Chapter 40
Shameless
Imperial Physician Hu was the Imperial Physician of the Imperial Hospital. His rank was fifth-grade and his medical skills were brilliant. Usually when he was in the palace, he only had to interact closely with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Yu Zongzheng knew Imperial Physician Hu personally, so he would most likely be able to invite him to the residence.
Yu Jianjia’s eyes lit up. “Thank you for worrying about me, Father. However, Grandmother is old, and Imperial Physician Hu’s medical skills are brilliant. It’s rare for him to visit us, so we should have him check on her first.”
Her heart condition was known only to her grandmother, her mother, her father, and the physician who usually took her pulse. Others were only told that she was born prematurely and hence had a weaker constitution.
There was another condition that most good families had for marriage—to be without any terrible illnesses.
Since she had that incident with Yu Youyao and fell sick, she had been sick several times in a row. She had also caused quite a commotion and a lot of concern in the residence. If she created another commotion by inviting Imperial Physician Hu for a house call, it would only cause everyone to start thinking that she had some terrible illness. Who knew what they would say about her? It might cause great damage to her reputation.
On the other hand, it sounded reasonable if her father invited Imperial Physician Hu to give her grandmother a health check. Then, after which, he could conveniently take her pulse while he was at their residence. This way, she could even be praised for being filial and considerate by her father.
Of course, it was only right for the Imperial Physician to take a look at his elderly mother first. At this realization, Yu Zongzheng felt ashamed, and felt an even greater appreciation for his kind and filial daughter. The way he looked at Yu Jianjia also became gentler.
“You’re still young, yet you’re already so perceptive, well-behaved, and mature.” He turned to look at Yang Shuwan with an appreciative gaze. “I’m usually busy with work, so these children rely on your upbringing. This is your credit.”
After saying that, he thought of his eldest daughter, Yu Youyao. If that child were brought up by Madam Yang, she probably wouldn’t have been so pampered by her grandmother, becoming spoiled and insensible.
After receiving her father’s praise, Yu Jianjia looked bashful and lowered her head.
Yang Shuwan looked at Yu Zongzheng with love as tears fell from her eyes. She hurriedly turned her head and wiped them off with a handkerchief. “It’s my duty to take good care of you and our children. Hearing what you just said, all the hard work is worth it.”
Yu Zongzheng put his arm around Yang Shuwan’s shoulders and pulled her into his arms. “Wan’er, I know you treat me well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have…” Seeing that his daughter was present, he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. “I won’t let you suffer.”
He had first met Yang Shuwan when he visited the Imperial Censor’s Residence during the year that Madam Xie was pregnant.
It was summer, and Yang Shuwan was wearing a thin pink dress, having fun reciting poetry with her sisters.
She exuded the air of an intellect. When she recited poetry, her voice was soft and gentle, and her talent could not be hidden. He couldn’t help taking a few more glances when he suddenly thought of his wife at home—Madam Xie.
Madam Xie was sociable and beautiful, and very few women in the capital could compare to her. All of his peers and colleagues said that he was a lucky man, but he did not like her interest in financial matters. She did not have the gentleness and tenderness that a woman should have, nor did she have the virtue and talent that came with the upbringing of a scholarly family. Hence, they had a bland marital relationship.
On the other hand, he felt that a gentle and cultured woman like Yang Shuwan would be the best choice as his wife.
With this notion in his subconscious, he somehow found himself getting to know her more closely.
The Xie family had not produced a single child in the past three years. The rules of scholarly families were strict. Since the children of the legitimate wife were not born yet, it wasn’t proper for a concubine to give birth first. Therefore, he did not have any concubines. Although there were a few maidservants whom he could take as concubines, he wasn’t particularly interested. However, during one night after he had done some drinking at the Yang Residence, he was a little tipsy when he dragged the maidservant who had come to serve him onto the bed and fooled around with her for the entire night.
He thought to himself that it was no big deal to sleep with a maidservant, and he would just make her his concubine the next day. This kind of practice was common in rich families.
However, when he woke up the next day, he realized that he had made a mistake.
Yang Shuwan cried her heart out. “It’s all my fault. When I heard that you were drunk, I was worried that the maidservant wouldn’t serve you well enough, so I wanted to come over personally to check on you. I didn’t expect…”
Yu Zongzheng was filled with shame and fear.
He had come to the Yang Residence as a guest, but he had humiliated their daughter because he had been drunk. If news of this scandal were to spread, he, the Imperial Censor who was in charge of investigating hundreds of officials, would probably become a laughing stock. If that happens, he most likely wouldn’t even be able to keep his position.
Yang Shuwan’s face was covered in tears, and she looked miserable. “You were drunk and didn’t know what was going on. It was I who admired your talent and shamelessly climbed into your bed, tarnishing your reputation. I’m just a lowly concubine’s daughter, but I’m lucky to have been able to know you. I don’t expect you to take pity on me, nor do I dare to implicate you. I only hope that you will remember me in the future.”
She had placed all the blame on herself, and her every line was filled with deep emotion for him. While Yu Zongzheng felt ashamed, he could not help heaving a sigh of relief.
With Yang Shuwan’s words, it meant that he wasn’t the one at fault. Even if this matter was exposed, he still had room to maneuver the situation.
The next day, news came from the Yang Residence that Yang Shuwan had fallen into the water and almost drowned.
Only then did Yu Zongzheng realize that Yang Shuwan had said those words to him yesterday because she’d already had the intention to die.
In order not to put him in a difficult position, and to keep his reputation clear, she chose to take her own life instead.
Yu Zongzheng felt very moved. How could he just stand by and watch Yang Shuwan die? Hence, he immediately promised to take Yang Shuwan as his concubine, and the two of them started their affair.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. “Master, I didn’t think that you still remembered what happened back then.”
Back then, her first mother—the official wife of her father—had planned to marry her to a rich businessman in Suzhou. However, people often said that it was better to be a concubine of an official than the wife of a businessman. Naturally, she didn’t want to marry the businessman, so she started thinking of a way out for herself.
She usually stayed in her room and did not get to interact much with other men, but among those she had interacted with, Yu Zongzheng was the best.
The Yu Residence had been a scholarly family for generations, and had much stricter rules than ordinary families. A man could only divorce his wife and marry someone else if he still had no children at 40 years old. If he had a child, he could have a maximum of two concubines.
Although Yu Zongzheng had maid servants whom he slept with in the backyard, because his first wife had yet to give birth, it wasn’t good for him to have children with a concubine first. Hence, he had yet to take in a concubine.
From Yu Zongzheng’s words and behavior, it had been obvious that he did not have a good relationship with his wife, Madam Xie.
This gave Yang Shuwan an idea.
She had thought that once she entered the Yu Residence in the future, she would be a noble concubine. No one in the backyard would compete with her for favor, and with Yu Zongzheng doting on her, Madam Xie would not dare to do anything to her.
Who would have thought that Madam Xie would pass so quickly, allowing her to marry into the family as an official wife.
In the present, the two of them quickly controlled themselves when they remembered that their daughter was in the room as well. Recalling Yang Shuwan and Yu Jianjia’s troubled expressions just now, Yu Zongzheng couldn’t help but ask, “What were you two talking about just now? Tell me.”
Yang Shuwan looked troubled and glanced at Yu Jianjia, who also looked hesitant. Her lips moved as if she didn’t know if she should speak.
Yu Zongzheng frowned at the expressions of both mother and daughter. “Is there anything in the residence that I can’t know about? If you have anything to say, just say it.”
Yang Shuwan hurriedly explained, “It’s nothing much—just some trivial matters of the household. I don’t wish to trouble you over it.”
With that said, Yu Zongzheng guessed that it probably had something to do with his eldest daughter, Yu Youyao. He frowned and turned to look at Yu Jianjia. “Since your mother isn’t talking, you should tell me yourself.”