Young widow in her boudoir

Xie Rutang took the medicine from the old lady and had her maid take it back to Cuiwu Courtyard, where she brewed it and drank it that night.

Who would have thought that this morning, Pei's daughter-in-law, Gu Zhifei, sent her an invitation. She had mentioned it yesterday when she was celebrating the Qixi Festival at the Shen family's house, inviting Xie Rutang to the Pei residence to drink flower tea in her courtyard.

Only Xie Rutang was invited; even Ye Wanyu, who was in charge of the household, did not receive an invitation.

When the news reached Yunyue Courtyard, Ye Wanyu was so angry that her heart was churning and she could hardly contain her anger.

The Pei family is such a prestigious and illustrious clan, and Gu Zhifei comes from a prominent family. Why would she specifically invite Xie Rutang, a widow, to her boudoir for tea and a small gathering?

How could Xie Rutang possibly be a good match for him?

She had no husband to rely on and was in a lowly position, so how could she possibly be expected to be treated with such favor by the young mistress of the Pei family?

Gu Zhifei's actions were clearly an attempt to elevate Xie Rutang, leaving Xie Rutang, the matriarch of the Shen family, out in the cold. If word got out, others would think that Ye Wanyu had lost her influence in the household.

Ultimately, it was just that Xie Rutang was lucky and was more to Gu Zhifei's liking.

Ye Wanyu was extremely jealous, but she couldn't do anything about it. In the past, whenever Gu Zhifei came to the Shen family, she would always go to great lengths to entertain her, but Gu Zhifei looked down on her behavior at all, feeling that she was too obsequious and had too much ulterior motive.

She worried that if Xie Rutang really got Gu Zhifei's help in the future, it would be even more difficult to control Xie Rutang.

Tao Lu came over and massaged her shoulders, comforting her, "Madam, there's no need to worry. I suppose Madam Gu is just kind-hearted. Seeing the First Madam's miserable situation, she was moved by compassion and invited her over for a short while. Besides, Madam Xie is just a widow with no man to rely on. What trouble can she possibly cause in the Shen family?"

"In the Shen family, it is still the madam who calls the shots."

Ye Wanyu thought about it and agreed, then sighed.

But she just couldn't stand Xie Rutang getting any advantage.

……

Xie Rutang applied her makeup and styled her hair. Because she was going to the Pei residence, she chose the most flattering and elegant dress from her wardrobe. Then, she rode in a sedan chair under the blazing sun. The Shen and Pei residences were very close, separated by only two main streets, and she arrived at the Pei residence at noon.

Jin Yue held an umbrella for her and helped her inside; Xie Rutang was still feeling unwell.

As the sedan curtain was lifted, the majestic vermilion gate and two stone lions came into view, exuding an imposing and solemn aura.

The Pei residence was Pei Zhiheng's home.

She was taken aback for a moment.

Since their lovemaking last night, Pei Zhiheng went to the Dali Temple for joint trial and didn't sleep all night. He even went to the palace early this morning. The assassination of a member of the imperial family has shocked and angered the emperor. This is a major disaster that has attracted the attention of the whole country. He probably won't be going back to the Shen family during the day.

This was not her first time visiting the Pei residence. The steward recognized her as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family and had a servant warmly lead her into the residence.

Upon entering the Pei residence, one could see servants in blue robes everywhere.

The Shen family has gradually declined to the edge of the aristocratic families, only appearing wealthy on the surface, while the Pei family is full of profound heritage accumulated over generations.

Xie Rutang walked through layers of corridors and courtyards, and then through the winding paths of the Pei residence's backyard. It took her a long time to finally reach Gu Zhifei's Yunhua Courtyard.

Upon arriving at Yunhua Courtyard, Gu Zhifei's personal maid greeted her with a smile, "Madam, the eldest madam of the Shen family has arrived."

This was Xie Rutang's first time visiting Gu Zhifei's place. Every flower and tree in the courtyard was exquisite, and many of Gu Zhifei's favorite mimosa flowers were specially planted there.

Upon entering, one sees that the room is filled with precious items collected from various prefectures and cities. Young Master Pei Xuannan has put a lot of thought and care into his wife, showering her with love and affection, which makes Xie Rutang envious.

She was a little reserved.

Gu Zhifei was wearing a light crimson plain silk jacket with lotus patterns and a white brocade skirt. When she saw her, she led her to sit on the daybed together. "You've finally arrived. Don't be shy. Make yourself at home. We're family."

Then the maidservant served flower tea, using expensive tea leaves.

Such tea is something Xie Rutang would normally be reluctant to drink. After she became a widow, the good things the Shen family gave her became less and less.

Besides tea, the table was also decorated with exquisite pastries and dishes for serving tea, snacks and fruits. All of them were fine and precious porcelain, and each had a different shape. For example, shallow plates with a diamond-shaped rim were used for pastries, begonia-shaped cups were used for lotus seed sweet soup, and lotus leaf-shaped cups were used for wisteria cakes.

Gu Zhifei was embroidering a handkerchief in her hand, and the auspicious deer on it was slowly taking shape. It was probably embroidered for her husband, but she had embroidered the deer to look more like a horse. "I asked you to come here just to keep me company and relieve my boredom. Please give me some pointers on needlework."

It turned out to be the case.

Xie Rutang smiled gently, "Since Sister Gu thinks highly of me, I will make a fool of myself."

At noon, Gu Zhifei followed her and began to learn. As she worked with the silk thread, she felt a little embarrassed as she spoke, “My needlework skills have always been lacking, and even my husband often teases me about it. I also have two concubines in the house, so I am inevitably worried and don’t want them to see my shortcomings. That’s why I thought of asking you to teach me some needlework skills.”

In the two years since Gu Zhifei married into the Pei family, she and Pei Xuannan have been deeply in love, so much so that others envy them. Pei Xuannan once promised to be with her for life, so how come he now has a concubine?

Gu Zhifei paused her embroidery needle, a forlorn smile appearing on her beautiful and pitiful face. "To tell you the truth, I've been married into the Pei family for two years, and my belly hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy. Xuan Nan's mother is anxious to become a grandmother, so she's started finding fault with me in every way."

"Although Xuan Nan didn't say anything, I know he's being pressured by his mother. Rather than letting his mother arrange concubines for him, it's better for me, as his wife, to be more magnanimous and arrange it myself. This way, I can also earn a reputation as a virtuous wife in the Pei family."

Xie Rutang felt a pang of sadness. Gu Zhifei seemed glamorous on the surface, but she never expected that she had such a difficult life behind the scenes.

No wonder Gu Zhifei wanted to confide in her; these were the only things she could confide in this widow, who was in a similarly difficult situation. Gu Zhifei didn't want to be looked down upon by the concubines, so she took this opportunity to ask her for needlework advice.

Xie Rutang was momentarily dazed.

She and Shen Yuan's engagement was quite similar to Pei Xuannan and Gu Zhifei's; they had a deep affection for each other and were a loving couple.

If Shen Yuan hadn't died in battle, perhaps she would have shared the same fate as Gu Zhifei, with the idea that her husband wouldn't take a concubine remaining just a fantasy.

Gu Zhifei continued embroidering the handkerchief, smiled, and said, "Now, I've come to terms with it."

"Xuan Nan is a lustful man. Sometimes when he gets excited, he wants me several times a night. I am weak and can't handle it. It would be better to let him spend the night with other women and distract him from his ox-like energy."

Xie Rutang looked at the gentle smile on her face, but whether it was genuine or not, he didn't know. The smile, however, was faintly illuminated by the sunlight.

Let's not talk about this anymore.

Gu Zhifei put down her embroidery frame and patted her hand affectionately. "I don't like your sister-in-law, Ye Wanyu. She's obsequious and scheming. But I took a liking to you at first sight. Now that you're spending your days observing mourning at the Shen family, you'll often come to my Yunhua Courtyard to sit and chat. Wouldn't it be nice if we two daughters-in-law could have a good chat?"

Xie Rutang smiled and said, "Alright, I'll do as Sister Gu says."

The two chatted about everyday things inside the house. Gu Zhifei talked about Pei Xuannan's job at the Commander of the Guards, saying that her husband's job was too tiring and exhausting. He would come back covered in sweat every night. But if he could endure two more years at the Commander of the Guards, he would be able to get promoted, not to mention the support of the Pei family.

As they were talking, Gu Zhifei suddenly brought up her uncle, Pei Zhiheng.

While Xie Rutang was having tea at her place in the afternoon, she listened to Gu Zhifei talk a lot about the man's childhood.