Chapter 51: Chapter 51 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 51: Double Chapter Combined

Returning from Yin'an Hall, She Niang didn't rest. Her first task was to have the household staff gather for introductions. Li Ju's inner chambers were originally served by eight maids, but four had been dismissed before the wedding. The remaining four were the two senior maids, Cui Lan and Xue Ji, and two younger girls, Huan'er and Shuang'er, both barely ten.

This, of course, only accounted for those serving in the inner quarters; the rougher outdoor staff were not included.

She Niang had everyone's names registered, then instructed her trusted maid, Qiu Ju (formerly her senior maid), to cut fine fabric and distribute it along with wedding money to each person.

Only then did she retire to remove her hairpins and rest. After barely half an hour, she had clothes brought to her and her hair re-styled. "Since we've just arrived, we mustn't be too casual."

As soon as she was ready, the kitchen sent over the menu board, indicating she could order dishes. She Niang said, "See what the heir usually has, and prepare the same for now."

The kitchen manager quickly interjected, "Princess Consort, please don't shortchange yourself."

"I'm not. Just do as I said. Mama Xia, please reward this kitchen manager," She Niang replied with a smile.

In the beginning, when one is under scrutiny, some will flatter and seek favor, amplifying human weaknesses. Acting rashly in such circumstances can lead to carelessness and provide others with leverage before one has even begun.

What she needed to do now was to win Li Ju’s heart and successfully bear a child. Only then would she truly secure her position.

People are truly contradictory—what you may not necessarily enjoy doing is often the most correct path at the moment.

Otherwise, if she failed to conceive, Li Ju could rightfully take a concubine once he turned twenty-five. As the Imperial Clan Superintendent, the Prince of Qing adhered to rules, unlike the Prince of Huai, who had both his principal wife and concubine bestowed at once, indicating his lineage was too sparse.

Lost in thought, Li Ju returned from outside. She Niang had water brought for him to wash his face and change clothes. He remarked, "This dreadful weather is so hot. Going out once leaves you drenched in sweat. In Hangzhou, there were dedicated bathhouses, but here in the capital, water is scarce and space limited, making it hard to build one."

"The meal will be ready soon. Why don't you go bathe first and then come out to eat?" She Niang suggested with a smile.

Li Ju looked around, then took her hand and said, "I just want to talk with you properly. During the day, there are people everywhere, making it hard to have a real conversation."

She Niang, not wanting to spoil the mood, replied, "I'm the same. Wherever I go, I have to put on a good show and strive not to embarrass you."

"Don't worry. If anything comes up, just come to me," Li Ju said, patting his chest.

So, She Niang recounted the rewards she had given out earlier, adding, "I asked Fu Rong before, and she said this is how it's usually done in your household. So I prepared accordingly, but I was worried it might not be enough, so I cut extra fabric and added more."

Hearing this, Li Ju nodded. "However much you give is your decision. Who would dare complain? But doing it this way will surely make everyone think you're well-organized."

Noticing sweat on his forehead, She Niang quickly handed him a handkerchief. "Wipe your sweat and go bathe."

Li Ju leaned his head forward, implying he wanted her to wipe it for him. She Niang obliged, and after she wiped his sweat, he stood up. "I'll be right back."

"Alright, come quickly," She Niang said.

Li Ju was true to his word—he returned before She Niang had flipped through a few pages of her book. She felt he hadn't even dried off properly, as if he had rushed out immediately after bathing.

Once they were seated, the kitchen announced the meal was ready, and She Niang had it served.

The table was laden with seafood and river delicacies: grilled clams, stir-fried fresh shrimp, frog legs, bamboo shoot chicken breast, sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, as well as fatty chicken and roasted goose.

In addition to these main dishes, there were also mint-infused ice water, lychee water, noodles, rice, and more.

She Niang wasn’t picky, so she ate a bit of everything. Having been hungry since morning, she devoured the food like a whirlwind, finishing a bowl of rice before setting down her chopsticks and drinking the ice water to quench her thirst.

Seeing her eat with such relish, Li Ju felt relieved and said, "I usually don't come back for lunch. Feel free to order whatever you like from the menu."

"Mm."

After the meal, the maids came to clear the table. She Niang smiled and said, "If it cools down later, we could take a walk in the bamboo grove to digest."

"I knew you'd like that bamboo grove," Li Ju said with certainty.

At this, She Niang smiled again. "But for now, let's go take a look at the dowry. I noticed the study in the northwest corner is empty. Do you have any use for it? If not, we could tidy it up and use it for reading."

Li Ju quickly replied, "You can arrange it as you like. It's just sitting empty."

She Niang was pleased. She had long wanted a study. Since Li Ju usually worked in the front courtyard study, this one would mostly be for her use, which was perfect.

After settling this, the two went to the storeroom via the corridor. It was filled with her dowry, including many books and fine furniture, all of which were moved to the small study.

She gave a few instructions on arranging the study, and within an hour, everything was in order.

"There's one thing I regretted yesterday," She Niang said seriously, looking at Li Ju.

Li Ju grew anxious. "What is it?"

"In folk weddings, the groom recites a 'poem urging the bride to prepare.' But you didn't compose anything?"

So it was about this. Li Ju laughed. "I'll compose one for you right now, how about that?"

With that, he picked up a brush, thought for a moment, and wrote a poem. She Niang, in response, also composed one. The two resembled a young couple deeply in love, so much so that when they arrived at Yin'an Hall, everyone could sense an unbreakable bond between them.

The women were inside, separated by a screen, while the men were outside.

The Princess Consort of Qing said to She Niang, "These are your eldest aunt, third aunt, and fourth aunt. Greet them properly."

"Yes," She Niang replied, bowing to each in turn.

The eldest aunt was the Princess of Chongning, around thirty years old with a gentle appearance. It was said she was a second wife. The third aunt was also a second wife, smiling kindly with a warm demeanor. The fourth aunt was the wife of the Duke of Fuguo, also Yang Mo’s mother-in-law, who appeared shrewd and sharp.

After greeting the elder generation, it was time for the peers. Although Yang Mo was technically her elder sister-in-law, as the Princess Consort, She Niang held a higher rank. After exchanging greetings, they all returned the courtesy.

Once everyone had paid their respects, the Dowager Consort smiled and said, "Wonderful! Everyone is here today. This morning, we were just saying how hastily this courtyard was built. Otherwise, with the opera tower finished, we could all enjoy a performance together. Our household has several troupes, after all."

Everyone knew the Dowager Consort loved opera, so they chimed in with enthusiasm. At the same time, they observed She Niang’s reactions. She Niang wasn’t particularly fond of opera; she preferred reading, feeling that books left room for imagination and subtlety.

But having listened to opera for years, even without deliberately memorizing, she could still discuss it knowledgeably.

"The Princess Consort also knows the Sixi Troupe?" the Princess of Chongning asked.

She Niang smiled. "I heard them over a decade ago when they were called the Fengrong Troupe, directed by someone from Wuxi. My grandfather was still alive then, and the style was different from now."

The Dowager Consort, an expert, immediately added, "Back then, they didn’t place water vats below the stage. They relied on genuine vocal skill. Nowadays, they prefer flashy tricks, placing vats in front of the opera tower."

"You’re truly knowledgeable. The gongs weren’t as dense back then, and they sometimes used wind instruments for accompaniment."

She Niang’s comments seemed to strike a chord with the Dowager Consort, delighting her and sparking her interest. She Niang mused to herself that she could even improvise convincingly her way through poetry and everything else—she had to admire her own ability.

With two elders present, the younger wives mostly remained silent. Yang Mo, seeing this, felt even more resentful. Her husband, Li Qiong, was a good-for-nothing—neither accomplished in literature nor martial arts. He had even failed the imperial clan exams and only managed to scrape through thanks to the Prince of Qing’s influence.

Someone as clever as her was married to such a husband, all because of Pei Sheniang. If not for her, she would be the one sitting in the place of honor now.

But Yang Mo’s bitterness went unnoticed, as no one paid her any attention. She Niang descended from the Dowager Consort’s side just as the banquet began. The princess sat with the Dowager Consort, the Princess Consort of Qing sat with the Princess of Chongning and other sisters-in-law at one table, and She Niang led the third table.

As granddaughters-in-law, they still had to stand and attend to others—setting chopsticks, serving soup—before returning to their seats.

The Princess Consort of Qing said to the wife of the Duke of Fuguo, "Fourth sister-in-law, how is Ronghe? I’ve missed her since she married out a year ago."

Mentioning her daughter, even the usually shrewd Duchess of Fuguo softened her expression considerably: "She's doing well. They say she's with child, so it seems we might have another grandchild next year."

"Congratulations, that's wonderful news." The Princess Consort of Qing thought to herself that her fourth sister-in-law would now have grandsons from both her son and daughter.

Everyone exchanged a few ordinary pleasantries, and soon the banquet broke up. The Dowager Consort dismissed the gathering, as today's purpose was merely for introductions, not for genuine socializing.

She Niang sometimes felt that rules were restrictive, but at other times, they were quite beneficial—at least they spared her from awkward small talk.

That evening, the couple naturally shared another intimate moment, as newlyweds and young people often do. Consequently, the next day, She Niang slept so soundly that Mama Xia had to come in to wake her.

"You should have woken me earlier," She Niang said.

Mama Xia was taking out clothes to iron and replied, "The heir told me not to wake you, saying that last night's banquet ended late and the Princess Consort probably wouldn't be up early either."

"That won't do. Even though I slept very comfortably, I still need to tend to my duties." She stretched lazily, got up quickly, and went straight to the Princess Consort of Qing's quarters.

She genuinely had something to ask the Princess Consort. Since her mother-in-law was managing the household, all personnel matters should be under her purview. So, how should Li Ju's servants and her own be arranged? It was best to seek the Princess Consort's opinion first.

Unexpectedly, when she arrived, the Princess Consort was still at her toilette. Seeing She Niang, she said, "I couldn't fall asleep until late last night, and my body still aches. Lately, I don't know what's wrong."

She Niang expressed concern for a few moments before bringing up the matter of her own courtyard: "Now that there are more people, how should night shifts be arranged? I've come to ask for your instructions."

"You can arrange that yourself. Now that you're the heir's consort, if any of them disobey, just report back to me," the Princess Consort of Qing said.

"They're all very good. It's just that I'm a newcomer, and if any mistakes occur, I hope you'll make allowances for me, Mother." She Niang still needed to say the polite words.

The Princess Consort of Qing nodded slightly inwardly, pleased with her attitude. Once the servants finished dressing her, the princess also arrived and quietly asked, "With so many people yesterday, I didn't get to ask—how is my brother treating you?"

"The heir is very good, princess. You needn't worry." She couldn't very well discuss marital intimacies with an unmarried girl.

However, She Niang added, "If you have nothing to do today, feel free to come to my place to chat. Your brother won't be around during the day."

The princess eagerly agreed.

In truth, accompanying elders in conversation wasn't about how well you could speak but about showing the right attitude. She had observed her sister-in-law Huang Shi doing exactly that.

When you lack capital, you must bide your time and learn to leverage strength against strength.

By noon, she had even risen to serve the Princess Consort of Qing and the princess a meal before returning to her own courtyard.

Back in her room, she naturally felt at ease. Since Li Ju wouldn't be returning today—she had already obtained his permission—she ordered a few of her favorite dishes, enjoyed a satisfying meal alone, and then rested on the couch for over an hour.

After waking, she went to the study that had been arranged the previous day to practice calligraphy, thinking how nice it would be to go sketching in the bamboo grove once the weather cooled down.

After finishing her calligraphy, she went back to discuss with Mama Xia and gradually drew up a night shift roster for them to follow. For her study, she assigned her third-tier maid, Xiao Xi, to manage it, specifically instructing, "The study is an important place. If anyone is dishonest and steals our books or even snippets of conversation, I will hold you accountable."

Mama Xia also sternly admonished her: "If you do well, there will naturally be opportunities for promotion. If not, don't even think about it—at eighteen, you'll be married off to some servant. What a waste of your parents' efforts to get you here."

Xiao Xi quickly said, "Mama, don't worry, I will do my best."

"Good. The heir's consort is considerate and has assigned Huan'er to you. If you need to send messages, just call her over," Mama Xia said.

What She Niang needed to do was first separate the original servants who had served Li Ju. Otherwise, if they banded together to oppose her, they would form a considerable force.

But she couldn't make the separation too obvious either. First, she moved Huan'er away, assigned another servant, Shuang'er, to work with Cui Lan, and placed Xue Ji with Gui Fang for night shifts.

Thus, even if Cui Lan and the others noticed, they couldn't complain.

The next day, for the third-day bridal return visit, She Niang dressed elaborately, paid respects to the Dowager Consort and the Princess Consort of Qing, and then left with Li Ju.

Honestly, though she had only been away from home for three days, it felt much longer. Upon returning to the Pei family, Li Ju was naturally entertained by the men, while She Niang first went to Old Madam Pei. Old Madam Pei, along with the other female family members, prepared to bow—after all, as the heir's consort, her status was equivalent to that of a princess consort.

Protocol before family customs: She Niang naturally took the seat of honor. Old Madam Pei, seeing her sitting upright at the head, felt uncomfortable. The rest of the Pei family felt the same; even Shun Niang, watching from the side, thought how different her fifth sister's status and demeanor were now.

Naturally, on such an occasion, only the Pei family themselves were present; Yue Niang and Li Niang had not returned.

Everyone made polite, indifferent conversation. Meng Shi and Huo Shi asked about life in the prince's residence, and She Niang assured them everything was fine.

Yu Shi was very worried about her daughter and, wanting to speak privately, said, "You left in such a hurry that day, there was something you forgot to take. Let me get it for you now."

"I was wondering about that too. Please excuse me, everyone," She Niang said calmly.

Now, at home, she didn't need to seek anyone's permission. Even Old Madam Pei could only murmur obediently, "As you wish, heir's consort."

"There's no need for everyone to make a fuss. I'll just go with my mother and return shortly," She Niang said.

The others found it inconvenient to disturb them but also dared not disperse, so they waited there. Once She Niang and Yu Shi were alone, they exchanged a smile, and Yu Shi quickly asked, "How is your husband treating you? And what about that Yang Mo? She had grievances with you before—has she given you any trouble?"

"You've asked so many questions at once. Let me tell you one by one." She Niang recounted everything that had happened over the past few days.

She mentioned the child causing a disturbance in the bridal chamber, how she paid her morning and evening respects, and how she assigned tasks. Only after seeing Yu Shi relax did she bring up Yang Mo: "We don't live in the same part of the residence. Actually, she's quite comfortable now—she became pregnant soon after marriage and has given birth to a son. The Duchess of Fuguo, shrewd as she is, has even started letting her manage household affairs. Even if she wanted to target me, it would be difficult."

Yu Shi patted her chest in relief: "That's good, that's good."

When mother and daughter returned, everyone went to listen to an opera. Before noon, She Niang had to leave. She said to Yu Shi and Huang Shi, "There will be plenty of opportunities to gather in the future. Once the opera tower at our prince's residence is renovated, I'll invite you over."

Compared to her previous life as empress, being part of the imperial clan now offered much more freedom—she could return to her maiden home and even invite her family to the prince's residence for visits.

She had thought she would miss home terribly and feel reluctant to leave, but seeing her mother wiping tears yet still bidding her farewell, she understood that it was time to stand on her own—now she had her own family.

She had once heard that a woman is a guest in her maiden home and an outsider in her husband's home, seemingly never having a place of her own.

In truth, women are in no way inferior to men; they merely lack opportunities.

If women could take the imperial exams and pursue official careers, why would they need to elevate their status through marriage? How wonderful it would be if women could navigate the world independently and establish their own identities!

At this thought, her expression grew somewhat downcast.

Li Ju, thinking she was homesick, quickly said, "In a little while, it will be your birthday. We can invite your family to stay at our residence for a few days then."

"My family has responsibilities—my younger brother is still small, my sister-in-law is pregnant, and my mother has to manage the household." She Niang would have liked that, but she worried they might feel uncomfortable.

Li Ju smiled. "There will be opportunities. Don't worry."

She Niang wasn't one to dwell on sentimentality and soon returned to normal. At the Princess Consort of Qing's quarters, she even said, "My mother asked me to send her regards and said she hopes you can visit our Pei family someday."

The Princess Consort of Qing was pleased to hear this.

After the third-day return, marking her formal entry into life at the Prince of Qing's residence, Li Ju, who had originally been handling affairs at the Imperial Clan Court, handed over his duties to his father after the Prince of Qing went to the capital, focusing instead on overseeing the construction of the residence.

Thus, he had plenty of leisure time. She Niang said, "If you have nothing to do, come back for lunch and rest a while. Just let me know what you like to eat, so I can make arrangements."

"There's no need to go to such trouble," Li Ju feigned refusal.

She Niang laughed. "At home, my mother had me learn some cooking for a few days. I'm not excellent, but it's edible. I'm afraid if you don't tell me, I might go through the effort only to be blamed. So, just tell me, alright~"

As she spoke, she began to act coyly. Li Ju, putting on airs for less than a moment, said, "I'll eat whatever you make, really. Actually, I don't even know what I like to eat myself."

He had tasted all sorts of delicacies and had long since lost interest in eating.

She Niang saw that no matter how much she pestered him, he wouldn't say, so she had to say, "Then if I make it, you can't say it tastes bad."

"Don't worry, I definitely won't." Li Ju had never even dreamed that She Niang would cook for him.

Of course, She Niang wasn't going to prepare a whole table of dishes. Thinking how hot the weather was, she felt cold noodles would be most refreshing. So that evening, she first informed the kitchen, then changed into some well-worn clothes and went there herself.

The cooks were all waiting, and she smiled, saying, "First, prepare some bird's eye chilies, coarse and fine ground chili, sesame, shredded cucumber, shredded chicken, and also fry some soybeans. I'll knead the dough here."

However, she wanted to use pumpkin for the dough, which would give it a slight yellow hue and add more color.

While the pumpkin was steaming, she had someone bring out the starter dough, measured out several bowls of flour, and had water boiled. When the pumpkin was steamed, she mashed it into a paste, added it to the flour, and worked it into the dough.

The cooks, seeing she was quite deft, flattered her, but She Niang quickly said, "I've already had someone bring a set of gold-edged begonia-patterned bowls and plates. You all go ahead with your work."

After kneading, the dough needed to rest for half an hour, so she went to the bamboo grove in the front for a stroll. When she returned, she began rolling out and cutting the noodles. She boiled the noodles for a while, until they were cooked but not too soft, then drained them and shocked them in ice water.

She whipped up a tangy-spicy sauce, stirred it well, then added the shredded cucumber, fried soybeans, and shredded chicken. Finally, she finished with a drizzle of chili oil.

She tasted a bite herself—it was truly refreshing.

She quickly had it served to the front courtyard. The cooks wouldn’t actually let the couple eat only cold noodles; they still served eight main dishes and eight sides with several drinks and snacks.

Li Ju, seeing She Niang personally bring it to him, took a whiff and asked, "Did you add a lot of vinegar?"

"Yes, it's our Shanxi vinegar, but don’t worry—it’s not the sour kind, it’s refreshing," She Niang said with a smile.

Li Ju quickly mixed it and took a bite. At first, he didn’t think much of it, but gradually he finished the whole bowl. Seeing that She Niang couldn’t finish hers, he ate her leftovers as well.

They say that finishing the food is the highest compliment to the cook.

She Niang hadn’t expected him to be so supportive. Soon, Li Ju even suggested diplomatically: "Next time, we can offer some to Grandmother and Mother and let them try it too."

"It was an oversight on my part—good thinking." Actually, She Niang was worried that, unlike other things, food might not be to everyone’s taste. Something like sour and spicy cold noodles, which packs quite a punch, might not suit older people.

Hearing this, Li Ju beamed with pride and said, "You made noodles for me today; tomorrow I’ll give you something too."

She Niang smiled. "Okay."