Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rong Zhan did not understand me.

If there were someone else more suited for the position of Lady of the House of the Zhennan General’s Mansion, I would never have been chosen as his primary wife. But since I already held that title, I would never allow another woman to carve up my husband under the guise of being his true love.

My mother-in-law adored me and was displeased with Rong Zhan’s actions, but looking at Liu Ruzhuo’s belly, she could only remain silent.

Elderly people always wish to see a house full of children and grandchildren.

“I have never been able to talk sense into my son when he sets his mind on something. It is a pity you have to suffer this grievance for nothing,” my mother-in-law comforted me, holding my hand. “Xiao Hua, rest assured. Even if Liu Ruzhuo is heavily pregnant, I will not favor her one bit. You must be strong and give Zhan’er a child soon. Otherwise, when I pass away, there’s no telling if she will try to climb over your head.”

I lowered my head. “Mother is in good health; you mustn’t speak such gloomy words. Besides, Sister Ruzhuo is continuing the General’s lineage. That is a service to the General’s Mansion and a kindness to me. I should be grateful to her.”

“Xiao Hua is so sensible.”

The day Liu Ruzhuo entered the mansion, I organized a grand ceremony.

With guests filling the halls and a constant stream of visitors, I had to show magnanimity and tolerance, acting as joyful as if I were the one taking a wife and having a child.

Rong Zhan’s happiness was written all over his face. Even the experienced older maids by my side whispered among themselves, saying that while her “qualities were plain, she was exceptionally beloved by the General.”

Liu Ruzhuo was born with a delicate, obedient look. Dressed in pomegranate red, she appeared even more charming, though her slightly protruding belly hid her slender figure.

When it came time for the tea ceremony, my mother-in-law intentionally made things difficult. She refused to take the cup from Liu Ruzhuo. Just as the girl’s hands began to tremble from the weight, I hurried to stand up and smiled. “Sister does not know that Mother prefers her tea at exactly seventy percent heat. This cup is too hot; I will take it on her behalf.”

As I sat back down, I met Rong Zhan’s gaze. He pursed his thin lips and gave me a grateful smile. I saw the moment he took the tea from her; he stroked her fingers with a lingering, intimate touch. That trembling, bewildered little quail finally found comfort and grew steady.

Affection really is something that cannot be hidden for long. Even if you cover the mouth, it will still leak out from the eyes.

She bowed and offered me tea. She was timid, like a dodder flower or a weak willow, reminding me of my younger half-sister back home. I smiled and said, “Ruzhuo, you needn’t be so formal from now on.”

She peeked at me with a hint of curiosity, only to find me looking right back. In that moment of eye contact, her hand shook, spilling the scalding tea onto my lap.

It was truly hot.

I did my best to suppress a groan. My mother-in-law, disregarding etiquette, hurried to lift my skirt slightly and wiped the water away with her handkerchief. Amidst the frantic movements of the maids and servants, Liu Ruzhuo finally snapped out of her shock. She prostrated herself. “Madam, I didn’t mean it. I truly didn’t mean it. Are you alright?”

Rong Zhan rushed to his feet to support her, his brow furrowed and his voice low. “You are heavy with child, be careful.”

“It’s fine, a small matter,” I forced a smile. “Since the ceremony is complete, Xiao Hua will head back to her room to change.” I feigned a stumble, taking three steps for every one. Behind me, I heard my mother-in-law berating her mercilessly in front of the guests: “Truly a common maid by birth, clumsy and thick-headed.”

Toward evening, Rong Zhan came to see me.

Likely, my mother-in-law had advised him not to favor a concubine over his wife. After all, he had gone on an expedition shortly after our wedding and returned with a new lover by his side; there were plenty of censors waiting to impeach him.

I had recently acquired a small stone mill, barely three palms wide and very delicate, perfect for making soy milk. That evening, I changed into coarse clothes and turned the grindstone. Before long, the soy milk began to trickle out. Although it was much more refined and lovely than the stone mills outside, I wasn’t used to manual labor and soon broke into a sweat.

My bridal maid, Chunxiang, had prepared water for me. Just as she came to invite me to bathe and change, she suddenly bowed low behind me and called out, “General.” I turned around to see Rong Zhan standing tall and elegant.

“Zhuo Hua,” he called my name. Perhaps because he had been drinking at the banquet, he seemed a bit intoxicated. Ignoring Chunxiang’s presence, he walked over and took my hand. Seeing the slight redness in my palm by the candlelight, he said, “Such troublesome tasks should be left to the servants.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Since I had nothing to do tonight, I thought I’d grind some soy milk by hand to send over to Sister Ruzhuo. Firstly, it shows the goodwill and harmony between us sisters; secondly, soy milk is excellent for promoting circulation and relieving internal heat and wind-related ailments,” I said with a smile.

Rong Zhan looked me over. “You’ve grown thinner,” he said. “With you managing the household, everything in the Rong Manor is kept in perfect order. I’ve exhausted you.”

Actually, that wasn’t it; I simply preferred having a slender waist.

I replied, “Though I’ve been at the Rong Manor for a year and a half, I haven’t been able to accompany the General at the front, nor have I been blessed with children. I merely handle these trivial household matters and manage the little things. If I didn’t even do that, I would be too ashamed to face the General.”

“I know in my heart that I’ve wronged you. Thank you for being so kind and close to Ruzhuo. She grew up in the rural wilds of Lingnan; though she is simple and lovely, she inevitably lacks refinement and makes mistakes. I ask for your understanding and care for her.” When Rong Zhan mentioned Liu Ruzhuo, his eyes rippled with a smile, and his tone was full of earnestness.

“Zhuo Hua will certainly not fail the General’s trust.” I played the part of the virtuous wife to perfection.

“How is the burn?”

He actually remembered that.

I told him it was no matter.

While bathing, the mist was thick and hazy. I used the reflection in the water to look closely at myself. My face was naturally radiant, needing no powder or rouge; compared to Liu Ruzhuo, I had more composure but less spiritual vitality.

I said to Chunxiang, “The water is getting cold.”

Chunxiang picked up a silver kettle to add water for me. As I reached out to touch the handle, Chunxiang cried out in alarm, “My lady, this is boiling water fresh off the stove! Don’t go hurting yourself again.”

I thought to myself, *What would another splash of scalding tea matter?*

When I sat on the couch dressed in my undergarments, Rong Zhan was by the bedside flipping through the ancient books I collected.

Rong Zhan wanted to be intimate with me. His rough hands brushed over my lips, trailing down my collarbone until he finally touched my wound.

I pushed him away gently. “General, it hurts.”

He looked up at me, his eyes confused and hazy. I gave a bashful smile. “It’s the burn.”

Rong Zhan pulled back the bedding. Under the candlelight, my wound was seeping blood, the skin swollen. After a long moment, he kissed the wound with a look of regret and uttered a restrained apology.

I pinched out the candle and leaned my forehead against his chest, saying softly, “Don’t let it trouble you, General. If you want me, just take me.”

His breathing suddenly grew heavy. I could even smell the wine on his breath as it puffed against my neck. Suddenly, a pair of arms pinned me to the couch.

In the chaos, Rong Zhan called out the name “Ruzhuo.” The jade bracelet on my wrist knocked against the headboard again and again. In the darkness, he forced the “Liu Ruzhuo” of his imagination to whisper lewd and wanton words. I gritted my teeth without making a sound, my fingernails digging into the pillowcase. For the first time, I wanted Liu Ruzhuo dead.

When I woke the next morning, Rong Zhan had already gone to Ruzhuo’s room. According to Chunxiang, he had left at the crack of dawn, and now breakfast was being served “over there.”

Every moment he wasn’t with her was a loss.

Even though I was seething with resentment, I didn’t forget to instruct Chunxiang, “Deliver the soy milk personally. Make sure to test it for poison with a silver needle in front of the General before you leave.”

Currently, I couldn’t get a clear read on Liu Ruzhuo, so I had to be cautious. Even if I wished her insides would rot, I had to ensure she carried the pregnancy well. After all, giving birth isn’t the hard part; raising a child to adulthood is where the difficulty lies.

“My good lady, couldn’t you just send Taohong or the others to do such a thing?” Chunxiang teased.

“You are the maid who came with my dowry; your presence naturally carries more weight.” I laughed and nudged her away. “You’re getting good at making excuses. It seems I can’t even order you around anymore.”

Chunxiang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She helped me back to the couch and said, “You should rest well. That leg injury won’t stop hurting for a while.”

If I hadn’t been ruthless with myself, how could he have seen my hardship and my magnanimity?