Asking Help
When Wei Jue fell seriously ill, there was a moment of uncertainty among the courtiers. However, Wei Tan's command in Yongdu and his victory over Wu Kun undoubtedly served as a reassurance.
The news of the battle in Luoyang quickly spread throughout the prefecture. After Wu Kun's defeat, he retreated all the way back to Huainan. Unexpectedly, Liang Ren mobilized the navy and launched a sudden attack from Xin'an towards Jiangdong. Fortunately, Pei Qian simultaneously sent word to Huainan while leading the forces of Jiangdong to defend, securing Yangzhou.
In the blink of an eye, Wu Kun was left with only Yangzhou.
Finally, there was news from Pei Qian, and I breathed a sigh of relief, though not entirely. In less than a year, Jiangdong had become critically weakened. I wondered about Pei Qian, and how he fared in those circumstances.
For Ah Mi's Full Moon banquet, Wei Tan invited many guests. It wasn't just the Wei family members, but also the families of prominent court officials. On the day of the banquet, there were over a hundred tables set up in the courtyard, both inside and out.
In the morning, filled with joy, I had Ah Yuan style my hair into a falling-horse bun, adorned with pearls and jade tassels. I put on a newly tailored vermillion outer garment and a long skirt, covered with a plain white zen robe. As I gazed into the mirror, the ensemble gleamed brightly. However, upon greeting the relatives, I noticed Guo Furen was wearing nothing more than a subdued, dark-colored embroidered robe of longevity, with a hairpin made of jade. I began to feel I had overdressed and considered returning to the courtyard to change.堕马髻 - falling-horse bun ; looks like this
But Wei Tan insisted I stay as I was.
"Why change? It's perfect just like this," he said.
I hesitated to mention Guo Furen and replied, "Qie fears the adornments might be too cumbersome.'"
"When you married me, you wore even more adornments. Did you find them too heavy?" Wei Tan remarked, dismissing my concerns. "Da Sima Furen, still in her prime, what sense is there in dressing like an old matron?" With that, he took my hand and led me to pay respects to the gods without further ado.
Wei An had a pushcart made for Wei Jue, and on this day, he also came to the hall. Guo Furen accompanied him, and when guests arrived, she led them into the hall to pay their respects.
Although his speech and limbs were not as agile, Wei Jue was in high spirits today. When he saw the guests, he couldn't speak, but he didn't get upset either. He greeted them with a cheerful smile. Besides Ah Mi, Wei Jue's two younger sons and Wei Zhi were also brought out, gathered around him. They sat together, presenting an affectionate and harmonious scene of a loving family.
With the elder members of the family unable to attend the guest, Wei Tan and I found ourselves in charge of the household for the first time.
Wei Tan was dressed splendidly today, adorned in a brocade robe with a jade belt. Holding Ah Mi, I stood beside him in the hall, welcoming the guests together.
The weather was still cool, and Ah Mi was bundled up in three or four layers of clothes, her bright eyes wide open and her tender lips slightly parted. The women who came to pay their respects couldn't help but praise her. Yuying's husband, Xu Shou, had achieved great success in the battle against Wu Kun, and today she brought their two children, radiating confidence and vigor.
The feast was grand, and niece-in-laws like Zhou Shi and Mao Shi were also tirelessly helping us attend to the guests, both inside and outside. Despite their efforts, I was still so busy that I couldn't find a moment to myself. One moment, someone would come to report that something was missing from a certain area, another moment someone would ask where a particular guest should be seated, and then the steward would come to inquire where gifts from a certain person should be placed... Wei Tan was occupied with greeting the guests, and as I glanced towards the hall, Guo Furen was engrossed in conversation with Wei Jue and the visitors, seemingly not inclined to manage anything. Wei Zhao and Liang Hui were each engaged in their own conversations, entirely detached from the affairs outside.
I rallied my spirits and sorted out one matter after another. Just as I finally caught my breath, Ah Mi started to cry.
"Shao Furen, it's time to breastfeed," the wet nurse said from the side.
I nodded, gave instructions to the servants, and then carried Ah Mi as I left.
Upon returning to the room, I discovered that Ah Mi had soiled her diaper. It seemed she was indeed hungry. As I fed her, she suckled eagerly, continuously murmuring "gu gu." When one side wasn't enough, I switched to the other.
Just as I was occupied, the sound of the door being pushed open reached my ears. I assumed it was the wet nurse entering and asked, "Is the warm water prepared?"
"En," came the voice, but it wasn't the wet nurse's - it was Wei Tan's voice.
I turned around in surprise, only to see him approaching with a bowl of water. I had never fed Ah Mi in front of him before, so I felt quite uneasy. I quickly pulled up one side of my clothing.
"Fujun, please wait outside for a moment," I said, turning around.
"En?" Wei Tan had already come up to me, set down the basin of water, and glanced at me. Then he suddenly smiled. "It's not like I haven't seen it before." With that, he paid no mind to my stern look, and turned to inspect the soiled diaper still on the floor. "She's soiled it?"
"En," Ah Mi had finally finished feeding. I quickly adjusted my clothing.
Wei Tan sat beside me, smiling as he looked at Ah Mi. He gently tapped her little face and whispered, "Smelly Ah Guai."
Ah Mi's expression remained as blank as ever. She gazed at him and let out a small burp.
I smiled and asked, "Why did Fujun come back? Have all the guests arrived?"
"It's almost done. Zixian is here," Wei Tan replied, wringing out the cloth in the basin before coming over to clean Ah Mi's bottom.
Ah Mi wrinkled her face, seeming a bit uncomfortable with her legs being lifted. She let out a couple of soft "en" "ha" sounds, but didn't cry.
"Is she always like this? Does she usually soil the cloth?" Wei Tan asked.
I found his question amusing. "She's just a month old. Is Fujun suggesting we expect her to use the chamber pot herself?"
Wei Tan seemed to ponder for a moment. "That's quite sensible. Let's have Si Di make a small chamber pot, attached to the cot. I'll teach her how to crawl over to use it…"
I couldn't help but laugh at his imaginative suggestion, "Fujun, wash the cloth again."
Wei Tan snapped back to reality, dipped the cloth into the basin, and then used it to clean Ah Mi once more.
I rewrapped Ah Mi's bottom with a fresh diaper and dressed her again. Just as I finished tying the strings, I suddenly noticed that Wei Tan was unusually quiet. When I turned to look, I found his gaze fixed on me. Lowering my eyes, I couldn't help but blush. In the rush, the clothing hadn't been fastened securely, and the contours were faintly discernible.
I quickly adjusted my clothing to conceal it.
Wei Tan smiled and averted his gaze.
"I'll step out first," he said, rising and walking away.
Ah Mi was already sound asleep. I handed her over to the wet nurse and returned to the main hall.
The guests had already taken their seats, and the sound of conversation filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Shao Furen is already here? And where's Ah Mi?" Wei Jue was no longer at the table. Guo Furen held Wei Zhi and fed him porridge while asking me about it.
I replied, "Ah Mi is sleeping soundly in the room. She was hungry just now, so Er Fu took and fed her."
Guo Furen nodded.
"Shao Furen has given birth to a daughter. Now Chengxiang's grandchildren are complete," a noblewoman beside her remarked with a smile.
Guo Furen also smiled and said, "Indeed."
I excused myself and returned to my own seat.
Wei Tan, being the host, had to greet guests all around. He didn't sit for long before he went to converse with others at different tables. Meanwhile, I was surrounded by noblewomen like Yuying, discussing matters related to child-rearing. I used to find it dull, but now I am surprisingly enthusiastic about it.
"Ah Jin, I heard that Da Gongzi still doesn't have a concubine," Yuying asked me privately during a break.
I was surprised and looked at her.
Yuying seemed to realize that she might have spoken too much. She smiled apologetically and said, "Ah Jin, please don't be offended. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of talk about you having a daughter, so it's been a topic of conversation."
"Oh?" I smiled as well. "What are they saying?"
"What else could they discuss?" Yuying said. "Da Gongzi is now Da Sima, and he also handles Chengxiang's affairs. Many are thinking, with a figure like Da Sima, one daughter might not be enough," she added, her lips curling slightly, her gaze subtly sweeping the surroundings.
I looked at her for a moment, then turned my gaze elsewhere. In the hall, conversations flowed smoothly, men and women alike. Whether in hushed tones or lively chatter, as my gaze swept over them, there were always glances directed my way.
"Furen," at this moment, the steward approached, giving me a bow. "Gao Furen from Taichang residence is about to leave."
I acknowledged and asked the noblewomen to stay seated. I stood up and went to see Gao Furen off.
After the pleasantries, I looked around at the lively scene and suddenly felt the urge to check on Ah Mi. Without hesitation, I bypassed the banquet and walked towards the covered corridor.
But I had only taken a few steps when a voice came from behind me, "Shao Furen."
I stopped and turned around to find a middle-aged man bowing respectfully.
"Gongtai," I returned the greeting with a smile, "One was wondering if Gongtai..." Before I could finish my sentence, the man had raised his head.
I froze.
His brows and eyes bore a resemblance to Pei Qian, but it wasn't him. This man's features were slightly older than Pei Qian's.
I recognized this person. He was Pei Qian's third older brother, Pei Kuan.
"Shu Rong Xiong," I was taken aback and slightly unsure of how to address him. I opened my mouth, but found that I couldn't call him "San Xiong" like I used to with Pei Qian. I had to use his given name.
Pei Kuan looked at me, a somewhat resigned smile on his face.
"Why is Shu Rong Xiong?" I glanced behind him and saw no one else. I hurriedly asked, "When did you arrive in Yong…"
"Pei Xiaoshi." Suddenly, Wei Tan's voice rang out behind me.
I was surprised once again and turned around.
Wei Tan was walking towards us from the side corridor of the hall, a smile on his face. He glanced at me and then turned his gaze to Pei Kuan. "Why isn't Pei Xiaoshi having his meal?"
Xiaoshi? I was even more surprised. Pei Qian's father held the title of 'Grand Historian', and I had always thought that Pei Qian's brothers had returned to Yangzhou with the Pei family. I didn't expect this San Xiong to have remained in Yongdu.
Upon seeing Wei Tan, Pei Kuan's expression became uncertain. After a short moment, he raised his head and straightened up, giving a formal bow. "Mou has taken liberty, and come to this residence door, to implore Da Sima to extend his hand and save the lives of the entire Pei clan!"