Not long after, the voice of a maid came from outside—it was Prince Huai’an, coming to visit the mother and daughter.
Madam Xu quickly went out to greet him, beaming with joy as she bowed.
Chen En took her hand, smiling as he asked, “Hui Niang, are you satisfied with the courtyard?”
Madam Xu replied, “It’s very nice.”
The two entered the main hall, where Chen Jiao came forward, saluted, and called out, “Father.”
Chen En nodded and said, “From now on, this will be your shelter, a place where you won’t have to suffer anymore.”
Madam Xu, acting coy, said, “Chen Lang, you must keep your word.”
Chen En said firmly, “I would never deceive you.”
Not wanting to spoil their mood, Chen Jiao quietly stepped out to give them privacy.
She returned to her chamber and busied herself with unpacking her clothes.
Before long, she heard the sound of Madam Xu singing.
Chen Jiao paused what she was doing and tilted her head, listening.
After so many years, Madam Xu had resumed her old ways, using the skills she had learned at Baitang to charm men once again.
Chen Jiao felt a complex mix of emotions.
Madam Xu’s voice was no longer as melodious as it once was, or perhaps, to Prince Huai’an, what he was really listening to was not her voice but their past memories.
But as time passed and the novelty wore off, what means would she have left to hold onto him?
That night, Chen En stayed in Lixiang Courtyard, and the news quickly spread among the concubines in the manor.
In the secondary residence of Qiuxiang Pavilion, Li Chunqin silently drank her ginseng soup while listening to her maid whispering about the latest events.
Li Shi had entered the manor even earlier than the legal wife, having been promoted from a serving maid to a concubine.
She had given birth to three sons for Prince Huai’an and was even a year older than him.
Prince Huai’an was famously amorous, and Li Shi had long since stopped being surprised by his affairs.
Unlike Madam Zheng, she lacked the backing of a powerful family and thus did not have the confidence to act proud.
However, she held a trump card—the eldest legitimate son.
Before Madam Zheng entered the manor, she had already borne Chen En his first and second sons.
Now, all three of her children were well-favored by their father’s elders, solidifying her position.
While warming her bed with a heated brick, the maid Zhidong grumbled, “The sun must be rising in the west today—look at what’s happening in Jinyu Courtyard!”
Li Shi, her face thin and slightly sickly after years of poor health, frequently relied on ginseng soup for nourishment and rarely concerned herself with household affairs.
Hearing Zhidong’s complaint, she smiled faintly and said, “Since a newcomer has arrived in the manor, go to the storeroom tomorrow and take two bolts of fabric to send over.”
Zhidong turned her head and said, “Mistress, you truly have a good temperament, not even the least bit upset.”
Li Shi replied, “I have reached the age of understanding fate—why should I still care about such things?”
After a brief pause, she added, “Tomorrow, let the sixth household pay them a visit. I heard that Ba Niang is the same age as the new girl, only a few months older. It might be good for them to get acquainted.”
Zhidong’s eyes gleamed with mischief as she smirked, “People of the same age will certainly have plenty to talk about.”
Li Shi merely smiled without responding.
The next morning, Madam Xu personally attended to Chen En as he prepared to leave for his duties at the government office.
Later that morning, the legal wife sent a welcoming gift, including bolts of fabric and jewelry.
Shortly after, the second household also sent over two bolts of high-quality fabric.
Then, Third Madam Yue personally visited.
It had been her idea to push the troublesome Jiaozhou marriage onto Madam Xu and her daughter, so she had come to assess the situation.
Madam Xu, despite having endured much hardship at Baitang, had no experience with the inner struggles of a noble household.
She had no idea about their hidden schemes.
She spent the entire morning entertaining the various concubines, only finding a moment of peace around noon.
Meanwhile, Chen Jiao had been gathering information from the servant women and now had a clear understanding of the household.
Including her mother, there were a total of nine wives and concubines in the manor.
She also learned that Prince Huai’an had over twenty living children and had meticulously mapped out which concubine had given birth to whom.
Privately, Chen Jiao scoffed at how scandalously amorous Prince Huai’an was.
Madam Xu, though she had mentally prepared herself, was still shaken by the reality.
She tried to console herself by saying, “Men are all more or less the same.”
Chen Jiao felt helpless.
Having watched plenty of palace intrigue dramas, she was no stranger to the hidden power struggles of the inner court.
She asked seriously, “Mother, with so many women sharing Father’s affection, can you really endure this?”
Madam Xu paused for a moment and did not answer directly. Instead, she said, “I am merely a concubine. If even the legal wife can endure it, why shouldn’t I?”
Chen Jiao responded sternly, “That’s different. At least she is the main wife, while you are only a concubine—and you don’t even have a child to support your status.”
Madam Xu replied, “I heard that the fourth household has no children either. At least I have you, so what’s there to fear?”
Chen Jiao was momentarily speechless, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
Madam Xu, however, remained optimistic. “No matter what, life will certainly be much better than before.”
Chen Jiao couldn’t argue with that.
Madam Xu continued, “Since we are here, we should settle in. Right now, I don’t have any big ambitions—my only wish is to find you a good marriage.”
Chen Jiao replied, “Until we have secured our footing, I won’t feel at ease leaving you alone in this household.”
Madam Xu was touched by her concern and smiled.
“My daughter still cares for her mother.”
That afternoon, Zhao Wan’er from the sixth household came to visit.
Madam Zhao, who was in her early thirties, had given birth to one daughter and two sons.
She had deliberately brought Chen Ba Niang, also known as Chen Chan, to visit.
Chen Chan was the same age as Chen Jiao but was born a few months earlier and was already engaged.
While the two young women chatted in the side chamber, Madam Zhao and Madam Xu sat in another room, making small talk.
When the topic turned to Chen Chan’s engagement, Madam Zhao’s round face was full of satisfaction.
She said, “The Gu family in Huizhou is a well-established noble clan. Back then, I had to plead for a long time before the master finally approved this marriage.”
Madam Xu admired her fortune and said, “That is truly a blessing for Ba Niang.”
Madam Zhao smiled, took a sip of her tea, and then deliberately added, “But compared to Fifth Miss’s marriage, it doesn’t quite measure up.”
Curious, Madam Xu asked, “Oh? Why is that?”
Madam Zhao replied, “In a short while, Fifth Miss will be married off to Jiaozhou, and her husband is none other than the governor of Jiaozhou.”
Madam Xu was filled with admiration. “Becoming the wife of a governor! That’s remarkable!”
She paused for a moment before adding innocently, “Her husband must be a talented and promising young man.”
Madam Zhao chuckled behind her hand and lowered her voice, saying, “Elder sister, you must be joking. One does not become a governor simply by being young.”
Madam Xu was momentarily stunned before she realized the underlying implication.
Madam Zhao gestured for her to come closer, and when Madam Xu leaned in, she whispered, “That governor of Jiaozhou is already over fifty.”
Madam Xu was utterly shocked and blurted out in disbelief, “But I heard that Fifth Miss is only eighteen?”
Madam Zhao nodded.
Madam Xu’s worldview was momentarily shattered.
An eighteen-year-old marrying a fifty-one-year-old?
That man could practically be her father!
Her face was filled with incredulity as she gave Madam Zhao a strange look.
Madam Zhao simply wore an expression of quiet amusement, looking as though she knew far more than she was letting on.
Madam Xu had more questions on her mind, but Madam Zhao skillfully ended the conversation, leaving things unsaid.
Later that day, after Madam Zhao had left, Madam Xu’s eyelid kept twitching.
Even though she wasn’t particularly sharp-witted, she could sense that something was very wrong.
Chen Jiao, too, had learned about the engagement from Chen Chan and had pieced together the full picture.
Madam Xu was in a panic, pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.
She turned to her daughter and said, “You were right! A weasel wishing a chicken a happy New Year—there’s no good intention behind it!”
Chen Jiao sat at the edge of the bed, gazing out of the window. “Mother, you need to find a way to ask Father for a couple of personal servants.”
All the maids and old servants in the courtyard had been assigned by the main house.
They had no one truly loyal to them.
Madam Xu, now realizing the precariousness of their situation, nodded. “No wonder the main wife was being so warm to us. She was setting a trap for me!”
Chen Jiao didn’t reply.
Madam Xu folded her arms and paced the room, muttering to herself, “She doesn’t want to marry off her own daughter, so now she wants to push the trouble onto me?
“I’ll speak to your father tomorrow! It’s outrageous to bully us like this just as we’ve entered the manor!”
She said this loudly, deliberately making sure the maids outside could hear.
Chen Jiao, too, felt an urgent sense of unease.
This marriage arrangement with Jiaozhou was clearly a political alliance—there was no other reason it would be so absurd.
At first, they had hoped that entering Prince Huai’an’s manor would bring them a life of comfort.
But now, their hopes had been completely dashed by the harsh reality.
A strong sense of crisis welled up within Chen Jiao.
Chen Chan had already told her that among the suitable young women in the household, there were only three:
The eldest daughter of the main wife, Chen Xianle from the first house.
Chen Lianjun from the third house.
And now, herself—Chen Jiao.
The bride for the old governor of Jiaozhou would inevitably be chosen from among the three of them.
Chen Jiao felt an intense urge to curse.
Now, the real challenge was figuring out how to deflect this disaster away from herself.