Chapter 4

The next morning, before dawn, Lingyue Shen was yanked from her warm bed.

Her hair was a tangled mess, and she rubbed her sleepy eyes. “Huh?”

Why did she have to attend an eight o’clock class even after transmigrating into a book?

“Miss, have you forgotten? Madam said you must start learning household management from today.”

A warm cloth was pressed against her face, forcing Lingyue to awaken slightly, though she resisted all the more.

“Can’t I start after sunrise...?”

But the answer was no.

As the Mistress of the Shen household, Lan Zhao rose before dawn daily to manage the estate’s affairs. Various stewards would rotate in to report back in the main hall, and every few days she conducted surprise inspections. Only in this way could the vast residence of the Shen family, a minister’s mansion, be kept in perfect order, with each person fulfilling their duties without slackening.

This left the daytime hours flexible for court banquets or receiving guests. The word “slacking off” simply did not exist in her dictionary.

Lingyue’s fantasy of a leisurely mistress’s life was just that—fantasy.

“So competitive, so exhausting...”

Yawning repeatedly, Lingyue sat behind Lan Zhao, listening to the stewards report one by one. The murmurs droned on, and before long, she nodded off like a pecking chick.

Lan Zhao caught her in the corner of her eye—half helpless, half worried. She confided to Mother Liu, “Yue’er is still a child. How can I possibly feel at ease sending her to the Marquis of Changning’s residence to marry?”

Mother Liu comforted her, “The current mistress at the Marquis’s house is our third young lady’s biological grandmother-in-law. She is the second wife and not very old. I doubt she would hand over household control to the third young lady so soon. As long as the young lady serves her husband well and fulfills her duties as a daughter-in-law, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Lan Zhao gave no reply. What of the grandmother-in-law? At best, she might side with the eldest young lady when disputes arose, but she could never compare to a mother’s protection.

Moreover, the recent incident caused by Qiutong had served as a warning.

Lan Zhao leaned close to Mother Liu and whispered, “Go find some trustworthy informants outside...”

*

Lingyue endured several days of intensive household management lessons, rising earlier than the roosters and eating less than rabbits—truly a grueling ordeal.

On this day, when Lan Zhao mercifully allowed her to rest, Lingyue was about to catch a second nap when Qingchan entered with a delicate two-tiered food box, her tone cheerful.

“Miss, look! The eldest young master sent you some pastries.”

The freshly baked almond cheesecake emitted a rich milky aroma the moment the lid was lifted. The almond slices were roasted to perfection—crispy but not tough. The flaky crust crumbled with each bite, and the rich, smooth filling melted on the tongue like a heap of snow, sliding down the throat effortlessly.

Most importantly, the pastry was not overly sweet—a supreme compliment in the world of desserts.

Lingyue ate three pieces in a row, feeling revived. Truly, good food could heal the soul!

“The eldest young master knows how hard you’ve been studying household management recently, so he specially sent someone to queue for the city’s most popular pastries. He also said that when he has a break next time, he’ll take you out of the city for some relaxation.”

Ming’an Shen, the eldest son of the Shen family, was currently studying at the National Academy, resting once every ten days.

Lingyue held the pastry like a little hamster, chewing happily, eyes crinkled in a smile.

“Please thank big brother for me. He’s so kind!”

To be honest, she was quite pleased with the family she had transmigrated into.

Although her father had a concubine, she was confined by her mother and rarely appeared before her.

Though her mother seemed strict, she cared for her with great tenderness.

And her biological siblings, fearing she might suffer at home, did their best to feed and care for her...

These were feelings Lingyue, who had grown up alone like wild grass after losing her parents in her past life, had never experienced.

She bit into the cheesecake, her heart and mouth both sweetened.

“Hey, why is Mother Liu coming over to our courtyard?”

The little gatekeeper girl came to report, startling Lingyue, who quickly closed the food box and wiped the crumbs from her mouth.

“Hurry, don’t let her see!”

Everyone scrambled in a flurry.

When Mother Liu entered, she sensed a strange atmosphere inside, especially since the third young lady smiled at her unusually brightly.

She didn’t think much of it and bowed, “Third young lady, madam requests you come to the main hall.”

Lingyue’s nerves tightened.

Could it be that she had been inattentive in class, dozing off often, and now her mother, unable to scold her openly before the stewards, had time to punish her properly?

She followed Mother Liu anxiously to the main courtyard and saw four modest, obedient-looking girls standing in the open space of the front hall.

Lan Zhao waved at her, “Come have a look. Are any to your liking?”

*

So they wanted her to choose maids.

Lingyue breathed a sigh of relief. “I have Qingchan and Shuangxu; that’s enough. You can arrange the rest of the dowry maids as you see fit, Mother.”

Seeing her daughter’s innocence, Lan Zhao had Mother Liu escort the girls away, then took out a wooden box containing contracts.

“I’ve already arranged your dowry maids. These girls are intended as your future concubines.”

Lingyue’s eyes widened.

Concubines? What concubines?

Lan Zhao sighed and patiently explained, “It’s best to prepare in advance. I naturally hope you and your husband will live in harmony, but men are by nature lustful. It’s better to be prepared than to have him bring someone home himself, causing unrest in the household. Besides, with the contracts in your hands, they can’t cause much trouble...”

Lan Zhao went on to list benefits: better control of the household, gaining a reputation for virtue, preventing the grandmother-in-law from meddling in your marital affairs...

Lingyue couldn’t hear any of it. She only felt it was absurd.

No way. She wasn’t even married yet, and they were already preparing concubines for her husband?

Anger surged first, then an indescribable sense of injustice.

Why should it be allowed?

Without thinking, she burst out, “Why is it forbidden for big brother to have concubines, but you prepare them for my husband? Is big brother a paragon of virtue, and my future husband a notorious womanizer? You’re so biased!”

Lan Zhao was baffled by the accusation. What did bias have to do with it?

“Your brother is already betrothed. Naturally, I must consider your future sister-in-law’s family and not cause trouble for her before the wedding. As for after their marriage, she will manage things herself. I, as the mother-in-law, will not interfere.”

Lan Zhao patiently explained, “How do you know your future sister-in-law’s mother isn’t planning ahead for her daughter just like I am?”

Angrily, Lingyue forgot all manners and replied coldly, “That just proves you are all biased, only bringing trouble to your daughters.”

Lan Zhao frowned. “Lingyue, how do you speak to your mother?”

In a normal family, addressing one’s parent by full name was already a strong threat.

Unfortunately, Lingyue, an orphan, failed to realize this.

Since transmigrating, the seemingly peaceful family life was torn apart at this moment, revealing the cold truth of her alienation from this world.

She stubbornly held her ground, refusing to back down.

“I don’t want any concubines anyway. Give those girls to whoever you want. If you like them so much, send them to Father!”

She spun and fled, bumping into Mother Liu, who had hurried in upon hearing the argument.

Lingyue glared at her — an accomplice!

“Oh dear, what’s going on here?”

Mother Liu staggered, ignoring the ache in her waist, and entered quickly to see Lan Zhao raising a teacup in anger. She hurried to calm her.

“Madam, please calm down. Third young lady is still young and confused. Please reason with her—don’t quarrel.”

Lan Zhao’s face darkened, her expression shifting before she set the cup down heavily on the table corner.

“It’s all my fault for spoiling her too much. She’s grown more willful and difficult. Listen to what she said! If she were half as sensible as Yuanjia, I wouldn’t have to exhaust myself for her.”

Her eldest daughter, Yuanjia Shen, raised with proper etiquette, had suitors nearly breaking down the door before she came of age. She was a renowned talented and virtuous lady in the capital.

Her eldest daughter and son required no worry. Yet the youngest daughter was like a troublesome burden!

Mother Liu massaged her chest sympathetically. “Third young lady is still a child. Any girl would hope to be loved and trusted by her husband. To hear about concubines and mistresses at once naturally causes resistance. Madam, please don’t mind my words, but you are a bit anxious.”

“It might be better to send those girls to the estate first for proper training. Once the third young lady marries and the newlywed excitement fades, she’ll realize romantic love is just so-so. Then, if you send the girls, it will be timely help.”

Lan Zhao lowered her gaze, then smiled bitterly. “I went through the same. But my mother didn’t plan for me this way, or Madam Liu wouldn’t have been allowed into the house.”

Madam Liu was the favored concubine brought in while Lan Zhao’s mother-in-law was still alive—said to be a distant relative from a fallen family, begging the distant aunt for help.

Once inside, she called Shen Hang one “cousin” and was constantly reciting poetry in romantic settings, bearing two children, and flouting her power in the rear courtyard.

If not for Lan Zhao’s endurance—outlasting her mother-in-law, and with Yuanjia marrying well—she could never have taken control of the household or imposed confinements at will.

That lesson was fresh in her mind, so she planned for her youngest daughter’s marriage with every precaution, afraid she might suffer injustice.

Love and passion? What are they but fleeting and uncertain, bringing misfortune to those involved?

Better not to entrust the heart at all than to pick up the broken pieces later.

*

Lingyue began a cold war with Lan Zhao, locking herself in her room and forbidding anyone to enter.

She stopped attending lessons and refused any attendants. Qingchan left meals outside her door each day, and she sneaked them in like a thief.

—She was only protesting, not starving herself.

She vowed not to come out until those concubines were sent away.

She was done playing along!

Lan Zhao summoned Qingchan to inquire, learning that Lingyue ate all her meals and even requested pastries from the kitchen, almost laughing in frustration.

Mother Liu smoothed things over, “Third young lady is just childish. There’s no need for you to be angry with her.”

Lan Zhao feigned sternness. “Should I, as her mother, apologize to her?”

In mother-daughter quarrels, someone must play the mediator.

Mother Liu, confident in her loyalty, thought hard and suddenly clapped her hands.

“Madam, you’ve been busy with the household. Did you know there are rumors outside that Miss Zhou is unfilial and rebellious?”

Lan Zhao sneered, “Who can blame her when the General Xuanwei’s house is run by a stepmother? Yue’er should see for herself what life is like for a girl without her biological mother’s protection.”

Not grasping Mother Liu’s meaning, she asked, “What does the Zhou family’s troubles have to do with us? I can’t possibly ruin my daughter’s reputation too.”

She was just quarreling with her daughter, not wishing her harm.

“Alas, Miss Zhou and our third young lady have always been at odds. Now that she’s in trouble, we can take this chance to put her down and defend our girl.”

Mother Liu proposed a plan: “...Once the third young lady understands all you do is for her own good, she’ll see your kindness.”

Understood: divert the conflict.

Lan Zhao decided, “Do as you say. The bigger the fuss, the better.”

The next day, Mother Liu led a grand entourage with a cart full of gifts to the Xuanwei General’s residence.

The impressive procession drew a crowd of onlookers.

Everyone knew the eldest Miss Zhou and the third Miss Shen were at odds, and with both promised in marriage to the Changning Marquis’s two sons, the future would surely be full of drama.

Now the Shen family was making a grand gesture of sending gifts to the Zhou family—were they trying to appease them?

Outside the Zhou residence, a crowd gathered. After a long wait, a matron dressed as a house steward hurried out.

“May I ask the purpose of your visit today?”

Mother Liu stepped forward, cleared her throat, and spoke firmly, “Madam, I am from the Shen minister’s household. Our families are fortunate to have been granted marriage by the Emperor, soon to be relatives. Our mistress heard that your lady suffered a threatened miscarriage and is deeply worried. She sent these nourishing gifts as a token of goodwill—consider it an apology on behalf of our third young lady’s future sister-in-law.”

The Zhou steward nearly flipped in anger.

How could their family affairs be subject to apology from the Shens?

What apology? It was clearly a visit to mock them!

The news reached the inner residence, where the “bedridden” Madam Zhou, Lin Qiyu, nearly suffered a threatened miscarriage.

“That wicked girl Yan Yi Zhou—I sent her away to the estate, yet her nemesis dares come here to insult me!”

If this matter escalated and reached the palace, might the Emperor think the Zhou family was unhappy with the marriage and deliberately causing trouble before the wedding?

The trusted housekeeper whispered, “With the wedding approaching, it’s not good for the eldest lady to stay at the estate. Perhaps you should bring her back.”

Lin Qiyu reluctantly agreed.

“When she returns, I’ll have her go to the Shen family to apologize!”

In the outskirts of the capital, at the Zhou family’s country estate, in the coldest, dampest broken room on the west side of the rear courtyard, a young girl lay under a tattered quilt, her forehead burning hot and lips cracked.

“Water...”

Struggling, she tried to sit up and reach the small tea kettle on the stool beside the bed.

She hadn’t eaten for three days and was weak. Trembling, she grasped the kettle’s handle and clung to it with all her strength, guzzling the water shamelessly from the spout.

The tea, left for days, was cold and bitter, cutting her throat like knives.

But she could not let go of this last source of water. Her bloodshot eyes blazed with a fierce will to survive.

She could not die...

She had to leave here...

To find him in the capital...