Yu Pin Yan opened his eyes, and instinctively hugged the warm body in his arms a little tighter; his breathing gradually became deeper.
Yu Xiang rolled over and mumbled indistinctly, "Don't fool around anymore. It's time to attend court."
"Today is my day off." Yu Pin Yan chuckled softly as he embraced his wife from behind.
Tao Hong and Liu Lu, who originally wanted to enter to attend to their master in the morning, heard the movements in the room and retreated with a crimson face. The two of them did not rise until the sun was up, then went to pay respects to the Old Madam.
"Quickly come over to have breakfast. I've been waiting for you two all morning." The Old Madam scolded them but she had a doting smile on her face.
The two of them apologised. After they sat down, Yu Xiang grabbed a crystal prawn dumpling[1] with her chopsticks. Just after she took a bite, she spat it out with a <wah>. She muttered, "It smells so fishy. The cook must have forgotten to remove the fishy taste this time."
The Old Madam tasted one, sighed helplessly and commented, "It tastes the same as usual for me. I'm getting old and my sense of taste is getting worse."
"Don't eat it if it's fishy. Drink some congee." Yu Pin Yan served his wife a bowl of fish congee. Then used his fingertips to wipe the sauce from the corner of her mouth, then placed it in his mouth and sucked it.
"This is also fishy." Yu Xiang only gave it a light sniff before turning her head away in disgust. "What's wrong with the head cook? Is he sick? He's not as good as he used to be today."
Yu Pin Yan took a sip. He really couldn't taste anything fishy. He cast this matter aside and asked Tao Hong to ask for a bowl of noodles in the kitchen. Since Yu Xiang loved cilantro, Tao Hong garnished a thick layer of cilantro on top of the chicken. The creamy and delicious chicken soup became more fragrant with the addition of the green and lush cilantro.
Yu Xiang was satisfied after taking a whiff of the cilantro. She took her chopsticks, mixed them well before putting it in her mouth. She immediately spat it out again. "Where on earth did they buy this cilantro? Why does it smell funny? It stinks!"
"How come? Isn't that what cilantro tastes like?" The Old Madam put a piece of cilantro in her bowl and gave it a taste. Her face was filled with puzzlement.
Yu Pin Yan didn't even bother tasting it. He simply waved his hand and asked the kitchen staff to change it again. The food, which was Yu Xiang's favourite food, changed consecutively four or five times. She rejected them all for the same reason or it was revolting. Yu Pin Yan did not dare to delay it any further. He immediately took out his name card[2] and asked a servant to request for the Imperial Physician.
......
"Your Ladyship is pregnant. It has been more than two months now. The fetus is very stable. Please rest assured, Your Grace." The Imperial Physician rose to congratulate them. The announcement immediately stunned the people in the room including the involved party, Yu Xiang.
"I'm pregnant? But my menstruation came last month." Yu Xiang rubbed her belly in a daze.
Upon hearing this, Yu Pin Yan immediately suppressed the elation in his heart and ordered, "Imperial Physician, check my wife's pulse carefully once more."
"Don't worry, Your Grace. Her Ladyship's body is fine. Some people do have their menstruation in the first two months of pregnancy. Although it is different from normal people, it is not harmful to their bodies. This lowly subject will prescribe a few medicines for Her Ladyship, and she will be fine after taking them for two or three days."
"Yes, yes, yes. Quickly prescribe it." It was only then that the Old Madam returned to her senses. After urging the Imperial Physician, she placed her palms together and worshipped the Heavens and Buddhas in the sky. She was starting to get really anxious because she still hadn't heard any good news; even though her grandson and granddaughter-in-law had been married for two years.
The Imperial Physician went to the room next door to prescribe medicine. When Yu Xiang finished rubbing her belly, she suddenly sprung up and clung onto her husband's body. Countless light pecks rained down on his forehead, cheeks and the tip of his nose, smearing his face with saliva. Then, she shouted joyfully, "I'm pregnant. I have a baby. I'm going to be a mother."
"Yes, I'm going to be a father too." Yu Pin Yan hurriedly held her buttocks and kissed her back repeatedly. The couple was immersed in boundless joy.
The Old Madam shook her head with a smile and led the servants out. When she was at the door, she exhorted uneasily, "When you have hugged enough, put Xiang'er down quickly, lest you drop her."
-------
The depleted number of family members was always a sore subject for the Old Madam. Ever since the death of the Old Marquis and his son, Lin Shi and Yu Miao Qi's banishment, and the marriage of Yu Si Yu's marriage... The huge Duke Yu manor only had three masters remaining. Usually it was filled with groups of servants entering in and out, so it was not obvious. However, on the night of Lunar New Year's Eve, the scene was really deserted and lonely when the three of them gathered around a huge round table to eat reunion dinner.
In the past two years, the Old Madam had been donating incense and oil to The Goddess of Childbearing[3] every month. The scrolls in her granddaughter-in-law's room have all been replaced with a picture of a 'hundred sons and a thousand grandchildren'[4]. She started to wish upon the stars and moon the arrival of her little grandchild. When she heard that Yu Si Yu's eldest uncle was celebrating his 30th birthday, she originally didn't want to bother. But now, she ecstatically took her granddaughter-in-law out of the manor.
"If you go, I will let Yu Si Yu gain some good energy from you. It has been two years since she got married, and there is still no movement." Sitting in the rickety carriage, the joy in the Old Madam's heart slightly dulled.
"Didn't the Physician say both Sirs[5] and her body are fine? Perhaps it is because it is not time yet. See, that's exactly what happened to me." Yu Xiang rubbed her belly merrily.
"What you say is true." The Old Madam's spirits lifted up in joy again.
Halfway through the journey, Yu Xiang lifted the curtain, and ordered when she saw a store sign, "Turn around and go to Changning Street. I want to buy a box of rouge."
The carriage driver was familiar with the way to Changning Street. Yu Pin Yan, who was following behind the carriage, heard this and leaned over. He lifted the curtain and said helplessly, "Little vinegar jar, why are you still harping on this? How many years have passed since then?"
"Such things need to be reckoned with for life. Why? Are you having tender and protective feelings for her?" Yu Xiang propped up half her body as she stuck out her abdomen, which was not showing, and showed an extremely aggrieved expression.
Before Yu Pin Yan could say anything, the Old Madam pulled her to sit down and said gently, "The carriage is moving. This little ancestor should sit properly so as not to fall. Your Elder Brother only loves you. How can he have tender and protective feelings for others? Isn't that right, Yan'er?" After finishing her sentence, she gave her grandson a fierce glare.
Yu Pin Yan was torn between laughter and tears as he nodded his head. Only then did Yu Xiang stop. For some unknown reason, her temper had been flaring up more often these past few days; every now and then she would get angry, and it was to the point she couldn't control herself. Luckily, her husband and grandmother-in-law always let her have her way.
When the carriage stopped in front of a stall selling rogue and powder on Changning Street, Yu Xiang lifted the curtain and opened her mouth to speak, "Madam Hou, I want a box of rogue, the cheapest one."
The face of the woman standing behind the stall turned pale, then red; and from red to purple. Finally, it turned as black as ink. Even though her heart was feeling indignant, she could only humbly bend her knees and hand over a box of rogue when she saw the handsome man with a cold expression not far away.
The woman was none other than Chang Ya Fu.
Due to his involvement in the rebellion of King Li two years ago, Duke Jingguo was sentenced and executed. The old, weak, women and children in his family were all made official slaves. Because she was young, beautiful and had some assets, a merchant of a small stall fancied her and bought her for ten taels of silver; not only did he free her from servitude, but also took her as his wife.
Originally, Chang Ya Fu was unresigned; however, after meeting her brother, who was working for a big family as a manservant; and her mother, who was working as a cleaning lady, she resigned herself to her fate and took care of the household chores and taught her children. Slowly, she became used to this common life and its people. Her eldest sister was not spared either; she died of a sudden illness just after the incident happened. It was unknown if it was her in-laws who did it.
This small merchant's surname happened to be Hou. So it wasn't wrong for Yu Xiang to call her Madam Hou.[6] But Chang Ya Fu could still recall the words she had silently mouthed towards Yu Xiang to assert her dominance when she returned to the capital from her hometown. Every time she thought of it, she felt ashamed and angry to death. Marquess, she almost became a real Marquess. If she hadn't been greedy for glory and wealth, she would have married Yu Pin Yan earlier, and the Duke Jingguo manor would not have been exterminated under her own hands.
Thoughts about the past and her behaviors would often keep her up at night. The relentless remorse and regret was like a poison, seeping into every cell inside her body. She wished she could hit herself and become a fool so that she could forget about her unpleasant past. However, every time Yu Xiang went out, she would intentionally place herself in front of her (CYF) to sweetly call her 'Madam Hou'.
That little mouth is so pretty, but why is it so vicious?
No matter if she had countless grievances, she didn't dare to confront Yu Xiang when she was still a di daughter of Duke Jingguo; she didn't even dare now. She glanced quickly at the tall, elegant and handsome man, and started to pack up her stall. She couldn't bear the thought of the stall owners discussing her past again after Yu Xiang's visit today.
As the carriage drove further away, Yu Xiang suddenly felt it was uninteresting. She tossed the rogue aside and lamented, "I won't come here anymore."
"Have you finally come to your senses?" The Old Madam tucked the messy hair around her cheeks away.
"No, I'm going to take care of the baby at home. How could I have time for her? Once I have the first baby, wouldn't the second, third and fourth be not far behind?" Lately, Yu Xiang really enjoyed stroking her belly even though she couldn't feel anything. It turned out that this was how it felt like to be a mother. It was as if the seal in her brain was removed, and her entire body felt like it was lifted to another level. Her heart was filled with immense joy and anticipation.
Upon hearing this, the Old Madam put her arms around her and laughed. Which elder wouldn't like to have many grandchildren? It was good that her granddaughter-in-law thought this way.
Yu Si Yu's husband, Shao Xuan Ze, was originally a proper fourth-rank General of Cloud and Banner. During the rebellion of King Li, he stood by his principles and sided with the Crown Prince. After the rebellion, he was promoted to the third-rank General of the Cavalry. In addition, his eldest brother-in-law was the famous Dragon Scale Guard Commander Yu Pin Yan, so he was able to mingle in the court like a fish back in water and everything was going his way.
However, his eldest brother, Shao Xuan Hui, was roped in by the Fifth Prince and even persuaded him to annul the marriage and marry again when the entire Yu family was in prison. In the end, the Fifth Prince was stripped of his title and became a useless imperial family member. His eldest brother's family did not fare well either, and had almost lost their titles. In the past two years, with the help of his younger brother, they slowly prospered and became the fifth-ranked Young Secretary of Office in charge of ceremony and protocol.
In order to broaden his contacts and to make his superiors realise how strong his backers were, Shao Xuan Hui repeatedly begged his elder brother to invite Lord Yu to visit. The matter eventually was brought to Yu Si Yu's attention. Yu Si Yu understood that her elder brother disliked social engagements, so she only asked the Old Madam to inform him but did not insist on it.
So when she bumped into her brother, who was dismounting at the door, her eyes widened in shock, "Big Brother, what brings you here?"
"To accompany Xiang'er to relieve boredom." Yu Pin Yan told her as he carefully carried his wife down from the carriage. The Old Madam, who was standing on the shaft of the carriage, bent down to support her granddaughter-in-law. She urged her grandson to be careful and not to cause a fall.
These two had long been pampering Yu Xiang, to the extent that it was outrageous to others. Although today was slightly exaggerated, Yu Si Yu did not think much of it and went forward to support her sister-in-law.
"Why have you brought them along?" Glancing at the beautiful woman in pink and the young man in white standing behind Yu Si Yu, Yu Xiang knitted her eyebrows. It caused the woman to hang her head and cover her face in a panicked and helpless manner, while the young man glared back in defiance.
Yu Si Yu pouted her lips and pointed at her husband who was exchanging pleasantries with his elder brother. She whispered, "He asked me to bring them here to broaden their horizons. He said 'after all, they are the benefactor's children, so it is not good to treat them harshly'."
In the first year, Yu Si Yu lived a very happy life. She thought that she married a good man who valued love and righteousness. Who knew that valuing love and justice wouldn't be a good thing? Even when the greedy, merciless and ungrateful eldest uncle hurt him, he didn't learn from his mistakes. When something would come up the next time, he would still volunteer to help them. If it weren't for the fact that the family property had been divided and her parents-in-law passed on, she wouldn' know to what extent they would be implicated.
Last year, he was sent by the Emperor to fight bandits in the Western Mountains and returned with a young and beautiful girl and a young boy. He said they were the sons and daughters of his lieutenant, Li Fang Guo. Li Fang Guo had died saving his life and entrusted him with a pair of children before he died. Yu Si Yu originally planned to buy dowries to marry the girl off, and then to find a good match for the boy. Who knew that the other person was so bold to have intimate contact while her husband was drunk? That young man saw that the matter was a success and dragged Yu Si Yu over to witness it.
Yu Si Yu arrived quickly and caught them in the act. She almost vomited blood and wanted to drive them out using any means. The next day, the girl knelt at the door of Shao manor and refused to get up. The young man pointed to the plaque in the courtyard and scolded Shao Xuan Ze for his drunkenness and immorality. Yu Si Yu had no choice but to take the girl in as a concubine. She thought that her husband had suffered a loss and would at least learn from his mistakes. But who knew that the two siblings only pretended to be weak and miserable to lure him in again? Yu Si Yu's suffering was too painful to describe in words.
The Yu family had never been averse to suffering losses, but they never expected to suffer such a big loss in the end. There was no way to justify it, so the Old Madam and Yu Xiang were uncomfortable at the sight of these two people. She gave them the cold shoulders and pulled Yu Si Yu inside.
The beautiful woman blinked her shimmering teary eyes towards Shao Yu Ze and it happened to meet Yu Pin Yan's depthless eyes. Her heart fluttered with horror as she hurriedly took small steps and dragged her brother, who still had an indignant look on his face, inside.
A stage was set up in the courtyard and the guests were separated by several decorative carved screens.[1] They gathered around a round table to drink tea and watched the play. When the Old Madam saw her granddaughter-in-law wanting to raise a glass of wine, she hastened to stop her. She saw her eyes staring intently at a plate of pastries at the other end of the table, seemingly coveting them. She brazenly got up and circled halfway around the table to bring them over.
"Eat slowly. Be careful not to choke. Ay, don't drink the tea on the table. Drink the ginseng tea I brought. Wan Qiu, go to the carriage and bring over the boxes of food I prepared earlier." The Old Madam patted her granddaughter-in-law on the back while wiping the pastry crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
"Old Madam, are you attending to your granddaughter-in-law or a little ancestor?" A noblewoman teased.
"Xiang'er is pregnant, so isn't she the young ancestor in our Yu manor?" The Old Madam's words contained a hint of flaunting.
"Madam is pregnant? What a call for a celebration! I wonder when my sister-in-law will also receive good news?" Shao Xuan Hui's wife, Wu Shi, had a smile on her face, but her eyes were full of ridicule. She was originally the eldest sister-in-law. However, in the past two years, she had to cower before Yu Si Yu because of her husband's career. This caused humiliation and cynicism to fill up in her heart. Although she couldn't go against Yu Si Yu outright, she loved to provoke her every now and then.
As they were saying this, Yu Si Yu could not help feeling regrets and subconsciously touched her stomach. At that moment, Li Shi, who was standing behind her, suddenly turned her head and retched; her thick eyelashes smeared with teardrops, making her look very endearing. Additionally, the troupe was changing scenes, so the sound of the gongs and drums stopped momentarily. Thus, the noise from her side drew extra attention.
Wu Shi froze and then rejoiced, "Sister-in-law, you can't be pregnant, right? I'll have someone go and find a physician for you."
As soon as her words left her mouth, Yu Si Yu turned her head towards Li Shi, her gaze cold and stern. Yu Xiang, on the other hand, chuckled and said slowly, "Whether Si Yu is pregnant, she will check it later. Today is an auspicious day and you even dare to invite a physician here. It is seriously uncouth. Furthermore, she is a mere concubine. How can she deserve the title of 'sister-in-law'? Even if Madam is willing to lower yourself, do not bring trouble to our Si Yu."
After these words were spoken, she gently patted Yu Si Yu's hand which was clenched into a fist. Yu Si Yu quickly calmed down and remained silent. She only glanced at Wu Shi with a smile that didn't seem to be a smile.
Because the male and female guests were separated by only a few screens, anything said at one end could be easily heard; not to mention the fact that there was no gong sound for a while. Shao Xuan Hui and Shao Xuan Ze bobbed their heads apologetically in embarrassment to the expressionless Yu Pin Yan, while Li Shi's younger brother, who was quite smart, revealed a resentful expression.
Yu Pin Yan poured himself a glass of wine. He sent someone over from time to time to advise his wife not to drink and be picky about her food. Shao Xuan Ze was originally his former colleague. However, because of the incident of concubinage a year ago, it caused a rift between them and their relationship was not like what it used to be. Currently, they sat opposite each other in silence. When people on the other side of the table saw the stagnant atmosphere at the main table, they shook their heads and lamented that the Shao brothers did not know how to conduct themselves with integrity. One was too indecisive and the other was too mercenary and greedy. Sooner or later, they would drift further away from the Yu family.
As they pondered, a Hua Dan[2] with very elaborate makeup emerged from the stage. She was holding a golden bottle in her hand and sang in a high pitch about the drunkenness of a noble consort. She walked to the edge of the stage with delicate, unsteady strides, her bewitching eyes directed towards the handsome young man at the main table.
Such an obvious gesture was noticed by everyone, let alone the easily jealous Yu Xiang. The Old Madam hastily held her granddaughter-in-law by the shoulders and whispered, "Hold it in. Don't lose your temper. You are pregnant now."
Yu Xiang touched the baby in her belly and had no choice but to suppress it. Yu Si Yu also forgot about her argument with Li Shi, and asked someone to enquire about Hua Dan's background.
Wu Shi smiled and took a sip from her cup. She said, "There is no need to pry. She is the recently famous Hua Dan,Qian Luo."
"The one that the Sixth Prince wants to take in as a concubine even at the cost of a large sum of money?" Yu Xiang raised an eyebrow. She spoke slowly and calmly, "What a euphemism for her name. Xian Luo,[3] why not call her Little Radish?"
Yu Si Yu almost spat out a mouthful of tea, while Yu Pin Yan on the other end finally revealed his first smile of the day. His deep eyes filled with a strong sense of overindulgence.
The Hua Dan on stage was charmed by his affectionate gaze. After a pause, she started singing the next line as she curved her lips at him as she turned around.
Li Shi's younger brother finally couldn't hold himself back. He pointed at her and smiled. "She looks familiar to me, yet she resembles someone else."
No one at the table responded and the atmosphere became a little awkward. Because he was the son of his benefactor, Shao Xuan Ze tried to ease the situation and said, "Oh like how?"
"Like Duchess Yu. If she washes off the heavy colours on her face, I'm sure her beauty is not dissimilar to that of Madam's."
This noble son Li must be crazy to compare a lowly opera singer to a proper Duchess and he is also doing it in front of Yu Pin Yan, right? Anyone who has been in the capital for quite some time knows that Yu Pin Yan loves his wife like his life depended on it. It was as if an acupuncture point had been pressed on the guests, who were chatting or laughing, and fell silent. Shao Xuan Ze, who continued his conversation, flushed and looked towards Yu Pin Yan anxiously.
Yu Pin Yan's face was covered with a layer of frost. With a <dong> sound, he placed his wine glass down and got up to leave. When he arrived at the folding screen, he turned his head and said, "General Shao, I forgot to tell you, my Yu family has a rule - men are not allowed to have concubines. You married Si Yu, so you are my Yu family member. If you don't follow the rules, I, Yu Pin Yan, can depose you. I have already brought this up today. This play is horribly boring, it would be fine if I don't watch it. I'll take my leave."
At the other end, Yu Xiang and the Old Madam tugged at Yu Si Yu, who was completely stunned.
If her elder brother didn't give an example, Yu Si Yu could have forced herself to resign to her fate. However, with the comparison, she became dissatisfied. She was mostly grateful to Shao Xuan Ze. However, regarding love, it was not to the extent of him being a necessity. Furthermore, with the Li siblings' scheme in recent years, she was always quarreling with Shao Xuan Ze in three to five days. The gratitude had long since worn off, leaving a body filled with fatigue.
She drained the cup of strong wine in her hand and said in a voice devoid of emotion, "Let's go. Let's go home and return to Yu manor." At the moment, this was not a place for them.
Wu Shi said 'oh no' in her heart. When she tried to stop them, she was held back by the guards of Yu manor. She could only watch as they walked away. Without the strong backing of Duke Yu, her brother-in-law's introverted personality would sooner or later be ostracised by his peers.
Only then did she realise that Yu Si Yu was not only her sister-in-law, but also the pillar of the Shao family. With her gone, the Shao family was in constant danger of crumbling.
Li Shi's heart was filled with joy, but her face was filled with grievance as she lowered her head and wiped her tears. Wu Shi didn't care if the occasion was appropriate, she slammed the table and furiously scolded, "What are you crying for?! It's all your brother's fault! Younger brother-in-law, why don't you hurry and go to Duke manor to apologize!"
It was then that Shao Xuan Ze returned to his senses from his contemplation, and busily went after him. Shao Xuan Hui sent his guests away in embarrassment. When he turned back to look at the Li siblings again, there was an eerie murderous intent surging in his eyes.
Noble son Li was originally acting on a whim. Now that he had snapped out of it, he also realized that he had made a grave mistake. He was instantly overcome with fear and started to tremble. In order to appease Duke Yu, two choices were given to the Shao family: One, to simply divorce with Yu Si Yu. Second, to dispose of him and his sister.
In short, a single sentence brought about the death of a man. Even if noble son Li regretted it until his guts turned green, it would not help.
After returning home, Yu Si Yu settled down for a few days. She thought she would never be able to find a husband as perfect as her elder brother. However, she was a high-minded person, and having spent a lot of time with Yu Xiang, she was so impressed that she would rather let go of her husband than go back to beg. From now on, without Li Shi, there would still be Zhao Shi, Qian Shi and Sun Shi... . Her life will be wasted on fighting with women. How meaningless and ridiculous is that?
She didn't let Xuan Shao Ze handle the Li siblings. Instead, she signed a letter of divorce. Xuan Shao Ze returned home and became gravely ill. When he recovered, he found that he was promoted on the surface, but in reality he was demoted. He was transferred to the most remote and inhospitable place in the North, where he would never be able to return to the capital. He took the Li siblings with him, but Li Shi was unable to bear the hardships of the journey and miscarried. Noble son Li knew that the Northern Rong was a barren land, and fearing that his life would be ruined, let alone his future, he fled during the night.
In the end, Yu Si Yu remarried and became a second wife to another person. Coincidentally, the other person's family was the person Yu Xiang fancied when she was discussing marriage. His family had a rule -No concubines until one was forty and childless.
For the rest of her life, Yu Si Yu lived a very comfortable life. She had to admit that her sister-in-law was great at discerning people. If she had known earlier, she would not have gone around in circles and tormenting herself.