Chapter 45: Overtone
Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Overtone
Qiuxi was startled and quickly looked over. "My lady, if you don’t mind my clumsiness, I naturally want to continue serving you."
Liang Wan turned her head, meeting Qiuxi’s clear eyes.
Qiuxi’s loyalty went without saying, but the more loyal she was, the more Liang Wan needed to plan carefully. The Imperial Palace was a place that ate people alive without spitting out their bones; there was absolutely no need to drag the poor girl into it.
Seeing Liang Wan suddenly smile, Qiuxi grew nervous. She set down the books she was organizing and walked over. "My lady, why bring this up out of nowhere?"
Seeing her anxiety, Liang Wan simply said, "If I ever marry, I must first find you a good match!"
Blinking her almond eyes, Qiuxi squatted down, leaned over the edge of the bed, and whispered, "My lady, are you really involved with Young Master Zhou?"
Liang Wan sprawled carelessly on the bed, laughing as she shook her head.
She would never marry in this lifetime!
Qiuxi was baffled by her laughter and simply stared blankly. The Third Lady had truly changed. She used to be gentle yet lively, elegant with a touch of charming naivety. But now, she was unrestrained and flamboyant, her moods shifting freely. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—in fact, she was even more breathtakingly beautiful—but she lacked a certain purity now...
"What are you thinking about?"
Qiuxi snapped out of her daze and shook her head in silence. Suddenly remembering something, she hesitated to speak.
Liang Wan sat up, dismissed the young servant girls, and said, "Speak your mind."
"My lady, the Wang Su incident has passed. You finally managed to turn danger into safety, so why not take this opportunity to settle a marriage and leave this place as soon as possible? That way, you can avoid them scheming against you again!"
"So even you know they will scheme against me?" Liang Wan’s red lips curled up, a smile brimming in her eyes.
Qiuxi could not bring herself to smile. "The Fourth Lady’s reputation is ruined and her marriage fell through, and the Family Head has lost his backing. Just think about how much they must hate you in their hearts! The First Madam is now keeping her doors shut to chant sutras. If you don’t plan for yourself, who else can you count on? This servant previously wondered if the Eldest Sister would—"
Her Sister?
Liang Wan lowered her eyes, wanting to laugh. In the past, she had been just as foolish as Qiuxi.
Qiuxi continued, "The Family Head is only tolerating you right now because he has no other options and is temporarily pinning his hopes on you. But once you can no longer bring him any benefits, how will he treat you? Just in case, you should make plans early!"
Liang Wan looked at Qiuxi. How could she not know that Liang Cheng hated her to the core?
However, things had to be done one step at a time!
Since Liang Wan returned to the Liang Mansion a few days ago, her life had been far from peaceful. Liang Jiao would frequently come over to make snide remarks and throw tantrums. Occasionally, when agitated, she would even cry and hurl insults.
Liang Wan knew very well that the girl simply had nowhere else to vent her anger. Although Liang Cheng had given her a few half-hearted warnings, Liang Jiao continued to act however she pleased. Mrs. Zhang, harboring deep resentment in her heart, turned a blind eye to it all.
After breakfast, Liang Wan leaned over her desk, practicing calligraphy. According to Qiuxi, during the few days Liang Wan was missing, Cui Hao had come by, only to be chased away by Liang Cheng’s men.
"My lady, please come take a look."
With Liang Zhang’s wedding approaching, Qiuxi had selected a few items from Liang Wan’s private stash to serve as a congratulatory gift, just as instructed.
Liang Wan hummed in acknowledgment.
As soon as she spoke, a clatter of crashing and smashing echoed from outside. Before Liang Wan could even put down her brush, a young servant girl rushed in hastily.
Qiuxi peered out the window. "Is it the Fourth Lady again?"
The young servant girl glanced at Liang Wan and nodded. "The Fourth Lady says the scent of the lilac blossoms in your courtyard is too strong and gives her a headache that ruins her sleep at night."
Liang Wan lowered her gaze and smiled, remaining silent.
"The day before yesterday, she complained the camphor tree in the courtyard was too tall and blocked her light, so we just finished clearing it out yesterday. Today, she claims the flowers are too fragrant. All this tossing and turning these past few days—when will it end?" the young servant girl grumbled, feeling deeply wronged.
Liang Wan stood up. "Alright, she didn’t ask you to dig them up, nor did she ask you to stand guard. You can just go back to your room and rest."
Qiuxi sent the servant girl away, only to turn around and see Liang Wan sitting before her zither table, playing and singing, completely drowning out the noise from the courtyard. But she stopped halfway through the song.
"Why did you stop playing, my lady?" Qiuxi had been listening, completely engrossed, and was left wanting more when the music abruptly cut off.
Liang Wan shook her head. "It’s not a good tune, so naturally I don’t want to play it anymore."
Qiuxi was confused. "This melody is so deeply romantic, and the lyrics are all about phoenixes. What’s wrong with it?"
Liang Wan’s gaze lightly swept past the window and landed on Qiuxi’s face. "Do you know what story this song tells?"
Qiuxi shook her head.
Liang Wan said, "It is about a young man who fell in love with a young lady from a wealthy family. He played this song to express his affection. The two shared a mutual love, but unfortunately, they faced opposition from their families and could not be together.
"But later, the young lady eloped with him in the middle of the night, and they made a living selling wine. Although their life after marriage was arduous, their feelings for each other only deepened."
Qiuxi frowned. "The lady in the story acted inappropriately, but at least the ending is a happy one!"
Liang Wan smiled. "Indeed. If she had feared her family’s obstruction and didn’t elope, she wouldn’t have had this marriage. Her courage is truly admirable. How about this—I’ll play ’Meng Jiangnu’ for you?"
"I actually know this story! It’s about a woman traveling thousands of miles to find her husband. The pitiful Meng Jiangnu traveled all that way, only to find her husband had already died at the Great Wall." Qiuxi shook her head. "This servant still prefers the one with the happy ending."
Liang Wan sighed. "Do you think corvée labor is easy to endure? Working day and night, being beaten and scolded by guards, with barely enough to eat or wear. Let alone someone with an illness, even a perfectly healthy person wouldn’t last more than a few days—"
She shook her head. "In a few days, it will be the auspicious day for my Brother and the daughter of the Imperial Censor to get married. I think I’ll stop playing the zither for now. We should hurry up and prepare the wedding gift for the new bride instead."
At the mention of this, Qiuxi pointed to the items on the table. "These are all things you acquired in the past, my lady."
Liang Wan stepped forward and picked up a pair of white jade bracelets to inspect them. They felt warm, smooth, and delicate to the touch.
"Hmph, didn’t you disdain socializing in the past, Sister? How come you’re suddenly so smooth and calculating now?"
A sudden sneer rang out, and the shadow that had been standing outside the window for quite some time finally stepped inside.
Liang Jiao hadn’t thought much of it at first, but when her eyes landed on the various large and small boxes scattered across the table, she couldn’t help but be taken aback. She hadn’t expected Liang Wan to possess so much precious jewelry.
Liang Wan casually set the bracelets down and took a seat nearby. "If these lifeless objects can bring joy to the living, then it’s their good fortune. Besides, who knows when I might leave the mansion? Carrying too much would just be a burden."
A faint smile graced her lips. "When it comes to being smooth and worldly, how could I possibly compare to you? With my clumsy tongue, I really need to learn from you how to win over everyone’s favor with just a few words. After all, once married, one cannot avoid having to get along with sisters-in-law and the Mother-in-law!"
At the mention of marriage, Liang Jiao thought of Wang Tingyue, and a wave of hatred flooded her heart. Although Wang Tingyue was not favored by Wang Su and held a low official rank, he was still a young master of the Sikong Mansion. With the future backing of the Liang Mansion, there would have been no fear of his career failing to take off.
But now, not only was Wang Tingyue exiled to the military, ruining all hopes of marriage, but she herself had also ruined her entire life for nothing! On the other hand, Liang Wan had previously latched onto Lu Xiu and was now mixed up with Zhou Yun. The more Liang Jiao thought about it, the angrier she became.
"What are you so smug about? With your current reputation, no matter whose mansion you enter, you’ll be nothing but a concubine!"
Liang Wan leisurely poured herself a cup of tea and raised her eyes to glance at her. "You’re right. It’s just a pity that, as you are now, no one would even want you as a concubine."
"You—" Liang Jiao was furious and about to explode when a young servant girl suddenly scurried in.
"Third Lady—someone from the Imperial Palace is here! The Family Head wants you in the front hall!"