Awakening

Zhu Qing had served the Heir Apparent before, and the Old Madam had personally chosen her for the position. Nanny Yan knew her well, too.

Nanny Yan smiled and asked Zhu Qing, "Have you come to pay your respects to the Old Madam again, Concubine?"

Zhu Qing stood talking to Nanny Yan with her maid beside her. "I was ill and couldn't come for a few days. Now that I'm better, of course I had to come."

Nanny Yan promptly asked with concern whether she had fully recovered.

Zhu Qing said, "It was just a slight chill. A few doses of medicine cleared it right up. I even have some medicine left over."

Nanny Yan immediately said, "Could you give me the medicine you have left, Concubine?"

"What do you need it for?" Zhu Qing studied her face. "You don't look ill."

Nanny Yan hesitated before saying, "Cousin Miss is ill, and she happens to have caught a chill too."

Zhu Qing understood at once. "It's only a few doses of medicine. I'll have my maid take it to the kitchen to be brewed and send it over in a little while."

Nanny Yan thought it over. Nothing would go wrong, and it would save her a task.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you for making the trip, Concubine."

Zhu Qing smiled. "We're all among our own. There's no need to thank me."

After paying her respects to the Old Madam, Zhu Qing had the kitchen brew the medicine, then personally took it to Ge Bao'er, accompanied by her maid.

The older servants let her in. As soon as Zhu Qing entered the room, she saw Ge Bao'er lying sickly and listless in bed.

She walked over and called gently, "Cousin Miss, wake up. Wake up."

Ge Bao'er opened her eyes and was startled to see Zhu Qing.

Wu'er woke from her doze and called out, "Concubine Zhu Qing? What brings you here?"

Zhu Qing said, "I've brought medicine."

She had Wu'er help Ge Bao'er drink it.

She said, "We need to take the bowl back, so give it to me once you've finished attending to your mistress."

Wu'er agreed.

Zhu Qing went outside to wait with her maid, chatting with her by the window.

"This physician really is good at helping women conceive. After taking two doses of his medicine, my lower belly feels warmer. I wonder if that means it'll be easier to get pregnant."

The maid said, "Concubine, I've heard that all the ladies who take his medicine get pregnant, and they all give birth to boys. It would be wonderful if you had a son on your first try too!"

Ge Bao'er felt her scalp tighten as she listened.

What was going on? How could Lu Zhengliu have stopped giving Zhu Qing the Contraceptive Decoction?

Zhu Qing sighed. "Madam truly is worthy of her position. She's so broad-minded. She promised to plead on my behalf, and she really did speak to the Heir Apparent for me. Otherwise, who knows what year of the monkey or month of the horse I'd have had to wait for before I could have a child of my own?"

The maid asked curiously, "But why would the Heir Apparent listen to Madam? Doesn't everyone say... that the Heir Apparent... doesn't care for Madam?"

Zhu Qing smiled. "You're still young, girl. What do you know?"

She asked the maid, "What do you think of Madam's looks? And her temperament?"

The maid said, "Madam's looks... there's no one in the entire Marquis's Residence who can compare to her. And her temperament couldn't be better. Who in our residence doesn't praise Madam? Even a troublesome, unruly servant like Qiao Da respects her!"

"Exactly. Madam is so wonderful. Do you think the Heir Apparent can't see it? He neglected her before only because there was a little misunderstanding between husband and wife. As time went on, how could he not come to like her?"

The maid grinned. "That's true. Even I like Madam."

Zhu Qing smiled. "There you have it. Since the Heir Apparent likes Madam, why wouldn't he listen to her? From now on, he'll listen to whatever she says."

She added wistfully, "If I really do bear the Heir Apparent a son one day, I'll give him to Madam to raise and have him registered under her name."

"Someone like Madam would surely raise my child to be just like Young Master Chang Gong."

The maid thought it over and was delighted. "Then your son would be the Heir Apparent's first biological legitimate son!"

Zhu Qing smiled. "Yes. If I really do conceive a son, my child will be blessed."

Ge Bao'er could no longer bring herself to drink her medicine.

Wu'er urged her, "Miss, hurry and drink your medicine. Don't let it get cold."

Ge Bao'er looked utterly distraught.

Holding the bowl, Wu'er frowned. "Miss, what... what's wrong?"

Zhu Qing came in to hurry them along. "Miss Wu'er, are you not finished with the bowl yet?"

Wu'er said, "Just a moment, just a moment." She urged Ge Bao'er to drink the medicine again.

Ge Bao'er came to her senses, and suddenly there was a very different look in her eyes.

She snatched the bowl and drained the medicine in one gulp.

Wu'er took the bowl out and said to Zhu Qing, "Thank you, Concubine."

Zhu Qing smiled and told Wu'er to take good care of Cousin Miss.

When Wu'er came back in, she saw that Ge Bao'er had fallen asleep.

The next day, Ge Bao'er had rested and regained her energy. She said to Wu'er, "Go tell Nanny Yan I want to see her. Tell her she'd better come over."

Normally, Wu'er would not have gone to deliver such a message.

But Ge Bao'er's expression was so strange today, as though she meant to drag someone down to death with her.

It was even more frightening than the other day!

Wu'er was timid, so she had no choice but to go.

"Cousin Miss seems to have gone mad. The look in her eyes was so strange I hardly recognized her."

Nanny Yan said impatiently, "Ignore her. Don't come calling me over such trifles again."

Wu'er humbly answered, "Yes."

When she returned, she had barely pushed the door open when Ge Bao'er asked, "When is Nanny Yan coming?"

Wu'er said, "...She... Nanny Yan is busy."

Ge Bao'er bit her lip. "She refused to come, didn't she?"

Wu'er sat down and said, "Miss, what is it you want to tell Nanny Yan? Tell me, and I'll go speak to her for you."

Ge Bao'er felt terribly aggrieved, but she still refused to tell Wu'er.

Because she wanted to become a concubine.

No wonder Lu Zhengliu had neglected her lately. Not only did he have a concubine now, but he had also given some of his affection to Lin Yunwan.

And all she could do was wait in this secluded courtyard.

How long would she have to wait for Lin Yunwan to die?

"Thirty years? Fifty years?"

Ge Bao'er said, "I can't wait that long..."

If she kept waiting without any name or standing, she might die here first!

And there was her Qing. In name, he was only a child the Marquis's Residence had adopted. Would Lu Zhengliu still dote on their son in the future?

Did Lu Zhengliu... did he... still have her in his heart?

She did not dare think any further.

Wu'er asked in a panic, "Cousin Miss, who... who are you talking to? What are you saying?"

Ge Bao'er suddenly returned to normal. Taking Wu'er's hand, she said, "Good Wu'er, help me with something."

Wu'er pressed her lips together. "Wh-what do you need...?"

Ge Bao'er whispered a few words in her ear, and Wu'er's eyes widened.

Drooping Silk Hall.

Zhu Qing went to confess to Lin Yunwan. "Madam, I went to see Cousin Miss and said a few things for her to hear."

"What did you say?"

Zhu Qing told her everything in detail.

Lin Yunwan was alarmed by what she heard.

This time, Zhu Qing had really stepped on Ge Bao'er's sore spot.

Zhu Qing asked, "Madam, did I say something wrong?" She said confidently, "If Cousin Miss has nothing to hide, what I said won't have any effect on her. If she does, and my words scared her, then it serves her right."

Lin Yunwan gave no indication of agreement or disagreement and warned Zhu Qing, "Don't provoke her again."

Ge Bao'er was about to stir up trouble, and anyone caught up in it would suffer.

"Madam, the Heir Apparent has returned with Eldest Young Madam and her husband's family."

Beneath the surging undercurrents, the Xia family had arrived.

Ping Ye's face was full of joy. "The Old Madam asks you to come and greet the guests, Madam."

Lin Yunwan changed her clothes and went to see the people she knew of old.