Upon hearing Du Jingyi’s words, Shang Qiniang’s face instantly contorted into an ugly grimace. Clutching her handkerchief, she bit down hard, wishing the very ground would swallow her whole. But Wulang’s wife, oblivious to the emotional turmoil within her , pressed on further , eager to stir the pot. “I’m not afraid of your jokes, Sixth Younger Sister-in-law. It’s not the King’s Grandson; it’s King Min himself. Wulang returned with this news from outside. He said Princess Min is old now and seeks a concubine who knows how to care for King Min. Together, they hatched this plan, and they all believe Seventh Sister is suitable, which is why they thought of coming to you, Sixth sister-in-law to coinvey this to sixth brother so he can , intercede.”
“Prince Min? A concubine? Are you certain?” Du Jingyi’s feigned surprise made Madam Guo wish for nothing more than to drop dead on the spot. Even Shang Qiniang lowered her head, refusing to utter another word. Madam Ni also felt a flush of heat creep up her neck, but Wulang’s wife, utterly shameless, swiftly continued.
“Oh, they were all raised by my mother and father. If we hadn’t encountered such difficulties, how could we let our Seventh Sister be a mere child for others? Firstly, it’s difficult to find her a suitable match because of her age, and secondly, you know the situation of our Fifth branch ; we truly cannot afford a decent dowry, which is why Seventh Sister has been delayed until now.” She then added, her tone laced with a brazen ambition, “Sixth Sister-in-law , don’t think that by entering the Min palace she can merely be a concubine. If Seventh Sister has some skills and play her hand right she can secure the position of a royal concubine for herself , wouldn’t that be an honor for our family? So, for this , I want you to have a good talk with the general. If you can directly secure the position of a royal concubine , that would be ideal for all of us.”
Whimsicality personified – that was Wulang’s wife. Her tone, her utter lack of self-consciousness, truly impressed Du Jingyi. Although having encountered numerous individuals in the bustling marketplace, Du Jingyi still ranked such shamelessness among her top three most disliked traits.
Still Du Jingyi remained silent for a brief moment, then, ignoring Wulang’s wife , she turned to Shang Qiniang and Madam Guo and asked . “You think so too?”
Madam Guo, as before, merely dissolved into sobs. Now, not only Aunt Dou, but even the maids Yingying and Lizhu regarded her with thinly veiled disdain. Her own daughter was about to be thrust into a fiery pit, and as a mother, she offered no salvation, only tears. No wonder Shang Qiniang had arrived at such a predicament. It was, truly, no loss at all. With this thought, Madam Guo’s tear-stained face seemed even less appealing for them .
Li Zhu, speaking swiftly, addressed Madam Guo, “Second Madam, please compose yourself and stop crying. If you continue, the flowers and plants in our Dongyuan will no longer need watering.” A hint of impatience laced her tone. At this direct address, Madam . Guo, startled, immediately fell silent. She timidly glanced at Wulang’s wife, as if fearing a reprimand.
Seeing this, Du Jingyi lightly chided Li Zhu. “Behave.” Yingtao also tugged at Li Zhu’s sleeve, and Li Zhu, with a sigh of reluctance, then spoke to Madam. Guo, “This slave spoke out of turn. Please do not take offense, Madam.”
“No, no… it’s me… it’s not…” Madam Guo stammered, attempting to explain, but her words dissolved into an incoherent mumble. Fifth old madam seeing her like this shot her a warning glance, to which Madam Guo, completely became silence, and lowered her head in despair. She was, as she had been for decades, a mere doormat, utterly devoid of presence in this family.
Witnessing her mother’s abject submission, Shang Qiniang feared her own future would mirror this dismal fate. She gritted her teeth, her gaze meeting Du Jingyi’s for the first time, and then, with a newfound resolve, she uttered, “Sixth Sister-in-law, please help me.” Her tone was so firm, so resolute, that it stirred something within Du Jingyi. It seemed Shang Qiniang was not merely a pawn pushed into the abyss by her family; she harbored a desire to fight, to seize a chance. This realization solidified the nascent goodwill in Du Jingyi’s heart.
After a moment’s thought, Du Jingyi spoke. “I am not entirely certain I can manage this matter, but since you all insist, I shall do my best. The General has not had much contact with those in the Min Palace, but when I returned to my parents’ home some time ago, I heard that a golden statue will be sculpted at Pingliang Temple in two days, and it is said that the prince and princes from various palaces will also attend.” She continued, “If Seventh Sister truly wants to try, she might as well dress up on that day and stay with Madam Wei to get more opportunities to show her face. Perhaps there will be other opportunities.”
Her words were carefully chosen, devoid of explicit promises, yet they ignited a spark of ambition in the female relatives of the Fifth House. If they had a choice, why cling to the aging tree of Prince Min’s Mansion? After all, it was all about securing a favorable match, no matter the man. Perhaps, just perhaps, they could even aim for the Crown Prince. If Shang Qiniang could truly enter the East Palace, her future would be boundless.
Suddenly, Fifth old madam and the others found their tears replaced by radiant smiles. Their previous disdain for Du Jingyi vanished, replaced by a newfound, almost genuine warmth. With a beaming face, Wulang’s wife even chirped, “I told you that Liulang’s wife is kind-hearted and will not abandon us, but you also know that our finances are very tight. We can’t afford to buy Qiniang some clothes and jewelry it’s truly…”
Before she could finish, Du Jingyi grasped her meaning. Without hesitation, she offered her assistance. “My mother’s family has a tailor shop outside. An embroiderer from Jiangnan arrived a few days ago. I heard her skills are exceptional. How about I ask her to make some clothes for my Seventh Sister?”
Wulang’s wife’s eyes gleamed with delight. Feigning reluctance, as if she didn’t truly wish to impose, she interjected, “That’s a wonderful arrangement! Seventh Sister is truly blessed. Unlike me, my belly has grown larger, and my clothes are still the same. I wonder if the embroiderer could adjust the waist of my clothes? Could she add a few pieces of fabric for me to alter them?” Her politeness was a transparent veil for her request. It was unmistakably an attempt to capitalize on the situation.
Madam. Ni, disliking her daughter-in-law’s blatant opportunism, frowned. Madam. Guo, however, remained silent, as this matter was not her place to comment. Du Jingyi, displaying an unprecedented generosity, replied calmly, “I’m afraid adding more fabric wouldn’t look good. Why don’t you have a few more clothes made? It’s getting colder now. Adding two large cloaks can also protect the baby in your belly.”
At this, Wulang’s wife burst into such effusive laughter that her eyes practically disappeared. “My sixth sister have thought it all through! If that’s the case, then I’ll have a fewof them made. When this child arrives, I’ll tell him to be filial to his Sixth Aunt!” Shang Qiniang, usually so quiet, even offered a profuse thank you to Du Jingyi. As she had said, wouldn’t it be better if she could seize other opportunities?
The entire family conversed with polite cheerfulness. If an uninformed outsider, witnessed this scene now , they might have truly believed it to be a joyous reunion, a picture of perfect harmony.