My Husband Never Oversteps The Bounds Of Propriety - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Rising to Power

Over the next three days, a deceptive calm gradually settled over the Su Manor. The lingering festive mood of the New Year had not entirely vanished; servants continued their routine cleaning, and the masters of each branch maintained their daily respects and social calls. Yet, it felt as though something had shifted as if, within the silence, something was poised to happen at any moment.

Shen Jiuyuan dared not slacken. When she left Moyun Studio that night, Su Jin had enigmatically remarked: “I allowed you to rise, not to oppose your husband.”

At the time, she had been startled. For Su Jin to say such a thing proved that he did not necessarily trust her a hundred percent as a loyal and reliable confidante. Following his instructions, she maintained a facade of relaxation while keeping a tight internal guard. She handled household affairs daily and learned etiquette from Matron Yan, even accepting an invitation from the Second Mistress, Lady Wang, to taste new tea at the Splendid Pavilion. Her behavior betrayed no anomaly.

Only upon returning to Yuanlan Pavilion and dismissing her attendants would she and Matron Yan meticulously deduce every possible contingency, verifying the deployment and dispatch of the manor guards. The black iron token was kept close to her person, a constant reminder of the heavy burden on her shoulders.

Su Jin, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen. According to Rong San, the Eldest Young Master had been in the outer study for several days, conferring with his trusted managers; even his meals were served there.

Time suddenly slowed to an unbearable crawl. Even someone as calm and steady as Shen Jiuyuan felt a twinge of anxiety. Su Jin had said he would act in three days, but she did not know how he had arranged things. Although she had fortified the manor to ensure his rear was secure, she still feared her own inexperience might lead to a slip-up.

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if she arranged everything perfectly, what if Su Jin met with failure on his end? Recalling their few collaborations, she felt Su Jin was a formidable man with deep calculations; since her arrival at the manor, he had seemingly never failed in anything he handled. Yet, despite these thoughts, she couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for him. They were in the same boat now; her worry for him was rooted in the reality that if one thread was pulled, the whole web would move.

“Eldest Young Grandmother, at times like this, the more one must be at peace. The Eldest Young Master is surely a man of great propriety,” Matron Yan advised carefully, seeing Jiuyuan’s restlessness.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind high. Thick, swirling clouds covered the sky, and the stars were dim. The lanterns hanging in the corridors of each courtyard flickered in the night breeze, casting long, swaying shadows.

Just past the Hour of the Dog (around 8:00 PM), Shen Jiuyuan used the excuse of physical indisposition to extinguish the lamps in the main house of Yuanlan Pavilion early, leaving only a single pea-sized flame in the inner chamber. She did not sleep but sat fully dressed on the chaise longue by the window, holding a book she wasn’t reading, her ears strained for any unusual sound outside. Matron Yan stayed in the room, accompanying her.

Tonight was no ordinary night. Lily and other trusted maids were positioned in the outer room and near the courtyard gate, pretending to do needlework or keep watch, while actually remaining alert to the surroundings.

Near the end of the Hour of the Boar (around 11:00 PM), most of the lights in the manor went out as it fell into slumber. Only the monotonous sound of the night-watch matron’s clapper and the long cry of the watchman occasionally pierced the silence.

The Hour of the Zi (midnight) was approaching.

Shen Jiuyuan could clearly hear her heart pounding against her eardrums like a drum. She set down the book, walked to the window, and pushed the shutter open just a sliver. The desolate night wind rushed in, carrying the scent of soil and a touch of dampness. From the direction of the front court, there seemed to be the faintest sound of hurried footsteps and low, indistinct voices, quickly swallowed by the wind.

Su Jin must have made his move.

Almost simultaneously, outside Yuanlan Pavilion at the end of the covered walkway leading deep into the inner court, several flickering torches suddenly appeared. Accompanied by a flurry of hurried but deliberately softened footsteps, they were heading in this direction.

“They are here,” Matron Yan’s low voice sounded behind her, carrying a trace of cold murderous intent.

Shen Jiuyuan took a deep breath, closed the window, and sat back down on the couch. Her expression regained its calm as she commanded softly: “Proceed according to plan.”

A moment later, the panicked voice of the night-watch matron sounded at the gate: “Who is it? At this hour…”

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a sharp female voice: “Impudent thing! You dare block my path? Move! I have urgent business with the Eldest Young Grandmother!”

It was the voice of a prominent matron surnamed Qian from Qiyun Pavilion, a confidante of the Third Mistress, Lady Zhao.

The courtyard gate was forced open. Amidst the flickering torchlight, Matron Qian charged in leading four or five sturdy women who were clearly not ordinary inner-court servants. Two terrified small maids from Qiyun Pavilion followed behind with lanterns.

“Eldest Young Grandmother! Has the Eldest Young Grandmother retired? Something terrible has happened!” Matron Qian’s voice arrived before she did, carrying a manufactured panic as she rushed straight toward the main house.

Lily and two maids hurried forward to block her. “Matron Qian, what are you doing in the middle of the night? The Eldest Young Grandmother is unwell and has long since retired!”

“She must get up even if she has retired! The Third Mistress has had a sudden seizure; her heart pains her terribly and she has fainted! We must ask the Eldest Young Grandmother to decide and open the warehouse to fetch aged ginseng to save her life!” Matron Qian’s voice was loud, nearly a shout, clearly intending to cause a scene to force Jiuyuan out or muddy the waters.

Matron Yan stepped out from the inner chamber curtain, standing before the door. Her face was as still as water, and her gaze swept over them like lightning. “Presumptuous! Is the master’s bedroom a place you can barge into? If the Third Mistress is truly ill, the manor has attending physicians and stocked medicines; why disturb the Eldest Young Grandmother at midnight to force open the warehouse? For you to cause such an uproar and disturb her rest, what is your crime!”

Matron Yan’s prestige from the Palace was immense. This low rebuke actually caused the aggressive women to falter. Matron Qian’s eyes darted about as she forced her composure. “Matron Yan, the situation is truly critical. The warehouse keys…”

“The warehouse keys follow set regulations; can they be opened just because you say so?” Matron Yan interrupted her ruthlessly. “Withdraw from the courtyard immediately. Otherwise, do not blame this old servant for handling you according to manor rules!”

Just then, the inner chamber curtain was gently lifted by a slender, white hand. Shen Jiuyuan walked out wearing a moon-white silk cloak, her face bearing a proper amount of fatigue and a hint of displeasure at being disturbed. Her gaze fell calmly on Matron Qian.

“What is this uproar in the middle of the night?” Her voice was not loud, yet it held an innate authority that instantly silenced the courtyard.

Seeing Jiuyuan, a flash of smugness crossed Matron Qian’s eyes. she rushed forward a few steps, feigning extreme anxiety: “Eldest Young Grandmother! You are finally out! The Third Mistress… she is failing! We must use that hundred-year-old ginseng to sustain her life. Please show mercy and open the warehouse!” She attempted to crowd closer to Shen Jiuyuan.

Matron Yan moved, blocking the path.

Shen Jiuyuan looked at Matron Qian’s superficial anxiety and the tense, shifty-eyed women behind her, sneering inwardly. For Lady Zhao to have a “sudden seizure” exactly at the Hour of the Zi when Su Jin was taking men to open the Ding-No. 3 warehouse and to demand the warehouse be opened was far too obvious an attempt to lure the tiger from the mountain and create chaos.

“Third Aunt’s sudden illness is indeed a serious matter.” Shen Jiuyuan’s tone was gentle. She pondered for a micro-second and spoke unhurriedly: “Lily, take my tally immediately to the front court and invite the duty physician, Dr. Li, to rush to Qiyun Pavilion. Matron Yan, take two people yourself to the warehouse to fetch a piece of high-quality mountain ginseng according to the usual quota and deliver it to Qiyun Pavilion immediately.

As for opening the warehouse…” Her gaze swept coldly over Matron Qian. “Rules cannot be discarded. We shall wait for my Mother’s instructions tomorrow.”

Her arrangement was methodical. It addressed the illness, kept the warehouse secure, and sent Matron Yan an expert to suppress any true source of unrest under the guise of delivering ginseng.

Matron Qian hadn’t expected her to be so calm and prepared. She was momentarily speechless, her face shifting colors. “Eldest Young Grandmother, this…”

“What?” Shen Jiuyuan arched a brow. Her tone remained peaceful, but her gaze turned suddenly cold with an invisible pressure. “Does Matron Qian feel my arrangement is improper? Or do you feel Third Aunt’s life is less important than the manor rules?”

These words were heavy. Matron Qian broke into a cold sweat. “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

“Since that is so, why are you still standing here?” Jiuyuan’s voice sank. “Or is it that Third Aunt’s illness is a lie, and your midnight intrusion into my courtyard with intent to do harm is the truth?!”

As she spoke the last sentence, her voice grew sharp and stern, her face darkening with a hint of anger. As her voice rose, several men in tight-fitting attire suddenly appeared from the shadows of the courtyard walls, all holding various weapons. These were the guards she had secretly deployed around Yuanlan Pavilion using the token!

Matron Qian and her followers turned deathly pale. They realized the young bride was already prepared. Their actions tonight were likely within her calculations from the start.

“Begone!” Matron Yan stepped forward and shouted.

Matron Qian and the others dared not say another word, retreating from Yuanlan Pavilion like defeated roosters, scrambling away in disgrace.

The courtyard gate closed again, shutting out the storm. Shen Jiuyuan stood under the corridor, her eyes cold as she watched them vanish. This was only the beginning; Qiyun Pavilion likely had a second move.

“Matron, go and return quickly,” she whispered to Matron Yan.

Matron Yan understood. She picked two of the best guards and hurried toward the warehouse.

Shen Jiuyuan returned to the inner chamber but did not relax. She knew the true waves were likely not here in Yuanlan Pavilion, but at the front court docks at the Ding-No. 3 warehouse that was about to be opened.

Time ticked away. Every minute and second felt exceptionally long. About half an hour passed. Just as she thought Qiyun Pavilion had given up, a louder clamor erupted from outside, mixed with the clashing of blades and the sounds of a struggle.

Judging by the direction of the sound, it was the eastern side of the inner court where the warehouse was located.

The opposition indeed had a second wave of people, and their target was the warehouse. Were they trying to create more chaos, seize something in the confusion, or pin down the manor guards to create an opportunity at the docks?

Shen Jiuyuan’s heart tightened, and she stood up abruptly!

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