Chapter 62: Chapter 62 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 62: Double Chapter Combined

Li Ju arrived early with A Heng and She Niang to pay respects to the Princess Consort of Qing. Although the princess had married away, A Heng's presence still brought some liveliness to the household.

Lifting the curtain were two concubines of the Prince of Qing—one was the previously mentioned Miss Mei, and the other was a woman around thirty years old, addressed as Lady Xue.

Lady Xue was once highly favored, and even though her youth had faded, she remained clever and perceptive. In contrast, Miss Mei was much more arrogant, which was understandable—she was young, beautiful, and currently in favor.

Despite this, both women were meek and obedient in the presence of the Princess Consort of Qing, not daring to overstep in the slightest.

The Princess Consort of Qing reached out to hold A Heng as soon as she saw him, but the child was quite heavy. She Niang laughed and said, "Be careful not to strain your hands."

Hearing She Niang mention "hands," A Heng immediately raised his own. The Princess Consort of Qing couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh, our little A Heng is so clever! Later, let his aunt hold him too, to share in the joy."

Speaking of joy, She Niang's cousin Shun Niang had given birth to a son, and his hundred-day celebration was approaching. She Niang said, "My sixth cousin’s son is reaching his hundredth day, and I came to inform you, Mother-in-law. I plan to attend that day."

"That’s only proper. You should definitely go. When the time comes, bring the child to me," the Princess Consort of Qing said with a smile.

She Niang quickly expressed her gratitude.

Nearby, Li Ju felt somewhat useless—his wife’s relationship with his mother-in-law was growing closer by the day, and he wondered how She Niang had managed it.

She Niang, of course, believed it was because everyone was reasonable; once things were talked out, it was easier to get along. Moreover, the Prince of Qing’s residence was nothing like the palace—it was quite different.

After chatting for a while, the princess arrived. She had returned home the previous day and stayed overnight, planning to leave after lunch that day.

An ordinary daughter-in-law would not receive such favorable treatment, but the princess was different. She Niang smiled and chimed in, "Mother-in-law knew you love this steamed lamb dish, so she specially had it prepared this morning."

Though well-intentioned, these words inexplicably annoyed the princess. She felt as though her home had been taken over. Now, even her mother-in-law favored this sister-in-law, and her brother had no concubines or maidservants. Meanwhile, she, a princess who had married beneath her station, had a husband who dared to keep concubines and maidservants, and her mother-in-law was only superficially polite. She couldn’t help but feel resentful.

So she said, "I don’t have the same good fortune as my sister-in-law."

She Niang was taken aback and didn’t know how to respond. Arguing with her sister-in-law at the table would be a loss, even if she won.

Li Ju, however, couldn’t stand it. "Your sister-in-law saved a life, which is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Of course she has good fortune." He disliked people like Bao Ying—she had been saved, taught how to manage a household and keep accounts, and even benefited from her paintings, yet she still had the nerve to criticize others.

If it were according to the princess’s former temperament, she would have thrown down her chopsticks and left. But now, with her husband away at the front, she was not well-informed, and relying on her father and brother, she could only pout. After the meal, she went to the Dowager Consort.

She Niang thought the Dowager Consort also treated the princess like a pet. Although she didn’t care much for Old Madam Pei, Old Madam Pei had trained Shun Niang in household management and needlework alike.

She had even specifically instructed Shun Niang to be kind to Mao Ge'er, not to neglect him, and every time the Pei family sent gifts, they never forgot the two children born to Nian Niang.

But these were not matters She Niang could comment on. After the meal, Li Ju went to the Imperial Clan Court first, while She Niang returned to handle household affairs—funds for new sedan chairs and tassels, new window paper for Bai Shi’s courtyard, and a doctor for the Dowager Consort’s two ailing young actresses. Only after delegating these tasks could she finally relax.

Soon after, an invitation was delivered from outside—it was a wedding invitation from the Wang family. The matron said to She Niang, "Our madam and young lady specially request the presence of the Princess Consort and the Marchioness."

"Which family is she marrying into?" She Niang asked without looking at the invitation.

The matron replied, "She is marrying into the family of Academician Zhang."

She Niang opened the invitation and recognized the name—it was Zhang Shijun. She had long heard that his wife had died in childbirth, and he was a good match. "The Zhang family has a longstanding friendship with my father. They are a good family, and this young Master Zhang is very talented."

The Wang family matron smiled. "What a coincidence—it seems we’re all becoming one family."

She Niang gave her a reward and had someone take her to the Princess Consort of Qing.

In the past, members of the Wang family could go directly to the Princess Consort of Qing, but now that She Niang was assisting with household management, the Princess Consort of Qing had more leisure to focus on social engagements and was often out of the residence. Over time, people began bringing matters directly to She Niang first.

Xia Mama brought over a bowl of mint drink and couldn’t help asking, "Marchioness, how did Miss Wang suddenly get married?"

"There’s nothing strange about it. She’s already observed a year of mourning—should she observe more? The Zhang family is a scholarly one. Although Academician Zhang hasn’t had a smooth official career, his son is talented—from Hanlin Academician to compiler, he has been a close minister to the Emperor." She Niang thought the Prince of Jin’s next principal wife must have chosen someone else.

But these were not things to share with Xia Mama.

A few days later, She Niang had carriages prepared and went to the Marquis of Xinan’s residence. The front of the marquis’s residence was already bustling with activity. When the Prince of Qing’s royal carriage arrived, the Marchioness of Xinan, including Shun Niang, came out to welcome them. She Niang noticed Shun Niang’s face had filled out, indicating she had gotten her wish, and she congratulated her repeatedly.

Shun Niang smiled. "Fifth Sister, please come to the Eldest Hall for a chat. Second Sister and Fourth Sister are both here today."

Yue Niang was, of course, present—she was related to the Marquis of Xinan’s family. Meanwhile, Li Niang’s pregnancy was showing, and she was sneakily eating pine nut cake. She Niang and the others chatted freely together.

Li Niang looked at her sister and asked, "Why didn’t you bring A Heng?"

"He’s still young, so I left him with my mother-in-law. It’s more comfortable for me to go out this way," She Niang replied.

Li Niang added, "That’s true. A little child would find the carriage stuffy—better to stay at home."

Although Li Niang and She Niang’s sisterly relationship wasn’t as close as some, it was much better than before. Now that Li Niang was pregnant, thanks to her mother and sister from her maiden home sending supplements and doctors, and with their backing, her life in the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence was much better than before.

Whenever something happened, she could ask her sister and quickly resolve it.

The Pei family had also come today. Yu Shi was delighted to see her two daughters. She Niang asked about Pang Ge'er: "I heard he has a new teacher? How is it going?"

"Everything is fine. There’s another piece of good news at home. We meant to send word to you, but since we were coming today, we decided to tell you in person. Your brother has passed the military imperial examination." Yu Shi was so happy she couldn’t stop smiling.

As the saying goes, the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts. Pei Ji had failed in literature and switched to martial arts. With the Prince of Qing’s riding and archery instructors, plus the military books from the Marquis of Xinan and Marquis of Dingbei’s residences, he went to seek advice and actually passed this time.

She Niang congratulated Huang Shi: "Congratulations, Sister-in-law."

Huang Shi’s father had been transferred to the Imperial Academy in Beijing. Originally, he thought his son-in-law was scholarly, but he ended up taking the military imperial examination. Still, the Pei family was wealthy and knew propriety, and his daughter’s life was comfortable, so he didn’t complain.

"Your brother still plans to take the military imperial advanced examination. For now, he’s studying military strategy at home," Huang Shi said with a smile.

Everyone’s lives were getting better. She Niang also spoke with her mother about Zhang Shijun’s marriage: "Did you know about this?"

Yu Shi said, "I hadn’t heard, but they seem well-suited."

Since Wang Zhenzhu returned home, Yu Shi had spoken more highly of her.

Suddenly, Li Niang said, "This isn’t surprising. I know who the Prince of Jin’s next principal wife chose."

"What?" She Niang looked at her, somewhat surprised, wondering how Li Niang knew.

Li Niang said, "The Prince of Jin’s next principal wife chose the daughter of the Viscount of Zhao. Their family lives next door to ours."

She Niang covered her mouth. "Is Miss Zhao the one who likes to wear her hair in a high bun?"

Li Niang nodded—it was her.

When there were many people around, Li Niang couldn’t elaborate, but when everyone went to watch the opera or see the children, she whispered to She Niang: "Do you know? That Miss Zhao is formidable—she only appears meek on the surface."

How formidable? She Niang had heard rumors—she was skilled in medicine, and after marrying into a family, any concubine or maidservant who became pregnant would miscarry inexplicably. She was also deeply cunning. She Niang remembered that when she was ill in the palace, they invited a folk female doctor, and they had even invited her.

With someone like this entering the Prince of Jin’s residence, she was truly worried about the Prince of Jin’s heirs.

Of course, it wasn’t her place to worry, because the Crown Prince had fallen from his horse during archery practice and died. Upon hearing this, She Niang lost her appetite for the feast at the Marquis of Xinan’s residence and returned home early.

It was important to know that Li Ju received such respect partly because of his status as the Crown Prince’s Study Companion. Suddenly, with the Crown Prince’s passing and the Second Imperial Prince not yet a year old, where would the world go from here?

When she returned, Li Ju was no longer at home, so She Niang first went to see the Princess of Qing.

The Princess of Qing said kindly, "You should take A Heng and go back first. I'll wait for your father to return."

Li Ju felt at that moment that fate was truly playing tricks on him. He had prepared quinine for a while, yet it went unused—the Emperor was alive and well, but the Crown Prince was dead. Life was so unpredictable.

Perhaps rebirth only meant knowing heaven's will in advance, but those secrets could change at any time. He would no longer act solely based on past experience.

The Emperor and Empress were devastated with grief. Although the Crown Prince’s funeral was grand, it could not bring him back. The Empress passed away on the third seventh-day mourning period after the Crown Prince’s death; by then, she had stopped eating and drinking. The Crown Prince had only recently married and left no children, so she had no hope left.

But with her death, everything was truly gone.

She Niang and others went in to pay their respects and comfort the Crown Princess, while also dealing with many household matters. Both the Princess of Qing and She Niang lost weight, especially She Niang, who was young and naturally handled matters both domestic and outside. She still had to pay respects to the Dowager Consort, so her duties were even greater. Fortunately, she was able to endure it.

After the evening rounds, Li Ju waited for her to finish her ablutions, carried her to the bed, and held her, saying, "Look how much thinner you’ve become."

"It’s alright. Not just me—Mother has also lost weight, and you, the bags under your eyes are getting darker." She Niang looked at him with concern. The Crown Prince’s death had hit him hard, and having to frequently go to the palace made it even more difficult.

Li Ju walked to the bed and set her down. "Did you know? I never expected the Crown Prince to pass away so suddenly. I’ve heard some rumors—it might have been Consort Xu’s doing."

"You mustn’t say such things recklessly. How could a consort from the inner court harm the Crown Prince? With everyone on edge, you must never speak of this." She Niang was very cautious.

Her experience from her past life in the inner court had taught her the dangers of careless words. If something didn’t need to be said, it was better left unsaid.

Li Ju smiled. "I know. I’m only saying this to you in private. Outside, I won’t mention it to anyone."

"It’s good that you trust me. In truth, it’s quite obvious. Consort Xu is deeply favored, but with the Crown Prince around, she and her son always had to remain subordinate." She Niang could easily imagine it—these were things she had experienced herself.

Li Ju frowned. "But the Crown Prince was too unprepared?"

"No one could have predicted it. Just like in our household—Mother is in charge of managing the estate, and I assist. Even with our own people, there are times when we let our guard down. To be honest, whenever I step away for a moment, I worry something might happen to A Heng." She Niang also felt a vague unease.

Li Ju widened his eyes, recalling his role as the Assistant Imperial Clan Superintendent, where he had presided over many cases among the imperial clan. He couldn’t help but say, "You’re right."

Seeing him like this, She Niang smiled. "But you shouldn’t be overly suspicious or fearful. We just need to be cautious in our daily lives."

After the Crown Prince was buried, the capital returned to normalcy. Because of this, A Heng’s first birthday party was not held. She Niang simply placed some objects on the table at home for him to choose from. Li Ju couldn’t help but feel sorry for his son.

She Niang, however, didn’t mind and said, "This way, it’s quieter."

A Heng picked up a long sword and looked at Li Ju, asking to be held. Li Ju doted on his son. "You want to play with a sword at just one year old? When you’re a bit older, I'll take you out to play, alright?"

"Okay." A Heng could already say a few simple words.

With the child around, She Niang felt closer to Li Ju, and it made it easier for him to open up to her. Although his temper wasn’t the best, he would play with the child and rarely got angry, no matter what the child did. This was something rare not only among imperial relatives but even among ordinary men.

Some men seemed to think raising children was solely a woman’s responsibility—if the child turned out well, it was their credit; if not, it was the mother’s fault.

Unknowingly, almost two years had passed since she married—time really flew!

Especially after having a child, she rarely had time for herself. The year was filled with festivals and occasions. Although A Heng’s first birthday wasn’t celebrated with guests, Yu Shi still brought a set of necklaces, bracelets, and anklets as gifts.

A Heng was wearing a teal-blue gauze jacket and white silk pants, toddling around unsteadily. Yu Shi immediately wanted to hold him, but She Niang said, "He’s quite heavy now. Only his father can hold him without feeling the weight. The rest of us get tired after holding him for a while."

But Yu Shi still held her grandson tightly. Even Pei Ji and Pei Yiqing wanted to hold him. The little one didn’t see many outsiders usually, so today was both curious and a bit shy.

"He usually only plays in our courtyard and doesn’t go out much. Now that he’s meeting people, he’s a bit shy," She Niang said.

Yu Shi replied, "Shao Li is here today too. Later, let the cousins play together."

She Niang agreed. Noticing Huang Shi wasn’t there, she asked and learned that her sister-in-law was pregnant again. She quickly said, "If I hadn’t asked, you wouldn’t have told me."

"It wasn’t easy to mention. Your sister-in-law is having a difficult pregnancy this time," Yu Shi said, feeling sorry for her daughter-in-law.

Bringing up the topic, Yu Shi looked at She Niang. "Now that A Heng is one, you should have more children while you’re young. That would put my mind at ease."

The Prince of Qing’s estate indeed had a title to inherit, but She Niang didn’t want to have children too closely together. For one, she preferred to feel light and agile—pregnancy made her feel cumbersome. For another, she wanted to focus on raising A Heng properly.

She didn’t want one child not yet fully grown while another was harmed.

Somehow, she felt a deep connection with A Heng. The child often wanted no one else but her and was very attached to her, unlike the child from her previous life.

So, while she nodded at Yu Shi’s suggestion, she wasn’t in a hurry to act on it.

Due to the mourning period for the Crown Prince, the family avoided entertainment, simply gathering to chat. After dinner, She Niang prepared many nourishing gifts for them to take back.

Besides her family, even Shun Niang, with whom she had an ordinary relationship, sent a first birthday present, not to mention Li Niang. Among the imperial clan, the Prince of Zhao's concubine Guo Xianzhu, Princess of Zhao, Guan Shi, the Princess of Xiang from the Prince of Xiang’s estate, and others sent gifts. Even Yi Niang, the third sister and wife of the Prince of Jin, sent a pair of herbal pillows and a pair of jade pendants.

Only the Princess sent nothing, even though she was his aunt.

She Niang said nothing, not even mentioning it to Li Ju. She understood the principle of not meddling in family matters, so no one in the estate knew. Only those close to her felt indignant on her behalf. Dong Mei said, "Every time the Princess returns, you treat her so well, yet she doesn’t show you any respect."

"I think she’ll face hardships later. Don’t worry about her. Your wedding is coming up—focus on being a bride," She Niang said with a smile.

Dong Mei was twenty-two this year, and Xue Ji was twenty—both reaching the age to be released from service. Dong Mei was matched with Wu Youde from the accounts office, while Xue Ji was allowed to find a match through her family.

Since Dong Mei was She Niang’s personal maid, she would continue working in the estate after marriage. Xue Ji’s arrangements were more complicated.

Dong Mei blushed at the mention. She Niang had already arranged for her to live in the outer rooms of the heir’s courtyard—three rooms in total, one main room and two inner rooms, all furnished with rosewood furniture and well-decorated. Dong Mei was very satisfied. Moreover, she would continue serving the heir's wife, which put her at ease.

With Cui Lan and Xue Ji both settled, the younger maids like Shuang’er and Xiao Xi, who were less experienced, followed her orders obediently, putting She Niang’s mind at ease.

Meanwhile, Li Niang was nearing her due date at the end of June. She wanted Yu Shi to come, but the Marquis of Dingbei’s estate was different from the Prince of Qing’s. They felt they had enough people prepared and didn’t need Yu Shi to come, especially since she would have to stay in a guest room, which was inconvenient.

Yu Shi said, "Your sister is in a prince’s estate without any reliable people around her. I can’t just go as I please. Since the Marquis of Dingbei’s estate hasn’t invited me, it’s not appropriate for me to come. But I’ll send someone to check on you every few days, and I’ll come when you’re about to give birth."

Li Niang sighed. "People used to say marrying above one’s station wasn’t good, but my sister married into the Prince of Qing’s estate and is doing much better than us. Her husband is devoted, and she helps manage the household—it’s truly enviable."

"Why bring this up? You might not know the hardships your sister faces. She has to handle affairs from morning till night, and even after dark, people still come to her with matters. Not to mention, in her courtyard, even the maids sent to serve your brother-in-law are discreetly married off," Yu Shi said, feeling sorry for her younger daughter.

Li Niang laughed. "Mother, you don’t feel sorry for me."

"I see you often. The prince’s estate isn’t so easy to visit," Yu Shi said.

Li Niang thought about it and agreed. The Marquis of Dingbei’s estate was Old Madam Pei’s natal home, so they visited often. She and her mother met almost every month, while visiting her sister was harder—meeting two or three times a year was already a lot.

She added, "I hope I can have a child like A Heng—bright-eyed, close to his mother, chubby and soft."

"You will," Yu Shi said, feeling inexplicably sad.

If her daughter had married into the Shao family, life would have been better. Even someone like Zhang Shuxian lived comfortably, let alone Li Niang. But what was done was done, and Yu Shi could only comfort herself by saying that her brother-in-law Wang was not bad.

After returning from the Marquis of Dingbei’s estate, Yu Shi received an invitation to Zhang Shijun and Wang Zhenzhu’s wedding. She had already heard about their relationship, and now she had the invitation in hand.

The palace also issued an edict for the Prince of Jin’s marriage, but the Prince of Jin insisted on observing the twenty-seven month mourning period before remarrying, which earned him much praise. Rumor had it that the current Emperor and the Prince of Jin were rivals, but with the Emperor suddenly losing the Crown Prince and previously focusing on reducing the feudal lords' power, it was difficult to directly target the Prince of Jin. Now it was even harder.

Li Ju and She Niang were both calm now. Li Ju felt that one should do their best and leave the rest to fate—as long as he did what he believed was right, he would have no regrets. She Niang found it even less strange—a person’s fate depends not only on effort but also on luck.

To be fair, she did not like the Prince of Jin as a husband, but as a ruler, she acknowledged his capability.

At least if the Prince of Jin were handling the reduction of feudal estates, it wouldn’t escalate to such a high-profile mess without being able to resolve it.

Yet the Prince of Jin tends to go too far—too clever, too fond of playing political games. For She Niang, while a ruler must possess strategic skill, they must also have a care for the greater good.

“Still not asleep?” She Niang tilted her head to look at Li Ju.

Li Ju smiled. “Just reading.”

“Whatever book it is can wait. It’s too late now; we should rest. I know you’re troubled by the passing of the Crown Prince and the Empress, but you never know what life will bring. For now, we can only take one step at a time,” She Niang said.

Li Ju set the book down and gazed at her. “You’re right.”

Without him realizing, She Niang had become a solace in his heart. Whenever he felt lost, she wouldn’t grill him with questions but would quickly help him calm down.

“She Niang, what would I do without you?” Having spoken these words, he finally understood his own feelings.

She Niang crouched down to look at him. “So, how about we never part for a lifetime? I’ll protect you and stay by your side forever, alright?”

“In this life, there is only you,” Li Ju said earnestly.