Condemnation
The parents of the maidservants had loathed Lady Jang of the Zhongyong Marquis Estate down to their very bones, yet crushed beneath the weight of her power, they stood meekly at her side, heads bowed, unable to utter a single word.
Lady Jang had arrived at the gates of the Zhenguo Duke Estate in full pomp, bearing lavish gifts, ostensibly to pay her respects to the Grand Princess — and to declare that she would take Bai Jinxiu back to the marquis estate to care for her.
Second Madam Yu, unable to stomach the sight of Lady Jang's face a moment longer, had asked the Crown Princess of the Zhenguo Estate, Lady Dong, to receive her in her stead, while she herself settled into Qingzhu Pavilion and devoted herself entirely to nursing Bai Jinxiu.
It was Old Zong, a mere hired steward with no standing as master of the house, who came out to usher Lady Jang inside. It was true she had come in a posture of humility, but to be received like this — by a menial, no less — sent fury churning in her gut, and unable to conceal her feelings, she wore her anger nakedly upon her face. She vowed to herself that once word spread that every man of the Zhenguo Duke Estate lay dead, she would find some way, any way, to make them pay.
Mama Wu, supporting Lady Jang by the arm as they entered the estate, pushed out her lips in complaint.
"Isn't this rather too shabby a reception for my lady?"
Perhaps because Mama Wu had voiced the resentment on her behalf, Lady Jang herself grew calmer. She answered with a smile.
"Only yesterday you were patting my hand and soothing me — why is it today you can't hold your temper? In any case, Jinxiu is my daughter-in-law. If the Duke's estate won't spare a thought for my dignity, then I have no obligation to show Bai Jinxiu a pleasant face either. Today, come what may, I must take Jinxiu back to the estate and make certain Jin Lang never leaves the Zhongyong household. Only then can Houya's honor be preserved. We have long years ahead of us — we'll simply watch and wait."
"How wise you are, my lady!"
Mama Wu beamed, fawning, and guided Lady Jang toward the inner quarters.
Having served Lady Jang for many long years, Mama Wu knew her mistress's temperament well. If she had not grumbled on Lady Jang's behalf just now, her mistress would have been unable to hold her tongue when she met the Crown Princess inside. Only after Mama Wu complained first, giving Lady Jang the chance to play the comforter, could her mistress think of herself as the magnanimous one, the most capable woman in the world. Only through that little ritual could Lady Jang swallow her rage.
As they passed through the inner gate of the Zhenguo Duke Estate, they saw a stewardess standing at the side of the Crown Princess, Lady Dong. At Lady Jang's approach, Mama Jin bowed with a warm smile.
"My respects to you, Lady Jang. The Grand Princess sent a servant just now with word that she is unwell today and cannot receive you. Second Madam Yu cannot come either, as she is tending to our Second Young Miss — so the Crown Princess, along with the Eldest and Third Young Misses, are waiting to receive you. She instructed me to come out and escort you in."
At the news that Bai Jingyan, the Eldest Young Miss, was present as well, the muscles of Mama Wu's face trembled for an instant before fear took hold of her. Bai Jingyan had been to war. She was a woman who had seen blood and taken lives.
Lady Jang's complexion soured too.
The Grand Princess I can understand. But does that nobody Yu think to throw her weight about now?
Since the Crown Princess herself would receive her, it was not quite an insult — but that Bai girl had never shown a speck of courtesy in her life. She seemed meek and well-mannered on the surface, yet her words carried a sharp-edged killing intent. Just the other day, at the entrance of the marquis estate, even Houya had been struck dumb by her tongue. The mere thought of facing Bai Jingyan made Lady Jang shudder.
Still, however much she despised it, she had to play the elder before these people.
"Why, the Eldest Young Miss is unwell and yet doesn't even rest? I feel quite ashamed, honestly."
Walking ahead of them, Mama Jin heard Lady Jang comment on Bai Jingyan's health and her spirits darkened — but she let none of it show, offering no reply. She simply straightened her back and led the way.
Denied even an answer, Lady Jang furiously waved her handkerchief and shut her mouth.
Mama Jin led her deep into the inner quarters. Lady Dong did not come out to greet her. When Lady Jang entered the room, she found Lady Dong, Bai Jingyan, and Bai Jindong chatting pleasantly among themselves. That they would so pointedly ignore her sent her temper flaring all over again.
"It seems I've come at a bad time. I meant to pay my respects to the Grand Princess, but I'm told she's unwell — and the lady of the house is busy looking after Jinxiu and cannot come out!"
Lady Jang entered wearing her best smile.
Lady Dong listened to her prickly words, phoenix eyes fixed upon her. She had heard from Bai Jinchi's own lips how Lady Jang had hounded Bai Jingyan at the marquis estate, harping on her health and her age. There was no possibility that a woman so thoroughly displeased would greet her guest with a bright face.
Lady Dong drew out her handkerchief, pressed it lightly to her lips, and spoke, her face gone rigid as she regarded Lady Jang.
"So you mean to say my goodmother-in-law chose, of all days, to fall ill precisely when you arrived? And that my dear sister-in-law, nursing a daughter who died and came back to life, failing to come out and greet your esteemed self in person — is that, in your words, a want of proper respect?"
Lady Jang's tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and she could no longer hold her smile.
Lady Dong's reputation as a wise, virtuous, and gentle woman was already widely known; she had become the very model of a clan matriarch. But Bai Jingyan knew better. Lady Dong was strong, and she was a woman who always bent her arm toward her own kin. She would endure almost anything, let any slight slide — but if someone harmed her children, she would strike without an ounce of fear.
For the sake of propriety, Bai Jingyan and Bai Jindong owed their courtesies as well. They rose and offered Lady Jang the barest of greetings.
Once seated, Bai Jingyan asked with a pleasant smile.
"Lady Jang, was your purpose in coming here today to receive the full hospitality of the Zhenguo Duke Estate and flaunt your exalted rank? Is that why, the moment you walked in, you were so very quick to demand account for the sins of my grandmother and my second aunt?"
The moment Bai Jingyan opened her mouth, Lady Jang's heart began to pound. She had evidently been given no small fright at the entrance of the marquis estate that day.
Her palms were slick with sweat. She had come here fully aware of her circumstances. With the Zhongyong estate under suspicion, she had to swallow her pride and grovel if necessary — first, she had to quench the fire burning at the Duke's estate. And yet at the unbridled words of Lady Dong and Bai Jingyan, she was on the very verge of losing her reason.
Lady Jang clenched her hands so hard she thought her nails would snap. She lowered herself and answered.
"How could I ever presume to demand account from Her Highness the Grand Princess!"
"Then are you blaming my second aunt just now?"
Bai Jindong continued, her face cold.
"We assumed you had come to offer an apology, Lady Jang — but it seems you've come to pass judgment instead!"
Lady Jang was petty-hearted to begin with, and to her it felt as though this concubine-born girl of the Duke's estate were kicking her squarely in the face. Her expression blackened.
"A mere concubine's daughter dares to shout at me to my face — Crown Princess, shouldn't you be teaching her some discipline? If word of this gets out, people will have no end of things to say about the upbringing in the Duke's household!"
Lady Dong set down her teacup and glared at Lady Jang with unconcealed displeasure.
"Lady Jang, save your lectures for your own household. Didn't your two precious legitimate daughters try to take my new sister-in-law's very life over some petty clash of opinions? And you yourself — did you not lay hands on her wedding dowry? The whole of Dadu already knows how, while your daughter-in-law lay unconscious from her injuries, you sold off the maidservants given to her as part of her dowry. The great houses are feasting on the scandal as we speak! You make no effort to salvage your own estate's name, yet you come here to criticize the upbringing in ours. Your shamelessness is boundless!"
Lady Dong's words ground Lady Jang's face into the dirt.
"You— Lady Dong!"
Lady Jang heaved and puffed, chest heaving with rage, but she could only tremble — no words would come.
Mama Wu knew exactly why they had come today. They had to take Bai Jinxiu away. They had to take her away and stop Jin Lang from ever leaving the Zhongyong household. She hurriedly donned a smile and moved to smooth things over.
"Oh dear, oh dear — it's all a misunderstanding, Crown Princess! My lady means nothing of the sort! Demanding that the Grand Princess come out to greet her — what nonsense! My lady is simply worried for Her Highness and for our Eldest and Second Young Madams. Her tongue is clumsy, but her heart is kind. She is most certainly not assigning blame!"
Mama Wu forced a laugh and secretly tugged at Lady Jang's sleeve.
"My lady heard that our eldest young madam has woken, and came specially to bring her back to the estate to care for her! Having come all this way, paying respects to the Grand Princess was only her proper duty. But when told Her Highness was unwell, she worried she had chosen a poor moment to visit — that is all her clumsy words meant! The Crown Princess and my lady have known each other since childhood. Surely Your Highness knows my lady's heart well?"
Lady Jang crushed her handkerchief in her fist, soothing the fury bubbling inside her.
"That is exactly what I meant! Crown Princess, we have known each other since we were girls — you know my temperament. It is all a misunderstanding."
There was no chance Lady Dong would swallow such whitewashed nonsense. Resting her hand — adorned with bracelets of the finest jade — on the armrest of her chair, she was the very picture of dignity. Had she chosen to unleash the full authority of the senior lady of the house, she would have outmatched Lady Jang by a wide margin.
"So you are saying, then, that you came all this way to apologize?"
"And to bring Jinxiu back to the estate. Jinxiu is a daughter-in-law of our Jin family — letting her linger on at her mother's home will only make her the laughingstock of everyone."
Lady Jang replied.
"Jiang Fengchun — let us dispense with the pleasantries!"
Lady Dong went on, calling the Marchioness by her full given name.
"Yesterday, His Majesty issued a decree granting Jin Lang a residence of his own. For Jin Lang to move out and set up his own household means the Zhongyong estate has fallen out with the Zhenguo Dukes — and it means your two daughters' assault on Jinxiu will be laid bare before the world. With no other recourse, you have come here to take Jinxiu back, all to keep Jin Lang from leaving your household — for the sake of your family's face. Am I wrong?"
As Lady Dong mercilessly laid bare her true intentions, Lady Jang's complexion darkened further. Then Mama Wu spoke up.
"Crown Princess, my lady acts for the good of both families. She speaks so plainly only because you are one household to her! For a son to set up a separate household while his father and mother yet live is simply not proper! Was it not by refusing to divide the family that the Zhenguo Duke Estate flourished as it does — that the Bai family came to enjoy the blessing of seventeen sons and daughters? If Houya sets up his own household while his parents still live, his path to official rank will suffer for it. Someone is bound to make an issue of his filial piety."
Lady Dong had no need to stoop to a mere servant's rank to answer her. She unhurriedly lifted her teacup and took a sip, and it was Bai Jingyan who spoke, her tone level.
"And is that also the will of Lady Jang herself?"
Lady Jang, unwilling to answer Bai Jingyan, thought she would at least have a sip of tea — and only then realized that the Zhenguo Duke Estate had not offered her so much as a single cup. Her rage surged anew, and she crushed her handkerchief in her grip.
"I do this only because I want Jin Lang and his wife to do well."
"Lady Jang, what a commanding way you have with words. Her Majesty the Empress herself urged my brother-in-law to move to his new house and walk a new road — and now you say you're preventing him from moving for his own good? Does that even make sense? Are you claiming to be wiser than Her Majesty the Empress?"
Bai Jindong asked, lifting her chin.
Lady Jang's heart plummeted. However swollen her gall, she could not defy the Empress. She barked out,
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Bai Jingyan answered with calm clarity in her eyes.
"It is not enough that you should drag your two young misses here to apologize to my second sister — instead you storm into the Zhenguo Duke Estate glaring daggers, and the moment you open your mouth, you demand to take my sister away. Lady Jang, I truly cannot tell — do you believe the Bai family fears the Zhongyong estate? Or do you take us for fools so dim that we would hand our second sister back to your household to suffer your persecution?"