Chapter Thirteen: Fury

Qiaoyun, seeing that he had no more questions, turned and left without looking back. She felt nothing at all for Qin Muchuan; only a shallow woman like Gu Qiulan, who cared for nothing but a handsome face, would treat him as something precious. Who knew when Gu Qiulan would grow tired of him? In this household, aside from the Duke himself, none of the men were truly worth the trouble. She might as well return to Yanzhou and continue ruling her own little domain.

Qin Muchuan sat on his bed, lost in thought. He had been blinded by anger at Gu Qiulan before, but now, alone and quiet, he sensed something odd in the whole affair.

“Young Master, it’s time to change your dressing,” Qianqian whispered.

Seeing the ointment in her hands, Qin Muchuan immediately thought of the way Gu Qiulan had eyed his injured backside the previous night, as if plotting something. He grunted, “Just go fetch Uncle Ning.”

Qianqian’s heart was unwilling. Wasn’t she meant to become a concubine? Was she not even allowed to touch Qin Muchuan’s body? She tried again, “It’s such a small matter, there’s no need to trouble Doctor Ning—”

“I told you to go, so just go! Since when did my orders stop mattering?” he snapped.

Qianqian was aggrieved—all afternoon yesterday, she’d basked in pride because he’d summoned her back to his rooms after being sent to the outer quarters by Gu Qiulan’s scheming. In the whole household, only she had been thus honored. Now that Gu Qiulan was away, why was the young master turning harsh with her again?

She dragged her feet as she left, hoping Qin Muchuan would call her back. But she made it all the way out of the courtyard, and her wish went unanswered. Twisting the handkerchief in her hand, she cursed Gu Qiulan for bringing this misfortune—she hadn’t even shown up this morning, yet had already soured the young master’s mood and left Qianqian to bear the brunt of it.

Muttering under her breath, Qianqian suddenly bumped into a plump figure. Looking up, she recoiled half a step. “Madam Zhuang, what brings you here?” Behind Madam Zhuang stood two maids, but their slight frames were nearly hidden by the matron’s formidable girth. Judging by their attire, they served the lady of the house, Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhuang shifted aside, beaming. “Autumn is coming, and Madam has instructed that all the maids in our courtyard are to be fitted for new clothes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The seamstresses are waiting at the Falling Blossom Pavilion—come along with me at once.”

The household never mistreated its servants, especially on great holidays like Mid-Autumn, when new clothes were readied for all the maids and pages a month in advance. With the recent wedding in July and all the ensuing events, Qianqian had almost forgotten.

“Thank you, Madam. But the young master has told me to fetch Doctor Ning. Could you wait for me? I’ll join you as soon as I’ve done as I was told.”

“That’s no trouble,” said one of the maids at Madam Zhuang’s side—a servant from Madam Zhou’s quarters. “It’s only a message; I can do it. You go with Madam Zhuang to the pavilion. The seamstresses must finish measurements for everyone in Mingyue Pavilion today, or the schedule will be thrown off.”

Qianqian bristled at her arrogant tone but swallowed her resentment—the girl served the lady of the house. She replied softly, “How could I trouble you, sister? Besides, the young master gave me this order himself. There are medicines I must explain to Doctor Ning in person.”

“What medicine could you possibly need to explain? Are you more skilled than Doctor Ning now?” sneered the maid, waving her off. She and her companion seized Qianqian by the arms.

“What are you doing? Let me go, how dare you!” Qianqian cried.

A slap rang out.

Stunned for a moment, Qianqian began to struggle wildly. Madam Zhuang shook her head, and gagged her with a cloth. “Now can we go?” she said.

Qianqian’s face flushed bright red, sweat beading on her brow, her knees threatening to buckle, but the two maids held her tight and dragged her forward.

“Hmph, insolent girl! Who does she think she is?” one scoffed.

“Don’t be angry, Sister Hong’er,” said the other with a smile. “Let’s get her there quickly, so we can report back.” She turned to Madam Zhuang. “This maid really did seem intent on fetching Doctor Ning. Would you mind going instead?”

Madam Zhuang waved a plump hand dismissively. “Just see to your business. I’ll fetch Doctor Ning myself—it’s not far anyway.”

“Thank you, Madam,” said Hong’er, reining in her arrogance and dragging Qianqian away with her companion.

Meanwhile, Qin Muchuan waited in his room. Doctor Ning arrived, but with Madam Chen in tow. Qin Muchuan frowned. “Where’s Qianqian?”

Madam Chen exchanged a glance with Doctor Ning and slipped out. Qin Muchuan grew more suspicious. “What are you two plotting?”

“Young master,” Doctor Ning said as he changed the dressing, “would you like to come see the excitement with me?”

“Excitement?” Qin Muchuan craned his neck, wincing as a sharp pain flared across his back. He gritted his teeth. “Don’t tease me, Uncle Ning. In my condition, where could I possibly go?”

“Don’t lose heart.” Doctor Ning finished the dressing, straightened Qin Muchuan’s clothes, and stepped out. Soon, Madam Chen returned with two guards carrying a wooden cot.

“What is this?!” Qin Muchuan was startled. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t be afraid, young master. Madam’s orders.” Madam Chen had him gently placed on the cot. “You’ll understand when we get there.”

After Qin Muchuan was beaten, Madam Zhou’s heart was troubled. All night she’d pondered the matter—her son had indeed crossed the line, but her new daughter-in-law was not blameless either. Why couldn’t things be settled peacefully? Torn between both sides, she felt wretched. Yet, in the end, her son, whom she had loved for nearly twenty years, inspired more of her sympathy than the bride who’d just entered the house.

She’d planned to wait until the Duke’s anger subsided before summoning Gu Qiulan for a talk. But that very night, Madam Chen hurried in to report, “Madam, I fear there’s a villain behind what happened between the young master and his wife.”

Madam Zhou’s temper flared. “Who?!”

“Do you remember Qianqian, the maid who once served the young master?” asked Madam Chen.

Of course Madam Zhou remembered. Fearing her son might be tempted by unsavory women outside, she had carefully selected a few attractive maids to serve him—if he was going to stray, better with someone from their own household than some filthy creature from a brothel.

“Recently, Qianqian angered the young mistress and was sent away from the inner courtyard by the young master. Coincidentally, he told her to come to me for a new assignment. Suspecting her to be a troublemaker, I sent her to work odd jobs at the side gate. On the wedding night, Qianqian and a few others were the last to attend the couple, and afterwards she stood guard at their door. In other words, if the young master truly left the room, besides the young mistress, Qianqian would be the only one to know.”

“Are you certain?” Madam Zhou asked.

Madam Chen nodded. “The Duke’s anger this time was strange—someone must have spoken to him in private, and only a servant close by would have the chance. The young mistress is new to the inner quarters and cannot see the Duke; even his own attendants rarely do. Qianqian now works at the side gate, where servants and stewards from every courtyard pass through—it’s the easiest place to spread rumors. I’ve already spoken with Steward Zhao, who confirmed it was indeed Qianqian who started the gossip. A few pages know as well, but Steward Zhao has already detained them. We can question them all and quickly get to the bottom of this.”

Madam Zhou gripped her fan tightly, brows drawn in anger. “What a lawless girl! She’s rotten to the core. Go tie her up and bring her to me—I shall question her myself!”

Madam Chen hurriedly cautioned, “That won’t do! You may not know, but she’s somehow managed to win the young master’s favor again—he’s brought her back to serve him. Dealing with a maid is easy, but if it causes more strife between the young master and mistress, things will only get worse. You know how gentle our young mistress is—she does whatever the young master says. Now that he’s angry and she’s timid, any further conflict could be disastrous.” As an old retainer, Madam Chen could speak such truths by virtue of her experience.

“You have a point,” Madam Zhou conceded, rubbing her temples. This time, her son’s suspicion of Qiulan was likely a misunderstanding—and precisely the result that little maid had wanted. With prejudice already planted, nothing the other did would ever be seen in a good light. If she couldn’t resolve her son’s distrust, the marriage would remain deadlocked.

The Gu family had raised Qiulan too well—her virtue and demeanor were impeccable, and she truly regarded her husband as her world. She was the only daughter and surely cherished at home; now, after just a few days of marriage, she was already caught in such a vicious trap. Who knew how frightened she must be, or if she might do something foolish?

Her son was mischievous, her daughter-in-law too gentle, and the entire household’s affairs could not be managed by the young couple alone. It would take time and careful teaching.

All night, Madam Zhou pondered these matters, knowing there was no quick fix. The next morning, feeling weary, she was about to send for some nourishing soup when Gu Qiulan arrived to pay her respects.

Madam Zhou greeted her warmly and was about to invite her to breakfast when Gu Qiulan, the picture of a dutiful wife, said, “Mother, I have a favor to ask. Qianqian has served my husband faithfully for years, and has always been gentle and attentive since I joined the household. Bearing children for him is important—would you consider granting her the status of a concubine?”

The ever-gracious Madam Zhou was instantly enraged. Her kind-hearted daughter-in-law had been manipulated by that scheming, vicious maid—intolerable! This could not be allowed to go on, not even for a moment!

Thus, with a single sentence, Gu Qiulan solved the most notorious dilemma of all time: the conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.