Chapter 2: Auntie

The wet nurse stood up in surprise: "Why has Ze Ge'er come?" Zhao Ze's face became stern: "You go out!" The wet nurse showed a hesitant expression, and Zhao Ze's face tightened even more: "I want to see my younger brother, is that not allowed?"

At that moment, the sound of a woman weeping could be heard from the main room, interspersed with the voice of an elderly woman. Zhang could not help but stop in her tracks, her expression darkening.

In the midst of contemplation, the Zhao couple arrived at Jixiang Residence, yet the courtyard was eerily quiet, with no one outside to attend to them. This left Zhang perplexed, and she couldn't help but murmur to herself: "The Niu family has only been in charge of household affairs for a few days, how could they have lost all sense of propriety? The daughter-in-law does not seem to be such a foolish person."

Zhang arrived at the newly moved courtyard with her maid, traversing through numerous courtyards before reaching the current residence of Zhao Jing and his wife. Their courtyard is located in the third entrance of the East Road of the Jian Nan Marquis Mansion, featuring a large siheyuan, slightly smaller than the main courtyard in the central area. It has traditionally been the residence of the heirs of the marquis, previously occupied by Zhao Jiong and his wife, who welcomed their new owners just a few days ago. A new plaque reading "Auspicious Residence" has also been hung at the entrance.

She sat upright without moving and glanced at Zhang with no courtesy: "What are you here for?!"

Zhang instructed the maid in a low voice: "Chun Cao, wait for me outside." She then walked towards the main room, and Chun Cao quickly stepped forward to lift the curtain for her. Once she entered the room, Chun Cao retreated to the corner of the corridor to wait. Chun Cao understood her mistress's intention; that old aunt was quite unreasonable, and the young mistress Jiang was a junior. If a commotion were to arise, the old lady Zhang, due to her status, would not suffer much loss, but the maids and servants around her could potentially be made scapegoats. Such incidents had occurred before, and two elder sisters had already suffered for it. Zhang's instruction for her to stay away was a sign of her care, and Chun Cao felt deeply grateful in her heart.

He walked briskly towards the west wing, where the Xiao Qian family lived with their three children. Today, two of the older ones were not present, leaving only the wet nurse to attend to the nearly one-month-old younger brother, Zhao Hong, inside the room. Zhao Hong's name was personally chosen by Zhao Jing, and even in the sorrowful moment of his grandfather's recent passing, nothing could hinder the father's affection for this illegitimate son

Jiang understood that the excuse of not having time to invite the imperial physician was merely a pretext from her mother-in-law, Mrs. Niu. In fact, she felt that her mother-in-law need not be overly harsh towards Zhao Zhuo's branch. Although the elder matriarch, Mrs. Zhang, had given birth to a legitimate son, her temperament was upright and peaceful; she had never mentioned competing for titles for her biological children, nor had she ever made things difficult for Aunt Qian and her son. Zhao Zhuo was wholeheartedly focused on the imperial examination and had no intention of pursuing titles. Why should the mother-in-law make things difficult for them just to save face? If outsiders were to find out, they would only say that the in-laws were unfilial and unkind, which would be unnecessary

After a stick of incense had burned, Zhao Ze ran out of the room in a state of panic, nearly colliding with Chun Cao, who was standing at the corner. However, it seemed as if he did not see her at all, as he rushed headlong out into the courtyard

She can endure this humiliation, yet there are others who feel wronged on her behalf. Outside the window, her six-year-old son Zhao Ze tightly clenches his small fists, glaring through the gap in the window at Aunt Qian and the young Qian family member inside the room with resentment. He will never forget that the humiliation his mother suffers today is due to whom it comes from

Spring Grass felt a sense of doubt in her heart, turning to look in the direction he had come from. Wasn't that the house of Aunt Qian? Why would Ze Ge'er go there for no reason? And what could have caused him to run there in such a flustered manner?

Her rudeness was so shocking that even the young Qian was taken aback. She stopped crying, quickly stood up, and respectfully stood to the side with her head bowed, while secretly exchanging glances with her great-aunt. Aunt Qian pretended not to see.

Xiao Qian was scolded until her face turned red, yet Aunt Qian's face was much thicker: "Are you mocking our Qian family for not understanding the rules? No matter how bad our Qian family is, we are still the maternal family of the marquis. What are you? In the past, out of respect for the Duke, we treated you as the legitimate wife, but now the head of the family is my son. It would be good enough if we didn't throw you and your family out onto the street to beg. What kind of airs are you putting on?" She scolded Jiang as well: "You little wretch with a blackened heart, didn't you hear how she insulted your husband's maternal family? In the past, out of respect for the Duke, we treated you as the legitimate wife, but now the head of the family is my son. It would be good enough if we didn't throw you and your family out onto the street to beg. What kind of airs are you putting on?" She scolded Jiang again: "You little wretch with a blackened heart, didn't you hear how she insulted your husband's maternal family? If you don't help to scold her back, that's one thing, but you even help her speak. Be careful, or I will have my grandson divorce you and elevate my niece to the rightful position. She now has two sons and a daughter, and her belly is much more promising than yours!"

Zhang did not hear how Jiang responded, but she was secretly mocking. Even if Aunt Qian prided herself on being a concubine of the second house, and her son had become a marquis, it still did not elevate her status. Which family would hold a full-month celebration for a grandson just after the death of their great-grandfather? It is not just a matter of being born of a concubine; even if it were the legitimate firstborn grandson, he would not have the face for it! Over the years, Aunt Qian has relied on her son being the heir apparent, causing no small amount of trouble for her as the legitimate wife, yet time and again, she has made the Duke grow weary of her. If it were not for Zhao Jiong pretending to be obedient and honest, he would have long been despised by the Duke! Jiang, although the grandson's wife, also comes from a prestigious family, with her father and grandfather both serving in the court; she is not a small wife without roots to be bullied. The elder she refers to as 'great-grandmother' is Zhang, so what kind of airs does Aunt Qian think she has?

Zhang cast her a glance, disregarding her entirely, and directly reprimanded Jiang: "I usually see that you are not a foolish child, so how could you forget the rules of our kind of family? I do not care what you say to others inside the house, but there is not even a doorman outside. Any stray cat or dog can freely enter your room; is there any sense of propriety left?"

Her biological son is now a marquis, the master of this marquisate. She should have long been the matriarch, so why should she continue to bow and scrape to this woman? If it weren't for the good fortune of the first wife, the Qin family, who did not perish in the chaos of war, forcing her to occupy the position of a concubine, she would have already been the wife of a duke, and her son would also be the legitimate firstborn. What business does this vixen have here?

Although Jiang was somewhat surprised by Zhang's rudeness, she quickly understood that the other party was indirectly criticizing her, merely using the opportunity to reprimand Aunt Qian. This was originally a rivalry among the older generation of wives and concubines, and as a younger generation, she really had no need to get involved. She cleverly admitted her fault: "It is the granddaughter-in-law's mistake"

Madam Zhang had long realized that this stepson was not easy to deal with, and she was also aware that once the Duke passed away, her and her son's days would no longer be as comfortable as before. However, the Duke had always valued this eldest son during his lifetime, hoping that he would surpass his predecessors. If Zhao Jiong's actions were to be exposed, it would tarnish his reputation and future, bringing shame to the Duke. Remembering the more than twenty years of marital affection, Madam Zhang found it hard to be ruthless. Thus, she decided to comply with the wishes of Zhao Jiong and his wife, allowing them to separate from the family. She hoped that he could indeed surpass his predecessors. Although they would not gain much from the family assets, her husband respected and loved her, providing support year after year. She had a considerable private fortune and did not care much about those matters. She only hoped that after the separation, her son Zhao Zhuo could take advantage of the mourning period to diligently study his lessons. He had already obtained the title of Jinshi, and as long as he worked hard for a few more years, he could achieve success in the imperial examinations, which would be far more substantial than a hollow title of marquis.

The appearance of Zhang caused all the women in the room to be taken aback. Jiang, who was deep in thought, composedly greeted her with a bow, referring to her as "Old Madam" instead of the more disparaging term "Great-Grandmother," which would have been a slap in the face. However, the mere presence of Zhang had already dealt a blow to Aunt Qian. She looked at Zhang's elegant face, which was in her forties yet appeared to be in her thirties, and then thought of her own wrinkled skin and white hair, and a surge of resentment welled up in her heart

Even though she felt it was inappropriate, the wet nurse did not have the courage to voice her thoughts. Although the Qian family was favored, the Jiang family was not to be trifled with; she immediately forced a smile and retreated. With no one else in the room, Zhao Ze approached the small bed, gazing at the infant sleeping soundly within, his eyes revealing a hint of hatred.

Jiang felt deeply insulted, his face flushed, and he said nothing. Aunt Qian, being someone who does not understand decorum, could cause a scene, but as the daughter of a prominent official family, she must not lose her dignity

The small courtyard located in front of Jixiangju is the old residence where Zhao Zhuo lived for more than ten years. As Zhang passed by, he looked at the familiar multi-storied building and felt a twinge of sadness. He had thought that his stepson would, for the sake of the Duke and the Zhao family’s reputation, maintain a semblance of courtesy and not go too far. However, to his surprise, before the Duke was even buried, his beloved younger son had already been forced by his elder brother to move out of their long-time residence and relocate with his biological mother to a small courtyard behind the garden on Houfu West Road. That place had not been inhabited for many years; it consisted of merely three main rooms, a side room, and a few old trees. Previously, it had been occupied by lowly concubines, and now the newly appointed Duke of Jiannan had moved his stepmother and biological brother there, truly disregarding any semblance of face. Yet, he had now inherited the title and was the master of the vast Jiannan Duke's residence, so what could others say?

Zhang originally intended to confront Aunt Qian, while also mentioning her own matters. Seeing that Jiang was slippery and untrustworthy, she was too lazy to stand up for the other party. As she watched Aunt Qian jump up in agitation, unable to remain calm, she decisively took the initiative to ask: "The major affairs of the Duke have already passed, and our sister has been ill these past few days. We have called for the imperial physician, but they all say they are unable to attend. Now, the household should be free, right? If Physician Liu is unavailable, we can also invite a good doctor from the Rejuvenation Hall, it would be the same."

The courtyard was quiet, and the voices of the people inside could be faintly heard, yet they were quite clear. It was Zhao Jing's concubine, Xiao Qian, lamenting to the legitimate wife, Jiang. Assisting her was Zhao Jiong's mother, the old aunt, Grandma Qian, who was also the former's maternal great-aunt. Xiao Qian had just given birth to a chubby, fair-skinned son for Zhao Jing, but she had delivered during the mourning period. As the child's full moon approached, due to the mourning, not only was a grand banquet out of the question, but even a bright red silk outfit could not be worn. Thus, Xiao Qian felt wronged for her son, and the old aunt, feeling pity for her grandson, took on the role of a stern elder to admonish Jiang, blaming her for being unkind, claiming that it was out of jealousy for the concubine's son being favored that she deliberately did not arrange a banquet.

Therefore, the Jiang family intended to assist the Zhang family, and so they vaguely stated: "Rest assured, my lady, I will send a notice for Doctor Liu to come to the residence. How can the doctors outside compare to the imperial physician? What if there is a delay? The condition of the young lady would not be good." She smiled gently at the young Qian: "Coincidentally, Aunt Qian just mentioned that Hong Ge'er seems to be unwell, perhaps because he was just born not long ago, and his eyes are clear; he might have accidentally bumped into something. It is best to invite the imperial physician to take a look. If there is anything that needs to be prepared, let us prepare it all, so as not to cause any discomfort to the child. It is still best to have Doctor Liu come over to check on the two of them, the aunt and niece."

Aunt Qian and Little Qian were very eager to refuse the request for the imperial physician to treat Zhao Jing, but having just mentioned that Zhao Hong was "ill," they had no choice but to remain silent to maintain the lie. Zhang received the response she desired and was quite satisfied with Jiang's explanation. She decided to support her and turned to Little Qian, saying: "What did you just say to your grandmother? The Duke was just buried today, and the whole family is in deep mourning. How could you think of holding a full moon celebration for Hong Ge'er and dressing him in red? Are you trying to make Hong Ge'er, who doesn't understand anything yet, be scolded as an unfilial descendant? What does it mean to be wronged? Previously, when my sister turned one year old, due to the Duke's significant matter, nothing was mentioned. Even the aunt could do this for the sake of filial piety, yet Hong Ge'er, as a nephew, feels wronged? Even if you are unaware of the customs, you should not speak carelessly and create such a farce!"