To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Entering Lu Changji’s Bed

The mountains were profoundly quiet. Moonlight spilled into the woods, startling the birds perched on the branches into flight.

Jiang Shu left her room with her heart in her throat. She had intended to take the secluded side path to the rear courtyard, but the moment she stepped out, she ran directly into Lu Changying. A maid held a lantern, its pale light casting a ghostly pallor over Lu Changying’s face.

Lu Changying rushed to Jiang Shu’s side and said urgently, “Second Sister-in-law, I don’t know what happened, but Mother has suddenly fallen ill. She has uncontrollable diarrhea and is so weak she can’t even speak. I have no idea where Father has gone at a time like this. Please, come quickly and look after Mother!”

In this dynasty, the world was governed by the principles of benevolence and filial piety. Unless Jiang Shu was so ill she couldn’t leave her bed, she had to personally attend to her mother-in-law’s bedside, even if the heavens were falling.

Jiang Shu lowered her eyes, feeling a wave of disappointment and powerlessness. She had finally managed to drug Lu Changji, but now she had to nurse Madame Zhao. Was all her effort to go to waste? Lu Changji was so cautious; if he discovered any trace of her scheme, she would never have another chance. If she couldn’t conceive, she would be divorced and sent back to her maiden home in disgrace.

She could not allow that. Since ancient times, no divorced woman had ever met a good end.

“Fourth Sister, I…” Jiang Shu started to seek an excuse to delay, but Lu Changying grabbed her hand.

Dragging Jiang Shu along, Lu Changying said, “Second Sister-in-law, whatever you have to say can wait until we see Mother. You are her legal daughter-in-law; you should be the first to show filial devotion. You mustn’t let Hu Lingshuang seize the opportunity to steal the reputation for piety.”

Though Lu Changying looked delicate, her grip was strong. Jiang Shu tried several times to break free but failed.

The night was pitch black, but Madame Zhao’s room was ablaze with lanterns and filled with commotion. She lay flat on the bed, her face ashen and her lips parched and peeling—she was clearly dehydrated. Since the opportunity was lost, Jiang Shu knew she couldn’t slip away to the rear courtyard to be with Lu Changji. She resigned herself to focusing on Madame Zhao.

Jiang Shu had a maid bring a bowl of fresh water. As she used a cotton swab to moisten Madame Zhao’s lips, she asked Nanny Zhou, “What did Madam eat this evening? Were there any unusual dishes?”

Nanny Zhou replied, “Madame Liu gathered a basket of wild mushrooms from the mountain. The Madam enjoys wild game, so she had a plate of roasted mushrooms tonight.”

There lay the root of the problem. Wild game was delicious but hard to digest, and mushrooms were of varying quality; it wasn’t uncommon for them to cause mild poisoning. There was no doctor on the mountain, and sending for one in the middle of the night would take too long. Fortunately, Jiang Shu had prepared a chest of common medicines for emergencies.

She looked at Nanny Wu and instructed, “Nanny Wu, take some people to the small storehouse. There is a medicine chest there. In the second drawer from the left, there are herbs to stop diarrhea. Boil two bowls of water down to one and feed it to the Madam. She should be fine after that.”

Madame Zhao’s health was precious, so Jiang Shu dared not take risks. After instructing the nanny, she stepped outside and sent a guard down the mountain to fetch a proper physician just in case.

Nanny Wu was efficient and quickly administered the medicine. The effect was immediate; the diarrhea stopped after one bowl. Only then did Madame Zhao have the strength to speak. She half-opened her eyes, looked at Jiang Shu, and whispered, “The night is deep and the dew is heavy. Why aren’t you resting in your room? Unless it is a matter of life and death, you must not wander out at night.”

She then turned to Lu Changying and scolded, “I told you I was fine, yet you insisted on fetching your sister-in-law. It was just a matter of taking some medicine; why make such a fuss?”

Lu Changying pouted. If she hadn’t been clever enough to find Jiang Shu, her mother wouldn’t have recovered so quickly. Now that the illness had passed, her mother was resenting her for it. This was the definition of “burning the bridge after crossing it.”

Lu Changying had a fiery temper and couldn’t stand being wronged. Normally she would have argued back, but with her mother sick, she couldn’t be defiant. She let out a frustrated huff and stomped out of the room.

Jiang Shu stayed a while longer to exchange pleasantries with Madame Zhao before heading back. From a distance, she saw Lu Changying standing in front of her door. Jiang Shu usually kept a respectful distance from this sister-in-law and wondered why she was waiting.

“Is the Fourth Sister not going to sleep yet?” Jiang Shu asked.

Lu Changying said she wasn’t sleepy. she coughed into her hand and said haltingly, “Second Sister-in-law… even though your birth is modest, your father’s rank is low, your legal mother is greedy, and your birth mother is timid… you actually handle things quite thoroughly. You aren’t entirely useless. Before, I… I misjudged you.”

As she spoke, she took off her favorite enamel bracelet carved with dragonflies and shoved it into Jiang Shu’s hand. “This bracelet is decent enough. Take it and wear it for fun!” Without waiting for a response, she fled as if being chased.

Jiang Shu’s frustration dissipated slightly at this gesture, but the tension in her heart remained. She entered her room and whispered to Zhu’er, “Is there any news from the rear courtyard?”

Zhu’er replied, “No movement.”

How can there be no movement? Jiang Shu thought. If Lu Changji had drunk the soup and felt something was wrong, surely he would have investigated. The thought made her blood run cold. Lu Changji was noble and proud; if he knew she wanted to use him to conceive a child, he might skin her alive.

She paced the room restlessly, then turned to Zhu’er. “Go find out where the Eldest Master is. Don’t go to the rear courtyard; take some coins and ask the guards at the gate.”

Zhu’er returned quickly. “Just as it turned dark, people came from the palace and took the Eldest Master away in a hurry. The guards overheard that the Empress Dowager is unwell…” Zhu’er paused and muttered, “If the Empress Dowager is unwell, they should call the imperial physicians. Why fetch the Eldest Master? He doesn’t know medicine.”

While Zhu’er’s logic made sense, Jiang Shu didn’t focus on that. She pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled a long breath of relief, feeling like she had narrowly escaped death. Thank heavens Lu Changji had left early and hadn’t touched the soup; otherwise, she would be ruined.

Since she hadn’t been caught, she decided to try again. She had to get pregnant.

Jiang Shu whispered to Zhu’er, “Tomorrow, wear a bamboo hat and find the madam of the Hundred Flowers Brothel. Buy a bottle of ‘Joyous Powder’ from her.”

Aphrodisiacs, drugging, blindfolding… Zhu’er thought the whole plan was too complicated. She sat beside Jiang Shu and whispered, “Second Young Mistress, I think you’re making this too hard. The Eldest Master is the First Assistant; he’s busy with ten thousand affairs, yet every time you are in trouble, he appears. There are no such coincidences in this world. He must like you to keep playing the hero.”

“Since he feels that way, why don’t you just follow his lead? If he’s too shy, you should take the initiative. You are more beautiful than a celestial being; if you can just be bold, what man could refuse you?”

Jiang Shu was startled and hissed, “Hush! The Eldest Master is not only powerful but handsome. Countless noble ladies in Bianjing want to marry him. Why would he risk universal condemnation to covet his own brother’s wife?”

Zhu’er lowered her eyes. There were many noble ladies, but few could match her mistress’s character or beauty. Her mistress was simply too humble and timid when facing him. But Jiang Shu was firm, and Zhu’er knew that once her mind was set, it wouldn’t change. She sighed and went to prepare for the trip down the mountain.

…

The next day, Jiang Shu slept until mid-morning. After breakfast, she went to see Madame Zhao. Though the diarrhea had stopped, the woman was still weak and pale.

Madame Zhao said to Jiang Shu, “Accompany me to the main hall. I am unwell, but I cannot let the servants slack off and lose the mansion’s dignity.”

Jiang Shu complied, supporting Madame Zhao as they stepped outside. As they climbed the stairs to the hall, a crisp voice rang out from behind.

“Is that Sister Zhao?”

Jiang Shu turned to see a lavishly dressed woman surrounded by five or six maids. She had a square face and an air of authority. Jiang Shu recognized her—she was Madame Liu, the mother of Zheng Zuhe. It was normal for the two prestigious families to be acquainted.

Madame Zhao smiled. “Sister Liu, have you come to offer incense as well?”

Madame Liu nodded. “My son is engaged to the youngest daughter of the Cui family. I’ve come to pray to the Old Man of the Moon (the god of marriage) to bless their union.”

The Cui family was a prominent name in Bianjing. Zheng Zuhe was notorious for his debauchery and already had a house full of concubines; how could the Cui family bear to marry their daughter to him?

As Jiang Shu wondered, Madame Liu gestured behind her. “Yun’er, come greet the Marchioness and the Heir’s Wife.”

Cui Yun stepped forward and gave a proper bow to Madame Zhao, then turned to Jiang Shu. “Greetings, Heir’s Wife.” Cui Yun’s looks were average, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that suggested she was highly capable.

After greeting Jiang Shu, Cui Yun glanced behind her and said coldly, “Concubine Jiang, bring my cloak here.”

Only then did Jiang Shu notice Jiang Ran standing among the maids. Though Jiang Ran still wore the bright colors she loved, the spark in her eyes was gone, replaced by a look of cautious fear. Jiang Ran knelt on the ground, holding the cloak up with both hands. Her skin was white, making the various scars on her wrists look particularly jarring.

Jiang Shu’s heart twinged with a momentary pang of guilt, but she suppressed it with logic. If Jiang Ran hadn’t tried to kill her first, she would never have set this trap. It was simply a matter of a superior tactic.

Jiang Shu acted as if she didn’t see Jiang Ran and chatted with Cui Yun.

Cui Yun remarked, “The weather changes every ten miles; the mountain is noticeably cooler than below.” She handed the cloak to Jiang Shu. “This is a new cloak with a magpie-on-a-branch pattern. It’s decent enough. If you don’t mind, please take it to keep warm.”

Since she was showing goodwill, Jiang Shu couldn’t refuse. She accepted the cloak with a smile. After a few more pleasantries, they went their separate ways.

Once they were far enough away, Jiang Shu asked, “Mother, Miss Cui seems very shrewd. Given Zheng Zuhe’s reputation, why did she agree to this marriage?”

Madame Zhao sighed. “Miss Cui’s mother died early. Her father is a sentimental man and never remarried. With no mistress in the house, the vast Cui estate fell to Miss Cui to manage. Between the business and raising her younger siblings, she missed the prime age for marriage.”

The society followed the “Five Not to Marry” rule, one of which was not to marry the eldest daughter of a motherless household. In large families, the mistress was responsible for the children’s upbringing. Without a mother’s guidance, an eldest daughter had to take on adult responsibilities too early, inevitably making her personality tougher than other girls. Men generally found such a lack of “gentleness” undesirable.

Because of her family status, she looked down on lower-ranking houses, while high-ranking houses feared her status as a motherless daughter. Stuck in the middle, she had reached eighteen before being engaged to the notorious Zheng Zuhe.

Madame Zhao continued, “That Cui girl is indeed shrewd. The moment she met you, she ordered your sister to serve her, showing she knows the friction between you two. She’s using your sister’s humiliation to get closer to you.”

Madame Zhao’s words were always cuttingly accurate. Having the Jiang family’s dirty laundry aired so bluntly made Jiang Shu blush with embarrassment. Acting as if she didn’t see Jiang Shu’s discomfort, Madame Zhao led her into the hall.

Without the mistress there, the servants had indeed slacked off. Even Lu Changfeng was nodding off. Madame Zhao let out a light cough, and everyone scrambled back to their positions.

…

Jiang Shu stayed in the hall until noon before returning to her room. Zhu’er, being quick, had already purchased the drug. She stealthily closed the door and whispered to Jiang Shu, “Second Young Mistress, the Eldest Master is back. Stop overthinking it; get it done cleanly tonight!”

Exhausted from the previous night’s failure, Jiang Shu felt a bit discouraged. Even with Zhu’er’s encouragement, she felt listless.

Zhu’er patted her chest, taking the preparation upon herself. “You rest. I’ll go to the kitchen and drug the soup for him. You just go to his room in half an hour.”

Before Jiang Shu could respond, Zhu’er vanished like a gust of wind. She returned shortly, her round eyes practically glowing. “I was incredibly careful with the drug. There won’t be any mistakes. You can relax!”

Jiang Shu said nothing. She couldn’t sit or lie down; her nerves were frayed. She paced the room incessantly. Time seemed to fly, and soon half an hour had passed.

Jiang Shu was still hesitant, but Zhu’er displayed a sudden surge of courage. She shoved Jiang Shu toward the door. “Go quickly! If you hesitate any longer, you’ll miss the window!” With a click, she bolted the door from the inside.

With her retreat cut off, Jiang Shu felt a surge of “burning her boats” desperation. She stared at the door for a moment, then turned and walked toward the rear courtyard.

Lu Changji was the First Assistant; his safety concerned the state. Once night fell, the Imperial Guards had cleared all other pilgrims from the temple. The small Qingyang Temple was now a fortress; not even a fly could get in. While the outside was heavily guarded, the inside was quiet. Even Cheng Yong had retired to the side rooms to rest. The rear courtyard was so silent a needle drop could be heard.

Jiang Shu walked along the stone path to his door and gave a tentative knock. There was no response. Her courage grew slightly. She whispered, “Uncle, have you gone to sleep?” Still no sound. She pushed the door open.

The room was lit by multi-branched lamps, making it quite bright. Feeling guilty, she leaned over and blew the lights out. The floor was covered with rugs, making her steps feel soft as if she were walking on clouds—a lack of solid ground that made her even more apprehensive.

She walked tremblingly to the canopy bed and pulled back the curtain. Moonlight filtered through the window, illuminating Lu Changji’s face. His usually cool and elegant features were now flushed. His eyes were closed, but his lids were a deep red, shrouded in a heavy layer of desire. He breathed heavily, his Adam’s apple bobbing. The air around him seemed scorched with heat.

Jiang Shu’s eyes fixed on him as she reached up to the collar of her robe.