Word has it that the Old Dowager had been losing her appetite lately, so the Heir had a physician from the Imperial Hospital summoned to the estate to examine her. After taking her pulse, the physician could only attribute her condition to excessive worry and anxiety.
Early that morning, the people who had come to pay their respects filled the room to capacity.
The Old Dowager sat squarely in the seat of honor. Although her face looked somewhat haggard, her majestic bearing and air of regal elegance had not diminished in the least.
Seeing this grand display, she looked rather like the Empress Dowager Cixi, thought Wu Weiwei, sitting quietly at the very back of the crowd.
"I heard the Old Dowager hasn't been eating well lately. I consulted the estate physician earlier and prepared a nourishing soup for you today. Would the Old Dowager care to try it?" Third Concubine asked, taking the ginseng soup out of the food box.
As soon as the lid was lifted, a faint, fresh fragrance of lotus seeds filled the room.
"Is this... yam, lotus seed, and pork tripe soup?"
"Indeed it is."
After taking a spoonful, the Old Dowager nodded. "Not bad. You've worked hard, Third Concubine."
"That's right, Grandmother! You have no idea—my concubine-mother got up early today to brew this nourishing soup. She spent a full two hours preparing it. She must be exhausted."
At the mention of exhaustion, a delicate figure flashed through the Old Dowager's mind.
*If Rose Pavilion hadn't caught fire and that girl Yan were still here, she probably would have...*
During the single year she had lived in the Marquis's Estate, whenever the Old Dowager felt even slightly unwell, the girl would come every day to give her acupuncture and massages. Such filial piety was truly rare.
Hearing this, the Marquis's Lady, seated in the lower row, instantly changed her expression.
"Grandmother, the dead cannot be brought back to life. If you like this soup so much, I'll have the concubine-mother teach me when I get back, and from now on Ting'er can make it and send it to you every day. How does that sound?"
The Old Dowager stroked Fourth Young Miss's head and smiled. "Good, good, good. Ting'er is the most filial after all. Later on, Grandmother will reward you with a bolt of cloud brocade from the storeroom."
Cloud brocade was a precious fabric among silks, long known by the saying "an inch of brocade for an inch of gold." The bolt the Old Dowager possessed had been bestowed upon her by the Emperor when the Heir performed meritorious service before the New Year. Only three bolts in total had been awarded: one was sent to the Marquis's Lady, the Old Dowager kept one for herself, and the remaining bolt was said to have been kept by the Heir in the storeroom.
To think the Old Dowager would be willing to give away such a precious item as a reward.
The concubines and young misses of the other branches turned green with envy, but lacking the Third Branch's sycophancy and the ability of their daughters to curry favor with the Old Dowager, they could only seethe in silence.
"Thank you for the reward, Old Dowager."
The plump Third Concubine hurriedly pulled Fourth Young Miss forward to kowtow and return the courtesy.
At this, the Old Dowager turned to the Marquis's Lady sitting below and asked, "Madam Liu, I hear you promoted a rough-chores maid to be Ting'er's concubine-in-training. Where is she?"
Suddenly called upon, Wu Weiwei was startled for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and stepped forward.
At that exact moment, a few small birds in the osmanthus tree outside the courtyard began to chirp noisily.
Wu Weiwei wore a radiant smile as she stepped forward and curtsied. "Old Dowager, as the dawn breaks, I see the birds in the courtyard singing happily, as if praying for your blessings. This surely means that auspicious fortune has descended. May all your wishes be fulfilled, and may a joyful smile grace your face each and every day."
"This girl has such a sweet mouth," the Old Dowager said, pointing at Wu Weiwei and smiling at the gathered crowd.
"Madam Liu, where on earth did you find such a delightful person?"
Amused and cheered by Wu Weiwei's words, the Old Dowager's gloomy mood seemed to vanish completely.
Seeing this, the Marquis's Lady relaxed her brows, feeling quite pleased with Wu Weiwei herself.
"Replying to the Old Dowager, although Wu's background is somewhat humble, she is a well-mannered and considerate good girl, and Ting'er is quite satisfied with her as well. Why, just yesterday, Ting'er even resumed attending court."
"Really?" The Old Dowager was astonished.
"Truly, Old Dowager. Ever since Wu arrived, Ting'er's attendance at court has returned to normal."
The Old Dowager tapped her walking stick against the floor. "Good. She truly is a delightful person."
"Mother Zhang, go to the storeroom later and pick out a few boxes of blood bird's nest and ginseng for Wu to take back."
Looking at Wu Weiwei, the Old Dowager felt even more pleased with her.
Hearing there was a reward, Wu Weiwei hurriedly curtsied properly to the Old Dowager once more.
"Weiwei thanks the Old Dowager for the reward. I will certainly not fail your trust and will serve the Heir well."
She had merely spoken a few flattering words, yet she had unexpectedly won a reward from the Old Dowager. Were ancients really this easy to fool?
"Good, good, good!"
"You must remember what you promised me today. If you fail to serve him well when the time comes, this old woman will hold you accountable," the Old Dowager said, putting on a stern facade.
"Weiwei will remember." She flashed the Old Dowager a playful smile.
Watching Wu Weiwei win a pile of blood bird's nests from the Old Dowager with just a few casual flattery words, the others were consumed by jealousy.
This was blood bird's nest—the pinnacle of edible bird's nests, tribute goods sent to the imperial family by foreign states. Many of them had never even tasted such a precious delicacy. Although Wu Weiwei had become the Heir's concubine-in-training, when all was said and done, she was merely a rough-chores maid. How could she possibly have the nerve to receive the Old Dowager's special favor?
Yet the facts were right before their eyes. Even with eyes as red with envy as Fourth Young Miss's, she could only watch helplessly as Wu Weiwei won the Old Dowager's affection.
In her heart, she couldn't help but resent the Marquis's Lady, feeling that she was talking nonsense with her eyes wide open.
Given Wu Weiwei's character, where on earth did she get any manners or consideration? It was simply because Wu Weiwei was the one she had handpicked for Big Brother's quarters that she was elevating her in front of Grandmother.
Knowing full well that this was the case, Fourth Young Miss still dared not openly contradict the Marquis's Lady. After all, the Marquis's Lady was her legal mother in name, and no matter what, the legitimate mistress of the estate. She herself was only a concubine-born daughter; if she offended the principal wife, she feared her future marriage prospects would be intentionally thwarted.
After everyone else had left, Fourth Young Miss, who had already walked out of Yongshou Hall, turned back. She was going to expose Wu Weiwei's true character to Grandmother.
Approaching the courtyard, she heard voices conversing inside just as she neared the entrance.
"I hear the Lin family intends to arrange a marriage with our Dingguo Marquis Estate. Now that Ting'er and Yu'er have reached an age to be considered for marriage, Mother Zhang, in your view, which of the two girls is more suitable?"
Hearing this outside, Fourth Young Miss's heart instantly leapt with excitement.
The Lin family was a centuries-old family of distinction and noble repute in the Capital. Not only was the young master of the Lin family a man of striking appearance, but he had also placed third as a *tanhua* scholar in the recent palace examinations. She had long harbored deep affections for Lin Yuanze. If only...
At this thought, Fourth Young Miss's face flushed red, and she was so thrilled she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet.
A moment later, Mother Zhang's voice drifted out from within:
"Fourth Young Miss is filial, lovable, lively, and cheerful; Fifth Young Miss is poised, serene, full of refined grace, and fond of reading. This old servant thinks that if we are matching her with the Lin family's young master, someone more steadfast would be better."
"Indeed, I also feel Ting'er's temperament is a bit too unrestrained. As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin estate, she truly ought to be more steadfast. I'm afraid Ting'er is not suitable..."
*Clatter...*
A sudden sound rang out from outside. When Mother Zhang rushed out to investigate, all she found were a few scattered fragments of a broken bowl lying by the doorway.
"Old Dowager, it seemed the person outside just now was Fourth Young Miss..."