I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 960: Chapter 254: Entering the Mansionnoveldrama

The dainty bridal sedan chair bearing the pregnant Miao Zhu slowly departed from the premises of the Marshal Star Pavilion, carried by four bearers who were all black-armored guards from the Jiejiang City Chief’s manor. As they progressed along the mountaintop of the Pavilion, not a hint of jostling could be felt.

After boarding the warship for the bridal procession, the journey from Lanshan City in the midstream of Lingjiang to the seat of Jiejiang City took merely half a day.

Yet, unlike Tang Zhen, whose betrothal garnered much public attention through three renown matchmakers and six formal betrothals, Miao Zhu’s arrival was markedly quiet, because the status between wife and concubine are inherently different.

The principal wife is a lady welcomed into the family after a man completes the formalities of the ‘three letters and six etiquettes.’ Also known as the main wife, she is not only recorded in the family clan records but also bears children who are considered legitimate heirs with rights to inherit family properties.

Conversely, a concubine cannot be entered into the clan records—her status is several levels lower than that of the principal wife. This distinction has its origins in the history of concubinage.

There are generally three ways for a family to take in a concubine:

The first is through purchase; impoverished families, unable to make ends meet, would bring their daughters to public markets where people are openly bought and sold, or to brothels. Otherwise, they would sell them to wealthy households as maid-servants, and in rare cases, as child brides. Of course, the most common scenario involves rich families taking courtesans or famous prostitutes from pleasure houses.

The second way is through ‘elopement,’ which isn’t truly appropriate to say, since any marital union outside the ‘three letters and six etiquettes’ is considered a concubinage. Thus, an old saying goes, “If there is a proposal, she’s a wife; if she runs away, she’s a concubine.” Only unions approved by parents and matchmakers are viewed as legitimate marriages. Therefore, regardless of whether a man has a wife, a woman who ‘elopes’ to him cannot attain the status of a wife and can only become a concubine.

The third and most common method is described as ‘seizing.’ The martial world is exceedingly brutal, with frequent conflicts between noble families. Thus, seizing a woman from another as a means of bolstering one’s household or rewarding subordinates is shockingly commonplace. From powerful clans to local bullies, the number of young women taken as concubines is innumerable.

Beyond these three methods, young masters of large households would often elevate a favored female servant to concubine status. Though referred to as a concubine, she is essentially a high-ranking servant under the principal wife’s control.

However, there are always exceptions in everything, and the roles of wife and concubine are not set in stone. Although the principal wife is the matriarch in charge of all servants and concubines, her position is not without the risk of being overturned.

If the husband discovers misconduct or a violation of the ‘seven outs’ law by the principal wife, he has the right to divorce her. He can report to the clan authority to have her name removed from the family records. Subsequently, the family head may go through a series of processes to elevate one of the concubines to the status of principal wife, an act known as ‘promoting to legality.’

It is precisely because of this possibility of ‘promotion’ that the relationship between principal wives and concubines becomes even more delicately complex.

On one hand, the principal wife has near absolute authority over the concubines; on the other hand, concubines covetously eye the principal wife’s position. Their only means of contesting the principal wife is to whisper into the master’s ear.

Thus, over time, people inevitably form impressions of principal wives as ruthless and concubines as gossipy.

As Miao Zhu left Marshal Star Pavilion, her heart swelled with happiness. However, as she neared Jiejiang City, a growing unease took hold of her.

This anxiety was even greater than the fear of encountering the legalistic warriors; just the thought of facing her future mistress made Miao Zhu tremble in terror.

The delicate Na Xing entered slowly through the side door of the Jiejiang City Chief’s mansion, pausing in a cold and desolate courtyard. The four palanquin bearers silently left, and an old woman with a gloomy look flung open the door of the sedan chair and yanked Miao Zhu out.

“Coming to pay respect to the mistress and dillydallying? What an undisciplined wild girl!”

While cursing and scolding, the old woman grabbed Miao Zhu’s hand and dragged her to the entrance of the side hall. Panic-stricken Miao Zhu, one hand on her swollen belly, let the old woman pull her along, her eyes darting about in secret, feeling increasingly heavy-hearted.

The cold courtyard seemed uninhabited, with last autumn’s fallen leaves turned black and yellow, yet still no one tended to them. Even the bucket by the well had fallen apart. Although it was clearly spring, the courtyard still managed to convey a chilling atmosphere.

After a few shivers, Miao Zhu was dragged to the doorway. The previously fierce old woman suddenly changed her demeanor, tapping gently on the door with her crooked left hand like an eagle’s claw, and whispered fawningly and humbly, “Madam, the girl has arrived.”

The gates of the courtyard opened silently, revealing to Miao Zhu’s eyes the noble and majestic lady sitting in the high hall.

She was dressed in a litchi-red embroidered round-necked jacket with opposite lapels and wide sleeves, wearing a rose-red swirled-pattern dress with a base, draped in a light ivory-colored gauze.

Her jet-black hair was stylishly done up in a Lingxu knot; among her gently gathered and slowly teased Yunbin, a gold inlaid turquoise jade hairpin was inserted.

Her hands, fair as cream, bore a red gold long-life lock bracelet, and around her waist was tied a light golden brocade sash embroidered with a design of Shouxing, the God of longevity, leading a plum blossom deer.

The beautiful woman lazily leaned against the armrest, attended by two young maidservants, one in front and one behind; one gently fanned her, while another picked the fruit and vegetables in front of the lady, feeding her gently with a jade spoon, then catching the discarded fruit pits with a porcelain jar.

The lady’s gaze flowed like ripples over Miao Zhu. The young girl, not knowing how to react, suddenly heard the fierce old lady’s menacing voice, “Not kneeling when you see the madam and standing there like a block of wood!”

Seeing the familiar scene, Miao Zhu felt momentarily transported back to that year when she was dragged to the side hall, where the Steward and the Sect Head’s wife were seated above, and her lover kept his head down in silence. Back then, Liu Niang was by her side, but today, she was left alone. Lost in these thoughts, she became dazed.

Seeing Miao Zhu still standing there blankly, the fierce old woman flew into a rage, grabbed the soft flesh of Miao Zhu’s upper arm, twisted it hard, and stepped on the crook of Miao Zhu’s knee. In pain, the young girl cried out and fell to her knees. The doors to the side hall silently closed, leaving only faint candlelight in the shadowy room, much like a torture chamber.

Kneeling on the ground, Miao Zhu’s voice trembled, “Miao… Miao Zhu, pays her respects… to the madam.”

“Hmm,” came a languid yet proud hum from the high hall. The lady straightened her posture, wiped her mouth with a spatula, and said deliberately, “You deserve death, you worthless slave. The child in Miao Zhu’s stomach belongs to the Second Young Master. Even if it’s a concubine’s offspring, it’s still a master’s child. If you were to bump or knock her, how many lives do you have to answer for it? Apologize to the little mistress this instant.”

Upon hearing the madam’s words, the fierce old woman hurriedly knelt down, smacking her own face repeatedly and kept flattering, “Madam speaks the truth, madam speaks the truth. I won’t dare do it again.”

“Enough, enough, such a nuisance, get out of my sight,” the noble lady waved her hand dismissively toward the lower hall, then addressed the trembling Miao Zhu, “You are Miao Zhu? Lift your head up.”