Splitting Up
"Go to the accounts office and draw a hundred taels of silver, then make another trip to Little Banyan Village. Visit the village head and the clan leader, and make sure they keep today's events quiet. Don't let word spread everywhere," she instructed.
As she spoke, she turned to her senior maid. "Go and tell Matron Jin there's no need to send anyone else to Little Banyan Village, but she must hurry with the matter at the prefectural office."
"Yes."
After Matron Ruan and the senior maid withdrew, the old marchioness rubbed the space between her brows. "A Ruan went to fetch Miss Xi yesterday, but she refused to come back with her. After what happened today, I'm afraid she'll be even less willing to return."
She sighed. "That child probably isn't very obedient by nature. Even if we bring her back, she'll give everyone plenty to worry about."
Lady Zhu said, "Most people would climb into the carriage without another word as soon as they heard they were children of the marquis's household. Yet she wasn't moved at all, and even asked us for proof. In my view, she's a child who doesn't covet glory and riches, and she has a mind of her own. Clearly, she's a good child. A child like that should be easy to teach. As long as we treat her well, she won't fail to recognize our kindness."
"You have a point." The old marchioness nodded.
What pleased her most about her eldest daughter-in-law was her magnanimity: she acted openly and honorably, had a mind of her own, and understood reason. It was a pity the men of the family had failed to live up to expectations. They had accomplished nothing in either civil or military pursuits and could not restore the marquis's household to its former glory. No matter how capable the women of the inner household were, it was of little use.
"If Miss Xi refuses to come back, I'll go and see her myself," Lady Zhu added.
"Very well." The old marchioness nodded.
Meanwhile, Lady Wei was also giving Matron Li instructions. "Here's a banknote for a hundred taels. Change into a coarse-cloth dress and quietly go find the Xu clan leader. Have him persuade Xu Yongyi to agree to send Xu Xue to the marquis's household. When Xu Xue is sent here, we'll give him another hundred taels."
Although Matron Li did not know why Lady Wei was using such means to acknowledge her daughter, she agreed nonetheless. She went back for a change of clothes, put them on after leaving the residence, hired a mule cart on the street, and set off for Little Banyan Village again.
Matron Li had set out a little earlier than Matron Ruan, but changing clothes and hiring a mule cart had delayed her. When she reached Little Banyan Village, she did not dare go straight in. Instead, she got off at the village entrance and asked her way to Xu Chengguan's house.
Matron Ruan traveled quickly in the marquis's carriage. Although she had set out later, she and Steward Liu arrived in Little Banyan Village only moments apart from Matron Li. As soon as they found Xu Chengguan's house and entered, they ran into Matron Li. The three stared at one another, wide-eyed.
"M-Matron Ruan, S-S-Steward Liu," Matron Li stammered, too frightened to speak properly.
Although Matron Li did not think bribing Xu Chengguan to persuade Xu Xue to return to the marquis's household was a bad thing, Lady Wei's furtive manner when giving the order, as though she did not want anyone to know, had left her feeling inexplicably guilty. Now that Matron Ruan and Steward Liu had caught her here, she was thoroughly frightened.
Matron Ruan frowned. "What are you doing here?"
Without waiting for Matron Li to answer, she asked Xu Chengguan, "Clan Leader Xu, why has Matron Li come?"
Matron Ruan had been to Little Banyan Village twice before, and Xu Chengguan knew she was the old marchioness's trusted confidante. Even Lady Wei and Zhao Yuanliang did not dare put on airs as her masters in front of her. And one look at how frightened Matron Li was told him she was afraid of Matron Ruan and Steward Liu.
He immediately took out the hundred-tael banknote Matron Li had given him. "This matron came to ask me to persuade Xu Yongyi to agree to send Xu Xue to the marquis's household."
Matron Li was, after all, an experienced woman. For Lady Wei to have chosen her and sent her out on this errand, she was naturally shrewd and capable.
By now, her mind had caught up. She steadied herself, stood, and bowed slightly as she explained to the two of them, "The second madam said she could not possibly mistake her own daughter. But the Xu Family insists that Xu Xi is the child who was switched, so there is bound to be a dispute. If word reaches the capital, the marquis's household will lose face again. That is why the second madam sent this old servant to ask Clan Leader Xu to reason with Xu Yongyi and tell him not to dream of passing off fish eyes as pearls, sending his own flesh-and-blood daughter to the marquis's household to enjoy glory and riches. As long as Xu Yongyi and his wife don't play tricks, a little girl like Miss Xi surely won't be unwilling to return to the marquis's household. If this matter is settled as soon as possible, others won't have a chance to laugh at our household."
The explanation was perfectly reasonable, and neither Xu Chengguan nor Steward Liu gave it much thought. They simply assumed that was how things stood.
Matron Ruan, on the other hand, was highly experienced in the struggles of the inner household and thought further than the men did. Moreover, knowing Lady Wei as she did, she could not help feeling that the matter was not so simple.
For the moment, however, she could not put her finger on what was wrong.
She nodded. "So that's how it is."
She walked inside and sat down in the seat Matron Li had vacated. "You returned to the residence with the second madam at noon and didn't see Madam Xie, so you didn't know the situation. It's understandable that you came. What you don't know is that Miss Xue looks eighty or ninety percent like Madam Xie. I also asked the villagers about her, and there is no doubt she is Madam Xie's birth daughter. That means Miss Xi is the child of our marquis's household who was switched."
"Ah? Really?" Matron Li asked in surprise.
"Her family should all be home at this hour. Why don't you come with me and have a look?" Matron Ruan said. "Otherwise, it will be hard for you to report back to the second madam."
Although the old marchioness had not instructed her to make another trip to the Xu Family before she left, Matron Ruan knew Lady Wei's character well. If Lady Wei was not made to give up, there was no telling what other mischief she might stir up. Now that Matron Li could see Madam Xie in her place, Lady Wei might settle down a little.
Matron Li was Lady Wei's wet nurse. After her son died, she had never had another child, and she regarded Lady Wei as her own daughter and was utterly loyal to her. Lady Wei was scheming and suspicious; in the entire marquis's household, and even in the Wei Residence, Matron Li was the only person she trusted most.
"All... all right," Matron Li agreed hesitantly.
Before leaving, Matron Ruan gave Steward Liu a look, signaling him to stay and handle the matter the old marchioness had entrusted to him. She went out with Matron Li, and they boarded the marquis's carriage and headed for the Xu Family's home.
Xu Chengguan's house was in the east of the village, while Xu Yongyi's was in the south, half a village apart.
Once in the carriage, Matron Li looked at the coarse-cloth dress she had put on specially and tugged at it, feeling deeply uncomfortable. Matron Ruan pretended not to notice.
The Xu Family had spent most of the day rushing about and were all tired. After eating some pastries Xu Yongyi had bought in the county town, they returned to their rooms to rest. Though they called it resting, people in ancient times were industrious, and none of them had the habit of taking an afternoon nap. Each went about their own business in their room.
Xu Xi was practicing her writing when she heard someone pounding on the courtyard gate. She put down her brush and saw Xu Yongyi come out of the main room and go to open the gate.
"You... why have you come again?"
Hearing the confusion and trace of shock and anger in Xu Yongyi's voice, Xu Xi hurried out of her room and looked over from beneath the corridor.
Madam Xie and Xu Xue also came out of their room.
"Our second madam does not believe Miss Xue was born to your wife, so she has sent Matron Li to take another look," Matron Ruan called from the gate.
Madam Xie hurriedly said, "Husband, let them in." She was entirely confident in how much she and Xu Xue resembled each other and was not at all afraid of letting these people look.