Spring Message in the Snow – CH 079

Chapter 79

As soon as she turned past the screen, he embraced her warmly, asking repeatedly, “My Lady, did I do well just now?”

Surou chuckled, finding it quite amazing. They barely exchanged a glance; he simply followed her lead, playing the good cop and the bad cop, coaxing Governess Wu to reveal all the assets she held onto.

It was a bit tiring, though. She had always thought that couples who pretended to be loving in public must be exhausted in private, but she had not realized that pretending to be unhappy and arguing was not easy either. The two lay on the bed, staring blankly at the canopy. Surou said, “Our argument just now scared the people around me. They must think I lost my temper today.”

Helian Song, clinging to a sliver of hope, said, “Luckily, we discussed it beforehand. You do not know, I was quite startled when I heard you say you were packing to go back to your parents’ house.” He turned to the side and whispered, “Let’s make a three-point agreement: no matter what, you cannot go back to your parents’ house. If you go back, I will have to live alone. I cannot live like that.”

Was she afraid of being single? Surou smiled, her eyes crinkling. “The easiest way to let people know about marital discord is for the wife to go back to her parents’ home. Without that, the story just does not feel right.”

“Then let’s not ‘feel right,'” he still disagreed. “Do not forget you were once a tutor to noble ladies in the capital. You are dignified, virtuous, and understanding. How can a sensible girl go back to her parents’ home so easily?”

She clicked her tongue. “They are already arguing; what does understanding matter? A dignified and virtuous girl is still a human being; humans have emotions and desires.”

“Then what should I do? Can I go after her that day? My only emotion is my wife,” he muttered. “How can I leave you behind… Leave me a door open, then; I will climb over the wall to find you.”

Surou frowned. “You are the one who said we cannot be affectionate, and you are the one who wants to climb over the wall at night. In short, you cannot climb over; if you do, everyone will find out. The entire court is watching you; do you think everyone else is a fool?”

He fell silent for a long while before saying, “Unless absolutely necessary, you cannot go back. My wife, promise me that first. Also, that argument we had earlier has left me anxious, afraid I might accidentally make it real… You did not actually get angry during the argument, did you? You seemed genuinely sincere just now; it did not seem like you were faking it.”

Surou almost scorned him. “You have to deceive yourself first before you can deceive others. Do you expect me to be all smiles when we argue?”

While her words were true, it did not stop him from continuing to worry. After a moment’s thought, he said, “How about this… From now on, whenever we argue, just smooth your temples. At least let me know you are faking it, not really angry with me.”

Surou said no, “Smoothing your temples while arguing makes you look like a matchmaker.”

But he would not give up, pestering her, “Or you could touch your ears; at least that would put my mind at ease before I dare to argue with you.”

Surou, exasperated by his persistence, finally gave in. “You are the one who came up with the idea, and you are the one who needs reassurance. You are such a hassle. But that earlier ‘going with the flow’ approach, getting Governess Wu to bring out the land deeds and house deeds, really helped me a lot. Actually, I do not really want to be in charge; I just feel the accountant is a bit unreliable, and Governess Wu trusts him completely. These past few years, there have always been several hundred taels of discrepancies that cannot be verified. If I were to investigate thoroughly, I am afraid Governess Wu would obstruct me again.”

Helian Song sighed softly after hearing this. “Actually, I know there are discrepancies in the accounts. I have not inquired about the profits of the estates and shops every year, simply because I will not be staying in the capital for long. Living comfortably in the present is enough.”

So this was the weakness of men in charge. It was not that they did not know, but that they were too lazy to check, intentionally turning a blind eye. The result of this indulgence was that those people’s appetites grew ever larger. At first, they knew to balance the books, but later they simply added expenses—a penny here, a penny there. At first glance, there seemed to be no errors or omissions, but if you were to add them up one by one with an abacus, you would eventually find that the actual amount differs greatly from the amount in the books. Take last year, for example; the discrepancy reached a staggering eight hundred and forty taels. Converted to the dowry the Ye family prepared for Sujie’s marriage, roughly speaking, it was worth fourteen Ye Fengshi.

However, he had his reasons. Perhaps to maintain stability within the household, Surou thought for a moment and said, “What happened before can be left unresolved, but we cannot let those people deceive us anymore. As long as I am still in the capital, I must manage this household well.” She glanced at him, noticing his crooked collar, and straightened it for him, adding, “I just do not understand how someone as meticulous as Governess Wu could intentionally allow those people to falsify accounts…”

Helian Song grinned. “Governess Wu is a Xiongnu. The Xiongnu script is different from that of the Central Plains, and older people tend to be very traditional. So, she’s always had a maidservant with her to take attendance and check records. Perhaps that maidservant is colluding with the accountant; after all, they are both hired hands. If you investigate further, they might even be related.”

Surou shook her head. She could not manage the accounts, but she had a huge appetite for managing the household. Governess Wu probably thought she had arranged things perfectly for the Prince’s Mansion all these years, but she did not realize that the income was so large that even after many people embezzled money, the surplus was still enough to keep the residence running smoothly. It was not that she was particularly meticulous in managing the household.

The two of them chattered on for a while longer, discussing private matters. Actually, discussing those accounting issues in bed was quite inappropriate.

Sure enough, the person opposite her seemed to have some thoughts. He moved forward slightly and said, “There’s nothing much to do today. How about we sleep until dinner time?”

Surou blushed. “We were arguing earlier, and now that we are in the inner chamber, we cannot get out! What are people supposed to say?”

He shamelessly replied, “Husbands and wives quarrel in bed and make up before they fall asleep. It’s precisely because we were unhappy earlier that we need to put in the effort to reconcile.” He then reached under his pillow.

He had prepared ten bottles of the medicine, which was clearly too few… He began to consider that he would have to send someone to visit that physician again when he went to Youzhou in a while.

Surou did not want to argue with him and turned to get out of bed, but he grabbed her from behind and pulled her back.

He whispered in her ear, “Did I do something wrong? I’ve been studying diligently these past few days, and I think I’ve improved quite a bit. You even smiled yesterday.”

Thinking of that smile, Surou felt like a fool. She did not know if it was the medicine, but it just felt…good. Like someone had relieved an itch for her in a place she could not reach. She lay back on the pillow, a contented smile spilling from her lips, which he caught perfectly. He was amazed, pleased, and became even more passionate. She realized he might have misunderstood the physician. The first time, she had even cursed him, tearfully questioning the man beside her, “Did we not agree it would be fun?”… Now it seemed ridiculous.

He tightened his arms around her, still reeling from their earlier argument, needing comfort. The best way to do this was to be close. She was shy and coy, and he did not back down, relentlessly exploring, his heat burning through the two layers of clothing.

She turned back, finally reaching out to embrace him, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, “I never imagined we’d be like this… I still remember seeing you at the Temple of Heaven; I wanted nothing more than to confront you with a knife. I thought I’d never have anything to do with you again…”

“Who knew we’d become so close…” he panted, gently swaying her waist, his face close to hers, asking, “My wife, is it good?”

Her cheeks flushed, she closed her eyes and murmured, “Very good.”

She was not the kind of girl to be coy; she was willing to tell him everything, good or bad, without reservation. Gradually, when she felt happy, she would shyly praise, “My Lord, you are so good.”

Then he would become even more smug, teasing her with boundless energy, “Is that all? There’s something even better…”

And indeed, something even better was yet to come, ultimately leading them to ignore all the trivial matters outside for the rest of the afternoon. Those attending to them were naturally happy to see them reconcile, as long as the young couple did not fall out over a mere old woman like Wu. After serving them dinner, the two were so affectionate, and their eyes met with loving glances, which put the worries of those around them at ease.

The next day, he was to inspect the army. Surou saw him off in the morning, and as the sun rose higher, she took some tonics and snacks and went to the Marquis’s residence.

Just as she arrived at the gate of the Marquis’s residence, she met her aunt, Lady Yuan, and Jirou. Jirou helped her mother forward and called out, “Second Sister, you’ve heard the news too?”

Surou nodded. “I heard about it yesterday, but I was afraid the Marquis’s residence would be in chaos, so I came to visit today.” Seeing that Lady Yuan’s eyes were swollen from crying, she quickly comforted her gently, “Aunt, calm down. If Eldest Sister saw you like this, she would be even more upset.”

Jirou also disliked her mother’s excessive weakness and frowned, saying, “Didn’t I already explain the situation to Mother in detail yesterday? Why are you still crying?”

Lady Yuan was always like this, indecisive and prone to overthinking. She wiped away her tears and said, “I am just worried about your older sister; she has a child with her…”

Jirou said, “An’er is the eldest grandson of the Chen family. Marquis Chen and his wife are both here; Mother, please do not worry about that.”

The old woman went to the gatehouse to inform them, and soon someone came out to greet them, escorting them directly to the moon gate of the inner courtyard. Looking ahead, they saw Nanny Ye hurrying over to greet them. She bowed and gestured for the lady and her young ladies to enter the garden, saying, “The person has been moved back to their own courtyard. The Marchioness and the First Mistress are both there. There’s no improvement yet. You will see when you go in, Madam.”

Everyone was prepared, having heard the injuries were so severe that he’d just lie there like a corpse. But when they arrived at the bedside, the sight was shocking. Lady Yuan even forgot to cry, turning to Shangrou and Madam Chen in bewilderment, asking, “Did those thieves only target the head and face?”

Shangrou sighed, remaining silent. Madam Chen said awkwardly, “He also has injuries, but he’s covered by a blanket, so you cannot see them, Madam.” She then gestured, “Let’s not disturb him. Let’s all sit down and talk in the outer room.”

The group moved to the front hall. A maid brought teacups, which were taken by two of Marquis Chen’s concubines. Presenting the items to the guests, Madam Chen sighed repeatedly, “Such a misfortune has befallen our family, alarming our in-laws and the Princess. We are truly sorry. We’ve come to the wrong place; we have nowhere to turn. The case has been reported to the authorities, but the prefect is just making excuses. Even though we are full of resentment, there’s nothing we can do but wait.” She then glanced at the newly appointed Princess Consort, urging, “Your Highness and your elder sister are very close. Yesterday, we asked your elder sister to come to our residence to entrust this matter to us. Although it was abrupt, we are family after all, and I believe the Heir Apparent will be willing to help. Magistrate Qu, because he is in charge of the capital’s government, is always arrogant. He may give our Marquis some face on the surface, but behind his back, he probably will not be happy to deal with us. We really cannot find anyone who can speak up for us this time, so we have to trouble the Heir Apparent. One word from the Heir Apparent is worth ten of ours. Please urge the government to catch the real culprit as soon as possible and give your brother-in-law justice.”

Surou listened patiently to her story. Although Madam Chen was rather impolite, constantly referring to her as “your elder sister” and “your brother-in-law,” Surou would not hold it against her. After all, she did not intend to get involved in the matter. However, she offered a few perfunctory words: “Marchioness said we are family, and as family, we should help each other. However, the Heir Apparent went out of the city yesterday to inspect the Four Elite Armies, and he will probably be delayed in the army for two days. I will definitely tell him about this when he returns. For now, Madam, please do not worry. Let’s wait for the Magistrate’s news; perhaps the case will be solved soon.”

Madam Chen was somewhat disappointed to hear that the Heir Apparent had left the city. She did not say anything but inwardly thought, “I’ve begged the temple, but the Bodhisattva has not answered my prayers. It’s all in vain. Usually, the sisters are very close, but now that such a big thing has happened, they are all shirking their responsibilities, even for something as simple as helping someone. It’s true what they say, ‘If you rely on someone, the mountain will crumble, and if you rely on someone, the sea will dry up!'”

After this incident, she looked down on Shangrou even more. She had thought she could rely on her sister’s status as the Heir Apparent’s wife, but it turned out she did not want to get involved at all. As for her family situation, her father held a nominal official position, with real power in Qingzhou, not the capital, so his actual authority was certainly less than the Heir Apparent’s. Her mother could not make decisions when things went wrong, her brothers held low-ranking positions, and her younger sister was still unmarried… All things considered, she had no one to rely on.

“Alas…” Madam Chen sighed, bowing her head. “What can we do? A man can at least hold up the sky. We’ll rely on him in our old age, and his wives and children will depend on him. Now he’s injured like this, and the culprit who harmed him can’t be brought to justice. How can we be content? Actually, I know that Chengchuan was reckless before, and everyone had some complaints about him. But men, how many haven’t been young and impetuous? In a couple of years, when he’s older, he’ll naturally know how to restrain himself.”

“Speaking of which, to be honest, my dear in-law, I have some dissatisfaction with Shangrou. No matter how many concubines we arrange for him, none of them can compare to the tenderness and affection of his wife. Men are like children; they need to be coaxed. If you act cute and say a few comforting words to him, he’ll have something to care about. How can he still be thinking about the outside world? If he had stayed at home, this disaster wouldn’t have happened. In the end, it’s because Shangrou is inconsiderate that things have come to this.”

This forceful argument stunned everyone present. The Zhang family members exchanged bewildered glances, finally understanding the meaning of “a doting mother spoils her son.”

Jirou looked at the pale-faced Shangrou, then at her own mother, hoping she would stand up for her elder sister. After all, someone had already put their finger in their mouth; you could not just bite back.

Fortunately, Lady Yuan still retained some temper. For the first time in her life, she refuted Madam Chen, frowning and saying, “My dear in-law, that’s unfair. Shangrou has been dutiful to her parents-in-law and a devoted wife and mother since marrying into your family. Who in the capital does not know how tolerant she is? Chengchuan’s misfortune is his fate; what does it have to do with our Shangrou?”

Jirou also chimed in at the opportune moment, saying to Madam Chen, “As the Marquis’s wife said before, my brother-in-law is your support and the future hope for my elder sister and An’er. Now that he’s in this state, my elder sister’s pain is probably no less than the Marquis’s wife’s. To blame my elder sister at this time is rather heartless.”

Madam Chen chuckled dryly, “My dear in-law, you are not married yet; you do not know the reasons behind it. A wife’s tenderness and consideration naturally draw a man’s heart home. Like your elder sister, her virtue is misplaced. What’s the use of just bringing in servants? If you truly love your man, he’s not heartless; would he still yearn for someone outside?”

Jirou, a young lady confined to her chambers, found it difficult to argue with this woman. Lady Yuan, in her haste, was speechless. Finally, Shangrou spoke up herself, “My family rarely visits. Why must Mother expose my shortcomings in front of them? If we are talking about the past, my husband’s womanizing habit existed before I entered the household. Is that my fault?”

But Madam Chen had her own reasons, even tinged with disdain, saying, “Since he had this habit before marriage, why did you not investigate it properly before willingly throwing yourself into this fire pit?”

This was a single wrong step that led to complete ruin; she not only failed to gain the upper hand but was also outmaneuvered.

Seeing that the Marquis’s wife was utterly unreasonable, and Shangrou was rendered speechless, Surou decided to be blunt and said with a smile, “We’ve come to visit my brother-in-law today. Why is the Marquis’s wife criticizing my elder sister? My elder sister agreed to marry into your family because we were of equal social standing, and her mother-in-law was gentle and kind. Therefore, even if my brother-in-law had some shortcomings, she tolerated them out of respect for her mother-in-law. Madam previously said that a gentle and considerate wife can naturally keep her husband’s heart. I do not agree with that. If gentleness and consideration were truly effective, there would not be two concubines here today. Does the Marquis’s taking concubines mean that the wife is not gentle and considerate enough?”

This was quite something; the conversation had shifted back to them. Regardless of what others thought, the two concubines of Marquis Chen could not help but sneer. Everyone knew that the Marquis’s wife always used a magnifying glass to judge others, but this time she’d finally met her match and felt the pain.

Madam Chen choked, glaring fiercely at the two dissolute concubines. She found that the Zhang family daughters, when they got angry, were all incredibly sharp-tongued. If Second Lady Zhang were still a young lady, she would not be afraid to argue with her, but now that Second Lady Zhang was a first-rank noblewoman, she could not very well confront her directly.

Blushing and short of breath, Madam Chen swallowed her displeasure and forced a smile. “Why does Your Highness compare me to this? The Marquis’s family is a noble household; continuing the family line is important. The people in the Marquis’s household are all properly married. Your Highness is newly married and has not thought that far ahead. In time, the Heir Apparent will inevitably have a few more women in his service, and then Your Highness will understand my situation.”

Upon hearing this, Jirou was instantly enraged. She thought to herself that this old hag not only bullied her elder sister but also maliciously cursed her second sister; it was infuriating.

However, Surou was not angry. She simply smiled faintly and said, “If My Lord wants to take a concubine in the future, I will have no objection. After all, the Helian family truly has a princely title to inherit. It would be a good thing to have more people to share the burden. Madam just said that having many children is important. My elder sister was buying servants to serve my brother-in-law, which was naturally for the sake of the Marquis’s family line. There is nothing wrong with that. Why can my elder sister not do what Madam can do? Is it only allowed for officials to set fires but not for commoners to light lamps? This is not the family style of a Marquis’s Mansion!”

“Besides, Madam probably does not know that the Marquis of Xingyang’s mansion has become the talk of the town. Who does not gossip about it when they pass by your mansion? Right now, the family is in trouble. This is the time for the whole family to unite. With such a wife who has stood by you through thick and thin, Madam should be content. Why are you still being picky? Is it because the mansion is too expensive to support outsiders? If it is really difficult, let’s make it clear today. We have plenty of space in our carriages. It’s not difficult to bring my elder sister and An’er along.”