Volume 1, Chapter 14: Kneeling Punishment

Fang Qiuxin waved her hand, signaling her not to say more. “Just do it,” she said.

Hearing this, Aunt Fang had no choice but to swallow her words and helplessly replied, “Yes, this old servant will make sure it’s done properly.”

Fang Qiuxin then turned her gaze toward the crabapple tree outside the window, lost in thought. Her resolve to stand up today was genuine.

Unnoticed, night had deepened, and a silent rain began to fall.

Shen Qingdai placed the fragrant pill before her, staring intently as her mind raced to devise a way to maximize its benefits.

She had no intention of revealing her plan to administer the medicine to her mother now; it was not yet time to break ties with Lady Liu. But when the final reckoning came, new and old grievances alike, she would settle them all with Lady Liu.

This fragrant pill was a potent drug; she could not expose herself, so she had to rely on others.

Lady Liu had long controlled the household, and the other concubines were all subdued, with no room for maneuver. The second madam of the second branch, Madam Shen, was capable but had no direct conflict with Lady Liu.

The sole authority over the household affairs had already been divided by Lady Liu into two parts, personally handed over to appease Madam Shen, so their relationship remained reasonably harmonious.

If they ever came into conflict, it would likely only be over the division of the family estate.

Wait! The division of the family estate!

A spark lit in Shen Qingdai’s mind. If no discord existed, she would create it. If Madam Shen and Lady Liu clashed, Lady Liu would have no time to keep an eye on her.

That would make investigating her late mother’s affairs much easier.

The matriarch was still alive, though gravely ill. The first and second branches had yet to divide their assets, but it seemed inevitable. In the previous life, after the matriarch’s death, the household had remained calm.

Because the matriarch was wise, unwilling to bind her two sons, she had distributed assets quite fairly.

Though Madam Shen’s family was wealthy, she should have looked down on such a modest estate. The Shen family, though not of illustrious standing, was a century-old scholarly household.

Their wealth was not in gold or jewels but in priceless calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. No wonder Madam Shen coveted them.

In the previous life, though the two women were amicable, what if Lady Liu, for the sake of the estate, had administered the soul-separating incense to the matriarch, causing her to sign an unfair inheritance deed in a confused state?

Shen Qingdai could not believe Madam Shen would remain on good terms with Lady Liu after that. As for the matriarch, in her healthy days, she had wielded her seniority to oppress Qingdai’s mother. Using the medicine on her would hardly be unjust.

Meanwhile, just two streets away, the Pei household was far from peaceful.

Pei Jingzhu knelt silently on the solid bluestone pavement, his back straight, unmoved by the drizzling rain.

Drops the size of beans fell from the strands of hair across his forehead onto his eyelashes, trembling slightly before dripping onto the bridge of his nose, sliding down to the corner of his mouth, and finally falling to the uneven ground beside him, where they mingled with the snow.

Old Master Pei struck his cane heavily, glaring at him with bitter disappointment. “Do you realize your mistake?”

Pei Jingzhu parted his lips slightly, his voice still cold and distant. “I do not.”

“He is your father! What harm is there in yielding a little? Do not let your pride ruin your future. I have tolerated this for a long time now. You have already passed the autumn exam, ranked at the top, and the spring imperial exam is imminent. Once you reach the capital, your father will find you a renowned teacher. Why waste your potential in this poor Yangzhou?”

Pei Jingzhu’s fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his slender wrists from the effort. His usually indifferent eyes now showed a trace of emotion.

The Confucian texts he studied taught him not to defy his elders, yet also that one should not disobey if it meant standing for what was right.

Suddenly rising, water droplets fell rhythmically from the hem of his clothes. He looked firmly into Old Master Pei’s eyes and declared with resolute force, “I will never recognize a treacherous scoundrel as my father. He does not deserve it.”

“You—!”

Before Old Master Pei could finish, Pei Jingzhu’s voice thundered on. “I will not rely on him to find a teacher for me. I will achieve the highest honor on my own! When I succeed, that will be his end!”

His gaze held a ruthlessness and determination Old Master Pei had never seen before. Sensing the tension, Elder Pei cautiously pulled on Old Master Pei’s sleeve.

Softly, he suggested, “Master, it’s bitterly cold today, and the young master is thinly dressed. If he continues kneeling, he might fall ill. Perhaps we should bring him inside?”

Old Master Pei suddenly seemed to age a decade, waving his hand weakly.

Elder Pei hurried to summon a servant to escort Pei Jingzhu back to his room.

“What do you think my dear son-in-law has done to drive my grandson to this?” Old Master Pei suddenly felt as if his lifelong efforts had come to nothing.

Elder Pei, supporting him, sighed helplessly. “If I may speak frankly, you shouldn’t have tried to persuade the young master on Lord Wen’s behalf.”

Old Master Pei blinked his cloudy eyes, his voice heavy with regret. “You don’t understand. I wasn’t helping him—I was helping Jingzhu. I fear this boy is going down the wrong path. Patricide is the most heinous crime.”

Hearing this, Elder Pei dared not speak further.

The heavy rain gradually ceased, droplets falling intermittently from the eaves, tapping softly on the slender crabapple branches outside the window.

As the clouds dispersed, the room brightened again.

Early that morning, Ping Chun changed into inconspicuous clothes and went to the Jishi Hall to collect the medicine, then brought it to Fang Qiuxin.

Shen Qingdai changed into simple attire and went to visit the matriarch.

Just upon entering, she saw a plush carpet embroidered with blessings for longevity spread on the floor. On a rosewood table sat a celadon plum vase holding a few sprigs of red plum blossoms, lending a festive air.

The main hall was divided by a sandalwood screen inlaid with white jade and jadeite, depicting a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix. On a long table stood a statue of a Bodhisattva, whose kind and serene expression brought comfort.

The matriarch lay on her bed, wearing a forehead cloth symbolizing longevity, though she appeared weak.

Shen Qingdai stepped forward and bowed politely. “Your granddaughter respectfully greets you, grandmother.”

“Rise,” the matriarch said faintly.

“Thank you, grandmother.” Shen Qingdai rose and sat lightly on an embroidered stool, conversing casually.

Her peripheral vision discreetly noted the incense burner. Coincidentally, a young maid entered to replace the charcoal pan and the fragrant pills in the burner.

Shen Qingdai quietly observed the pills’ appearance and carefully inhaled the scent. The matriarch, likely a devotee of Buddhism, used only ordinary aged sandalwood incense.

She exhaled in relief; it was not some rare and precious incense, or she would have had a harder time finding it. She recalled Lady Liu’s courtyard also burned aged sandalwood incense—likely to flatter the matriarch.

However, if this matter became public, the suspicion against Lady Liu would deepen.

After chatting a while longer, the matriarch, feeling tired, dismissed her.

Gratefully, Shen Qingdai bowed and took her leave.