Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Before half a month had passed, Wu Hongxiu entered the household.

When a bright red bridal sedan carried her in through the main gate, I saw Concubine Xu, Xu Wanyi, whose heart had supposedly ached day after day ever since my own wedding.

She wore a pale yellow dress and a white jade hairpin, looking as fresh and tender as a spray of winter jasmine.

Around her fair wrist was a string of vivid red love-pea beads. It did not look particularly valuable.

Dongqing had found out that the Marquis had made it for her with his own hands when he was fourteen, and had even injured his right hand while grinding the beads.

A young man’s affection stayed on her wrist, never leaving her day or night.

Only today, the smile on Xu Wanyi’s face-the smile that had always been so obedient and gentle-could no longer hold.

“Brother Yunyan, back then, I was only brought in through a side gate in a small sedan. Why… why is she…”

“Wanyi, Hongxiu is with child. Naturally we should do as she wishes.” Zhao Yunyan frowned and glanced at me. “Even… Li Zhen’er hasn’t said anything, so stop making a fuss.”

Main gate or side gate, I did not care about empty formalities like that.

Xu Wanyi froze, then lowered her head with reddened eyes. The sight made Zhao Yunyan’s heart ache, and he was just about to say something.

But the sedan curtain had already been lifted, and the hand that emerged made me pause.

That hand was worlds apart from Xu Wanyi’s.

There were hideous scars around the wrist and rough calluses on the pads of the fingers.

Zhao Yunyan was just as stunned as I was. He did not even have time to feel sorry for Xu Wanyi before he hurried forward to welcome Wu Hongxiu.

“Those were left from playing the pipa in the entertainment quarter, and from taking a knife for the Marquis in a teahouse,” Xu Wanyi said mournfully, noticing my surprise. “All of that is affection too.”

Wu Hongxiu had no bridal veil, nor had any maiden family prepared a dowry for her.

She wore only the red dress she usually favored and stepped down from the sedan holding that red sandalwood pipa inlaid with mother-of-pearl, coldly sweeping her gaze over all of us.

She was unlike Xu Wanyi, who was gentle and understanding. Hers was another kind of beauty-brazen and unrestrained.

Charm lived in the tips of her brows and the corners of her eyes. She was like a fiery red poppy in midsummer; with a single glance, she could set a blaze deep in one’s chest.

She stared at the love-pea bracelet on Xu Wanyi’s wrist and gave a cold snort.

Xu Wanyi merely smiled softly, showing no anger.

Zhao Yunyan gave Tingxue Pavilion to her. It was built beside the water, and with the light reflected off the surface, the place was bright and quiet; they said you could even hear the snow fall.

It was the perfect place for her to play the pipa.

That night, Zhao Yunyan stayed with her.

I had thought Xu Wanyi would call Zhao Yunyan away, but Yanxia Pavilion remained perfectly quiet.

Xu Wanyi was a very cautious person. Or rather, she always thought thrice before acting and moved with the current.

Before I entered the household, she understood that Zhao Yunyan did not love me at all. Calling him away happened to suit his wishes perfectly.

But today, seeing how much Zhao Yunyan valued Wu Hongxiu, she became much quieter.

In the middle of the night, Tingxue Pavilion called for hot water three times. Chunming chewed on the end of her brush, worrying on my behalf.

“Sigh. Sister Dongqing, when I went to ask for charcoal for our rooms today, the servants below were all so lazy about it.

“The authority to manage the household is still in Xu Wanyi’s hands. Miss, why don’t you fight for it? Only the main wife is fit to manage the household.”

Dongqing was removing my makeup for me. I teased Chunming, “If I ask for it tomorrow, do you know how to read account books?”

Chunming faltered. “Miss does! Sister Dongqing does too! I’ll make delicious food for both of you!”

“If Sister Dongqing and I are busy reading accounts, she won’t have time to take you shopping, and I won’t have time to teach you to read either.”

Chunming fell silent.

“We don’t understand the Zhao Family. If we forcefully take the reins and end up making a mess of things, we’ll only become a laughingstock.” I smiled. “Worry ages a person. There is no need to fight over this one moment.”

Chunming found that reasonable.

I told Dongqing that if anyone replied in a lazy, perfunctory tone, she was to report it straight to me and I would have them dismissed, so Chunming would not have to suffer their insolence.

The next day, Dongqing told me that Xu Wanyi had sent many tonics to Tingxue Pavilion, but the people there looked down on them and threw them all away.

I thought about it and understood. Wu Hongxiu was pregnant and wary; of course she would not accept them.

“Miss, should we send anything?”

I shook my head.

“Is Miss afraid your kindness will be taken for ill intent?”

No. I simply could not bear it. If she threw away perfectly good things, I would be too embarrassed to pick them back up.

“I don’t blame her for being suspicious. When one is pregnant, it is only right to be careful.

“Tell Madam Wang, who is in charge, that in a few days, my mother will invite Nanny Shun from Baosheng Hall to come by. She is a renowned specialist in women’s medicine and has a fine reputation in the capital. She can examine not only Concubine Wu, but all the women of the household as well.”

As I said this, an unexpected visitor lifted the curtain of Lanzhu Pavilion, sending in a gust of snowy air.

I turned to look.