Chapter Thirty-Four: Currying Favor

The sun rose in a clear sky, bringing a gentle and warm breeze—a rarity as the twelfth lunar month approached. Even the wind, usually biting when it struck one’s face, felt uncharacteristically soft.

Outside the General’s estate, a young maid with a round face dressed in green paced back and forth, wringing her hands in visible anxiety. As the high-axle carriage pulled up, she trotted forward to greet Liang Shanru, calling out for her young mistress the moment she alighted.

This was Hongwei, a maid Nongyun had purchased from a trading firm just days prior. Only sixteen, she came from a destitute family with five younger siblings to support, leading her parents to sell her for a pittance. Recognizing her wit and efficiency, Nongyun had specifically recommended her to Liang Shanru, promoting her to work in the inner quarters rather than performing menial chores outside.

Seeing her, Liang Shanru frowned. "Was it you who sent word to the Xu residence?"

Hongwei nodded repeatedly. "People from the Li family came by. The Madame drove them out herself, but she has been smashing things in a fit of rage ever since. The servants around her were too terrified to intervene or offer comfort. Seeing how furious she was, I snuck out of the hall and sent someone to the Xu residence, begging you and the young masters to return quickly and talk some sense into her."

As she served in the main house, she was privy to the entire affair.

At the mention of the Li family, Liang Shanru felt her breath hitch. Pei Jingxing immediately pressed for details: "Is this the same Li family the Marquis of Changle wanted to arrange a marriage with for our cousin?"

Hongwei confirmed it. "It was indeed regarding the young lady’s marriage..." She spoke with caution, fearing that a wrong word might earn her a reprimand or displease her masters. "I don’t know what the Marquis’s estate told them, but as soon as they arrived, they began speaking of marriage unions with the Madame. She seemed displeased but remained polite at first. But when the Li family’s eldest mistress saw that the Madame would not yield, she began to imply that the young lady was not truly a member of the Liang family. The Madame turned livid immediately. They exchanged harsh words, and the Madame, in her fury, ordered the servants to drag them out."

Liang Shanru’s brow twitched, and Pei Jingxing was even more shocked. He knew his mother well; she was not one to tolerate unnecessary insults, but she was certainly not an arrogant or troublemaking person. After all, life in the capital was built on human connections, and she had always lived by the principle that showing a little courtesy to others was, in effect, protecting oneself. The Li family's mistress must have said something truly intolerable to provoke his mother into such a public expulsion.

He was about to ask more, but fearing it might upset Liang Shanru, he hesitated. Pei Yanzhou stepped in, calling to him, "Third Aunt is still in a fit of rage. Let’s talk as we walk."

He strode into the estate, and Liang Shanru followed quickly.

Pei Jingxing assumed his brother’s haste was to shield their cousin from hearing such vulgarities. Yet, as they walked, Pei Yanzhou coldly asked, "What exactly did the Li family say?"

The words had been too foul for Hongwei to repeat. She walked behind them, arms folded, stammering and unable to form a coherent sentence.

Liang Shanru let out a soft laugh. "It’s nothing more than saying I have no father or mother, and that now that I’ve left the Marquis’s estate, I have no one to rely on. How much worse could it get? I’ve heard such things before; why are you so frightened?"

She didn't mean to intimidate Hongwei, but the maid looked as if she might collapse to her knees. Seeing this, Pei Yanzhou understood the gravity of the situation. He knew little of the Li family of Yangzhou, but he knew how the family of the Li mistress conducted themselves in the capital. Having hitched their wagon to the Fourth Prince in recent years, they had become increasingly arrogant, looking down on everyone and fearing no one. It was likely the Li mistress shared that same temperament.

Pei Yanzhou stopped pressing Hongwei and waved a hand. "If you dare not say it, so be it. I can guess well enough."

Hongwei looked at him with profound gratitude, thanking him as if granted a reprieve. Liang Shanru wanted to ask, but since the target of the insults was herself, she swallowed the question.

The three of them entered the main hall just as Madame Liang was still throwing objects. Seeing her aunt in such a state, Liang Shanru felt a pang of heartache. She hurried over and knelt before her, resting her hands on the Madame’s knees. "I’m short on cash right now," she teased softly, gesturing to the debris on the grey stone floor. "Don't break so many of my things when you're angry. It’s all money—surely you don’t want to waste it."

Madame Liang, frustrated by her niece's lack of concern for her own reputation, poked her forehead. "Look at the value of these things! Keep a tally of what you've broken, and I shall pay you back! You are far too simple-minded, worrying over mere trifles!"

Pei Jingxing, fearing his mother might turn her anger toward Liang Shanru, moved to intervene, but Pei Yanzhou held him back.

Liang Shanru pulled the Madame’s hand down. "What’s wrong with trifles? They don’t get angry at me, and I can take my frustration out on them. They are the best things in the world. Besides, they were bought with hard-earned coin, so of course I care about them."

Madame Liang suddenly felt that speaking to her was like playing a lute to a cow, and her pent-up rage began to dissipate. She pulled Liang Shanru to her feet. "I said it before, you have no sense at all."

"Why do you say I have no sense?" Liang Shanru protested with a smile. "It’s just that I know those people are cut from the same cloth as the Marquis of Changle. I knew they wouldn't say anything pleasant to you, so I’m not angry. When the Marquis wanted to arrange my marriage, he said all sorts of terrible things—did I not hear him call me a jinx and a harbinger of misfortune to my face?"

She had never mentioned these things to her aunt. Hearing how cruel the insults had been—echoing exactly what the Li family had said—Madame Liang’s eyes blazed with fury. Before she could erupt, Liang Shanru squeezed her palm. "Let them say what they will. I don’t take it to heart. People say that public opinion is a force that can melt gold, and that the hardest thing to block is not a river, but the mouths of others. But if you think about it, since we cannot control what people say, we must control our own ears and hearts. If we don’t listen or dwell on it, wouldn’t it just mean they failed to achieve their goal?"

She stood up and leaned against the Madame. "Didn't you drive her out? She prides herself on being a lady of high standing and has never suffered such an insult in Yangzhou. Take it as a victory and don't lower yourself to her level."

"You little ungrateful thing, who do you think I was doing this for?" The Madame raised her hand to poke her again.

Liang Shanru beamed, happy to see her aunt finally brightening up.

Pei Yanzhou, who had been watching silently, nudged Pei Jingxing. Pei Jingxing caught on instantly, stepping forward with a grin. "Our cousin is truly wise. Even if the Li family said the most wretched things, she didn't take it to heart. You should take comfort in her magnanimity and stop being angry. If you break any more of her things, she’ll be even more heartbroken."

With the younger generation working so hard to appease her, Madame Liang’s mood finally settled. She pulled Liang Shanru into an embrace, a genuine smile finally reaching her eyes.

Liang Shanru sighed in relief. "It’s good that you aren’t angry anymore. Who knows what other tricks that family might pull? Let’s agree on this: no more getting worked up over irrelevant people. Otherwise, I won't have it, and I'll keep pestering you until you stop!"