As the family of Consort Lian, the Old Madam upheld the principle of maintaining polite but distant retionships with noble families. Before Qin Yongzhou’s death, while Madam Xu was the mistress of the household, major decisions were still under the Old Madam’s control. Interactions with the capital’s elite officials were always conducted according to her cautious approach.
In the current reign, where filial piety was emphasized as the foundation of governance, milestone birthdays such as the Old Madam’s sixtieth st year were grandly celebrated. This year, however, was not a significant milestone, and with the Old Madam’s insistence, invitations were only sent to close retives. As a result, only family members were in attendance.
The Old Madam’s family had long since declined, leaving her with few retives, most of whom no longer resided in the capital.
Among her three daughters-in-w:
Madam Xu, the eldest daughter-in-w, came from the most prominent family. Representing her family today was her sister-in-w, Madam Mao.
Madam Zou, the second daughter-in-w, came from a modest background; her mother, Madam Luo, was in attendance.
Madam Long, the third daughter-in-w, was an only daughter from a southern family. Her father had been a magistrate, and Madam Long was a cherished and beautiful child of an official household. Qin Yongzhou fell in love with her at first sight during his youth, and the Old Madam, doting on her youngest son, sought her hand in marriage. After the couple’s untimely deaths, Madam Long’s father, devastated, also passed away shortly after, leaving Qin Shuying without a single maternal retive.
The eldest young master was already married, and although his wife’s family was not based in the capital, they sent representatives to convey their congratutions.
For the young masters and misses who were engaged, such as Qin Shuying, families like the Liu family also sent representatives.
As for Consort Lian, the eldest and second masters, as well as the Sixth Prince, all sent vish gifts in her stead. The Sixth Prince, who had established his own household, often personally visited the Qin family, but he was currently away on an assignment outside the capital.
Thus, today’s birthday banquet was a simple, family-only affair.
Amidst the jovial chatter, Madam Mao seized an opportunity to speak. “Old Madam, your granddaughters are all so clever and filial. On this special day, I’m sure they’ve all put great thought into their gifts. Why not let everyone see? It’ll be a treat for us all, and I can even have my little rascal learn a thing or two about what it means to be a proper young dy.”
Madam Mao’s daughter, Xu Peiwei, aged fourteen, was close to Qin Yunyun but was absent today.
It was customary at such gatherings for the young dies’ gifts to be dispyed for the guests. Smiling modestly, the Old Madam gave her approval, instructing Xiangqin and Xiangchun to bring out the gifts.
Qin Shuying lowered her gaze, feigning shyness, but her mind was alert. Madam Mao, who was close to Madam Xu, wouldn’t bring this up without ulterior motives.
First was Qin Lulu’s gift: a jade Ruyi scepter and a scroll painting of the Queen Mother celebrating her birthday. The jade Ruyi, though purchased, was of exquisite craftsmanship and rich jadeite, making it highly prized.
Next was Qin Yunyun’s gift, a hand-embroidered Hundred Longevity Motif Screen, composed of four panels. The screen’s frame was inid with materials such as mica, crystal, and gss, while ivory, jade, enamel, and gold adorned its intricate design. It exuded both opulence and grace.
Qin Yunyun’s embroidery skills were exceptional, and it was evident that this piece had required immense effort and time. With her sister being Consort Lian, known for her intelligence and talents, such a remarkable dispy from Qin Yunyun came as no surprise.
The Hundred Longevity Screen drew widespread praise, and when Qin Shuying saw it, her face showed shock, followed by a long period of dazed silence, as if unable to process it.
Madam Liu, observing this, felt a twinge of disappointment. The elegant and composed young dy she had favored earlier was clearly not her future daughter-in-w. Her gaze shifted to the remaining two young dies, and her frown deepened as she noticed the dazed girl’s refined and delicate features.
Madam Xu subtly raised an eyebrow, showing no reaction on the surface. While Liu Gongshan’s official rank wasn’t high, his position carried significant authority.
Initially, Madam Xu had considered using Qin Shuying to strengthen ties with the Liu family, given her seemingly docile nature upon returning from the south. But upon discovering how much silver Qin Shuying controlled, Madam Xu’s priorities shifted—Qin Shuying had to die, and her wealth had to fall into Madam Xu’s hands.
This craving for wealth had begun years ago, during the decline of Concubine Zhou’s family, when Madam Xu acquired over 20,000 taels of silver. That sum had helped Consort Lian overcome a major crisis in the pace.
Qin Yongtao was fully aware of Madam Xu’s intent to cim Qin Shuying’s wealth and had no objections. To him, what use did a young girl have for so much money? However, he had never sanctioned killing her—after all, she was his younger brother’s daughter. Madam Xu’s lethal actions were easily disguised; after all, she wasn’t feeding her niece poison, only nourishing supplements.
At that moment, Xiangqin announced Qin Shuying’s gift, and Madam Liu finally realized that the quiet, dazed girl was indeed her future daughter-in-w.
Madam Liu's fingers slowly curled into a fist, a glimmer of realization and complexity fshing in her eyes.
Xiangqin and Xiangchun began to unroll the scroll of Qin Shuying's birthday gift. At first, only a corner was revealed, and everyone quickly lost interest—it appeared to be just another longevity painting.
However, when the scroll was fully unfurled, the room was filled with astonishment. The painting was identical to Qin Yunyun’s embroidered screen—one was embroidery, the other a painting.
Suddenly, Madam Mao’s sharp eyes caught the signature on the painting: “Yun.” Unable to contain herself, she excimed, “Shuying, you naughty girl! The Old Madam dotes on you so much—how could you present your Sixth Sister’s painting to her as your own gift?”
Realizing she had spoken too bluntly, Madam Mao appeared flustered and turned to the Old Madam, adding with feigned embarrassment, “Old Madam, forgive my loose tongue. This painting is clearly the sample for Yunyun’s embroidered screen. Perhaps Shuying took the wrong one by mistake.”
Her words, however, only intensified the suspicion in the room. Everyone’s gaze turned to Qin Shuying, their expressions clearly accusing her of ziness and disrespect. After all, each young dy was responsible for preparing her own gift, and the gifts were always delivered by their personal maids—how could such a mistake happen?
Madam Xu quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “The Seventh Miss has always been frail, and Yunyun dotes on her dearly. It’s only natural for sisters to help one another. The Old Madam is compassionate and kind, and seeing their sisterly bond, she will surely forgive Shuying. Still, Shuying, if you had to borrow something, you should have chosen a different piece. Presenting an identical one doesn’t look very good.”
Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, Qin Shuying lowered her gaze, as if lost in thought.
Madam Xu’s smile grew even softer as she took Qin Shuying’s hand and said, “Good child, though you made a mistake, the Old Madam loves you and won’t bme you. But you must acknowledge your error. Apologize to the Old Madam and kowtow—she could never bring herself to punish you.”
Qin Shuying slowly raised her head and looked toward the Old Madam, whose face, once filled with joy, now bore a thoughtful expression.
With a faint smile, Qin Shuying’s eyes sparkled as she calmly said to Xiangqin, “Sister Xiangqin, could I trouble you to call my maid Luye in?”
Everyone in the room was baffled. Xiangqin gnced at the Old Madam, and seeing no trace of anger on her face, went to summon Luye.
Madam Mao frowned and said, “Shuying, even if you’ve made a mistake, you shouldn’t call in your maid to take the bme for you! What are we to think of such behavior?”
Madam Xu, looking visibly “embarrassed,” addressed the group, “It’s entirely my fault for not teaching the Seventh Miss properly. Please, forgive her and excuse this scene.”
The Old Madam remained silent, but contrary to Madam Mao and Madam Xu’s expectations, she did not seem angry.
Madam Liu, her eyelids lowered, thought to herself: How could such a girl be worthy of my son?