In the fourth year of Jing Yuan era, during the season when peach and plum blossoms competed in beauty, a joyous atmosphere permeated the Wen Family residence in the capital city of Sheng Jing.
Today was the wedding day of the Wen Family's second son, and the bride had just been welcomed into the household.
The main hall was bustling with activity, with guests crowding both sides to witness the ceremony.
Seated in the place of honor, Madam Shen gazed at her jubilant younger son, her brow relaxing slightly as the last stone weighing on her heart finally lifted...
As the call to "escort the couple to the bridal chamber" rang out, Madam Shen's lips curved upward as she watched her son and daughter-in-law depart. With the view now unobstructed, her eyes fell upon a young lady with a small, round, fair face, who was chatting and laughing with a little girl barely reaching her waist.
One of her cheeks was moving slightly, likely from some snack she had secretly popped into her mouth.
Seeing this, Madam Shen was reminded of Concubine Chang's tearful complaints in her chambers a few days prior, and the joy in her expression dimmed somewhat.
She had almost forgotten about this other half of the stone...
The Wen Family hailed from a great clan in Jiangnan, with many high-ranking officials among their ancestors. Father Wen currently held the third-rank position of Chamberlain for Ceremonials, and his two legitimate sons were also promising. One had passed the imperial examinations the year the new emperor ascended the throne and now worked in the Ministry of Rites. The other had recently joined the Military Affairs Bureau and, though his position was not high, he was well-regarded by his superiors.
Madam Shen, as the current mistress of the Wen household, was not known for her gentle nature, but rather for her strictness. However, whether legitimate or born of concubines, all children in the family received education starting at age eight for boys and five for girls, with none being neglected.
The master of the Wen Family had only two sons, both born to his legal wife Madam Shen, but quite a few daughters. Besides the eldest legitimate daughter born to Madam Shen, the other four were born to concubines.
The young lady Madam Shen had spotted in the hall was the fourth daughter, Wen Ye, born to Concubine Chang.
The day after a bride enters the family, she must pay respects to the main courtyard at the first light of dawn. As the new bride's sister-in-law born to a concubine, Wen Ye, who was accustomed to sleeping until mid-morning, had to drag herself out of her soft bed more than two hours earlier than usual.
Her maid Tao Zhi entered the room promptly to help Wen Ye wash up, saying, "The mistress has asked after you several times already."
Wen Ye, still looking half-asleep, opened her round almond eyes slightly, caught a glimpse of her plump, delicate face in the bronze mirror, and asked with a small yawn, "When did mother get up?"
Tao Zhi, helping Wen Ye clean her face, replied, "At the hour of the 5 am."
"Mother is truly impressive," Wen Ye sighed, "I could never manage that."
Hearing this, Tao Zhi laughed softly and said, "Actually, miss, you're the last one up. The other courtyards have been bustling for a while now."
Her personality was more lively than Yun Zhi's, and she always spoke her mind in front of Wen Ye.
After rinsing her mouth, Wen Ye sat back down on the wooden stool with its soft cushion, facing the bronze mirror. She thought to herself, no wonder people in ancient times had such short lifespans. Getting up before dawn every day, it would be strange if they lived long.
As a modern office worker who had died in a traffic accident due to mistaking a red light for green after working overtime to the point of exhaustion, Wen Ye particularly cherished life in this second chance.
Wen Ye had transmigrated as a fetus, and while in Concubine Chang's womb, she had gleaned important information from the daily conversations of those around her.
She had been reborn into ancient times, with her birth mother being a concubine in the household. She had three legitimate older siblings and two half-sisters born to concubines above her, making her the fourth daughter.
The Wen Family, while not at the absolute pinnacle of power in the bustling capital of Sheng Jing, had deep roots stretching back centuries. As a daughter born to a concubine, with her birth mother Concubine Chang having maintained a low profile for years, Wen Ye had led a relatively peaceful and comfortable life.
Seeing that Tao Zhi had finished arranging her hair, Wen Ye stood up and headed out, asking, "What's for breakfast today?"
Tao Zhi followed her out of the inner room and replied, "Miss, didn't you say yesterday that you liked the golden dumplings from the banquet? Yun Zhi instructed the kitchen to prepare some earlier, along with chicken silk porridge."
Just then, Yun Zhi entered the room carrying a wooden tray, reminding Wen Ye, "Miss, please have a couple of golden dumplings to tide you over. We'll be having breakfast in the main courtyard shortly."
Today being the second day after the Wen Family welcomed their new daughter-in-law, the whole family was expected to pay their respects in the main courtyard before sharing breakfast.
Wen Ye stared at the golden dumplings on the table, picked up three with her chopsticks, and began to eat.
Halfway through, she suddenly remembered something and looked up to ask, "Where are mother and little sister?"
Though the three of them didn't usually eat together, mainly because Wen Ye woke up late, her mother and younger sister would typically come by after she got up.
Yun Zhi looked at her sleepy-faced miss and hesitated for a moment before saying, "The fifth miss is doing her lessons, with the mistress keeping her company."
"Little sister is truly diligent, not resting for a single day," Wen Ye said with utmost sincerity, knowing she could never maintain such a rigorous schedule herself.
Seeing Wen Ye's lighthearted expression, Yun Zhi felt relieved. Though she was a few years younger than Wen Ye, as her personal maid, she often thought more deeply about things.
The fifth miss was only six years old and had only been studying for a year, yet she already showed signs of being a prodigy. In comparison, their miss had been rather unremarkable at a similar age.
Fortunately, their miss was easygoing and had never shown any jealousy, maintaining a close relationship with her younger sister.
The prudent Yun Zhi removed the tray just as Wen Ye was about to reach for a fourth golden dumpling.
Wen Ye: "......"
A short while later, Concubine Chang arrived with her younger daughter, and the three of them set off for the main courtyard together.
Less than a quarter of an hour after they arrived at the main courtyard, the second young master of the Wen Family arrived with his new bride to offer tea.
Father Wen, typically a man of few words, gave a brief word of advice before ceding the floor to Madam Shen.
As this was her daughter-in-law's first time offering tea, Madam Shen did not maintain her usual stern demeanor. Her expression softened slightly as she accepted the tea, drank it, and then handed a red envelope she had prepared earlier to the couple.
She also offered a few words of praise.
After paying respects to the two elders, it was time to greet the eldest brother and sister-in-law, as well as the younger sisters and nephews born to concubines.
The eldest sister-in-law, Madam Yang, was a gentle and proper person. She presented a set of gold and red pomegranate-themed hair ornaments, which were both grand and festive, perfect for a young bride like Madam Liu.
Madam Liu was naturally delighted and hurried to bring out the gifts she had prepared for her two nephews.
Madam Yang had been married into the Wen Family for six years and had given birth to two sons. The elder, Wen Cheng, was five years old.
The younger, Wen Che, was just over a year old and had recently learned to walk. He was currently being held by his wet nurse, standing to the side.
A fine inkstone was naturally for Cheng, who had already begun his education, while Che received several exquisite toys and small clothes and shoes that Madam Liu had sewn herself.
The gifts showed both intimacy and proper etiquette.
Having given birth to two sons in succession, Madam Yang's status in the family was evident. However, her gentle nature meant she never flaunted this fact, and in the six years she had assisted Madam Shen in managing household affairs, she had never once overstepped her bounds, earning Madam Shen's favor.
Madam Yang smiled as she accepted the gifts for her two sons from their second aunt, saying, "My sister-in-law is so skilled. I could never make such delicate clothes."
Madam Liu replied, "Sister-in-law is too modest." Then, turning to her mother-in-law Madam Shen in the seat of honor, she put on the shy face expected of a new bride and said, "I often heard my mother speak of how mother-in-law had gained such a capable daughter-in-law. She was quite envious."
Madam Liu's mother had been close friends with Madam Shen since their youth, and their relationship had remained good over the decades.
With this short sentence, she had managed to compliment both Madam Shen and Madam Yang while also bringing herself closer to both of them.
Wen Ye observed this quietly, thinking to herself that her second sister-in-law was indeed quite emotionally intelligent.
Hearing this, Madam Shen's usually stern expression softened into a smile. "Alright, alright, you're all good," she said.
Next, Wen Ye received a jade bracelet, while her younger sister Wen Ran got a beautiful new outfit.
Although the Wen Family was not among the absolute top echelons of Sheng Jing's elite, their centuries of accumulated wealth meant they owned numerous estates and businesses. This was reflected in their breakfast spread, which consisted of sixteen exquisite dishes.
The main table seated Father Wen, Madam Shen, and their immediate family, while those born to concubines, including Wen Ye, sat at the secondary table. Wen Ye was seated between her birth mother Concubine Chang and her younger sister Wen Ran, with Concubine Gui next to Concubine Chang.
Concubine Gui had a daughter who was a year older than Wen Ye, but she had been married off several years ago.
Father Wen had one wife and three concubines in his rear courtyard, which was considered restrained compared to other noble households of the time.
Concubine Gui and Concubine Bai, who had passed away years ago due to illness, had both been maidservants who came with Madam Shen when she married into the Wen Family. They were given status as concubines when Madam Shen was pregnant with her first child, but were only allowed to share Father Wen's bed after Madam Shen had given birth to her second son.
They had subsequently given birth to two daughters, who were Wen Ye's older half-sisters who had been married off years ago.
Concubine Chang, Wen Ye's birth mother, was chosen by Madam Shen from among the Wen Family's servants. Her looks weren't particularly outstanding, but compared to the seductive Concubine Bai and the timid, incompetent Concubine Gui, at least Chang appeared refreshingly neat.
Madam Shen was quite pleased with this.
On ordinary days, Concubine Chang and Concubine Gui rarely came to the main courtyard, and Madam Shen couldn't be bothered to summon them for service. However, today a new member had been added to the family, so they needed to be called over for introductions.
The Wen Family adhered to the principle of 'no talking while eating or sleeping'. Today was slightly different, but it was merely Madam Shen exchanging a few more words with her two daughters-in-law. Wen Ye listened to their intermittent conversation while never stopping her eating.
She first had a bowl of mutton soup, then sampled a bit of each of the dozen or so other dishes.
It must be said that the breakfast in the main courtyard was indeed better than that from the small kitchen in her own courtyard, even though she had improved the meals from her small kitchen many times.
Concubine Chang couldn't bear to watch and secretly tugged at Wen Ye several times to no avail. The mother and daughter looked strikingly similar, with round, fair faces like jade plates.
The difference was that Concubine Chang's eyes hadn't changed much since her youth, still radiating a sense of purity and simplicity.
Compared to her mother, Wen Ye was more plump and fair from head to toe. Apart from the occasional glint of cleverness and cunning in her eyes, she appeared quite similar to her mother.
Realizing she was full, Wen Ye abruptly stopped eating. Yun Zhi quickly offered a damp cloth, and Wen Ye wiped the corners of her mouth. Only then did she have time to meet her mother's gaze, her eyes lazy and seemingly asking: Why were you tugging at me earlier?
Concubine Chang: "......"
The mealtime quickly passed. Father Wen called his two sons to the study, Madam Yang took Madam Liu away to cultivate sisterly affection, and Concubine Gui had left early.
Only Concubine Chang lingered in the main courtyard for a long time, unable to be pulled away by Wen Ye no matter how hard she tried.
Wen Ye asked Yun Zhi to take her little sister back first, while she stayed behind.
"Mother, it's been several days, haven't you gotten over it yet?" There were only a few cleaning maids in the courtyard. Wen Ye glanced at them inconspicuously, not lowering her voice too much.
After all, no matter how quietly they spoke, it would always reach Madam Shen's ears.
Hearing these words, Concubine Chang's eyes welled up with tears of grievance: "You, you always upset me like this."
Wen Ye: "......"
Between them, who was really the "daughter"?
