In the northern residence of the Shang family, known as Beiyuan, the household was already awake at the crack of dawn. The elderly rarely slept long, and so, as usual, the day began early.
Within Yingjuan Courtyard, the atmosphere was tense. Presiding at the head of the room was the Fifth Old Madam, her temper flaring like a storm. Seated below her were her two sons—each different as night and day.
The elder son, Shang Yuding, had inherited his father’s heavy build and now sat puffed up like a roasted pig’s head. The younger, Shang Yuan, took after his mother—expressionless and cold, with a gaze that made people uncomfortable.
Back in their farming days, the two brothers were known by simple childhood nicknames. But after their parents moved into the estate of their elder brother—the previous Duke of the Shang family—their names were formally changed. As cousins of the current Duke, and of the same generation as the family heir “Yu,” they were renamed “Ding” and “An,” in the hope that their lives would be stable and peaceful.
It was a bitter kind of irony. For in truth, peacefulness and honesty were strangers in their hearts.
These two brothers, Shang Yuding and Shang Yuan, were typically found carousing in Qinlou and Chuguan, or squandering their hours in gambling dens and taverns. They exploited the Duke’s name, their exploits often skirting the edge of legal trouble, though rarely escalating to life-threatening lawsuits. The Fifth Old Madam’s summons that morning had been an unwelcome interruption to their slumbers, especially for Shang Yuding, who had only just returned from his nightly escapades at dawn and hadn’t even touched his bed. His yawns came in rapid succession, further fueling the Fifth Old Madam’s rage.
With a resounding snap, a teacup shattered on the table. “Useless things!” she snarled, her voice dripping with venom. “Look at your cousin now. He’s of the same blood, yet he sits firmly as the Duke of the country. Which of his sons and daughters is not up to expectations? Look at you! Your own son can’t even get ahead, and you’re still loitering outside all day long. Who is this dead look for?”
The Fifth Old Madam’s fury stemmed from a dual source: her exasperation with her sons, who seemed incapable of amounting to anything, and her simmering resentment towards Shang Ji, who had inexplicably sent the Fifth Old Man to guard the mausoleum, leaving her with no outlet for her anger. This present opportunity was a welcome release. Shang Yuding, burdened by guilt, dared not defy his mother, enduring her tirade in silence. He surreptitiously pinched himself, desperately trying to shake off his drowsiness. Seeing his languid state, the Fifth Old Madam’s anger and dissatisfaction only intensified.
Steward Qi, who had been brutally beaten and then tossed back into Yingjuan Courtyard two days beofre , had clung to his life by a thread. He survived until that morning, but his injuries proved too severe, and he finally succumbed to death. His body now lay stiff in the servant’s room, a terrifying presence that had driven the other occupants of it into the porch, where they squatted, awaiting their master’s command. The groans of Qi Er, the second steward, who continued to weep nearby, were abruptly silenced by the Fifth Old Madam’s sharp rebuke. “Cry, cry, cry, you only know how to cry, those who don’t know think the one who died was your father !”
Qi Er, though brimming with countless grievances, immediately ceased his lamentations. He wiped his tears with a handkerchief, wrapped it around his left index finger, and shoved it into his mouth, clenching his teeth to stifle any further sobs.
With the Fifth Old Man absent, the Fifth Old Madam naturally assumed command of the fifth house. However, she was ill-suited for managing affairs of the house with her furious temper , and upon learning of Steward Qi’s death, she was consumed by anxiety and fury, yet utterly clueless on how to proceed. She had summoned her two sons, hoping they might offer her some solutions.
“That damned guy from Dongyuan actually sent your father to guard the mausoleum, and he won’t be able to return home until ten days later!” she fumed. “Forget it, he beat the slave in our house to death the night before yesterday. Isn’t he clearly trying to make things difficult for us? You two brothers, let’s talk about it, what should we do now ?”
Shang Yuding remained detached, as though the matter had nothing to do with him. But his younger brother, Shang Yuan, ever the opportunist, immediately stepped forward in agreement.
“Mother, the Duke rarely bothers himself with the affairs of us in the Fifth Branch. Even if Steward Qi had done something improper, the matter should have been handed back to our household to resolve. Qi Er has always been loyal—he would serve tea and food the moment someone arrived.”
He paused, his tone turning sharp.
“But now he was beaten up by the military guards . And he was beaten so badly, there wasn’t an inch of his body left unbruised. Isn’t this nothing short of a public slap to the face of our Fifth House?”
Hearing this, the Fifth Old Madam’s anger surged even further. As if Shang Yuding’s indifference wasn’t enough, now even her eldest grandson had joined the chorus—father and son acting in perfect sync.
Taking advantage of his status as the only grandson of the Fifth Branch, he added fuel to the fire with indignation in his voice.
“Grandmother wasn’t aware, that’s understandable. But now, even outsiders are stepping all over our Fifth House. Just a few days ago, this grandson was being considered for the position of Treasurer in the Ministry of Rites. I had originally planned to visit Uncle to smooth things over. Who would’ve thought the Third Branch would seize the opportunity first? My cousin got in ahead of me and now look—he’s thriving, moving through court like a fish in water!”
Upon hearing this, not only the Fifth Old Madam, but even Shang Yuan was displeased. “When did it happen? Why haven’t I heard you talk about it?”
“It was only half a month ago. The second day after I knew this news, my third cousin took the position. Humph, I don’t believe he did it on his own. He must have used the back door!” Shang Wulang declared with righteous indignation, clearly hoping to escalate the matter and incite his grandmother’s fury on his behalf.
As expected, the Fifth Old Madam, having been married to the Fifth Old Man for so long, had adopted his quick temper. She immediately turned her face, scowling. “Third house that shabby households, they relied on our help to survive when they were in Changzhou, but now they are fighting with us about everything. I really don’t know what to say.”
The Fifth Old Madam continued to curse, oblivious to her own hypocrisy. Shang Yuan and Shang Wulang, father and son, however, harbored darker, more treacherous thoughts. Observing Steward Qi Er, who was still struggling to suppress his emotions, a sinister plan began to form in their minds.
“The steward Qi has lost his life , and our fifth room was slapped in the face. If this matter doesn’t sorted out properly , let alone Dongyuan, I’m afraid even the people in the third room will ride on our heads ” Though neither father nor son possessed great achievements, their years living within the family had given them a keen understanding of the dynamics within the various courtyards. It would be ideal if this incident could be leveraged to induce guilt in Shang Yu, the Duke of the country. This would, in turn, provide Shang Wulang with an opportunity for a new position.
The death of a mere servant was not a significant concern. After all, in such a grand household, who didn’t have the blood of servants on their hands? But since a death had occurred, they needed to extract some benefit from it, to salvage their lost “face.” No one present truly grieved for Steward Qi their thoughts were solely on how to compensate for the perceived affront. Most of the wives in the fifth house were submissive, daring not to utter a word in the presence of their mother-in-law and husband.
Shang Yuan and Shang Wulang exchanged a knowing glance, then eagerly piped up, adding fuel to the fire. “Grandma, I heard that Liulang went out to the camp on the outskirts of the city yesterday, and he has not returned today. Then there is only that little girl Du Shi in Dongyuan. Let’s take Qi’s body there. Although It’s scary. Don’t worry about scaring her to death! When the time comes, I’ll ask my uncle and his wife to come over and deal with what needs to be done and judge what needs to be judge. Maybe we get an unexpected return .”