In the deep silent autumn, the leaves of the parasol trees in the courtyard turned yellow and fell. Shaoguang Courtyard was as quiet as always, in stark contrast to the lively sounds occasionally coming from the front courtyard, as if they were two worlds.
Two maidservants paused in their sweeping, listening intently, and one of them sneered and said, "The banquet in the front courtyard has been going on for three days. It's said that yesterday, the Holy Emperor sent lavish gifts, holding a concubine's son in such high regard. Where does this leave our lady?"
"Silence!" The other quickly gave her companion a stern look and whispered, "Don't discuss matters of the outer courtyard, let Erqing hear and you'll be punished."
In her heart, she sighed, remembering the Heir's wife, a woman as precious as jade, who was once renowned in the Capital as a noble daughter of an illustrious family, and wondering how she had been oppressed so by such a lowborn concubine.
Xie Wanqing stood before the window, her plain garments empty and drifting on her body, quietly listening to the maidservants' conversation, her face calm and unchanging.
Until Erqing led the doctor in, witnessing the scene, her expression shifted: "Young Madam is unwell, how can you be exposed to the wind, quickly go and rest on the couch."
Xie Wanqing turned back, smiling slightly, "I just realized, I haven't been out for a long time."
She seemed to have grown tired of the Marquis Mansion she had yearned to marry into.
Erqing's nose tingled, assisting her to sit on the soft couch, and politely inviting the doctor, "Doctor Wei, please look at my Young Madam, she has been suffering from a cold for over two months now, why isn't she getting better."
After autumn, Xie Wanqing had been caught in the wind at the First Lady's courtyard and fell ill; the mansion doctor diagnosed it as a cold, the medicine had been taken on schedule, yet the body known for its health showed no signs of recovery.
Not wanting to worry her personal maid, Xie Wanqing extended her hand, obediently allowed the doctor to take her pulse.
Liu Manrou entered just as the elderly doctor uttered his last words, "Emotional distress affecting the organs, spirit weakened, life shortened…"
Her eyes flickered, holding her child, she stepped across the threshold, laughing, "Emotional distress affecting the organs? My husband only visited my sister a few more times, how could it come to this? Tonight I will speak with my husband, and ask him to spend more time with you, sister, in these coming days."
"Who let her in!" Upon hearing her mistress's life was at risk, and seeing the culprit stride into the room, Erqing's hands trembled, fuming, "Each person exploits Young Madam's kindness, taking undue advantage, but I will not tolerate it!"
"Slap her!" Liu Manrou's smile froze, her demeanor sinister, "Sister's health is poor, she hasn't the energy to discipline the maidservants, so little sister will handle it."
She was always favored, with many servants accompanying her, with her words, two strong women came forward.
Xie Wanqing stepped in front of Erqing, her expression icy: "Mrs. Liu, shouldn't you be in the front courtyard receiving congratulations from guests, how can you come uninvited and not expect anyone to speak against it?"
Liu Manrou glanced at her, her expression casual, all pretense gone, and with a slight wave of her hand, someone immediately pulled Xie Wanqing aside and slapped Erqing a few times.
The maidservants in Shaoguang Courtyard were all held down, not one able to intervene.
"Stop it." Xie Wanqing's pale face flushed with anger, rushing forward to push them away, but her long-standing illness left her too weak to stop these strong women, instead, she was pushed to the ground.
"Miss!" Erqing, held down, saw her mistress pushed to the ground, shouted angrily, and broke free from several servant women's grasp, charging straight at Liu Manrou, who held her child.
If you push my mistress, I'll push your mistress, driven by a desperate determination for mutual destruction.
In the chaos, Xie Wanqing saw Liu Manrou stagger and fall forward, her body headed toward the ground, and the eldest son Lu Ziyuan she held, not yet a year old, coincidentally hit his head against the hard bluestone bricks, bleeding profusely.
Amidst cries of alarm, she saw Lu Ziyuan rush over with a stern face, hurriedly picking up his blood-covered eldest son, still tenderly soothing the tearful Liu Manrou, his angry gaze moving past her to Erqing.
She saw his expression turn cold, his lips opened and closed, ordering those around, "Drag this unruly maid down and beat her to death."
"No!" Xie Wanqing anxiously intervened, "It was Mrs. Liu's people who offended me, Erqing was loyally protecting her mistress, what crime did she commit!"
She wished to reason, but no one listened.
Lu Ziyuan looked down at the woman sitting on the cold ground, frowning, "Xie Wanqing, when did you become such a wicked woman? I said, even if Rou Niang gives birth to Lu Mansion's eldest son, it won't affect your status as my first wife, you needn't see her as a thorn in your eye."
Beside him, Liu Manrou wept, "Sister was welcomed into the mansion as the official wife, I know I'm far inferior, but daily her maidservants treat me poorly, though I endured it. But today, she harmed Pei'er; if my husband doesn't give me an explanation, where in this mansion can my child and I find our place?"
She was innately alluring, her tears fell like raindrops on pear blossoms; Lu Ziyuan only needed a glance before resolutely, coldly ordering again, "What are you standing around for, drag her down and beat her to death."
Xie Wanqing screamed, trying to move forward, but was pulled aside, silenced by a hand over her mouth, helplessly watching as Erqing was dragged to the long bench in the courtyard, her clothes undone, her pants removed, and subjected to the rod.
She watched Erqing cough up blood and shake her head at her, watched Erqing's torn skin bleed, watched Erqing slowly lose breath.
When all was over, and the hand covering Xie Wanqing's mouth was released, everyone noticed she had vomited blood at some unknown time.
Without turning, Lu Ziyuan instructed the servants, "Seeing she served the lady, prepare a thin coffin, have her body collected."
Xie Wanqing's eardrums roared, hearing nothing, she lunged onto Erqing's body, not allowing anyone to take her away, tearfully arranging her pants, tightening her clothes, smoothing her swollen face, a pain and regret like never before surging through her heart.
She finally realized how wildly wrong she had been.
"I regret it, I truly regret it, Erqing! Erqing wake up, let's go home, shall we?"
Lu Ziyuan, who had been facing away, suddenly turned, his gaze landed on her blood-stained face, he lowered his child and rushed over.
Xie Wanqing clutched Erqing's lifeless body, wanting to summon the doctor to save her, but her throat felt congested with cotton, unable to make a sound.
It was all her fault, all because she ignored the warnings, obstinately married Lu Ziyuan, dragged herself into the mire, wrecking her future, and causing Erqing to suffer with her!
She once swore never to regret, yet less than two years on, regret filled her.
It was all her fault, why did she send Erqing to death!
She killed Erqing!
In her daze, Xie Wanqing saw Liu Manrou's lips curl into a mocking smile, regret and anguish twisted her intestines and heart, her throat spewed blood once more, and as consciousness faded, she only saw a silhouette swiftly appear before her.