Chapter 2
Old Madam Kong said “her bones are not even cold yet,” which was somewhat exaggerated, because Princess Fuzhuang had died long ago, when He Fangting was only nine years old.
But those words suddenly reminded Jiang Zhixiu that although the Emperor detested Princess Fuzhuang, He Fangting still carried imperial blood in her veins. Whatever privileges other commandery princesses possessed, she possessed them as well.
So this matter could not be handled by force. It would be best if she herself agreed to it.
Suppressing his anger, he said resentfully, “Fangting, though you are a woman of the imperial clan, you are also a wife of the Jiang family. Think it over carefully again.”
With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and left Chunming Courtyard.
The moment he left, Old Madam Kong began crying again. “What are we going to do? The Jiang family is bullying you too much! The prince consort doesn’t care, and the marquis isn’t even in the capital. Commandery Princess, let’s enter the palace and lodge a complaint!”
He Fangting closed her eyes briefly and said gently, “Nanny, the weather is hot. I’d like to eat the honeydew melon iced cream pastries you make.”
Old Madam Kong froze. “Ah? Oh, yes, this old servant will make them right away. Your Highness, please wait a moment.”
The princess had loved the snacks she made ever since childhood, and even after growing up, she was still the same.
After the old nanny walked away, the maid Qinghao leaned closer and whispered, “Your Highness, this servant will go kill Xie Meiying and make her disappear for good!”
The name “Meiying” itself sounded inauspicious, and now it seemed to have fulfilled its omen perfectly.
He Fangting: “…Why kill her?”
Qinghao’s eyes flashed fiercely. “Strike at the root of the problem! If she’s dead, let’s see how she marries into the Jiang family!”
Another maid, Baiwei, who rarely spoke, concisely added, “Exactly.”
Qinghao fumed, “How dare she anger Your Highness? She must be tired of living!”
Warmth rose in He Fangting’s heart, though she also felt helpless. The people around her were either the sort who only cried helplessly whenever trouble arose, like Old Madam Kong, or the sort who only knew how to shout about killing people, like Qinghao and Baiwei.
None of them seemed especially clever.
But then again, clever people would never remain wholeheartedly loyal to a fallen commandery princess like her.
She smiled. “Kill her? There’s no need to go that far.”
Besides, the person she was truly angry at was not Xie Meiying, but Jiang Zhixiu.
If Jiang Zhixiu himself had not entertained such thoughts, how could Xie Meiying ever have had the chance to step into the Jiang family?
In the end, Jiang Zhixiu was the root of the problem.
Without a Xie Meiying, there would simply be a Zhang Meiying or a Li Meiying.
Qinghao said indignantly, “Then are we just going to do nothing and wait for her to marry in?”
He Fangting gave a faint laugh. “How is that possible? If I do not agree, this matter cannot happen.”
She had been the mistress of the Jiang household for over ten years. She was not merely a decoration.
If Jiang Zhixiu only wished to take Xie Meiying as a concubine, she would not object at all. She would immediately arrange a banquet and help them hold a lively wedding celebration.
But Jiang Zhixiu had gone too far. What he wanted was not to take a concubine, but to “maintain two family lines simultaneously.”
If she became merely a concubine, her status would be low and humble. Jiang Zhixiu probably loved Xie Meiying too much to humiliate her in that way.
If this dual-line marriage succeeded, then Xie Meiying would not merely become his lawful wife, but also the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family. Meanwhile, He Fangting would inexplicably become the secondary wife.
Then, according to family hierarchy and propriety, Xie Meiying would outrank her. Whenever He Fangting saw her, she would have to address her as “Elder Sister-in-law.”
If Xie Meiying gave birth to a child, that child would become the eldest legitimate grandson and receive Jiang Zhixiu’s full support, while her own children would be pushed aside.
She would absolutely never allow that.
There was another point that puzzled her. “Maintaining two family lines” sounded respectable, but in essence it was still one husband with two wives, something contrary to ritual propriety. Though such arrangements existed among commoners, there had never been such a precedent in official circles.
How did Jiang Zhixiu dare to start such a precedent?
Was he not afraid of being impeached for violating propriety?
Or perhaps… had he received some hint from the Emperor and was deliberately trying to torment her?
No, probably not. Her imperial uncle had countless important matters to handle; how could he possibly have time for something like this?
…But then again, perhaps not necessarily.
As she pondered this, Old Madam Kong brought in the freshly made iced cream pastries on a large crystal tray.
He Fangting asked, “Did you send some to Yu’er and Ying’er as well?”
Her son, Jiang Jiayu, was seventeen this year. Last year he had passed the county-level examinations and become a licentiate scholar.
Her daughter, Jiang Jiaying, had just turned fifteen and celebrated her coming-of-age ceremony only last month.
With both children now at marriageable age, she could never tolerate Jiang Zhixiu maintaining two households.
Old Madam Kong smiled. “Did Your Highness really need to remind me? I already had people deliver some. Please eat without worry!”
Qinghao and Baiwei each received portions as well, and master and servants happily ate together.
Suddenly someone arrived from Songrong Hall and respectfully announced, “Commandery Princess, the Old Master and Old Madam invite you over. They have matters to discuss.”
He Fangting knew it must concern the dual-household arrangement. After slightly adjusting her makeup and changing into a pomegranate-red pleated skirt patterned with flowing-cloud motifs, she brought Qinghao and Baiwei to see her parents-in-law.
Only upon arriving at Songrong Hall did she realize that waiting for her were not merely Jiang Chengzong and Madam Pan, but also her younger brother-in-law Jiang Linxiu and his wife Li Xixiang, as well as her already-married younger sister-in-law Jiang Furong.
According to imperial protocol, all these people should bow when they saw her. But in daily household life, she disliked excessive formalities, and since she had never wished to put on airs, she had long exempted everyone from such rituals.
Thus, in ordinary circumstances, they followed only family etiquette.
“Elder Sister-in-law!”
Li Xixiang and Jiang Furong stepped forward to greet her. Though smiles were on their faces, their eyes could not conceal their schadenfreude.
He Fangting inwardly sighed. All those delicacies, fine silks, and jewelry she had given them over the years might as well have been tossed to beggars in the street.
The moment she sat down, Old Master Jiang Chengzong impatiently declared, “Madam He, allowing Zhixiu to maintain two family lines was my idea. Quickly have someone select an auspicious date and begin preparations.”
He Fangting was not surprised that he supported Jiang Zhixiu. In the old man’s heart, no matter how much a daughter-in-law contributed, she was still an outsider bearing another surname, while sons were true family.
Unhurriedly, she replied, “Father, in order to choose an auspicious wedding date, we must know the birth dates and eight characters. May I ask for Elder Brother’s birth information?”
Jiang Chengzong froze, unable to answer.
Zhixiu had told him that He Fangting opposed the arrangement, so he had intended to use his authority as father-in-law to force her compliance.
In his expectations, the moment he raised the matter, He Fangting should have exploded in fury, and he had already prepared a lecture to berate her.
Unexpectedly, she asked about the birth details of that prematurely deceased child instead.
How could he possibly know them? That child had been unfortunate, dying before even receiving a proper name. His birth details had never been recorded.
Instinctively, he looked toward his wife, Madam Pan. As the child’s birth mother, perhaps she would remember.
