Chapter 251
Chapter 251
Shen Su lowered his head after hearing Madam Bai’s words, unable to think of an answer.
Seeing his silence, she gave him a sidelong look. “Why did I marry you in the first place? Because you bore the title of the Old Madam’s only son. Even after Fifth Younger Brother was born, you remained the eldest son. I have devoted myself to this family all these years. Has the Old Madam seen any of it?”
“Do not say I failed to warn you when the day comes that you are left with nothing.”
“Before the family divided, Father-in-law was the head of the clan. No one disputed that the household prospered through him after he rose to Chief Grand Secretary. But when the property was divided, what did the eldest uncle’s household receive? And you are only an adopted son.”
Shen Su frowned. “I am not greedy. Had I not been adopted, I might have remained like the other concubine-born sons, with no one to advance my prospects. Father did not treat me that way. He raised me with great care as his eldest son. After I failed the Palace Graduate examination for three years, he summoned me to his study every day and personally tutored me. He said I was the pillar of the family and an example to Ah Si.”
“There is still a long time before any further division of property. Whatever share I receive when it happens will be more than I would otherwise have had. I owe him a debt for that.”
Madam Bai snorted. “Where do you think the money came from for Changqin’s lavish betrothal gifts two years ago? When Madam Luo’s Eldest Young Lady married, you said your daughter had to marry in splendor. Even if she was born to a concubine, her dowry could not be meager, so you added to it again and again. You spared no expense when those two concubine-born daughters married. Yet the prescribed household allowance provided only so much. The rest came from what I saved while managing this household all these years.”
“All your official entertaining, social obligations, and gifts must come from private funds. What money do you have? Could the small monthly allotment to each courtyard and the year-end distribution possibly cover it all? Which of those obligations does not require silver?”
“Suyi and the other two concubine-born young ladies have yet to marry. Changling has yet to take a wife. The Fourth Master and Fifth Master are still studying, but will they not require betrothal gifts in the future? You always insist that concubine-born children be treated equally. Then produce the silver to treat them equally. Must the entire burden fall on me?”
Shen Su opened his mouth. After looking at her for a long moment, he said, “I know how hard you have worked and how much you have endured. But by doing this and dragging Rong’er into it, haven’t you also incurred the Old Madam’s displeasure?”
Madam Bai’s face remained expressionless. “Does that pain you?”
Shen Su paused and sighed. “I am worried about you.”
Madam Bai replied coolly, “The Old Madam already disliked Ji Hanyi. I did this to deepen that dislike so I could retain control of the household. I refuse to be as spineless as you. I am the eldest daughter-in-law, yet in the future I may be expected to obey a young bride.”
“In birth or ability, how am I inferior to her? If you had shown some backbone and reminded the Old Madam that you are the eldest son of this family, entered as such in the clan genealogy, would I have needed to resort to such methods?”
“Besides, have you ever been anything but filial all these years? In that regard, you have done far more than Fifth Younger Brother. Since entering official service, he has scarcely returned to the residence. Whenever the Old Madam suffers some illness or ache, are you and I not the ones who attend and care for her? Even if our accomplishments count for nothing, surely our years of labor do.”
“With such blatant favoritism before us now, whose heart would not grow cold? Has yours not?”
Shen Su fell silent. Looking at the fine lines that had appeared on Madam Bai’s face, he remembered the charming, pampered noblewoman she had been when she first married him. Emotion stirred within him, and he could not blame her. Nothing she had said could be refuted. Without her managing everything for him, his own life would indeed have been difficult.
He had always understood why Duke Rong’s Residence agreed to give him their noble daughter, and he had long felt that he owed her. He saw how tirelessly she worked on his behalf. In the deepest part of his heart, she alone was the wife dearest to him.
He clasped her hand and rubbed his fingertips over its well-preserved whiteness. With a sigh, he said, “Rong’er has already been beaten. Surely that has eased your anger.”
“When her wounds heal, I will have her apologize to our sister-in-law and take responsibility for the whole affair. Fifth Younger Brother has instincts sharper than most, and many skilled investigators serve beneath him. I fear he may uncover something. Let the matter end here. I do not blame you, nor did I ever mean to. But in the future, discuss things with me first. Do not act on impulse.”
Madam Bai looked up when Shen Su suddenly took her hand. His face remained gentle. Though he had taken three concubines over the years, he had always treated her with tenderness and consideration. Whenever trouble arose with any of those women, he sided with her. He followed her decisions in every matter inside and outside the household. Even before her own family and in public, he poured her tea, draped cloaks around her shoulders, and attended to her with care.
Moreover, Shen Su was remarkably handsome. Though nearly forty-four, he remained tall and lean, without the sagging heaviness or swollen belly of a man accustomed to excessive wine and meat. Whenever Madam Bai wanted to make a scene, a few gentle words from him often extinguished her anger.
And although he kept concubines, he still spent more than half of every month in her rooms, granting her all the dignity due a wife. It left her loving and resenting him in equal measure.
Now, once again, a few soothing words softened Madam Bai’s expression. She turned her head away without speaking.
Shen Su rose, bent down, and swept her into his arms. Looking down at her face, he said with guilt in his voice, “You have suffered many grievances for my sake over the years. Try to let things go more easily in the future. You and I are to spend our lives together. I cannot bear to see you do wrong, much less see harm come to you. If something cannot be won, let us stop fighting for it.”
Cradled in his arms as she so often was, Madam Bai felt her heart soften for a moment. Then she remembered that, for all his affection, Shen Su had still taken three concubines. The tenderness rising within her faded once more.
She said nothing. She fought only for her pride and lacked Shen Su’s broad-mindedness. Pushing against his chest, she rose from his lap and walked alone into the inner room.
Shen Su watched her leave and sighed at her stubborn, competitive nature.
He sighed at himself as well. He had never given Madam Bai the true dignity she deserved. A wife followed her husband; in truth, she had never done anything wrong. His own inadequate birth had burdened her.
He rose and hurried after her, intending to coax her properly.
–
When Ji Hanyi woke the next morning, Shen Si was no longer beside her. She had only just sat up when he entered from outside.
No matron had yet come to announce the hour, but Shen Si was already fully dressed. She could not help asking, “Why are you up so early?”
Shen Si gave a quiet acknowledgment. Carrying a small bowl of bird’s nest in milk, he sat beside her. “Eat this before taking your medicine.”
His voice was cool and brusque. Whatever he said sounded like official business, a rigid command meant to be obeyed.
Ji Hanyi was accustomed to it by now. She had also realized that his aloofness came partly from his natural temperament and partly from the authority and habits accumulated through years at the Censorate. He treated everyone much the same way.
If anything, he had been gentler with her these past few days than he was with others…
Obediently, she accepted the bowl and took a bite.
She wanted to tell Shen Si to go to court. While he remained, the maids dared not enter to serve her. Even Rongchun stayed outside, leaving the room so quiet it seemed devoid of life.
Before she could speak, however, she looked up and found him watching her. His handsome features were aloof, his eyes dark. Her heart tightened, and the words died in her throat.
Shen Si’s gaze rested on the face framed by her beautiful black hair. Her thick, soft locks spilled to her waist, and her curved brows still held a sleepy languor. She looked like a flower bud waiting to be cherished into bloom.
Yet no matter what happened, Ji Hanyi often remained outwardly calm and never volunteered her grievances.
He had thought about it the previous night. Since marrying him, she had suffered more wrongs than he could count. Had he not used such means to secure the marriage, she would never have agreed to become his wife.
He had truly won her only with great difficulty.
He stroked her soft hair, a gentle flame flickering in his eyes. “What happened yesterday will never happen again. No one will dare mention it.”
Ji Hanyi lowered her gaze to the bird’s nest and softly acknowledged him.
Shen Si continued, “There is something else. Baihe did bite through her tongue to kill herself. She was not poisoned.”
Ji Hanyi paused and looked up.
Meeting her eyes, he said, “I had Baihe investigated. She was purchased by the residence more than ten years ago and spent all those years serving Madam Luo. She followed the rules, and nothing else suspicious was uncovered.”
“The information we found says she was an orphan. Beyond that, too much time has passed. The broker who sold her is gone, so nothing further can be traced.”
“As for Lianxin, her account was true. She did hear the story from Baihe. She simply could not keep her mouth shut.”
If even Shen Si could discover so little about Baihe, Ji Hanyi had no choice but to suppress the faint intuition lingering in her heart.
She looked at him. “Then everything can be explained, can’t it?”
But Shen Si shook his head, his dark eyes fixed on her. “I examined Luo Min’s letter. He would never dare leak a matter of the imperial court.”
“I already understand what happened.”
“Madam Luo was not behind it. It was most likely Fourth Sister-in-law.”