Even though the family may not follow the twists and turns of court too closely, it was simplicity itself to understand why a feud had risen between the two families after Statesman Cao had been demoted and Qin Huaiyuan immediately elevated to grand preceptor.
Just what was the emperor thinking!? Not to mention, this was the trampress’ own sister! It was a given they’d look alike, but who could make any guarantees about her personality? What if the new concubine was arrogant and domineering and was secure in her support from Statesman Cao and the trampress? There wouldn’t be a day of peace left in the household!
Everyone grew uneasy, but the old dowager smiled after she spent a moment in thought. “Good... good! Although you’re grand preceptor now, Elder Statesman Cao has held power for many years. He’ll have many subordinates and connections. In fact, his foundations may even be deeper than yours. The emperor is also helping you in decreeing this marriage.
"What misunderstandings could continue to exist after two families are joined by marriage? With the Caos as your in-laws, you’ll be connected to the emperor himself by marriage. This is wonderful, wonderful!” The old dowager grew happier the more she thought and talked things through. Her voice contained nothing but suppressed joy, “Don’t worry, just leave this to me. I’ll make this a magnificent affair so as to not shortchange née Cao.”
Qin Huaiyuan nodded at his mother, and second and third madame began congratulating their brother-in-law. When he saw nothing else that needed his attention, he rose. “Then I’ll be off. I’ll look in on née Sun before leaving.”
“Maybe you should take a nap first,” the old dowager fussed over him. “What matter could possibly be so urgent? Don’t tire yourself out.”
The old dowager personally saw Qin Huaiyuan out, nagging and worrying along the way. After she sent him off down the covered hallway, she came back excitedly to pull the second and third madame into a quick meeting, discussing on how they could best go about this.
The various girls were summarily dismissed. Qin Yining swung her dark-green, cotton cape around her shoulders before entering the yard. The third, seventh, and eighth miss had all spent a while comforting her before they left. Now alone in the hallway, she smiled resignedly. Had she once again sunk to the level of inviting pity?
There seemed to be no dearth of sharp minded individuals in the household. They had all sensed that the newly arriving née Cao occupied a high position in the old dowager’s heart before she’d even joined the family. Mostly likely, how the old dowager fawns over the Caos in a few days time would be a mirror of the time she’d fawned over the Duke of Ding’s household.
The laughter of newcomers had always taken center stage, while the tears of the old wasted away behind the curtains. Now that a concubine with such an eminent family background was entering their doors, how would her proud and straightforward mother handle it? It was one thing if one had been suppressed all their life. But née Sun had always been used to an unassailable position. Such a great fall would likely come as an enormous shock.
I guess father’s going to visit mother because he wants to explain this himself and comfort her. Qin Yining sighed, drew a deep breath in, and walked out of the the Garden of Loving Piety.
* * *
Chapter 84: Arrangement (I)
Chapter 84: Arrangement (I)
She received word from Jing-mama early next morning that the Duchess of Ding and all female relations had been settled in appropriately. Qin Yining wanted to visited them immediately. She had servants prepare a carriage and brought Songlan, Bingtang, and Qiulu with her. The groom whipped the horses to make the fastest time possible to the manor that Third Shopkeeper Jing had prepared.
“Grandmother.” Qin Yining’s eyes reddened when she walked in the door and saw a roomful of girls and ladies wearing the white of mourning. Reality was harsh. It’d only been a night, but the fact of a house raid and family execution had been cemented, and a family was forever parted.
Tears welled up in the duchess’ eyes when she saw Qin Yining. “You’re here, granddaughter Yi. Is it alright that you rushed here like this?”
“It’s fine. I was very careful when I came and didn’t attract any attention.” Qin Yining curtsied to her aunts and cousins. They returned the gesture, but no one knew what to say when they all sat down.
Everyone was sunk in sorrow and pain. Anything they saw reminded them of the men and boys who’d died a grisly death. Someone was the first to sniffle, and that soft sob was the catalyst that triggered the tears from everyone else.
Qin Yining clutched her anguished grandmother and aunts as they howled and gasped with grief. They didn’t stop until Qin Yining’s eyes were reddened and swollen.
“I’ve heard of what’s happened,” the duchess rasped out after a deep breath. “The citizens took care of the bodies of your grandfather and the others. I know you arranged for this. You didn’t stay out of the matter in a time of need and saved your fifth and eighth cousin-in-law, as well as your cousin’s child. You also prevented the bodies of your grandfather and them from lying exposed out in the open. I don’t know how to thank you, and have nothing to thank you with.”
“Don’t say that! We’re family! What kind of person would I be if I only thought of myself and didn’t care about you all after something like this happened? Not to mention that I have this little bit of strength today only because of grandmother’s boon. If it hadn’t been for grandmother gifting me the Institute of Luminous Grace and had Grand Steward Zhong come help me, I wouldn’t be able to do anything even if I wanted to.”
“Don’t say that, niece Yi.” Her senior aunt wiped away tears. “We know what your character is like and we’ll remember this great favor. It’s just, we have nothing to give back to you in return.”
“Please don’t say that.” Qin Yining waved her hand hastily. “I actually wouldn’t have been able to do all of this by myself. Father helped from the shadows.” She lowered her voice. “The emperor raided the Ding Manor also because he wanted to confiscate the Institute. He just hadn’t thought that grandmother had already given it to me.”
“Then you need to be careful in the future.” The duchess wiped at her eyes and kneaded her bulging temples. Given the absence of servants, Qin Yining stood up to stand behind and massage the duchess.
“Yes, I will be careful,” she continued lowly. “The emperor is scared out of his wits by Great Zhou, and there is no end of cursing and insults from the citizens. He has no time to think about the Institute. It’s rather our people…” She thought for a moment. “Make a list in a moment, grandmother. The servants will be sold off in two days. I’ll go buy back whoever should be. It won’t do for all of you to have no servants by your side. Of those I know, Bao-mama is the first who should be brought back.”
Tears welled up in the duchess’ eyes again when she heard this and she patted Qin Yining’s hand lightly. The girls were all immense grateful as well. They hadn’t spent a full night at the Institute before seeing the ugliness and despair of it. They’d felt that living through this ordeal was a prelude to more suffering, so the aunts and cousins-in-law had been ready to take their lives to keep their chastity for the Suns. But as soon as they’d made up their minds, Qin Yining had already hired them out.
If it’d been before, this little bit of silver wouldn’t have been anything to a house like the Ding Manor. But now, they had nothing to their name. The Institute had spent a great deal of silver to hire all of them, and Qin Yining didn’t even have plans for them to earn their keep.
She seemed like she was ready to just keep them here and even provide all the servants they needed. It would be a great sum of money to feed all of them. Regardless of what had happened, they could sense this bit of genuine emotion and were overwhelmed with gratitude.
The duchess pulled on Qin Yining’s hand and had the girl sit next to her. “I’ll discuss this carefully with your aunts and sisters. We’ll see who we’ll need to keep.”
&nb
sp; “I brought Bingtang, Songlan, and Qiulu with me. They can stay here these two days and serve everyone.” Qin Yining nodded as the three stepped forward to curtsey. Qiulu was loyal and honest, Bingtang and Songlan had returned to the Qins with heightened status thanks to some borrowed influence from the Suns. They naturally had deep ties with the Suns.
The duchess held Qin Yining in her embrace, smoothing her hair down again and again. A myriad of emotions were running through her, but she didn’t have anything to say. She thought for a moment as the look in her eyes grew stronger and she seemed to decide on a plan. “Granddaughter Yi, where is your mother?”
Qin Yining didn’t want her maternal grandmother and others to worry. They were dealing with enough already, why bring née Sun’s matter into this to add to their worries? Although her maternal grandmother was a sharp one, she was likely at the end of her tether at a time like this. The females of this family were all looking to her grandmother for guidance, so she didn’t want to add to their burdens.
“Née Sun was gripped by sadness when she heard the news and fell ill. She’s recuperating in the Garden of Loving Piety at the moment. Miss Huining, Jin-mama, and Caiju are all serving by her side. Father has requested an imperial doctor and Bingtang has already seen to her. It’s just a matter of sudden anxiety and nothing major. She’ll be fine after two days. I’ll come by with mother then.”
The duchess looked at Qin Yining solidly when she heard this, nodding after a long while and saying in a whisper, “You’re a mature child.”
Qin Yining knew that the duchess was such a sharp person that she likely knew precisely what was going on. It was just that some things shouldn’t be spoken of. It wouldn’t do any good if they were and would just add to everyone’s sorrow. Any amount of schemes were useless in the face of dominance. A multitude of plans also required the ability to execute them. She went to look at her fifth cousin-in-law, recovering from birth and her baby sleeping soundly in her swaddling.
Her cousin-in-law was covered with thick blankets in bed, a black headband running across her forehead. Her long hair was a scattered mess and her eyes listless. Tears streamed endlessly down the corners and wetted a large patch on the pillow. Her cheeks had sunken in overnight.
Qin Yining’s heart raced from shock to see her relative this. Her fifth cousin-in-law and fifth cousin had been deeply in love. She likely had only the will to die now. The girl bounded forward and took the new mother’s hand. “Cousin-in-law, fifth cousin had a message for you.”
The lady’s eyes widened.
“I sent word to fifth cousin and grandfather that you’d given birth to a daughter as soon as she entered the world. Fifth cousin cried from joy and said a daughter was best. Daughters are a mother’s warm, padded jacket, while sons only make a mother cry. He said that a daughter will be greatly filial and told you to be strong and live. Live well with your child!”
Fifth cousin had indeed said similar words, and another that Grand Steward Zhong had brought back. However, Qin Yining didn’t think it was appropriate to pass it on at this time. He’d also said, “Shuang’er is yet young. Marry again if there’s someone’s suitable. Don’t be foolish and have no one to depend on for the rest of her life.”
* * *
Chapter 85: Arrangement (II)
Chapter 85: Arrangement (II)
Fifth cousin-in-law’s eyes were wide-opened and staring. Although she was looking at Qin Yining, her eyes weren’t focused. Tears gushed out of her eyes continuously, as if never-ending springs.
When the duchess saw her thus, she walked slowly forward and placed her hands on her knees, slowly sitting down on the bed. Her voice spoke of great experience and calm.
“He can leave with a peaceful heart knowing that you delivered the child safely. The dead are gone and the living must be strong. They actually have it easy in just closing their eyes and leaving everything. Duties and responsibilities fall on those living. Shuang’er, I know you were a young couple deeply in love. Listen to your grandmother, just pretend that he’s gone on a long journey and that you'll meet again one day.”
“Grandmother.” Fifth cousin-in-law choked out and grabbed the duchess' hand while her other held her child. She clutched to the duchess’ hand so strongly that it seemed she would crush the matriarch’s hand.
Everyone couldn’t help but cry all over again. In the face of such a great disaster, one would either be defeated by what life had flung at them or take a breath in and stand up straight with a back that had been curved. The duchess remembered clearly what the duke had said to her before he left. She was a woman worthy of her reputation alright. In this crucial moment, she was the weakest and should’ve been absolutely prostrate with sorrow. But here she was, able to calmly analyze the situation and choose the correct path for the grief-stricken women.
Qin Yining looked at the duchess with admiration and heartache. What she herself could do was to take good care of them and make sure they didn’t go short on clothes and food.
The Duke of Ding and his descendants’ tragic end were soon public knowledge thanks to Great Zhou propaganda. Their fliers were posted not only over bulletin boards, but also all over streets and alleyways. Anyone who could read could quickly take in everything off of them.
The emperor of Great Zhou had executed twenty thousand captives due to the Yan emperor’s impudence. That made another twenty thousand sons who would never be able to see their parents again. And the vaunted Yan emperor? He still lived a luxurious and plentiful life with his trampress. in fact, he’d even forced the Duke of Ding’s grandson to offer his brains in a bid for Great Zhou forgiveness. Sun Yu had refused and so the Great Zhou envoy had thrown a tantrum. Just that had been enough to make the Yan emperor metaphorically pee his pants and slaughter all of the Sun males! He hadn’t even shown mercy to a five year old child! After killing off one of his subjects, he’d immediately sent word to Great Zhou and wagged his tail for forgiveness like a shameless dog.
The people were riled to great fury because of this useless, sex-crazed emperor who cowardly feared death. How can he dispose of loyal subjects this way! Although the new year was upon them, the capital was immersed in pain and fury. The people were greatly disheartened whenever they thought of this news, how Elder Statesman Cao had killed a citizen in broad daylight, and the emperor’s complete indifference. Someone who was even more demoralized was née Sun.
“Mother!” She was wearing a sapphire blue vest and silver hair ornaments. Her black cloak flared as she entered the house and flung herself to the duchess’ legs with a sob. “Mother, Qin Meng is an ingrate of a bastard! He’s turned his back on me and our family!”
The duchess felt her mind buzz as she looked at her sobbing daughter. This daughter really is beyond hope. She only knew to cry and wail against the heavens whenever she ran into anything. No wonder she would raise a daughter such as Qin Huining.
“Stand up and speak.” The duchess rubbed her temples.
“Don’t cry, lady.” The newly rescued Bao-mama helped née Sun to a sitting position on a garden stool. “You should think about the old madame’s health.” Née Sun hadn’t done much for the family after such an enormous thing had happened, and she hadn’t even been by these two days. It’d been Qin Yining running herself and fro. Thus, Bao-mama wasn’t kindly disposed towards née Sun at the moment.
“Qin Meng. He’s, he’s going to take the Cao widow as a concubine!” Née Sun sniffed and responded, highly aggrieved. “She’s entering the household today! Nothing I said made a difference and he even tried fob me off with lies saying that the emperor had given née Cao to him! Mother, how can he treat me this way?? Would he have his position today if it wasn’t for father’s help before? Now that something’s happened to our family, his is being utterly ungrateful and wiping the slate clean! I’m dead inside!”
The duchess looked up to see née Sun’s wan face, dark circles under her eyes, and eyes puffy from crying. She sighed. “Daughter Han, you’re no
longer a child. I’ve tried teaching you some things a long time ago, but you just wouldn’t learn it. You don’t spend your efforts on making a smooth life either. You only think of your illustrious background. Are you going to look down at your in-laws forever because of the merits of your family? I already said this before. The Suns are no longer and so you have no backer. When I’m not by your side in the future, you should use your brains more.”
Née Sun’s tears burst forth again. “How will you not be by my side, mother!”
The duchess stroked her face and looked at Qin Yining. “Granddaughter Yi helped us a lot this time. We have nothing to thank you with.”
“Don’t say that, grandmother. This is just what I should’ve done. I’m also doing this for mother as well.” Qin Yining responded seriously.
“I know. You are a clearheaded child. I’ve already thought of where we should go and made appropriate contact. We’ll prepare to move starting today. Serve your mother well in the future and live well in the Qins. Let’s not contact each other much in the future.”
The room instantly quieted after this. Née Sun reacted frantically, “Mother, are you mad at me?! I, I just wanted to vent some. That’s why I said all that. I know I shouldn’t have. Don’t be angry, mother. Don’t leave me!”
“It’s not because of you.” The duchess sighed. “Daughter Han, you should trust your husband more in the future. Listen to granddaughter Yi’s suggestions. The emperor must have really bestowed née Cao onto Lord Qin. Her background isn’t simple so don’t place yourself at odds with her in the future. Take more care and don’t easily believe anyone. If you run into anything, have a good discussion with darling Yi before doing anything. She sees things clearly.”
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