Xiao Xiang was beaten and confined to the ancestral hall. The third concubine sent for the mansion doctor, but he refused to come, clearly indicating he was deliberately neglecting the second young lady, who had made a mistake and was out of favor.
The third concubine then pleaded with the Madam. Madam Yan, already resentful of the second young lady's uselessness and the damage to her own daughter's reputation, wished Xiao Xiang dead and was unwilling to let a doctor see her.
The Old Madam was even less inclined to intervene. Not having beaten her to death on the spot was already considered extraordinary leniency.
The third concubine watched helplessly as the second young lady's wound became inflamed and suppurated, and she developed a high fever. No one was willing to help her. After much hesitation, she finally implored Xiao Man, and only then was a doctor summoned to the ancestral hall to treat the second young lady.
Looking at the delirious Xiao Xiang, Xiao Man sighed inwardly. She could have lived a comfortable life as the second young lady, not glorious, but at least with no worries about food and clothing, and safe and sound. Instead, she was too proud and eager to excel in everything, was exploited, and now, having lost her usefulness, had become someone anyone could trample upon. Did Xiao Xiang regret it?
Xiao Man suddenly thought of herself.
She had once been the Prime Minister's only daughter, and the legitimate one. Her parents doted on her, her brothers were kind and respectful. After entering the palace, she became Empress, raised the Crown Prince, and when the Emperor passed away and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, she ruled from behind the curtain. The Du Gu family flourished for a time, with carriages constantly arriving and departing from their mansion.
Yet, in a single fall from grace, not a single person inside or outside the court spoke a word of protest for the Du Gu family!
She had poured her heart and soul into raising a child who became her nemesis, stripping her of her cultivation, destroying her family, imprisoning her in the deep palace, and finally allowing her to be humiliated.
When she was useful, she was "Mother Empress"; when she was no longer useful, she was merely a stumbling block!
By the time Xiao Man came back to her senses, the mansion doctor had already treated Xiao Xiang's wound and prescribed medicine. The third concubine, with profuse thanks, went to prepare the medicine. The doctor, casting a timid glance at Xiao Man, then took his leave.
Xiao Man sat by the makeshift bed, her expression calm and composed, though a profound sorrow seemed to cloud her eyes. Her gaze fell on Xiao Xiang, and then she returned to her peaceful demeanor.
The Old Madam knew about the incident in the ancestral hall. Xiao Man's concern for her sisterly bond was a good thing, but Xiao Xiang was a stain on the Protector General's mansion. Allowing her to live was already mercy; more than that could not be done.
"Has the eldest young lady gone to see that person again?" The Old Madam now detested the second young lady, Xiao Xiang, so much that she refused to even call her by name, referring to her simply as "that person."
"Indeed, and she even had the mansion doctor flogged ten times, saying that if such怠慢 (dàimàn - negligence/discourtesy) occurred again, the doctor would be expelled from the mansion."
"Such a temper, as always."
"Old Madam, the eldest young lady cherishes her sibling bond; this is a good thing," Xu Mama said, massaging the Old Madam's shoulders. "Zen Master Wuyou prophesied for the eldest young lady that she is a woman of destiny and will heavily favor the General's mansion when she attains a high position in the future."
Yan Shi came to pay her respects to the Old Madam. As soon as she reached the door, she overheard this conversation, and her expression instantly changed.
No wonder the Old Madam had altered her previous dislike for Xiao Man; it turned out she had hired Zen Master Wuyou to cast Xiao Man's destiny. A woman of destiny, hmph! If she was qualified to be a woman of destiny, then her own daughter would naturally not be inferior!
Luo Mama pinched Yan Shi's arm, signaling her that this was the upper court and their every move was being observed. Yan Shi then composed herself.
"Is Mother here? Your daughter-in-law has come to pay her respects."
The Old Madam heard Yan Shi's voice outside the door and immediately stopped speaking, ordering Yan Shi to be let in.
"Greetings to Mother."
"You may dispense with the formality," the Old Madam waved her hand. "When will Third Sister return?"
"She will be back in a few days. My mother couldn't bear to part with her and kept her at their residence for a few extra days. If Mother misses Ling'er, your daughter-in-law will fetch her back immediately."
"Never mind, never mind. If your maternal family is unwilling to part with her, then let Third Sister stay at the Minister's residence for a while longer," the Old Madam continued. "Third Sister will be reaching her capping ceremony soon, won't she?"
"Soon, in May," Yan Shi said with a beaming smile. "Coincidentally, the General will have leave in May, so he can return to attend Ling'er's capping ceremony. Mother, your daughter-in-law thinks that Ling'er's capping ceremony doesn't need to be a grand affair, just a gathering of friends and family."
"How can that be? The eldest young lady's capping ceremony was held in a certain way, so Third Sister's should be handled similarly. They are both my granddaughters, and I will not show favoritism," the Old Madam said, twirling her prayer beads. "All the proper etiquette must be observed."
"Yes, Mother." Yan Shi's eyes flashed with mockery as she heard the Old Madam speak. If she hadn't known that the Old Madam had secretly consulted Zen Master Wuyou to cast Xiao Man's destiny, she might have been happier. But knowing that Xiao Man was a woman of destiny!
What kind of woman of destiny was she? She could deceive outsiders, but how could she deceive her!
These years, let alone the Four Books and Five Classics, Xiao Man hadn't even finished the Thousand Character Classic. How could she be worthy of Madam Sheng's praise of her talent being like that of an immortal? She didn't know what benefits she had given Madam Sheng to help her deceive the world!
"Mother, yesterday the eldest young lady beat the mansion doctor, which caused quite an unpleasant scene. Today, the doctor came to me and said he wanted to leave. What do you think..."
"If he wishes to leave, then let him leave. We can find another mansion doctor," the Old Madam said, picking up her teacup and taking a sip. "The young ladies of this mansion, whether favored or not, whether they have made mistakes or not, are all mistresses of this mansion. How can they be subjected to the disrespect of a servant?"
Yan Shi was inwardly annoyed; the Old Madam was warning her.
Even though the second young lady was out of favor and had made a mistake, she was still a young lady of this mansion, and not someone an outsider could bully. Within this mansion, the Old Madam could beat and scold her, but outsiders could not.
"Your daughter-in-law understands," Yan Shi replied obsequiously.
The power in this mansion, though seemingly in her hands, could be stripped away by a single word from the Old Madam.
"Zhen'er will be back soon. I don't wish for any more messy affairs to happen in the mansion. Regarding Third Sister's capping ceremony, you can also wait for Zhen'er to return and ask for his opinion."
"Yes, Mother."
"You may go. You don't need to come to my upper court every day to pay respects. Just manage the affairs of the mansion well."
As Yan Shi emerged from the upper court, she happened to meet Xiao Man on her way to pay respects to the Old Madam. Qiu Tong, behind her, carried a food box. Upon seeing Yan Shi, they both bowed.
"Mother."
"The eldest young lady has arrived." Yan Shi wore a fitting smile. "My eldest young lady is truly kind-hearted. However, sometimes, kindness should be directed to the right people. A wolf will not be grateful to Mr. Dongguo; it will only resent him for not letting it eat him."
"I will remember Mother's teachings," Xiao Man said calmly, her every movement, every smile and frown, exuding elegance, truly worthy of the description: "her temperament is as beautiful as an orchid."
Yan Shi smiled, but inwardly seethed. Besides her outstanding looks, Xiao Man was utterly useless. The General doted on her only because of that.
Just wait. One day, when she loses the General's favor, let's see how arrogant she can be.