Daughter-in-law of a Noble House

Commit theft 

Beating Ren Ji to death with a stick? When I heard these words, I was shocked, and looking at Wei Tan, he too seemed surprised.

"What happened?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Xiaoren doesn't know." The servant said, "One only saw Zhumu in a fit of rage, and Guanshi, sensing trouble, sent Xiaoren to find Da Gongzi."

Wei Tan nodded, glanced at me, and sighed, "Today, it seems we won't be able to enjoy the autumn leaves."

I shook my head and said, "Family matters take precedence."

Wei Tan instructed a servant to prepare a carriage, and he helped me down the mountain. On the way back, I couldn't stop wondering. Ren Ji's entry into the household had been entirely orchestrated by Guo Furen. I always sensed her satisfaction in Ren Ji's obedient attitude. Now that this happened, I couldn't fathom why.

As I entered the main hall of the residence, I noticed there weren't too many people present. At the head of the hall, Guo Furen's face was ashen, with Zhang Shi standing beside her. Liang Hui stood nearby, offering soft words of consolation.

On the ground, Ren Ji knelt in prostration, her hair disheveled, softly sobbing.

Wei Tan and I exchanged a glance, then he stepped forward and bowed to Guo Furen, saying, "Greetings, Muqin."

Guo Furen tilted her head, seemingly not acknowledging him but heard his words.

Seeing that the atmosphere was amiss, I wanted to step forward and speak, but Wei Tan held me back.

"One wonders why Ren Ji is being reprimanded?" Wei Tan inquired.

"Why is she being reprimanded?" Guo Furen sneered, "Your own concubine, lacking all sense of virtue and decency, has committed theft! As the wife of the first son, having lost all sense of propriety within her own family, how can the dignity of the Wei household be preserved?!" After saying this, she fixed her gaze on Wei Tan, "She is your person. Since you're here, speak up, how do you propose to handle this?"

I looked at Guo Furen, listening to her stern tone, but I didn't quite understand.

"Commit theft?" Wei Tan glanced at Ren Ji, then turned to Guo Furen and asked, "Muqin says Ren Ji lacks integrity. Is there any evidence to support this?"

Guo Furen cast a glance at Zhang Shi. Understanding her cue, Zhang Shi presented an item before Wei Tan. "Da Gongzi, please take a look. The servants found these items in the chambers of this Bi Zi. They are Chengxiang's brocade robe and his jade hairpin. These belongings had been missing for several days, and if not for a thorough search of the residence, One might never have known their whereabouts."

I looked at those items and suddenly had a realization.

The brocade robe and jade hairpin, although valuable, were used by Wei Jue when he was at home. Before Ren Ji entered the residence, she was indeed a dancer, but her background was that of a prominent aristocratic family. The idea of her stealing valuables seemed implausible. Yet, if it wasn't theft, and these items were found in Ren Ji's possession, there was only one possible explanation…

I glanced at Ren Ji, my thoughts spinning like a swiftly turning wheel, each thread becoming clearer and clearer.

The servants set out from the residence, leaving the city, and tracked Wei Tan's whereabouts. They ran up the mountain, finding both Wei Tan and me, then led us back to the residence. Guo Furen has always been strict in managing the household. With the accusation of theft and considering the amount of time that has passed, if Guo Furen truly intended ill, she could have beaten Ren Ji, who is just a little concubine, to death more than a dozen times.

The fact that she hasn't taken any action yet suggests she might be waiting for our return.

Seeing it this way, this matter is not as straightforward as it seems.

Furthermore, today, Wei Jue has gone to the camp and won't return until evening.

Killing two birds with one stone?

I sneered to myself. Guo Furen handles things with both precision and cunning. I just wonder if she would dare to do this in front of Wei Jue.

Thinking this, I looked at Wei Tan. His face remained calm and composed.

"Furen, please discern the truth..." I heard Ren Ji's voice, trembling with suppressed sobs. "This matter is not Qie…"

"Silence!" Zhang Shi reprimanded sharply. "You have no place to speak!"

"Da Gongzi," Guo Furen looked at Wei Tan, "she is your concubine. How do you wish to handle this?"

Wei Tan responded calmly, "Muqin, Er believes this matter has not been thoroughly investigated. It is not enough to pass judgment."

"How is it not enough?" Zhang Shi said, "Da Gongzi, we have both the stolen goods and the culprit."

"Can we rely solely on physical evidence?" Wei Tan didn't even look at her, his gaze fixed on Guo Furen. "Muqin, since the incident with the collapsed beam, Er has already driven out Ren Ji from One's courtyard. Her entry into the Buddhist temple was also at the behest of both Fuqin and Muqin. Since she is not my concubine, her status is no different from that of any other servant. It should be up to Muqin to decide. If Muqin seeks Er's opinion, Er believes, considering that these belongings were originally lost by Fuqin, it would be best to wait for Fuqin's return to clarify the matter before making any decisions."

Guo Furen furrowed her brow, about to speak, when suddenly, a servant rushed in to report, "Chengxiang has returned."

In an instant, I caught a glimpse of both Guo Furen and Zhang Shi's faces showing a subtle change.

On the other hand, Liang Hui, who was sitting beside Guo Furen, displayed a clear look of surprise on her face.

"What's going on?" I turned around, and Wei Jue had already strode through the front courtyard, ascended the steps, and entered the hall.

Everyone bowed in respect, and Guo Furen quickly rose to her feet, supported by Liang Hui as she approached, "Zhugong."

"What is all this?" Wei Jue glanced at Ren Ji on the ground.

Guo Furen explained, "Zhugong, Ren Ji has been accused of theft. The household servants found the items Zhugong had lost in her chamber." After saying this, she signaled for Zhang Shi to present the brocade robe and jade hairpin.

Wei Jue gave them a brief glance, but showed little interest.

"So, it's about this." Wei Jue walked over to Ren Ji and sighed. "Get up."

Ren Ji glanced at him, then flinched slightly, as if hesitant or afraid.

Wei Jue extended his hand and helped her up. Ren Ji kept her head down, tears streaming down her pale face like dew-kissed petals. Despite her disheveled appearance, she evoked a sense of pity.

"Furen has misunderstood," Wei Jue said to Guo Furen. "The items in Ren Ji's chamber, It is I who left them there."

There was not a trace of surprise in Guo Furen's gaze. She arched an eyebrow slightly and said, "Oh?"

Wei Jue smiled, "Ren Ji entered the temple and has been accompanying me in studying scriptures recently. She shows great devotion. I had intended to inform Furen and arrange for her to move into the side chamber. However, with the many affairs at hand, it slipped my mind. Now that Furen is aware, we can prepare the quarters and make the arrangements."

Guo Furen looked at him, then turned her gaze towards Ren Ji. After a moment, a smile appeared on her face.

"So it is like that," she sighed, a mixture of relief and reproach in her tone. "Zhugong should have mentioned it earlier. Without knowing the reasons, Qie nearly wronged Ren Ji and misjudged Da Gongzi." After speaking, she turned to look at Wei Tan with an expression of warmth.

Wei Tan's gaze remained calm, a slight curve forming at the corner of his lips.

Wei Jue also smiled, looking at Ren Ji, gently patting her hand. "It was I who was not careful."

Ren Ji looked at him, lips pressed together, her head lowered in shy modesty.

A crisis turned into a joyful occasion, and I was somewhat taken aback.

Not only me, but Zhou Shi and Mao Shi also heard the news and immediately came over to our house.

"Chengxiang has taken Ren Ji as a concubine?" Mao Shi doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Wasn't she originally Da Tangxiong's concubine?"

"What Da Tangxiong's concubine?" Zhou Shi shot her a meaningful look, then turned to me, saying, "Da Tangxiong doesn't want her anymore."

I smiled, "This matter was arranged by Jiugu."

"Ren Ji seems to be quite clever," Mao Shi sighed. "It's right, being left in that Buddhist temple, in the prime of her youth, how many years of bloom does she have left? It might be better to take a chance…"

"Do you sympathize with her?" Zhou Shi teased, "You always complain about those two concubines at home being annoying. But now it isn't annoying anymore?"

"You sure are talkative!" Mao Shi playfully smacked her, feeling angry and funny. After the playful moment, she turned to me and asked, "Since Chengxiang has taken a concubine, how come there was no announcement or celebration?"

"What kind of celebration could there be? It wouldn't be appropriate right after a funeral," I explained. 

The two of them nodded their heads.

There's actually another layer to this. While Wei Tan skillfully avoids explicit statements, Ren Ji was initially his concubine. Now, if it were known that she has moved on to Wei Jue, it wouldn't sound quite right. So, the residence arranged for Wei Jue's side chamber to be tidied up, providing Ren Ji with a new place, and in terms of status, she isn't even considered a concubine.

Thinking about all of this, I also felt a tinge of melancholy.

Ren Ji and I actually share some similarities. Both of us have experienced the loss of our homes and families, living in exile. However, she has had it worse. I've at least had my husband's family to shelter me, while she was reduced to a performer, treated like a commodity, passed around as a gift.

At times, I may feel sympathy for her. However, what she competes with me for is Wei Tan, so I'm sorry, but I won't give in just because of pity.

I recalled when we were descending the mountain, Wei Jue said something to one of his attendants, who responded with a quick acknowledgment before swiftly riding off.

When we went to bed that night, I asked Wei Tan, "Is Fujun the one who called Jiushi to come?"

Wei Tan smiled without denying it.

"Fujun know about this in advance?" I fixed my gaze on him.

"I didn't know," Wei Tan tucked the blanket around me. "I just had a hunch that there might be some implications. So, I thought it best to inform Fuqin. If it had nothing to do with him, he wouldn't have interfered."

I wanted to ask more, but Wei Tan said, "Go to sleep." With that, he blew out the lamp in one breath.

Wrapped in my blanket, my mind continued to churn with thoughts about the situation.

My feet were nestled between Wei Tan's legs, it was warm and comfortable.

"Fujun," I asked softly.

"Hmm?"

"You mentioned that the gifts you gave to those people were worth more than a hundred thousand coins. What were they?"

"Yazhai Furen. They said they wanted you, so Weifu agreed."

I pinched his arm. Wei Tan grinned mischievously.

"Swords, spears, and boats," he said.

"Oh?" I was surprised. "What do they need those for?"

"What else can those Jiangdong pirates do?" Wei Tan reached out and tousled my hair. "Wu Kun has been leading too comfortable of a life. Weifu thought of giving him some excitement."