Lady Xie knelt on the floor in a flurry to plead for mercy. "Mother, please, do not be angry. It is just that I am not like Shen Yiru; I truly do not have that much silver to my name."
Old Madame Li turned her face away and coughed for a long while. Lady Xie rose and personally offered her a cup of tea. After a few sips, the Old Madame finally caught her breath. "You, too—do not feel aggrieved. This massive General’s Manor will eventually fall into Li Wangzhou’s hands. I am getting on in years; who knows which day I might close my eyes and depart this world? If you do not step up to steady this house, who will?"
"Yes," Lady Xie replied, not daring to argue further.
Old Madame Li’s breathing leveled out. "Later, go and have someone fetch Li Wangzhou. Something must have happened at the Imperial Palace today. Otherwise, how could he have returned with such a meager reward?"
Lady Xie acknowledged the order and withdrew. Half an hour later, Li Wangzhou was invited to Shouqing Courtyard.
"Wangzhou, did you do something wrong to displease His Majesty? Is that why he cut your rewards? Given the military merits you have earned, let alone a thousand taels of silver, even ten thousand taels of gold would have been deserved."
Li Wangzhou stood in the lower seat, feeling somewhat guilty. "I did not do anything wrong, Grandmother. It is just that His Majesty seemed displeased that I brought a mistress into the manor and insisted that Shen Yiru agree to let Sun Jingyou join as a co-wife. Furthermore, His Majesty warned me not to favor a concubine and demote my wife."
Upon hearing this, Old Madame Li frowned. "I knew something was amiss. But how did His Majesty find out about our family’s private affairs?" She gritted her teeth. "It is all Shen Yiru's fault. If she were more obedient and sensible, and had simply agreed to let Sun Jingyou enter the household, we wouldn't have drawn His Majesty’s displeasure."
Lady Xie grew anxious. "Now that His Majesty is dissatisfied, what should we do?"
Old Madame Li’s eyes darkened. "It seems we cannot simply cast her aside. We must first coax Shen Yiru to change her mind and get her to nod in agreement to Sun Jingyou joining the family. Once Sun Jingyou has been recognized by her kin and we have established the connection with the Grand Princess, everything will be easy to resolve. Even for the sake of the Grand Princess, His Majesty will not make things difficult for our Wangzhou."
"What if Shen Yiru refuses to yield?" Lady Xie asked nervously.
Old Madame Li looked entirely confident. "She is the daughter of a merchant; she has no choice but to yield. In any case, for the sake of His Majesty, we shall treat her gently first. If that fails, then this old bag of bones will have to step in. When the time comes, I shall charge her with unfilial behavior and cast her out. Even His Majesty will have nothing to say then."
"It would be best if Shen Yiru can see reason," Lady Xie whispered. "Being a co-wife alongside Sun Jingyou is a blessing for her."
Old Madame Li nodded. "That goes without saying; after all, status is everything."
Li Wangzhou listened to their conversation, feeling a faint sense of unease, yet he said nothing more. If Shen Yiru refused to yield, then discarding her on the grounds of unfilial behavior would certainly be a viable plan.
***
In Qingyou Courtyard, Fangcao stood in the lower seat to report to Shen Yiru. "Young Madam, I overheard the General saying that His Majesty is quite displeased that he forced you to agree to a co-wife, to the extent that he reduced the General’s rewards. Also, the Old Madame wants you to concede and agree to let the General take Sun Jingyou."
Fangcao paused before continuing, "The Old Madame also said that if you refuse to yield, she will charge you with the crime of unfilial conduct and have the General cast you out of the manor."
Qiuyan, standing to the side, stamped her feet. "Mistress, the Old Madame is truly bullying us too much! Has she forgotten how, in order to treat her cough, our mistress braved bitterness and exhaustion? To research a cure, our mistress combed through medical texts and studied countless prescriptions. Does she not see any of this?"
"The Old Madame is an ingrate," Wenchany spat, her face flushed with anger.
Shen Yiru, however, remained calm. She raised a hand to signal for the two maids to be patient. She knew deeply that to solve a problem and achieve her goals, one must first control one’s emotions. If one cannot even control their own temper, they have been defeated by their opponent from the start—let alone resolving the issue or escaping unscathed.
She fell silent for a moment, then looked at Fangcao and asked softly, "By rights, I have done nothing wrong. Furthermore, I have spent two years doing my utmost to treat the Old Madame’s illness. She should not be targeting me like this. Abnormal behavior usually masks a hidden scheme. Have you discovered any specific reason for this?"
Fangcao thought for a moment and then shook her head slightly. "I do not know, Young Madam. However, I seem to have heard them mention that Sun Jingyou has a special identity. But I do not know what makes her identity so special."
Shen Yiru nodded at the news and looked toward Qingyao. Qingyao understood immediately, took a gold ingot, and stepped forward to hand it to Fangcao.
Fangcao quickly stepped back. "I cannot accept this silver, Young Madam. You have shown my family great kindness. If not for you treating my mother’s illness, she would have long since passed. A life-saving grace cannot be repaid. If there is anything you need me to do, I should be the one putting my life on the line to see it done well." Fangcao spoke with absolute sincerity.
Shen Yiru nodded. "You must be careful in your actions. There is no need to risk your life for such matters. I will protect you while you are doing this. Take this silver; your mother is in poor health and needs to recover. This will be useful."
Fangcao still hesitated. Qingyao stepped forward and pressed the silver directly into her hand. "The Young Madam told you to take it, so you should accept. She is always clear in her rewards and punishments; she will never treat those of us who serve her poorly."
Clutching the silver, Fangcao knelt and kowtowed three times to Shen Yiru. "Thank you, Young Madam."
Shen Yiru nodded with a smile and gestured for Qingyao to help Fangcao up. Qingyao helped her stand and brushed off her skirt. "You may withdraw. Be extra careful the next time you come."
"Yes," Fangcao replied, and withdrew.
After Fangcao left, Qingyao looked at Shen Yiru with concern. "Mistress, what should we do? The Old Madame is inciting the General to target you; this is truly difficult to handle."
Shen Yiru remained unperturbed. "An upright person does not fear a crooked shadow. In any case, I will not agree to share a husband with Sun Jingyou. As for those baseless accusations, they will never be able to pin them on me. I will leave this General’s Manor sooner or later, but it will never be because I was cast out."
The maids nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.
Shen Yiru picked up her teacup and took a small sip. *How could the Emperor know about the affairs of the General’s inner courtyard, and why would he stand up for me?* Based on her understanding of the Emperor, he would not easily interfere in a subject’s private domestic life. *Could it be that he is looking out for me because my father and brother gave their lives for the country?*
Shen Yiru set down her teacup, nodded slightly, and then shook her head again. In any case, the matter was suspicious. However, regardless of the reason, she had to thank the Emperor. If it weren't for the Emperor rebuking Li Wangzhou, her situation would likely be much worse. With the Emperor’s warning, her future actions would be easier to manage.
Furthermore, what was Sun Jingyou’s special identity? She would have to find a way to figure that out.