Chapter 56: Receiving Thank-You Gifts Until One's Hands Grow Sore

Yu Yuanzheng walked slowly into the main hall and first bowed respectfully to the Princess Consort.

"Greetings, Mother."

"You've come at just the right time. This is the Heir Consort of Prince Cheng's Estate, this is the Heir Consort of Prince Huai's Estate, and this is the Elder Madam Qin, maternal aunt of the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Princess. You know this one: the Marquis of Ning'an's Madam," the Princess Consort introduced them one by one.

Were these people here by imperial decree to thank her?

The Second Dowager, Yu Zhaoyang, Concubine Luo, and the Second Madam were also present.

Yu Yuanzheng greeted each of them in turn.

"Yuanzheng, thank you so much for yesterday. You saved our family's Zhengxing twice. I will make sure he remembers this kindness for the rest of his life," the Marquis of Ning'an's Madam said with a bright smile.

At the same time, she was so furious with her son that she wanted to give him a severe thrashing.

Had he not already been punished by the Emperor yesterday, she would have wanted to give him a few more strikes with the paddle to make him remember the lesson.

Having such a son made her lose several years of her life. The Marquis had said last night that they could no longer pamper him, or else the boy would end up dead one day.

"Indeed, thank you so much, Eldest Young Madam. If it weren't for your timely rescue, that unruly boy of mine might have lost his life. Thank you," the Heir Consort of Prince Cheng's Estate said, her eyes turning red as she wiped away tears.

When she received the news yesterday, she had run frantically toward the small lake. Just as she arrived, she saw her own son vomiting water; otherwise, she would have fainted from terror on the spot.

"Eldest Young Madam, please accept this small token of my appreciation. I am not here merely because of the imperial decree, but to express my sincere gratitude.

"If you hadn't stepped forward yesterday to organize the rescue, my Jinchen probably would have already met the King of Hell. A life-saving grace is greater than the heavens."

The Heir Consort of Prince Huai's Estate stood up immediately, took out a brocade box, and pressed it into Yu Yuanzheng's hands.

"Yes, yes, yes, a life-saving grace is greater than the heavens. Eldest Young Madam directly saved my Yue'er. She suffered a great shock yesterday; once she recovers, I will bring her here in person to thank you," Elder Madam Qin chimed in immediately.

She too had been terribly frightened yesterday. She hadn't slept well all night, plagued by nightmares of her daughter drowning. Twice in the middle of the night, she had gotten up to check on her daughter, and only when she saw her sleeping peacefully until morning did her heart finally settle.

Each of the madams presented the gifts they had brought to Yu Yuanzheng.

Every single one of them was a box of jewelry.

Yet, truth be told, she would have preferred cash, but she couldn't say it out loud—that would be far too vulgar.

She was handed so many boxes that her hands could no longer hold them all, and a maid had to step forward to help.

"You madams are all far too polite. I merely happened to be there at the right time."

"It was precisely because you were there that my boy had a chance at survival. None of the others knew artificial respiration to save a life.

"That method is merely a legend from many years ago, and very few people know it anymore. To be able to execute it properly and actually bring someone back to life—even fewer possess that skill.

"By the time the imperial physicians arrived, the child would have already perished."

The Heir Consort of Prince Cheng's Estate was still shaking with lingering fear.

Yu Yuanzheng had nothing more to say, for that was indeed the truth.

Had she not been nearby and wandered over out of curiosity, those children truly might have died.

In that case, she felt no embarrassment in accepting these gifts.

"Then I thank you all, esteemed madams," Yu Yuanzheng said, raising the boxes in her hands slightly.

Several of the madams exchanged a few more pleasantries with the Princess Consort and then took their leave.

The Heir Consort of Prince Cheng's Estate and the Heir Consort of Prince Huai's Estate still had to visit another household.

Their sons had survived because the other two young masters participated in the rescue under Yu Yuanzheng's direction, and they still needed to go thank that family.

Once the guests dispersed, the Second Dowager's gaze toward Yu Yuanzheng turned somewhat inscrutable.

She shifted her look back and forth between Yu Yuanzheng and Yu Zhaoyang several times.

It made Yu Yuanzheng feel quite uneasy.

However, the Second Dowager said nothing and simply walked away.

Upon returning to her Centenarian Courtyard, the Second Dowager sat quietly in her chair.

On Zishu's wedding day, when word arrived in the morning that the bride had been sent to the wrong bridal chamber, she had been so overjoyed that she immediately told her maid to swap the wedding greeting gift meant for the new bride with the elaborate twelve-piece set she had originally prepared for her own granddaughter.

Yet, over this past month, Yu Yuanzheng's performance was entirely unlike that of an unpresentable daughter born to a concubine. On the contrary, she proved far more exceptional than the legitimate daughter meticulously cultivated by the Marquis's Estate.

By this point, she was no longer nearly as satisfied with Yu Zhaoyang as she had been when the girl first entered the household.

Even so, what was done was done, and she had no idea how to change it.

"Taohong, go summon the Heir's Consort to me," the Second Dowager instructed.

Yu Zhaoyang arrived swiftly.

"Greetings, Second Dowager."

"Zhaoyang, come, sit by your grandmother's side." The Second Dowager put on a smiling face.

Yu Zhaoyang sat down obediently.

"Good child, how are you and Zishu progressing with your study of that iron box lately?" the Second Dowager asked.

If the couple could open that box, it would be a monumental achievement for the entire Shangguan clan, and a wonderful way to elevate their status in the hearts of their clansmen.

"Not yet," Yu Zhaoyang replied with a look of deep shame.

She and her husband tried countless times every single day.

She tried the most; the Heir had to go out during the day, whereas she had much more free time.

Yet, twenty-some days had passed, and there was not the slightest sign of movement.

"Then keep trying. Who knows which number might be the password to unlock the box? Moreover, you have been married for a month now; you must seize the time to conceive. The descendants of the Prince's Estate are what matter most." The Second Dowager's thoughts turned to Yu Zhaoyang's womb.

"Second Dowager, Zhaoyang has only been married for a month; it doesn't happen that fast." Yu Zhaoyang nervously twisted the handkerchief in her hand.

"As for your second younger sister, you must be careful around her in the future. Don't let her pull any tricks on you behind your back." When the Second Dowager spoke of Yu Yuanzheng, her heart burned with bitter resentment.

"Yes. Zhaoyang never imagined she was hiding herself so deeply, deceiving everyone in our Marquis's Estate." Speaking of this, Yu Zhaoyang wanted nothing more than to kill her, but she could not.

"Enough. Things have reached this point; henceforth, try your best to keep your distance from her. Furthermore, you must read more, study the qin, and practice painting so that no one calls you an empty vessel.

"Another day, I will bring it up with the Princess Consort and have you start learning to manage the household affairs of the Prince's Estate.

"If you cannot shoulder the responsibilities of the matriarch of the Prince's Estate, your position as the Heir's Consort may not remain secure," the Second Dowager said with utmost solemnity.

She showed not a trace of her usual erratic demeanor.

She herself did not know why, but she simply found Yu Yuanzheng grating to the eyes. Ever since the girl's first day of serving tea, she had wanted to make things difficult for her at every turn.

She always felt that this woman was a variable that would ruin her plans of many years.

In truth, the primary reason was that the Prince had originally chosen Yu Yuanzheng for Shangguan Zishu, and she had been utterly displeased with that arrangement.

"Yes, Zhaoyang understands." Though Yu Zhaoyang acknowledged the words, she thought to herself that she had already married into the Prince's Estate and was now the Heir's Consort—surely nothing could go wrong?

What she failed to realize was the possibility of a wife being cast aside or a concubine being elevated. If a newcomer possessed extraordinary capabilities, she could easily be suppressed. The matriarch of the Prince's Estate was of paramount importance to the household.

A short while later, Concubine Luo also arrived.

She too had been profoundly startled by Yu Yuanzheng's recent display.

"Second Dowager, what do you think should be done about this?" Concubine Luo felt deeply unsettled.

A woman whom they had both looked down upon had actually overshadowed the Heir's Consort.

At that moment, she even held a trace of resentment toward Yu Zhaoyang. Had this marriage not been switched at the start, some of yesterday's glory would have fallen upon her own son.

"What can be done? As long as the Eldest Young Master does not wake up, no matter how capable she is, she is destined for a life of widowhood." The Second Dowager was not overly concerned.

A woman of the inner chambers could not alter the grand scheme. As long as Zishu remained the Heir, nothing would change.

Later, she would write a letter to the Imperial Consort Shu in the palace, asking her to put in a good word with the Emperor—how could the Prince halt the treatments for the Eldest Young Master?

The treatments must never be stopped.

It was only a pity that the Qiyao Courtyard was guarded so tightly by the Princess Consort that she could not plant a single person inside.

The pageboys serving in the courtyard were personally arranged by the Prince, and even the menial maids were descendants of the Princess Consort's dowry entourage from years past.

The woman they were discussing, Yu Yuanzheng, was currently carrying two jewelry boxes while a maid followed behind carrying two more, returning to the Qiyao Courtyard in high spirits.

She opened every single box to admire them.

"My, these madams are truly generous."

Every single piece was exquisite enough to dazzle the eyes.

Yu Yuanzheng picked up a gold-inlaid jade hairpin and thrust it straight into her hair.

"Ziyue, does it look pretty?"

"The Eldest Young Madam is truly stunning."

"At least you know how to talk—praising me instead of just the hairpin. Come, everyone shares in the fortune. This one is for you, this one for Jianghua, and this one for Mother Ye. As for the menial maids in the courtyard, Ziyue, give each of them one silver tael later as a reward. Tell them the Madam is in high spirits today and is rewarding them."

Yu Yuanzheng was exceedingly generous.

"Oh, right, go call Mother Ye in for me. I have something to discuss with her."

Ziyue accepted her reward and went out to summon the older woman.