Being a second wife is difficult: I'm busy raising children in the Earl's mansion.

The night breeze blew in through the window, causing the candlelight to flicker, and the Ruige Pavilion was filled with silence.

All the servants in the room had just been dismissed, leaving only Madam Fang sitting alone in the large room.

A stack of old needles and threads lay open on the desk again. They were embroidered by Cui when she first entered the second household years ago, in her spare time. The stitches on the edges were delicate, and each piece showed a lot of thought.

However, when Cui'er climbed into the bed and became pregnant, she was locked in a side courtyard. She didn't have time to take these things with her. When Fang ordered people to clean her room, they found them and sent them to her.

As Fang's fingertips traced the embroidery patterns, memories of the past surged uncontrollably back.

She remembered that Cui'er had been assigned to serve her shortly after entering the mansion.

At that time, she had just married into the family, and her family was not doing well. Although her father had secured a minor official position, people from the main branch of the clan would come to harass her every now and then. If she were to take away all the maids she had trained, the family would probably be emptied out.

After much deliberation, she could only leave a few capable people behind to guard her parents' home. When she married into the family, she didn't even have a single person to serve her personally.

Cui'er was assigned to her room around that time.

When Cui'er first arrived, she wasn't entirely unguarded. But day after day, she stayed by her side, serving her tea and water, warming her bed at night, and taking the blame for her when she was punished. All these little acts of kindness piled up, and it was impossible for her to feel no affection for Cui'er at all.

Outsiders only knew that Cui'er was Ding Mama's spy, but after spending so many years together, she also knew that Cui'er had never used her status to pass on a single word to Ding Mama that could harm her.

She probably just felt that she didn't have a useful maid by her side, and since she was the second wife's young mistress, it was a good way out, so she begged Granny Ding to transfer her over.

—They may not have harbored any ulterior motives.

Fang Qian was feeling troubled and sat alone until the third watch of the night, with only Cui'er quietly keeping him company.

Unlike the other maids who stood silently, she would say witty things to make Fang Shi laugh, and then pretend to scold her for being unruly.

Sometimes when Madam Fang lost her temper and smashed a teacup, Cui'er would not dodge, but would squat down and pick up the broken pieces of porcelain one by one, and would not forget to say, "Does Madam's hand hurt?", which would make Madam Fang unable to stay angry.

The two maids serving her now are Hongxiu, who is too talkative and lacks manners, and Zhuling, who is too composed and does whatever she is told without daring to overstep the bounds. Their relationship with Fang Shi is more one of respect and fear than closeness.

Unlike Cui'er, who dared to hand her things before she even spoke, dared to say a few flattering words when she was unhappy, and was even a little spoiled at times.

But it was precisely this intimacy that came with her arrogance that made Fang rely on her more.

So much so that after that incident, her mind was filled with resentment, not entirely towards Cui'er, but more towards herself.

As for the incident of climbing into someone's bed back then, she later inquired about it in detail.

Ultimately, it was Lu Huaijin who got drunk that night; Cui'er was just someone who was pushed into it.

At that time, she was planning to take action against Granny Ding. Cui'er was probably unsure of herself and was afraid of being purged. After all, she had never told Fang Shi that she and Granny Ding were from the same hometown, and she knew Fang Shi's methods better than anyone else.

Several things piled up, and by a twist of fate, we ended up at that point.

Fang later realized that Cui'er had never had the slightest intention to harm her from beginning to end.

That day, she made such a big scene, putting on a show for the old lady and for everyone in the mansion. Whether it was throwing a tantrum or saying harsh words, it was mostly just for show.

What she truly couldn't swallow was Lu Huaiyu's pathetic state.

As for Cui'er, in the end, she cared more than she hated.

Now that Cui'er is pregnant, she can't do anything in front of the old lady. The Fang family is also sending new messages urging her on. The two sides are pulling in different directions, causing Fang's mind to be in a tangled mess.

She pressed her fingertips heavily on the embroidered handkerchief, a layer of melancholy welling up in her eyes.

The main branch of the maternal family only ever focused on the glory brought by the title of Earl, and was unwilling to pay any price in the face of adversity.

In the early years, there was a power struggle between two factions in the imperial court. Although his father had no connection with either side, his family was inevitably drawn into the conflict.

Later, when the turmoil subsided, many official positions in the court became vacant, and the biological father took advantage of the opportunity to be promoted to the third rank, but still had no real power.

When the main branch of the Fang family was involved in that incident, they didn't offer any help. But as soon as things started to improve and the father was promoted to a sinecure, the main branch started coming to their door every day to ask for benefits, keeping an eye on every source of income in the household, wanting a share of the pie.

Even more absurdly, her mother had died early, and there was no mistress to manage the household. Her father had never remarried, and the main branch of the family had their eyes on this vacancy. They were vying to send a woman close to their own family to be their second wife. Several uncles and aunts from different branches of the family were fighting tooth and nail, each wanting to push their own person into the position of second wife.

Thinking of this, Fang couldn't help but curse in her heart—shortsighted, in the end only he was focused on that little bit of empty fame and fortune, and didn't think about her, his married daughter, at all.

Now she's gone even further, trying to send a concubine from her own clan to her second wife, thus taking away the dignity she has left as the mistress of the house.

Those girls from the same clan grew up in such a chaotic family, and were used to scheming from a young age. Their minds were filled with thoughts of self-preservation and climbing the social ladder. Once they entered the family, the inner quarters of the second branch of the household would probably never have a peaceful day.

Lu Huaiyu is an unstable person. He could be easily coaxed by those young faces with a few sweet words and he probably wouldn't even be able to tell which way is which.

If she were to accept the concubine sent by her maternal family, the number of offspring in the household would be reduced, and her power to manage the household would be gradually eroded. All her nine years of planning would be in vain, and she would be trapped in the confines of others' control for the rest of her life, at their mercy.

Fang had her own calculations in mind.

Rather than welcoming a strange woman from the same clan into the house, causing daily annoyance to each other, it would be better to keep the child in Cui'er's womb.

Cui'er was very docile in front of her, and at least in her heart she was on her side. She had no clan to support her, and she depended on her for everything.

After the child was born, she raised him under her wing, firmly securing the second wife's heir. To the outside world, she could still maintain a reputation as a kind, tolerant, and considerate mistress. She was right in both the public and private spheres.

However, she still felt a little awkward inside.

Just as I was pondering this, I heard light footsteps outside the courtyard, and the curtain was gently lifted.

Lu Huaiyu walked in, dressed in a plain blue robe, exuding a strong scholarly air, his brows and eyes still displaying that indifferent and wooden demeanor.

He looked like he had just returned from the Imperial Academy, covered in dust. He glanced at Fang Shi briefly as he entered, then went straight to the side couch, sat down, and casually opened a scroll of classic texts, completely ignoring the recent turmoil in the inner quarters.

Fang looked up at him, her last glimmer of hope completely extinguished.

Pressure from family clans, secret collusion among servants, and the problem of having offspring piled up before them—each and every one of these issues required someone to make a decision.

But her husband only had books in his eyes; all the squabbles and disputes in the inner quarters were trivial matters to him.

Hoping that he would step in to check the Fang family and stabilize the foundation of the second branch of the family was nothing but wishful thinking.

The faint hope in her heart completely dissipated, and Fang secretly made up her mind that all the planning could only be done by herself, and she should not rely on anyone else in the slightest.

She withdrew her gaze from Lu Huaiyu and looked down at the old embroidery by Cui'er on the table, her mind settling down.

From the east courtyard, the light footsteps of children could be heard from the outer corridor. Qinghe led Lu Hui through the corridor toward the courtyard where Jiang Wan lived.

A few days ago, Jiang Wan saw Lu Hui hiding in a corner carving wooden pieces. Because of the cold weather, she specially asked someone to quickly set up a small workshop in the small side room at the back of the yard. It has now been completed.

She also found a complete set of carving tools in the shop, including planes, carving knives, fine sandpaper, and various polishing molds. She also picked out a few pieces of warm-textured hardwood and had Qinghe deliver them to her.

Lu Hui got the complete set of tools and stayed in the small side room for days, refusing to go out. He placed four pieces of wood—bamboo, plum, orchid, and chrysanthemum—on his desk and devoted himself to polishing the Four Gentlemen pen holder.

Even with tiny cuts from splinters on his fingertips, he wouldn't stop for a second, carefully examining each stroke for a long time, his eyes brimming with a vibrant smile he'd never seen before.

Jiang Wan went to see him twice, but seeing that he was engrossed in carving, she didn't disturb him much and just stood at the door for a while before leaving.

Aunt Zhou would visit her son in the side room every few days. One time, she ran into Jiang Wan in the corridor as she came out and couldn't help but laugh and say, "Madam, you don't know, he was carving until the lamp oil was almost gone last night. No matter how much I urged him, he wouldn't go to sleep."

As she spoke, she glanced at her son and said, "Later I said, 'You have to go to school tomorrow. The most important thing for a carpenter is good eyesight. If you ruin it now, how will you carve things in the future?' Only then did he put down his knife."

Lu Hui was engrossed in polishing a block of wood over his pile of new tools when he heard his mother call his name. He looked up, still clutching his carving knife, and smiled somewhat sheepishly, "Mom! I know, I'll go to sleep after I finish this!"

Aunt Zhou smiled and shook her head after hearing this: "He's been quite well-behaved these past few days. He's not only been diligent in carving wood, but I also heard he's become more lively at school."

"After Wan-jie took him out to play a few times, he became more talkative when he came back. Now he's not as hesitant about going to school as before, and he even urges himself to say, 'Today the teacher will teach new material.'"

As she spoke, her gaze fell on her son, her tone tinged with surprise. "In the past, if I talked to him about studying, he would not say anything, but he would always get angry with me. These past few days, when I mentioned school and books, he hasn't been so reluctant."

Jiang Wan also replied with a smile, "That's right. When Hui-ge goes to school now, he's probably carrying a whole bunch of new ideas to come back and carve. He walks with a swagger."

Aunt Zhou nodded, her gaze falling on her son's back as he hunched over his desk, and the gloom in her eyes dissipated considerably.

She was silent for a while, then suddenly said in a low voice, "In the past, I always forced him to memorize books, which made him timid and afraid to say much. Now, if I go along with his nature, he is willing to sit down and read quietly."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear—the barrier between mother and son was gradually fading away.

As dusk fell, Aunt Zhou rose to take her leave, softly calling Lu Hui to return home together.

Lu Hui put down the carving knife, bowed respectfully to Jiang Wan, and then followed his mother out. When he reached the door, he turned back to look at the half-finished pen holder on the table, as if he was somewhat reluctant to part with it.

Aunt Zhou gently pulled her along and led her out of the courtyard.

Jiang Wan stood under the eaves and watched the mother and son pass through the moon gate before turning back into the house.

All of this was reported to Fang by his informants.

She listened, and a new consideration arose in her mind.

Jiang Wan is now deeply trusted by the old lady. The Mid-Autumn Festival gift list and the household account books are all handed over to her. All the concubines and children are gradually getting closer to her.

If Cui'er's matter is handled carelessly, it could give Jiang Wan leverage to control her, so we must not act impulsively.

We must find a private setting to talk things out with Jiang Wan, so that we can avoid being seen as mean and at the same time reach a proper solution to prevent the Fang family from making a big fuss about this.

Lu Huaiyu sat on the couch reading scriptures. After a while, he looked up and casually asked, "Any trivial matters at home today?"

Fang gave a faint smile, concealing the myriad calculations in her heart, her tone revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"These are all ordinary trivial matters, no need for you to worry about them. Just focus on your studies, and I will take care of everything at home."

Lu Huaiyu nodded, then lowered his head again to bury himself in his book, showing no interest in asking any questions, as if all the undercurrents in the inner quarters had nothing to do with him.

Looking at his bowed profile, Fang felt only a chill in her heart.

Nine years of marriage, but only in name; they can't be relied upon when things happen. From now on, they'll have to make their own moves in every game.

She got up and walked to the door, calling to her personal maid, Zhuling, who was waiting in the outer room.

Zhu Ling quickly stepped inside, bowed her head, and stood quietly awaiting instructions.

Fang stood under the eaves, gazing at the fallen pomegranate petals in the courtyard, her voice low and unreadable.

"Go to the East Courtyard immediately and deliver a message to the First Madam, asking her to come to Ruige for a private meeting. I have something to discuss with Cui'er, so there's no need to disturb the Old Madam or anyone else."

Zhu Ling bowed in agreement, turned around and quickly walked out of the courtyard, heading towards Jiang Wan's residence.

The wind swept through the courtyard again, the withered branches rustled softly, and the undercurrents hidden everywhere never ceased.

Fang stood quietly in the corridor, his eyes revealing a scheme that no one could see through.

In this game of having a second son, she wanted to take full control and not allow the Fang family or others to manipulate her at will.