Chapter 003: Help! Pomu Has Gone Mad!

The rain outside the window gradually ceased. As evening approached, sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling upon Chang’an City, dispersing the lingering mist and once again enveloping the city in warmth. In the corner, an ice vat quietly emanated coolness, and the entire side chamber was silent.

The two matrons who had escorted Bai Yuning were chatting idly in the outer room, unaware that she had already awakened on the bed.

She did not sit up, only sweeping her captivating peach-blossom eyes carefully around the surroundings.

The bed curtains hanging around the bed were woven with brocade and gold thread. Through a gap in the curtains, she could glimpse the objects outside the bed and within the side chamber.

There were curtains adorned with golden hooks and jade beads, a frame made of huanghuali wood, and a low couch by the window piled with brocade and satin. On the couch stood a small table, upon which rested a pure gold pear blossom incense burner. The pear blossoms were exquisitely lifelike, with a thin wisp of smoke rising from the stamens, casting a purple glow by the window. In the ice vat in the corner, leaves from the tribute of the Hundred Herbs Township were soaked, emitting a faint, cool fragrance to ward off mosquitoes—each leaf worth a fortune.

Every breath here carried the scent of extravagance.

The Zhongyi Hou Mansion was wealthy, and Lady Qin, as the most favored Wuyou Junzhu, relied on the merits of her entire family dying in battle to become a living symbol of Dachen. Whenever the Emperor wished to reward military officials, she would be included, using this to demonstrate Dachen’s generosity toward loyal subjects.

It was one thing for the Emperor to favor Lady Qin, but her own family was also remarkably capable. Not only had they all perished, but an Adoptive Brother had also emerged. Though he was stationed at the border, he still supported her, holding up a piece of the sky for her. Every time military achievements came from the frontier, Zhennan Wang asked for nothing but requested the Emperor to reward Wuyou Junzhu. Rewards flowed like water into the Houfu, building up Lady Qin’s reputation and status.

Such a fine family should have been her marital home.

Since childhood, her parents had told her that she would one day enter the Zhongyi Hou Mansion. She had always strived for the title of Shizi Furen of the Zhongyi Hou Mansion—until her family fell into misfortune.

After her family’s downfall, her parents had repeatedly pleaded with the Zhongyi Hou Mansion for help. However, the Zhongyi Hou Mansion refused to assist, standing idly by. Worse still, Lady Qin immediately broke off the engagement with her fiancé and welcomed a new bride.

The former friendship vanished in an instant. Her parents were sentenced to Liufang without hesitation, and resentment toward Lady Qin grew in her heart.

With such a vast estate, with Zhongyi Marquis so favored by the Emperor, and with Lady Qin so dignified—why wouldn’t you help our family?

Back then, Lady Qin and her mother were close friends, sharing such deep affection. Could it all have been false?

Harboring such resentment, she was shackled and prepared to join her parents in Liufang.

But on the very day before her scheduled exile, she was suddenly summoned for interrogation in prison.

The one who interrogated her was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in fine robes and wearing a mask.

That night, the interrogator told her that the Emperor had mistreated the Bai family and that Lady Qin had betrayed their trust, but he was willing to give Bai Yuning a chance.

If Bai Yuning could find a way to stay in the Houfu and steal a certain item from within, he would rescue her parents from Liufang, sparing them the hardships of exile—even restoring their official positions.

How could Bai Yuning refuse? She did not know the man’s identity, but she had no other choice.

She knelt, kowtowed, and resolutely agreed to his terms.

The other party was satisfied with her attitude and later arranged for her release from prison, allowing her to meet Zhou Yuanting again.

Today, Zhou Yuanting believed everything was a coincidence, but in reality, it was a plan she had long devised. Having known Zhou Yuanting since childhood, she naturally understood how to make him bring her back to the Houfu.

Now that she was already in the Houfu, although there was some danger—Lady Qin seemed very reluctant to let her stay—since she had come, she had a way to take root here.

What she needed to do was to steal the item her benefactor wanted—the Dachen Nanjiang Strategic Map—before being driven out.

Only two people possessed the Dachen Nanjiang Strategic Map: Zhennan Wang and Zhongyi Marquis.

No, to be precise, originally, only Zhennan Wang had the Dachen Nanluan Strategic Map. This map was personally drawn by the Qin family after years of guarding the border. It was a map stained with the blood of countless Qin family members, a symbol of the Qin family’s glory, carrying profound meaning. Later, part of it was destroyed in war, and the Qin family redrew a new version.

The old map should have been destroyed, but because it was soaked with the blood of the Qin family, and because Qin Lao Jiangjun—Qin Chanyue’s father—could not be found, only the map was recovered, a version stained with Qin Lao Jiangjun’s blood was sent back.

The emperor, pitying Lady Qin for being unable to find her father’s body, specially permitted this map to be left to Qin Chanyue.

Later, after Lady Qin became engaged to Zhongyi Hou Mansion, Qin Chanyue included this strategic map as something her father had left her, placing it in her Zhuanglian, and along with his illustrious military achievements, she married into Zhongyi Hou Mansion.

And her mission now was to steal this strategic map.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

To this day, although her benefactor had never revealed his identity, she had already guessed who he was.

She was not like Liu Yandai, a woman of humble origins, timid and weak, who only knew how to cook and please men. She had read books, understood the situation, and listened to discussions on state affairs. She was very clever.

This strategic map was useless in Zhongyi Hou Mansion—it was merely a blade Zhennan Wang personally hung over Zhongyi Marquis’s head. But if it were taken to the military, to the border, it would be entirely different.

Her benefactor’s desire to steal the strategic map meant he wanted to target Zhennan Wang and bring about his death. And the only person who could target Zhennan Wang while also rescuing a prisoner like her, who was about to be exiled, was—

Bai Yuning, lying on the bed, looked at the exquisite bed curtains and silently curled her lips into a smile.

She didn’t care who her benefactor was; she only cared about her parents.

She would survive with her parents, even if it meant stepping over the corpses of Zhennan Wang, Lady Qin, and even Zhou Yuanting.

Meanwhile, in the east wing of Shuhai Courtyard.

When the rain outside stopped, Liu Yandai was leaning on the low couch, gazing out the window.

She had never imagined that one day she would marry into the Houfu.

She was actually just a child from an ordinary family. It was only because her elders were military households and had once risked their lives to save the Qin family’s patriarch that she ended up with this marriage arrangement. In truth, her family was quite destitute. Her father was stationed in the military year-round, her mother had passed away early, and she relied solely on her grandmother to survive. After her father died, her grandmother, overwhelmed by grief, followed him shortly after. With no one left in her family, her uncle took her in, but by then she was already quite old—a child of over ten. Her uncle couldn’t really teach her much, and because he was too busy, he often left her in the military camp.

The military camp was filled with men, weapons, blood, and corpses. She was terrified. Her uncle was stern, and she feared him even more.

No one had ever taught her any etiquette, and she didn’t know how to interact with outsiders. She only remembered her father telling her to listen to her uncle, that whatever her uncle gave her would be the best.

She listened to her uncle and married into the Houfu. Her uncle said she must respect her Pomu and be a good daughter-in-law, so she firmly remembered this and came to serve her Pomu.

Before arriving at Zhennan Wang’s residence, she had relied on her grandmother to survive. After her grandmother passed away, she went to Zhennan Wang’s residence, where only an old maid took care of her, and she grew up haphazardly.

Because she suffered hardships in her childhood, her body was frail. Having gone hungry too often, she ate voraciously as she grew older. Though she appeared plump and fleshy, the ends of her hair were yellowish and couldn’t regain their black color. Her complexion was pale, with only her rabbit-like eyes shining brightly and moistly.

As dusk approached, the thought of going to pay her evening respects to her Pomu filled her with anxiety.

Pomu… Pomu had never liked her. Every time Pomu met her in private, she would lecture and scold her for a long time. Today, in front of everyone, Pomu had defended her, likely out of respect for her uncle. But once they were alone, Pomu would surely reprimand her again.

Even before seeing Pomu, she was already afraid. She wanted to please Pomu but didn’t know how to make her happy, so she could only sulk by the window in distress.

It seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn’t make Pomu like her.

Seeing Shizi Furen so despondent, a nearby nanny stepped forward to console her and teach her what to do.

“Shizi Furen need not worry. It’s a good thing Madam stood up for you. Although Madam has a bit of a temper, she is clear-minded and never harms others by being two-faced. If Madam says she won’t let anyone take your place, she absolutely won’t let you suffer.”

“But—the Eldest Young Master is also Madam’s own child. Madam can’t possibly abandon her own son for your sake, can she? Since Madam gave you face in public, you must also give Madam a way to save face.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Yandai’s muddled mind seemed to find a path. She asked, “How do I give Pomu a way to save face?”

The nanny smiled slightly.

The nannies in Shuhai Courtyard were all old-timers from the Zhou Mansion. When the Qin Mansion and Zhou Mansion married, they brought two groups of servants to form the Houfu. Qin Chanyue took charge of the inner courtyard, so both the Qin and Zhou nannies had to obey her. However, she preferred to use her own people, so she assigned those from the Zhou Mansion to serve the two young masters, while the old servants from the Qin Mansion continued to serve her and Zhou Ziheng.

These old maidservants had previously served the Zhongyi Marquis and now served Zhou Yuanting. Their loyalty lay entirely with the Zhou family and these three men surnamed Zhou. Although they served Liu Yandai diligently, they would never teach Zhou Yuanting to treat Liu Yandai well; they only taught Liu Yandai how to please Zhou Yuanting.

They were Zhou Yuanting’s hands and feet, tirelessly trimming Liu Yandai’s branches day and night, forcing her to become a qualified wife.

“We women need only serve our husbands well. Today, your Pomu defended you by confining your husband in the ancestral hall. Even if Madam doesn’t say it, her heart must ache. You should bring some food to the Eldest Young Master, and when you go to pay respects to Madam this evening, plead on his behalf. That way, Madam will have a way to save face, won’t she?”

“Once Madam releases the Eldest Young Master, he will surely remember your kindness and won’t treat you coldly anymore. When that Young Lady Bai is sent away, won’t you still be the Shizi Furen of the Houfu?”

The maidservant instructing her spoke earnestly, every word seemingly for her benefit. Liu Yandai listened and found it quite reasonable, so she immediately went to the small kitchen herself to prepare some food and hurried to the ancestral hall.

However, when she arrived, Zhou Yuanting inside the ancestral hall refused to see her.

Today, Zhou Yuanting had been publicly reprimanded by his mother, feeling humiliated and now burning with rage. Born as the legitimate eldest son of the Houfu, with a lenient father and a doting mother, when had he ever suffered such grievances, whether at home or outside?

But today, his mother had punished him for Liu Yandai’s sake! In all the past years, his mother had never treated him this way!

Filled with resentment and anger, and vaguely feeling he had lost face, he lacked the courage to blame Qin Chanyue, who had punished him, and could only secretly hate Liu Yandai.

It was all because of this woman, Liu Yandai. Since her arrival, he hadn’t had a single peaceful day! And his Bai Yuning—Bai Yuning was such a delicate young lady. Even back in the Bai Mansion, she had always been understanding and never argued with anyone. After falling into hardship and enduring so much suffering, such a wonderful Bai Yuning was now being driven out of the Houfu because of Liu Yandai!

So, when Liu Yandai came to the ancestral hall with food, Zhou Yuanting hurled every possible insult at her from behind the door.

“Do you think putting on this act will make me forgive you? Dream on! If it weren’t for you, how could Mother have driven away Young Lady Bai!”

“You’re nothing but a country bumpkin, and Mother despises you too!”

“I’ll divorce you sooner or later!”

The torrent of words, filled with gnashing hatred, came from behind the wooden lattice door, hammering down on Liu Yandai’s spirit like a mallet with each syllable.

Husband and wife should be the closest, most supportive partners, yet he had always loathed her, wishing he could throw her into the mud and trample her to death.

The maidservants nearby could all hear the furious shouts from behind the wooden door. Mortified, she could only flee in tears, her face burning with shame.

Zhou Yuanting despised her so much; it seemed he was determined to divorce her in the future.

Could Pomu shield her once? Could she shield her for a lifetime? Once Zhou Yuanting passed the imperial examinations and became an official, he certainly wouldn’t listen to Pomu anymore. Besides, Pomu didn’t like her to begin with.

Her fate of being divorced remained unchanged.

The thought of being divorced filled her with despair. As she made her way to Shangyue Garden to seek an audience with her mother-in-law and prepare to pay her respects, she walked with her head hung low.

——

By the time Liu Yandai arrived at Shangyue Garden, the sky had already turned to dusk, nearing twilight. At this moment, Qin Chanyue had personally retrieved a bottle of poison from the storeroom.

The earlier light rain had cleared, revealing a half-circle of crimson sunset that cast a thick, flowing golden-red light, making the Liuli Jishou on the eaves shine brilliantly. Beneath the ridge beasts, maids were lighting lanterns along the corridor.

Amidst the molten gold of the setting sun, a sliver of twilight fell through the window. Qin Chanyue, using the slanting sunlight from outside, carefully poured out the poison pills from her hand, took the Yu Nianzi, and slowly ground them into powder.

This—she had prepared for her dear husband.

In her previous life, her dear husband, Zhongyi Marquis Zhou Ziheng, had kept a mistress behind her back and even fathered a child. The moment she lost her standing, Zhongyi Marquis immediately drove her out of the house and brought the mistress he had been keeping outside into the household, turning her into a laughingstock and allowing the mistress to bully her until she fell ill and died in the harsh winter.

Just thinking about it made her chest ache with hatred.

Now, in this life, she would not let Zhongyi Marquis off easily either.

If it were someone else, they might seek a divorce from Zhongyi Marquis, hoping for a clean break. But for Qin Chanyue, that was impossible—what divorce? If she divorced, wouldn’t the suffering of the past dozen years have been in vain? Having been foolishly deceived for over a decade, how could she swallow such humiliation? And wouldn’t she have to share the wealth of the entire mansion with Zhongyi Marquis? What a beautiful thought!

If it weren’t for marrying her, how could Zhou Ziheng, a mere second son, have surpassed the legitimate heir to be granted a marquis title? She would never divorce. In their Qin Mansion, there was no such thing as divorce—only widowhood! Once Zhongyi Marquis died, the entire Houfu should rightfully be hers!

She would take back what was owed to her from Zhongyi Marquis. In her previous life, he had taken her life; in this life, she would take his. Fair and square!

Once Zhongyi Marquis was dead, she would drive out those two sons and live a carefree life with her daughter-in-law.

She only needed to endure a few more days of humiliation and disgust before achieving a complete victory!

Wasn’t it all just an act? How Zhou Ziheng had deceived her before, she would now repay him in kind!

Just thinking this way, Qin Chanyue ground the medicine with even greater force. Coincidentally, a maid outside the beaded curtain came to announce that Shizi Furen was seeking an audience. She replied firmly, “Enter!”

When Liu Yandai entered with her head bowed low and a dispirited demeanor, she saw her mother-in-law frowning and grinding medicine with gritted teeth.

Her mother-in-law was beautiful, over thirty but still vibrant and radiant like peach blossoms in March. Her fair, delicate fingers held a jade roller, her red lips tightly pursed, as she ground something unknown.

Seeing her mother-in-law seemingly busy, Liu Yandai hesitated, unsure whether to voice the greeting she had prepared.

Hearing the footsteps, Qin Chanyue looked up and saw Liu Yandai’s expression, her frown deepening. “What’s with that look? Who’s been mistreating you again?”

Hearing her mother-in-law’s voice, cold with a hint of disdain, Liu Yandai felt her heart tighten. Her knees weakened, and she knelt on the ground, beginning to cry.

“Mother-in-law, please don’t divorce me,” she sobbed, wiping her tears. “I will serve you well.”

Qin Chanyue couldn’t stand seeing Liu Yandai cry. Every time she witnessed it, it fueled her anger. Whose daughter-in-law cried every single day! She nearly slammed the table and stood up but forced herself to hold back, gritting her teeth as she said, “Who said anything about divorcing you? I’ve already told you—as long as I’m here, no one can divorce you.”

Liu Yandai then tearfully recounted what had happened at the ancestral hall that day.

After hearing just a few sentences, Qin Chanyue realized Liu Yandai had been persuaded by a few old maids to deliver food to the ancestral hall, and her anger flared up again.

Those gossiping old women in Shuhai Courtyard were becoming more and more unruly—they were even daring to manipulate their mistress!

She immediately slapped the armrest of her chair. Her dignified and beautiful face showed a hint of resentment as she declared firmly, “Do you have to treat an old maid’s words like an imperial decree? Why bother sending him anything? Let him starve! And what right does he have to divorce you? He should take a good look at himself! Your Shufu and I have known each other since childhood—this marriage alliance cannot be broken. If my son dares to divorce you, I’ll just replace him with another son!”

Liu Yandai sobbed and nodded, “Yes—huh?”

She lifted her round, fair, and plump face, flushed from crying, and stared blankly at her Pomu.

Pomu used to dislike her the most, frowning whenever she saw her… When had she started protecting her like this? Was she even willing to abandon her own son?

For a moment, Liu Yandai couldn’t tell whether Pomu’s words were spoken in anger or sincerity, so she timidly kept quiet. But Pomu seemed to think it wasn’t enough and turned to call out to the outer room, “Someone!”

A maid immediately entered from outside, and Qin Chanyue ordered, “Take two people to the ancestral hall and administer Jiafa to Zhou Yuanting—twenty strokes!”

Twenty strokes! That would surely leave him battered and bruised!

Liu Yandai trembled, instinctively shrinking her neck in fear—if, if Pomu punishes my husband, she can’t punish me too, right?

The maid glanced at Liu Yandai in shock before quickly lowering her head and accepting the order.

Good heavens, what kind of complaint did Shizi Furen make to provoke such punishment from Madam!

Liu Yandai, standing nearby, was also terrified. Clutching her sleeves, she stammered, “P-Pomu, there’s no need to go this far. My husband’s imperial examination is approaching. If… if he gets seriously injured—”

Qin Chanyue let out a cold laugh, squeezing out the words through gritted teeth, “What’s there to pity about a man who betrays trust and abandons his wife? Let him die. Whether he’s here or not, you’ll still be my daughter-in-law. Just wait—in a few days, I’ll find an excuse to send him away, as if I never gave birth to him.”

In her previous life, when she died, this son had watched coldly from the sidelines. In this life, she would act as if she never had him, letting him experience what it meant to be abandoned by everyone.

Liu Yandai’s lips trembled uncontrollably. Seeing Pomu’s resolute demeanor, she couldn’t help but feel afraid.

“Pomu, this isn’t right,” she said, pulling out the teachings she had learned. “We women follow Fu Wei Qi Gang—we must serve our husbands. Men… men having San Qi Si Qie is normal, but we women must remain faithful to one man and dutifully serve our in-laws.”

When Qin Chanyue heard the words “San Qi Si Qie,” she felt a tightness in her chest. Her Adoptive Brother had been strong-willed and capable all his life—how could he have raised such a useless person?

While others merely paid lip service to such words, continuing to live as they pleased behind closed doors, Liu Yandai alone truly believed them, handling every matter with strict adherence to rules and propriety. As a result, she was taken advantage of for her uprightness and ended up in this state.

Like a sheep locked in a cage, taught to serve men dutifully, by the time she escaped the cage, she herself felt she could not survive without a man.

Qin Chanyue grew agitated and was about to scold her again.

“You really have a rusted brain! Others talk about the importance of etiquette and rules, yet they never shy away from dirty deeds behind the scenes. Look around—who besides you actually believes these words? Outsiders say women should serve their husbands, but they also say husbands must not favor concubines over wives. Did your husband uphold that? He’s already trampling on you to please other women, yet here you are, still serving him!”

“The idea of ‘remaining faithful to one man’ is a complete joke! Are there no remarried women in Dachen? If I hadn’t married back then, I would have opened my own estate and kept male companions myself! Men may have San Qi Si Qie, so why can’t women secretly keep lovers too? It all comes down to who holds the power. You’ve had your mind corrupted, locking yourself in a cage of your own making!”

Whenever Qin Chanyue scolded someone, Liu Yandai would start trembling. Seeing this, Qin Chanyue felt a pang of heartache. She stared at Liu Yandai’s face for a while, thinking to herself that Liu Yandai simply hadn’t seen enough of the world—the moment a man came along, she would treat him like an ancestor, kneeling and serving him, completely unaware that she actually had many paths she could take.

In the future, she could seek a divorce. After divorcing, she could remarry. Even if she didn’t want to remarry, she could keep men in her own courtyard. Why cling to a single crooked tree and hang herself from it?

But Liu Yandai wouldn’t listen to her words, and with her timid nature, she wouldn’t dare to act unless pushed. Qin Chanyue thought she needed to do something unconventional for Liu Yandai, to make her understand that there were countless ways for women to live in this world, and there was no need to fixate on a single Zhou Yuanting.

So she softened her tone and said, “Don’t be afraid. Are men in short supply? Today, Pomu will find eight for you and send them to your room. You! Change! Them! Daily! Once I drive Zhou Yuanting out, you can even keep a lover outside.”

She wasn’t giving these men to Liu Yandai with the expectation that she would actually use them. She knew Liu Yandai didn’t have the courage for that. She simply wanted to show Liu Yandai that she had more choices and didn’t need to care about a single Zhou Yuanting.

Upon hearing these rebellious words, Liu Yandai’s legs went weak.

What was Pomu saying! How could she find eight men… That was too, too many! How could she possibly manage them all!

She wanted to ask Pomu what had suddenly come over her, but her tongue felt tied, and she couldn’t find the right words. Just then, she noticed Pomu grinding medicine pills, so she stammered out a question: “Pomu, Pomu… Why is Pomu grinding medicine? Are you feeling unwell? I, your daughter-in-law, can grind the medicine for you.”

Hearing the word “medicine,” Qin Chanyue remembered how this foolish daughter-in-law had truly gone out of her way to help her in her previous life, and her expression softened slightly. She waved Liu Yandai over and said, “Come here. Pomu will tell you why.”

She needed to explain her plans to Liu Yandai so that the girl would have some understanding and not act like a fool, offering her face to be slapped by others. She wanted Liu Yandai to know that some people in the Houfu weren’t even worthy of being called human, and there was no need to show them any mercy.

This child Liu Yandai wasn’t clever and had a soft temper, but she truly respected and loved Qin Chanyue from the bottom of her heart. Whatever Qin Chanyue discussed with her, she would never reveal to others.

Having just one virtue was enough.

Seeing Pomu wave her over, Liu Yandai got up from the floor and walked cautiously to Qin Chanyue’s desk. She noticed a faint smile on Pomu’s striking face, a smile tinged with three parts hatred and two parts resentment. It looked like the smile of a vengeful female ghost, yet it was forcibly suppressed, twisting into a fierce grin.

Liu Yandai trembled inwardly, feeling even more terrified.

What was wrong with Pomu!

“Pomu has just learned something these past two days,” Pomu finally spoke.

She heard Pomu say, “My dear husband has been keeping a lover outside behind my back. Tsk, he’s been doing it for over ten years. Many of those close to him actually knew about it, but they all kept it from me and secretly laughed at me behind my back.”

“They laughed at me for being self-righteous, for being smug and complacent, for thinking Qin Chanyue was proud all her life. But in reality? What I thought was a happy life was nothing but a joke!”

At this point, Pomu’s expression grew even more ferocious.

The thought of those who usually pretended ignorance while praising her for being skilled at managing her husband made her feel utterly humiliated.

Liu Yandai grew increasingly agitated as she listened, stomping her feet anxiously. “H-how could this be? Father-in-law is too much!”

She had come here to take care of Pomu on behalf of Shufu. Now that Pomu was being wronged, she had to find a way to help her—but what could she do?

Liu Yandai’s useless mind spun in circles, unable to come up with anything except one idea: write a letter to Shufu and tell on him.

“Yes, he is too much,” Pomu replied calmly, her gaze fixed on the poison powder in her hand. “So I made this.”

Liu Yandai was taken aback. Pomu’s face then lit up with an expression of long-awaited vengeance as she said, “This is poison. I’ll feed it to him tonight, and within half a month, he’ll be dead.”

When Liu Yandai heard the word “dead,” it felt as though someone had struck her head.

D-dead?

Wasn’t this murder?

Pomu seemed to envision a delightful scene, her brows relaxing and her eyes brightening with joy. She turned to Liu Yandai and said, “Remember, don’t tell anyone about Pomu poisoning your father-in-law.”

Don’t tell anyone about Pomu poisoning your father-in-law.

Don’t tell anyone.

Anyone.

Ah.

Ah!

Pomu, ah!

On the surface, Liu Yandai stood frozen like a wooden chicken, but inside, she was screaming silently.

It’s over, it’s all over! After Father-in-law kept a mistress, Pomu has gone mad!