Chapter 2

Mother had married beneath her when she married Father.

According to her, he had been dashing and handsome in his youth, and an excellent writer.

Powerful families often invited him to their homes to compose poetry and essays. Mother happened across him in a garden and never forgot him.

Whether Father had loved someone else then, I could not say. All I knew was that his three prospective brothers-in-law, armed with swords and sabers, talked with him for half a day. After that, the marriage was settled.

To this day, Father had never taken a concubine. Everything in the household, great or small, was left to Mother.

Behind my sister-in-law’s back, my brother complained to Father in the study. “Father, I mean no disrespect to Mother, but must the women rule our Tao family in every generation?”

I happened to be cooling off in the bamboo pavilion. Reclining low in my chair, I escaped their notice, so I pretended to sleep and listened.

Father was painting. His favorite subject was the garden beyond his window as it changed with the seasons.

People said you could tell at a glance that nothing troubled him. Nearly fifty, he looked barely past thirty, as handsome as ever.

He did not take my brother’s side. “What’s wrong with having a woman manage the house?” he asked with a smile. “You need only admire the flowers and the moon, a wealthy man with nothing to do. What could be pleasanter?”

My brother grew so agitated at this response that he paced several circles on the spot.

I knew he had no wish to manage the household either. He only wanted to bring his beloved home.

At last he blurted it out. “Father, I actually want to take a concubine.”

Father let that pass, held up his painting, and asked whether it was any good.

“You know the girl,” my brother hurried on. “The Cheng family’s second daughter, Cheng Qi.”

Father cleared his throat and threw him out. “Instead of telling your mother or your wife, you come to me? Don’t think I don’t know you’re picking the easiest target.”

When Father shut the door with a bang, I could not help laughing.

My brother stalked over, furious. “Tao Songyue, let me tell you: unless Qi comes into this house, don’t expect your marriage to Third Young Master Cheng to go smoothly!”

What did this have to do with me?

Having tried the easy target that was Father, was he now trying the easy target that was me?

Annoyed, I got up from my chair. “Fine, fine. I’ll go explain everything to Sister-in-law this instant and help you sort it out.”

It cost my brother three jade hairpins inlaid with gold to persuade me to drop the matter.

Why put ourselves through this? The three fools were tormenting one another while the two masterminds remained entirely in the dark.

What I had never expected was just how determined my brother was to marry Cheng Qi.

Less than six months after his wedding, he openly brought her home.

The two of them planted themselves in the main hall. “Qi is carrying my child,” my brother announced. “I ask my wife to grant her a proper position.”

He had chosen his moment with particular cunning. That day, the managers of more than twenty of our shops had come to present their accounts.

It was my sister-in-law’s first time checking them without Mother, her chance to establish her authority.

Even she, usually so composed, stood stunned for a moment at this blow.

“Taking a wife or concubine requires your parents’ consent and a matchmaker’s services. There is no reason to ask me to grant her a position.”

Neither meek nor overbearing, she quickly recovered her composure and lowered her eyes to the account books.

She even smiled. “I grew up in Jiangbei. I had no idea the custom here was to conceive a child before entering one’s husband’s household.”

In two short sentences she had absolved herself and laid the blame where it belonged. The tables were turned. My witless brother was no match for her.

I had only come on Mother’s orders to bring my sister-in-law fresh tea. I had not expected to arrive in the middle of this mortifying business.

Looking up, I saw that my brother had as much cold sweat on his forehead as I did. He stammered and faltered, able to do nothing but stand there supporting Cheng Qi.

Her eyes were red, tears apparently never far away. She merely nestled against him without speaking.

I could neither stay nor leave. In the deathly silence, my sister-in-law noticed me. “Have you brought tea, Sister? Set it down. Don’t tire yourself.”

Relieved, I put down the tea and found myself drifting closer to her.

She asked whether Mother had sent me.

I honestly said yes. She did not make things difficult. “Since you were going back to the inner courtyard, take this young lady with you and see that she is well looked after. It’s hot, and she’s with child. Marriage arrangements can wait. A life cannot.”

At that, murmurs rippled through the gathered managers. Listening closely, I heard nothing but praise for her.

“Of course, Sister-in-law.” I hurried forward to help Cheng Qi to the inner courtyard, as she had asked.

My brother looked unhappy. He still wanted to argue with his wife and would not leave.

Cheng Qi showed better sense. “My dear Tao, I was thoughtless too. I didn’t realize the young madam had important business today, and came barging in.”

She bowed to my sister-in-law, all humility. “The young madam is right. We should have consulted the master and madam about our marriage.”

Then she slipped her arm through mine and smiled affectionately. “Sister Songyue and I grew up together. I shall be relying on her even more from now on.”

The cold sweat that had just receded broke out all over me again.

Honestly, if they must scheme together, could they stop dragging me into it?

Seeing my sister-in-law’s composure begin to strain, I pulled Cheng Qi away. “Sister Cheng, let’s see my parents first.”

I glanced back at my brother, signaling that he should stop provoking his wife and follow me.

We passed along corridors and through gardens. The closer we came to Mother’s quarters, the deeper my frown grew.

Cheng Qi, meanwhile, admired the gardens and flowers as though nothing were amiss, as though she already owned the place.

One covered passage short of Mother’s courtyard, I deliberately began to sway, pressing a hand to my brow with a sigh.

“Brother, Sister Cheng, I think the heat has got to me. My head is spinning, and my legs won’t hold me up…”

My brother saw straight through me, naturally, but Cheng Qi was eager to win people over. She warmly urged me to go back and rest.

At first, I let my maid support me. Once I heard that Mother had shown them inside, I seized the maid’s hand and raced for my own courtyard.

“Just you watch. After this, I may be the Tao family’s only surviving child.”

She did not understand and asked why.

Still shaken, I glanced toward my parents’ courtyard. “My brother has only two ways of saving his skin now. First, he could recapture our lost northern territories. Second, he could bring our grandfather back to life and give Mother something to smile about…”

There was nothing wrong with his wanting to marry the woman he loved.

But he had given no thought at all to his wife’s humiliation.

If he had neither objected nor refused when his own marriage was arranged, why play the devoted lover now?

What was so admirable about favoring a concubine and slighting a wife? He could leave the family and make a home of his own with his beloved.

He simply did not value either woman enough, yet wanted them both…