Ink Burns

Chapter 309 No Sins (Part 2)

In the depths of winter, as the New Year approaches, according to the customs of the capital, wealthy families are generally reluctant to visit each other.

However, Xue Nanfu still had guests on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Zhou Fangniang from the Chang family.

The Chang family's property was confiscated, and all the adult males were exiled. The women and children were left behind to live off the ancestral land. Now that they had lost their money and power, and their ancestral property had been confiscated by the state, the Chang family was in dire straits. Some of the women's families who were financially secure took their daughters and grandchildren back home, and a letter of divorce was enough to sever all ties with the Chang family.

Life is hard these days. The ancestral property left to them by the court, which was meant to save their lives little by little, is being fought over like a rooster's eye. Everyone is fighting and squabbling. When the maids and servants in charge of each household leave, they have to secretly hide a porcelain wine pot in their bedding rolls.

Zhou Fangniang was originally a lowly actress, but she rose to prominence because her brother married into the household of the Grand Princess Jing'an.

Now that her maternal family is completely gone, her disgraced son has disappeared without a trace, and her daughter is left unmarried and without anyone to take her in. The Chang family only spared the mother and daughter from the Chang family mansion because Madam Xue was still willing to associate with them.

From soaring to great heights and lavish banquets to now being universally reviled and deserted, Zhou Fangniang has gradually reverted to the temperament she had when she first arrived in the capital: timid, humble, and even her long-lost kindness has returned.

"Originally, they were high above, seeing mountains not as mountains, but as flat shoes; water not as water, but as a beautiful scene; and people not as people, but as ants."

Zhou Fangniang's clothes were still the same style and fabric, but now only silver ornaments adorned her wrists, neck, and hair. She rested her hands on her lap, her face sheepish. "For twenty years," she said, "I and those around me have done so many wrong things. We fawned over those above us and humiliated those below us. Looking back now, I feel as if I've been possessed by some filthy spirit. The one speaking isn't me, Zhou Fangniang, but expensive gold and silver jewelry, rare household ornaments. Clearly, I too came from humble beginnings, but once I gained power, I forgot where I came from. Instead of being a decent person, I chose to be a sycophant, bullying others."

Shan Yue lowered her head and took a sip of the brown sugar boiled pear.

She still couldn't get used to drinking tea soup.

It's too bitter. Even if there's a sweet aftertaste, it can't mask the bitterness from the beginning.

She didn't want to suffer anymore.

"If you are truly a wicked and evil person, I will not wish to associate with you."

Shan Yue said softly, “Your biggest mistake was not teaching Chang Yusu well. But then again, you can’t teach Chang Yusu anyway, and the Chang family probably wouldn’t allow you to have much contact with Chang Yusu.”

Zhou Fangniang has followed Jing'an for many years, and she has had many things against her will. What's rare is that she has no blood on her hands.

A cowardly person can't do anything too bad or evil. At most, they might utter a few curses, a few sarcastic remarks, or a few flattering words. The worst thing they do is rely on the power of the Chang family and Jing'an to help Chang Yusu give money to the victims in order to get them off the hook.

Shan Yue's two short sentences brought tears to Zhou Fangniang's eyes.

She has seen both the difficult and the easy aspects of this world.

Now, a vague sense of unease is emerging: the deaths of the Zhu family, and the fates of the Chang family, Jing'an, and Fu Mingjiang, were likely all orchestrated by this young Miss He and Xue Xiao.

She should hate this girl for ruining her life of wealth and privilege.

But she just couldn't bring herself to hate. Wealth was wealth, and being beaten was being beaten. The Chang family had fallen on hard times, and she could eat two fewer bowls of bird's nest and shark fin soup, but at least she didn't have to be wary of doors being pushed open in the middle of the night, drunken fists, and assaults.

Zhou Fangniang hesitated for a moment before leaning forward tentatively: "You saved Fu Mingjiang's son?"

Shan Yue shook her head: "The point is not Fu Mingjiang, the point is that he is just a child."

An infant whose eyes are not yet open.

Shan Yue put down the bowl of sweet water, lowered her eyes, and remained silent. Just as she had thought, even though she and Cui Yulang were similar in background, their circumstances were vastly different. Xue Xiao was her anchor, constantly helping her calibrate her course—if her revenge involved the life of an innocent infant, then what difference would there be between her and Jing An and Cui Yulang's group?
Of course, she couldn't involve the baby in this blood debt.

First, she had to calculate that Cui Yulang wouldn't kill Fu Mingjiang immediately, and that the most prominent young master in the capital would never allow herself to be branded as a traitor.

By setting Fu Mingjiang aside and luring her into killing her newborn child, Cui Yulang could then report the incident to the court. If Fu Mingjiang survived, she would be branded as "mad," thus eliminating both Fu Mingjiang and her detestable illegitimate child. This was the most cost-effective solution for Cui Yulang.

As long as Cui Yulang doesn't immediately take the lives of the mother and son, she has a way to stir up trouble and give Li Musheng a chance to save his son—for example, by secretly pushing things along and helping Qiu Shi lie low in the capital, looking for an opportunity to enter the Wuding Marquis's mansion.

When Xue Xiao asked her why she wasn't sure if Liu Bozhu's biological parents would return to their hometown immediately, she hadn't. (See Chapter 270, Introduction)
In fact, the mountain moon is confirmed.

She was certain that Liu Bozhu's biological father, Liu Heping, would rush back to his hometown to escape this dangerous place in order to save his life; what she hesitated about was whether Liu Bozhu's mother, Qiu, would stay behind to avenge her daughter.

Fathers are often shrewd and cold-hearted, valuing themselves more than their children.

Mothers in this world are mostly both absurd and deeply affectionate. Shan Yue gently pushed the sweet soup bowl away with her fingertips, her eyes blinking slowly: she could calculate people's hearts, but she couldn't calculate the extent to which maternal love could go.

Just like her mother, who saved her life in the fire, she was like a god.

Shan Yue shook her head slightly, putting aside her scheming mind, and looked up to say, "The child is yours, so raise him well. Although the Grand Princess Jing'an is not a good person, she has been quite good to you. Raising her grandchild is a way of repaying her kindness."

Zhou Fangniang agreed, and after a moment, she remembered something: "'Qingfeng' has completely collapsed. The 'Qingfeng' who married into various families through this line are now in a state of panic, fearing that their husbands' families might find a fault to beat or kill them, or use them as a good card to surrender."

Zhou Fangniang sighed, "You don't even need to mention how you carved out your own path to success; my fate is actually quite good among these young ladies! — Some time ago, Duan, the second wife of the prefect of Jizhou, escaped from the mansion, eating grass roots and drinking dew along the way, before finally coming to me for help. She said that her husband, who had always been deeply devoted to her, had kept her locked in the woodshed since the death of the Grand Princess Jing'an, waiting for the emperor to settle accounts in the autumn and hand over her body."

"Does the Prefect of Jizhou know that this second wife he married is from 'Qingfeng'?" Shanyue asked.

Zhou Fangniang sneered: "I knew it from the beginning! It was only after going through all sorts of twists and turns to get close to Chang Lin that I was able to marry 'Qingfeng'! They said they didn't care about background, as long as His Highness approved of them, it couldn't be wrong! After marrying Duan, they climbed all the way from the sixth rank to the fourth rank, and now look what's happened, the tree has fallen and the monkeys have scattered, they've even lost their wives!"

Over the past ten years or so, there have been quite a few women who have been married off through the "Qingfeng" marriage system; not to mention the concubines who were casually given away, or the dancers, singers, and courtesans who were kept specifically to serve the powerful and wealthy.
According to the list given by He Qingshu, there were 67 women who, after being "embellished," were married into official families in grand sedan chairs carried by eight men.

Now that "Qingfeng" has lost power and the antidote for "Qianjiyin" has appeared, what will happen to these women?
If the husband dies and the son is in charge, there is still a 70% chance of survival; if the wife is extremely clever and can control her husband, and has already established herself in the household, she can at least negotiate a divorce and return home alive; the worst case scenario is if the wife has no means of dealing with the husband and the husband's family is ruthless, then she really has no chance of survival.

Not all of the "Qingfeng" girls were people who willingly devoted themselves to wealth and status.

For example, Zhou Liniang was also harmed by her family; she herself was completely innocent.

In this world, King Zhou ruled the country, but Daji destroyed it; Emperor Xuanzong of Tang loved to eat lychees, yet Yang Guifei had to bear the blame for the crime of causing eighty horses to die.

All people under heaven came from under women's crotches.

Ironically, women live the most pitiful lives.

Shan Yue pursed her lips, stood up, turned around and went into the cubicle. She took out a thick stack of silver notes from the drawer and handed them to Zhou Fangniang: "This is the money from Madam Yupan's sale of paintings. I'm giving it all to you."

Shan Yue continued, “Take the money and rent a few small courtyards specifically to accommodate situations like the Duan family's—make me the landlord.”

No one dared to provoke Xue Xiao, and Xue Xiao dared not provoke the Madam, which meant that no one dared to provoke Shan Yue.

Zhou Fangniang's eyes reddened slightly as she pushed the money further in: "You've always had a rift with 'Qingfeng,' and now that you've gone ashore, there's really no need for you to get involved in this mess."

Shan Yue's expression was indifferent: "Save as many as you can—" Not wanting to explain too much, she only said the solution: "Tell Duan to report to the authorities and file a complaint with the Censorate against her husband for murdering his wife."

Zhou Fangniang exclaimed in surprise: "Nowadays, 'Qingfeng' is trying to hide as fast as possible, how could she possibly expose herself to the court? Our backgrounds are all fake, they can't be made real!"

"Fake? What's fake?" Shan Yue smiled. "Our backgrounds have all been officially confirmed by the clan and the government. They're all 'real.' Who would dare to bring up the truth?"

Shan Yue continued, returning to Duan's solution: "Once Duan reports the case, the Censorate will take it on, and the Emperor will follow the clues to get rid of such two-faced scoundrels as the Prefect of Jizhou."

"Make an example of him. As long as that man isn't truly ruthless, he'll either divorce her or agree to a separation, and at least spare Qingfeng's life, instead of killing her outright."

Shan Yue said softly, "Women who have left their husbands' homes can return to their parents' homes, and their travel expenses can be paid from these banknotes; if they have no support, they can come to this little courtyard for help, at least they can have a place to stay."

Zhou Fangniang's eyes reddened, her lips trembled, and she looked at Shan Yue as if she were looking at a god.

"As for what happens next," Shan Yue paused slightly, thinking far ahead, "Those who can embroider can become embroiderers, those who can practice medicine can become doctors, and those who can write well can make a living by copying books or writing letters for others."

"Moreover, the imperial court has now reopened the Jimin Hall, and relief homes, girls' schools, and charitable estates are also being planned. These women have learned to read and write, play musical instruments, and practice calligraphy and painting at 'Qingfeng,' and some even have a unique skill. They can always find a way to make a living by going to more remote girls' schools or charitable estates."

Zhou Fangniang's fingertips trembled slightly, and she felt as if something was stuck in her throat: "If it works out, I'll have them all kowtow to you at the door!"

Shan Yue almost laughed.

Why are you kowtowing?
It also cannot prolong life.

In a flash, Zhou Fangniang suddenly became quite clever: "Why don't you take over 'Qingfeng's' duties! Let them all be your soldiers! Tell them what to say to men, and they'll say it! Tell them what to whisper in their ears, and they'll whisper it!"

Shan Yue felt a lump in his throat.

Enough, enough!
She has absolutely no interest in being a mother!