Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Over the past few days, Zhao Yunyan was away from home, so I entered his study.

I needed to know myself and know my enemy.

Those poetry collections and calligraphy posts told me that, deep down, Zhao Yunyan yearned to be acknowledged.

Unfortunately, he truly was mediocre.

Whether it was policy essays or ornate romantic verse, there was little worth praising.

He was not even as good as the sisters I had known in the inner chambers.

When I finally came across a striking piece, the handwriting was vigorous yet elegant. It had likely been written by his elder brother, Zhao Yunzhang, who had died young.

It was said that when Zhao Yunzhang was fourteen, he accompanied the imperial carriage, and one ancient-style rhapsody of his had earned endless praise from His Majesty. Sadly, heaven envied talent. At twenty, he came down with a sudden severe illness and died before he could be cured.

By contrast, Zhao Yunyan had failed the imperial examinations three times and had never once caught His Majesty’s favor.

When Old Marquis Zhao was still alive, he had once presented Zhao Yunyan’s poems and rhapsodies to His Majesty, only for His Majesty to sigh and say:

“If he had even three-tenths of the eldest son’s talent, his writing would not be so boudoir-like.”

Now I knew that Zhao Yunyan liked the lyrics of Li Houzhu and Wen Feiqing.

And being inferior to his elder brother was a thorn buried in Zhao Yunyan’s heart.

But knowing only this was still far from enough.

Chunming was skilled with her hands. The bowl of stewed bird’s nest she made earned endless praise from Old Madam Zhao.

Old Madam Zhao took my hand affectionately.

“Zhen’er, now that I’ve lived to this age, the thing I’m most satisfied with is that Yunyan married you.”

I sighed inwardly and knelt down.

“Zhen’er has something to ask of you, Mother.

“In the future, if Mother wishes to scold the Marquis, please scold Zhen’er first.

“Otherwise, if Mother only praises Zhen’er while reproaching the Marquis, you will be setting Zhen’er and the Marquis against each other.”

Old Madam Zhao hurriedly helped me up.

“My child! How could I bear to scold you? Even if you did do something wrong, it must be because someone else bullied you first!”

“Mother, think about it. Isn’t it true that every time you scold the Marquis, or punish Concubine Xu, Second Master only pities her more?

“If Mother continues like this, it will only make the Marquis and Concubine Xu feel like fellow sufferers, and he will resist Mother even more.”

Old Madam Zhao even forgot to eat her bird’s nest. Holding her spoon, she pondered for a long while.

“Yes, that must be it. They must be talking badly about me together in the middle of the night!”

Old Madam Zhao kept praising me, then suddenly remembered something else.

“About that Wu Hongxiu matter, my child, do you know of it?”

On the day of my wedding, the one who had thrown the dead wild goose at my bridal sedan was his kept woman, Wu Hongxiu.

It was said she was already one month pregnant.

Zhao Yunyan had once gone before Old Madam Zhao to beg that she be taken in as a concubine. Who would have thought Wu Hongxiu herself would be unwilling? She said she cared only about Yunyan as a person and would rather remain outside without any status.

Yet some time ago, for reasons unknown, she started making a fuss again and wanted to enter the estate.

Thinking of the dead goose she had thrown down that day, and the calm, provocative look in her eyes…

This Wu Hongxiu truly did have a trace of that wandering hero’s spirit, one who repaid kindness and settled grudges as she pleased.

When Old Madam Zhao mentioned the matter to me, I merely said:

“Since she does not covet wealth and honor, then the child should indeed be the Marquis’s. Since she is willing to enter the estate, it would be improper for us to keep her outside. After all, childbirth is dangerous, and the estate’s conditions are better in the end.”

“My child! To think you have such a tolerant heart!” Old Madam Zhao exclaimed in amazement.

…Please stop calling me my child. My head is starting to hurt.

It was not as if I had no selfish motives at all. Keeping Wu Hongxiu outside was ultimately improper.

Once she gave birth and the child’s bloodline was clear, Old Madam Zhao would not refuse to acknowledge her own grandchild.

Just as no matter how much Old Madam Zhao disliked Concubine Xu, she would never mistreat Concubine Xu’s five-year-old daughter.

Since Wu Hongxiu was willing to enter the estate, I was merely doing a favor that cost me nothing.

Besides, whether or not she could enter the estate ultimately depended on Zhao Yunyan, the head of the household.

Even if I, the legitimate wife, was unwilling, I could only delay it for ten days or half a month.

Over the next half month, I had many things to do. Tormenting concubines held little interest for me.