Four Seasons Brocade – CH 048

Chapter 48 ☆、 Pinching the Seven-Inch Mark: Concubine Wang Begs for Mercy (Part 2)

“I beg you, Madam, please have pity on me! My heart for you and Master is as clear as day. I’ve been orphaned since childhood, and I am deeply grateful to you for taking me in. I only hope to serve you like a slave to repay your kindness. But I am just a woman, and women’s lives are hard. Please, Madam, have pity on me and give me a child. I will raise him to take care of you and Master.” Concubine Wang kowtowed repeatedly, as if her head would never break.

Although Lady Cui resented Concubine Wang for taking Master Rong away, she was kind-hearted and could not bear it. “Get up and speak,” she said. “Why are you acting like this?”

When Concubine Wang raised her head, her forehead was already bruised. She crawled to Lady Cui’s feet, crying and clinging to her legs, saying, “Please, Madam, allow me to have a child! I have no other wish.”

“Concubine, Concubine…” Qing-Ming, who had followed Concubine Wang in, also threw himself at her feet, crying and pleading with Lady Cui, “Please, Madam, please! Our Concubine is also a pitiful person. She has no relatives left in this world and only hopes to have a child to rely on. Madam is now blessed with both fortune and longevity, and her sons are intelligent and filial. Please, Madam, allow our Concubine to have hope; otherwise…otherwise our Concubine really cannot go on living.”

The room was immediately filled with the incessant weeping of Concubine Wang and Qing-Ming. It was as if Lady Cui’s refusal to allow Concubine Wang to have a child would be an unforgivable sin.

“What happened?” Even Third Master Rong could not bear to hear a woman cry like this.

Concubine Wang remained silent, her eyes red as she silently poured out her heart to Third Master Rong. Her tears were like pear blossoms in the rain or frost-bitten crabapple blossoms, possessing a unique charm—a skill she had practiced repeatedly.

Qing-Ming, however, lacked this skill. His face was covered in snot as he cried, “Madam sent someone to bring a bowl of contraceptive soup today, saying that Master wanted her to drink it, but she refused. Nanny Qu and the others forced her to drink it.”

“How could this be?” Third Master Rong was shocked.

Lady Cui was also shocked and quickly said to Third Master Rong, “I did not.” Even if Lady Cui was heartbroken and jealous, she would never do such a thing. Even if she was a concubine, the child was still Third Master Rong’s. Moreover, both Third Master Rong and Lady Cui were born of concubines, and they knew the importance of children to concubines. They had suffered greatly from this; how could they inflict the same suffering on others?

“I know I am of lowly birth and should not have such delusions. But Master has taken pity on me and given me a place to stay. I always think of repaying you, only hoping to bear you children so that I may have something to look forward to in this life. I know Madam does not like me; I only beg you to allow me to have a child. From now on, I will never leave my courtyard again.” Concubine Wang used a strategy of retreating to advance, retreating again and again, making Lady Cui appear narrow-minded at every turn.

Regarding the contraceptive soup, Concubine Wang had accurately calculated Third Master Rong’s intentions; otherwise, they would have given her the contraceptive soup in the first place. Third Master Rong was born of a concubine, which further convinced Concubine Wang that Lady Cui’s actions would only chill Third Master Rong’s heart. Was she not supposed to be gentle and virtuous? She wanted to show Third Master Rong that his wife was not truly virtuous.

“Yilan,” Third Master Rong turned to look at Lady Cui. It was no wonder that Third Master Rong suspected Lady Cui. After all, who else in the house could deliver contraceptive soup to Concubine Wang? The Old Madam probably wanted Concubine Wang pregnant immediately and certainly would not harm her.

“It was not me,” Lady Cui said, both anxious and angry at Third Master Rong’s suspicion.

“It was me.” Hearing this, Ah Wu lifted the curtain and entered the main room.

“Ah Wu!”

“Sixth Young Lady!”

Everyone present exclaimed in surprise.

Ah Wu walked to Third Master Rong’s side, tugged at his sleeve, and pouted, “Father, I like Concubine Wang. I will not allow her to have children. From now on, she’s only allowed to be good to me.”

Ah Wu ignored the shock of others and continued, “Father, Concubine Wang is skilled at playing the zither. The other day, I played a piece, and she understood it immediately. Even Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi of ancient times could not compare.”

Ah Wu then lifted her skirt, revealing the socks Concubine Wang had embroidered for her. “Look,” she said, “these are socks Concubine Wang made for me. They are warm and beautiful.”

Ah Wu took Concubine Wang’s hand, then Third Master Rong’s hand, and said sweetly, “I want Father, Madam, and Concubine Wang to all like me, and only like me. I do not want Concubine Wang to have children, Father.” Ah Wu looked up at Third Master Rong with a pleading expression.

Wearing a bright red jacket embroidered with gold auspicious patterns of fortune, longevity, and happiness, and a pale white pleated skirt with the same patterns, with a newly made gold sunflower lock symbolizing wealth and longevity around her neck, Ah Wu appeared every inch the innocent, willful, and spoiled little jade doll.

The girl’s narrow-mindedness and her arrogant desire to have everyone in the family love only her were vividly portrayed by Ah Wu.

Third Master Rong naturally did not believe Ah Wu’s story, but Lady Cui was somewhat hurt; she had not expected Ah Wu to like Concubine Wang.

Ah Wu did not expect to deceive Third Master Rong. Her act was merely to give everyone an explanation: she was not malicious; she was just a willful little girl who had not yet matured. As long as the family could provide a plausible excuse, that was enough. No one was willing to tear off that last thin layer of paper. Once torn off, there would be no turning back.

“Father, what do you say?” Ah Wu held Third Master Rong’s hand, her eyes full of expectation.

Concubine Wang, however, had not expected her attempt to please Ah Wu to backfire. She quickly said, “Sixth Young Lady, even if I have a baby, I will still put you first in my heart.”

Concubine Wang was unwilling to tear down that final layer of pretense.

Ah Wu, her eyes red, pouted and said, “It’s different; it’s different. We’ve always learned from Kong Rong sharing pears. Even if you, Aunt, put me first, if the baby is born, as the youngest, I have to give way to it.”

Ah Wu turned her head and grabbed Lady Cui’s hand, excitedly exclaiming, “Madam, I do not want to share! I want the biggest share! I want to be the youngest!”

Lady Cui quickly patted Ah Wu’s hand and looked up at Third Master Rong.

Seeing that Third Master Rong’s expression was blank and unable to fathom his thoughts, Concubine Wang feared he might agree hastily. She crawled to Ah Wu’s side, saying, “Sixth Young Lady, I do not need you to give in. I will teach it to respect its older brothers and sister from a young age, always putting you first. I… I just want someone to rely on when I am old.” Tears streamed down Concubine Wang’s face, making her appear quite pitiful.

Ah Wu dared not accept Concubine Wang’s courtesy and quickly stepped aside. “Auntie, if you get old, Ah Wu will naturally take care of you, and my brothers will too.” Then Ah Wu turned to Third Master Rong and said, “I just do not want younger brothers and sisters, Father.” Ah Wu tried to persuade Third Master Rong, “Besides, if Auntie had children, the younger siblings would have to be raised by Madam. Madam’s health is declining; she will not have the energy for that.” Ah Wu began to reason with him.

Third Master Rong looked at Lady Cui with a troubled expression. A single silver strand of hair gleamed in the lamplight, making him feel a pang of guilt. He had hurt his wife’s feelings over a mere concubine.

Ah Wu was right. If the child were born, could it really be raised in the concubine’s room? It was his child too, and he knew all too well the suffering of children born of a concubine. He did not want his child to endure the same pain. Seeing Ah Wu’s expression, he figured she would not tolerate Concubine Wang’s pregnancy.

Third Master Rong’s heart ultimately leaned towards his wife and daughter.

“Very well,” he said. “I am already so old, and I have both a son and a daughter. Concubine Wang, get up. Ah Wu said she, Jie’er, and Yin’er will take care of you from now on.” The most important reason, however, was that Lady Cui was constantly arguing with him. If he rejected Ah Wu’s offer today, who knew what kind of trouble she would cause in the future? Concubine Wang felt a flash of white light before her eyes, her head spun, and she collapsed to the ground.

Lady Cui hurriedly ordered someone to help her back, and then sent someone to inform the First Madam to fetch a token for a physician. Turning to Third Master Rong, Lady Cui generously said, “Go and see her.” Both women had it tough, but unfortunately, they lived under the same roof, vying for the same man, so there was no room for sympathy.

When Third Master Rong arrived at Concubine Wang’s room, she had already woken up, sobbing and nestled against him. Third Master Rong felt guilty and patted her back, saying, “Please understand my predicament. Harmony in the family brings prosperity. Ah Wu is willful; you should avoid her in the future.”

Third Master Rong was a very clever man; he understood to some extent what Concubine Wang’s intentions were in trying to please Ah Wu.

“Master, what about the child? Could it be that I really…” Concubine Wang persisted.

Third Master Rong said gently, “Do not rush. Ah Wu is still a girl, and she will get married in a few years. You are still young. It’s not too late to have children after she’s married.” Having shared a bed with her for many days, and with her warm and fragrant presence, Third Master Rong naturally had to consider Concubine Wang’s feelings. He was absolutely speaking from the heart at this moment.

Besides, Consort Wang was not old at all; she was only sixteen now. Even in seven or eight years, when Ah Wu would get married, she would only be twenty-three or twenty-four, more than enough time to have a child.

However, Consort Wang could not wait. The moment she saw the gentle and handsome Third Master Rong, her heart was instantly captivated. She longed for his favor every day, yet her room remained empty every night. She did not even have an excuse to see him. She thought that if she had a child, boy or girl, she could always use that as an excuse to have him watch the baby…

A virtuous woman like Lady Cui, though suffering in silence, could only swallow her bitterness. Consort Wang thought dealing with such a mistress would be extremely easy.

But today, it was a bolt from the blue. What kind of young girl would meddle in her father’s private affairs? Yet this young Sixth Young Lady had done so, and with such self-righteousness. She had concocted such a flimsy excuse, yet Third Master Rong believed her and accepted it.

Concubine Wang finally understood her place. She was in the prime of her life, yet she was already in this state. In seven or eight years, she would be old and faded. She did not know if Third Master Rong would still come to her room. Seeing Concubine Mu’s frail appearance, Concubine Wang was certain she could not wait any longer.

That night, Concubine Wang had to be extremely vigilant, using every trick in the book to serve Third Master Rong thoroughly, ensuring he was completely satisfied—a level of enjoyment he never received from his principal wife.

Lady Cui also did not sleep a wink that night. In the morning, when Ah Wu came to pay her respects, Lady Cui, unusually, gave Ah Wu a cold shoulder.

Ah Wu did not mind and stepped forward, forcibly squeezing herself into Lady Cui’s arms. “Madam.”

Lady Cui tapped Ah Wu’s forehead with her finger, saying, “You, you, even if you wanted to…you should not joke around with your reputation like this. The Old Madam found out about it today.”

Lady Cui did not continue, but Ah Wu knew they must have said something unpleasant.