Chapter 123: Madness

Xu Yaohui sent Yan Hongwen away and stood in the courtyard, unsure of where to go. The biting winter wind slipped through his collar and into his chest, forcing him to tighten his heavy cloak, yet his heart felt even colder.

"Go to Concubine Liu’s courtyard."

"Master," Chen Cai reminded him, "the Mistress has been here several times, saying she would wait for you all evening."

"I do not wish to see her. I want to be alone." Xu Yaohui’s words shocked Chen Cai. The master had never expressed his disdain for the mistress in front of others before; this time, she must have truly infuriated him.

Xu Yaohui walked straight toward Concubine Liu’s quarters, and Chen Cai hurried to follow with a lantern to light the way.

When Madam Yang learned that the master had gone to rest at Concubine Liu’s, she nearly went mad with rage. That day, she had been slapped hard by Yan Hongwen and then scolded by her husband. She still did not understand what had happened, and now news had arrived that the Liang family was coming to propose a marriage.

Ultimately, all of this was because of that wretched girl, Xu Ruojin. Unfortunately, she had no one to consult with; even Mother Huang, whom she might have turned to, had been sent to attend to that girl. She was left alone, sinking into a void of fear.

Thinking of Yan Hongwen, she could not fathom why she had been struck just for reprimanding a servant girl. If he had taken a fancy to her, why not take her away instead of giving her to the Zhang family? Madam Yang had intended to wait for the master to return and demand an explanation of his plans, but to her dismay, he had gone to Concubine Liu’s and ignored her entirely. What was happening? Had she miscalculated something?

If only Xu Zilin were here; she could have discussed it with her eldest son. But there was only Xu Zimo, who understood nothing and cared only for eating, drinking, and sleeping, avoiding her courtyard whenever possible. Madam Yang felt as though the sky were collapsing; she had no lifeline to grasp. A mixture of inexplicable fear and resentment drove her to the brink of madness.

"I am going to find the Master. I must get to the bottom of this. I am the mistress of this house, at the very least. How can he ignore me like this while being so attentive to that little vixen? What did I do wrong? I am going now!"

With Mother Huang absent, no one could stop her. The maids shrank back, having no choice but to follow the mistress toward the small courtyard. However, before Madam Yang could even leave the house, a maid from Li Qiuping’s side ran in, breathless. "Mistress, the Eldest Young Mistress has been crying out in pain since she finished her meal. The old women in the courtyard say she might be going into labor. Please, fetch a doctor to take a look!"

Madam Yang, already in a foul mood, snapped back, "Going into labor? It’s not her time yet! The manor is already in chaos; is she trying to cause more trouble?"

"The Eldest Young Mistress is truly in pain, Mistress..."

"Get out of my way!" Madam Yang shoved the young maid aside. "Whoever tries to stop me today, I will tear the skin off them!"

The maid stumbled and fell to the side, while Madam Yang hurried toward the backyard. Seeing the mistress leave, the maid did not know what to do. Suddenly, the Second Young Mistress came to mind. Although Xu Ruojin did not manage affairs in the manor, it was known to all the servants that she had a kind heart. Since the mistress refused to help, the master was with Concubine Liu, and the Third Young Master could do nothing, she had no choice but to seek out the Second Young Mistress. With that thought, she ran toward Xu Ruojin’s courtyard.

Xu Ruojin was not asleep either. The words of Liang Xiao kept turning over in her mind. He was a man she could not decipher. He had been the one to save her back then, though that "she" was not the current "her," and she possessed no memories or feelings of the event. Their first interaction after that had been when he came at night seeking the Ruyi jade pendant—a mere passing encounter. Closer contact had only occurred at the Magistrate’s residence, where his rivalry with Zhang Zhongheng had led her to discover a new brewing method and triggered a host of troubles.

Yet, during their recent conversation, Xu Ruojin had felt surprisingly at ease. Looking into his eyes, she felt no need to wonder if he was deceiving her, for he had no reason to do so. The confidence in his gaze, while arrogant and untamed, did not make her feel stifled or suppressed, and the deal had been struck smoothly. But to marry him? That prospect made Xu Ruojin hesitate to call it the best choice. Still, as he had said, marrying him was surely better than marrying Zhang Zhongheng—and it was certainly better than hanging herself with a strip of white silk.

It had been a day of wild, sudden changes. Even lying in bed, she felt as if she were in a dream. How could things have turned out this way?

Thinking of Yan Hongwen, her sense of ease vanished. He had personally struck Madam Yang today; apart from shock, Xu Ruojin felt no satisfaction or joy in the revenge. She was terrified. She had never expected Yan Hongwen to strike Madam Yang on her behalf. At the time, she had been so focused on the standoff between Liang Xiao and Zhang Zhongheng that she had rushed out, but now, looking back, something felt wrong. She recalled Liang Xiao saying that when it came to whom she married, the one who had the final say was the Yan family... His explanation seemed to hold back more than it revealed.

This hollow, unsettled feeling was frustrating. Xu Ruojin tossed and turned again. Suddenly, there were footsteps in the courtyard. Chuncao, who had been listening outside, rose to open the door. Upon hearing the maid's words, she hurried inside.

"She says the Eldest Young Mistress is in severe pain and wants the Second Young Mistress to help fetch a doctor."

Xu Ruojin frowned. "Why come to me? Where is Mother?"

"The Mistress refuses to help and has gone to Concubine Liu’s courtyard. The maid was struck, and not knowing what else to do, she came to you." Chuncao looked distressed. "Should we intervene or not?" The Eldest Young Mistress and the Second Young Mistress had never been on good terms.

"How would we know what to do in such a situation?" Xu Ruojin counted on her fingers. "It seems it is not her time yet. I recall Mother Huang saying it should be in the second month."

Chuncao suggested, "Should we go and ask Mother Huang?"

"Go and wake Mother Huang," Xu Ruojin let out a long breath. "I won't be able to sleep tonight anyway; I cannot ignore this."

Chuncao agreed and immediately took the maid to find Mother Huang. Xu Ruojin rose, dressed in her cotton-padded clothes, wrapped herself in a thick cloak, and went out.

When Mother Huang was suddenly informed of the news, she was instantly jolted from her sleep. Seeing that the Second Young Mistress was already up, she asked in astonishment, "Second Young Mistress, where are you going?"

"To check on the Eldest Sister-in-law's courtyard," Xu Ruojin said. "I am completely in the dark and have no idea what to do; I must rely on you, Mother Huang."

"This old servant doesn't know either!" Seeing Xu Ruojin glare at her, Mother Huang quickly added, "It is not that I fear taking responsibility, but we should hurry to find a doctor and a midwife."

Xu Ruojin urged, "Then why haven't you gone yet?"

"If the Mistress does not give the order, what if it turns out the Eldest Young Mistress is not truly in labor? The money..."

The maid was frantic, stomping her feet. "The Eldest Young Mistress has never cried out in such pain before, and the women in the courtyard all say she is going to give birth."

"Go find them first!" Xu Ruojin knitted her brows. "Forget about the money for now; a human life is at stake!"

Mother Huang immediately complied, and Xu Ruojin hurried toward Li Qiuping’s courtyard. Before she even reached her, she could hear heart-wrenching screams.

"It is bad! The Eldest Young Mistress's water has broken; she is truly going into labor!"