Chapter 32: Chapter 32 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 32: Double Chapter Combined

Since Concubine Hua's departure, the Pei family gradually returned to tranquility. Li Niang, having soon learned of Hua Shi's identity, and somehow discovering that She Niang had personally delivered a sachet, came to confront her, demanding, "How petty of you! You went to deliver the sachet without even inviting me along?"

She Niang looked at her and replied, "It was just a sudden impulse. I happened to have one, so I gave it."

In truth, Li Niang cared deeply about such matters. But She Niang felt that while they were sisters, they weren't bound together at every moment. Pei Ji, for instance, praised her to everyone and treated her exceptionally well daily—she could feel that genuine affection. With Li Niang, however, She Niang knew deep down that their relationship was, at best, fair-weather; she couldn't expect support in times of hardship.

It was much like when she first entered the Prince of Jin's residence: Lady Gao had initially seemed very friendly. Fortunately, She Niang remained cautious and didn't fully trust her, which later allowed her to ascend quickly and consistently stay ahead.

If Nanny Chen hadn't left, Li Niang wouldn't be this way. Back at the old residence, their relationship was often on-again, off-again; Li Niang only cared when there was something to gain.

Just because She Niang had been reborn and become more capable, and Li Niang could no longer compete, leading her to become somewhat softer, didn't mean She Niang had to unconditionally side with her in everything simply due to blood ties.

Li Niang wore a sneering expression, always suspecting her younger sister of hidden motives. Stamping her foot, she stormed out, spreading rumors everywhere that She Niang was trying to win people over.

She Niang's maids were indignant, but she calmly said, "Let her talk. If she wants to do it, why doesn't she go herself? There's no need to fear such things."

No sooner had she spoken than Lin Yueyao arrived to play. The Lin family had nearly completed their three-year term here and were likely to be transferred this year. Lin Yueyao cherished her time with She Niang and still brought books to read together.

She Niang then remarked, "It feels like it's been a while since I've seen Sister Zhao. My family has been busy lately—should we send her an invitation in a few days?"

Lin Yueyao quickly waved her hands. "Absolutely not. I just heard from my father yesterday that Wokou (Japanese pirates) are attacking Zhejiang, and Sister Zhao's father has been dispatched there."

"Wokou again?" She Niang massaged her forehead.

Lin Yueyao also sighed. "Yes, that's why my mother wants me to marry into the capital."

They had initially thought the Wokou troubles in Zhejiang had nothing to do with them. However, Pei Yiqing had prior experience suppressing Wokou. Coupled with a corruption scandal in Zhejiang's official circles—where the Provincial Governor, Judicial Commissioner, Hangzhou Prefect, Vice Prefect, and others were almost all dismissed—there was an urgent need for personnel. The vacancies in Zhejiang were like hot potatoes. Pei Yiqing's mentor sent a letter, and soon he was transferred to Hangzhou Prefecture as Vice Prefect.

She Niang hadn't expected that her small actions would alter her father's official position compared to her previous life. In her past life, when she married at seventeen, her father was only a prefect. Now, not yet thirteen, her father was already a Vice Prefect—and in Hangzhou Prefecture, no less!

That was the capital of Zhejiang! Naturally, because of its wealth, it attracted many corrupt officials, and this time, so many had been dismissed.

Pei Yiqing said to Yu Shi, "The superiors want me to arrive within a month. I need to hand over matters quickly. For Ji'er, send someone to inform the academy, and we must pack our luggage promptly."

But just then, Yu Shi discovered she was pregnant. She thus tasked Li Niang with learning to manage affairs, as she would be marrying next year anyway.

She Niang was happy to see it happen.

She wasn't idle either. First, she bid farewell to Lin Yueyao, then wrote two letters to Guo Xianzhu and Zhao Xiane. Guo Xianzhu didn't come in person but sent some stationery as a farewell gift.

After finishing these tasks, she began directing the packing of her luggage: "We won't need winter clothes soon, so pack them at the bottom. Books are heavy—I'll keep two for daily reading, and store the rest. Also, take out that lined autumn jacket for me to wear; the others can be packed."

Then, as usual, she labeled the trunks.

Once her luggage was packed, She Niang was done with it. She went to Yu Shi to inquire about her health: "How are you feeling now?"

Yu Shi blushed when her daughter asked. She was already over thirty—if Pei Ji had married early, she could have been a grandmother by now—yet here she was, pregnant.

But she maintained her composure: "I'm fine. What about your things? Are they all packed? Don't leave anything behind."

"Don't worry, I packed my things long ago," She Niang said with a smile.

Yu Shi said, "If you have time, help your sister. She's not one to take initiative."

She Niang thought to herself that it wasn't that Li Niang didn't care—it was about whether it was worth her effort. She always wanted others to do the hard work while she took the tasks that brought recognition.

So she said, "Mother, it's not that I won't help her. Right now, it's the perfect time for her to learn how to manage affairs. Besides, I'm the younger sister, and she's the older one. I've never heard of a younger sister having to handle everything for her older sister."

Generally, people who were articulate and principled made even adults a bit wary. Yu Shi herself didn't see anything wrong but didn't dare accuse her younger daughter of being calculative.

After saying her goodnights, She Niang returned to her room to sleep, but then went to kick the shuttlecock under the eaves.

Quanzhou was very humid, and living spaces were cramped. She Niang found it inconvenient to jump rope, so she could only occasionally kick a shuttlecock for exercise. However, she could hear Li Niang still playing the zither.

"Miss, should we remind the Fourth Miss?" Dong Mei asked.

She Niang shook her head. "Let her be. She's two years older than me—I'm not her mother."

The diligent end up serving the lazy, but She Niang wasn't one to work hard without reason. After kicking the shuttlecock, she went inside to play a pitch-pot game. Seeing Qiu Shuang, she couldn't help but ask, "Since you grew up by rivers and the sea, do you all know how to swim?"

Qiu Shuang smiled. "Yes, Miss. Would you like to learn?"

"I really want to. You know, I grew up in the capital, and our family is from Shanxi, so I've rarely been around so much water. The *Extensive Records of the Taiping Era* says that merfolk have skin white as jade, heads like beautiful women, and hair like horse tails, five or six feet long. Though I might be scared if I actually saw a merfolk, I'm truly fascinated," She Niang said eagerly.

Qiu Shuang, currently a third-rank maid, naturally wanted to please her mistress and quickly said, "If conditions allow in the future, I will teach you."

"My parents would never allow it in an outside river, but I've heard Hangzhou has hot springs. When we go, I'll ask my parents to take me to bathe in the hot springs, and you must teach me properly," She Niang suggested.

Qiu Shuang readily agreed.

Meanwhile, Li Niang played the zither for a while. Her Nanny Shen had been assigned by Yu Shi after Nanny Chen left. This Nanny Shen, like Xia Mama, had come as part of the dowry party, and her whole family was set to accompany Li Niang when she married.

Nanny Shen lacked Nanny Chen's seniority and didn't dare presume, but seeing the sun was high, she reminded her, "Miss, the mistress put you in charge of the household. The house managers will likely come today—shouldn't you go check now?"

"Right now, it's just about packing luggage. There's not much else," Li Niang said.

Nanny Shen couldn't say much more but looked anxious. Li Niang added, "Don't worry, I've already asked Cui Lan what needs to be done. I'll give the orders later."

Satisfied with Li Niang's confidence, Nanny Shen relaxed.

The next day, Pei Ji returned. He brought gifts for both his sisters. Seeing Li Niang busy, he went to She Niang first. She was delighted to see her brother.

But as soon as Pei Ji approached, She Niang pinched her nose. "Brother, why do you smell so sour?"

"You little brat, disgusted by your brother now?" Pei Ji wrinkled his nose.

She Niang giggled. "Brother, you should hurry and have your maids pack your luggage. We're going to Hangzhou soon—finally getting a change of scenery."

Pei Ji wasn't keen on leaving. "I just got familiar with my classmates, and now we have to go. I really don't want to."

"There's nothing I can do about that. Leaving you alone in Quanzhou to study—Mom and Dad would never allow it. Maybe if you do well in Hangzhou, your classmates could come to you later, and you can be together again," She Niang comforted him.

With his sister's words, Pei Ji accepted the situation.

Pei Yiqing quickly arranged for a boat and received his official transfer papers. When it was time to leave, they realized the luggage, food, and ice weren't prepared at all.

Yu Shi rubbed her sore back and looked at Li Niang. "Didn't I put you in charge of this?"

Li Niang became flustered. "I didn't know we were leaving so soon! I thought we had a few more days."

"I told you to prepare everything in advance—we never know when we might leave," Yu Shi said, frustrated with Li Niang's incompetence.

Seeing Yu Shi's distress, She Niang said, "Mother, don't worry."

"She Niang, please check what still needs to be prepared and have them take care of it now," Yu Shi appealed to her younger daughter.

She Niang sighed, "I've never learned how to manage a household either, so if I don't do it well, please don't hold it against me."

She took the authorization token and first had the boat captain summoned. In Great Qi, ordinary people were unable to purchase maps, and even official households did not have them easily.

After the boat captain arrived, she spent half an hour plotting all the stops where the boat would dock for supplies. Then she called the head steward and said, "I just asked—their boat will travel from the open sea to Fuzhou. Without wind, it's only twenty li; with wind, it's seventy li. Calculating based on calm weather days, it will still take twenty days. From Fuzhou to Hangzhou, if we don't change boats, it's about over a thousand li. We'll figure out the rest later. For now, we already have supplies for five days, so we just need to prepare for another half month. If we arrive in Fuzhou early, we can get fewer supplies there."

The head steward felt that dealing with Fourth Miss had been exhausting, but conversing with Fifth Miss was very straightforward. She didn't complain; instead, she calculated everything clearly—how many servants there were, how much rice and flour were needed, what the family members would eat. She even hired an extra boat, and the budget was approved quickly.

In less than two hours, the head steward had the purchases made.

Then, She Niang immediately instructed the head steward to arrange for carriages and horses in advance from the livery stable, as the distance from the prefectural office to the embarkation point was considerable, and relying solely on the family's few carriages wouldn't be enough.

While She Niang was busy, Li Niang was already chatting and laughing with Madam Yu. She Niang's attendants, like Xia Mama, couldn't stand it and whispered, "Fourth Miss is something else—leaving her mess for Fifth Miss to clean up and then acting as if nothing happened, going to curry favor with Madam again."

She Niang usually paid no attention to such comments. She wouldn't volunteer information to Li Niang because, at home, their parents would forgive her no matter what. But in the outside world, if you messed up once, it was hard to get another chance. She was the one holding things together now, and it was also a chance to sharpen her abilities.

Sigh, if she encountered more opportunities to showcase her abilities in the future, she'd even be grateful.

Sometimes She Niang felt it was hard to be someone with great selfless love. She didn't like to stay quiet about what she did and let her efforts go unnoticed. So, after arranging everything, she went to report to Madam Yu.

When Madam Yu saw her, she listened item by item and felt greatly relieved. She quickly pulled She Niang to sit down. "You must be exhausted! It's all your sister's fault—so irresponsible."

"I'm not tired, just found it a bit tedious. In the future, you and my sister should handle it together." She Niang complained a little.

Madam Yu, of course, said many kind words and even made Li Niang personally thank She Niang. Li Niang couldn't bring herself to say it and only prepared some tea for She Niang.

She Niang thought to herself that even if Madam Yu weren't her mother, just an ordinary person, it would still feel comfortable interacting with her. Li Niang, on the other hand, was self-satisfied, thinking that the saying was true: when the sky falls, there's always someone taller to hold it up.

Little did she know that the servants outside were talking behind her back, saying she was useless and praising She Niang for her exceptional talent.

This was exactly what She Niang had expected. She had long realized that everyone was drawn to power. If you were someone of status, even the strangest quirks would be praised as unique preferences. If you weren't doing well, no matter how beautiful or kind you were, people would think you were weak and easy to bully.

That evening, She Niang confirmed everything with the steward again. The next day, they boarded the boat smoothly, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The rented boat was very spacious. She Niang's room was in the eastern cabin on the second floor. She leaned by the window, watching the swift current. With the wind, the boat moved quickly.

In the evening, Xia Mama lit mosquito repellent. She Niang found the smell a bit strong, but she knew that without it, she'd wake up covered in bites, so she allowed it.

She went out to sit with Madam Yu for a while and heard that Li Niang wasn't feeling well, so she went to see how she was doing. Li Niang wanted She Niang to stay and take care of her, but She Niang laughed and said, "You have so many servants here, and the bed is narrow. Where would I sleep?"

Li Niang pointed to the side. "You can sleep on the couch. Those servants aren't as reliable as you."

She Niang, of course—

Slipped away quickly.

She had no interest in being anyone's slave. Last time, when she had her first monthly courses, Li Niang had made a big production, asked if she needed anything, and then left.

By the time Li Niang had mostly recovered from her cold, they had reached Fuzhou. From Fuzhou, they transferred to an official boat to Hangzhou. The journey was smooth sailing.

The accommodations for the Vice Prefect of Hangzhou Prefecture were quite good. They were assigned a nearly three-courtyard official residence. Pei Ji lived in the outer courtyard, Li Niang in the east wing, and She Niang in the west wing. This time, both sisters had their own rooms and no longer had to squeeze together.

After settling in, both sisters went to Madam Yu, who had an invitation on her table.

"Mother, we just arrived. Who sent an invitation so quickly?" She Niang asked curiously.

Madam Yu lifted her chin. "Pick it up and see."

She Niang took it and saw the signature was from the Mei family of Lin'an. Puzzled, she asked, "Is this a very famous family?"

"I don't know them either," Madam Yu said, also curious about who had sent the invitation so quickly.

When Pei Yiqing returned, he explained, "This is the largest local silk merchant in Hangzhou. Just keep the invitation; there's no need to go. I just arrived. Official Chu from Henan came half a month earlier than me. His eldest daughter is married to the Prince of Jin as the principal wife. His elder brother was formerly the Chief Grand Secretary of the court. Although he has retired, he still has extensive connections in official circles. He is now serving here as the Judicial Commissioner and just spoke with me. You can pay them a visit."

The Chu family? She Niang remembered: the eldest daughter of the Chu family married the Prince of Jin and was later posthumously named empress. The second daughter married the son of the Prince of Qing. Oh, right, the Prince of Qing's mansion was within Hangzhou city.

When the Princess of Jin married the Prince of Jin, her father was just a prefect. But because of her uncle who was the Chief Grand Secretary, she was chosen by the emperor.

The Prince of Qing's lineage was also special. The previous Prince of Qing was the current emperor's elder brother and also the eldest son. He was originally crown prince but was fond of Buddhism and felt unfit for the throne. He recommended the current emperor, who was then an ordinary prince, and pledged allegiance to him. After the current emperor ascended the throne, he not only appointed the Prince of Qing as the Imperial Clan Superintendent but also allowed his title to be hereditary.

The Chu family ladies were also known for their loyalty and chastity, with four chastity memorial arches in their family.

Upon hearing Pei Yiqing's words, Madam Yu quickly agreed and added, "But my body is becoming slower now. I need to get the household affairs in order first."

Pei Yiqing looked at his two daughters. "You should help your mother more often."

Li Niang and She Niang quickly agreed.

Madam Yu naturally felt most at ease entrusting tasks to She Niang because Li Niang was irresponsible. But She Niang wasn't someone who would just accept assigned tasks without question; she would feel it was unfair—why give it to her instead of her sister?

Thus, Madam Yu couldn't easily assign tasks to her daughters and had to manage them herself.

At this point, Li Niang quickly said, "Mother, you're working so hard. Why not leave it to us?"

"Yes, Mother, you should let Fourth Sister manage the household. I see that Miss Lin still has several years before marrying out, and Mrs. Lin is already teaching her to manage things," She Niang said, glancing at Li Niang with a smile.

Li Niang had only been just saying it; she had no intention of handling such tedious matters. In her view, since Wang Pan was the younger son, the marquis household wouldn't let her manage it anyway. She had only said it to seem helpful, assuming She Niang, who always took charge, would end up helping their mother. She had to be the one to suggest it.

Unexpectedly, She Niang's words called her bluff.

Hearing She Niang's suggestion, Madam Yu thought it made sense. Seeing Li Niang's eagerness, she called for Nanny Shen and had Cui Lan assist, insisting that Li Niang learn to host small social events and handle social exchanges, even if she wasn't exceptional at it.

After leaving, Li Niang glared at She Niang. She Niang thought to herself, *I predicted your prediction.*

Li Niang was unlucky: on her first day managing the household, her monthly courses came, and Madam Yu had to step in.

She Niang, meanwhile, was tidying up at home. She took out autumn clothes, those with odors needed rewashing, and those stored in chests needed ironing. Books also had to be rearranged on the shelves.

Just then, it was said that Miss Tao, the daughter of the prefect, had arrived. She Niang hurried out to welcome her. Miss Tao was slender but had a slightly round face. She was very down-to-earth and, seeing She Niang tidying up, specially brought a few protective covers.

The protective covers could protect clothes from dust during cleaning.

She also heard that Li Niang was uncomfortable due to her monthly courses and specially brought herbal pain relief tonic. Li Niang was deeply moved and couldn't help complaining to Chun Lan, "You see, outsiders treat me better than she does."

"She" referred to She Niang.

Chun Lan thought to herself that Fifth Miss was highly regarded by the master and mistress. They consulted her on everything, and when she managed the household, everyone responded to her calls. Her own young lady was criticized everywhere—wasn't it just because she wasn't shrewd enough?

So, she could only encourage her: "If you manage the household well and make some friends here, it will be better than anything."

Li Niang thought so too. She had her own methods—for example, her prospective in-laws were the Marquis of Dingbei's household, a distinguished status. Of course, she made sure to mention it in front of Tao Ya, thinking Tao Ya would befriend her because of it, just like Sun Biqing. She really liked friends like Tao Ya—enthusiastic and generous, similar to Song Xianhui in the past.

Of course, she wasn't feeling well now and had to postpone her plans.

She Niang didn't know about these things because she knew Li Niang wasn't one to dwell on things. At the dinner table, she heard Pei Yiqing say that the superior officer from the Imperial Guards had arrived and that he and Official Chu were to jointly preside over cases with the newly appointed provincial governor.

"Father, having newcomers like you serve as assessing judges—is it to prevent local officials from showing bias?" She Niang asked.

Pei Yiqing nodded. "Yes. After taking office, I not only have to assist the prefect with affairs but also participate in hearings. So, I brought two martial arts guards with me for personal protection."

Yu Shi brushed it off: "I see."

But Yu Shi was heavily pregnant. She thought Li Niang was too incompetent—either unable to manage the household properly or falling ill as soon as she took charge—nowhere near as capable as She Niang. Therefore, she directly handed over the household management duties to She Niang.

What She Niang disliked was how Li Niang always used the pretext of working together to dump work on her, while Li Niang herself took credit with pretty words. So, She Niang was unwilling to work alongside Li Niang. However, if explicitly assigned the responsibility entirely to her, she was naturally willing.

As the saying goes, "Life's wisdom lies in understanding people and situations!"

After the meal, Pei Yiqing pulled She Niang aside privately: "These two attendants are specialists I brought in, not ordinary people. Your mother is unwell, so you must serve them good food and tea. They are different from regular guards."

"Understood," She Niang nodded.

Xia Mama was her wet nurse, and the two got along well. She Niang naturally gave instructions: "For their meals, four dishes and one soup are essential, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat rotated. You must not neglect them, dear Mama."

"Yes, I will follow your instructions, Miss. For someone so young to manage the household, you are truly talented..." Xia Mama said with clumsy compliments.

She Niang raised her hand to stop her: "Enough, no need to say more. Go and prepare quickly."

Pei Yiqing's two new attendants were both young men. Though their attire was unremarkable, their demeanor seemed extraordinary.

When the Pei family servants delivered their meals and left, the two finally burst into laughter. It turned out one was the heir to the Prince of Xiang, and the other was the son of the Prince of Qing. They had come as undercover agents of the Jinyiwei to assist Pei Yiqing with the case.

Of course, they came under the guise of Jinyiwei, and Pei Yiqing was unaware of their true identities.

Li Jue, the heir to the Prince of Xiang, said seriously, "Vice Prefect Pei is the son of the former Duke of Nanhuai, born into the Hedong Pei family—a descendant of a prestigious lineage. Being around him is a pleasure. I heard his eldest daughter is betrothed to the Marquis of Dingbei. Wang Pan and I have some interactions, and everyone says the Pei family's traditions are excellent. Even when dividing property, they are mutually deferential."

Li Jue was summoned to the capital last year to study and was quite familiar with the nobility there.

Hearing this, Li Ju, the son of the Prince of Qing, disagreed: "Anyone can put on a show superficially."

Li Ju was nominally thirteen this year, but he was tall and served as the study partner to the Crown Prince's son. This time, he was representing the Imperial Grandson to inspect the situation in Zhejiang. However, he was not truly a thirteen-year-old boy—he had been reborn. In his previous life, after Emperor Jianchang passed away at seventy, the throne eventually went to the fourth prince, the legitimate son. Empress Pei, who had always been self-disciplined and courteous, found the fourth prince weak and took after Lü Zhi and Wu Zetian, ruling from behind the curtains. After several years, she clashed with the empress and directly poisoned her. The emperor, a benevolent man, died of anger.

She then supported her grandson to ascend the throne, becoming the Grand Empress Dowager.

By the time she was eighty-eight, her grandson had died, and court officials wanted to install the descendants of Esteemed Consort Guan as emperor. Not only did she refuse, but she also told the historian, "Do you take me for Empress Guo Yi'an?"

In the end, her nephew Pei Shaode usurped the Great Qi dynasty, and the Pei family replaced Qi. As a member of the Great Qi imperial family, Li Ju hated the Peis' guts. Moreover, when he attempted to support the eighth prince, Empress Dowager Pei placed her hand on his head and sneered, "No matter how bright the sun shines, if I cover your head, you will never see the light of day."

With this memory, Li Ju felt only hatred for the Pei family and could not possibly admire them.