Chapter 14: The Heir’s Maidservant

“Father, the later we move, the more complications arise. The sooner we move, the sooner we can put our minds at ease. Finding help won’t be difficult. Let’s first organize the things we need to move. Ask Uncle He to have the servants carry them outside the main gate, and I’ll go find some extra hands.” Yu Yuanzheng was decisive in action.

Unless absolutely necessary, she no longer wished to step through the gates of the Bo residence.

This place was the source of the original owner’s heartbreak.

“All right. Yuejiao, start counting and packing the items immediately. I’ll go find the steward to arrange the manpower,” Yu Yunzhi said, being led around by his daughter and feeling no embarrassment about it.

The master and servants of Minghe Courtyard counted the items together, quickly sorting out what needed to be moved.

They didn’t have many possessions to begin with; Zhao Yuejiao’s dowry was somewhat larger, as she came from a merchant family.

In the end, their belongings were moved not to the front gate but to the back gate, as Yu Yunzhi feared being laughed at if people saw.

Yu Yuanzheng sent Chunlei back to call all eight brothers, leaving two behind to look after the heir.

Hearing they were coming to help move, each of them rented a carriage from the street.

This sped up the process considerably.

Before nightfall, the second branch of the Yu family had moved into their new home—the newly allocated three-courtyard residence.

By the time Yu Yuanzheng returned to the Wang residence, it was already around six in the evening.

She first went to pay her respects to the princess consort and explained the situation about the return visit, before heading back to her own courtyard for a somewhat late dinner.

That day, she had accomplished a great feat, and her heart was at ease.

Looking at the heir sleeping soundly on the bed, she strangely felt a sense of closeness.

It was as if someone was always waiting at home for her return.

In her previous life, she had lived alone, only occasionally going out with colleagues on days off for shopping or skincare, indulging in a spa.

Her time had mostly been consumed by work.

Now, she could finally pause her struggle and rest beautifully, starting the days of peaceful retirement.

Spa?

The moment the word entered her mind, Yu Yuanzheng felt enlightened.

This was a good method for health preservation—she could consider having the heir try it; perhaps it would aid his recovery.

She sent the attending maidservants away, wanting to talk with the heir herself.

She found a kind of joy in speaking to someone who couldn’t respond—a relief from worrying about secrets being overheard.

Being new here without a confidante, having this one person to talk to was a great emotional outlet.

“Today, I threatened my parents with the matter of switching the marriage to the main branch, leading to a split between my parents and the Yong’an Bo residence. Do you think I did right?”

On their wedding day, Shangguan Ziqi had been disturbed by the noise all day, which gave him some awareness of the outside world. He did not fall into unconsciousness that night but heard Yu Yuanzheng’s words.

He tried to respond, using all his remaining strength to move slightly, but no one noticed, and he soon fell unconscious again.

Until today, he had regained some awareness.

He tried hard to wake up, but his body refused any movement; he couldn’t even twitch a finger.

He remembered everything Yu Yuanzheng said that night.

He knew that the wife exchanged by his second younger brother did not despise him; for this alone, he held some respect for Yu Yuanzheng.

He did not want to die in six months, nor did he want this kind-hearted woman to remain a widow for life.

From the conversations between Yuanshan and Jinshui, he had learned much information.

He also knew the heir’s consort had returned to her maternal home today and was waiting to tell him about her situation there—whether she had been mistreated.

Knowing her status, he could guess she had not had a good time at her maternal home.

He wondered if her new status had given her more confidence.

At this moment, whenever he heard Yu Yuanzheng’s voice, he immediately focused his attention.

“Someone of your status certainly wouldn’t agree to a family split.

But you don’t know how painful it is to have the ability yet be suppressed just because you’re not the legitimate son, to live a lifetime in obscurity.

Ah, in the end, it’s all the men’s fault.

If men didn’t take concubines, there wouldn’t be illegitimate sons and daughters.

My grandfather didn’t take concubines, and everything was fine.

Luckily, you’re lying there unable to move, or I’d be in such an awkward situation.

Women are people too; why must we watch our men enter other women’s rooms and not complain?

If it were women with multiple husbands, let’s see if the men could tolerate it.

If it were me, I’d kick the man out immediately and enjoy life alone—no need to suffer that nonsense.”

As she spoke, Yu Yuanzheng wasn’t sure whom she was defending.

Her father was born of a concubine, and the primary wife sought to suppress him—that was a normal reaction for a normal woman.

But since it was her father being suppressed, she felt unhappy again.

She could only blame her grandfather.

Ah, so conflicted.

Hearing Yu Yuanzheng’s words, the heir didn’t know how to respond.

If he hadn’t had his accident, he would surely have followed his father’s footsteps and taken on the responsibilities of the Wang residence, and taking concubines would have been inevitable.

The two senior maids serving in his study were always waiting for their chance to become his secondary wives.

If they bore children, they would be elevated to concubines.

Yet he had always maintained his integrity, refusing to engage with other women before marrying—out of respect for his wife.

Even the two senior maids in his residence were waiting for that opportunity, but he had no idea what was going on now.

[If I can wake up, I will never take concubines.]

After contemplating Yu Yuanzheng’s words for a while, he made that decision in his heart.

Indeed, as she said, it was all the men’s fault. Women were forced to accept it because jealousy was one of the seven grounds for divorce.

After speaking at length, Yu Yuanzheng naturally lay down beside the heir and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Days without work were truly wonderful.

Going to bed early meant waking early.

The next morning, Yu Yuanzheng went again to pay respects to the princess consort.

Before entering, she heard crying.

“Princess consort, this servant will not marry. I will wait for the heir, even if he never wakes up again, I am willing to wait.”

Before Yu Yuanzheng could step in, she heard a woman’s sorrowful and resolute words.

“Daughter-in-law pays respects to mother consort,” Yu Yuanzheng said with a smile as she stepped forward.

“Zheng’er has arrived,” the princess consort immediately smiled upon seeing Yu Yuanzheng.

“Mother consort, what’s the matter?” Yu Yuanzheng noticed two maids kneeling on the ground, both quite pretty and seemingly no younger than twenty.

“These two are the maids serving the heir in his study, named Ruyue and Rushuang. They are getting older; mother consort wants to let them marry, but they...” The princess consort sighed deeply.

“Heir’s consort, please keep us. We promise to serve you and the heir well from now on.” The two maids crawled forward on their knees, pleading.

“Hm?” What was going on? Yu Yuanzheng was a little confused.

“Pay respects to mother consort,” Yu Chaoyang arrived at that moment, gracefully walking to the princess consort to pay respects.

She immediately recognized the two maids on the floor. She knew their identities very well.

“Mother consort, are these the maids serving the heir?” She saw Yu Yuanzheng smile knowingly and felt no embarrassment.

“Yes.”

In her previous life, these two had always wanted to become the heir’s secondary wives. It was today that they knelt before her, begging for shelter. She had generously accepted them, letting them serve in the heir’s room, saving herself much trouble.

Since she was widowed, these two would not marry either—they would all guard their fate together.

But in the end, these two failed; they secretly had affairs with the residence’s footmen. When she found out, she had them beaten to death.

“Second sister, aren’t you going to take these two maids? They serve the heir closely,” Yu Chaoyang teased, eager to see what would happen next.