Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Holding Steadfast to This Heart

Dong Yuting awoke with a start from her dream, inhaling the familiar, faint scent of sandalwood before settling back onto the bed. The soft silk quilt beneath her made her ponder the difference between it and a modern mattress.

She lay motionless until the cold sweat on her brow had completely dried, then rose from the bed to pour herself a glass of water.

In the dead of night, the tea had long grown cold, but for her, whose mind was still restless, this cool beverage effectively quelled the agitation within her.

She had that dream again—the one where she hadn't returned to her original world but remained here, a disembodied spirit hovering near "Dong Yuting." She watched as a maid quietly reported that *Yiniang* Yun in the west wing had recently lost her appetite, often felt nauseous, and her menses were late...

"Dong Yuting," proud and arrogant, didn't believe a child born to a concubine could pose any threat. Yet, the nanny who had served her since childhood incessantly whispered in her ear, emphasizing that *Yiniang* Yun must not carry this child to term.

"Dong Yuting" instructed the maid to continue observing. A month later, *Yiniang* Yun’s belly had grown, and it could no longer be concealed.

The maid brought the latest news: *Yiniang* Yun craved sour foods. This was a significant sign. "Dong Yuting's" nanny immediately grew agitated, almost gritting her teeth as she declared, "We must not let *Yiniang* Yun give birth to a son first."

But asking "Dong Yuting" to take action was something she couldn't bring herself to do. She brushed off the nanny, saying they would discuss it later.

However, how could this matter be postponed? Once *Yiniang* Yun gave birth to a son, dealing with it would become even more difficult.

The nanny, determined to uphold "Dong Yuting's" status in the Li household, could not tolerate *Yiniang* Yun, even if she was merely a concubine. Having watched "Dong Yuting" grow up, the nanny’s devotion ran deep. Even the head maid had to show utmost respect in her presence.

Under the nanny’s persistent urging, "Dong Yuting" finally nodded in agreement.

As the principal wife of the household, even if she didn't yet hold full authority, dealing with a concubine was still an easy task. However, to avoid detection, careful planning was required.

The maid previously assigned to watch *Yiniang* Yun proved useful.

The nanny handled the matter cleanly. Although the maid was sacrificed in the process, no one discovered that "Dong Yuting" was the mastermind.

In the dream, an unfamiliar boy came to her courtyard and lamented, "Why did you kill me?"

Bloody tears streamed from his eyes, his pale skin turning bluish. The terrifying sight jolted Dong Yuting awake.

Qiu He entered the room and lit a candle. The faint glow illuminated Dong Yuting’s still-frightened face.

"Madam, the tea has gone cold. Shall I boil another pot?" Qiu He said solicitously.

"No need, it’s already so late." Boiling water would inevitably rouse several sleeping maids, and Dong Yuting was still unaccustomed to troubling others.

"Did I wake you?"

Previously, Qiu He would sleep on a makeshift bed in the side room to attend to the original mistress at night. However, the thought of someone sleeping on the floor while she was in bed made Dong Yuting uneasy, so she insisted that Qiu He sleep in the warm chamber. Though it was only separated by a main room, at least they were not in the same space.

Qiu He shook her head and said softly, "Madam, are you still thinking about that matter? Perhaps we should have the physician prescribe some calming herbal tea."

That day, after *Yiniang* Yun accused Dong Yuting of killing her child, the old lady immediately ordered her mouth to be gagged. It wasn't out of concern for Dong Yuting but to maintain the dignity of those in power. Although *Yiniang* Yun appeared to be the old lady’s person, upon closer inspection, the old lady and Dong Yuting shared common interests.

However, many people were present at the time and heard *Yiniang* Yun’s words, including the second and third wives. He Jinglin, as usual, treated everyone in the household with indifference, spending her time reading poetry when she had nothing to do. On the other hand, Ceng Huiyan seemed to avoid Dong Yuting.

Was she afraid that Dong Yuting might one day target her as well?

As for *Yiniang* Yun, she was first imprisoned and guarded by two menial servants, who deprived her of food for two full days.

The old lady would not hand her over to the authorities, again to protect the Li family’s reputation. Dong Yuting, not wanting to cause a loss of life, suggested to the old lady, "Why not send her to a nunnery and assign two maids to watch over her?"

At that, the old lady smiled approvingly, as if she had been waiting for Dong Yuting to say those very words.

"It’s good that you think this way. Our Li family is not one to trifle with human lives. Let her go to the nunnery to pray for Han Ge'er's fortune. Since she wanted to harm Han Ge'er, I’ll make her pray for him for the rest of her life. I’ll select the maids to watch her. You focus on taking care of Han Ge'er these next few days and ensure nothing else happens to him." The old lady gently patted Dong Yuting’s hand and spoke kindly.

Dong Yuting had just been exposed by *Yiniang* Yun for killing a child, and now the old lady declared that their family was not one to trifle with human lives. Whether there was any sarcasm in her words, Dong Yuting couldn't tell. Nor did she wish to dwell on it.

Originally, she had suggested this to prevent the old lady from selling *Yiniang* Yun off. Assigning two maids to watch her was also to prevent her from speaking recklessly. Letting the old lady choose the maids made things easier for Dong Yuting. Now, however, it seemed they might even fear she would harm *Yiniang* Yun herself.

Perhaps in others’ eyes, her image had transformed from a cold-hearted she-devil to a ruthless murderess...

Dong Yuting smiled wryly and said, "Let’s have the physician prescribe some tomorrow."

Qiu He nodded, committing it to memory. At daybreak, she would go to the pharmacy to get the ingredients for the calming herbal tea. She would personally oversee the brewing and delivery, ensuring nothing went wrong.

"What about *Yuan'er*?" *Yiniang* Yun was a semi-official concubine, but *Yuan'er* was merely a maid. She did not share *Yiniang* Yun’s relatively lenient fate. The day after the incident, she disappeared from the household without a trace.

At the mention of this, Qiu He said indignantly, "Why should you care about her, Madam! If she hadn’t switched the medicine, how would the young master have fallen ill? Thankfully, both you and the young master are under divine protection, thwarting *Yiniang* Yun’s plans."

When *Yiniang* Yun said they were lucky, it was not an empty remark. Only after *Yuan'er* confessed did they learn that she had used the same trick of switching medicines back when Dong Yuting was ill, replacing one of her herbs with a potent drug.

Upon hearing this, Dong Yuting suddenly realized that the original mistress might not have died from the severe illness but from the switched medicine. In that sense, *Yiniang* Yun had succeeded in her revenge.

Though she remained unaware of it.

Before becoming a maid, *Yiniang* Yun’s father was a physician. Later, he became involved in some clandestine affairs within a wealthy household and was retaliated against, forcing *Yiniang* Yun into servitude. Thus, she had some knowledge of medicine. Dong Yuting thought that, with such knowledge, she might have been able to care for her child well.

As for *Yuan'er*, her motive for helping *Yiniang* Yun switch the medicine was simple: money. Of course, she did not intend to cause death. *Yiniang* Yun had told her that the drug would only make the second young master suffer a bit longer from his illness, not kill him. She also claimed that when the principal wife was ill, she had switched the medicine to worsen her condition, and the principal wife was still alive and well.

Lured by profit, *Yuan'er* helped *Yiniang* Yun switch the medicines. Though she insisted she had momentarily lost her judgment, the old lady showed no mercy.

Qiu He’s eyes flickered, and she whispered, "Madam, perhaps we should visit the temple tomorrow. If you keep having nightmares, it might be... that child haunting you."

Dong Yuting suddenly recalled Master Kongming’s words to her: "May you always hold steadfast to this heart..."

Indeed, in the end, she was not the one who had committed the deed. Why should she feel guilty? Moreover, if *Yiniang* Yun’s idea of an eye for an eye was followed, she had already succeeded.

Dong Yuting’s mind gradually calmed. Having resolved her thoughts, a wave of drowsiness washed over her.

"Go back to sleep. I’m fine now," Dong Yuting said gently.

---

The next day, Dong Yuting was in good spirits, sitting in the courtyard with Li Nianyao admiring the flowers.

Xia Qing came in to announce, "Mrs. Chen is here."

Li Nianyao held a pair of scissors, snipping cleanly at the joint of a flower stem before placing it in a celadon jade vase held by a maid.

"Why is she here?" Li Nianyao asked casually.

The household stewards reported once every seven days, while Mrs. Chen and Qi Er's wife came once a month. It was not yet time for their monthly visit, so why had she come?

"Let her in," Dong Yuting said, placing the flowers she had cut into the same jade vase. The taller flowers were pale pink, while the shorter ones had a hint of green. The vase, already exquisite with its glaze, looked even more elegant adorned with flowers.

Qiu He picked up the vase and placed it on a shelf in the warm chamber.

Mrs. Chen entered and bowed. Working outside for Dong Yuting, she was unaware of the recent events in the household.

"Have you found the embroiderers and pastry chefs from the south?" Dong Yuting asked.

Mrs. Chen beamed. "We haven’t found the embroiderers, but we did find a pastry chef. Her family came to the capital to join relatives and is looking for work. When I heard she could make pastries, I kept her, thinking you might want to meet her someday."

"Where is she now?" Dong Yuting thought of her faltering shop and quickly asked Mrs. Chen.

"They are waiting outside the estate. If you wish to see them, I can bring them in right now."

It was a mother and daughter who arrived. After paying their respects, they stood to the side somewhat awkwardly and nervously. The older woman kept glancing back at Mrs. Chen, clearly nervous.

She had come to the capital with her husband and daughter to seek refuge with relatives. Although these relatives lived in the capital, the husband was just a Ninth-rank Captain, primarily responsible for patrolling the city. Their home was a simple one-courtyard home in a narrow alley—so small one could take it all in at a glance. It was nothing like this mansion, where one could pass through three or four courtyards and still not reach the end!

Dong Yuting asked, "What is your name, and what kinds of pastries can you make?"

The woman replied softly, "My name is Fang Lan, and this is my daughter Wang Mingyue. I can make all the common southern pastries, such as osmanthus cakes, cloud slice cakes, jujube flower pastries... I can make them all."

Dong Yuting nodded slightly. "Then please make some for me to try. Chun Yue, take her to the kitchen and provide her with any ingredients she needs."

Fang Lan’s cheeks flushed slightly. "Ma'am, may I have my daughter assist me?"

Wang Mingyue looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old and was already capable of helping with household tasks. Dong Yuting had initially considered keeping Wang Mingyue there to inquire about their family circumstances, but since Fang Lan made the request, she decided to first taste the pastries. If they turned out well, she would ask further questions.

After all, this was their specialty. The kitchen staff wouldn’t be much help to her, so having her daughter assist would get the pastries made faster.

"Very well, let her go with you."