Lady Wei

Biodata

Background and History

Marriage into the Zhao Family

Lady Wei was born to her father’s principal wife, but her family was initially poor. When Zhao Yuanliang proposed, her father was a minor fifth-rank official supporting more than a dozen relatives, and she could bring little of value as a dowry. The Wei family readily accepted the marriage into what was then a duke’s household 16.

Zhao Yuanliang chose her partly for her looks and partly because he expected her father’s talent for cultivating connections to advance his career. That expectation proved correct: as the Wei family prospered, the Zhao household lost its ducal rank and gradually depleted its assets. Lady Wei became increasingly assertive toward her husband, who indulged her while hoping her father would secure him an official post 16.

The old marchioness also remembered Lady Wei as having helped spread accusations throughout the capital that she mistreated Zhao Yuanliang because he was a concubine-born son. This history contributed to her distrust of Lady Wei’s later claims 25.

Birth of the Twins and the Infant Exchange

Lady Wei gave birth to Zhao Jing’an and Xu Xi as boy-and-girl twins. Both were small and weak, especially Xu Xi, whose survival was uncertain. Lady Wei took her daughter to burn incense at a temple in hopes of preserving her life; the infant exchange occurred during that journey 42.

She subsequently raised Zhao Ruyu as her daughter without discovering the substitution for more than ten years. Although she outwardly treated her son and daughter equally, her private favoritism toward Zhao Jing’an drew criticism within the household. She never became pregnant again, possibly because the twins’ birth had damaged her health 24 42.

Attempt to Retrieve Xu Xi

After Xu Xi’s identity came to light, the old marchioness ordered Lady Wei and Zhao Yuanliang to fetch her personally, taking Zhao Ruyu along. Lady Wei agreed, but the old marchioness doubted whether she would treat the recovered child properly 8 9.

At Little Banyan Village, Lady Wei complained about the filth and ordered the guards to drive away spectators. She then insulted Madam Xie’s upbringing and demanded that Xu Xi return immediately or abandon any hope of entering the marquis’s household. Her hostility shocked both Madam Xie and Zhao Yuanliang 16 18.

When Xu Xi and Xu Xue appeared together, Lady Wei claimed Xu Xue as her daughter instead. She seized Xu Xue’s arm, rejected Xu Xi because they did not resemble one another, and accused Xu Yongyi of attempting another substitution. Her threat to involve the authorities was intended to frighten him rather than initiate an actual complaint 21 22.

Lady Wei offered Xu Xue jewelry, fine clothing, and a prosperous marriage, but Xu Xue refused to leave her family. Zhao Yuanliang ultimately took Lady Wei home without either girl. During the return journey, she defended her certainty by claiming an instinctive maternal bond with Xu Xue 23 24.

Investigation and Failed Covert Persuasion

The old marchioness remained suspicious and demanded evidence. Lady Wei then secretly gave Matron Li a hundred-tael banknote to enlist clan leader Xu Chengguan’s help in obtaining Xu Xue, promising another hundred taels once the girl reached the residence 25 27.

The effort was undermined when Matron Li saw Xu Xue beside Madam Xie and recognized their unmistakable resemblance. Separately, investigators learned that the exchanged Zhao infant had a tiny red mole behind her ear. Matron Ruan found that mark on Xu Xi and confirmed her identity 28 32.

The wet nurse also accused a former matron attached to Lady Wei of arranging the exchange through payment and threats. That matron had later been rendered mute and sold for allegedly stealing Lady Wei’s jewelry, then reportedly died before resale. The account raised further questions, but did not establish that Lady Wei herself ordered the exchange 28.

Conflict After Xu Xi’s Return

Lady Zhu, rather than Lady Wei, ultimately brought Xu Xi back to the residence. At the formal reception, Lady Wei gave her an elaborate gold-mounted jade collar ornament, matching the generosity expected after the old madam and Lady Zhu’s valuable gifts 38 45.

The old madam required Lady Wei to escort her daughter to the second branch. Lady Wei complained about waiting, hurried ahead of the girls, and later accused Xu Xi of improper manners for failing to keep pace. She assigned Matron Li to supervise Xu Xi’s conduct and warned the newly appointed servants not to interfere with maternal discipline 47 48 49.

Xu Xi deliberately challenged her to test whether those servants would protect her. Lady Wei ordered Matron Li to slap Xu Xi and threatened to beat anyone who intervened. When Xu Xi’s five attendants resisted her three servants, Lady Wei called for reinforcements; the confrontation remained unresolved at the end of the supplied account 50.

Appearance

Lady Wei is petite and youthful-looking despite being in her thirties. Her sweet-looking beauty contrasts with her imposing manner and with Xu Xi’s taller, more striking appearance 18 21.

• Face: Round, with round almond eyes and a small mouth 21.
• Nose: Relatively low-bridged 21.
• Clothing: Wears a purple silk gown when she confronts the girls in Little Banyan Village 21.
• Resemblance: Xu Xue’s round face and large eyes initially suggest a likeness to her, although Xu Xue much more closely resembles Madam Xie 21 28.

Personality

Lady Wei is sharp-tongued, domineering, and quick to treat disagreement as an affront to her authority. Zhao Ruyu describes her private behavior as consistently ill-tempered and tactless. Her contempt for the villagers and her harsh treatment of Madam Xie show how readily she uses social rank to belittle others 16 18.

Her affection is strongly selective. She deeply loves Zhao Jing’an, but treats Zhao Ruyu differently in public and private and openly resents Xu Xi. She is also illiterate and dislikes educated girls, believing that learning makes them arrogant; Zhao Ruyu’s growing independence under the old madam and Lady Zhu’s patronage intensified that dislike 18 42 50.

Lady Wei privately welcomes the marquis’s household’s decline because her natal family’s rising fortunes give her greater freedom and status within it. Even so, she remains concerned with securing her son’s future 24.

Influence and Limitations

• Second-branch authority: Her word ordinarily governs her own courtyard, and Zhao Yuanliang generally avoids opposing her 26 49.
• Natal-family backing: Her father’s advancing career encourages the old madam and Lady Zhu to tolerate her behavior unless she goes too far 49.
• Marriage decisions: Zhao Ruyu believes Lady Wei could obstruct her proposed marriage even if both young people wanted it, making open defiance dangerous 50.
• Limits within the residence: The old madam and Lady Zhu outrank her. Xu Xi’s attendants recognize their authority as superior and refuse Lady Wei’s orders to permit a beating 50.
• Limited formal education: Lady Wei is illiterate and required instruction in aristocratic etiquette after marrying into the household 49 50.

Relationships

• Zhao Yuanliang — Husband. Their relationship deteriorates as her natal family grows stronger; his taking concubines also contributes to her abandonment of her earlier gentleness toward him 16 23.
• Xu Xi / Zhao Ruxi — Biological daughter. Lady Wei rejects her appearance, attempts to claim Xu Xue instead, and later tries to impose control through etiquette instruction and physical punishment 21 45 49 50.
• Zhao Jing’an — Biological son and Xu Xi’s twin. Lady Wei’s favored child, whose future remains a priority for her 18 24 42.
• Zhao Ruyu — Daughter raised in Xu Xi’s place. Their outward mother-daughter relationship conceals mutual resentment; Zhao Ruyu nevertheless cooperates with her to protect her position and marriage prospects 18 50.
• Xu Xue — Girl Lady Wei insists is her biological daughter. Xu Xue repeatedly rejects her claims and refuses to leave the Xu family 21 23.
• Matron Li — Former wet nurse, closest confidante, and loyal attendant. Lady Wei trusts her more than anyone else in either household and uses her for the covert approach to the Xu clan leader 27.
• Old Marchioness Lady Tang — Mother-in-law through Zhao Yuanliang’s legal mother. She criticizes Lady Wei’s handling of the lost child and investigates her suspicious insistence on claiming Xu Xue 6 25 26.
• Lady Zhu — Eldest sister-in-law and reigning marchioness. Her authority checks Lady Wei’s behavior, and she takes over the successful retrieval of Xu Xi 16 28 38.
• Wei Qiu — Father. His political rise strengthens Lady Wei’s position within her marital household 16 25.

Original Story and Previous Life

• In the original novel’s storyline, Lady Wei dislikes the daughter reclaimed from the countryside and repeatedly sets traps for her 1 23.
• Zhao Ruyu remembers that Lady Wei also treated Xu Xi badly in their previous life, but did not deny that Xu Xi was her daughter or attempt to claim Xu Xue instead 18 26.
• Xu Xi suspects that Lady Wei may have schemed against Zhao Yuanliang’s concubines and their children. This remains Xu Xi’s inference, not a confirmed account of Lady Wei’s actions 42.