Chapter 83: Faces Are Known, Hearts Remain Hidden

“Is there something wrong with the soup?” Qianyun’s delicate brows furrowed immediately. “I brought it personally and tasted it beforehand. How could it be—”

“Qianyun…” Chu Xiu clutched her abdomen, feeling waves of sharp pain. She had wanted to say more, but now the pain left her speechless.

A crisp slap rang out. Madam Chi strode forward and struck Qianyun without warning, scolding, “What are you doing? Do you not know the Madam carries the young heir?”

Qianyun was stunned, her flaming cheek covered. “Madam Chi…” She had always served beside the Old Madam; back in Rongjin Hall, Madam Chi had shown her nothing but kindness. Now, this slap—

Madam Chi knew well that Chu Xiu’s pregnancy was a sham, yet she continued to rebuke, “Qianyun, last time you tried to harm the Madam, but out of generosity, she released you from the punishment hall and restored you as the principal maid of Zhiyan Pavilion. And this is how you repay her?”

Qianyun pressed her lips, feeling wronged and stubbornly refusing to answer.

“Madam Chi… please stop.” Chu Xiu’s abdomen twisted with pain, cold sweat beading on her face, her stomach spasming. “I… feel so terrible.”

“Zhuyang! Take her away!” Madam Chi called urgently to Zhuyang, the guard at the door, then quickly supported Chu Xiu. “Madam, bear with it. I’ll fetch Doctor Qu.”

Qianyun, weak as she was, could not hope to resist Zhuyang’s skill; she was subdued in an instant. Forced out, she stared at Chu Xiu with a cold smile. “I should have known you’d never be so magnanimous. I once tried to kill you—how could you ever let me go?”

At that moment, Chu Xiu could barely utter a word, only watching helplessly as Qianyun was taken away. Madam Chi hurriedly ordered someone to summon Doctor Qu.

Soon, Qu Fang arrived in haste. Seeing Chu Xiu pale and wan, he placed a hand on her slender wrist and diagnosed, “It’s nothing serious. Someone tampered with the soup, but the Madam’s life is not in danger.”

Madam Chi, seeing several servants gathered in the hall, signaled Qu Fang with her eyes and asked, “And the pregnancy?”

Qu Fang understood at once, glanced at Chu Xiu, and nodded with a frown. “No harm done.”

Madam Chi pretended to breathe a sigh of relief and quickly called a few maids to help Chu Xiu into her chambers, while Qu Fang prepared some medicine.

Busy until noon, Chu Xiu finally fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke, she was drenched in sweat and her abdomen felt much better; the morning’s stomachache and dizziness had also subsided.

Opening her eyes, she sensed the dampness on her lashes, unsure if it was from tears in her dreams or sweat. She saw several figures moving about—Danxin, Zhuyang, Madam Chi… Behind the screen stood two others, their attire and silhouettes suggesting Qu Fang and Shen Yu.

“The Madam is awake!” Danxin exclaimed, prompting everyone to turn toward the bed.

Chu Xiu, unused to so many people watching over her, struggled to sit up and forced a smile. “Why are you all here?”

“Madam, do you feel better? Is the pain gone?” Danxin’s eyes were red, her voice choked. “Heaven must be blind, never letting you enjoy a few peaceful days!”

Chu Xiu was momentarily dazed, then remembered what had happened. She pressed her forehead and asked, “Where is Qianyun?”

“I’ve sent her to the punishment hall to await judgment,” Madam Chi replied calmly. “That is also the Old Madam’s will.”

Once again, the punishment hall? Chu Xiu opened her mouth to defend Qianyun, but saw Qu Fang step around the screen and approach. “Madam, are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine,” Chu Xiu nodded politely. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Seeing so many—men and women—by her bedside, Chu Xiu felt increasingly uneasy. “I’d like some quiet. Madam Chi and Zhuyang may stay, but the rest please go and rest.” She deliberately glanced at Shen Yu behind the screen; seeing he did not appear, she knew he had his own concerns.

Just then, Shen Yu’s voice came from behind the screen. “Master, let’s go. Let the Madam rest well.”

Qu Fang gave a few more instructions to Chu Xiu, then he and his apprentice departed. Danxin followed, saying, “I’ll go prepare the medicine. Doctor said you must drink it for five days!” With that, she left.

Zhuyang remained at the foot of Chu Xiu’s bed, waiting for orders. Seeing only Madam Chi and himself left in the room, he asked, “Madam, what are your instructions?”

Though Chu Xiu’s face was pale as paper, her beauty could not be concealed. Leaning against the bed, she spoke weakly to Zhuyang, “Go to the punishment hall and release Qianyun. Demote her to a third-class maid in the outer garden of Zhiyan Pavilion.”

She then turned to Madam Chi. “Please report to the Old Madam for me. I still have use for Qianyun and wish to keep her.”

Madam Chi narrowed her eyes in silent contemplation, but ultimately did not refuse. “I understand. I will report to the Old Madam.”

*****

Qianyun spent less than two hours in the punishment hall, emerging unscathed. Still, she was stripped of her title as principal maid and relegated to the outer garden of Zhiyan Pavilion to do menial tasks, chiefly chopping wood and tending fires.

Though Qianyun was usually quiet, she was proud to the bone. Such injustice and humiliation she had never tasted before. Raised by the Old Madam herself and later sent to serve Yun Ci in Zhiyan Pavilion, when had she ever suffered such indignity?

But remembering how Chu Xiu herself had once been demoted to the laundry, Qianyun could now somewhat empathize with her frustration. After being demoted, Qianyun ignored all questioning, suspicion, and distancing from others, focusing solely on her work as firemaid—even Danxin gradually drifted away.

In a flash, Qianyun had endured her demotion for over forty days. Throughout, she remained dignified and self-possessed, tending to her duties and shutting out all people and events, as if resigned to her fate. Zhuying visited her twice, even offering to marry her in accordance with Yun Ci’s last wishes, so she could escape her third-class status.

Yet Qianyun flatly refused him, treating Zhuying with cold indifference; soon, he stopped appearing before her.

“Such a perfectly good match—why did you refuse, Sister Qianyun?” Among the servants of Zhiyan Pavilion, none showed warmth or friendliness to Qianyun, some even avoided her, except for Zhuoyan, who secretly befriended her. Of course, in public, she pretended not to know Qianyun.

Curiously, Qianyun, who had always kept to herself, only associating with Danxin and Zhuying, now accepted Zhuoyan’s approach, revealing none of her former icy resistance and even chatting with her about private matters.

“You think marrying a guard is a good match?” Qianyun wrung out her cloth and wiped her face, asking indifferently.

Zhuoyan smiled. “Depends on the guard. Zhuying was the Marquis’s most trusted bodyguard. Here at the Marquis’s residence, who doesn’t show him respect? Even Steward Yun treats him politely. Who knows, perhaps he’ll be the next chief steward of Yun Manor.”

“Zhuying trained in martial arts since childhood. He knows nothing of clerical work or management; he can’t be the chief steward,” Qianyun replied.

“So it’s his prospects you dislike?” Zhuoyan chuckled, then thought for a moment. “True, it was different when the Marquis was alive. Now that he’s gone, Zhuying’s status is awkward…”

“Don’t mention the Marquis!” Qianyun’s expression changed, for reasons unknown. “The dead are gone. Let’s not talk about them.”

Zhuoyan was taken aback, secretly scoffing at Qianyun for making a fuss. Suddenly, she recalled something and cautiously asked, “When the Madam was alive—well, when my lady first entered the household—I heard Madam Chi say you were chosen by the Old Madam to become the Marquis’s concubine… Is that true?”

“You talk too much!” Qianyun shot her a glance, grabbed the basin she’d used to wash her face, and poured it out into the yard with a splash. Now a third-class maid, she shared a room with others, while Zhuoyan still enjoyed the privileges formerly accorded to Xia Yanran—a first-class maid. Only, Chu Xiu no longer called on her, which suited her just fine.

Zhuoyan noticed that whenever Yun Ci was mentioned, Qianyun’s face darkened, confirming her suspicions. “Don’t mind me, Sister… Chu Xiu owes everything to my lady’s favor. Who knows how she managed to get pregnant, and the Old Madam made her the official wife! It’s not just you who feels aggrieved—I do too, for my lady!”

Qianyun did not echo her, only pressing her lips. “Passing judgment on the mistress will get you sent to the punishment hall.”

Zhuoyan pouted. “It’s just us two—what’s there to fear? That fox-woman dares do such things, but fears others will talk? When the Marquis was alive, she’d lost his favor. Now, where did this pregnancy come from? Who knows whose bastard she’s carrying, scheming to seize the Yun estate!”

“Zhuoyan, that’s enough!” Qianyun scolded coldly. “Another word and you can leave!”

“Sister, are you content? With your looks, is it right to be a third-class maid in Zhiyan Pavilion? You used to be the Old Madam’s and the Marquis’s most favored!” Zhuoyan, seemingly ignorant and fearless, ignored Qianyun and continued, “I didn’t know you well before, but now I see your character. With your nature, how could you put poison in the soup? It’s obvious Chu Xiu is retaliating—first letting you out of the punishment hall as a favor, then condemning you to lifelong disgrace!”

She sneered, her tone chilly. “Attempting to harm the Marquis’s posthumous child—that’s no small crime! If it doesn’t stick this time, there’ll be a next, and another. Sister, do you mean to remain passive, always at her mercy?”

Qianyun had not realized before how sharp Zhuoyan’s tongue was. Knowing this was provocation, she refused to respond. “The Madam released me from the punishment hall and didn’t pursue it further. Stop talking.”

“At this point, you still call her ‘Madam’? What kind of Madam is she?” Zhuoyan was indignant, her voice rising. She glanced out the window, then closed the door tightly, gritting her teeth. “Chu Xiu’s child survived, your crime wasn’t proved. You may escape punishment today, but it won’t last.”

Qianyun didn’t know what else to say, so she kept silent.

Noticing Qianyun’s wavering expression, Zhuoyan pressed, “You don’t want to marry Zhuying, and surely none of the other servants here interest you.”

At this, a shadow passed over Qianyun’s brows and, unable to hold back, she choked out, “I served the Marquis for years—who now could compare to him?” As she spoke, tears threatened to fall.

Zhuoyan sighed in sympathy. “Exactly! If you can’t be with the one you love, why endure such unjust humiliation beneath others?”

‘Beneath others?’ Qianyun realized she had underestimated Zhuoyan’s intentions, and looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, whatever happens, in Yun Manor, if you can’t be a proper mistress, at least be half of one!” Zhuoyan lowered her voice, “If you trust me, come with me tonight.”

She slipped a note into Qianyun’s hand, whispering, “I can’t stay long or people will suspect. Tonight we’ll meet here—I promise you won’t be disappointed.”