Taking a Concubine

Lin Yunwan drank her tea and said, "Zhu Qing, come with me to pay our respects to Old Madam Lu."

Zhu Qing obediently agreed.

"This servant pays her respects to Old Madam Lu."

When they reached the Hall of Longevity, she knelt before Old Madam Lu, perfectly proper, with none of the arrogance she had shown a few years ago when she had defied the mistress of the house in public.

Old Madam Lu nodded and told her to rise and stand aside, then discussed the household's social obligations with Lin Yunwan.

"Old Madam of Count Anding's household will soon be celebrating her birthday."

"I remember. We should follow the usual practice. What do you think, Grandmother...?"

Zhu Qing listened quietly at the side.

By the time Lin Yunwan took her leave of the Hall of Longevity with her, Zhu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. "Madam, have I passed Old Madam's test?"

"You have."

The corners of Zhu Qing's lips curved upward, and she continued accompanying Lin Yunwan to pay her respects to Old Madam Lu for the next few days.

Before long, she noticed something amiss.

"Madam, please forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I've noticed something unusual about that Cousin Miss."

"What's unusual?"

Lin Yunwan set down the account book and looked at her curiously.

Zhu Qing said, "Every time I come and go with you, she peeks at me through the window of the Side Room, and her maid keeps staring at me too." She bit her lip and said, "Either she cares about you, or she cares especially about the heir."

Lin Yunwan studied Zhu Qing.

She really was perceptive.

Thinking she had said something wrong, Zhu Qing grew a little uneasy. "M-Madam, did I say something wrong?"

"No."

Lin Yunwan smiled and said, "You're very clever."

No wonder Lu Zhengliu had brought Zhu Qing back when he took a concubine in their previous life. She had a way of making a man unable to forget her.

She could also make Ge Bao'er show her true colors.

"Zhu Qing, I have something to tell you. Just listen to it as you will."

"I'm willing to receive your guidance, Madam."

"Don't give your heart away. The heir already has someone he loves. Whatever happens, live your own life well from now on."

Zhu Qing was indeed clever, and she quickly understood. "Madam, during the years I was at the estate, the heir never brought me back. You were the one who kept me in mind. From now on, I'll work like an ox or a horse for you and the Eldest Young Master alone."

Lin Yunwan smiled.

She didn't need Zhu Qing to work like an ox or a horse, but she did need Zhu Qing on her side—or, at the very least, not causing her trouble behind her back at a critical moment.

"All right, hurry back and wash and dress yourself. It'll soon be time for you to see the heir."

"Yes." Zhu Qing left, her face full of delight.

"Madam!"

Ping Ye suddenly hurried in.

Lin Yunwan's expression was calm. "What is it?"

Ping Ye said, "Didn't you tell me to keep an eye on Wu'er—that girl Xiliu? I had someone watch her, and today Xiliu sat alone by the pond in the Garden, secretly crying."

Lin Yunwan said, "Why was she crying?"

Tao Ye said, "Xiliu is a simple girl, and I haven't heard of any trouble in her family. She has no reason to cry, does she? Could it be because of Cousin Miss?"

"You guessed right."

Ping Ye said disdainfully, "It's because that Cousin Miss is so difficult to serve. I don't know exactly how, though. Xiliu wouldn't say, but it was plain to see she'd been wronged by Cousin Miss."

It seemed Ge Bao'er could no longer contain herself and had taken her anger out on Xiliu.

The maid was a pitiful one too.

Lin Yunwan instructed Ping Ye, "Go and comfort her. Give her some food or a little silver."

Ping Ye smiled and said, "I already gave her a plate of Five Beauties Ginger. She was so happy eating it. She's better now."

"Well done."

Lin Yunwan gave the two maids some Silver Peanuts as a reward. Though they lived quite respectably in her service, one could never have too much silver.

The two maids held their Silver Peanuts, smiling from ear to ear.

A few days later, Lin Yunwan ran into Lu Zhengliu at the Hall of Longevity.

In front of Old Madam Lu, she brought up taking a concubine for him.

To her surprise, Lu Zhengliu flew into a great rage. Without even showing Old Madam Lu any regard, he demanded coldly, "Are you that eager to take a concubine for me?"

Lin Yunwan said calmly, "Heir, I've borne no children in the seven years since I married into this family. If you don't take a concubine... there'll be no clearing up the rumors outside."

Old Madam Lu frowned as well. "Zhengliu, Yun Wan has a point."

Lu Zhengliu was in the wrong.

If it hadn't been for bringing Qing into the household, things wouldn't have come to this. People outside would indeed suspect that he had adopted an heir because he couldn't father children.

And the best solution was for him to have another child with a woman in the household.

He looked straight at Lin Yunwan and asked, "Why do you want to take a concubine for me? Could it be..."

Could it be what?

Lin Yunwan didn't understand. She said, "The concubine is none other than Zhu Qing, who used to serve you. If she hadn't made some mistakes before, she should have become your concubine already."

But Lu Zhengliu didn't care a whit about Zhu Qing and stormed off.

How utterly baffling.

In their previous life, he himself had been willing to take Zhu Qing as a concubine.

Lin Yunwan looked at Old Madam Lu.

Old Madam Lu, however, smiled and said, "Let him take her anyway."

Lin Yunwan nodded.

After she left, Nanny Yan stepped forward and said with a smile, "Madam still hasn't realized that the heir actually wants to have a legitimate son with her first."

"Yun Wan is an unmarried maiden, after all, and doesn't understand matters between men and women. It's only natural she didn't see it."

Nanny Yan was a little worried. "Then should this old servant...?"

"No, absolutely not! You know Zhengliu's temperament. I forced him to marry Yun Wan, and this is how things turned out. We'd better keep our hands out of everything and let them sort it out themselves. I don't believe that with such a great beauty right in front of his eyes, he can still be thinking about that little hussy over there."

Nanny Yan still shuddered at the thought as well. Old Madam Lu had suffered enough this time.

"Old Madam, what about Zhu Qing? Wouldn't it be unwise to let her come between Madam and the heir now?"

Old Madam Lu said cheerfully, "Why would it be? I'd thank heaven and earth for anyone who could draw Zhengliu's attention away from that little hussy!"

"Besides, Yun Wan was the one who pushed Zhengliu to take Zhu Qing. He's angry right now, and even if he takes Zhu Qing out of regard for their old ties, it won't be just yet."

"There's nothing to worry about."

"Keep an eye on Ge Bao'er, and don't let her stir up trouble."

Nanny Yan said, "This old servant understands."

Drooping Silk Hall.

"Zhu Qing, you'll stay in Rain Apricot Pavilion for now. I'll have your status entered in the register today, and your monthly allowance will begin at the start of next month."

"Thank you, Madam!"

"Ping Ye, help her up." Once Zhu Qing was seated on an Embroidery Stool, Lin Yunwan said pessimistically, "I mentioned you to the heir, but he wasn't very willing."

Zhu Qing felt neither embarrassed nor disappointed. Instead, she said, "I know. You said the heir already has someone he loves, Madam. He must be thinking of that woman."

Lin Yunwan nodded and asked Zhu Qing, "What kind of man do you think the heir is?"

Zhu Qing had served Lu Zhengliu since childhood, and they had grown up together. When it came to knowing him, she really did know him somewhat.

"With the heir, you have to go along with him, but you can't go along with him too much."

"I remember when the heir was little, he badly wanted a horse. The Old Master thought he was too young and would ruin it. The heir tried every way he could to get one, and that year he worked desperately to learn a very difficult set of fist techniques, which moved the Old Master. But once he got it, he lost interest."

Lin Yunwan fell into thought.

Wasn't that exactly how he treated Ge Bao'er?

When he couldn't have her, he pursued her for seven years. Once he had her, he simply left her in the rear courtyard and took concubines all the same.

She wondered, if she, his principal wife, hadn't stood in their way,

Would the two of them still have loved each other so deeply?

"Madam?"

Lin Yunwan came back to herself and asked Zhu Qing, "Do you know what to do?"

Zhu Qing was taken aback and shook her head.

She didn't know yet.