Chapter 54 (1/2)

This chapter has been brought to you by me, Adnana, and Vivie.

[1]侧妃 cefei: ce means “side,” therefore cefei is literally a w.a.n.g‘s “side fei,” akin to a secondary wife. Among a w.a.n.g‘s consorts, cefei is the highest rank below the w.a.n.gfei (the princ.i.p.al wife). A w.a.n.g can have two cefei.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Pity

After Hua Xi Wan changed her clothing, she hurried with her servant girls to the guest hall. When she saw Hou s.h.i.+'s appearance, she couldn't help but feel shocked. After exchanging greetings with Hou s.h.i.+, Hua Xi Wan sat down.

In the past, Hou s.h.i.+ had always been full-cheeked and of a healthy appearance, but meeting her now, Hua Xi Wan found that the other was extremely thin and her cheeks were sunken in. Her cheekbones were extremely evident and her lips slightly pale. Only that pair of black eyes was bright, and caused Hua Xi Wan's heart to shudder.

”Saozi, are you all right? How come you are so thin?” Hua Xi Wan sighed. ”You are still so young—you have to take care of your body. If your health deteriorates, it is not good.”

Hou s.h.i.+ laughed softly. ”I'm not afraid, and I feel that my health has been very good recently. A figure like w.a.n.g fei is one that the women of Jing admire.” In reality, Hua Xi Wan was not a slender person, but her figure looked beautiful and many young females in Jing copied her.

However, Xian w.a.n.g Fu was n.o.ble, and Hua s.h.i.+ was from a prestigious family. The things in her dowry were not those that normal people could rival. The hair adornments, the jewelry, grand clothing and gourmet food—many women wanted to copy Hua Xi Wan's style, but they only copied the insignificant details and were a joke.

Hou s.h.i.+ felt scorn towards the females of some prestigious families. When the rumor had been that Hua Xi Wan was a woman without beauty, those people had one face. Now that Hua Xi Wan was a w.a.n.g fei and deeply favored by Xian w.a.n.g, and had Yi'an Marquis Fu at her back, Hua Xi Wan became the object of admiration. These were really people who blew with the wind. There were also some women who acted as though they were virtuous, criticizing Hua Xi Wan for being wasteful, unable to manage a household and ruining the good reputations of women.

Those people acted as though they felt pity and pain, but they forgot that this was a matter of someone else. It was just a group of women who only had respectful relations.h.i.+ps with their husbands and could not bear to see other people living better than they did.

What was the use in being virtuous? So what if one was good at managing a household and being frugal? When a man did not like you, being virtuous was called being old-fas.h.i.+oned, being frugal was called being ungenerous. If they liked you, wearing gold was called being n.o.ble, being spoiled was called an act of flirtation. In reality, there were not many things that one should not do—what mattered was only whether one liked the other or not.

In the past, Hou s.h.i.+ could not see this, and did not dare to think about these things. Now that her body was damaged due to her miscarriage and she would never be able to have a child, as her husband took a cefei[1], what she received was only a ”you will be the most n.o.ble mistress in the w.a.n.g fu.”

Her husband was in bed with other women, and in the future, his children would not be hers. She was like a rare object placed on a shelf. She looked valuable, but in reality, she was useless. What was the use in being the most n.o.ble mistress?

A few decades ago, there had been a w.a.n.g ye of the Yan Clan whose body was injured and unable to make a woman pregnant. Consequently, he only ever had the w.a.n.g fei as the only woman until he died. Countless people had admired this w.a.n.g fei and praised this w.a.n.g ye for being deeply in love and righteous in his conduct.

Now that she was unable to become pregnant, even as Junw.a.n.g Ye  took a cefei, many people sympathized with him for being unable to have a legitimate di son. It was as though he was undergoing a great slight.

Then what was she worth? She who had schemed for Junw.a.n.g Ye, and finally lost the ability to have children because of Junw.a.n.g Ye's enemies—what was she worth?

How unfair were the Heavens towards women?! The world was so laughable. Her love for Junw.a.n.g Ye became the best joke.

Hua Xi Wan saw that Hou s.h.i.+'s mood was not quite right and pushed a plate of refreshments. ”Saozi, taste this lotus leaf cake. The Food Room made this recently; I think it is acceptable.”

Hou s.h.i.+ picked up a small piece and nibbled. She said with a smile, ”The fu's chefs have very good skills: sweet but not nauseating, the lotus fragrance is faint. It is not just acceptable, I think it is delicious.”

”Bai Xia, remember to reward this chef well. It is his good fortune to be praised by Saozi,” Hua Xi Wan said with a smile. ”Saozi, it is rare for you to come to this poor home. How about we walk around the yard?”

”That is good.” Hou s.h.i.+ clapped and said with a smile, ”I see that the scenery inside the w.a.n.g fu is elegant and was just thinking of a reason to take a tour. Now that w.a.n.g Fei has invited me, it is a great matter.”

The two walked out of the guest hall hand in hand and then walked towards the garden. The further she walked, the more Hou s.h.i.+ felt that the Xian Couple were really people who enjoyed life. There was a new thing to see with every step in the garden, all kinds of flowers blooming, red and purple. No wonder Hua s.h.i.+ was so confident in inviting her to the garden.

In the end, the two sat down in the pavilion at the center of the lake. The pavilion was surrounded on all sides by water. All the lotus flowers had bloomed and fallen, but the lake had been cleaned up well. There was no rotting matter to be seen. Some water flowers floated on the surface and it was extremely poetic to see.

”An immortal's home would just be so,” Hou s.h.i.+ exclaimed emotionally. ”Compared to w.a.n.g Fei, my life has been nothing.”

The true matter had come now.

Hua Xi Wan scattered some fish feed in the water. Looking at the goldfish competing for food in the water, she said with a smile, ”Saozi, where do these words come from?”

”I just feel slightly emotional.” Hou s.h.i.+ put down the teacup and looked at the goldfish swimming freely in the water. There was a sad and bitter expression on her face. ”I am unable to have a child, and unable to live idly like you, so what is the meaning in life?”