Qian Jiaoniang had been prepared for this, but still could not bear it when Mother Qian entered only to fall to her knees before her, knocking her head to the floor.
“Mother, what are you doing!”
“Old Madam!”
“Old Madam!”
The main hall was thrown into chaos. The maidservants hurried to help Mother Qian up, but she remained collapsed on the floor, boneless, refusing to rise. “Jiaoniang, you must save Baogui—”
Qian Jiaoniang had already stepped aside, her face ugly. Her own mother kneeling to her—surely this was inviting heaven’s wrath and thunderbolts.
Chunwu stepped forward and yanked Mother Qian upright with force, considering whether she should strike the old woman’s acupoint to quiet her. What kind of mother was this, acting so disgracefully—was she debasing herself, or her lady?
Hongjuan and Suier quickly took over, settling Mother Qian onto a chair, soothing her: “Old Madam, speak slowly. You’ve only just recovered from illness—mind your body.”
Mother Qian wiped her tears, pounding her chest. “If my Baogui dies, how can I live on? I’ll have long gone with him!”
Qian Dafu followed his wife in, saying nothing, only wiping tears. Qian Meinang hurried in after, and on seeing the scene stamped her foot. She went to her mother. “Mother, whatever you have to say, let’s go back and say it. The Marquis has just returned from outside and is resting in the inner room!”
At this, Mother Qian’s eyes flickered with fear. As a commoner, she naturally dreaded official power. But her son’s life outweighed all fear. Raising her voice she said, “My third son-in-law is here just in time! I shall beg him to save my boy!”
Qian Jiaoniang closed her eyes briefly, then glanced toward the inner chamber. Xing Muzheng was indeed at home, resting—had her mother already disturbed him?
“Mother, calm yourself first…”
“How can I calm down? I cannot calm down! My Baogui is locked in prison, suffering!”
“That is what he deserves!”
Mother Qian’s eyes flew wide, staring at Qian Jiaoniang in disbelief. “What are you saying? Listen to yourself! Is that how you speak of your own brother? He is your flesh and blood! You would stand by and watch him rot in prison, even die? How can your heart be so cruel!”
“Even if he were my own ancestor—if he is wrong, then he is wrong!” Qian Jiaoniang shot back. But seeing her mother’s stunned face, she sighed and softened her tone: “Mother, I know you’re in pain. I hurt too. But the woman who lost her daughter suffers even more! Did you not see that girl’s pitiful state? No human being could have done such a thing! Baogui committed such a monstrous crime, ruined a young girl’s life—should he then live carefree? What justice would there be under heaven?”
Mother Qian wailed, “I don’t care about justice, I don’t care about law! All I know is that Baogui is the lifeblood of our Qian family. I want him alive, alive and well!”
Qian Jiaoniang finally understood what the plays meant when they said “a scholar meets a soldier.”
She drew a deep breath. “Mother, this matter is beyond me. Baogui committed a crime and must answer for it. Even if the marquis’s house abuses its power—even if my lord husband is the ruler of Yuzhou—if the common folk see the marquis’s house shielding a criminal, won’t that chill their hearts?”
“What does it matter if their hearts go cold? You just said he is the lord. Whoever dares wag their tongue, just kill them! Let’s see who dares gossip!” Mother Qian slapped the table.
“Mother—you’re raving nonsense!” Qian Meinang rushed to cover her mouth in alarm. She had gone mad—for Baogui’s sake, she dared say anything at all!
Qian Jiaoniang’s forehead throbbed with pain. “And how would that be different from a tyrant? Mother, your son is your son—but are other people’s daughters not also daughters? Put yourself in their place—”
“At a time like this you still have the leisure to care about others! Why don’t you care about my heart?” Mother Qian pounded her chest. When had her precious Baogui ever suffered such humiliation? He was in prison! “Isn’t it just the daughter of a prostitute? What kind of heart could such a cheap wretch have? Her crying and wailing are only to demand more silver. You have plenty of silver anyway, go give her a few hundred taels, tell her to say her daughter wasn’t killed by Baogui! That’s not too much, is it? You can’t even spend a few hundred taels for your own younger brother—”
“Enough. Get out of this lord’s sight!” The thunderous roar exploded from behind the curtain like a sudden clap of lightning. Startled stiff, Mother Qian shut her mouth at once and stood wide-eyed, while Qian Dafu gave a violent shudder, nearly losing his wits.
The room fell silent. The owner of that voice did not appear, but Mother Qian and Qian Dafu shrank like quail. After exchanging a glance, Qian Dafu hurriedly pulled his wife away. Qian Meiniang regretted deeply that she had not stopped their parents from coming to make a scene, and now worried Marquis Xing might vent his anger on her third sister.
“The marquis was angered by Mother’s ruckus. Speak well with him, don’t go against him. If need be, apologize. Once we go back, I’ll persuade Father and Mother to move out of the marquis’ household!” Qian Meiniang urged in a low, earnest voice, her brows all knotted together.
Qian Jiaoniang said, “Eldest sister, be at ease, I’ll be fine. The marquis just has a loud voice.”
Hearing this, Qian Meiniang almost smiled, but knowing the occasion was not fit, she left with Carpenter Zheng still uneasy. Qian Jiaoniang returned to the inner room. Xing Muzheng was standing by the window with his hands behind his back. Seeing her come in, he turned, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Forgive me.”
Qian Jiaoniang smiled faintly. “No need. If the marquis hadn’t stopped her, my mother would have kept pestering endlessly. I was already weary of it. It won’t be too late to talk again once she calms down tomorrow.” She truly did not mind that shout from Xing Muzheng; even she herself had felt the urge to raise her voice at her mother.
Qian Jiaoniang let out a nearly inaudible sigh. No wonder Xing Muzheng looked down on her. With parents, sisters, and brothers like hers, she was nothing but a disgrace to the Dingxi Marquis. Now that he wanted to dissolve their marriage, she truly could not blame him.
But Xing Muzheng had heard it. He thought she resented him for not sparing her family some face. Taking a step forward, he explained, “I was too rash, I meant nothing else.” In truth, his fury had been overwhelming—every word from Mother Qian was stabbing into Qian Jiaoniang’s very heart. She had never spared a thought for her daughter, just as she had sold her to the Xing family back then. She had always seen Jiaoniang as livestock to be raised and sold, with no trace of affection.
“It really is fine, my lord, you needn’t take it to heart.” Qian Jiaoniang kept the light, faint smile on her lips.
But Xing Muzheng could see the sorrow hidden beneath that smile, and his cold heart ached for her. He had spoken out just so he wouldn’t have to keep hearing Mother Qian’s words cut into her without knowing.
He gently drew her into his arms, pressing her against his chest. A soft kiss brushed her temple. “Jiaoniang, you still have me, and Chou’er.”
No—you are not mine. Chou’er, in the end, will not be mine either. Qian Jiaoniang, listening to the steady beat of his heart, refuted him silently.
The next day, Mother Qian and Qian Dafu, together with Qian Meiniang and her husband, and Qian Liniang who had rushed over upon hearing the news, all went to the yamen to visit the prison. Holding the Marquis’ token, they were naturally let through. Following the jailer into the gloomy, stinking prison, they heard the wails and howls of the inmates. Mother Qian was already trembling with fright. When they reached the cell holding Qian Baogui, they found him in prison garb, collapsed on a straw pile, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Baogui! Baogui!” Mother Qian’s heart shattered. Her pearl of a son, suffering torment in prison!
At the sound of his mother’s voice, Qian Baogui immediately lifted his tear-streaked face. Seeing his family outside the wooden bars, he scrambled forward on hands and knees, wailing: “Father, Mother, get me out! I can’t live, I can’t live!”
Qian Dafu was aghast. He caught sight of red stains around Baogui’s backside. “Baogui, what—what happened to you? Why are you…” crawling toward them!
“Father, they beat me, they gave me so many strokes of the rod!” Qian Baogui cried in torment, lodging his complaint. The day before he had been interrogated without pause; any concealment brought torture. His buttocks must be raw, his body covered in wounds! He wailed and howled—yet his parents hadn’t come to save him. When at last he dozed off in exhaustion, he even dreamed of that ghost-girl come to claim his life. “Why—why did you only come now!”
Seeing her darling son suffer such agony, Mother Qian nearly fainted. But no matter how the family begged, the jailer would not open the cell nor allow him out for treatment. They said he would be interrogated again soon.
At the mention of further interrogation, Qian Baogui convulsed in terror, begging his parents to bring him a knife and kill him instead. “Father, Mother, eldest brother-in-law, eldest sisters, please beg Third Sister for me—have her take pity on me! In the next life I’ll be an ox or a horse to repay her kindness!”
Mother Qian wept uncontrollably. Now she had only one thought—to find her third daughter to save her son. Only she could save him!
Mother Qian rushed straight out. Qian Meiniang hurried after and tried to pull her back, hoping to bring her to see the girl whom Baogui had killed. But Mother Qian’s expression was colder than ever. She spat: “That cheap wretch who brought my son to such misery—I only hope she rots in the eighteenth h*ll, never to be reborn!”
With that, she shook free of Qian Meiniang and went back to the marquis’ household, Qian Liniang following her. Qian Meiniang and Carpenter Zheng, instead, went to see Little Yao. The sight was so dreadful that Qian Meiniang could hardly bear to look. She was told the girl had sixty-eight whip marks on her body. Each lash, how it must have tortured her! In her mind’s eye, Qian Meiniang seemed to see that little girl struggling and begging on the ground…
Qian Meiniang’s face went white. Supported by Carpenter Zheng, she left the coroner’s chamber in a daze. After a long moment, she slowly shook her head and murmured: “Qian Baogui—he must pay with his life.”
