Chapter 12
Endless darkness swallowed her. Her severed legs, slick with blood, the torment she had endured day after day—Li Weiyang jolted awake from her dream, drenched in cold sweat, her bedding nearly soaked through. She gasped for breath until Baizhi came over, lifted the blue-green gauze curtains, and asked softly, “Third Miss, are you all right?”
Li Weiyang instinctively glanced at the carved, lacquered bed she was lying in. She had only been dreaming. She was still alive.
In the darkness, Li Weiyang’s face still bore a trace of bewilderment. A few strands of hair clung damply to her smooth forehead, soaked with cold sweat.
“Did you have another nightmare, Third Miss?” Baizhi asked cautiously. “Would you like some water?”
Li Weiyang shook her head.
Just then, Mozhu came in from outside and asked softly, “Are you feeling unwell, Third Miss?”
Baizhi and Mozhu were on night duty. Li Weiyang glanced at Baizhi, who immediately smiled and said, “No, she just got too warm under the blankets and worked up a sweat!”
Baizhi was a clever maid, Li Weiyang thought. Back in Pingcheng, the Li family had also sent Baizhi and Ziyan to her, but she had always believed they had treated her too harshly in the past. She had never grown close to either of them, and had sent them away to be married off at the First Madam’s urging. Now she saw that she needed allies—and that these two maids still needed to prove themselves.
Mozhu had been a second-class maid serving Old Madam Meng. Now that she had come to work in Third Miss’s quarters, she had naturally been promoted to first-class. Hearing Baizhi’s words, she smiled, then went out to fetch the hot water warming on the stove. “I’ll help you wash up, Miss.”
Li Weiyang nodded. Mozhu quickly filled the brass basin with hot water, then soaked a fragrant cloth and stepped forward to help Baizhi wash Li Weiyang and change her clothes.
After changing into her sleeping clothes, Li Weiyang felt a little cooler, and her spirits gradually settled. She looked at the two maids and smiled. “That’s enough. You can both go get some rest. Call me if anything comes up.”
The next day at noon, Ziyan brought over a small celadon bowl and said, “Third Miss, this was sent from the kitchen. Master has guests today, so they didn’t have time to prepare lunch for the women’s quarters. They said to have a little chicken soup first.”
Unlike Eldest Sister, she didn’t have a private kitchen and could only eat the meals provided by the household. At this, Li Weiyang merely smiled. “All right.” She lifted the lid and immediately saw that the chicken soup had been watered down. There were only four pieces of chicken in the bowl: a head, a neck, a rump, and a rib. Not one decent piece among them.
Even Li Weiyang couldn’t help laughing. The Li family had strict rules, and when it came to their concubine-born children, they always kept up appearances. Just look at the furnishings in this room: every piece was valuable. On the surface, the First Madam hadn’t been at all harsh with her. But the costly furnishings had all been recorded in the household inventory; she couldn’t discard or damage them, or she would have to pay their full price. As for her clothes, she had only two outfits suitable for receiving guests, worn over and over. She had been here for a month, and although the First Madam often mentioned sending someone to take her measurements, she had never actually done so. In her previous life, Madam Jiang hadn’t gone this far—not at least on the surface. She had maintained the air of a dignified, gracious principal wife. It seemed she had taken a grudge after Li Weiyang got her precious daughter’s clothes wet, leaving Li Changle coughing in front of everyone for two days. And now even the servants beneath her had begun looking down on her, treating her like dirt. Li Weiyang gave the bowl a cool glance, her smile unreadable.
Ziyan’s eyes reddened. “Third Miss, I argued with the kitchen staff, too. They said this was the allowance for all the other young ladies, and that only Third Miss was being picky. They also said... the other masters pay extra for whatever food and drink they want. If Third Miss wants something good, she can learn to do the same.”
Pay extra? Li Weiyang smiled and shook her head. She was a concubine-born young lady so poor she couldn’t afford a thing. The First Madam was sweet-tongued but hard-hearted: she had given Li Weiyang plenty of things in front of others, but not a single coin, and those gifts couldn’t be sold. The servants had simply realized that she had no money. Ha! This was all rather amusing.
Li Weiyang’s clear eyes sparkled. Then she told Ziyan, “Go get the scissors.”
Ziyan didn’t know what she planned to do, but she went as asked, watching her anxiously in case she meant to harm herself. Li Weiyang smiled faintly, took off her outer robe, and used the scissors to cut half the length off the sleeves of the garment beneath. She had Ziyan sew up the cut edges, then put her outer robe back on. From the outside, no one could tell anything was amiss. Then she stood and said, “I hear Fifth Sister has been released today. She should be paying her respects to Old Madam now.”
Ziyan looked at her, her face full of confusion.
“Come on. Let’s go see Fifth Sister, too.” Li Weiyang’s smile widened, taking on a hint of slyness.
When Li Weiyang stepped outside, her face was bright with a warm, sunny smile. No one liked seeing a face streaked with tears every day—not even Old Madam!
The Lotus Fragrance Pavilion was bustling with activity, and a warm, sweet fragrance filled the air. The First Madam was seated beside Old Madam, discussing the New Year with Second Madam Meng.
Li Changle wore a snow-white jacket lined with silver fox fur and a begonia-red pleated skirt patterned with flowing clouds. Her clothes were no more eye-catching than those of the other young ladies present, but her extraordinary beauty made her stand out as she sat there, outshining every girl in the room. At that moment, she was listening to her mother with a smile, poised and serene.
Li Changxi wore a rose-red jacket trimmed with muskrat fur, gold beads in her hair, and dangling ruby earrings. Her smile was bright and charming; there was no trace of the gloom or resentment one might expect after a month under confinement. She had clearly recovered from her frustration and was doing her utmost to please Old Madam, telling jokes now and then. But no matter how hard she tried, Old Madam’s expression remained mild and unchanged. Fourth Miss Li Changxiao was as quiet as ever, though she occasionally glanced across at Second Branch’s Second Miss, Li Changru. Every time she did, Li Changru was staring at Li Changle with undisguised jealousy.
Everyone in the room seemed to be getting along harmoniously. In truth, they all had their own thoughts.
The maid Lüxin came forward with a red-lacquered wooden tray and served tea to everyone.
Old Madam Meng took a sip and paused in surprise. “Oh? This tea is wonderfully fragrant.”
Hearing this, Li Changle also picked up her cup and took a sip. “Mm, the color is lovely, and the flavor is just right. It’s truly excellent tea.” She turned to Lüxin. “The people and things here at Old Madam’s residence really are the best. I’ve never had tea this fragrant before!”
In this dynasty, the art of brewing tea was considered an especially refined pursuit. It flourished not only among the imperial court and wealthy families, but among ordinary people as well. It was no secret that Eldest Miss Li Changle was a master of the art, having even studied under a renowned expert. For her to praise it so highly showed just how skilled the person who had brewed the tea must be!
Everyone in the room now picked up their tea and took a sip, and nearly all of them praised it.
Meng smiled faintly. “Lüxin, your tea-brewing skills have improved by leaps and bounds. You deserve a reward.”
Lüxin smiled and curtsied. “Old Madam, I didn’t brew this tea. Third Miss did.”
Everyone in the room froze. The First Madam’s expression grew complicated. A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered in Old Madam Meng’s eyes. “Oh? Weiyang did? Invite her in!”
After all her hard work, Old Madam had barely reacted to anything she’d said. Yet Li Weiyang had won her praise so easily! Watching Li Weiyang glide through the doorway, Li Changxi hated her so much she could have burned a hole right through her face.