The air in the reception hall of the General’s Mansion was thick with the scent of sandalwood and unvoiced fury. Old Madam Gu [The Matriarch of the Gu family, holding the highest generational rank] let out a laugh that brittlely cracked the silence—a sound born of pure, cold anger.
“Your Excellency,” she began, her voice dripping with a grandmother’s scorn, “being a father and a grandfather is truly a simple task for you, it seems. As long as they draw breath, you claim to treat them well. But look at them now! Forced to flee their own home—is this the ‘treatment’ befitting the Eldest Son of the Main Branch?”
Shang Yukuan [The Duke of the Shang Manor, son-in-law to Old Madam Gu], dressed in his formal yuanlingshan [A round-collared robe worn by officials and nobles], felt the weight of her gaze like a physical blow. He shifted uncomfortably, his expression clouded with genuine distress.
“A few days ago, this son-in-law was targeted by assassins and lay unconscious,” the Duke pleaded, his hands tucked into his wide sleeves. “When I finally awoke, the East Garden had been reduced to ash. Even Sixth son [Referring to a younger male sibling or cousin within the clan in this scenarion is Shang Shaoyou] moved out with them. Even if I wished for their return, I was powerless to command it.”
He looked up, his eyes searching hers. “However, Mother-in-law, do not let your heart be troubled. Once the East Garden is restored to its former glory, I shall personally welcome them back. Their stay with Sixth son is but a fleeting necessity.” To Old Madam Gu, his “sincerity” was as hollow as a drum. She looked at him with nothing but disdain.
“Take them back? To what end?” she snapped. “To continue a life of utter despair? Duke, the heavens are watching. Your heart has long since migrated to the West Gate [A reference to the quarters of the second wife or concubine’s line], so do not play the virtuous martyr before this old woman.”
Shang Yukuan opened his mouth to defend his honor, but the Matriarch waved a dismissive hand, her jade bangles clinking with finality.
“Enough. I will say but one thing: if you wish to attend the housewarming banquet, you may come. But you shall come alone. If you cannot manage that, then stay away. Our Gu family does not lean so heavily on this marriage that we require your presence to stand tall!”
She turned slightly toward the woman standing in the shadows. “Qin Mama, show the Duke the way out.”
“Yes, Old Madam,” the servant replied, her face a mask of polite indifference.
Shang Yukuan had come to beg a favor, only to be scourged by words. As he slinked toward the entrance, his heart grew heavy at the thought of Madam Wei waiting outside. She had been his shadow these past days, attentive and sweet—a stark contrast to the fire he had just endured.
At the threshold, he found her. Her cheeks were flushed a vivid crimson from the biting wind, and the tip of her nose was pink.
“What did the Old Madam say?” she asked, her eyes wide with a desperate sort of hope.
The Duke could only shake his head. Madam Wei’s expression soured instantly. This wasn’t just about a banquet ; it was about the Wei family’s standing in Sui’an City. To be excluded from a banquet where every prominent soul was invited was a public declaration of war.
“Does she still refuse?” Madam Wei’s voice trembled, her eyes reddening with practiced grace. “Perhaps I should go in? My ‘sister’ [Referring to the Duke’s late first wife, the original Madam Gu] was always kind to me. We cannot let a simple misunderstanding sever our ties forever.”
It was a masterful performance, but the audience was cold. Qin Mama didn’t even grant her a glance as she pulled the heavy silk curtains shut and barred the door.
“Lord Duke, please,” the stewards announced, their voices like iron. “Madam Wei, the carriage awaits.”
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was frozen. Madam Wei began to weep, her tears soaking into her fur-lined collar.
“If she hates me, let her strike at me! Why involve the children? Is it a crime for Shang Qilang [The seventh son] to seek a future? My family hasn’t even received an invitation! It is a slap to our very faces!”
Shang Yukuan sighed, feeling the years weighing on his shoulders. “The Old Madam isn’t dissatisfied with you, she is disgusted with me. If we force our way in, there will only be a scene. Perhaps… perhaps we should let it go.”
“Let it go?” she hissed, her grief turning to sharp ambition. She knew the political winds were shifting. Without the General’s Mansion, the Duke’s influence was a dying ember.
As the carriage reached the Duke’s manor, she did not dismount with her husband. “To the residence of the Prince of Fu!” she commanded the driver. If the Gu family would not open the door, she would seek the keys from royalty.
Back in the quiet of the Xu Lai Courtyard, Old Madam Gu sat in her beauty bed, her eyes closed in exhaustion. Beside her, Madam Xing was still fuming, her voice sharp enough to cut silk.
“The nerve of that Duke! To bring that woman to our very doorstep! Shameless creatures, both of them—colluding in their deceit. Not a single drop of goodness between them!”The sharp winter air did little to cool the fiery temper of Madam Xing [A high-ranking noblewoman of the Gu household]. She was always like this when she chose to be sharp-tongued, especially toward Shang Yukuan and Madam Wei, whom she detested with a passion that burned brighter than any hearth.
She had originally intended to pay her morning respects to Old Madam Gu [The Matriarch], but after bumping into the Duke and his successor wife scurrying away like scorched rats, she had burst in to demand an explanation. Learning of their audacity, she was genuinely stunned by their craftiness.
“Using the reputation of the General’s Mansion to intimidate their own household? They actually had the nerve to conceive such a scheme?” Madam Xing’s voice rose in disbelief.
Old Madam Gu remained remarkably composed, watching her niece-in-law’s tirade with a faint, knowing smile. She signaled to Qin Mama [The Matriarch’s head maidservant] to bring a fresh cup of hot tea to soothe the younger woman.
“Calm yourself,” the Matriarch murmured. “It is far too early in the day to waste your spirit on such people.”
In truth, were it not for the sake of Shang Zhiping [A younger member of the Shang lineage] and the other children, Old Madam Gu would have severed all ties with the Shang family long ago. Her restraint was born of a hidden calculation: Shang Yukuan was a man of little character, but the title of Duke was a legacy that rightfully belonged to the bloodline. Though Shang Ji [The General , son of the main branch] had carved out a brilliant future through his own martial merits, the ancestral title remained a pillar of stability. Only by securing it could the children born to the late Madam Gu have a solid foundation to lean on in the years to come.
However, Madam Wei’s presence this morning had truly revolted the Matriarch. She did not intend to let the insult pass quietly. Turning to Mama Qin, her eyes sharpened with a cold light.
“Go to the Xitang Courtyard [The residence of the General and his wife]. Tell Shaoyu [The childhood name of Shang Ji] that I have been severely frightened by the Duke and Madam Wei this morning. I am now ‘seriously ill’ and confined to my bed. If they wish for a moment of peace, they had best keep that couple far away from this old woman. If my condition worsens, Shang Yukuan will find the consequences more than he can bear.”
“Yes, Madam,” Mama Qin replied with a knowing bow, departing immediately.
Madam Xing looked delighted at the maneuver. “Madam Wei thought to use ‘filial piety’ as a weapon to force them to stay in the Duke’s Manor. Now, let her taste the bitterness of her own medicine. Let us see how she handles a ‘filial’ crisis she cannot control.”
Within the warmth of the Xitang Courtyard, Shang Ji and Du Jingyi [The General’s wife and Mistress of the household] were sharing their morning meal when Mama Qin requested an audience. Though surprised by the early visit, they welcomed her in. The elder maidservant, with her characteristic eloquence, recounted the morning’s confrontation and the Matriarch’s specific instructions.
“That is the essence of it,” Mama Qin concluded. “The Old Madam’s intent is absolute: not a single soul from the Wei family is to set foot within the General’s Mansion.”
Shang Ji’s eyes turned to shards of ice. He knew his father’s weak temperament; without Madam Wei’s constant whispering in his ear, the Duke would never have dared to come.
Du Jingyi, however, set down her chopsticks and pondered the situation. A clever light danced in her eyes.
“Grandmother is exceptionally thoughtful,” she said softly to Mama Qin. “Since she has been so ‘frightened’ that her health is in peril, we must naturally act with the utmost urgency. We should invite several renowned physicians to examine her—most importantly, Physician Wang from the Imperial Palace. No one would dare question a diagnosis from the man who serves the Emperor.”
Knowing the deep history between Empress Guo [The current Empress] and the Gu family, Du Jingyi knew the Palace would always provide a shield for the Matriarch. If Old Madam Gu was ‘ill,’ the Empress would surely lend her support.
Shang Ji caught his wife’s meaning instantly. He turned to Luo Yuan [His personal lieutenant and guard].
“Prepare the horses! I shall go to the Palace personally to entreat the Emperor for Physician Wang’s services for my grandmother!”
“Yes, General!”
The General’s grand display of concern by rushing to the Palace to plead for an Imperial Physician—sent ripples through Sui’an City. Before Old Madam Gu had even appeared in public, her reputation as a venerable matriarch whose health had been ruined by the arduous journey (and her unfilial son-in-law) spread like wildfire.
The scandal was delicious gossip for the city. It was said that the Duke and Madam Wei had arrived only to bully a frail old woman. Rumors mutated with every telling: some said the Duke came to flaunt his power, others claimed Madam Wei went specifically to provoke the Matriarch, and many believed Old Madam Gu had fallen ill simply trying to protect her grandson and his wife. The already fragile reputation of the Duke’s Mansion crumbled further, dragging the Wei family and even the Prince of Fu into the mud of public opinion.
While Madam Wei was frantically trying to extinguish these social fires, Du Jingyi was far away from the chaos. She was leading a leisurely tour of the snow-covered back mountain for the family.
The winter in Sui’an had been unusually heavy, allowing Northern craftsmen to showcase their rare skills. They had transformed the drifts into a breathtaking wonderland using molds and fine carving techniques.
“I never expected this!” exclaimed Fourth Aunt [A blunt, outspoken member of the Gu family]. “I thought snow was merely soft powder, but to see it shaped into galloping horses and eagles… the skill is truly divine!”
Old Madam Gu nodded in agreement. Back in their home in Cezhou, winter was a season to be endured. Here, it was a masterpiece. She looked at Du Jingyi with pride.
“You are clever indeed, coming up with such a spectacle. It will certainly broaden the horizons of these ‘refined’ city-folk in Sui’an who think they have seen everything.”
The group erupted into laughter. Madam Xing joked, “I think Aunt is right. Even I feel like a country bumpkin in the face of such beauty.”
Du Jingyi remained humble, her hands tucked into a warm shouhu [A silk hand-warmer]. “It is merely a bit of Northern folk entertainment to relieve the winter boredom. It is nothing special.”
“Don’t be so modest,” Fourth Aunt insisted. “Good is good. I never lie.”
Du Jingyi smiled and turned to her Third Aunt. “It is a pity Cousin Liu Lang [A younger female cousin] is still indisposed with her cold. I had the craftsmen carve an ice-rabbit specifically for her, as she was born in the Year of the Rabbit.”
They all looked at the carving; it was incredibly lifelike, even featuring tufts of dried grass at its feet. The Third Aunt looked momentarily embarrassed—perhaps recalling her own branch’s recent frictions—but she quickly masked it with a nod.
“It is quite alright,” the Aunt replied. “She will be well enough to see it in a couple of days.”
Du Jingyi nodded gracefully, like a picture of a perfect granddaughter-in-law, while the world outside continued to burn with the rumors she had helped ignite.