Chapter 1 – The New Wife (1)
The sudden downpour at dusk had poured heavily for a brief moment before stopping in less than a quarter of an hour.
The maid Qinghuan ordered people to return the potted chrysanthemums that had been moved under the corridor back to their original places, while also giving instructions to the other servants.
“Hang all the sachets in the courtyard, and if they are not enough, chop up mugwort and patchouli and burn them along the paths so the fragrance spreads. We must not allow mosquitoes or insects to disturb our honored guests.”
The servants answered in unison and hurried off.
Today was the Chrysanthemum Banquet of the Teng household, a gathering to which a few families with close relations to the Teng family’s ladies had been invited.
Two months ago, the Teng household had hastily arranged a marriage. Such a hurried union had been made possible only with the assistance of the ladies gathered here.
To repay their kindness, Old Madam Lin had chosen the time when chrysanthemums were in full bloom—just before the Mid-Autumn Festival—to hold this banquet.
While the ladies sipped tea and chatted in the main hall, the young noblewomen strolled through the garden, admiring the flowers and conversing in low voices.
Though the rain had fallen, the servants of the Teng residence had taken precautions so that the precious chrysanthemums had been safely moved under the corridor before the downpour.
Once the rain stopped, the servants again followed orders and lit fragrant herbs along the paths to ward off insects.
Seeing everything neatly arranged, the young noblewomen returned to the garden and resumed their light conversation.
The one who had planned all of this had never shown herself before the others, but Qinghuan turned her gaze toward the edge of the garden.
There, among the shrubs, stood a woman in a pale green cross-collared long robe.
The dense greenery almost concealed her, and if not for her jet-black, luxuriant hair catching the light, she would have been difficult to notice.
She was the new wife of the general—Madam Tan.
The Teng household belonged to a military family from the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission. Years earlier, the family’s former patriarch, also a fourth-rank military officer, had been demoted to the frontier due to conflicts with others and ultimately lost his life on the battlefield.
The family’s current fortunes had been built entirely by Teng Yue, the second master of the Teng household and a general who had risen through the ranks by sword and spear.
Teng Yue had long guarded the border and only this year had taken a wife—Madam Tan.
Qinghuan had spoken to her only a few times.
When the banquet was held, Old Madam Lin, worried that the governess Wei Mama could not handle everything alone, had instructed the new wife to come and assist in the garden.
Though young, the new wife handled matters with remarkable composure and skill. Qinghuan believed she had the talent to manage the household affairs well. Yet she had remained secluded in the residence, appearing only briefly when needed.
As the true mistress of the household and the general’s legal wife, she was not entrusted with domestic management and did not even reside in the main quarters.
Because Teng Yue was stationed at the border and rarely returned home, she lived almost in seclusion in the residence known as Liuming Pavilion.
The servants of the house were accustomed to treating people according to status. For two months, few had shown respect to the new wife, and none had truly regarded her as the mistress of the household.
Had Qinghuan, who served Old Madam Lin, not been present, it was doubtful the other servants would have followed her orders today.
Watching from afar, Qinghuan shook her head silently.
At the far end of the garden, along a small path, a young figure hurried forward.
She appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. Her shoes had become wet from the rain, so she had gone to change them and was now returning to the garden.
Thinking the path would be empty, she quickened her steps. But just as she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with someone.
Startled, the girl tried to stop, but the stones of the path were still slick from the rain. The moment she halted, her body tilted sideways.
“Ah!”
She cried out in alarm, but someone reached out and firmly caught her arm.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she hastily thanked the stranger before looking up.
Before her stood an unfamiliar woman.
The woman in the green robe wore little rouge, yet her lips shone with a subtle luster. Her nose was refined and elegant. Her eyes were clear and bright, like a sky without a single cloud, and her willow-shaped brows arched gracefully.
“Are you all right, young miss?”
Her voice was like the sound of a zither—clear and pleasant, unlike anything the girl had ever heard.
Blinking, the girl asked, “Sister, which household are you from? I don’t believe I have seen you before.”
Only then did she notice the woman’s long, dark hair was styled in a proper married woman’s bun.
At that moment, the woman spoke. She did not reveal her family name but merely smiled faintly and replied:
“My surname is Tan.”
That was the very surname of the new wife of General Teng.
The girl’s eyes widened as she looked at the woman before her—the new mistress of the house.
Just then, a maid hurried over from behind and, before the girl could even step aside, pulled her away roughly.
Her manner suggested that Madam Tan was someone to be avoided.
The girl felt embarrassed.
Yet Madam Tan seemed unconcerned. She simply offered a gentle nod with a faint smile and departed.
The maid lowered her voice in haste.
“Did you not hear? Her surname is Tan. Who else in this residence bears that name? It can only be the new wife of General Teng.”
“I know that. So what?”
“If you understood, you would not ask. That woman is not from a distinguished family. She likely never even set foot in Xianfu in the past. To marry someone like General Teng, she must have used underhanded means.”
“That can’t be… She seemed like a kind person to me.”
“Your gentle heart makes you unable to see the dark intentions of people like her. Since no one else speaks to her, she might try to use you—someone naïve—as a way to gain favor.”
The girl looked frightened.
Soon, several familiar young noblewomen approached and, seeing the girl’s dazed expression, asked what had happened.
The maid, seizing the opportunity, recounted the encounter with the new wife of the Teng household.
When she finished, the noblewomen exchanged glances and then, as if by agreement, turned to look at a young woman wearing a robe embroidered with round floral patterns.
The young woman raised her brows sharply.
“Why are you all looking at me? Do you think I wished for General Teng to marry some unknown country girl?”
Her name was Yang Youling. Because her mother, Second Madam Yang, was a cousin of Old Madam Lin, Yang Youling was related to Teng Yue.
Someone nudged her and asked, “What kind of person is the new sister-in-law?”
Yang Youling grimaced at the words “new sister-in-law,” as if she had swallowed something bitter.
“If you want to call her sister-in-law, go ahead. I have no intention of recognizing just anyone as such.”
“What is wrong with Madam Tan?”
The girl who had almost slipped earlier murmured softly, “To me, she seemed like a good person…”
Before she could finish, the maid beside her quickly tugged at her sleeve.
Yang Youling seized upon the remark and snapped:
“Good? What is good about being lucky? If not for that county princess, General Teng would never have married such a woman!”
At the mention of “that county princess,” the expressions of the others changed subtly.
Within Xianfu, there were several county princesses from the house of Prince Qin, but none compared to the Rongle County Princess Zhu Yijiao of the house of Prince Enhua.
Though the title of Prince Qin had lost much of its real power over generations, the house of Prince Enhua still held some military authority in the northern border of Xianfu.
The only daughter of a prince with real power, Rongle County Princess Zhu Yijiao, was known for getting whatever she desired.
She had fallen in love at first sight with Teng Yue and wished to make him her husband.
Becoming the husband of a county princess was ordinarily an honor for any family, but this Rongle County Princess’s reputation was notorious.
The previous year, a scholar seeking favor with the House of Enhua had requested to become a live-in son-in-law of Zhu Yijiao. She had graciously agreed and even promised to hold the wedding in three months without requiring any betrothal gifts.
The scholar had returned home overjoyed, but the next day he was found hanging in his room. The tendons of his hands and feet had been severed, and all the blood in his body had drained away in a horrifying sight.
After that dreadful incident, no one dared to mention Zhu Yijiao’s name, let alone propose marriage to her.
Yet she had taken a liking to Teng Yue and pressured the Teng household to arrange a union.
Unwilling to bring such an ominous woman into the family, Old Madam Lin hastily spread word that Teng Yue had already been promised to a bride from a distant relative’s family in Jinzhou.
The rumor spread quickly, and the marriage was arranged. Thus, Teng Yue took Madam Tan as his wife.
“Our General Teng is not only outstanding in character and appearance but also a military officer of the third rank who achieved his position through his own abilities. Many young noblewomen in Xianfu would have lined up to marry him. Yet this is what has become of it—everything ruined, and in the end he married some country girl.”
Her voice grew sharper with every word.
“In these times, what capable man does not wish to marry into a distinguished family and bring honor to his household? General Teng should have married a truly noble young lady—someone like…”
She lowered her voice, careful not to speak too loudly and bring dishonor to that esteemed lady’s name.
“…someone like my cousin.”
The cousin she referred to was the daughter of her aunt—Fourth Young Lady Zhang Zhenhui of the Marquis of Yongchang’s household in the capital.
This Fourth Young Lady Zhang had once stayed in Xianfu and was regarded as a true lady of high birth. Her demeanor was gentle like the spring breeze, and in appearance, conduct, and etiquette she possessed no flaws—an eminent lady among nobles.
All the young noblewomen of Xianfu knew her.
It was said that when she had been in Xianfu, Old Madam Lin had visited her several times and praised her endlessly upon returning home. She had taken a great liking to Zhang Zhenhui and even wished to give up everything to make her daughter-in-law.
Unfortunately, human affairs are unpredictable. Zhang Zhenhui’s father passed away from illness, and she returned to the capital to observe mourning. Soon after, General Teng caught the eye of Rongle County Princess, and the well-matched pair was cruelly separated.
“Our General Teng, such a fine flower, has fallen into a heap of cow dung.”
Yang Youling spoke with an expression as though she had swallowed a fly.
If the marriage between her maternal cousin and her paternal aunt’s daughter had been fulfilled, she would have been the happiest person of all.
But now the new sister-in-law was someone else entirely.
