"Elder Brother, that little flower basket, do you still..."
In front of his niece, Duke Xiangguo's usually stern expression softened considerably, and he even spoke in a cooing voice. His tone was more affected than when he spoke to his own daughters—meaning the twin girls born of Concubine Miao. The Duke could hardly exchange a word with his eldest daughter, and he found her too simple-minded to understand him; talking to her was like playing the lute to a cow.
"Yuanyuan, what happened today is that your eldest cousin didn't understand the principle of Kong Rong giving up the pears. All those sage books he's read might as well have been fed to a dog. It has nothing to do with you."
Wen Qiao seemed accustomed to being treated this way by his father. His expression was as usual—listless and cold.
Lady Sang had excellent self-restraint. Though she wanted to poison the Duke whose heart was so biased, she still sat there calmly. She knew that no matter how she defended her son, her husband would not listen, so why waste her breath?
Concubine Miao's brows moved slightly as she suppressed the smile threatening to curl her lips. She ordered a maid to replace her cold tea and sat back to watch the show.
Wen Yu, a young master who could not hide his thoughts, only knew that Wen Qiao had earned Father's displeasure. He felt a sense of release, as if this made up for the time he was punished while Wen Qiao did not intercede for him. He was secretly delighted.
"Father, it's just a quilt. I won't argue with elder brother over it."
The Duke was gratified that his second son, though not as studious as the first, understood human relations better. He cared little whether a child could study well, but if a child could not show fraternal love and filial piety, he would consider that child a debt-collecting demon. In comparison, the Duke found Wen Yu increasingly agreeable and Wen Qiao increasingly irritating.
"Brother Qiao, as the elder brother, you ought to set a good example for your younger siblings."
Lady Sang could no longer hold back. "Shi Ning, you've treated me coldly all these years—fine. But what has Brother Qiao done wrong? You say he's the elder brother: When my elder sister sent a piece of suet jade worth a hundred thousand taels to congratulate Brother Qiao on his enlightenment, you listened to Concubine Miao's pillow talk and ordered Brother Qiao to give it to Brother Yu without a second thought. Over the years, how many good things has Brother Qiao yielded to Brother Yu? And how many things has Sister Ai given to Sister Huan and Sister Le? If we were to list them all, you couldn't finish reading that ledger in three days and nights. After my father passed away, he left a good deal of property to us two sisters. But even if I had a mountain of gold, I couldn't stand your biased father moving it all to Concubine Miao and her children, leaving nothing for my Brother Qiao and Sister Ai."
Jiang Xuesui, seated below Wen Qiao, turned and tugged at Hailan's sleeve. Lifting her little face, she said in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, "Auntie, is this what you called 'eating the heirless'?"
The Duke was already looking displeased. Hearing his niece say he was "eating the heirless," he became furious at his wife's accusations.
Unfortunately, Wen Yu was tactless and couldn't read the room. He foolishly asked Concubine Miao, "Mother, what is 'eating the heirless'?"
Concubine Miao reached out and covered her son's mouth. "That's not for you to know. Don't ask stupid questions." She covered her embarrassment with a few coughs.
When Hailan heard Wen Yu call Concubine Miao "Mother," her already furrowed brows deepened. She admired even more that Lady Sang, the mistress of the main branch, could tolerate this. If it were Lady Zhu or Lady Yu, they would have punished Concubine Miao first, regardless of whether she had a life-title as a concubine.
Jiang Xuesui continued, "Actually, Yuanyuan came to apologize to Elder Uncle, Elder Aunt, and Brother A Qiao."
The Duke asked, "Yuanyuan, what crime have you committed?"
Jiang Xuesui looked at the Duke, her small body turned sideways. "The quilt was not meant by Yuanyuan to give to my cousins. When Mother was alive, she specifically instructed Father to give Brother A Qiao a quilt like this."
Jiang Xuesui beckoned Hailan, who promptly told the Duke the story of how her young lady had almost been kidnapped by bandits and how, with the help of Lady Sang and her son, she had returned home safely. Hailan observed the Duke's expression and knew this was the first time he heard of it.
"Lady Sang and the eldest young master must have been afraid of harming my young lady's reputation, so they did not spread the matter. But sending the quilts was originally to thank Lady Sang and the eldest young master for their great kindness to the Jiang family. To avoid making the other young masters and ladies suspicious, everyone received a quilt. Please, Your Grace, understand my late mistress's good intentions. If she knew that even this small task she entrusted to my master had not been completed, she would find no peace in the underworld."
Hailan also explained the purpose of the quilt given to Wen Qiao.
The Duke's eyes were already moist. How could he go against his younger sister's wish?
Jiang Xuesui then said to Wen Yu, "Third Brother, what you said just now was wrong. This quilt was originally meant by my mother for eldest brother. It belongs to eldest brother, and only if he is willing to give it to you can you accept it. It's not that by saying 'I won't argue,' you make it seem like eldest brother owes you a favor."
Hailan lifted a teacup to Jiang Xuesui's lips. "Miss, you've said so much. You must be thirsty. Drink some tea."
Jiang Xuesui knew Hailan didn't want her to continue, but she insisted on finishing. "I don't want to give you the quilt anymore. Anyway, you said it's just a quilt."
Hailan, knowing her young lady's temper, had a headache. She still could not stop the little one from speaking petulantly.
Concubine Miao picked up a peach-blossom pastry from the plate and smiled, beckoning to Jiang Xuesui. "Suijie'er, don't be angry. Come have a snack. If you say that, your third brother will be sad."
"I'm not angry." Jiang Xuesui glanced at Wen Qiao. "I feel wronged for eldest brother. My father would never say, 'Suijie'er, you're the elder sister, so at your maternal uncle's home, you should give way to your younger cousins.' Besides, my mother said that sharing means giving others what you have extra, not giving away what you really, really like just to earn praise."
The Duke remembered what his younger sister often said to him when she was little. "Elder brother, don't listen to those people's nonsense about how you're the elder brother and must give way to younger siblings. It's not like you chose to be the elder brother; you were just born earlier out of necessity. We are all equal. I don't need to be taken care of, and you don't need to yield."
And she had also said those words about "sharing" that Yuanyuan just said.
When he was a child, he had never been forced to yield or share, and yet he had gotten along with his siblings affectionately, even more harmoniously than children in other families.
The Duke's soul trembled. He had forgotten where he came from. He had become the kind of person he hated most as a child—one who liked to point fingers and preach. He had become an absurdly pedantic man. He was not a good father either. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.
The Duke was deeply remorseful. He said to Lady Sang and Wen Qiao, "You have indeed suffered all these years. Miaoyi, I will make it up to you and the two children."
Jiang Xuesui seized the opportunity. "Elder Uncle, is it only right and proper to repay a debt?"
"Of course." The Duke wondered what clever trick this clever niece was about to play.
"Then shouldn't Concubine Miao and her children return what belongs to Elder Aunt and her children?" Jiang Xuesui had been listening very carefully. And when she was in Sujing, she loved to sneak into the yamen to watch her father hear cases. Judging cases was all about 'fairness,' and she always convinced people with reason.
The Duke said "Of course" again.
Now it was Concubine Miao's turn to be unhappy. Her face looked like she had just buried her own mother. But she still harbored a sliver of hope. "I don't even remember what things Brother Yu has received."
Shuangxi, standing behind Lady Sang, said, "Rest assured, Lady. My lady records all gifts received and given in a ledger. As long as I fetch the ledger and go to Luanfeng Pavilion to check one by one, we will know how many things from Fuxi Pavilion are in the possession of Brother Yu, Sister Huan, Sister Le, and even you, Lady."
"Your Grace——" Concubine Miao looked at the Duke with a plaintive, sorrowful gaze.
The Duke almost softened, but then he heard his niece say another sentence.
"Sister Shuangxi, you are so meticulous. That way, Luanfeng Pavilion will owe no debts to Fuxi Pavilion. Elder Uncle will not be 'eating the heirless,' and everyone's reputation will be good."
The Duke had no choice but to harden his heart and not look at Concubine Miao.
Hailan seized every opportunity. "Oh, great lady, you truly are a living buddha without any pretensions. In which family are the children of concubines not raised in the main wife's courtyard? Not to mention raising—just the fact that Brother Yu has been calling Concubine Miao 'mother' is completely out of order. Only the lawful wife is 'mother'; a concubine is 'little mother.' And the legitimate wife is the mistress; a concubine is a servant. It would make people laugh that this is a duke's mansion. With such a collapse of propriety, even the spirit of the Duke of Zhou would weep bitterly if he came here."
The Duke had never thought much of it before, but after hearing Hailan's sarcastic but truthful words, he had no choice but to mend his ways. Hadn't he just said he would 'make it up'? The first thing was to let wife and concubine each mind their own duties.
"Enough. Fuxi Pavilion is a three-section compound. Let Brother Yu, Sister Huan, and Sister Le all move there. Siblings growing up together will develop bonds."
Children were a mother's lifeblood. Lady Sang saw Concubine Miao on the verge of fainting and felt pity. Moreover, Sister Ai always walked around Fuxi Pavilion; having Concubine Miao's children move in would make Sister Ai feel restrained.
"A nursing mother is not as dear as the birth mother. I don't have the fortune to be a good mother to so many children. I'm partial to my own. Let Concubine Miao raise her own children. I'll save myself the trouble and won't separate flesh and blood."
The Duke never expected Lady Sang to be so magnanimous, not someone who would trample on others when she had the upper hand. This contrast made him feel that Concubine Miao's behavior over the years had been rather petty. A wife should be virtuous, and his wife was not only virtuous but also bright and beautiful. A concubine should be chosen for looks, but his youthful sweetheart was no longer the young girl she once was, and her virtue had not remained as beautiful either.
The Duke sighed deeply in his heart. He would have been better off, like his two younger brothers, having only one wife.
Jiang Xuesui softly called out, "Elder Brother." That childish, sweet, and clear voice made Wen Qiao unable to resist responding to this brave little girl who spoke up for him.
"Elder Brother, that little flower basket—do you still want it?"
The quilt was her mother's intention. But that little flower basket she had woven with her own hands—that was Jiang Xuesui's own heartfelt gift.