Chapter 45

Chapter 45

## The True and False Heiresses 15

When word of the northern campaign’s victory reached Huaizhou, cheers naturally erupted everywhere and spirits soared.

The great army was campaigning abroad. Those who remained here were the families of generals and civil officials, while the common people were all subjects of the King of Wu. Now that they could see their sons and husbands winning glory and standing on the verge of meteoric advancement, how could they not rejoice?

The Princess Consort of Changshan and the Princess Consort of Wu’an set a date to visit a temple and fulfill their vows. Together, they also distributed porridge in the city and invited the wives and daughters of officials to a banquet celebrating the victory.

After the Princess Consort of Wu passed away, Lady Bai had taken charge of all household affairs in the King of Wu’s residence. Though Lady Tan was the eldest daughter-in-law, she had never concerned herself with such practical matters. The Deposed Heir watched Lady Bai command eager support among the women, much as the Princess Consort of Wu once had, and inevitably felt depressed.

By status and age, the principal wife of the eldest branch should have led all such affairs. Instead, Second Brother’s wife had claimed all the distinction. The Deposed Heir might have wished to put forward someone of his own, but what status did Lady Liu possess? She was only a concubine. How could she represent the King of Wu’s residence and entertain the women of every official household?

The Deposed Heir grew gloomier still and returned home intending to have a serious talk with Lady Tan. But when he entered and looked through the window, he saw her kneeling alone before the statue of the Buddha, her figure as thin as paper. Every trace of resentment vanished like smoke.

Lianfang’s health was utterly ruined. Losing the younger brother closest to her had dealt her another devastating blow. As her husband, he could neither protect his wife nor free her from the Buddhist shrine. How could he continue to demand more of her?

The Deposed Heir sighed inwardly, waved the attendants away, and sat on a prayer cushion beside Lady Tan.

Lady Tan acted as though she had not seen him. She remained kneeling listlessly, silent and lifeless.

The Deposed Heir softened his voice and smiled. “Lianfang, I have good news. You will certainly be happy when you hear it.”

He did not keep her in suspense. Before Lady Tan could ask, he came straight to the point. “Hualiang and Baozhu are already on their way home. In a few more days, they will be back at your side.”

The words entered Lady Tan’s ears but seemed to circle several times before reaching her heart. Her dull pupils remained frozen for a moment, then suddenly blazed with light. “Who is coming back?”

She seized her husband’s arm, unable to conceal the hope and longing on her face.

“Hualiang and Baozhu are coming back. Our children are returning.”

Seeing her reaction, the Deposed Heir felt a deep ache. He forced himself to smile and said gently, “I know you worry about them, but do you think they do not worry about you? How distressed will they be if they return to find their mother gaunt and exhausted?”

The news that her children would return after more than half a year was like a powerful tonic, giving Lady Tan the strength and encouragement to stand again. It also swept away much of the gloom left by the Second Master of the Tan Family’s death.

Her brother was one of her closest kin, but so were her children.

Lady Tan could no longer remain kneeling. She swayed to one side and sank onto the floor, tears streaming down like pearls from a broken strand. This time, before the Deposed Heir could console her, she wiped them away herself. Touching her face, she asked her husband in sudden panic, “Do I look terrible now? Old and ugly?”

The Deposed Heir smiled and shook his head. “In my heart, you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Lady Tan buried herself in her husband’s arms, sobbing, and soon smiled again through her tears.

The Deposed Heir and Lady Tan waited eagerly at home for three full days. At last, they saw the son and daughter from whom they had been separated for more than half a year.

Ma Hualiang had grown taller and thinner. The softness had left his cheeks, making his bones stand out, and he seemed far steadier than before. Yet a faint darkness lingered between his brows. With his lips pressed together, he dismounted and stepped forward to pay his respects to his parents.

The moment Lady Tan saw him like this, she could not hold back her tears. The Deposed Heir, by contrast, felt somewhat relieved. Patting his son’s shoulder, he said with emotion, “You have grown. You look like a man now.”

At that moment, the curtain of the carriage behind Ma Hualiang lifted, and Ma Baozhu poked her head out.

During her six months at the convent, she had clearly eaten little rich food. Like her brother, she was visibly slimmer. Yet her original build had been round and plump, so she now appeared more evenly proportioned, and her features looked prettier than before.

“Father! Mother!”

After dismounting, Ma Hualiang had exchanged only a few simple greetings with his parents and said little more. More than half a year in the convent had clearly affected him, leaving him quiet and taciturn.

Ma Baozhu was different. The moment she saw her parents, she rushed eagerly forward into Lady Tan’s outstretched arms. Burying her face against her mother’s chest, she called with intimate affection, “Mother, Baozhu finally gets to see you! I missed you so much!”

She wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and refused to let go. Half muttering and half complaining, she said, “Have you not been eating properly? You are so much thinner! Father must not have taken good care of you. Now that Brother and I are back, we will both stand on your side. He certainly will not dare bully you again!”

Lady Tan’s heart warmed until it nearly melted. She held her daughter with a face full of maternal love, calling Baozhu’s name again and again, unwilling to release her.

The Deposed Heir was happy to see her so joyful. Pretending to beg for mercy, he said, “There are three of you together, and Father stands alone. How would I dare cause trouble now? I would never dare!” Then he urged everyone inside to talk.

On such a happy day of reunion after a long separation, there was no need to mention unpleasant memories. Ma Hualiang and Ma Baozhu did not speak of their six months in the convent, just as the Deposed Heir and Lady Tan said nothing of Lady Liu and the other concubines, or of the second Tan brother’s death.
Ma Hualiang had little desire to speak, but Ma Baozhu had clearly become livelier and more sensible. That evening, she clung to her mother and refused to let go. She told her father, “Mother belongs to me tonight. Father can sleep somewhere else!”

In truth, even if his daughter had not been there, the Deposed Heir would still have spent the night elsewhere.

The subtle atmosphere paused for an instant. The Deposed Heir smiled, stroked his daughter’s hair, and warned her, “Do not make trouble. Your mother sleeps lightly and wakes easily at night.”

Ma Baozhu obediently agreed. Only after he left did her expression change. She asked her mother in a low voice, “What was that about just now, Mother?”

There was no way to hide Lady Liu and the other women forever. What would be the point of trying?

After a brief pause, Lady Tan explained everything with a bitter smile.

She knew her own daughter’s temper well. To Lady Tan’s surprise, however, Ma Baozhu did not throw a fit after hearing the story.

Ma Baozhu saw the astonishment on her mother’s face and snorted. “What good would losing my temper do? Could it change anything? Father has taken several concubines, but none comes from a powerful family. You have Brother and me, as well as Father’s heart. For our family, this is already the best possible outcome.”

Lady Tan had never imagined her daughter would say such a thing and was genuinely shocked. Ma Baozhu lifted her head and stared intently at her mother. “Mother, after these past six months, I understand everything. Blood ties and brotherly affection are nothing compared to power. If Father held supreme power, would our family still be in this state?”

The fifty slaps across her mouth had at least taught her caution. She sat beside her mother and lowered her voice. “If I were you, I would not shut myself alone in this Buddhist shrine and sulk. I would pretend. Pretend to admit my faults and pretend to surrender. Grandfather is old. How many years can he have left? Once that old bastard dies, you can do whatever you please. Can he crawl out of his grave to punish you?!”

Lady Tan jumped in fright. “Do not speak such nonsense!”

“How is it nonsense? It is plainly the truth!”

Ma Baozhu clenched her teeth, feeling the empty space along the right side of her gums, and said hatefully, “Father is the eldest legitimate son. Father should have been the heir. But look at us now! Second Uncle’s family has climbed right onto our necks! Brother and I suffered so much, and my uncles are looked down upon by everyone. If Father sat in that position, who would dare criticize us?!”

Exactly.

Lady Tan recalled every upheaval she had endured in recent months, and her heart felt sliced by a knife.

If her husband had been the King of Wu, who would have dared disregard her second son’s life and order the city attacked?

If her husband had been the King of Wu, who would have dared send both her children to a convent to cultivate their characters?

If her husband had been the King of Wu, what petty criminal would have dared break into the Tan Family residence and kill a man?

Given her husband’s feelings for her, he would never have taken concubines either!

As Lady Tan followed the thought, an appetite for power stirred within her as well. Then she reconsidered and said dejectedly, “What good does it do for me to understand? This is the situation we face, and I cannot help your father. Your eldest uncle…”

She struggled to say the words. “He cannot compare to the Bai brothers.”

“This has nothing to do with Eldest Uncle. Just keep him under control and make sure he behaves until the old man dies.”

Ma Baozhu continued, “Grandmother’s brothers were useless too. That did not stop her from marrying the old man, holding the secure position of principal wife, and bearing three sons! You are the eldest son’s principal wife and the family’s eldest daughter-in-law. You should hold the authority to manage the household and occasionally invite the ladies of Huaizhou over to talk. Otherwise, Second Aunt will seize every chance to win support, and we will suffer a crushing loss!”

The very thought of such matters made Lady Tan’s head ache. “I truly do not want to deal with any of this…”

“Then let me do it!” Ma Baozhu seized her mother’s hand, ambition blazing in her eyes. “Have Father find several matrons to help me. I can learn!”

…

Lady Tan had always been easily swayed. Her daughter’s encouragement immediately stirred her ambition. The next morning, she took Ma Baozhu to drink tea with Lady Bai and indirectly raised the idea of resuming control of the household.

Ma Baozhu assumed Lady Bai would refuse outright, and Lady Tan thought the same. She had prepared a bellyful of retorts about the distinctions between elder and younger, superior and subordinate. Unexpectedly, the Princess Consort of Changshan heard her out and agreed with a pleasant smile. “Of course. There has always been a proper order between elder and younger. After Mother passed away, Eldest Sister-in-law should have taken charge of all affairs in the residence. It was only because your health was poor that the old man asked me to overstep my place. Now that I can hand over the work, I will finally be free of office and light of responsibility.”

Lady Wang was present as well. Hiding a smile behind her round fan, she pointed at Lady Bai and said, “You only want an excuse to be lazy!”

Neither Lady Tan nor Ma Baozhu had expected matters to proceed so smoothly, and both were caught off guard. But once the meat was between their teeth, they would never release it. Lady Tan immediately accepted the responsibility and praised Lady Bai repeatedly for her lofty integrity and selflessness.

Lady Bai looked thoroughly embarrassed and waved her hands again and again. “Eldest Sister-in-law, please stop. Your praise is making my face burn.”

Then she added, “I will reconcile the accounts and finish taking inventory. In three days, I will send the management tallies and account books to you together.”

Lady Tan and Ma Baozhu had arrived brimming with determination, but left full of confusion. They had achieved precisely what they wanted, yet somehow did not feel nearly as happy as expected.

Lady Bai watched mother and daughter depart, then sneered. She tossed the tea in her cup into the courtyard and cursed with a laugh, “Fools! Only now do they remember the authority to manage the household. What were they doing all these years?”
Lady Wang laughed. “And you are still giving it back to them?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

Lady Bai said, “Unless they try doing the work themselves, they will go on imagining I have been enjoying some tremendous advantage all these years.”

To put it bluntly, the old man was a miser, and the old lady had been much the same when she was alive. Husband and wife had both risen from bitter poverty and would gladly split a single coin into eight pieces before spending it. There was very little profit to skim from managing their household.

Of course, someone absolutely determined to embezzle could still find a way. But what kind of man was the old man? His eyes were sharp and his mind clear. Anyone who dared steal money from his pocket must find life too long and be searching for a shortcut to the grave.

The truth of the second Tan brother’s death had been concealed only from their eldest sister-in-law. Who else in the entire family did not know?

Lady Wang laughed. “Eldest Sister-in-law thinks she has gained some great advantage. Baozhu is delighted too.”

Lady Bai raised a hand to rub her forehead, unable to suppress a laugh. “What can that mother and daughter be thinking? The army has already advanced into the capital, and we will be moving soon. Taking charge of the household now is simply inventing work for themselves. Once we reach the capital and the old man seats himself on that throne, what will any of the old rules matter?”

The two sisters-in-law laughed together for a few moments. Then Lady Bai’s expression grew grave. She waved the servants away and asked softly, “Did you look carefully at Baozhu just now?”

Lady Wang froze at her unusual tone and lowered her voice as well. “I did. Why? Is something wrong?”

Lady Bai whispered, “Why do I feel that something is wrong with her appearance?”

Lady Wang started. “What?!”

“I have been turning this over in my mind for a long time, and it has never felt right.”

Lady Bai continued, “Eldest Brother-in-law has a round face, while Eldest Sister-in-law is delicately beautiful, with an oval face. Think carefully about the features of everyone in our family, then think of Eldest Sister-in-law and her brothers. No matter how I look, I cannot see whom Baozhu resembles.”

Lady Wang was horrified. “You must not say such things lightly. This could cost someone her life! If word spread, would Eldest Sister-in-law even survive? She may be thoroughly unpleasant, but surely she would not do something like that.”

“That is not what I mean.” Realizing Lady Wang had misunderstood, Lady Bai hurriedly explained. “Do you remember Baozhu as a child? She was so tiny and always ill. The sickness came from the womb. The family poured resources into her without end, and only then did she survive.”

Lady Bai lowered her voice further. “My brother’s wife comes from a family of physicians and studied children’s medicine. When we discussed the matter last year, she said the root of that illness must be inherited from the parents. The parents have to have suffered from it for their child to inherit it. I made discreet inquiries. Neither Eldest Brother-in-law nor Eldest Sister-in-law has ever had the condition.”

“Ah!” Lady Wang exclaimed in astonishment. “That truly is…”

Perhaps it was merely suggestion, but now that Lady Wang pictured Ma Baozhu’s face again, the girl truly did not seem to belong to this family.

Lady Wang abruptly rose and paced several circles around the room, then dropped heavily into her seat and fanned herself several times in agitation. “Baozhu was born at a relay station. Labor began suddenly, and the midwife was found nearby. At the time, we heard only that mother and daughter were safe and counted ourselves blessed beyond measure. Who would have imagined some hidden complication?”

Lady Bai said, “I do not know whether there was truly any deception. But the circumstances are exceedingly suspicious and cannot simply be brushed aside. I therefore ordered people to investigate quietly at the old location and see whether they could uncover any clues.”

Lady Wang nodded in understanding. “The stakes are enormous. Until we confirm the truth, not a word can be allowed to escape.”

…

Lady Tan and Ma Baozhu waited at home for three days. As promised, Lady Bai sent over the account books and management tallies. She had the stewards on their side verify everything clearly, then left with perfect courtesy.

The following day, Lady Bai and Lady Wang went to a temple together to fulfill their vows for the great victory in the northern campaign and pray for their family’s safety. Lady Tan had no desire to go out and was entirely absorbed in studying the household authority she had just acquired, so she did not accompany her two sisters-in-law.

Lady Bai and Lady Wang left in the morning. After eating a vegetarian meal at the temple, they returned together to the Huaizhou government compound. Lady Wang did not hurry back to her own courtyard. The two women sat facing each other and sewed clothes for her little daughter.

At that moment, a matron who had accompanied Lady Bai from her maiden family hurried in. She had evidently rushed all the way, and fine beads of sweat covered her forehead. “Commandery Princess, the matter you ordered this servant to investigate has yielded results!”

Lady Bai’s expression sharpened, and Lady Wang grew solemn as well. After dismissing the servants from the room, Lady Bai commanded, “Speak!”

The matron reported, “This servant obeyed your order and investigated what happened all those years ago. It took considerable effort. Things were very different then. The Commandery Princess gave birth at a relay station, and the midwife was the station master’s daughter-in-law. When this servant returned there, another family had already taken their place, and the old residents could not be found anywhere. I was preparing to return and report failure when I happened to meet one of the station master’s clansmen. He said that after the family moved away, they had entrusted someone to bring a letter back. Following the address on that letter finally led us to them…”

“Your Highnesses, can you guess what happened? That family truly does have a daughter exactly the same age as Miss Baozhu. The moment I saw her, she looked strangely familiar. I could not understand why until someone beside me pointed it out. She has a small round face and looks exactly like the late Princess Consort of Wu, as though they had been cast from the same mold!”

Lady Bai and Lady Wang looked at each other and drew sharp breaths at the same time.