Chapter 21: Yu Zhu
The coarse maids in the small kitchen were originally from Ningguo Mansion and had never been favored.
Seeing that the coarse maids could enter the courtyard to carry trays, they begged them to sneak out some dishes and fruits whenever possible.
Autumn Abundance, who loved snacking the most, wrapped up some olives and tangerines for them.
Having enjoyed the treats, those maids shared a few old stories, all of which Autumn Abundance overheard.
According to the rules of Ningguo Mansion, when young masters grew up but were not yet married, they would have one or two chamber maids by their side.
When the Young Master lived in the Tranquil Study, there was one by his side—not Jade Ink, but her elder sister, Yu Zhu.
In noble families like Ningguo Mansion, the personal maids serving young masters inevitably followed this path.
Yu Zhu was a first-rank maid. Her appearance and figure were secondary; her most endearing qualities were her steady and gentle nature.
She was a year older than the Young Master, and the Old Madam had specifically assigned her to look after her grandson.
The Young Lord had originally planned to elevate Yu Zhu to a concubine after his marriage, as was customary for young men of noble families.
Little did he know that only a few months after he left for the campaign, Shen Shi would dismiss the maids from the Tranquil Study.
This matter was reported to the mistress, Madam Ning. Not wanting to offend Shen Shi or make her suspicious, Madam Ning had no choice but to agree.
The younger house-born maids were taken home by their respective parents, while those bought from outside were handed over to their godmothers to be raised.
Only Yu Zhu and Jade Ink in the Tranquil Study were older, and Madam Ning had specifically instructed that the two sisters be kept.
But Shen Shi acted swiftly, taking Yu Zhu and Jade Ink out early and sending them to her dowry estate to be married off.
Coincidentally, that day the mansion held a private memorial for the old Duke, and both the Old Madam and Madam Ning were occupied.
Jade Ink broke free and escaped halfway, running to Granny Zhou’s home to report the matter, which only then came to light.
By the time someone was sent out of the city to pursue them, how could they possibly be caught?
Upon arriving at the Shen family estate, Yu Zhu hanged herself that very night.
By the time the news reached Ningguo Mansion, her body had already been sent to the crematorium and reduced to ashes.
Shen Shi never expected Yu Zhu to be so resolute. Terrified, she rushed to Madam Ning’s courtyard to plead for forgiveness.
Weeping, she claimed she had been unaware of Yu Zhu’s status and had meant well but caused harm.
Madam Ning, considering her a new bride, could not reprimand her. Instead, she gently comforted her for a long time, urging her not to be afraid.
Yu Zhu and Jade Ink’s parents and brothers were all in the south managing estate affairs and were not in the capital.
Madam Ning publicly stated that Yu Zhu had died of consumption, awarded her family a sum of burial silver, and sent someone to Granny Zhou’s home to bring Jade Ink back for consolation. Thus, the matter was settled.
Yu Zhu died silently, without even leaving behind her ashes. Only her sister, Jade Ink, wept bitterly in private, not daring to let the masters in the main house know.
Since Yu Zhu had been assigned from the Old Madam’s courtyard, the matter could not be hidden from her.
The Old Madam told Shen Shi to “at least keep Jade Ink,” which prevented her from forcing Jade Ink out again.
The matter of Yu Zhu’s death had been kept from the Young Master all along, and he only learned of it on the day he returned to the mansion.
Given such circumstances, how could the Young Master not protect her?
As Autumn Abundance recounted the gossip, she clicked her tongue repeatedly: “Usually, the eldest young mistress speaks softly and gently, often shedding tears, appearing so pitiful. Who would have thought she had blood on her hands!”
Huan Huan, simple and honest, remarked, “The eldest young mistress didn’t know Sister Yu Zhu was a chamber maid. It was all done by the maids below. Can she really be blamed?”
Autumn Abundance bared her teeth and poked her with a finger. “What a pig-brained fool! This is called killing without a blade—the most vicious method of all. Without the mistress’s word, which servant woman would dare do such a thing? Sister Yu Zhu was already the Young Master’s woman. Would she keep silent in front of others? Who could have sewn her mouth shut?”
Hearing this, Pear Moon felt a suffocating tightness in her chest.
Her impression of Yu Zhu was not deep; she only remembered her as tall and slender with a fair, oval face.
Then one day, she suddenly vanished, leaving only Jade Ink in the Tranquil Study.
She had thought Yu Zhu had returned to her parents to marry.
In the eyes of their masters, maids like them were little more than playthings, akin to cats and dogs.
Liked, they were kept close for amusement; disliked, they were cast aside without a second thought.
Even if they died unjustly, they would receive at most a sigh of pity, with no hope for justice.
Shen Shi was a noblewoman from an official family, who often spoke of the three obediences and four virtues, kindness and compassion.
Yet when she caused the death of an innocent maid, she only needed to weep and say, “It wasn’t intentional,” and her elders and relatives would forgive her, even worrying that she might feel unsettled.
But Yu Zhu’s life had turned to ashes and vanished without a trace.
Pear Moon thought of Jade Ink again.
Knowing her sister had died unjustly yet unable to confront the culprit—how full of resentment and sorrow she must be.
As Pear Moon was lost in thought, Autumn Abundance leaned in and said, “Xiao Yue, we were right to curry favor with Sister Jade Ink! With Sister Yu Zhu gone for three years, it’s bound to be Sister Jade Ink who fills her place. With the bond she shares with the Young Master, who else would he favor? In less than a year or two, she’ll be elevated to concubine! If we three follow her, we’ll eventually become second-rank maids!”
According to the rules of Ningguo Mansion, concubines and lesser concubines could only employ second-rank maids at most.
With the bond Jade Ink shared, elevating her to concubine would require just a word from the Young Master, and even the mistress could not stop it.
But recalling Jade Ink’s earlier words, Pear Moon felt she might not be willing to take this path.
Becoming the Young Master’s chamber maid was merely a pursuit of temporary wealth. Even if she could later be elevated to a concubine, she would remain a servant for life, subject to being trampled by others.
With her sister’s fate as a cautionary tale and having coldly observed Shen Shi for three years, Jade Ink would likely not submit to such humiliation.
“I don’t think Sister Jade Ink will become a concubine,” Pear Moon shook her head.
But Autumn Abundance didn’t believe it. “What maid wouldn’t want to become a concubine? Who would choose to remain a servant, marrying a footman or an ordinary man, over becoming half a mistress? Only a fool would do that!”
Though Autumn Abundance was plain-looking, she loved to dress up and stood out among the low-ranking maids.
She often said the small kitchen had wasted her talents—if she had been assigned to a master’s courtyard, she would have climbed high long ago and become a chamber concubine.
Pear Moon couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, but Huan Huan retorted, “I don’t want to be a concubine. I just want to go home.”
“Pah! With your chubby face, no one would want you anyway!”
“You’re not pretty either, so you won’t become one either!”
Pear Moon turned over, ignoring them, and let them bicker for a while before falling into a restless sleep.
By then, the moon was high in the sky, and the red lanterns in Phoenix Ripple Courtyard had been extinguished, leaving it silent and desolate.
In the mother-of-pearl inlaid canopy bed of the Warm Pavilion, Shen Shi still lay weeping on the covers.
Granny Zhao had already stormed back to her room in anger, leaving only Zhi Qing in the Warm Pavilion.
Zhi Qing was a resourceful maid who couldn’t bear to see her young lady wallowing in self-pity. She sighed and said, “The nuptial wine ceremony has already turned out this way, young lady. Don’t cry yourself sick. In my opinion, you should swallow your pride tomorrow morning and call Granny Zhao back—that’s the proper thing to do.”
Shen Shi refused to listen, weeping as she said, “She is my wet nurse, while Granny Zhou is someone else’s wet nurse. Granny Zhou knows to protect her mistress and speak for her, but not only does she not speak for me, she even tramples on me to defend others?”
Seeing her still throwing a tantrum, Zhi Qing grew somewhat anxious and quickly said, “This servant dares to ask, who is this ‘someone else’? Is the son-in-law an outsider? Tonight, the marriage was not consummated—how could Madam Ning and Old Madam not ask about it tomorrow? If the young lady only cares about saving face, how will she go to pay respects and serve tea tomorrow morning? That nuptial handkerchief…”
Being an unmarried girl herself, she felt too embarrassed to speak plainly and simply pointed toward the bedding.
On the quilt embroidered with the Hundred Sons pattern, a plain white silk nuptial handkerchief was spread out, strikingly conspicuous.
Shen Shi could not help but blush crimson, clutching her chest as she wept again.
“He humiliated me like this, all for that seductress who died! Had I known it would come to this, I shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted. What use is there in keeping Jade Ink alive?”
Hearing her suddenly mention this, Zhi Qing quickly leaned over to cover her mouth, urgently whispering, “Lower your voice, young lady! Yu Zhu was unfortunate to contract consumption—what does that have to do with us?”