Chapter 12

Shen Yuanyu's words were as sharp as blades, each sentence piercing directly into her heart, causing Concubine Bai's expression to change instantly.

Before Concubine Bai could decide how to respond, someone else couldn't hold back and jumped out to demand justice: "Even Grandmother is polite to the Concubine! Who do you think you are? And by what right do you blame my mother!"

Eleven-year-old Shen Xi clenched his fists, his eyes fixed deathly on Shen Yuanyu, filled with venomous resentment.

Shen Yuanyu had heard that the Eldest Master doted heavily on this only son, and Concubine Bai also held immense expectations for Shen Xi. She had hired top scholars to teach him Confucianism and metaphysics, hoping that when he grew up, he could become a great scholar just like his father.

However, his current demeanor struck Shen Yuanyu as somewhat laughable. With such a narrow-minded temperament, for a grown man to involve himself in the squabbles of the inner courtyard women—he clearly didn't look like someone who would achieve anything great.

Shen Yuanyu gave a faint, mocking smile and ignored Shen Xi, speaking only to Concubine Bai: "Shouting and speaking so insolently to your legitimate elder sister... Concubine Bai, is this how you have raised the Fifth Young Master? Since you are so incapable of disciplining your son, perhaps I should report this to Father and take over his upbringing for a few days on your behalf!"

Upon hearing these words, Concubine Bai's face changed drastically. As a concubine, it wasn't that she couldn't raise her biological son, but as the only son of the Minor First Branch, Shen Xi's status was different. It was only natural and righteous for him to be raised by the Main Wife; it was only because Madam Zhou's health was poor that Concubine Bai was able to personally raise the Fifth Young Master.

And as the legitimate eldest daughter, it was entirely justifiable for Shen Yuanyu to take over the education of the Fifth Young Master, who had been "misguided" by Concubine Bai.

Shen Yuanyu had seized a weakness of Concubine Bai's and used it to strike. Concubine Bai had originally not thought much of her, feeling that after more than a year of exile, while Shen Yuanyu had grown, she was still just a little girl. But after hearing these words, cold sweat began to pour down her back.

Ever since she gave birth to the Fifth Young Master, the Eldest Master had been indifferent toward the Madam, Concubine Bai, and even the other concubines in the household. It was as if, having produced a son, he had completed his duty. Concubine Bai had taken three years to bear two children and had produced nothing since; the Fifth Young Master was her lifeblood! How could she possibly hand him over to Shen Yuanyu and her mother?

"Third Miss, please forgive me. It was my failure in discipline," Concubine Bai argued hurriedly, grabbing Shen Xi's hand. "Fifth Young Master, quickly apologize to the Third Miss!"

"I won't!" Shen Xi originally intended to refuse, but he couldn't meet Concubine Bai's deep, cold, and frozen gaze. He had never seen his mother look at him with such eyes before, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear.

"Quickly, Fifth Young Master!"

Shen Xi said reluctantly, "I'm sorry, Third Sister!"

It was only with great difficulty that this matter was brushed aside. Normally, given Concubine Bai's temperament, she would have insisted on staying to serve Madam Zhou her meal, even though Madam Zhou had never agreed to it. Today, she didn't dare to cause any more trouble. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, she hurriedly took her leave and returned to her Chenxiang Pavilion with her children.

"How refreshing! To think those mother and son would have a day like this!" Yanran Residence had been suppressed by Chenxiang Pavilion for many years, and today was a rare moment of pride. Even the usually steady and mature Nanny Jia couldn't help but let out such a sigh of relief.

"Hush, don't say that! She is, after all, a concubine who serves your father; she is considered a half-elder, and she bore children for your father, making her a contributor to our Minor First Branch. Do not be so confrontational with her in the future. Endure it to keep the peace. As long as we show more deference, she won't be able to push her luck indefinitely!" Madam Zhou was of a gentle nature, and she feared that Concubine Bai would use her favor to complain to the Eldest Master, making things difficult for Yuanyu at home.

Shen Yuanyu said, "It is because Mother spoils her too much that she pushes her luck. She doesn't respect Mother as the Main Wife at all. I didn't want to be confrontational with her today either; I just wanted to give her a warning, to make her remember the things she has forgotten. A concubine is just a concubine; there are certain things she simply has no right to do!"

Pulling on her mother's sleeve, she added, "Let's not talk about her. Let's eat."

Shen Yuanyu accompanied her mother through breakfast, and the mother and daughter spoke in the inner chamber as if they had endless things to say. Seeing a hint of fatigue on Yuanyu's face, Madam Zhou said, "Since you are tired, go back and rest. Once you have recovered your strength, you can come to my place whenever you like."

Shen Yuanyu had knelt for a long time yesterday, and her cold had not yet fully cleared. She did not stand on ceremony with her mother: "Then I will rest before coming to see you again!" She stood up and said, "Let Nanny Jia see me out!"

Nanny Jia was a shrewd woman and immediately knew that the Third Miss had something to ask her. Accompanying Shen Yuanyu out of the inner quarters and into the courtyard, Shen Yuanyu dismissed the maids and asked, "Did Concubine Bai used to pay her respects to Mother like this every day?"

Nanny Jia nodded. "Ever since the Madam became too ill to get out of bed, the morning and evening greetings for the concubines were waived. Other concubines were afraid of catching her illness, so no one was willing to come over!" At this point, Nanny Jia couldn't help but sigh. Madam Zhou's position in this house was truly difficult. "Only Concubine Bai not only pays respects morning and night, but she performs the full formal rites to the Madam every single time. Regardless of wind or rain, she has never missed a day. Now, everyone in the household praises Concubine Bai for being well-versed in rules and etiquette; even the Old Madam has praised her many times!"

Shen Yuanyu's gaze turned cold. "Do you think she does this out of true respect for Mother?"

A trace of disdain flashed in Nanny Jia's eyes. "How could that be? She is merely using the Madam as a tool to build her own good reputation. She simply saw that the Madam is a kind-hearted person!"

Thinking of how she used her mother like a mere tool, a surge of anger rose within Shen Yuanyu.

She said calmly to Nanny Jia, "In her heart, Concubine Bai does not respect Mother at all, yet she can pay respects to someone she looks down upon day after day without interruption, performing full formal rites every time. That tenacity alone is terrifying. We must never let our guard down around her in the future."

Nanny Jia was startled. "The Third Miss is right!" She truly had not considered the matter from that perspective.

Shen Yuanyu said, "Now that I have returned, I will never again allow Chenxiang Pavilion to ride over our heads."

A look of excitement appeared on Nanny Jia's face. Shen Yuanyu asked again, "I remember when I left, Mother was still living with you all in Changle Hall. Why are we now squeezed into this small courtyard in Yanran Residence? How can Mother and my sister live here?"

Indignation flashed across Nanny Jia's face again. "Third Miss, there is something you don't know. Shortly after you left, the Old Madam used the excuse of seeking medical treatment for the Madam to invite a nun from a temple. That nun went around acting all mystical, jumping and singing, and finally calculated that Changle Hall was located on a 'Dragon Vein' of prosperity—a place of great luck and nobility. However, she claimed that ordinary people living there could not suppress the local energy and would instead be consumed by the local fortune, which was why the Madam had fallen ill with this strange disease and could not be cured!"

"After the Old Madam heard the nun's words, she personally ordered the Madam to move to Yanran Residence!"

Hearing this, Shen Yuanyu trembled with rage. What nonsense about feng shui and fortune! If she was so certain, why had Mother's condition not improved at all after moving to Yanran Residence nearly a year ago? This was clearly a scheme set by Lady Gu. By driving the Main Wife out of the primary residence, then desperately elevating Concubine Bai and marginalizing Madam Zhou, the more chaos there was in the First Branch, the more opportunity the Second Branch would have to assist the Second Master in seizing the position of the heir.

Or perhaps Concubine Bai was also fueling the fire?

Nanny Jia glanced at Shen Yuanyu and said tentatively, "Why don't the Third Miss go and plead with the Eldest Master to let the Madam move back to Changle Hall? If this continues, even the dignified senior maids in our own quarters are starting to look down on Yanran Residence."

Shen Yuanyu frowned. "Did Father not intervene in this matter?" With Shen Yun's supreme intelligence, it was impossible for him not to see through Lady Gu's trickery.

Nanny Jia said somewhat helplessly, "The Master did come to Yanran Residence at the time to persuade the Madam to move back to the main residence. The Madam simply said, 'There is nothing wrong with living here,' which made the Eldest Master so angry that he swept his sleeves and left. He has not set foot in Yanran Residence since. In truth, it is not that the Madam does not want to return to the main residence, but that she fears the Master would be branded with the reputation of being unfilial to his stepmother!"

Shen Yuanyu was speechless. She felt her mother's feelings for her father were too humble. If Father wanted her to return to the main residence, with his methods, he would surely have left a contingency plan to ensure Lady Gu could say nothing.

She pondered Nanny Jia's suggestion. If she went to plead with her father, the matter could likely be resolved smoothly. However, she did not want to do that. She said to Nanny Jia, "Since it was Grandmother who ordered you all to move to Yanran Residence, we shall have her order us to move back. When we leave, we shall leave with dignity, and when we return, we shall return with dignity!"

"What does the Third Miss mean?"

Shen Yuanyu waved her hand. "I have an idea. I will think it through carefully when I return. I will send Luan Niang to invite you then."

Nanny Jia nodded and walked her all the way to the courtyard entrance. It was only when she was walking back that she realized her emotions throughout this morning had been completely swayed by this fourteen-year-old girl.

The Third Miss had spent a year at the manor and seemed like a different person. Not only was she more sensible, but she was also much smarter. It seemed she had truly grown up, which brought Nanny Jia great peace of mind!

Upon returning to Changle Hall, just as Shen Yuanyu was being assisted by Luan Niang to change into indoor clothes, a servant came forward to deliver a message: "The Master requests your presence in the study!"

Shen Yuanyu had no choice but to change into a set of formal visiting clothes. She carefully groomed and dressed herself, checking her reflection in the mirror repeatedly until she could find no fault, before taking Luan Niang's hand to head to the Eldest Master's study. Yesterday was a special circumstance—the Eldest Master was not an ordinary, picky man; he placed extreme importance on his attire and bearing, and his requirements for his children were equally strict.

Upon arriving at the Eldest Master's study, she indeed saw Shen Yun. He wore a scholar's cap and wide belt, his long robes flowing, sitting there like an immortal from the mountains. That transcendent, ethereal aura made anyone who looked at him feel inferior. No wonder even after a year of him not entering her room, Mother had not held a single grudge against him!

"Father, you were looking for me?"

Seeing Yuanyu's tinkling jade ornaments and proper attire, Shen Yun's expression indeed softened. He got straight to the point: "It wasn't I looking for you, but Steward Zhu. Steward Zhu, tell her the news you gathered."

Shen Yuanyu had just been captivated by her father's peerless grace and had completely failed to notice Steward Zhu standing respectfully below him. Recalling that she had asked Steward Zhu to look into the background of that cold and aloof young gentleman who had saved her life, she realized that her father had called her here likely because there were developments regarding that matter.