Spring Message in the Snow – CH 006

Chapter 6

The Zhang family all recognized her name; this was another of Chen Ang’s concubines, named Nian’er.

She had initially remained silent in the back, but seeing the situation seemed to be changing, she interjected, not only to help Chen Ang out of the predicament but also with a hint of shared sorrow.

Chen Ang, lacking in inner wisdom and overly concerned with his image, was already ashamed of Shangrou’s revelation. Nian’er’s prompting suddenly emboldened him.

He said, “Exactly! Are the concubines in this courtyard not allowed to be near me? My wife is usually jealous, and I did not bother with her. Now that you’ve even caused a death, you are still making excuses for yourself.”

What did he mean by “not allowed to be near them”? To do such a sordid thing with a concubine in front of the wife, without even blushing or panting, was truly astonishing.

If the Zhang family had previously approved of this marriage, even if the son-in-law was somewhat outrageous, they would have considered his family background and upbringing. But now, they truly felt that such a person was unworthy of Shangrou.

Grand Madam Zhang turned to look at her son and daughter-in-law. Zhang Ju and Lady Yuan looked embarrassed, which earned them a snort from Grand Madam Zhang. “What a fine match you two have made!”

Suizhi, who had been eavesdropping for half a day, could not stand it any longer and said coldly, “I’ve often heard people say that my brother-in-law does not like reading the classics. It seems today that’s true. He’s almost forgotten what propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame are!”

Such accusations did not matter to Chen Ang. Ever since he married this woman, he had not been happy. Madam Zhang was constantly jealous and controlling, and he had long been impatient with her. Now that he had the chance to get rid of her, he might as well go all out. He could remarry in the future; a real man should never worry about not having a wife!

Thinking of this, he hardened his heart. “What’s the situation now?” He turned and pointed at Shangrou. “She’s the one who killed someone, so why are you blaming me? I know you are biased, but to treat human life like dirt is utterly disregarding the law.”

Shangrou’s cheekbones flushed red. Already frail, she had nearly collapsed from anger.

Surou and the maids quickly supported her and helped her to a chair. Surou had not wanted to intervene; after all, matters of the Marquis’s household were decided by the elders, and a daughter-in-law had no say.

Seeing Nian’er constantly tugging at Chen Ang’s sleeve, urging him on, Surou could not help but turn to the Grand Madam and say, “Grandmother, there’s something fishy about this case. It’s a minor matter for the Madam to punish a concubine, and I do not think my brother-in-law would care about such a domestic squabble. The messenger must have foreseen the serious consequences or directly reported Pan’er’s death, which is why my brother-in-law rushed back. The person had barely died when this ‘justice’ came in, clearly afraid my elder sister would manipulate things or obscure the cause of Pan’er’s death, so they wanted to seize the opportunity to expose her. Furthermore, we need to ask…”

“Eldest Sister, did you order Pan’er’s death? If not, you should thoroughly interrogate those old women in charge of the torture. After all, the severity of the punishment is in their hands; whether she lives or dies is up to them. I think my brother-in-law insisted on sending you to the Imperial Criminal Investigation Department. At most, the verdict will be accidental injury, but will he not regret it afterward? One wife and two concubines in the household—one dead, one imprisoned, and even the legitimate son’s future ruined. In the end, whose wishes were truly fulfilled?”

This statement was worth pondering. Two out of three were gone; the remaining one was the biggest beneficiary.

All eyes turned to Nian’er, who panicked and stammered, “My lord, Sister Pan’er is dead, and now they are trying to shift the blame onto me…”

Before Chen Ang could speak, the Grand Madam interrupted her, demanding sharply, “Where were you when your mistress punished Pan’er?”

Nian’er shrank back behind Chen Ang. “I was in my own room.”

Lady Yuan, who utterly despised concubines feigning weakness to curry favor with men, frowned and said to the Marchioness, “Is this concubine disabled? She cannot even stand properly when answering; she’s practically attached to a man!”

A concubine’s indiscriminate solicitation of favor was a sign of neglect of domestic duties, further reinforcing the impression that her daughter was being mistreated in her husband’s family. Marchioness Chen, displeased, snapped, “Stand still! Answer the Grand Madam’s questions properly. And did you send someone to inform the young master?”

Startled by Marchioness Chen’s rebuke, Nian’er shuddered and stepped out from behind Chen Ang, standing there awkwardly, twisting her handkerchief in her hands. “No… I did not send anyone.”

“That’s strange,” the Grand Madam sneered. “Inner affairs should not be known to outsiders. Besides, with so many places of entertainment in the capital, finding the young master in a short time would not be easy. How did the news leak out so quickly?”

Zhang Ju glanced at Surou. A thread seemed to be slowly unraveling from the tangled mess. With the Grand Madam in charge, this matter should be alright.

He sighed deeply and turned to Marquis Chen, saying, “My dear in-law, if we do not report this to the authorities for now, then let’s leave it at that.”

Marquis Chen, as if waking from a dream, uttered two “ohs” and quickly bowed to Zhang Ju, “I’ve ordered some fine tea to be prepared in the flower hall. Please, my dear in-law, move over there. Leave the rest to my wife.”

It was unnecessary to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Marquis Chen glanced at his wife, signaling her to handle it herself. After all, weighing the pros and cons, they could not afford to offend the Zhang family over a concubine. Now it was his own fault for lacking decisiveness; a grown son was no longer under his father’s control. He could have simply covered it up quietly; why bother the Zhang family?

The men all left the backyard. Before leaving, Suizhi grabbed Chen Ang. Now that only the women remained in the inner quarters, the Grand Madam no longer needed to speak. The Marchioness angrily ordered, “Tie up all the old women in charge of the torture. Interrogate them carefully, one by one. Find out exactly who informed the young master. Also, send a few men to the mortuary to have a coroner examine her body and see if she was truly beaten to death.” She then turned to Nian’er. “It’s best if this has nothing to do with you. If it’s found that you were the one stirring up trouble, your life is over.”

Nian’er immediately fell silent, her face turning deathly pale, just like the one lying outside.

The servants of the Marquis’s Mansion sprang into action upon receiving the order, causing quite a commotion in the courtyard. The Marquis’s wife turned around, ashamed, and said, “We were foolish today. This matter should not have been reported to our in-laws; instead, we troubled the Grand Madam to make the trip.” She hurriedly ordered tea to be served, trying her best to smooth things over. “Please, Grand Madam and in-laws, calm down. My niece-in-law and young lady, please sit down. It’s my fault for not disciplining her properly, causing Shangrou to suffer in my house. It’s all my fault. Those unruly servants may not confess so quickly, but we will investigate thoroughly and ultimately give the Grand Madam and in-laws an explanation.”

Grand Madam Zhang nodded and said gently, “I know the Marchioness’s feelings. After all, Shangrou is your Chen family’s lawfully wedded daughter-in-law, and we will clear her name no matter what.”

Her words still carried a hint of reproach, blaming Marquis Chen and his wife for failing to control their son and creating chaos in the inner quarters.

The Marchioness, knowing she was in the wrong and having been rebuffed twice, had no choice but to accept it.

On the other side, Lady Yuan, heartbroken for her daughter, looked at Shangrou, and tears streamed down her face. “It’s only been two months; how come you’ve become so thin!”

The Grand Madam knew this could not continue, so she discussed it with the Marquis’s wife. “Let Shangrou and An’er go back with us for a few days. Today’s events have frightened her; a change of scenery might help her relax. Her second sister has just returned from the Forbidden City. The sisters have not seen each other for over ten years; this is a rare opportunity for them to reunite.”

The Marquis’s wife then realized that the girl who had given the suggestion was unusual. She had initially thought she was Zhang’s niece, but it turned out she was his granddaughter.

“I’ve long heard that your household has produced a lady-in-waiting; is this the one?” Marchioness Chen said with a smile. “What a well-rounded child!”

The Grand Madam Zhang responded eloquently, adding, “Her father was honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and in recognition of his merits, the palace granted her permission to leave and serve in the relocation of his remains. This is an act of grace from the Emperor.”

Marchioness Chen let out a long “Oh,” “No wonder…”

However, she was still somewhat reluctant to accept their offer to take Shangrou back to her parents’ home, but not wanting to refuse, she prepared a way out beforehand, carefully considering her options before saying, “Shangrou wants to go back to recuperate…that’s fine, but it will be a trouble for the Grand Madam and our in-laws. I was thinking of staying for three to five days, and then Chengchuan and I will come to pick them up. Is that alright, Grand Madam?”

The Grand Madam readily agreed. Without waiting for the Marquis’s household to interrogate the servants, she stood up and said, “It’s getting late, and Shangrou seems quite tired. We will head back now and wait for news from the Marquis and his wife when we get home.”

The Marquis’s wife had no choice but to order a carriage prepared, have the wet nurse carry the child, and personally escort the child to the carriage.

On the way back, Surou asked the Grand Madam, “Given how the Marquis’s Mansion treats my elder sister, are they still going to let her go back?”

The carriage lights shone through the carved partition, illuminating the Grand Madam’s tense face. The Grand Madam said coldly, “She’s with the Zhang family. Whether she can be brought back in the future is not up to them.” She paused slightly, her expression softening, and asked Surou, “How did you know this matter was related to another concubine?”

Surou replied, “I did not know for sure, I just felt it was possible, and I wanted to give the Marquis and his wife a way out. Being in such a precarious position, no one has a way out. If we report it to the authorities, rumors will spread like wildfire tomorrow, which will not be good for anyone. Did the Marquis’s wife not send a coroner to examine the body earlier? Actually, no matter the result, this case will be covered up. The Chen family will also give my elder sister an explanation. I just feel that my elder sister has had a very difficult time in the Chen family. Just from how that concubine dared to openly instigate in front of my brother-in-law, it’s clear how the Marquis’s Mansion has always been so disrespectful to its superiors, and how the concubine has been so rebellious.”

The Grand Madam sighed and said, “If this had not happened today, your elder sister would be living in dire straits, and we could only watch helplessly. It’s good that things are like this now; without destruction, there can be no construction. Bringing her home makes everything easier to arrange. That Chen boy, if he does not kneel and kowtow to your elder sister, I will never allow her to go back. If the Marquis of Xingyang’s Mansion does not care that their eldest grandson is living in exile, what are we, the Zhang family, afraid of? Having another nephew will not bankrupt our family!”

Hearing the Grand Madam’s words, Surou felt fortunate to have been born into this family. Most of the prominent families in the capital only cared about their own status and reputation. Even if their young ladies suffered mistreatment in their husband’s family, they would only shed a few tears and repeatedly advise them to prioritize their reputation. They were nothing like the Zhang family, who stood up for their young lady.

She was lost in thought when the Grand Madam reached out and patted her knee. “You saw it today,” she said, “how difficult it is for a woman to live a happy life. The Marquis of Xingyang and his wife are considered good; if they had encountered unreasonable in-laws, they would be utterly helpless. When you marry, be sure to choose your husband wisely. Do not be fooled by a good family background and handsome looks like your eldest sister, who married into a family without thinking. There are so many sisters in the family; your eldest sister’s marriage is what it is now. I hope you will set a good example for your sisters and not worry your stepmother and me.”

Surou was long past the age of being shy about talking about marriage. She smiled and agreed to her grandmother’s advice.

Today’s events, which took two hours at the Marquis’s Mansion, meant that by the time they returned to the Zhang Mansion, it was nearly midnight.

The carriage traveled along the Imperial Street. The daytime bustle had completely faded, and the place was rather deserted at midnight. However, a lavish restaurant ahead was bustling with activity. Approaching, the signboard read “Pan Tower,” the most prestigious restaurant in the capital, where high-ranking officials and nobles from the capital generally held their banquets.

Just then, a banquet ended, and the officials, tipsy and flushed, staggered out of the restaurant. Her uncle seemed to have encountered some colleagues, so he had to stop the horse, bow, and exchange a few pleasantries.

A faint scent of perfume wafted in from behind the fluttering curtains. Several figures wearing veils walked by in groups, and even the “chatterboxes” from the banquet had finished their business. The two men who had been leading horses backed away, then led a young man out from inside the gate. Surou leaned against the window and watched. Red gauze lanterns hung high on either side of the gate, their soft crimson hue carpeting the ground. The man wore an ivory-white robe with a dark, scalloped collar, and a leather belt cinched his narrow, upright waist. Even from his profile, he exuded an air of refined elegance.

The men who had been leading horses said something to him. He shook his head slightly, turned, and took the reins. Only then did Surou get a clear look at his face: deep-set eyes and a refined profile. People who were too handsome often gave off an unapproachable aura, but he was different. When he interacted with others, he possessed a graceful and sophisticated charm, skillfully blending into the world. Surou had not met many men, but this stranger’s refined demeanor had a hint of officialdom, yet it was not quite the same—or rather, it was even more intriguing than that of an official.

The other person probably noticed that someone was watching him. Their sharp eyes looked towards the jade-green carriage, the silver sea rippling slightly, which was quite startling. Surou realized that he had been impolite and quickly sat up straight, his face also disappearing into the shadows.

The Grand Madam, oblivious to all this, rubbed her forehead and asked, “Are we not leaving yet?”

Surou glanced in her uncle’s direction, and seeing him bow to someone again, replied to her grandmother, “Soon.”