Chapter 8

Before the Shen family crossed south following Emperor Jin Zhao, the Old Matriarch had already married the great-grandfather of Shen Yuanyu. Having managed the Shen household for decades, the Old Matriarch had borne two legitimate sons—the Eldest Great Master and the Second Great Master—as well as three legitimate daughters. Managing the inner household for decades with a balance of leniency and strictness, and with rewards and punishments clearly defined, she had not only raised her two sons to be successful but had also been extremely kind and benevolent toward her dozen or so illegitimate children, earning her immense prestige within the clan.

She had first married the Eldest Great Master to a legitimate daughter of the top-tier aristocratic Langya Wang clan. Unfortunately, heaven did not grant her longevity; Lady Wang passed away after giving birth only to the Eldest Master, Shen Yun. Later, to ease the tension between the immigrant clans who had crossed south and the local Wu-surname clans of Jiangnan and to consolidate the new Eastern Jin regime, the four major immigrant clans married into the four major Wu clans. It was only then that the Eldest Great Master married a legitimate daughter of the Wujun Gu clan, who was the current Eldest Madam.

The Old Matriarch had always been very fond of the Eldest Great Master's original wife, Lady Wang, and looked down somewhat on the petty nature of Lady Gu. Therefore, although the Eldest Master, Second Master, and Fourth Master were all her biological grandsons, she did not say so on the surface, but in her heart, she actually favored the Eldest Master more.

For these past years, the Eldest Madam and the Second Madam had been jumping around and causing trouble. As for why, the Old Matriarch—whose mind was as sharp as her body was old—actually knew perfectly well. However, the matter of designating the clan heir had to be decided collectively by the clan elders, and as a woman, it was not her place to say too much.

With Shen Yuanyu fainting like this, the entire Shaohe Courtyard instantly fell into chaos. Luan Niang, whose heart was with her young mistress, immediately burst into loud tears. Holding Shen Yuanyu, she was so panicked she didn't know what to do: "Third Young Lady, what's wrong? Third Young Lady, please wake up! Don't frighten this servant!"

Lady Gu's face also turned pale instantly; it was impossible to deny that she was the one who had punished the girl to kneel there. She could only argue defensively: "I merely had her kneel for a short while, how could she have fainted? She must have seen the Old Matriarch coming and is intentionally doing this to win the old lady's sympathy!"

Luan Niang was a single-minded person who recognized only Shen Yuanyu as her mistress. Seeing that her young mistress was already unconscious, and seeing Lady Gu still trying to pin the blame on her, she couldn't help but argue while crying: "Third Young Lady traveled a long way and was exhausted from the journey. As soon as she returned to the Shen residence, she came to the Shaohe Courtyard to kowtow to the Old Madam. Who would have thought that not only would you refuse to see her, but you would also punish her to kneel here in the wind and snow for over half an hour? Third Young Lady was already suffering from a cold that hadn't fully cleared up; kneeling like this, how could she not faint!"

Shen Yuanyu, who was pretending to be unconscious in Luan Niang's arms, truly wanted to jump up immediately and give Luan Niang a kiss. These words were so powerful and forceful that no matter how Lady Gu tried to defend herself, she could not escape the charge of being "cruel and ungrateful, and abusive toward her juniors."

The Old Matriarch tapped her dragon-head cane, somewhat incensed: "Look at the mess you've made! This is all your doing! Even if this child had wronged you in the past, she knew to come to the Shaohe Courtyard to pay her respects and kowtow as soon as she returned, which shows she has a heart of repentance. But you—narrow-minded and senseless—in such cold weather, you actually made a child who was already ill kneel in the wind and snow for over half an hour. Your heart is simply too vicious!"

"I, I..." It was only natural for a mother-in-law to scold her daughter-in-law. Moreover, the Eldest Madam was already somewhat afraid of this very majestic mother-in-law; every time she saw her, she was like a mouse seeing a cat. The Princess of Huyang was able to be disrespectful to her mother-in-law because her own natal family was powerful; Lady Gu, on the other hand, was not the original wife, and her family's influence was a grade lower than the four immigrant clans. How could she have the standing to stand tall against the Old Matriarch!

Not to mention, she was already feeling guilty and lacked a valid argument!

Lady Gu could only bark at the maidservants beside her: "Why aren't you quickly helping the Third Young Lady into the main room? Go and fetch a better physician to take a look!"

The maids scrambled to support Shen Yuanyu, when suddenly a clear voice shouted: "No need! I will personally carry Yu'er back to Changle Hall. I dare not trouble the Old Madam any further!" The Eldest Master strode forward and gently took Shen Yuanyu into his arms.

Changle Hall was where the Eldest Master and the Eldest Madam resided.

Shen Yuanyu felt a faint, elegant fragrance drift toward her. What kind of incense was this? It smelled quite good! Although she had only caught a fleeting glimpse just now, she could see clearly that her father was a man of elegant features, bright and radiant like the sun and moon in one's embrace—an incomparable, super handsome man. She hadn't expected that a grown man would be so vain. A strange sensation rose in her heart.

Lady Gu was already in a bad mood after being scolded by the Old Matriarch, and seeing Shen Yun speak this way made her even more resentful. She couldn't help but say: "Eldest, are you blaming me?"

In this world, there is no such thing as harmonious affection between stepmothers and stepchildren, let alone since Lady Gu and the Second Madam had always been plotting for the position of the clan heir that rightfully belonged to the Eldest Master. The Eldest Master said indifferently: "I wouldn't dare! Yu'er is your granddaughter; although she is not of your direct blood, she must still call you Grandmother. It is only natural for you to punish her. Forget about her just fainting in the snow—even if she were to die, though my progeny is sparse, I would simply consider it as if I had borne this daughter in vain."

The Eldest Master was incomparably handsome; in his youth, he had been called the number one beauty of Jiankang. In those years, countless noble ladies had wept and pleaded to marry him. Now that he was older, he showed no signs of aging; instead, his temperament had become even more refined and his manner even more graceful. He did not even ask his servants to hold an umbrella for him, standing there amidst the swirling snow. A timely expression of grief and indignation appeared on his face; his destructive power toward women was practically five-star. All the maids in Lady Gu's courtyard couldn't help but show a trace of pity.

This old man of hers was no simple character. Since he said it was only right for Lady Gu to deal with her, he then went straight to the point by noting she wasn't her direct blood granddaughter, and then mentioned his own lack of heirs. Every word was a thorn, yet he spoke with such righteous indignation that Lady Gu couldn't find a single flaw to pick at.

The Old Matriarch stamped her foot and said: "What are you still dawdling for? Hurry up and carry the child into the room!" Without another word, the Eldest Master turned and left.

They soon arrived at Changle Hall. Shen Yuanyu's mother, Lady Zhou, had been sickly for a long time. After Lady Gu had consulted a fortune teller, who said she was not suited to live in the main house of the first branch, she had been moved out of Changle Hall. Now, she lived in a small courtyard behind Changle Hall called Yanran Residence, along with another daughter, Shen Yuanshu, who was Shen Yuanyu's biological younger sister.

The Eldest Master also lived in the study year-round and only stayed in Changle Hall a few times a year, so the hall was often empty. Fortunately, the servants were dutiful, and Changle Hall remained cleaned to a dustless shine.

As the Eldest Master carefully placed Shen Yuanyu on the bed, he instructed Ruixin, who was following behind him, "Have someone bring in two charcoal basins and brew a bowl of thick ginger soup. Go, quickly!"

Ruixin promised and hurried off. The Eldest Master extended three fingers and lightly placed them on Shen Yuanyu's pulse. Shen Yuanyu was slightly stunned—did her handsome father also know medicine?

Then she heard the Old Matriarch's voice coming over: "How is the child? Is it serious?"

A strange expression appeared on Shen Yun's face.

The Old Matriarch grew anxious: "Is something wrong with Yu'er?"

Shen Yun quickly said: "Yu'er is fine. She was just kneeling in the wind and snow for too long, and the wind-evil entered her body. Once she drinks a bowl of ginger soup and a few doses of medicine, she will be fine. Grandmother, you needn't worry."

The Old Matriarch knew of Shen Yun's medical skills; they were not inferior to those of the veteran physician. The Old Matriarch let out a long sigh of relief.

Shen Yun continued: "I do not know when Yu'er will wake up. Grandmother, you are old and cannot endure such tossing and turning. It is better to return and rest early. Once Yu'er wakes, I will bring her to pay her respects to you!"

The old lady tapped her cane: "With things looking like this here, how can I return to Shouhe Hall in peace!" After a pause, she said to the servant attending her, "You, leave for now!"

Shen Yuanyu heard a series of footsteps. After a moment, the room became quiet.

The Old Matriarch's sincere voice drifted in: "Yun'er, regarding Yu'er's matter, did you send someone to notify Lady Zhou?" Since there were no outsiders, the Old Matriarch changed "Eldest" to "Yun'er."

Shen Yun seemed somewhat embarrassed and said: "In response to Grandmother, I did not! Lady Zhou's health has always been poor. If she were to find out, I fear she would immediately come to visit Yu'er. In this cold weather, it would be bad if she caught a cold as well. Once Yu'er is a bit better tomorrow, I will ask her to go see her mother and sister!"

The Old Matriarch sighed softly: "Lady Zhou's background is, after all, a bit low. If you feel wronged, why not divorce her and marry another?"

Grandmother actually told Father to divorce her! Hearing these words, Shen Yuanyu felt her head buzz, and she nearly sat up immediately.

Fortunately, Shen Yun said: "Grandmother, Lady Zhou has committed no great error. How can we just divorce her and send her back to her natal family! How would Lady Zhou be able to face people in the future!" Seeing that he did not seem willing, Yuanyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Old Matriarch sighed: "I also know Lady Zhou has no major flaws. Her background is a bit poor, but she has at least borne two daughters for you, even if Shu'er... but our kind of family is different from ordinary families. Her inability to bear a son is her great error. If it weren't for your lack of a legitimate son, why would the clan be so slow to appoint you as the clan heir!"

The Old Matriarch continued: "You saw what happened today. Lady Gu is narrow-minded; even while I am still alive, she dares to mistreat your daughter like this! Although the Second Master's reputation outside is greater than yours, he is ambitious but lacks talent and the ability to handle practical affairs. Entrusting the Shen clan to him is truly unsettling. Moreover, if the Second Master were truly appointed as the clan heir and later became the head of the Shen clan, with the Second Madam's temperament, where would you and your daughter have a place to stand? Do not forget, behind the Second Madam, the Empress and the Crown Prince are providing support! Your disadvantage lies in having no legitimate son and no powerful wife's clan to act as a backbone. If you feel wronged by Lady Zhou, it would be better to suffer a loss and divorce her! Even if Grandmother has to sacrifice some old face, I will seek a legitimate daughter from the four immigrant clans as a second wife for you!"

Shen Yun was somewhat caught between laughter and tears: "Grandmother, you say all this for my sake and for the sake of my great-grandchildren. If your grandson truly divorces Lady Zhou for the sake of the clan heir position, when the new wife enters the family, how are Yu'er and Shu'er supposed to continue living in this house!"