Chapter 3 Spring Night: I Am Your Wife, Married Through Proper Formalities

Chapter 3 Spring Night: I Am Your Lawfully Wedded Wife

Jiang Yueyi left Feixue Courtyard, where Nanny Xu was already waiting at the gate. Seeing her emerge, she quickly came forward to support her and rearranged the hood of her cloak to cover her face.

Such unspeakable matters within the Baron’s mansion were not something Nanny Xu could comment on, not even a word of concern. Supporting Jiang Yueyi toward Xingyun Courtyard, she merely said, “I was worried you might have lost track of time, madam. If you hadn’t come out soon, I would have had to go in and fetch you.”

At the end of the spring night, the morning breeze carried a damp chill. Jiang Yueyi quietly drew a breath, her thoughts instantly clearing as the languor of the previous night dissipated.

She said, “I kept track of the time.”

Nanny Xu nodded and said no more.

By the time they returned to Xingyun Courtyard, the sky was showing a pale fish-belly white, and dawn would soon break. Even the servants who rose early for sweeping were still asleep; no one noticed Jiang Yueyi slipping in through the side gate. Only Qing Lan was waiting inside the room.

Seeing the dark circles under Qing Lan’s eyes, Jiang Yueyi knew she must have stayed awake all night, sitting in silence, her heart likely in torment.

Jiang Yueyi said to Qing Lan, “Go rest. I’ll have the others help me.”

Qing Lan said nothing, watching as Jiang Yueyi sat down before the dressing mirror. She loosened Jiang Yueyi’s messy hair bun and picked up a comb to slowly brush her hair.

Jiang Yueyi covered her mouth and yawned. Qing Lan finally spoke, “I won’t leave, madam. You should rest for a while. I’ll stay with you.”

“No, I’ve had enough sleep,” Jiang Yueyi said, taking Qing Lan’s hand holding the comb, and looked up. “I still need to go to the eldest master’s place.”

At once, Qing Lan’s face showed concern. She exchanged glances with Nanny Xu, who had not yet left. Seeing that Nanny Xu remained silent, Qing Lan couldn’t help saying, “Madam, why must you go? It’s better not to see the eldest master right now, lest he be displeased.”

Jiang Yueyi sneered inwardly. Qi Hao would not be displeased. If he were, he would have stopped her yesterday when she sought him out. Now that things had come to this, what right did he have to be displeased?

As for grievances, did she not have any? Since she had endured this unspeakable wrong, she wanted to see what Qi Hao would say, to prick at him a little.

Perhaps he simply didn’t care.

A faint, barely perceptible bitter smile touched the corner of Jiang Yueyi’s lips, but she quickly lowered her head to hide her expression.

In the more than half a year since marrying Qi Hao, she had never been able to see through what he was thinking.

He seemed to have something on his mind, but he never let anyone know, not even his wife.

Nanny Xu handed Jiang Yueyi a cup of hot tea and said with a measured smile, “Our eldest master is not a bad man. Some things he has no choice about. Madam, just get along well with him in the future.”

Jiang Yueyi let out a long breath, took a small sip of the hot tea, and nodded. “I remember what you said, Nanny.”

“Then tonight I’ll come to pick you up again, madam. But I’ll need to trouble Qing Lan here once more. The old madam specifically said that this matter must be kept secret—the fewer who know, the better,” Nanny Xu said.

“Alright, I understand the stakes.” Jiang Yueyi turned her head away from the mirror to face Nanny Xu. “You must be tired too, Nanny. Go rest first.”

Nanny Xu acknowledged, “Then I’ll go report back to the old madam now.”

After Nanny Xu left, neither spoke. Qing Lan sniffled; her eyes were already rimmed with red. She continued combing Jiang Yueyi’s hair in silence.

The morning light through the window screen was fully bright. Jiang Yueyi put the silver hairpin she had worn last night back into the dressing case, then picked out a pair of pearl hairpins and put them in her hair.

“After these few days, don’t bring out this hairpin again,” Jiang Yueyi murmured, as if speaking to Qing Lan.

Qing Lan nodded. “I understand.”

As they spoke, there was the sound of people moving about outside. By the time Qing Lan finished helping Jiang Yueyi with her toilette, Cui Mei and the others had entered. Seeing Jiang Yueyi already seated, Cui Mei asked first, “Why is madam up so early today, and already dressed?”

Jiang Yueyi said, “I slept well last night, so I woke early.”

“That makes us seem lazy and unindustrious,” the maidservants giggled, completely unaware of what had happened the night before. “We’ve tired Qing Lan out by making her do our early chores.”

“It’s nothing,” Qing Lan forced a smile. “Madam likes me to serve her!”

Jiang Yueyi took the cue and said, “Since Qing Lan says so, she can take the night duty for now, and let the rest of you have some relief.”

Breakfast was soon served, and Jiang Yueyi sat down to eat. She and Qi Hao did not share quarters, so naturally they did not share meals. Except for special occasions, they had eaten together only a handful of times.

After breakfast, Jiang Yueyi went straight to Qi Hao’s study.

Qi Hao kept a regular schedule. Because he was frail and prone to illness, he was careful about his health. He always woke around 5:45 AM and rose. By the time Jiang Yueyi arrived, he had already finished his meal and was seated at his desk.

Jiang Yueyi had lost interest in what he was doing. She walked over slowly, but did not approach as closely as she had yesterday. Today she stopped far from the desk.

When he saw her, Qi Hao spoke first: “You’re back?”

Jiang Yueyi let out a soft laugh but did not answer.

As she had foreseen early that morning, Qi Hao’s expression remained indifferent, as if the matter had nothing to do with him at all.

After a long silence with only a short laugh, Qi Hao was not angered. His eyes were a light amber color, and now they were fixed on Jiang Yueyi.

“In a few days, after we finish the ancestral rites, Second Brother will set off. Since he was demoted last year and transferred from the Judicial Review Office to a local post, no one knows when he will return to the capital.” Qi Hao paused thoughtfully before continuing, “If there’s a chance, I’ll ask him to stay a few more days.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yueyi bit her lower lip hard. Suddenly she said harshly, “Qi Hao, I am your lawfully wedded wife. I didn’t steal you or force you into anything. Why do you loathe me so much, avoiding me like the plague?”

“I have never loathed you,” Qi Hao said, pausing briefly before continuing with an air of detachment. “I told you, you may choose to leave. Even if you don’t want to go, I won’t drive you away. But beyond that, nothing else is possible.”

“Do I have a choice?” Jiang Yueyi did not back down, staring fixedly at Qi Hao.

He truly did not care about what had happened last night, as if she were not his wife at all, but someone utterly irrelevant.

Qi Hao also looked at Jiang Yueyi, his eyes calm and untroubled, like a pool of stagnant water. He spoke each word deliberately: “Second Brother is not yet married. If you take a liking to him, I can help you find a way…”

“So eager to be rid of me?” Jiang Yueyi cut him off. “Since you don’t mind, then I don’t mind living like this either. As long as I remain here, I am the legitimate Baroness of the Chengping Baron’s mansion. I’m not going anywhere. Don’t even think about sending me off with your second brother.”

Qi Hao gave a light cough, loosely clenching his pale fingers and pressing them to his pale lips. Then he nodded.

“I understand. You may leave now,” Qi Hao said. “Be careful when you go out these few days. Don’t let him see your face.”

Jiang Yueyi did not linger. Even though her heart had turned cold, she did not want things to become too unpleasant. So she merely bent her knees in a slight curtsy toward Qi Hao, but did not lower her head. Then she swept out.

Qing Lan was waiting outside the door. She had vaguely heard voices inside, but could not make out the specifics. Still, she felt it was nothing good. With Xing An also there, she couldn’t listen closely, so she simply folded her hands and waited. Seeing Jiang Yueyi come out, she breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that no argument had broken out inside.

As they walked through the courtyard gate together, Qing Lan said, “The old madam sent someone over, saying she’s delivering medicine for madam.”

Jiang Yueyi nodded and said little while they were outside. When they reached the room and sat down, Cui Mei brought in a bowl of thick dark medicinal broth. Curiously, she asked, “Is the old madam sending medicine because you’ve been unwell lately? But it’s strange—you haven’t called for a physician. Where did this medicine come from?”

Qing Lan quickly cut in, “It’s just a tonic. The old madam has plenty of good things; it won’t hurt you.”

Jiang Yueyi rubbed her temples and said, “All of you, leave now. I didn’t rest well last night; I want to sleep a little more.”

All the servants filed out, leaving only Qing Lan by Jiang Yueyi’s side, holding the medicine bowl out to her.

“I don’t want it. Pour it out,” Jiang Yueyi waved her hand dismissively.

Feng Shi had sent a fertility tonic, as Jiang Yueyi well knew. But she had no desire to drink it. Qi Yuan would leave in a few days, and even if, as Qi Hao said, they could extend his stay, it would only be for a few more days at most. Naturally, Feng Shi wanted her to quickly produce an heir for the Baron’s mansion and for Qi Hao. Out of self-interest, Jiang Yueyi also needed a child. But after leaving Qi Hao’s presence, she had thought things through a bit more clearly. If she conceived in these few days, that would be wonderful. If not, so be it. Fate can’t be forced.

Any medicine is at least slightly toxic. She didn’t want to harm herself by drinking bitter medicine.

Her days with Qi Hao were clearly never going to improve. Living like this, though it was hard on her, Qi Hao might not be having an easy time either. They were just getting through one day at a time.

As she thought it over, Jiang Yueyi’s lips curled slightly. Seeing Qing Lan still hesitantly holding the medicine bowl, she took it directly from Qing Lan’s hand and dumped it on a potted plant. After pouring, she shook her head and murmured, "Next time, I should let it cool down before pouring it out, or else the flowers will be scalded to death."

Qing Lan sighed and said, "Madam, maybe we should just let it go. Don’t go tonight. Let’s pretend this never happened."

"It was the old madam who first came up with the idea and brought it up. She was driven to this point only for the sake of her son and the Count’s manor. Since I’ve already done this, how could I allow myself to back down so easily?" Jiang Yueyi gave a wry smile. "She has her thoughts, and I have my own plans."

Qing Lan fell silent. She loosened Jiang Yueyi’s hair bun, helped her change into her nightclothes, and supported her to the bed to rest.

For a moment, silence fell both inside and outside. Jiang Yueyi did not feel at ease enough to close her eyes and sleep.

She had lost her mother at a young age, and her father, Jiang Chao, didn’t want to be tied down by a wife again, so he had not remarried for a long time. The household affairs and Jiang Yueyi’s upbringing were handled by her grandmother and several aunts. There was also a Concubine Gu in the inner quarters, who had been the dowry maid of Jiang Yueyi’s mother, Huang Shi, and was Huang Shi’s most trusted person. Before Huang Shi died, she had made her a concubine. Jiang Chao also liked her very much, so Concubine Gu had considerable standing in the Jiang family. She had always been the one taking care of Jiang Yueyi’s daily life. In the absence of a mistress in the Jiang family, it could be said that Jiang Yueyi was half raised by her.

When she was younger, Jiang Yueyi saw that her father had not remarried for a long time and even secretly wondered if one day her father could make Concubine Gu his legal wife. But it was just a thought. In the end, she grew up, her father had sown his wild oats and settled down, and then a second wife entered the household.

The good days for Concubine Gu and Jiang Yueyi also came to an end.

The second wife, Wang Shi, was only two years older than Jiang Yueyi. As soon as she entered the household, Jiang Chao doted on her dearly, almost as if he feared she might melt in his mouth. He let Wang Shi have the final say in everything. Wang Shi often secretly tripped her up, even nearly ruining her long-arranged engagement with the Count’s manor. In the end, it was only after Feng Shi personally visited the Jiang residence that Wang Shi dared not continue to interfere.

However, although Jiang Yueyi could marry out, Concubine Gu could not follow her. During that time, Jiang Yueyi saw with her own eyes that Wang Shi’s mistreatment of Concubine Gu had reached a blatant level. It was only because Concubine Gu still had some nurturing grace toward Jiang Yueyi as the Countess, and the entire Jiang family still respected Concubine Gu somewhat, that Wang Shi did not resort to deadly measures.

Jiang Yueyi knew that only if she herself established a firm foothold in the Chengping Count’s manor could Concubine Gu live well under Wang Shi’s control. If she returned to her maiden home with a divorce letter from Qi Hao in just a few days, the days for her and Concubine Gu in the Jiang family would be easy to imagine.

She was not a person without plans. No matter how difficult, she had to carve out a path.

Author's Note:

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