After washing up, Yurong put on a short, crimson jacket embroidered with entwined pomegranate blossoms, and a long, rose-pink, softly patte...
After washing up, Yurong put on a short, crimson jacket embroidered with entwined pomegranate blossoms, and a long, rose-pink, softly patterned skirt trimmed with gold, hugging her waist. She styled her hair into a cloud-like bun and adorned it with a pair of 'Double Happiness and Double Ruyi' gold hairpins. The ruby tassels swayed constantly with her movements. Pure gold earrings inlaid with emerald-coloured cat's eye stones adorned her ears, giving her a magnificent yet dignified appearance.
Luye asked, "Miss, isn't this outfit too extravagant?" How does going out looking like this resemble paying respects? If one didn't know, they'd think Yurong was going to pay a social visit!
Yurong replied, "Since I'm going to San Jie1's residence, of course I must dress luxuriously." If she dressed too shabbily, even the servants in the wangfu2 would look down on her.
Luye said anxiously, "I'm afraid Madam won't approve!" Yurong had just returned yesterday and now wanted to go out visiting again. What mother-in-law would be happy about that?
Yurong snorted coldly. "Do you think that if she doesn't approve, I won't go?" With a son who couldn't even perform as a man, and she still thought she could control her? Dream on!
Yu Shi was clearly displeased when she saw Yurong's outfit, but as a mother-in-law, it wasn't proper to directly scold her daughter-in-law for dressing too brightly. She said, "I heard you were taught by a proper governess since childhood. Do you mean to tell me you don't even know the basic rules of being a daughter-in-law?"
Yurong let out a vague "Oh" and sat down. Glancing at the maids beside Yu Shi, she spoke, "Mother, I have something to discuss with you. It's not suitable for outsiders to hear."
Yu Shi had wanted to ask what it was that others couldn't hear, but when Mama Yue shook her head, she waved the other maids away. Only Mama Yue remained in the room.
Yurong deliberately stayed silent until Yu Shi was on the verge of exploding, then said, "Last night, my husband took some medicine. I don't know where it came from. Could it be harmful to his body? Mother, I think we should ask a doctor to help regulate his health. That would be best for him, don't you think?" Jiang Hongjin himself had brought the medicine last night. He was afraid he wouldn't respond to Yurong, so he bought it himself. As expected, the medicine worked, confirming Momo Gui's suspicions.
Yu Shi was stunned. "What medicine?"
Yurong feigned sudden realisation. "Oh, so you didn't know, Mother? No wonder…" No wonder she dared to nitpick at her. It turned out that Yu Shi had no idea that Jiang Hongjin had that problem.
Yu Shi wasn't stupid. Judging from Yurong's tone and reaction, she could roughly guess what was going on. She jumped up and pointed at Yurong, scolding her: "You shameless thing! What nonsense are you spouting?" Yu Shi looked down on Yurong a thousand, ten thousand times, but unfortunately, her son was determined to marry her. She didn't know how much more she could endure. The result was even worse than she had expected: Han Yurong was not like a well-bred lady, but more of a shrew from the streets. So what good could come from a woman raised in the countryside?
Yurong snorted coldly and didn't bother to argue with her. She turned to the mama beside Yu Shi and asked, "Why hasn't breakfast been served yet? I'm starving."
Mama Yue stepped in to comfort the fuming Yu Shi: "Madam, whatever the matter is, it can wait until after breakfast." Even if Er Nainai3 was shameless, she wouldn't dare fabricate such things. All they would need to confirm the truth was a word with the Second Master's personal maid.
Yu Shi quickly composed herself; she was now both angry and anxious. "Serve breakfast." It was as if she were feeding a starving ghost who hadn't eaten for eight lifetimes.
After breakfast, Yurong told Yu Shi, "I'm going to the Jing Wangfu2 to visit my San Jie1. I won't be back for lunch." She knew perfectly well that Yuchen disliked her. But Yurong needed someone powerful to back her. Without Yuchen's support, Yu Shi and Jiang Hongjin might start to use violence against her.
At that moment, Yu Shi was determined to get to the bottom of the issue with the medicine and didn't have time to deal with Yurong. "This time only—there will be no next time." What kind of behaviour was a newlywed daughter-in-law trying to portray by always visiting other people after getting married? It clearly showed that she had no sense of proper etiquette at all.
Yurong did not argue with Yu Shi; she would still go out whenever she felt like it next time, even after receiving the warning.
After Yurong left, Yu Shi immediately ordered Mama Yue to summon Jiang Hongjin's personal attendant. Since this attendant handled all of Jiang Hongjin's daily needs, he would know what was happening.
When Yu Shi heard that Jiang Hongjin had indeed taken medicine last night, it felt like the crown of her head had been struck by five thunderbolts. "Impossible. This is impossible..." How could her son — how could he be a useless person! There must be some mistake.
Seeing how flustered Yu Shi was, Mama Yue quickly comforted her, "Madam, don't worry. The Second Master isn't what Even if Er Nainai3 said he was. Madam, have you forgotten about Yan-er and the other two maids?" She was referring to Jiang Hongjin's tongfang4.
Yu Shi quickly responded, "Yes, yes, both of those maids have been taken in by Jin-er." At this, she slapped the table in anger. "That little wench! How dare she slander my son's reputation like this? I won't let her off!"
Mama Yue hesitated momentarily before saying, "Madam, the Second Master is physically well, but he doesn't seem interested in women." From what she knew, the Second Master spent most nights in the study and rarely returned to his courtyard. His nights with the two maids were few and far between.
Mama Yue had previously thought Jiang Hongjin was deeply in love with Yurong, so he didn't want to get close to his maids. However, she was now starting to suspect that there might be something wrong with the young master's body.
As for why Mama Yue knew such things, the reason was simple: The Yu family had strict house rules—an eldest shu5 son was not permitted. If Jiang Hongjin got close to a maid, she would have to drink contraceptive decoctions. The maids chosen for this role were all clever girls—none dared to skip the medicine. If one became pregnant, she would not be rewarded, but forced to have an abortion and be sold off afterwards. In contrast, if they behaved properly and waited until their master was married, the official wife would usually provide them with a generous dowry and arrange a marriage for them.
Yu Shi thought for a long while, then lowered her voice: "You go and ask Yan-er about the Second Master yourself…"She didn't finish the sentence, but Mama Yue understood.
Mama Yue returned a shichen6 later. She whispered, "Madam, Yan-er said in the past two years, she has only served the Second Master eleven times. Ya-er even less—just nine times." Naturally, the two maids were in competition. However, as Jiang Hongjin was so indifferent, there wasn't much for them to fight over, so the two maids got along fairly well.
These two maids had been assigned to Jiang Hongjin when he was sixteen. Counting the time, it had been nearly five years. And in those five years, he had only been intimate with the maids twenty times in total? Wasn't this enough to prove the point?!
Yu Shi's face instantly turned deathly pale. "How could my son be so unfortunate?" Physically, Jiang Hongjin was very healthy and rarely even caught a cold. The physician had never mentioned anything being wrong with his body. Everything seemed perfectly fine, so who would have thought in this direction?
Mama Yue whispered, "Madam needn't panic. The Second Master just doesn't enjoy women's company. He is perfectly healthy."
Yu Shi suddenly grabbed Mama Yue's hand and asked, "Do you think there's some lowly temptress in the study seducing Jin-er?" Otherwise, why would he always hide away in there?
Mama Yue firmly replied, "Madam, definitely not. The personal attendants and servant boys by the Second Master's side were picked and re-picked by Madam." Yu Shi was highly attentive to her only son, and those who served him closely had been chosen with the utmost care. If anyone or anything had been a bad influence on Jiang Hongjin, she would have discovered it long ago.
After much thought, Yu Shi wondered, "Could it be that none of these women are good-looking, and Jin'er doesn't find any of them appealing?" That guess actually hit the mark—Jiang Hongjin didn't find Yurong attractive; in fact, he thought she was too ugly.
Mama Yue replied uncertainly, "That shouldn't be the case, should it? Not to mention the two previous bedmaids were beauties, and Second Madam herself is also very good-looking."
But Yu Shi felt her guess was correct. "It must be that. Mama Yue, go find a broker tomorrow — I want to pick out a few more maids…"
Mama Yue, of course, understood what Yu Shi meant, and quickly replied, "Madam, we can't do this right now. If the Master finds out, he'll definitely be furious again."
Yu Shi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly abandoned the idea. Although she still held authority over the inner household, all monthly expenses for the inner residence were allocated from the outer courtyard. After covering the basics, there was little left. Although Yu Shi was born into the Yu family, she was merely the daughter of a concubine — an unfavoured one at that — so her dowry had not been generous. Consequently, her life these past years had not been easy.
Although Yuxi had never attacked Yu Shi directly, she had in fact already avenged herself indirectly. By saving Jiang Hongfu, she had driven a wedge between Yu Shi and her husband, Jiang Wenrui, turning their relationship ice cold. She also earned Yu Shi a reputation in her natal family as a 'vicious stepmother'. Furthermore, Jiang Hongfu did not die—Jiang Wenrui then devoted all his efforts to cultivating his eldest son, using his connections to pave the way for him. Now, aged just twenty-four, Jiang Hongfu was already a fifth-rank official — a highly respectable achievement. Having always seen Jiang Hongfu as a thorn in her eye and a thorn in her flesh7, could Yu Shi possibly feel at ease now? Of course not.
Yuchen was worried about Jing Wang8 and Marquis Chiang. She didn't have the patience to entertain Yurong. Besides, they had never got on well, even when they were younger. After nearly half a shichen6 of conversation, she finally lost her patience and lifted her teacup. In this context, offering tea to a guest was a polite way of asking them to leave. Anyone with basic manners would have known that.
Yurong was slightly disappointed, but she stood up with a smile and asked, "San Jie1, may I ask Momo Gui for some guidance?"She deliberately lowered herself and softened her tone.
Yuchen wasn't petty by nature and nodded, saying to Momo Gui, "Yurong wants to consult you—help her as best you can."Despite being in a foul mood, she had already endured half a shichen6 of small talk about household matters. That was her limit.
Yurong followed Momo Gui into a side room and said quietly, "Momo, I did everything you told me to."
Seeing the pleased expression on Yurong's face, Momo Gui knew that Yurong's bold behaviour had gone smoothly. Deliberately adopting the attitude that 'this child is teachable9', she said, "If you keep doing as I tell you, Madam Jiang and Second Master Jiang definitely won't dare to bully you anymore. But you must still observe the proper rules in daily life, and avoid giving people something to gossip about. Otherwise, if you get bullied again, even Wangfei10 won't be able to stand up for you." Seeing Yurong nod, she lowered her voice and added: "The Jiang family has a rule: if the official wife bears a child, she cannot be dismissed unless she commits an unforgivable offence." In other words, she was telling Yurong to get pregnant as soon as possible.
Yurong replied in surprise and delight, "Momo, do you happen to have a secret remedy for conceiving?" She trusted Momo Gui deeply because Momo Gui's mistress was Yuchen. Yurong was confident of one thing: Yuchen didn't like her, but she would never harm her.
Momo Gui replied bluntly, "Nope." Even if she did, she wouldn't tell Yurong. Otherwise, Yurong would come to her for everything in future, and she'd be worked to death.
Yurong returned to the Jiang residence bearing a pile of gifts. After greeting Madam Jiang, she went straight back to her own courtyard.
Although Jiang Shi was furious, she did not dare to make things difficult for Yurong because Yurong held leverage over her.
Yurong was in the middle of organising the gifts when Jiang Hongjin appeared. She initially didn't want to bother with him, but remembering what Momo Gui had said, she stood up with a smile and greeted him. "Husband, you're here. Have you eaten lunch yet?" Just as Momo Gui had advised, she had to treat Jiang Hongjin well on the outside. Any threats or pressure could be dealt with in private.
Luye felt as though the sun had risen in the west11.
Jiang Hongjin replied with a hum and looked at the pile of gifts, wondering if Yuchen had given him any. Even though he knew it was unlikely, part of him still hoped.
Seeing this, Yurong picked out a small black lacquered box carved with subtle patterns from the pile and handed it to him. "This is from San Jiefu12, for you. Keep it well!" Although she said it was from Jing Wang, as he wasn't in the capital, everyone knew it must have been Yuchen who picked it out.
Jiang Hongjin immediately took the box and opened it. As soon as he did so, the scent of fragrant ink wafted out. Taking it out, he saw that it was a round ink stick. This ink stick had raised edges on both sides. One side featured a Gazing at Water scene carving on a patterned rhinoceros horn, painted in gold and enhanced with red and green colours. The other side bore a recessed square frame of vermilion lacquer enclosing four characters in Yangwen regular script: 'Wen Xi Zhao Shui13', flanked by intricately carved decorative patterns.
Jiang Hongjin looked at the ink stick as though he had obtained a priceless treasure. He didn't say a word; he just turned around and left. Luye couldn't help but curse him mentally.
Yurong didn't care and instructed, "Pack everything up. Tell the kitchen I want jingmi congee with scallop and meatballs for dinner. And make the side dishes light." During the twenty-seven months of mourning, no meat dishes should be served in the backyard except for eggs. If Yurong wanted to eat meat, she had to do it secretly. Otherwise, she would be punished if Han Jingyan found out. Yurong was lucky—she had her own private kitchen, so no one knew when she added an extra dish at night. More importantly, she was in charge of the household, so no one dared to snitch on her. But Han Jiancheng wasn't so lucky. He was caught once and was scolded until his dog's head was drenched in blood14. However, after suffering this setback, he learned his lesson: whenever he wanted to eat meat, he would sneak outside, making sure Han Jingyan wouldn't find out about it. As a result, even Yurong developed a taste for meat.
Luye quietly reminded her. "Even if Er Nainai3, what about Guye15's portion?" It was Yu Shi who had ordered Yurong to eat dinner in her own courtyard; otherwise, Yurong wouldn't have ordered food just for herself.
Yurong paused for a moment before answering, "Go ask the attendants around Second Master what he likes, then tell the kitchen to make it." After all, she didn't have to do it herself — it was just a matter of opening her mouth, so why not just go along with it?
Yurong had only meant to put on a show, but unexpectedly, Jiang Hongjin came to have dinner with her. This situation made Yurong look down on him even more.
Footnotes Full List
- 三 sān: Three/third; 姐 jiě: elder sister; sister
- 王 wáng: king; 府 fǔ: residence
- 二 èr: two/second; 奶奶 nǎinai: (dialect) young mistress of the house
- 通房 (tōng fáng): a personal maid who also serves as a concubine
- 庶 shù: born by concubine
- 时辰 shíchen：2 hours
- This phrase, 眼中钉，肉中刺 (yǎnzhōngdīng, ròuzhōngcì), refers to a persistent source of annoyance or hatred, often used for a person or thing that one deeply despises and wants to get rid of.
- 王 wǎng: king
- 孺子可教 (rú zǐ kě jiào): This idiom literally means "a child/youth is teachable." It signifies that someone, despite their youth or inexperience, shows great potential and is receptive to instruction, implying approval and a willingness to guide. It originates from a story about the famous strategist Zhang Liang in Chinese history, where an elder (Huang Shigong) tested him and found him worthy of being taught secret strategies.
- 王 wàng: king, 妃 fēi: consort
- The Chinese idiom 太阳打西边出来了 (tàiyáng dǎ xībiān chūlái le) is used to express extreme surprise or disbelief, because the sun always rises in the east. It's used when something is highly improbable or completely contrary to expectations of what actually happens.
- 三 sān: three/third, 姐夫 jiěfu: elder sister's husband; brother-in-law
- (杨文楷书 are the Chinese characters for 'Gazing at Water' scene on patterned rhinoceros horn
- The phrase "狗头淋血" (gǒu tóu lín xuè) is an idiomatic expression suggesting someone was severely scolded or berated.
- 姑爷 gūye: son-in-law (used by wife's family)
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