Chapter 7: Young Master, the concubine is ill.

Looking at the pale-faced Jiang Yunxi lying on the bed, her principal mother, Madam Liu, said with a pained expression,

“Fifth Girl has truly suffered this time.

“It’s all the fault of that vile pair. If it weren’t for them, Fifth Girl would never have ended up in such a state.”

According to the household physician, Fifth Girl’s condition was extremely critical. She had always been frail, and after nearly drowning, she developed inflammation in her lungs. Her high fever refused to break, and there was a good chance she might not survive.

Though the child had not been born from her womb, Madam Liu had watched her grow up.

It had been Madam Liu who had arranged for Madam Zheng to enter the household back then. Although Madam Zheng was useless and had been brought in to suppress Madam Wei, she had ultimately failed to do so.

Fortunately, Madam Zheng had always treated Madam Liu with respect over the years, and the two children she had borne had likewise been respectful toward her.

Keeping the mother and son in the household helped showcase Madam Liu’s virtue, so naturally, she did not wish for Jiang Yunxi to meet with disaster.

After all, Jiang Yunxi was merely a concubine-born daughter. When the time came, Madam Liu could simply send her out with a dowry, and she would pose no threat to Madam Liu’s own children.

Although the girl was still young, she was already remarkably beautiful. If she could marry into a good family, she might even be able to support her eldest brother in the future.

With that thought in mind, Madam Liu naturally had no objection to currying favor with Madam Zheng.

“Heir, Nanny Kong and Steward Ma plotted against Fifth Girl. We have both witnesses and physical evidence,” Madam Liu said solemnly.

“They dared to commit such filthy acts in the residence and even plotted to harm their young mistress. Even if they were cut to pieces, it would not be excessive.”

“You must not let them off simply because Nanny Kong serves in the Old Madam’s quarters and was one of the Old Madam’s dowry maids.”

Madam Liu knew that, given Madam Zheng’s position, it would be inappropriate for her to say such things.

If word got out, Madam Zheng would inevitably be criticized for disrespecting her mother-in-law and overstepping her authority.

Madam Zheng could not say it, but as the lady in charge of the household, Madam Liu certainly could.

Moreover, Madam Liu was genuinely furious—and frightened.

In broad daylight, those two had dared to commit such an indecent act in the rear garden, engaging in an illicit affair.

If word spread, people would say that the Marquis’s household had terrible morals, and the marriage prospects of the children in the residence would suffer as a result.

This time, Fifth Girl had encountered them. But if it happened again and the victim was Eldest Daughter, then the one they silenced would be her Fei’er.

The moment Madam Liu imagined that the motionless girl on the bed was her Fei’er, a chill ran down her back.

She became even more determined that, even if the Old Madam objected, she would make the Heir and the Marquis report those two to the authorities and have them severely punished.

After hearing the Heir’s Wife, Madam Zheng also looked at the Heir to the Marquis of Pingyang, Jiang Fengtang, with anticipation.

Naturally, she wanted those two dealt with as well.

They had attempted to kill her daughter several times. If they were let off lightly, wouldn’t everyone assume that she and her children were easy targets and continue bullying them in the future?

Looking at his daughter lying unconscious on the bed, Jiang Fengtang was likewise filled with fury.

He had few children—only four sons and three daughters—and treasured every one of them. Naturally, he did not want anything to happen to any of them.

This youngest daughter in particular had been frail since childhood. It had taken great effort to raise her to this age, and she had nearly lost her life at the hands of servants.

The household physician had even said that he could not be certain whether she would wake up, and had urged Jiang Fengtang to find an imperial physician to examine her.

Thinking of the adulterous pair who had caused all this, Jiang Fengtang hated them to the core.

He said coldly, “Let them off? How could that be? I’ll have their lives.”

“In a moment, I’ll have them bound and brought before Father and Mother. I’ll tell them everything and send them to the authorities for punishment.”

“They dared to murder their mistress. Not only will they pay, their families won’t escape punishment either!”

Madam Liu and Madam Zheng were naturally very pleased with the Heir’s answer.

Madam Zheng was just about to thank the Heir and the Heir’s Wife when a commotion arose in the courtyard, drawing everyone’s attention.

Madam Liu frowned. “What are the servants in the courtyard doing? Don’t they know that Fifth Girl needs quiet to recuperate? How can they be making such a racket?”

She turned to Madam Zheng. “Madam Zheng, Fifth Girl is still young, and the servants in her courtyard likely don’t obey her properly.

“When you have time, you should help her discipline those servants. Don’t let them take advantage of their young and inexperienced mistress to bully her.”

“If a maid or senior servant had been accompanying her this time, that vile pair would never have succeeded.”

Madam Zheng did not think the Heir’s Wife was using the opportunity to criticize her before the Heir or imply that she was an uncaring mother who had failed in her duty to guide her daughter. Instead, she fully agreed.

“The Madam is right. I have indeed been neglectful,” she said. “From now on, I will properly discipline the servants in Yunxi’s courtyard and guide Yunxi as well.”

Hearing the commotion outside, Jiang Fengtang’s anger also surged. He said sternly to Madam Zheng, “If anyone refuses to submit to your discipline, go to the Madam—and come to me as well.

“We will stand up for you.”

Madam Zheng hurriedly curtsied. “Then I thank the Madam and the Heir in advance.”

At that moment, someone outside began shouting loudly,

“Heir, the concubine is feeling unwell and wishes you to go see her.”

“Heir, the concubine is ill and wants Physician Wu to examine her.

“But ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‍Fifth Miss’s people have kept the household physician here and refuse to let him go. Fifth Miss and Madam Zheng clearly don’t regard the concubine at all. Please go and uphold justice for her!”

Hearing the somewhat familiar voice, everyone in the room knew who had arrived.

It was Chunlan, the senior maid serving Madam Wei.

The maids serving the Heir’s Wife had always been given names beginning with “Xia,” meaning summer. Madam Wei, wishing to outshine the Heir’s Wife, had given most of the maids around her names beginning with “Chun,” meaning spring.

Madam Liu could not help sneering. “Madam Wei is ill again?

“Of the three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, is there a single one when she isn’t sick?

“Even Fifth Girl, who was born after a difficult delivery and has always been frail, and Younger Sister Zheng, whose health was damaged, have not been ill as often as she has.”

“She merely wants to win favor through illness. After all these years, does she think no one can see through her?”

Jiang Fengtang’s face darkened.

Although that might have been true... his wife did not need to put it so bluntly.

“She simply heard that I sent someone to summon you home early and assumed something important had happened. She was afraid the benefits might fall into someone else’s hands, so she wanted to intercept you, charm you into submission, and keep the advantage for herself.”

Jiang Fengtang’s expression darkened further.

“And now she claims that there’s no household physician available because Madam Zheng and Fifth Girl are withholding him?

“She’s so well-informed—could she really not know that Fifth Girl has been unconscious for two days and still hasn’t woken up?”

“Madam Zheng has been keeping watch over Fifth Girl for two days as well. When would she have had the time to scheme against Madam Wei?”

Madam Zheng was also seething with anger. For once, she disregarded her usual restrained nature and her habit of avoiding competition with Madam Wei. She curtsied and said,

“Heir, I did not stop anyone from taking the household physician.

“I have been here with you and the Madam, questioning those two people just now. I had no idea that Younger Sister Wei had sent someone to ask for a physician.”

“Besides, there is more than one household physician in the residence. The one staying here with Fifth Girl is Physician Chen, who has always been responsible for tending to the health of the young masters and misses and specializes in pediatrics. He is not Physician Wu, whom Madam Wei usually uses.”

Jiang Fengtang suppressed his anger and said, “I know. This is not your fault.”

Even if the residence had only possessed one physician and Madam Zheng had truly withheld him, Jiang Fengtang would still have thought it was justified.

No matter how much he favored Madam Wei ordinarily, when his daughter’s life was at stake, he was not foolish enough to lose his judgment.

Chunlan continued shouting outside, completely ignoring the servants’ reprimands. Looking at his daughter lying quietly on the bed, Jiang Fengtang was overcome by an extraordinary fury.

He strode out of the room and into the courtyard, where he bellowed furiously,

“Have you no sense of propriety at all?

“You’re nothing but an ignorant servant, yet you dare run into the young miss’s courtyard and make such a scene. You’ve shown complete disrespect toward the Secondary Madam and the young miss. Is this how Madam Wei taught you?”

“My lord, the concubine is ill—”

“She’s ill every other day. Do you really think I don’t know that not a single one of those illnesses is genuine?” Jiang Fengtang cut her off.

The servant had clearly been spoiled by Madam Wei. Instead of admitting her wrongdoing when reprimanded, she actually dared to argue back.

Thinking of his own daughter, who had been harmed by two servants who knew nothing of their place, and seeing the resentment on the maid’s face, Jiang Fengtang took his anger out on her.

“Since Madam Wei doesn’t know how to teach her servants, I’ll teach her myself.”

“Someone gag her and bind her outside the courtyard. Give her thirty strokes of the cane.

“When you’re finished, throw her back to Madam Wei and have her teach her properly.

“If there’s a next time, sell her outright.”

“And punish Madam Wei by making her copy the household rules twenty times.”

...

When Madam Wei saw Chunlan being carried back like a torn rag and heard the messenger repeat the Heir’s words, her hand slipped. In a fit of rage, she accidentally knocked over the tea set, vases, and other furnishings in the room.

“Madam Zheng, Jiang Yunxi, just you wait!”