Chapter 5 — The Proxy Sister

Cui Te Minh stood stunned for a moment, his expression slowly clouding with a sorrowful, melancholic air.

“That day, when Younger Sister Au Yen played those notes incorrectly, I happened to still have connections with the masters who personally tutored my eldest sister. I thought their guidance might be of help to you.”

“However, whether in the freezing depths of winter or the sweltering heat of summer, true skill is forged through tireless perseverance. I did not expect… well, it is no matter. If you do not care for it, Sister Au Yen, I shall have them return to their homes.”

Giang Au Yen looked flustered. She hurriedly opened her mouth to explain, but her voice was so raspy it was barely audible. She managed only a few words before Cui Te Minh cut her off with a sharp frown. I lowered my gaze toward Mother Trieu, who was standing below.

“Come to think of it, my eldest sister was truly meticulous. She was worried that Younger Sister Giang’s health was delicate, which is why she instructed Mother Trieu to brew medicine daily and bring it to Orchid Fragrance Courtyard.”

“Now that Auntie Giang is present, Mother Trieu will no longer have to toil with those extra trips.”

My eyes locked with Mother Trieu’s. Her frame slumped further and further, her shoulders trembling violently. She hurried to lift a bowl of medicine, offering it up before Cui Te Minh with haste. Seeing the deepening suspicion in his eyes, I continued slowly.

“Surely, my sister only meant well because she worried for Younger Sister Giang, fearful that she would not be diligent in taking her medicine, hence why she had Mother Trieu prepare it in advance.”

I feigned confusion. “Tell me, Younger Sister Giang, is there something wrong with your constitution? Should we invite the manor physician to check your pulse?”

By now, Giang Au Yen’s face was bloodless, pale as a sheet. She collapsed to her knees with a heavy thud. Her voice was so strained it seemed to bleed.

“I… I drink the pregnancy-supporting tonic brewed in my own courtyard every day. Yet this bowl of medicine appeared in Mother Trieu’s hands… I cannot help but fear the implications.”

Cui Te Minh’s expression darkened significantly. The gentleness he had displayed only moments ago vanished, replaced by sudden fury. He slammed his teacup to the ground with a deafening crash.

“Investigate this at once!”

I suspect that in his heart, he already held a vague suspicion, yet without concrete proof, he was unwilling to let his delusions crumble. In the mind of Cui Te Minh, Man Cham Nguyet had always existed as a being of pure, untarnished grace. Now that the illusion had shattered, he found it impossible to accept. Mother Trieu attempted to mount a desperate defense, but I placed a hand over my chest, my voice softening. “Mother Trieu, what is the meaning of this? You must explain yourself clearly!” She shook uncontrollably, prostrating herself on the ground.

“I beg the Master for mercy! Everything was done under the orders of Mistress Cham Nguyet!”

In the end, Cui Te Minh ordered Mother Trieu to be dragged out and beaten to death. The incident was strictly hushed up; within the entire Cui estate, no one dared to speak of it again. It was the final shred of dignity Cui Te Minh could afford to grant Man Cham Nguyet.

Perhaps because of the fallout regarding Man Cham Nguyet, Cui Te Minh did not step foot in my courtyard for many days. This, in truth, was exactly what I had hoped for. Suddenly, a grand piece of news emerged from the courtyard of Giang Au Yen: she was pregnant. As the word spread, even my mother-in-law—who had spent years sequestered behind closed doors, chanting prayers and burning incense—made a personal appearance.

“My son has been lonely under the covers for so many years. All his peers have children running through their courtyards, and now, finally, there is another little one.”

“One might say that little Xuong now has a playmate.”

As she spoke these words, my mother-in-law’s eyes flickered toward me repeatedly, like daggers aimed directly at my chest. The chaos left behind by Man Cham Nguyet was, in the end, something I had to clean up. I bowed my head, feigning docility.

“Mother is right. As your daughter-in-law, I shall certainly select several young ladies of reputable backgrounds, beautiful and virtuous, to ensure the prosperity of the Cui lineage.”

As I spoke, the smile on Giang Au Yen’s face nearly faltered. Cui Te Minh, conversely, remained as calm as ever, as if the person being discussed were not him at all. Why did he no longer put on that display of being a man who loved his wife more than his own life? To my mind, if one truly loved Man Cham Nguyet so deeply that they could not move on, one should have thrown themselves into her grave to honor that bond. Why are men so greedy? Fame, profit—they want to grasp it all, without ever looking in the mirror to see if they possess the strength to hold it. Upon returning to my own quarters, I immediately began arrangements to bring the new concubines into the manor. Cui Te Minh was a hypocrite to his very core; thus, I would play the role of the virtuous, submissive wife to perfection.

Groups of beautiful, jade-like young women began to enter the Cui estate one after another. Every single one had been meticulously selected by me—all from clean families, possessing both talent and integrity. Some were masters of music and literature; others moved with the grace of flowing water, their beauty as clear as snow; still others were innocent and endearing, their faces like flowers unfurling in the clouds.

“My husband, most of these young sisters have suffered great tragedies in their own homes and are unable to support themselves, or were forced by their fathers and brothers to marry cruel and brutal officials.”

“If you have no intention of taking them in, Husband, please at least grant them some silver to send them on their way, so as to accrue some merit for our house.”

Cui Te Minh pondered for a moment, appearing deep in thought.

“If they are truly so destitute, then… let them all be brought into the rear courtyard.”

When I first married into the family, my mother-in-law remained wary, fearful that I was merely as deceptive and pretentious as Man Cham Nguyet had been years ago. However, one by one, the concubines and maids within the estate became pregnant and gave birth safely, gifting the Cui house a flurry of new children. I fulfilled my duties as the mistress of the house, and every affair was managed with precision. I even succeeded in restoring the reputation that Man Cham Nguyet had tainted, successfully marrying off my remaining two sisters-in-law into respectable families. Only then did my mother-in-law set her heart at ease, entrusting me with the full authority to manage the household.