Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Framing (4)
Lady had already heard about Sixing’s matter, and as soon as the concubine came, she put on a stern face and said, "Why did you keep that girl? No matter what your intentions are, you don’t need to tell me, I will not agree!" The concubine then laughed, sat closer, and held the Lady’s arm, saying, "It’s true that our sisterhood is close; you always know what’s on my mind." The Lady’s expression did not improve because of her words.
The concubine shifted her gaze, let go of the Lady’s arm, and wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, then started sobbing quietly. The Lady frowned, visibly displeased: "What are you crying about now!" The concubine showed her red eyes and said to the Lady, "Sister, I am not afraid of becoming a laughingstock to you. Do you know what I saw in Tianqing’s room today?" The Lady was taken aback and asked, "What?"
The concubine replied, "Identity documents! They belong to him and Sixth Girl..." She paused and watched the Lady’s face change. She continued, "Is there a need to say what this means? They’re planning to elope! Luckily, it was discovered early; if it had been any later, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The reputation that you and I have built over decades could be utterly ruined!"
The Lady sat upright in shock: "Is this true?" The concubine replied, "Of course! I still have those documents now."
The Lady’s anger flared, and she cursed, "This shameless thing dares to do such a thing, bringing shame to the Tong Mansion!" The Lady called to Nanny Fang: "Go, fetch that girl for me." The concubine quickly stopped the Lady, saying, "Sister, hold on a moment!" The Lady paused and looked at her.
The concubine said, "If you call her here, what will you do if she doesn’t admit it? And what if she does? After all, she is a daughter of the Tong Mansion. If this matter gets out, Fourth Girl’s reputation could be implicated!"
The Lady’s expression turned cold as she looked at the concubine and said, "Then tell me, how should it be handled?!" The concubine smiled and said, "To say it’s easy is quite easy, but to say it’s difficult is indeed hard. You could poison her and declare it an illness to the outside world. However, with her death, both Madam Xia and Seventh must go too. This kind of big commotion cannot be explained to the First Master... But if you simply marry her off, where would you find such a family on short notice?!" The Lady raised her eyebrows, listening to the concubine, who continued: "Sister, why not give her to Tianqing to be his concubine? You have always cared for Tianqing as if he were Shenzhi. Now seeing him like this must pain you as it does me. Since Sixth Girl is difficult to handle, why not just give her to him? You don’t need to openly marry her off and make everyone know. Just carry her out on a palanquin at night, and once she’s in Shandong, if I don’t mention it, who will know she was a lady of the Tong Mansion?"
"You have quite the scheme," the Lady said coldly, "Are you aware that the Tong Mansion has a rule against daughters becoming someone’s concubine? If I give her to you, how will I explain it to the First Master?!" The concubine dismissed this concern and said, "Sister, aren’t you just confused? The person is still alive; the deed will be done. It’s not like she will become a disgrace to the First Master, and even if he loves his daughter, he won’t forsake you, his rightful wife, will he? He might be angry for a while, but it’s better than having that girl before your eyes."
The Lady’s eyes flickered. The concubine knew the Lady was tempted and lowered her voice, saying, "With her looks, she’ll only stand out more as she gets older. The Marquis once noticed her, and who knows, one day even Master Zhou might take a fancy to her. Fourth Girl holds her in high regard. Wouldn’t this break her heart and add to your troubles?"
"Enough!" The Lady snapped, "I will not agree." She knew her sister’s character well enough. Despite the numerous advantages she claimed, one truth remained: she couldn’t stomach her illegitimate daughter becoming her son’s concubine.
But as for Sixth Girl... she mustn’t stay any longer. Perhaps this opportunity should be seized... She looked over at Nanny Fang, who also showed a serious expression!
The concubine grew fearful and, remembering Xu Tianqing, stood up and cheerfully said, "Sister, if you find this difficult to handle, let me talk to Sixth Girl tomorrow. If I can make her agree, then even if the First Master returns, the blame won’t fall on you, the rightful mother!"
If Sixth Girl shamelessly agrees, the First Master indeed cannot blame her!
Seeing that the Lady remained silent, the concubine smiled and walked out: "I’ll head back first. Tomorrow morning, you needn’t say a word; I have my ways!" The Lady watched her, squinting slightly.
As the sky gradually brightened, Xiqiu, after freshening up, took Chunyan to the Lady’s room.
The Lady had already gotten up and was eating breakfast at the table. When she saw her come in, she didn’t raise her head. Only after Nanny Fang served her half a bowl of porridge did she wash up and stand. Xiqiu accepted the tea brought by Daihe and offered it to the Lady. The Lady then looked at her and said, "Why are you here so early?!"
Xiqiu lowered her head and replied, "Sixing didn’t return all night, and I don’t know where she went... I couldn’t sleep well, tossing and turning with many dreams. My eyelids kept twitching when I woke up this morning. I felt uneasy, so I came to Mother early."
"Oh?" The Lady raised an eyebrow at her. "What did you dream about?" Xiqiu showed a worried expression, quickly glancing at the Lady before replying, "I dreamt of Xing, crying endlessly with no one to comfort him... I wanted to reach out and hold him but couldn’t move, feeling anxious... Xing cried even more fiercely... I kept dreaming like this for half the night, and when I woke in the latter half, couldn’t fall back asleep."
The Lady’s face changed drastically. She thought of Xing, left alone in the Marquis Mansion, whom she hadn’t seen for days despite missing him. But her pride kept her from visiting him. Xiqiu’s words made her heart tremble with pain, yet she showed no emotion: "It’s just a dream! Xing will be the Princely Heir, enjoying a life of luxury in the Marquis Mansion, cared for by the Grand Dowager. Why think such thoughts?"
Xiqiu nodded, her face still pale, with dark circles under her eyes: "Mother is right; I was overthinking!" The Lady tactfully avoided discussing Sixing’s matter.
At this moment, the curtain lifted, and Tong Xiyan, along with Tong Xiyu, entered. Tong Xiyu had lost a lot of weight; the once tall and thin person now seemed just a frame holding him up, with lifeless eyes as he saluted the Lady and stood silently behind her.
It seemed that the failed marriage proposal from the Marquis Mansion had hit her the hardest, not the Lady!
Tong Xiyan sat beside the Lady, her face showing little emotion. The Lady scolded with a stern face, "What’s wrong with each of you, wearing such expressions all day..." She looked at Tong Xiyan and said, "There’s nothing for you here, take Eighth Sister back."