Chapter 3: He Has Two Families
This novel is available in translation on bcatranslation.
“Madam, I’ve noticed that the third young master has started to show signs of maturity. I’m certain the lord would be thrilled to hear of his progress,” said Jue Xia, the maid, smiling brightly. She believed deeply in the love between Madam Xu and the lord, and their shared grief was that their three sons had yet to meet their high expectations.
In response, Madam Xu managed only a faint, sad smile.
Ying Xue, who was notably more observant, gave Jue Xia a reproachful look. Given that Madam Xu had spent the entire day anxiously awaiting the lord’s return, only for him not to appear, such remarks seemed particularly insensitive.
Before Ying Xue could express her concern, someone announced from the entrance, “Madam, Deng Zhi has returned.”
Madam Xu quickly composed herself as her chief maid entered, her expression serious.
“You two, guard the entrance,” Deng Zhi ordered the two younger maids.
With the door now secured, Madam Xu’s expression turned grave as Deng Zhi knelt before her.
“Madam, your instincts were remarkably sharp. Over in Qingyu Lane…” Deng Zhi, tears in her eyes, described a distressing scene. “When I arrived, I saw the lord helping a heavily veiled woman and a newborn baby into a carriage.”
[It seems they are now in a panic after the two women were discovered. They are likely moving to a new location after failing to get rid of me…] Lu Chao Chao thought silently, listening to the report.
Madam Xu listened intently, taking a deep breath to calm the turmoil inside her.
“Are you certain it was him? Was it… the Marquis?” she asked, her voice strained, her complexion pale.
Wiping away her tears, Deng Zhi confirmed, “She called him ‘husband’. Disguised as a seeker of accommodation, I asked around and learned from the neighbors that they had been living as a couple for years. The two…” Deng Zhi paused, wiping more tears. “They seemed truly in love. Marquis Lu personally chose gifts for the neighbors, asking them to care for the woman. He was highly respected by all.”
Hearing this, Madam Xu felt her heart break.
“Madam…” Deng Zhi looked at her mistress, her expression a mixture of shock and sympathy.
[Don’t cry, Mama. Mourning a man who doesn’t deserve your tears is deeply saddening…] The young one tried to comfort her, her thoughts striving to uplift her spirit.
“What is the woman’s surname?” Madam Xu finally asked, her voice laden with resignation and despair.
“I found out her surname is Pei, and the lord affectionately calls her Jiao Jiao, which appears to be her pet name.”
At this revelation, any remaining hope in Madam Xu’s eyes completely disappeared.
Jiao Jiao?
She remembered a time during the Mid-Autumn Festival when, in a drunken state, her husband had embarrassingly called out the name Jiao Jiao in front of the entire family.
Overwhelmed by bitterness, Madam Xu came to a painful realization that she had greatly overestimated her husband’s fidelity and affection for her over the years.
Leaning against the headboard, Madam Xu allowed herself to weep openly.
Just as she was about to succumb to her sorrowful memories, the comforting voice of the little one reached her again.
[Mama, right now, the priority shouldn’t be dwelling on my unworthy father’s misdeeds. We need to focus on retrieving the king’s birth date card that’s hidden under the misshapen tree at your parental home…]
Lu Chao Chao felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness due to her silence. If nothing changed, the Xu family’s estate was on the verge of attracting legal attention. A treasonous document was hidden beneath a deformed tree on their property, a discovery that could lead to her uncle’s execution, devastating the Xu family and ending their lineage.
The mention of a card linked to the king’s birthday left Madam Xu emotionally frozen and sent a chill down her spine.
Originally, Madam Xu’s family had opposed her marriage to Lu Yuan Ze. However, she persisted, and they married. To maintain peace with Lu Yuan Ze, who showed little affection for her family, Madam Xu had become estranged from her relatives. Despite her efforts to placate her husband, the potential for her family to suffer greatly weighed heavily on her.
Prompted by this urgent concern, Madam Xu quickly sat up, eager for more information. Unfortunately, only a brief silence followed, leaving her without further insights from Lu Chao Chao’s mind.
Given the current king’s strong aversion to witchcraft, the discovery of any incriminating evidence, such as a card marking the king’s birthday hidden on Xu property…
Madam Xu urgently signaled her chief maid, Deng Zhi, to come closer and whispered her instructions.
“Invent an excuse. Say I’m craving the ginseng soup my mother makes after childbirth and pay a visit to my family. Then, discreetly remove whatever is hidden beneath the twisted tree outside my former bedroom.” After giving her orders, Madam Xu seemed tormented by her decision. “No, wait.”
Although it was the tenth month, making movement difficult, Madam Xu forced herself out of bed. Sweating profusely, she reached for a Buddhist scripture from the highest shelf, a manuscript she had transcribed as a gift for her mother-in-law.
Enduring her discomfort, Madam Xu pressed her finger hard enough to draw blood and began writing on the scripture using her blood as ink.
Once the blood had dried on the scripture, she instructed, “Retrieve the item from beneath the tree and replace it with this scripture. Make sure your actions go unnoticed and return to the mansion immediately.”
The seriousness in Madam Xu’s voice urged Deng Zhi to depart quickly. Sleep eluded Madam Xu that night, and she remained awake until dawn, awaiting her husband’s return, who came home looking utterly exhausted, likely from his demanding duties at court.
“My dear wife, please forgive me. An urgent matter at court required my attention all night. I’m sorry for causing you worry.” Lu Yuan Ze offered his apologies upon his return, a gesture Madam Xu had become familiar with over the years.
In the past, such apologies would have led Madam Xu to comfort him, empathizing with the pressures of his role.
However, things had changed…
She watched Lu Yuan Ze carefully, noting that at thirty-four, he still maintained a robust and commanding presence, appearing even more authoritative and distinguished than before. His expression of regret seemed deeper this time.
[This unfaithful father of mine is always so effortlessly charming. It’s hardly surprising he’s had another woman loyally waiting for him for more than a decade.] Lu Chao Chao silently criticized.
“Is this our little girl? Ah, come here, she’s the jewel of our family…” Lu Yuan Ze hesitated briefly before gently lifting the baby girl.
“Yes, she indeed is the jewel of our family,” Madam Xu responded, her tone stiff and her gaze sharp.
“Her eyebrows resemble yours, and her smile mirrors mine,” Lu Yuan Ze observed, a fleeting look of annoyance crossing his face. Yet, it was undeniable that the child bore a striking resemblance to both of them.
With a hint of sarcasm in her voice, Madam Xu remarked, “I couldn’t help but notice your lack of interest in holding our first three sons, yet now you seem quite eager to embrace our daughter.”
“A son should not be coddled excessively, but a daughter is to be cherished in a different way.” Despite the years spent navigating the cutthroat political landscape, which had left many of his peers out of shape, Lu Yuan Ze remained lean and handsome, exuding the natural charisma of a scholar.
In the capital, he was highly esteemed and admired by many women for his dignity and virtue, further solidifying his respect among the populace.
[My dear mama, he’s misleading you once again in regards to my brothers…] Lu Chao Chao endeavored to express her concerns, though her attempt barely made an impact.
The thought of her daughter’s potentially unheard concerns caused Madam Xu’s heart to tighten, her hand clenching involuntarily.
Brothers?
Madam Xu’s mind was besieged by worries about her son’s well-being, a disturbing suspicion piercing through her previously unwavering trust for the first time in many years. She had always believed that Lu Yuan Ze’s affection had simply waned, but now she feared that there was something deeper, a secret lurking beneath the surface.
Lu Yuan Ze, usually so astute, failed to notice the shift in his wife’s demeanor. Over the years, his adeptness at weaving tales and partial truths had bred a dangerous overconfidence within him, leading him to believe he could perpetually shield her from reality.
“Have we decided on a name for her yet?” When Madam Xu posed this question, it visibly caught her husband off-guard, his surprise momentarily breaking through his usual facade.
At that moment, a servant chimed in, “His Lordship has taken a particular interest in this pregnancy. He has devoted many evenings to pondering a fitting name in his study, even turning to the ancient Book of Songs for inspiration.”
“Enough!” The sudden ferocity in Lu Yuan Ze’s voice brought an immediate hush over the room, his expression turning stern, marking a stark contrast from his typically controlled demeanor.
The servant, taken aback by the harshness of his lord’s reaction, was left bewildered. After all, he had genuinely observed the lord engrossed in the search for names.
Noticing the alarm his outburst had caused Madam Xu, Lu Yuan Ze hastily attempted to defuse the tension, shaking his head as he concocted an excuse, “I intended for it to be a surprise, but this bumbling idiot spoiled it.”