He didn't necessarily have to be the heir of Duke Xiangguo's Mansion...
Back at Jiangxue Residence, Hailan estimated that by this hour, the maids should have brought Suijie'er back. Yet she only saw Jinping and Yu Ming, the two personal maids, sitting under the eaves playing cat's cradle, with no sign of Suijie'er.
Hailan scolded the two little maids, "You two are more playful than the young lady every day. I understand you're young and meant to be her playmates, but you should still fulfill your duties and stay by her side at all times."
The two maids stopped what they were doing and curtsied to Hailan.
Jinping spoke first, "The young lady's forehead was hot. Sister Xiuju called a doctor to see her. Sister Xiuju didn't let me and Yuming wait in the bedchamber, saying that we're young, and if we also fell ill, the elder sisters would have even more work."
Yu Ming hid behind Jinping and said weakly, "Aunt Hailan, we're not intentionally slacking off here."
Hailan ignored the two young maids' excuses and rushed into the house.
Jinping spat heavily in the direction Hailan had gone.
"Just because she's a dowry maid of the lady, she throws her weight around, bossing everyone about. The young lady has never said a harsh word to us; she's not as good at handling people as Sisters Xiuju and Caifeng."
Yu Ming tugged at Jinping's sleeve, "Don't let her hear you, or she'll twist our ears again."
"You're afraid of her, but I'm not." Jinping stood on tiptoe. "Just wait until I'm as old as Sister Xiuju and become the young lady's head maid. Then see if I pay any attention to that old hag."
After Jiang Xuesui fell ill that day, over a dozen doctors were called but none could prescribe an effective remedy. Not only was her forehead burning, but she also developed symptoms like coughing and vomiting.
Old Madam Wen was extremely anxious. It took a lot of persuasion to get Lady Sang to agree to treat her granddaughter.
Lady Sang's medical skills were excellent. Jiang Xuesui recovered after just three days of following her prescription.
To thank Lady Sang, Hailan asked Jiang Xuesui for her opinion and suggested giving Lady Sang a set of jadeite hair ornaments.
Jiang Xuesui didn't understand the value of jade and gems. She was a little girl who usually played with night pearls as marbles. Hearing Hailan say that Lady Sang would like the jadeite hair ornaments, she agreed to let Hailan present them as a gift.
Lady Sang accepted the jadeite hair ornaments but dared not wear them herself. She split the set of sixteen pieces into two and had maids deliver them to Lady Zhu and Lady Yu.
When Jiang Xuesui learned of this, she thought Lady Sang didn't like the jadeite hair ornaments and asked Hailan to find better jewelry to give her.
Hailan explained, "My dear young lady, it's not that Lady Sang dislikes the jadeite hair ornaments; it's that her position in this mansion makes her afraid to outshine Lady Zhu of the second branch and Lady Yu of the third branch."
Hailan then recounted what she had overheard outside Lady Sang's courtyard that day, omitting matters of marriage.
Jiang Xuesui asked, "Then can Yuanyuan still play nicely with Sister Ai'ai and Brother A Qiao?"
Hailan said, "If Suijie'er doesn't want to make things difficult for Lady Sang, it's better to be good to Aijie'er and Qiao'er in secret."
"I'll only be good to Sister Ai'ai in secret," Jiang Xuesui thought for a moment. "Brother A Qiao ignores Yuanyuan, so Yuanyuan will ignore him too."
Jiang Xuesui felt that Wen Qiao was a boy, and if a boy didn't initiate play with you, but you initiated with him, that was—that was throwing yourself at him. A girl who threw herself at a boy had no dignity.
She had learned this reasoning from the twin sisters Wen Yuanhuan and Wen Yuanle.
*
The next day, all the branches came to Penglai Study to pay respects to Old Madam Wen.
Lady Zhu and Lady Yu wore the jadeite hair ornaments they had received, while Lady Sang wore her usual gilt red gem hair ornaments.
Old Madam Wen's gaze lingered on her three daughters-in-law's heads as if she understood something. After everyone left, she kept her eldest son behind for a private talk.
Old Madam Wen was well aware of the matters in the main branch's rear courtyard.
"Shi Ning, I know you were reluctant to marry Lady Sang back then, but she bore you children. Even the reason Aijie'er and Qiao'er were born prematurely was because Lady Sang learned that you agreed to marry her only to get medicine from Imperial Consort Dowager Sang to treat Concubine Miao's mother. That broke her heart, and she gave birth early to Aijie'er and Qiao'er."
The Duke of Xiangguo's face turned pale. "Mother, why are you bringing up old affairs again?"
Old Madam Wen sighed. "Now you've gotten what you wanted, loving and trusting Miao Shi without doubt. But my son, a person cannot have all the advantages. You must treat Lady Sang and her two sick children with conscience and kindness."
Mentioning Sang-shi's twins made the Duke of Xiangguo feel stifled.
The eldest son Wen Qiao was born with a cold disorder, his body devoid of warmth. He would never father children, so he was destined not to inherit the title of Duke of Xiangguo, for among the three unfilial acts, having no offspring was the greatest.
And the eldest daughter Wen Yuan'ai was simple-minded, not bringing him as much glory as the twin daughters Concubine Miao had given him.
"Mother, Aijie'er and Qiao'er lack neither clothes nor food. Whatever the other siblings have, they have. How can you say I haven't treated them well?" the Duke of Xiangguo retorted.
"The position of heir of Duke Xiangguo's Mansion is what Qiao'er deserves as the legitimate eldest grandson of our Wen family." Old Madam Wen patted her eldest son's shoulder. "You go to Concubine Miao's courtyard every day to hold Huanjie'er then Lejie'er. Let me ask you, how many times have you held Aijie'er since she was born?"
The Duke of Xiangguo was speechless. He had never thought himself partial, but his heart had indeed tilted without his realizing it.
"Qiao'er's cold disorder will cut off the Wen family line. Among the other young masters, any can be the heir, except Qiao'er," the Duke said sternly.
Old Madam Wen shook her head. "Qiao'er is your eldest son. Anyone can give up on him, but you, as his father, cannot. As for the family line, it's easily solved. If Qiao'er later adopts a child under his name, what does his cold disorder matter?"
"What you say is right, Mother. I didn't think it through. When Brother Yu has children, they can indeed be adopted to Qiao'er." The Duke had only thought of passing the heirship directly to the son Concubine Miao bore him, not expecting his mother to dote so much on Qiao'er.
Old Madam Wen shook her head again. "Must you leave a handle for those who wish you ill to accuse you of favoring a concubine over your wife? Your wife is not incapable of bearing healthy children. Even if Qiao'er adopts in the future, the child should come from his full-blooded brother, not from a concubine's branch."
"Mother, isn't what you said unfair to Miao Shi?" the Duke couldn't help defending Concubine Miao.
"Unfair to her?" Old Madam Wen laughed bitterly, a rare occurrence. "She's ambitious and cares about face. Five months after entering the household, she gave birth to twins. Your affair with Miao Shi has become a joke all over Xuanjing. Even if she loves you and you love her, some things are beyond the pale. Back then, she staked her parents' and siblings' future. In the future, to gain greater benefits, she might stake the entire Duke Xiangguo's Mansion."
"Mother." The Duke knelt before Old Madam Wen. "I have failed you."
"You haven't failed me; you have failed Lady Sang and her children." Old Madam Wen helped her eldest son up. "Have another healthy child with Lady Sang. Give her something to hope for."
"Yes," the Duke agreed.
Old Madam Wen's voice returned to normal. "It doesn't matter if the children have this or that illness. In a family like ours, we can cure them, no matter the cost. But parents shouldn't be too heartless. Sick children need even more care and love. Don't ignore them, and certainly don't disdain them."
The Duke heeded her advice, abandoning the idea of going to Concubine Miao. After leaving Penglai Study, he headed straight to Fuxi Pavilion.
In the courtyard, his eldest son was building a swing, while his eldest daughter obediently waited beside him, fanning him as he sweated.
Both children were extremely beautiful, looking like little immortals from a painting from afar.
What a pity—they were both sick children.
Wen Yuan'ai noticed her father entering the courtyard first. As she ran toward him, she didn't watch her step, tripped over her own feet, and fell flat.
The Duke frowned, disgusted by his eldest daughter's clumsiness.
Wen Qiao, who happened to look up, caught the disgust in his father's eyes. He helped up his sister, who had rolled in the dirt, and ordered a maid to take her to change into clean clothes.
The Duke spoke first, "Aijie'er is getting more muddled by the day. Your mother doesn't manage the household, and has plenty of free time. Why doesn't she properly teach Aijie'er? If guests see Aijie'er like this, they'll only laugh at us."
Wen Qiao remained silent, his eyes dark and turbulent, his thin lips pressed together, and his hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves.
The Duke disliked his eldest son's taciturnity and his cold demeanor even more.
Before the Duke could speak again, Lady Sang quickly called her son into the study.
Lady Sang was always gentle and soft, but her two children were the apple of her eye. When it came to protecting her cubs, she found courage from somewhere.
"Our Aijie'er is not muddled, Your Grace. It's just that you rarely come to my courtyard, so you haven't seen her embroider, brew wine, or make pastries. She can even play Gomoku and often beats her younger siblings."
The Duke snorted.
"Huanjie'er and Lejie'er are a year younger than Aijie'er, and they can already write and recite poems. Aijie'er can't even write her own name."
Lady Sang, afraid her daughter would hear, said, "Keep your voice down. If you don't like these two children, so be it. There's no need to come to my courtyard to belittle them and praise Concubine Miao's children."
"Mother insisted I come." The Duke approached Lady Sang and whispered, conveying Old Madam Wen's suggestion to her.
Lady Sang declined Old Madam Wen's kind arrangement, feeling it was pity and charity toward her and her children.
"I am foolish, and I know your heart is not with me. Forcing your presence is useless. Besides, Qiao'er doesn't necessarily have to be the heir of Duke Xiangguo's Mansion, and Aijie'er doesn't need a healthy younger brother. Living like this is fine. There is no better life."
"You may be timid, but you're stubborn to the bone." The Duke realized he had always underestimated this meek Lady Sang.
Lady Sang shook her head. "I have never lowered my expectations for my children just because they are sick. I believe that like normal children, as long as they work hard, a bright future awaits them. So they don't need to rely on anyone."