Daughter-in-law of a Noble House Chapter 99. New Year’s Eve

(Lunar) New Year's Eve

除夕 (chúxī) - Lunar New Year's Eve
Wei Jue settled Ren Ji in his side chamber (of his courtyard). From then on, whenever he moved about, except for times when he was away or at meetings, Ren Ji's shadow was always by his side.
Ren Ji was exceptionally virtuous, speaking with gentle and tender words. Whether it was playing the zither or brewing tea, she excelled in all. She proved even more considerate and meticulous than I had imagined. Whenever Wei Jue needed something, with just a mere glance, Ren Ji would promptly offer it to him with both of her hands.
"Such a beauty ended up as a maid is truly a waste," Mao Shi sighed, not without admiration.
Wei Jue also showed exceptional favor towards her. In less than half a month of moving into his side chambers, she had already changed into several sets of new clothes and jewelry. Sometimes when Wei Jue felt unwell, Guo Furen or other concubines and attendants would come to serve him, but he would always become impatient. Only Ren Ji could stay in his room for an entire day.
After Wei Jue's headache subsided, Wei Jiao would come every three to five days to check his pulse.
However, events took another turn, causing ripples once again.
"Chengxiang has taken in a new person?" One day, when Wei Jue felt a chill, after Wei Jiao diagnosed him, he asked the steward.
"Indeed," the steward smiled and said, "Bian Que could even diagnose this?"
Wei Jiao said, "Kidney deficiency and essence depletion have allowed the invading evil-wind to return. Chengxiang's headache has not fully recovered, so indulging in female company is unwise."
The steward nodded in agreement. Later, he dutifully relayed this information to Guo Furen.
Guo Furen immediately took these words to meet with Wei Jue, earnestly advising him to prioritize his health. She spoke with great care, emphasizing the importance of his well-being.
After some contemplation, Wei Jue sighed and instructed his servants to tidy up the side chambers. He decided to temporarily send Ren Ji back to the Buddha's hall.
Unexpectedly, tears streamed down Ren Ji's cheeks. She knelt before Wei Jue, crying out, "Since following Zhugong, Qie has been vigilant day and night, fearing to disappoint Zhugong's favor. Now, to think that Zhugong has fallen ill because of Qie, Qie is truly terrified and deeply remorseful!" With these words, she rose abruptly and headed towards a bronze table.
Wei Jue was greatly alarmed and quickly stopped her, saying, "I only asked you to temporarily move back to the Buddha's hall. Why would you want to hit yourself to the table's edge?!"
Ren Ji wept in pain, her voice filled with sorrow, "Qie is unworthy of Zhugong's favor, and Qie felt regret for not being able to serve Zhugong. One would rather die!"
Wei Jue embraced her, sighing deeply, "Only you truly understand my heart." After saying this, he no longer mentioned asking Ren Ji to move away. When Guo Furen came to advise once more, she was harshly rebuked, and even Wei Jiao was forbidden from entering the residence again.
This matter left Ah Yuan wearing a worried expression.
"Chengxiang won't let him into the residence, but what should we do?" She asked me with teary eyes.
Understanding that a young girl in love wishes to see her sweetheart all the time, I replied, "Are you worried that if you don't see him for a while, Wei Jiao will find affection elsewhere?"
Ah Yuan glared, "He dares! I'll pull his eyebrows until they bend backward!"
I smiled and said, "Then what are you afraid of? Wei Bian Que has been in Yongdu for some time now, always coming to tend to Chengxiang's illness, which seems to have been a bit time-consuming. Now that he has cured Chengxiang's headache, his reputation has spread far and wide. Isn't this the perfect opportunity?"
Ah Yuan paused for a moment, her expression slightly relieved. Wei Jiao, under the guise of helping Li Shang with his health, had already visited Li Shang's residence. It was said that although Li Shang wasn't entirely pleased with the man his daughter had taken a liking to, he didn't dislike him either. The two of them even discussed some matters about medicinal herbs, showing quite an interest in the topic.
At first, Ah Yuan felt disheartened, but I reassured her that it was not surprising. Despite Wei Jiao's reputation as a great healer, arriving in Yongdu without means, how could Li Shang be comfortable with letting his daughter marry him? Ah Yuan found this reasoning sound and began thinking about how to persuade Li Shang to invest in opening a clinic for Wei Jiao.
"That's good too… Fuqin actually sent a message today, saying he's willing to hand over Yannian Hall to him," Ah Yuan said, her face flushed.
I was surprised.
"Does Wei Bian Que know about my business with Li Zhangshi?" I asked.
"He doesn't know," Ah Yuan hurriedly replied. "Fuqin only instructed him to discuss with Cai Rang. Fuqin will lend him some rent, and if there are profits in the future, he will have to repay the money."
I understood. On the surface, it was a gesture of goodwill to help with the loan, but behind the scenes, there was an additional profit from the rent (cause Yannian Hall was Li Shang's). However one looks at it, Li Shang's business is not at loss.
Due to the situation with Ren Ji, Guo Furen's mood had been consistently somber. The reason why I was involved in this matter was a bit subtle. Every time Guo Furen saw me, she never once showed a smile.
I also avoided being near her, as it felt uncomfortable. Aside from the necessary daily greetings and inquiries about her well-being, I used the excuse of pregnancy to keep my distance.
The weather grew colder day by day. Wei Kang stayed in Yongdu for a month before returning home, just in time before the heavy snow blocked the roads.
Meanwhile, Wei An stayed in his own courtyard, fully engrossed in the study of his towered ships.
After Wei Tan presented weapons, boats, and ships to the river pirates led by Ma Kui, I heard Wei Tan mention two or three times about their raids on Wu soldiers and ambushes to seize grain supplies in Jiangdong. Truth be told, I was more interested in hearing about Pei Qian's news. However, it wasn't appropriate to inquire directly in front of Wei Tan.
Fortunately, there was still reliable information from Li Huan's side. Ah Yuan told me that Wu Kun had killed Lin Chong, but Pei Qian was still in command.
Hearing this, I felt a slight sense of relief settle within me.
The fact that Pei Qian was still in command indicated that, at least on the surface, Wu Kun intended to maintain a semblance of peace. However, recalling Wei Tan's mention that Pei Qian held significant influence in Jiangdong, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Wu Kun's courteous treatment of Pei Qian might stem from fear, and if circumstances were to change in the future, it was likely that Pei Qian would be at an even greater disadvantage.
*****
With each snowfall, my body feels heavier day by day.
Just like in previous years, on the night of New Year's Eve, the sons and nephews of the Wei family gathered together.
However, what was different this time was that there was a complete feast on Wei Xian and Wei Lang's tables, but their seats remained empty. Zhu Shi had already taken her children back to Longxi, and the places they used to sit now appeared particularly desolate.
Wei Jue led everyone in offering a toast to Wei Xian and Wei Lang. The musicians below struck the bells, and the banquet commenced.
The banquet retained the familiar atmosphere of previous years, with everyone raising their glasses to toast and exchanging warm New Year's greetings and speaking freely.
Wei Ci brought Wei An over to toast with me and Wei Tan. Since I was pregnant, the wine was replaced with tea. Wei Tan, on the other hand, boldly raised his head and downed the drink.
After the Battle of Qiling, Wei Ci's words had become more reserved compared to before, but his laughter still carried the same cheerfulness. He looked at Wei Tan for a moment, then glanced at Wei Lang's empty seat. There was a slight redness in his slightly tipsy face.
Wei Tan patted his shoulder and said to Wei An, "Aren't we going to set off the firecrackers this year too? Take your Tángxiōng with you to set them off!"
Wei An responded with a nod, while Wei Ci smiled. He took a deep breath, called out to Wei Rong with a loud voice, and strode out of the hall.
The concubines and attendants in the mansion were seated according to their seniority. As I glanced back, I caught sight of Xu Ji.
To be precise, this was the first time I had seen Xu Ji since my return to Yongdu several months ago.
She approached, holding her child, and first paid her respects to Wei Jue and Guo Furen.
Wei Zhi was not even a year old, at the most adorable stage with his round face and cherubic charm. Whenever Wei Jue and Guo Furen saw him, their smiles seemed unending. Guo Furen, in particular, held him in her arms and was reluctant to let go even for a moment.
Liang Hui and Wei Zhao stood at the lower end. Wei Zhao had a smile on his lips, while Liang Hui wore an indifferent expression. When Xu Ji approached to pay her respects, Liang Hui didn't even spare her a glance.
Wei Zhao asked Xu Ji a few questions about her daily life, and she answered each one. Liang Hui, on the other hand, seemed as if she hadn't heard anything. She held a golden-threaded fan in her hand and gazed elsewhere. Wei Zhao glanced at her, then nodded at Xu Ji. "You may go."
Xu Ji lowered her head in a bow and walked towards the seats of the concubines and attendants.
Everyone stayed up to greet the New Year, and the banquet continued late into the night. Wei Jue got quite drunk, and he ordered the musicians and dancers to keep performing without pause. He even grabbed a jug of wine and merrily walked into the midst of the dancers, hugging one and pouring wine for them.
Most of the people at the table were also getting quite tipsy, laughing heartily along with Wei Jue. I looked around and then glanced to the side, noticing that Wei Tan was also showing signs of being quite intoxicated. He leaned on a table, sipping his wine.
Even though it was a private celebration with family behind closed doors, Guo Furen still felt that things had gone too far. She ordered a servant to help Wei Jue back, but he became furious and pushed the servant away, exclaiming, "How dare you spoil the fun!"
Guo Furen was left with no choice but to give up.
After the midnight hour had passed, the men were all stumbling as they walked. Guo Furen instructed everyone to go back and rest, and ordered the servants to clear away the banquet. When she went to assist Wei Jue, he waved her away and called for Ren Ji in a loud voice.
Today, Ren Ji was dressed in a charming manner, with a red dress and white gauze that complemented her delicate beauty even more. She gently supported Wei Jue, smiling sweetly as she said, "Zhugong, Furen's words are indeed wise. Let's return to the chambers and rest."
I caught a momentary freeze on Guo Furen's face, but before I could look further, Wei Tan placed a hand on my shoulder, his breath tinged with alcohol. "Let's go… en?"
I nodded and followed him towards the back courtyard.
Stepping out onto the corridor, a gust of cold wind dispelled the lingering warmth of the charcoal fire. I couldn't help but shiver.
"Cold?" Wei Tan noticed.
"En," I replied.
He took off his cloak and draped it over me, then extended his arm to encircle my shoulders. He was a bit tipsy, and his steps were not entirely steady. As he guided me, we moved somewhat unsteadily, but I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
The various events in the hall just now flashed through my mind. Nestled in his arms, I felt the warmth around me like the gentle touch of spring sunlight on my back.
*****
After New Year's Eve comes the New Year, with one round of ceremonies after another in both the court and the family. It wasn't until the Lantern Festival that I finally had some free time. In the blink of an eye, it was already the Second Month, and my belly had grown so heavy that I had trouble sleeping at night. My legs were swollen and unsightly.
On the fifteenth day of the Second month, I was considering sending Ah Yuan home to inquire about Li Shang's medicine shop, when suddenly, my abdomen began to ache. I called out Ah Yuan's name loudly, propping myself up on the bed. Ah Yuan rushed in and, seeing me in this state, her face turned pale. She quickly shouted outside the room, "Someone come! Shao Furen is about to give birth! Quickly, summon the midwife!"