Chapter Seventy-Four
When ordinary families received a newly married daughter back for her wedding visit, the daughter's father and brothers would entertain the new son-in-law in the front, while the mother, sisters-in-law, and female relatives would speak with the daughter in the back. But for Bailin, he was the only member of the bride's family present in the entire household. He had no choice but to first escort Roujia to the back quarters to be properly attended by the servants, while he spoke with He Zichen in the front.
He Zichen was extremely respectful. He had brought a large pile of gifts for the wedding visit and immediately bowed to Bailin upon arrival, addressing him as "Brother-in-law." Bailin quickly helped him rise, smiling as he said, "Brother-in-law, please sit."
The servants brought tea. Remembering what the wedding chaperone had instructed him, Bailin followed convention and asked, "Has my sister been well in your household? Does she serve your parents diligently? Does she attend to the household matters with dedication?"
He Zichen hastily set down his teacup. "Rou'er... Madam has been very well. On her very first day at the household, she went to pay respects to Grandmother. Every morning and evening she attended upon her, stood protocol, and personally served the meals and tea. However..."
He Zichen smiled at Bailin. "I won't speak in formal pleasantries to my brother-in-law. You know how it is—the family's rules were never strict, even before we separated from the old master's household, let alone now. Besides, my mother isn't the type to boss around her daughter-in-law to assert authority. Instead, she was alarmed by Madam's complete adherence to protocol. I told Madam that we're family living together in harmony; these empty formalities aren't necessary. We're but a modest household, we don't need such elaborate displays. All of this can be done away with. It's just that Madam is very conscientious about规矩—she insists on going to Grandmother's room every morning. Grandmother can't help it, so naturally she doesn't put Madam to any tasks. She just chats with her. I thought that was for the best anyway. I'm at the yamen every day, so at home it's just Grandmother and Madam. It's good for them to keep each other company."
Every time He Zichen mentioned Roujia, his eyes softened with tenderness. It was clear he was very satisfied. Hearing that Old Madam He was so considerate and proper, Bailin felt relieved. He nodded with a smile and said, "Serving one's mother-in-law is only right."
He Zichen smiled and continued, "As for managing the household, Madam is quite capable too. Everyone in the household respects her. Having such a wife, Zichen has no other wishes."
While they were talking, the old steward came to ask if they could begin the feast. With only three masters in the entire household, following proper etiquette by separating the tables would only make things seem even more desolate. Bailin simply didn't bother with the separation. He moved aside the folding screen and had someone bring Roujia to the front. They dined together.
Though there weren't many people, at least there was less restraint. He Zichen was genuinely delighted and, abandoning his usual reserve as a Hanlin Academy scholar, kept proposing toasts to Bailin. By the end, he was rather tipsy. He pulled Bailin arm and laughed, "Brother-in-law... Don't mind the small crowd. In three to five years, we'll surely... surely have children swarming at our knees, our family flourishing..."
Roujia, already shy and demure, blushed even redder at these words. She hastily pulled at He Zichen's sleeve, whispering shyly, "My lord, are you drunk?"
Bailin suppressed a laugh and sent someone to prepare sobering soup for He Zichen. But He Zichen was still beaming. He patted his forehead and said, "The wife corrects me..." After they had their fill of food and wine, He Zichen knew that Roujia must have private words she wanted to share with Bailin. Smiling, he said, "I've been wanting to find some good ink sticks at Shumo Alley these past few days. Since I've come to this area anyway, I might as well take a look. Madam, stay here for a while. I'll come back to pick you up after I've done my shopping."
Roujia's heart warmed. She nodded.
In the inner courtyard, Roujia smilingly showed Bailin the gifts she had brought for the visit one by one. "These are all the wedding congratulatory gifts. Mother-in-law selected some nice ones for me to bring back... This peace charm has excellent translucency. It's perfect for you to wear. Here's a complete set of gold-painted fans—the weather will be getting warm soon, so they'll come in handy. And this is..."
Bailin smiled and pulled Roujia to sit down. "I'll look at those things later. Let's talk first. Is Old Madam He good to you? I saw how Brother-in-law treats you, so it should be fine."
Roujia's粉-faced flushed slightly. She softly said, "My mother-in-law is a kind and sincere person. She's been very good to me. The second day after the wedding, Mother-in-law personally brought me to the ancestral home of the He family, introducing me to everyone one by one. The household members at the ancestral home respect Mother-in-law, who kept herself widowed young and raised my husband to adulthood all by herself. Consequently, they were all very kind to me. No one put on airs. It was clear I had married into a good family. Mother-in-law treats me extremely well. She never makes me stand protocol. Every day when I go to pay my respects, she just chats and laughs with me. She doesn't put on the airs of a mother-in-law. She's genuine with me. Just yesterday... Mother-in-law gave me all the keys to the household storehouses and all the account books, asking me to learn household management. For her to trust me so much, I have nothing to complain about."
Bailin had met Old Madam He before. He knew she was a charitable person. Smiling, he asked, "And Brother-in-law?"
Roujia's face grew even redder. She nodded without speaking. Bailin felt relieved. "Then I'm at ease." Roujia lowered her eyes and smiled, softly saying, "I won't hide it from you. When we were in the south, when we heard about the emperor's betrothal, Auntie was going to speak up for me. She said the husband's family had fallen on hard times, and I'd suffer嫁过去. I was worried too. I wasn't afraid of hardship—I just feared that after marrying so far away, I'd be useless to you. In the end, Mother told Auntie that she had found this match herself, her own younger brother, so it couldn't be bad. With Roujia's temperament, she'd truly suffer if she entered a prince's or marquis's mansion. Mother instructed me that as long as I serve my mother-in-law with all my heart and treat my husband well, our future would be fine..."
Roujia's eyes grew red. She whispered哽咽, "Looking at things now, Mother was indeed insightful. She suffered a lifetime of the bitterness of marrying above her station without support. She was afraid I'd be the same as her. That's why she was willing to let me marry far away. With you watching over me, with our prince's mansion behind me, others wouldn't dare slight me..."
Mention of the Lingnan Princess Consort touched a painful place in Bailin's heart. He深吸了一口气and said, "Sister, rest assured. I won't let Mother live like that forever."
Roujia nodded through flowing tears. "I know... Though we came from the same womb, you've always been different from me. You'll achieve great things in the future... Just don't worry too much. I'm not just trying to comfort you. In the past year, Mother's life has improved greatly. Father visits Mother's courtyard once every ten days or half month, but he's never stintedit in food, clothing, or expenses. Especially after learning that you're here and well-liked by the emperor, and that you've formed a connection with the Crown Prince, he's been even more considerate to Mother. Concubine Xia still tries to cause trouble sometimes, but she's收敛more. After all, she can't surpass Mother's position in name, so what can she really do?"
"And besides..." Roujia was kind-hearted and couldn't speak harshly. After hesitation, she said, "This time, when Wen Yu and Kang Tai were called back to Lingnan by Father, there will certainly be a major storm. Concubine Xia will probably be too busy with that to bother anyone else."
Bailin smiled faintly. "They brought it upon themselves. Who can they blame? It's just that Empress Feng had to release that rumor right before your wedding. Old Madam He and Brother-in-law haven't mentioned it, have they?"
Roujia wiped her tears and shook her head, smiling. "No... When talking about her maiden family, Mother-in-law only mentions you and Mother. She never mentions anyone else. My husband never speaks of others either. You can rest easy."
Bailin nodded, then smiled again. "We only need to see how Father will educate our good little brother and good little sister when they return."
An hour later, He Zichen came to pick up Roujia. Bailin had his servants load onto their carriage all the gifts he had prepared, along with the congratulatory gifts that Qi Xiao had sent. With that, the wedding visit was complete.
After seeing them off, Bailin had intended to read for a while. Unexpectedly, the old steward came to report that Shunzi had arrived.
Bailin felt both amused and sweet inside. He had only been back for one day, and Qi Xiao was already sending someone to collect him.
Bailin had impeccable manners and never abused Qi Xiao's favor by being imperious with his people. Every time Shunzi came to fetch him, Bailin had the old steward bring him to the reception hall to rest and have some tea before departing. This time was no different. But the old steward shook his head. "No, he came on horseback. He says he has urgent business with the young master."
Bailin felt puzzled. "Send him in."
Soon Shunzi arrived. After bowing to Bailin, he glanced at the people in the room and said in a low voice, "Young master, there's something this one must report to you privately."
The maidservants in the room took the hint and withdrew one by one, bowing as they went.
Bailin frowned slightly. "Is it about His Highness..."
"No." Shunzi shook his head. "News has come from the gambling house... Young master, the second young master of your household has had an accident."
"The second young master and second young lady returned to Lingnan half a month ago. The journey was uneventful. After passing through the southern border, the escort party dispatched by the imperial capital returned... But then the incident happened after that."
"After passing through the southern border, they traveled another hundred li. Because it was getting late, they stopped to rest for the night. In the evening... The second young master was perhaps bored, so he called some singing girls from a tavern to entertain him. How that night unfolded, no one knows for certain. What is known is that the next morning, when the servants went to knock on his door, he wouldn't wake no matter how long they called. The servants finally gathered their courage and broke the door open. Inside, several singing girls were sleeping like the dead. The second young master lay on the couch, naked, his face grayish-green, completely unresponsive. Everyone scrambled to fetch doctors. After several doctors examined him one after another, they all said..."
A flash of contempt crossed Shunzi's eyes as he continued, "They all said the second young master had overindulged, his body was severely depleted, and combined with catching a chill, that was why he fainted and wouldn't wake. Afterward, the servants searched the room and found a packet of Five-Stone Powder. According to those singing girls, the second young master himself said it was a 'Joyful Pill' he'd bought along the way, harmless to the body. Last night he had secretly had them take it too. Everyone in the room had taken that drug. You can imagine what happened..."
Bailin was deeply shocked. "And then? Was he saved?"
Shunzi nodded. "He was saved, but... the damage was extensive. That certain part seems to not be working properly anymore. According to the old doctor who treated the second young master... Even if things勉强work in the future, as for producing offspring, that won't be possible."
Bailin couldn't quite process this information. He whispered, "Who did this? Was it the Crown Prince's doing? Was it cleanly covered up?"
Shunzi shook his head. "No. We only received this news today. The entertainers—we had our people keep one of them. The earlier events still need to be investigated in detail. As for that packet of Five-Stone Powder, whether it was really Five-Stone Powder or some other sinister drug, that also needs further examination. But from what we can see so far, there isn't a trace of evidence. Perhaps... the second young master truly just had bad luck."
Bailin felt somewhat relieved. "Instruct the people at the gambling house to stop investigating immediately. Withdraw all our people from the south, every single one. From today forward, everyone should keep a low profile. Don't do anything. Wait for my further instructions."
Shunzi was stunned. "Why is that? Doesn't the young master want to find out who did this?"
Bailin shook his head. "Of course I want to find out. But this matter is extremely serious. Once my father knows, he'll definitely launch a massive investigation. Even if it wasn't the Crown Prince's doing, if my father happens to find our people here, he'll become suspicious. If he follows the trail and investigates, wouldn't that implicate the Crown Prince?"
Bailin murmured softly, "This estate is nominally given to me, but if it's ever exposed, it will still be traced back to the Crown Prince. By then, the Crown Prince would have no way to defend himself. He'd be a scapegoat白白... Listen to me. Right now, self-preservation is paramount. Don't seek merit, only seek to avoid fault. As long as they quietly stay out of sight, that's enough. We can address this after we've passed through this dangerous period."
Shunzi sighed inwardly. His young master hadn't loved the wrong person after all.