Matriarch Rules, Scumbag Begs - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Losing Face

This evening, Pei Yuanzhou, who had disappeared for a day, finally limped back to the mansion.

He had spent more than ten hours outside the Chaoyang Palace, and his knees were almost crippled.

After returning to the mansion, seeing Xue Yinshuang’s head injured like that, he completely forgot about his own pain and anxiously asked Xue Yinshuang about the reason.

At this moment, Xue Yinshuang had already seen the old madam’s madness in public and Shen Qiuci’s madness in private. Where would she dare to tell Pei Yuanzhou the truth?

She could only follow Shen Qiuci’s instructions and tell Pei Yuanzhou that the injury on her head was caused by her own carelessness.

After hearing this, Pei Yuanzhou comforted her and had her take some medicine and rest. Only then did he go to the old madam’s room to report.

When he arrived, the old madam was lying comfortably on the bed, with Liu Momo serving her Fushou paste.

As she smoked, she looked like an immortal.

“My child is back?” Seeing Pei Yuanzhou arrive, the old madam quickly sat up and beckoned Pei Yuanzhou to sit closer.
“What did the emperor say?”

Pei Yuanzhou walked forward with a limp, sat down, and rubbed his knees, saying dejectedly: “He didn’t scold me much. He just told me to reflect on myself and burn incense to General Shen every day.”

The old madam said: “That’s fine. In that case, we need to do a good job of keeping up appearances. As long as the emperor sees that you’re truly remorseful, he won’t make things too difficult for you in the future.”

She glanced at Pei Yuanzhou’s knees and instructed someone to bring pain-relieving medicine to apply to his wounds. Then she told Liu Momo: “Go to the Fengxian Hall and prepare an altar. Also, find Mister Ma from the funeral shop to make a gold-plated spirit tablet for General Shen, and bring it back to the mansion to worship.”

Pei Yuanzhou was taken aback. “Why would mother allow Shen Shi to set up an altar in the mansion?”

He looked incredulous, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at the old madam. “Didn’t you always say that this was inauspicious?”

“Inauspicious? How inauspicious can it be?” The old Madam took a deep breath of the Fushou paste and said nonchalantly: “Your father’s and grandfather’s spirits are also worshiped in the Fengxian Hall. Qiu’er is part of our family. What’s inauspicious about it?”

Pei Yuanzhou was stunned.

The old madam continued: “Also, don’t cold-shoulder Qiu’er in the future. She’s your legitimate wife, after all. You should treat her better.”

This remark left Pei Yuanzhou even more bewildered. “Is mother talking nonsense? Do you know that if it weren’t for her deliberate scheming, and Eunuch Feng overhearing something he shouldn’t have, I would have inherited the title by now? She ruined us like this, and you still want me to treat her well?”

Just as he finished speaking, the door was gently pushed open.

Shen Qiuci walked in with a smile, teasingly saying: “Who’s been plotting against the Heir now?”

Pei Yuanzhou grunted and turned his face away, unwilling to talk to her.

The old madam, on the other hand, was overjoyed to see Shen Qiuci, beckoning her over enthusiastically. “Qiu’er is here? Come, come sit next to mother.”

Shen Qiuci nodded at the old madam with a smile, then sat down beside Pei Yuanzhou and handed him an invitation. “This is an invitation from the Minister of Rites’ mansion. The Minister’s eldest son, Lu Yan, is celebrating his birthday tomorrow, and he’s invited the Heir to the banquet.”

Pei Yuanzhou didn’t even glance at the invitation and tossed it aside. “Why bother attending the banquet? The news of the emperor’s reprimand has spread throughout the capital. Do I still need to go out of my way to embarrass myself in front of various officials?”

The old madam said: “That’s exactly why we need to go! The more you try to avoid it, the more others will laugh at you. You need to show up with grandeur to shut their mouths! Cough, cough…”

The old madam took a deep drag on her pipe, coughed twice, and then continued: “When you went to the palace, whether the emperor reprimanded you or not, others don’t know. It’s all up to you to spin the story. We can’t let them look down on the Danyang Marquis Mansion!”

Pei Yuanzhou knew that this matter not only concerned his face but also the entire Danyang Marquis Mansion’s reputation. If not handled well, the whole mansion would become a laughingstock among the high-ranking officials in the capital. Even the old madam’s reputation among the noble women in the capital would suffer. However, even knowing the importance, it’s hard to make do without resources.

“It’s easy for mother to say. The mansion doesn’t have any extra money for me to send as gifts. We can’t even come up with a decent gift, let alone ‘showing grandeur’.”

After he spoke, both he and the old lady looked troubled.

Shen Qiuci scanned their embarrassed faces and remained silent for a moment. Then, she took out a jade pendant carved with the Guanyin Bodhisattva from her bosom. The jade was of excellent quality, with a smooth, icy texture.

“I heard that Master Lu likes jade. Let the Heir take a look and see if this might catch his eye?”

Pei Yuanzhou took the jade from her hand, and together with the old madam, they carefully examined it. The jade pendant felt cold to the touch, with a crystal-clear color, like ice. It was flawless and could be considered top-notch.

Even the old madam, who was accustomed to luxury, rarely saw jade of such high quality.

She eagerly asked: “Where did you get this beautiful thing, Qiu’er?”

Shen Qiuci smiled. “This was given to me by my mother, but I’m not worthy of it. It would be a waste to keep it. If the Heir thinks it’s decent, he can wrap it up as a gift and send it to Master Lu. It should be presentable.”

Pei Yuanzhou’s gaze lingered on the jade pendant. Such a rare and precious item would not only be presentable as a gift to Lu Yan but would also make everyone look up to him.

However, he was privately puzzled.
Why would Shen Qiuci give him such a valuable item so readily?
He asked with a hint of sarcasm: “You’re willing to give up such a good thing? Aren’t there any other conditions attached?”

Shen Qiuci replied calmly: “Internally, I’m just unhappy that the young master favors his concubine over his wife, making this eldest wife suffer at the hands of a mere concubine.”
“But externally, I am still the mistress of the Marquis Mansion and your legitimate wife.”

“Your face is my face, and my face is the face of the entire Duke Zhongyong Mansion.”

“My father and brother are loyal and brave, serving the country. As a daughter of the Shen family, I cannot afford to lose face.”

Her words were reasonable and convincing.

The old madam quickly said to Pei Yuanzhou: “Look, our Qiu’er knows the big picture. She’s much better than that Xue woman!”

She snorted coldly, looking down on Xue Yinshuang. “That Xue woman can’t even walk on flat ground without falling. It’s clear she’s useless!”

Pei Yuanzhou didn’t like hearing this. “Mother, don’t say that about Shuang’er. She’s been diligent in serving you.”

As he spoke, he carefully put the jade pendant away and then reluctantly said to Shen Qiuci: “I’ll accept this gift. It’s proof that you haven’t forgotten your identity as the wife of the Heir.”

Shen Qiuci smiled. “Of course, I remember my identity. Actually… since I’ve recovered, I haven’t shown my face to various noble families. Tomorrow is the birthday celebration at the Minister’s mansion. Would you consider taking me with you?”

Pei Yuanzhou frowned at her, clearly unwilling.

Where was she talking about not showing her face after recovering?
For years, except for the wedding day, Pei Yuanzhou hadn’t taken her out to meet anyone.

In Pei Yuanzhou’s eyes, although Shen Qiuci had a beautiful face, she didn’t pay attention to her appearance.
After entering the Marquis Mansion, she spent all her time doing laundry, cooking, and serving her in-laws. She didn’t know how to take care of herself and looked like a worn-out woman without any nobility.

Lu Yan was the eldest son of the Minister of Rites, and his birthday banquet would definitely invite all the noble families in the capital. The women from those noble families would all be dressed in luxurious clothes, adorned with jewels, and exuding nobility.

Taking Shen Qiuci to such an occasion would make him lose face.

So he just casually said, “I’ll think about it,” but in his heart, he had no intention of taking her.