was clearly displeased.

Yi Niang didn’t know whether this was true or false, but in the few days she had been there, she had observed Madam Cao to be narrow-minded, cunning, and intolerant of others. It was possible that Madam Cao was deliberately obstructing her. The urgent matter now was to secure her father’s trust; otherwise, her words would carry no weight.

Sui Sui, straightforward by nature, followed her out and remarked, “Third Miss, the mistress is definitely trying to fob you off.”

“What can I do? How many people in this household are willing to stand up for me?” Yi Niang sighed softly.

Nanny Chang nodded. “Indeed, the Old Madam dotes on the Fourth Miss and Sixth Miss. The Second Miss has her own mother and older sister to look out for her. As for the Fifth Miss, she has her own mother and brother. It’s only you who’s in a difficult position, standing alone.”

Yi Niang slowly said, “This is precisely what worries me. For now, the only way is to use indirect means to achieve my goals.”

After Yi Niang and her servants had walked away, Madam Cao turned to her trusted confidante and said, “She thinks I’m the one stopping her, not realizing it was her father’s order. It would be better if she behaves herself. If not, we might as well let her know something about how her mother gave birth to her.”

The confidante chuckled.

Seeing that her provocation had elicited no reaction from the Fifth Branch, Madam Lu inwardly cursed Yi Niang for being useless. As she passed through the corridor, she spotted Song Xianhui, the niece of Madam Lu from the third branch, and snorted contemptuously, leaving Song Xianhui feeling bewildered.

Song Xianhui usually lived with her aunt, Madam Lu. As a widow, Madam Lu was somewhat frugal and not particularly generous to her niece. However, Madam Lu had one good quality: she was practical.

Seeing that the Second Miss, who was around the same age, had gone to the Marquis of Xinan’s residence—likely to have her sister help arrange a match for her—Madam Lu felt pressured. The Meng girl was ambitious, and Madam Meng, as the eldest daughter-in-law, held a higher status than her. She couldn’t compete, so her niece’s marriage could no longer be delayed.

But as a widow, it was inconvenient for her to socialize outside. This made her think of someone.

Meanwhile, Li Niang returned from the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence. It was said that the Old Madam and the Madame of the household had each given her gifts: a pair of white jade interlocking vine bracelets, a gold and jade ring, a pair of gold-inlaid eight-treasures earrings, and a gold-inlaid jade hairpin featuring a parrot perched on a peach branch.

She Niang watched as Li Niang showed these to Madam Yu, who nodded slightly and asked Nanny Chen to put them away.

“Mother, Grandmother also asked if I wanted to keep Sixth Sister company. I declined. Our home is better,” Li Niang said with a smile.

Madam Yu felt somewhat comforted by this but said, “Your grandmother dotes on you.”

Li Niang shook her head. “I don’t know what Grandmother likes about me.”

She Niang showed no reaction to these words, but Nanny Xia felt sorry for her own mistress. When She Niang saw her wet nurse like this, she recalled how, in her previous life, when Noble Consort Liu was favored and made life difficult for her, the empress, Nanny Xia had been the same. Still, She Niang had eventually turned the situation around.

Moreover, her grudges with Li Niang stemmed from her past life. In this life, as long as Li Niang didn’t provoke her, she wouldn’t retaliate.

Otherwise, if she succumbed to jealousy, it would be easy to begrudge others their good fortune and lose her composure.

However, while one shouldn’t be too calculating in personal matters, in practical matters, one must be meticulous. Having been reborn, she excelled in her studies this time, scoring top marks in poetry, song lyrics, and prose—something Yi Niang and Li Niang hadn’t expected, leaving them quite surprised.

When Madam Yu found out, she personally set aside money for the kitchen to prepare two of She Niang’s favorite dishes, waiting for Sixth Master Pei to return before dinner. Usually, Sixth Master Pei would have been back by this time.

Today, they waited for half an hour, and the food had to be reheated before Sixth Master Pei finally returned. It turned out there had been a fire along the route he took, and the Five-City Police and Patrol Office had blocked the road, causing the delay.

“It’s bad enough that the family’s house caught fire, but it also spread to the neighbor’s. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt,” Sixth Master Pei said.

She Niang looked at him and said, “But I heard that according to our ‘Great Qi Legal Statutes,’ if someone’s carelessness causes a fire that burns their own house, they are to be punished with forty strokes. If the fire spreads to a neighbor’s house, it’s at least fifty strokes.”

Madam Yu exclaimed upon hearing this, “How pitiful! Their own house burns down, and they still get beaten.”

“That’s why it’s called taking precautions,” She Niang also felt sorry for them. She once knew a wealthy young lady whose family fell into hardship after a fire.

Fortunately, Sixth Master Pei explained, “The law does not override human compassion. In such cases, it may not necessarily be enforced so strictly.”

Madam Yu and She Niang were relieved, but Sixth Master Pei suddenly noticed his younger daughter’s exceptional qualities. She showed no jealousy or anger when Li Niang received rewards, nor did she panic when things happened. At such a young age, she was already knowledgeable about legal codes. This reminded him of someone—Empress Mingde, whom history books called the “Female Yao and Shun.”

It was said that Empress Ma, later known as Empress Mingde, managed household affairs and servants like an adult from the age of ten after her older brother passed away and her mother fell ill.

His younger daughter’s performance truly surprised him!

After the meal, once the daughters had left, Sixth Master Pei said to Madam Yu, “I have a feeling our She Niang will have a remarkable future.”

Madam Yu laughed. “What are you saying? There’s no reason to talk like this.”

“I mean it,” Sixth Master Pei prided himself on having a good eye.

Madam Yu, however, didn’t want to dwell on the topic and brought up another matter: “Second Sister-in-law asked me to help find a marriage match for her niece. What do you think we should do?”

The main issue was that the Song family had no official status, and the dowry would likely be meager, which was a disadvantage in the marriage market.

Sixth Master Pei disagreed. “It’s not that we don’t want to help, but where would we find such a match? The people we usually interact with are all from official families. Those who would marry our daughters might still be picky, let alone consider the Song family. Moreover, if she asks you to help, she likely expects a good match. If the one you choose doesn’t meet her expectations, it might cause resentment later.”

In a large family, the most important thing isn’t how to stand out but to protect oneself in all matters.

Madam Yu thought this made sense. Song Xianhui was actually quite talented and virtuous, though not particularly outstanding in appearance. Even merchant families would consider character and looks. Unsure of herself, Madam Yu had no choice but to tactfully decline Madam Lu’s request.

“Third Sister-in-law, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but I don’t go out often. After considering the suitable candidates around, either they’re not good enough for Miss Song, or their ages don’t match. So, there’s nothing I can do.”

Madam Lu had initially placed all her hopes on Madam Yu, thinking that since the sixth uncle held an official position in the capital, he would have broad connections. Though disappointed, she acknowledged that Madam Yu had tried her best. “Thank you for your efforts, Sixth Sister-in-law. I’ll slowly look for someone myself.”

Relieved that Madam Lu didn’t blame her, Madam Yu returned to her own courtyard after leaving the third branch. Unexpectedly, Fourth Madam Huo Shi came over. Since the fourth and sixth branches were closely related, Madam Huo had always been on good terms with Madam Yu and was well-informed.

“Sixth Sister-in-law, from what I see, the Old Madam might be planning to betroth Fourth Girl to her maternal family’s marquis household.”

Madam Yu had also suspected this, but she had always thought Shun Niang was the Old Madam’s favorite granddaughter. How could such a good thing happen to their Li Niang? But this time, since Old Madam Pei had taken the initiative to bring Li Niang along, it seemed there might be some intention. However, it was still too early to tell. She only said, “Anyway, Fourth Girl is only eleven (by traditional reckoning). She’s still young, and there are two older sisters above her. Who knows when the matchmaking will happen?”

Madam Huo agreed. She had no children, and her husband was Sixth Master Pei’s biological brother. In the future, they would inevitably rely on the sixth branch. Since Madam Yu was easy to get along with, she took the initiative to stay close.

She added, “Last year, Father-in-law celebrated his sixtieth birthday. This year, we need to prepare for his birthday too. I plan to make a pair of knee pads and two pairs of shoes and socks.”

Madam Yu smiled. “Fourth Sister-in-law, we thought alike. I was also planning to have Li Niang and She Niang make some needlework for him.”

“How is their needlework?” Madam Huo couldn’t help asking.

Madam Yu whispered, “Li Niang isn’t good at it. Last time, she made a pouch herself, but the stitches were loose. She Niang is younger, but she does quite well.”

Madam Huo laughed along.

She Niang, for her part, had indeed started preparing a birthday gift for her grandfather. It wasn’t that her skills improved after being reborn; in her previous life, her embroidery skills had always been top-notch. Even the emperor’s many personal clothing items were made by her.

Of course, if one were to ask who in the family had the best needlework, it would undoubtedly be Second Sister Yue Niang. Her hands were the most dexterous—the butterflies she embroidered looked lifelike, the flowers she stitched were bright and delicate, and the birds and fish she crafted seemed almost alive.

However, Yue Niang had gone to the Marquis of Xinan’s residence, and who knew if she'd even have time to work on anything.

Qiu Ju and Dong Mei brought over some fabrics: “Miss, we’ve brought some fabrics we usually use. Which ones would you like?”

She Niang shook her head: “None of these. I want yellow silk. Qiu Ju, take some money from the box and go buy it outside—on the down-low, don’t let anyone find out. If anyone asks, just say you’re buying pastries. Understood?”

Qiu Ju, as the head maid, could keep a secret and get things done, and she immediately understood.

She Niang knew her grandfather enjoyed the cool breeze and disliked using an umbrella on rainy days. She planned to make him a raincoat from yellow silk, which was currently the most fashionable material. Such raincoats were also called “amber raincoats.”

Many people made shoes, socks, and even knee pads—items worn underneath—and pouches were likely produced by the dozen. But a raincoat was different; it had to suit the recipient’s taste while also being one-of-a-kind.

Her grandfather was really into Taoist practices, so she could also select a scripture to embroider on the outside of the raincoat. This way, she would kill two birds with one stone.

Meanwhile, Li Niang directly told Nanny Chen: “Let’s leave the needlework to Xia He. The last time I tried, it turned out sloppy and loose, and everyone said it didn’t look like my work.”

Nanny Chen smiled and said: “You excel at poetry. Why not compose a poem and have Xia He embroider it onto a pouch or handkerchief? That kind of clever thinking would definitely impress the Old Master.”

Although everyone nowadays sought to curry favor with Old Madam Pei, Nanny Chen understood well that Old Master Pei was the true decision-maker of the household.

Thus, winning the Old Master’s favor first would keep Old Madam Pei from playing favorites with Sixth Miss Shun Niang. This would surely make her young lady stand out and secure a good marriage with the Marquis of Dingbei’s family.

Whether it was prestige or dowry, first come, first served. Otherwise, if they waited for Madam Yu to make arrangements, her young lady would have to share with Fifth Miss, leaving little to go around.

Only when the young lady came out on top would she, as her nanny, gain prestige as well!