The night was deep, but Su Xiaoqi was still being forced to exercise, much to her chagrin.
She was already exhausted, but Shen Yun completely ignored her pleas for mercy. He felt she was only focused on outsiders and that he had been neglected, so he wanted to reclaim his position in some matters.
"Didn't wife promise to give me a child?"
All of Su Xiaoqi's resistance vanished at these words.
As a result, Su Xiaoqi was so tired that she fell asleep, leaving Shen Yun to continue his efforts alone.
The next day, Su Xiaoqi woke up to find that it was already bright daylight. She reached for Shen Yun's side of the bed and found it empty and cold. He must have already left for the morning court.
After tidying herself up, Su Xiaoqi headed to Qingfu Courtyard, where Madam Zhao resided.
Before she could even enter, she heard Meixin's voice.
"Aunt, why hasn't sister-in-law come to pay her respects yet?"
"It's nothing," Madam Zhao replied in her gentle and kind voice.
"Oh, Aunt, please don't say it's nothing. People say that when you marry a daughter-in-law, you must set rules. But I've never seen you set any rules for your sister-in-law. It's one thing for our family to know amongst ourselves. But if this gets out and others learn that the Zhuangyuan Mansion has no rules, wouldn't they laugh at us? I've heard that the current Emperor values filial piety and respects rules above all else. If sister-in-law behaves like this, it might put Brother Yun in a difficult position and even affect his promotion."
Hearing that the consequences could be so significant, Madam Zhao was startled. She looked at Meixin, her expression a little stiff. Meixin saw this and lowered her head, a smile curving her lips. She knew that the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was the most difficult relationship in the world. When she was still in the Huang family in Jiangning Prefecture, she often saw the Huang family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law appearing harmonious on the surface, but frequently engaged in subtle battles behind the scenes. However, the mother-in-law usually won. After all, they naturally controlled the fate of their daughters-in-law. As long as the daughter-in-law wasn't entirely agreeable, they could threaten her with household management at any moment.
Therefore, after receiving Madam Zhao's care, Meixin wholeheartedly focused on pleasing her, intending to use her to control Su Xiaoqi. If it didn't work once, she would try twice or thrice. If it still didn't work, she would keep talking, finding ways and changing her tactics. She didn't believe Madam Zhao could be indifferent to everything. Indeed, she had found her weakness—her son's future! As a mother, she could neglect anything else, but she couldn't ignore Shen Yun's official position and prospects. By using this as an excuse, she had indeed captured Madam Zhao's attention.
Just as she was about to press her advantage, she noticed the curtain being lifted. Su Xiaoqi stood there with a cold expression. She looked as if she had overheard what Meixin had just said. Meixin felt a pang of panic, but upon seeing Madam Zhao, she regained her confidence. She deliberately drew Madam Zhao's gaze to Su Xiaoqi's face and said with feigned surprise, "Oh, what's wrong, sister-in-law? Why the gloomy face? Has some servant displeased you? Ah, in my opinion, these servants, from humble origins and lacking education, might not know the rules of a noble household. It's normal for them to cause some trouble in their work. I heard that sister-in-law is usually very generous, so you shouldn't bother with them. It's not worth getting angry and harming your health."
Meixin deliberately shifted the topic to the servants to extricate herself. Su Xiaoqi glanced at her, listening to her rapid-fire speech as if Meixin were afraid of being interrupted. After Meixin finished in one breath, she expected to see Su Xiaoqi fuming with rage. To her surprise, Su Xiaoqi calmly picked up a cup of tea and took a sip opposite her. She even whispered to Madam Zhao, "Mother, when we have guests, we should use this Mingqian Longjing tea. Plain barley tea is fine for everyday drinking."
"Alright, alright," Madam Zhao replied readily. Meixin stared blankly at the mother and daughter-in-law conversing so harmoniously and naturally. It seemed everything she had said was like wind passing by their ears; neither of them had paid any attention. Meixin was somewhat annoyed, but she dared not show it. This was Shen's home, after all, and she was a lone woman staying there. How could she afford to get angry easily? She suppressed her temper, took a sip of tea, and said again, "Aunt..."
"Yes, Meixin, please speak," Madam Zhao responded very gently. Her attitude was no different from how she treated Su Xiaoqi. Meixin thought that her aunt still cared about her after all. After all, she came to keep her company every day. Unlike Su Xiaoqi, who often roamed outside and only came to pay her respects when she had time. Sometimes, when she returned late, she didn't even come to pay respects. Only Madam Zhao, her aunt, could tolerate this. If it were her, she would have made her life miserable. Meixin looked at Su Xiaoqi's radiant and beautiful face, gritting her teeth in anger. However, outwardly, she showed no anger and instead smiled at Su Xiaoqi, saying, "Right, regarding your earlier anger, did you have a quarrel with Brother Yun? Don't be shy to say. Aunt is here, and she loves you so much, she will definitely be on your side."
Meixin was speaking with great enthusiasm. She didn't believe they could still pretend not to hear her words. Su Xiaoqi, who was drinking tea, looked up at her and sneered. She thought Meixin appeared clever but was actually quite foolish. Who did she think she was, coming before her and Madam Zhao to spew such malicious words? Was she overestimating herself, or underestimating Madam Zhao? Su Xiaoqi had originally given her an out out of respect for Madam Zhao. But since she didn't take it and was deliberately seeking trouble, Su Xiaoqi saw no need to be polite. She turned her sharp gaze towards Meixin and said, "Oh, Miss Meixin, you constantly mention rules, so you must certainly be a person who understands rules very well."
Meixin choked. How could she respond to that? Would she say she didn't understand rules? That wouldn't do; it would make her no different from Su Xiaoqi. But saying she understood rules also seemed inappropriate. Logically, Meixin felt that Su Xiaoqi's words hid a trap. So, after careful consideration, she replied, in a way she felt was flawless. "Sister-in-law, you flatter me. I only understand a little about rules. My mother taught me when I was young."
Meixin's mother had a distinguished background. She came from the household of a Grand Scholar from the Hanlin Academy, not an ordinary person. Therefore, she specifically brought this up now to suppress Su Xiaoqi. After all, Su Xiaoqi kept alluding to her identity, implying that her rural upbringing made her naturally uncouth and rule-less. "Oh, so your mother taught you the rules when you were young. However, times are progressing, and many rules have changed. No wonder you seem to lack understanding of rules now." Su Xiaoqi said this with a smile, appearing like a kind and gentle sister-in-law.
"You... you're talking nonsense! I, I don't lack understanding of rules," Meixin said, infuriated. Not to mention her background, even when she was in the Huang family, she had been taught etiquette by a palace governess. She could recite the entire "Nu Ze" and "Nu Jie."
"In my opinion, you lack understanding of rules in four aspects. Firstly, as an orphan living in our home, instead of cultivating your character and building good relations with the host family, you harbor improper thoughts, which is truly detestable. Secondly, early in the morning, you stood before my mother-in-law and criticized me, the mistress of the household, alluding to others and indirectly scolding others. Are these actions that a person with rules would do? Thirdly, both my mother-in-law and I heard what you said. To preserve your face as a guest, we already gave you one chance. Yet, you pretended not to see it and insisted on mentioning it again, exaggerating the facts in every sentence. Is this the kind of rules you have learned? And fourthly, since you are staying in our home, you should attend to your duties instead of stirring up trouble and creating discord."
"You... Su Xiaoqi, you... Aunt, sob sob... Aunt, look, look! I told you sister-in-law has no rules, see how she bullies me!" Meixin was thoroughly berated by Su Xiaoqi's subtle yet sharp words, bringing tears to her eyes. She wept and threw herself at Madam Zhao, seeking the so-called fairness she desired. However, Madam Zhao was not foolish. She did not catch Meixin as she lunged, but rather used the momentum to hold her hand and gently patted her hand. After Meixin finished her outburst, Madam Zhao said, "Rules and lack thereof are merely tools that others use to pressure others to achieve their own goals. In our family, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law live in harmony; we don't need these rules." Madam Zhao's words were spoken lightly, but Meixin suddenly came to a realization. In fact, they had never been moved by her words at all. All along, the only clown in this play had been herself.