maidservant

Chapter 127 Marriage is never won by a woman's virtue and tolerance.

Xiaoyue gave birth to a daughter after a difficult labor. The midwife happily announced the good news: "Congratulations, Madam, on the birth of your precious daughter!"

Li Mao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. His eyes reddened, and he hurried into the inner hall. He saw that although Xiao Yue's face was pale, she was full of gentle smiles. The baby in her swaddling clothes was crying clearly, and her little hands were waving in the air.

Li Mao's voice trembled with excitement: "Thank you for your hard work, Madam!"

A few days later, Li Mao was overjoyed and set up a celebratory family banquet in the courtyard.

After several rounds of drinks, in high spirits, he rose, drew his sword, and began to practice in the courtyard. His movements were agile and graceful, his sword flashing, sometimes like a dragon emerging from the sea, sometimes like an eagle spreading its wings, drawing cheers from the crowd.

After the dance, Li Mao sheathed his sword and stood up, his face full of pride, and said to the crowd:

"My daughter, named Li Yuan, is my legitimate daughter, the apple of my eye!"

"Good! Brother Li, what is your interpretation of the character '鸢'?" someone asked, cheering.

"I suppose Brother Li is afraid that his daughter will marry far away in the future, so he just wants to stay by her side like a kite holding a string!"

"The kite is not a paper kite, but an eagle soaring through the nine heavens. My beloved wife and I hope that she will have lofty aspirations, be free and fearless, and not be bound by worldly constraints in the future!"

After he finished speaking, everyone praised him, and laughter echoed in the courtyard, filled with the joy of new life and expectations for the future.

---

That day, a servant from a wealthy family came to the clinic and asked Yunshan to come and take the pulse of their lady.

Yunshan packed her medicine chest and hurried with the servants to the wealthy merchant's house. Deep inside, Yunshan was led into a luxuriously furnished but oppressive room.

The lady leaned against the couch, her face pale and her expression weary. Yunshan carefully took her pulse, her brows furrowing slightly. The lady's condition was caused by liver qi stagnation and excessive worry.

While writing the prescription, Yunshan couldn't help but offer a few more words of advice, telling the lady to relax and not to worry about everything. The lady nodded with a wry smile, her eyes full of helplessness.

Over the next period of time, Yunshan frequently came to give the lady a follow-up visit and gradually learned about the untold stories within this secluded mansion.

The lady's surname was Su, and her given name was Wanqing. She came from a scholarly family and was well-versed in poetry and literature from a young age. She was dignified and virtuous.

When she married into this wealthy family, she thought she was a good match, a good wife and mother, and could live a peaceful life. But she never expected to fall into the quagmire of domestic life.

The wealthy merchant was named Zhao Hongye. He had a very large business and many wives and concubines.

After Wanqing joined the family, she maintained her gentle and kind nature, treating everyone with great kindness and generosity.

She devoted herself to managing the household affairs, keeping everything in perfect order. She also helped the other concubines whenever she could, never putting on airs as the mistress of the house.

At first, she thought that as long as she was virtuous and tolerant enough, she could win harmony in the family and respect from her husband.

However, reality dealt her a heavy blow.

Seeing that she was easy to talk to, the concubines gradually became emboldened and fearless.

Some deliberately acted jealous and quarrelsome in front of her, crying and making a scene; others secretly used underhanded tactics to sow discord between her and her husband.

Among them was a concubine named Lü Qi, who was the most favored.

Luqi came from a poor family, but she was born with a charming appearance and was good at flattering others. Relying on Zhao Hongye's favor, she acted recklessly in the mansion and was also very disrespectful to Wanqing.

On one occasion, in an attempt to curry favor with Zhao Hongye, Lüqi deliberately mentioned in front of him her desire to host a grand flower-viewing banquet, and even hypocritically said:

"Sister, managing the household is always hard work. I'll take care of things at this banquet so you can get some rest." Wanqing knew that Lüqi wanted to take the opportunity to show off, but she still smiled and agreed.

Unexpectedly, on the day of the flower viewing banquet, Lüqi deliberately arranged some tricky programs and instructed the servants to make mistakes in the arrangements so that Wanqing would be embarrassed in front of the guests.

The guests whispered and gossiped among themselves, making Wanqing extremely embarrassed. She could only force a smile to keep up the awkwardness.

When Zhao Hongye learned of this, he not only did not blame Lüqi, but instead complained that Wanqing had not done a good job organizing the banquet. Wanqing felt wronged, but could only swallow her grievances silently.

What pained Wanqing even more was that Zhao Hongye seemed never to be satisfied with the wives and concubines at home.

Every time he proposed taking a concubine, Wanqing, though heartbroken, still chose to compromise.

She thought that as long as she was magnanimous enough, her husband would eventually see her good qualities. But every time she was tolerant, all she got in return was a brief praise from her husband, before he turned around and continued to philander.

On one occasion, Zhao Hongye met a singing girl outside and insisted on taking her as his concubine.

Wanqing was heartbroken, but she still followed the rules and arranged for her husband to take a concubine. She thought that her husband would restrain himself as a result, but not long after, Zhao Hongye began to go out frequently again and ignored his family.

In this kind of life, Wanqing's condition worsened day by day. Looking at the increasingly haggard Wanqing, Yunshan couldn't help but advise her:
"Madam, please don't keep torturing yourself like this. Marriage is never something that can be perfected by virtue and tolerance alone. You should also think about yourself and regain your self-confidence."

Wanqing shook her head with a bitter smile: "What can I do? This deep mansion is my prison. I have long since lost the strength to resist."

Yunshan looked at Wanqing with a pang of pity: "Madam, you come from a scholarly family, and your talent is your source of confidence. In this family, you are the rightful mistress, and you should show your dignity as the mistress and not let those people bully you at will."

Wanqing's heart stirred upon hearing Yunshan's words. These days, under the oppression of the inner quarters, she had long forgotten her origins and her former pride.

She thought of the books she had read and the principles she had learned in her childhood. Was she really going to spend the rest of her life in this endless grievance?

From then on, Wanqing began to change. She no longer tolerated the unreasonable behavior of her concubines, and disciplined them when necessary.

Luqi continued to provoke Wanqing frequently, and once again spoke rudely to her in front of everyone.

This time, Wanqing did not remain silent, but instead sternly rebuked her:

"You are a concubine, yet you do not know your place and act recklessly. If I continue to indulge you today, what rules will remain in this mansion?" Green Qi was intimidated by Wan Qing's imposing manner and was speechless for a moment.

When Zhao Hongye learned of this, he wanted to support Lüqi, but he found that Wanqing's words were all reasonable and her attitude was resolute, which was completely different from her previous weakness.

He neither flattered nor fawned. A sense of awe even arose in his heart towards Wanqing.

Wanqing resumed managing the household affairs, keeping the accounts clear and making reasonable adjustments to household expenses and servant arrangements.

She also used her talents to advise Zhao Hongye and offered some unique insights into business.

Zhao Hongye then realized that his wife was not just a docile housekeeper, but possessed extraordinary wisdom and ability.

Gradually, the atmosphere in the household changed. The concubines no longer dared to act recklessly, and the servants began to treat Wanqing with respect again.

Zhao Hongye's attitude towards Wanqing has also changed significantly. In the past ten days or so, he has begun to re-examine his wife who has been with him for many years, and his contempt has gradually been replaced by respect and appreciation.

Looking at the changes in her home, Wanqing felt a mix of emotions. She finally understood that in these complex relationships, women need to have their own principles and bottom lines, and know how to protect their dignity and rights.

And she finally seemed to have found her footing again in the quagmire of the inner quarters.

But fate did not always favor this woman.