The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 80
Wen Shuse stared at the wound crawling like an insect below his shoulder. She had no idea what it would look like once it healed, and she held out little hope. Her elder brother had taken a stab wound to the back that was far shallower and smaller than this, and even that had left a scar.
The more she thought, the more she regretted it. Her whole face was full of dismay, the look of someone whose regret had come too late, as though she had let some tremendous good thing slip past her.
Xie Shao looked back at her in disbelief at the obvious disappointment written across her face. His chest began to churn with unease again. He was laid out flat on the bed, unable even to move, and still she cared about him being whole and unflawed.
He understood now that staying with his little wife required a strong heart. But he was wounded at present, and could not manage being strong. He chased her off without the least courtesy. “Get out!”
“I’m not scorning you, Husband.” Wen Shuse looked at the half of his face that had turned away again, knew he had misread her meaning, and explained, “Don’t worry, Husband. No matter what you look like, I still want you.”
When she set about needling a person, she could pierce clean through the heart; when she set about coaxing one, she could be sweet as honey.
However, he was sick now and could not stand up to such ups and downs. He said helplessly, “Just apply the medicine, and keep your mouth shut.”
Wen Shuse felt she had gone too far as well. She nodded quickly, let go of her wild thoughts, and gave her whole mind to changing his dressing. Her mouth might be a little unreliable, but she was very careful in her work, so afraid of hurting her husband that her movements were light. The ointment applied, she eased him up with great care and wound the new white gauze around him layer by layer. The military physician had changed the dressing that morning with her right there beside him, and it had looked simple, only now did she learn it was a craft in its own right. The gauze she bound looked nothing at all like the physician’s.
It was very ugly, like a cicada pupa.
Unable to speak, she could only communicate with her eyes, and she looked at her husband apologetically.
Xie Shao understood her. “It’s fine. You may go now. I need to rest.”
Wen Shuse was stunned. She looked at her husband, who had already closed his eyes. Go? Go where? Wasn’t this room and this bed hers to begin with…
Now that he was back, at best, it belonged to both of them.
She did not want to sleep in separate rooms, but she could not bring herself to open her mouth, so she only stepped up and lightly scratched the back of his hand where it rested on the quilt. When he turned his head, she mouthed her words silently, looking at him with a pitiful expression.
Xie Shao said weakly, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
The moment her mouth was unsealed, the words came tumbling out in a rush. “Husband, you shouldn’t be left alone at night. I have to stay with you. The bed is plenty wide, and I’ve always slept very properly. Don’t worry, I definitely won’t disturb you…”
She slept very properly? That was a joke. He did not expose her.
It wasn’t that he was afraid she would disturb him. She had already stayed up all night with him. Once the anesthesia from his wound wore off, the pain would be agonizing. He was worried that if he cried out in the night, he would wake her. “Just take me back to the next courtyard instead.”
Seeing him like this, Wen Shuse had no choice but to compromise. “Can I at least make a bed on the floor?”
Xie Shao made a move to get up.
“Fine…” Wen Shuse finally gave in. “I’ll go. You rest well, Husband. If the pain comes tonight, I suppose you’ll just have to bear it yourself. Because even if you call for me, you’re too far away. I won’t hear you…”
No matter what she said, her husband kept his eyes closed and remained unmoved.
How the tides turn. She never imagined the day would come when her husband would kick her out. But what could she do? The man had suffered such terrible wounds. He deserved to be carefully cradled in one’s palms, with every wish granted.
Yield. Of course, she should yield.
Taking her change of clothes, she went to the room her husband had previously stayed in. Aunt Qing had quietly set the bed in order last time; apart from being smaller than the bed in the main room, the quilt and the bedding were just the same. And the bedding was what her husband had slept in. She rolled it up and held it in her arms. She had kept her husband company through the better part of the night before, and had not let up through the daytime either; the moment she lay down, drowsiness came over her at once.
She slept straight through to daybreak. The next morning, just as she had risen, Aunt Qing came in to report, “Young Master Pei has arrived.”
The day before, at the army camp, Pei Qing had come to look in on him once and had only gone back to Jing Wang’s residence after learning he was out of danger. The two of them were brothers in misfortune. They had come out of Fengcheng, one stabbed in the belly, one taking an arrow in the shoulder, nine parts dead to one part alive, both had walked a turn before King Yama’s gate. Having lived through it, they surely had a great deal to say to each other now.
Wen Shuse was in no hurry to go over. Once she had washed and dressed, she set to work.
What she had said to her husband the day before, ” surviving a great disaster brings boundless blessings afterward, ” had not been empty words. From today on, all that was left for her husband were good days.
He could properly serve as an official, and she would manage the household.
She gave Auntie Qing her instructions one by one. “Today, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask Aunt Qing to make several trips. All these days since coming to the Eastern Capital, it’s been Aunt Qing alone running things inside and out, and from now on, there will only be more affairs in the residence. Go first to the servants’ market and pick out two clever maidservants, then choose three to five older women to come back and help Aunt Qing. After that, hire two coachmen as well, they must be steady and reliable, and have Uncle Wen help with acquiring the horses and the carriage; all of it is to be the finest. In a few days, once my husband’s wound has healed, he’ll be attending court, and we mustn’t let him lose face. Find out which tailor’s shop in the Eastern Capital is the most famous. The price is no issue, and call them over, bringing patterns and colors, and I’ll choose for myself…”
The residence was comfortable enough to live in, so there was no need to move for the time being. When Old Madam Xie and her parents-in-law came in the future, it would not be too late to move together then.
Having received her instructions, Aunt Qing went off at once to carry them out.
Aunt Qing knew that things were no longer what they had been. After the young master entered the capital, he was given an official post of the fifth rank, but he rarely socialized with others. Most people, hindered by the former Crown Prince’s connections, had not dared come to visit.
Now, after the rebellion, the former crown prince had lost all hope. The crown prince had been replaced by Jing Wang, and the young master had become a great meritorious official basking in the emperor’s favor.
A high official of the third rank, and Commander of the Imperial Guard at that, a position that kept him by the emperor’s side every single day.
From now on, the threshold of this house would likely be worn down by visitors.
Aunt Qing nodded and hurried off to the servant market. She first selected a few maidservants and older servant women and brought them back to Wen Shuse, then went out again to continue her errands.
With Min Zhang and Pei Qing looking after her husband, Wen Shuse did not need to worry. After explaining the rules to the newly bought maidservants and older servants, she personally led them around the residence to assign their duties.
After most of a day’s work, the entire courtyard had been scrubbed clean from the inside out. She arranged flowerpots and decorative ornaments, then had the household plaque hung at the gate.
Two simple characters: Xie Residence.
She never expected the first visitor to be a eunuch from the palace, followed by several young eunuchs behind him carrying bolts of fabric, boxes, and cases in their hands.
Upon seeing Wen Shuse, the eunuch bowed and offered his greetings, his face beaming. “This servant had quite a time finding Commander Xie’s residence.”
That very morning, the emperor had issued his rewards. In addition to the thousand taels of gold, he had sent silk fabrics and gold-and-jade ornaments to be delivered in person as a gesture of concern.
The eunuch had left the palace gates at the hour of si, a grand procession weaving through the alleys, asking from door to door. He had searched until the afternoon before, finally finding the place.
On such a hot day, a layer of sweat had formed on his forehead by now.
After the two of them came to the Eastern Capital, they truly had not told others where they lived, and today they had only just finished putting the residence in order. Wen Shuse looked apologetic, apologizing as she led them inside. “You have worked hard, Eunuch. Please come in, have a cup of tea, and rest for a moment. I’ll go inform my husband right away.”
The eunuch hurriedly stopped her. “Madam, there is no need to be so courteous. His Majesty specifically instructed that Commander Xie is injured and must not be disturbed or startled. Commander Xie may rest and recover in peace. Once his wound has healed, His Majesty will personally host a banquet and invite him in person.”
Wen Shuse thanked him for the imperial grace and politely escorted them out.
Not long after they left, Young Master Wei arrived as well, bringing the Eldest Madam Wei with gifts. The alley, which had originally been quiet and calm, suddenly became lively within a single day.
When the news reached the Wen family, the whole household was eating. Everyone was present. The Eldest Madam Wei held her bowl and did not react for a long while, her whole person seeming dazed and foolish.
The Eldest Young Lady Wen lowered her head and muttered, “I heard from the people in the nearby residences that a eunuch from the palace personally came to their door. There were five or six people in the party, carrying several bolts of tribute satin, as well as fox fur, and lacquered wooden boxes in their arms…” She made a gesture with her arms. “This big. Two whole boxes, heavy in their arms. They must have held quite a lot of agate, jade, gold ornaments, and jewelry…”
Just hearing it was enough to make one’s eyes turn red with envy, let alone seeing it with one’s own eyes.
Logically speaking, Third Young Master Xie was the Wen family’s son-in-law. Now that he had rendered great service and been promoted, the Wen family ought to be happy. But at the whole table, not a single person could feel happy. Each of them kept their heads lowered without speaking. The few grains of rice in the Eldest Madam’s mouth remained there for half a day without being swallowed.
Heavens curse it, how could she have known that the Xie family was capable of such a turn of fortune?
That day, when Wen Shuse had come to ask for lodging, it had clearly looked like two burdens dragging oil bottles behind them. For the sake of this household, she had worried and planned, and her refusal had been perfectly reasonable. Yet the Eldest Master had actually struck her across the face.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation? She had cried, made a scene, and threatened to hang herself, and back then, she truly had not wanted to live.
The next day, however, she learned from her second son that Xie Shao’s official appointment was of the fifth rank.
Her own eldest son had only managed to obtain a reserve vacancy in the Hanlin Academy, receiving a salary of just over ten strings of silver a month, and that had already made many people envious.
Yet the Xie family’s Third Young Master had only just arrived in the Eastern Capital, and he was already an official of the fifth rank.
As the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry Command, he held command over more than two hundred men, a real, solid official post. After learning that Jing Wang had been the one to put in a word for him before His Majesty, the Eldest Madam finally began to see which way the wind was blowing.
Could it be that Jing Wang was about to rise to power? And with that suspicion came a faint twinge of regret. Had she gone too far?
If the Xie family’s second branch managed to turn their fortunes around, wouldn’t she have burned her own bridge?
What she feared was exactly what came. Only two days had gone by when the former Crown Prince suddenly rebelled, the Yuan clan was wiped out, Jing Wang was named as Crown Prince, and the Third Young Master Xie became the foremost meritorious official, leaping directly to the third rank.
As the Commander of the Imperial Guard, he cut a far more imposing figure than her husband, a mere Deputy Minister.
Had she known earlier, she should have listened to the Eldest Master that day and taken the two of them into the residence. Then today, all those things, including the rewarded thousand taels of gold, would have entered the Wen family’s gate.
Because of this matter, she had not slept well for two days. At this moment, among everyone seated here, probably all of them were blaming her in their hearts.
Blaming her for having handled things too ruthlessly.
The gold, silver, and wealth were only what everyone could see. What they truly longed for was the Xie family’s status.
Chancellor Xie had been restored to his former post. The Xie family’s second branch had risen completely.
Originally, by relying on the marriage ties between the Wen and Xie families, the Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master would not have had to worry about their futures in court. Yet she had actually offended the Second Young Lady.
She had severed their path of retreat with her own hands.
No longer caring whether it was humiliating or not, the Eldest Madam was so regretful that her intestines nearly turned green. She put down her bowl, clutched her chest, and cried in pain, “Just look at what I’ve done!”
Ever since the Eldest Master had seen her attitude toward Wen Shuse last time, he had already been utterly disappointed in her. Even now, he still had not spoken to her again.
Seeing her like this, he mocked her without mercy. “A person may be poor seven times, and rich seven times in return. If one seeks wealth and disregards people, then just wait and see the path ahead. You, Madam An, may bend and stretch as you please, may throw away your own skin if it suits you, but I, Wen Zhongqiao, still need mine. Conduct yourself properly.”
After saying this, he left the table.
But how could the Eldest Madam listen?
Especially after the meal, when she heard the Eldest Young Madam say, “That residence… I secretly sent someone to look at it. It also has four courtyards in and four exit layouts out, but compared with the one we live in, it has an extra rear garden, and the rooms are much more spacious…”
The Eldest Madam froze. “Didn’t she say she was living in a servant’s…” She suddenly reacted, sucked in a breath, and cried out, “Could she have done it on purpose? Was she so eager to come draw a clear line with us because she was afraid we would take advantage of her?”
That Wen Second had always been crafty. The more she thought about it, the more she felt this was possible.
But even if she knew, so what? She had already made things clear in front of the Eldest Master that from now on, whether good or bad, they would have nothing to do with each other.
Though that was what had been said, they could not truly refuse to acknowledge even their relatives.
Was Xie Shao not injured? They ought to go visit him. With the Eldest Master’s words there, she no longer had the face, nor the courage, to go herself, but the younger generation could.
That very night, she called Wen Suning over. “I’ll prepare some things. Tomorrow, make a trip there. I imagine those who go to their door will all be people of status. It would be good for you to show your face as well…”
Ever since Wen Suning’s betrothal with the Eldest Young Master Xie had fallen through, she had still not found a family she was satisfied with. Either she looked down on others, or others disdained the Wen family for being outsiders.
Now that the Xie family had risen to power, countless people were lining up to attach themselves to them. If Wen Suning could use this chance to climb into a noble household, she would not need to worry in the future.
But Wen Suning frowned and shook her head. “I don’t need to.”
The Eldest Madam knew she had pride and sighed, no longer forcing her. In the end, she settled on the Third Young Lady and the Eldest Young Master, having them go to the Xie residence early the next morning.
—
Wen Shuse had been busy all day and only went to see her husband at night.
Seeing that his medicine had already been changed and that he was half-reclining on the bed, she picked up the medicine from the small wooden table and brought it over to feed him. First, she touched the porcelain spoon to her lips to check that it was not hot, then carefully delivered it to his mouth. “Husband, obediently drink your medicine and get well soon…”
Her tone was gentle and ingratiating, as if she were making offerings to a bodhisattva.
Xie Shao had heard all the bustling about in the front courtyard today. Now that he had entered officialdom, and the Imperial Guard at that, there would surely be no shortage of visitors. He had thought she would be tired of handling all these social dealings, but seeing her cheeks rosy on both sides and her whole person looking bright and energetic, he could not help asking curiously, “Aren’t you tired?”
Wen Shuse shook her head. “Not tired.”
She had always enjoyed dealing with people. In the past, whenever her father brought friends home, she had always been the one to receive them. Her grandmother had even once joked about her with Aunt Cao, “Everyone else wants to hide, yet she rushes forward instead. I’ve never seen such a mule of a temperament.”
But who told her to have such abundant energy since childhood?
On the contrary, she was not used to cold, quiet days. She brought the porcelain spoon to his lips again. “Husband, drink quickly. Don’t let it cool.”
If she fed him this medicine spoon by spoon, then tonight, his mouth would likely be left with nothing but bitterness. He avoided the bowl in her hand, tilted his head back, and poured it down his throat in one gulp.
Wen Shuse thoughtfully took out a silk handkerchief and wiped his mouth for him. After wiping, she did not leave. Instead, she leaned closer and smiled at him, asking in a low voice, “Does Husband know what they all called me today?”
She was too close. Xie Shao’s breath paused, and without betraying anything, he moved back a little. What else could they have called her? He asked, “Madam Xie?”
Wen Shuse shook her head, drawing out a slow, lilting sound of denial, and continued looking at him. “Husband, guess again.”
That deliberately softened tone matched with the way she shook her head. Xie Shao was not certain whether she was acting spoiled toward him, but it felt rather nice, and he found it very pleasing. Patiently, he cooperated with her. “I can’t guess. You tell me.”
The moment his words fell, he saw his little wife’s lips curve bit by bit upward. In the end, unable to contain the joy in her heart, she revealed two rows of pearly teeth. “Madam Commander.”
Just the words Madam Commander were enough to make her this happy. As expected, she was a vain and status-loving young lady.
Yet he saw nothing wrong with her being this way. He was even rather proud of it. Slowly infected by that smile of hers, the corners of his mouth also curved upward. “Satisfied now?”
“Satisfied.” Wen Shuse nodded, edging a little closer to him and dropping her voice further still. “They were all older than me. Some even past my mother’s age, and yet when they saw me, they still bobbed me a curtsey.”
What was strange about that? Among women, status depended on the standing of one’s family.
Now that he was Commander, she was the Madam Commander. And if one day he became Chancellor, then she would be Madam Chancellor. Who would dare not show her respect?
His little wife had seen it plainly enough herself. “With so many people today, everyone was flaunting their husbands. By the end of it all, my husband is both talented and handsome. You’ve really made me proud.”
A word of praise like that from his little wife was a rare thing indeed. He counted himself lucky not to have disappointed her.
He liked her smiling this way. It gave him an ease, a sense that all of it had been worth it. And yet, he could not say why, the more he liked it, the more obvious that faint sense of loss in his heart became.
What she had said to him that night, although he did not blame her for it. But every time he recalled them, every word and every line was still clear, and the dull pang in his chest could not be helped.
If he had truly come to nothing, would he have gone the rest of his life without ever seeing his little wife smile like this?
Such thoughts, of course, he wouldn’t let her see what he was really thinking. He smiled along with her. “So long as my wife is satisfied. You’ve had a tiring day yourself. Go on back and rest early.”
Wen Shuse was indeed happy today, so happy that even being sent away by her husband didn’t dampen her mood. She helped him lie down and tucked the blanket around him with tender care.
She smoothed the blanket over his chest, then lifted her gaze and suddenly met her husband’s eyes.
There was no more than five fingers’ width between them. His deep, quiet gaze threw her heart into chaos, making it pound wildly. The bedside lantern cast a dim glow, and the night emboldened her. Perhaps she really had been dizzy with joy. After meeting his eyes for a moment, she closed her eyes, bent down, and pecked him on the lips. As if that were not enough, she lightly took his lower lip between hers.
Only when she felt her husband beneath her go stiff did Wen Shuse suddenly come back to herself, her mind ringing with a long buzz.
What had she done?
Not daring to look into her husband’s eyes, she rose from the bed, acting as if nothing had happened. Hiding in the light and shadow beside the bed to conceal the flush on her face, she said calmly, “Husband, rest early.”
Minzhang appeared at just the right time. “Master, the water is ready.”
Xie Shao did not answer. He lay there blankly, only finding his breath again after a long while. Once he realized what had just happened, he instantly sat up in bed.
He had just lifted the quilt when, unexpectedly, that bold and lustful young lady suddenly came back again. She lifted the curtain and poked her head inside. “Does Husband need me to serve you?”
The heat in his heart was still lodged in his abdomen and had not yet gone down. Staring at his little wife before him, whose face looked full of provocation, his own face reddened quite a bit, he ground out through his teeth, “No need!”
“Husband needn’t be polite.” The young lady spoke with complete sincerity. “Husband has not bathed for several days, so you really should wash. But the military physician instructed that your wound absolutely must not touch water…” After thinking it over, she was still uneasy. “Husband is injured, and it isn’t convenient for you. I should stay and serve you. I’m willing…”
“Wen Shuse!” Xie Shao felt as if his forehead were about to explode.
This shout finally had some effect. Wen Shuse did not dare say another word. The one foot she had stepped inside quickly withdrew. “I’m leaving.”
Turning around and returning from the room, in truth, her own face was burning too. If he had really agreed right away, she feared she would have run faster than anyone.
She had only wanted to ask him when she would be able to move back in.
The former Crown Prince had rebelled and been captured, Jing Wang had been appointed Crown Prince, and the people from Fengcheng would soon come over. Her father-in-law had also been restored to his former post, so he would surely come to the Eastern Capital as well.
She had been married into the Xie family for so long, yet she still had not met the father-in-law and mother-in-law. They could not possibly meet for the first time only to see that she and her husband were sleeping in separate rooms.
Two days should be enough. She would endure for one more night. If her husband was still unwilling tomorrow, then she could only throw a tantrum, roll around, and force her way inside.