Her mother-in-law was a good woman, but she often left Lady Wen at a loss for words.
A simple murder case was swiftly adjudicated, and within a few days, the verdict was reached. The perpetrator, Jiang Ming, was sentenced to death by beheading, while those who had instigated him were exiled to varying degrees based on the evidence.
Originally, such a minor case would not have drawn the emperor's attention. However, since it involved the son of an official, it garnered some notice. Minister Jiang had assumed that by making a spectacle of confining Lady Li, the Duke's household would not hold him accountable.
Little did he expect that the matter would reach the emperor's ears. The mistreatment of the current empress dowager and the emperor by the late emperor was well-known among the noble families of Sheng Jing.
Since ascending the throne, the new emperor had been particularly averse to officials who mistreated their wives or neglected their legitimate heirs.
Minister Jiang, however, had the audacity to provoke the emperor's wrath.
Of course, Minister Jiang was aware of the risks, but he had not anticipated the situation escalating to the point where even the emperor in the palace would hear of it.
By the time he learned of the emperor's displeasure, the demotion decree was already on its way to his residence.
He was demoted several ranks, reduced to a mere sixth-grade official with no real authority. This was only because the emperor, out of consideration for his blood ties to the Marquis of Changnan, showed some leniency.
No one with any sense would dare to plead on Minister Jiang's behalf. Those who had once been close to the Jiang family now kept their distance, eager to avoid any association.
Ironically, Minister Jiang's legitimate wife, Lady Li, emboldened by the emperor's decree, regained her authority in the household. In the end, it was Minister Jiang who found himself confined to the residence.
By the time Wen Ye heard of this, she was busy directing a few servants to set up a swing.
Tao Zhi, exhausted from running around, accepted a cup of water from her sister Yun Zhi and asked, "Madam, are you still listening?"
Wen Ye replied without hesitation, "Let's just watch them set up the swing."
Tao Zhi: "..." So all her efforts to gather information were for nothing.
Yun Zhi, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile.
Wen Ye stood in front of the two, her face beaming with joy.
As the saying goes, "Train an army for a thousand days to use it in a single moment." She had been sending Tao Zhi with snacks from time to time, all for this very day.
Look at how enthusiastically they were working now.
The swing was set up under the corridor, designed exactly as Wen Ye had requested—a backrest without legs, cushioned with soft padding, making it comfortable to sit on.
Xu Yuxuan had never seen a swing before. The main courtyard didn't have one, as Madam Lu feared it might be unsafe.
The eastern courtyard didn't have one either, as Xu Jingrong didn't care for such things, thinking it was only something girls would enjoy. As for Xu Jinglin, his mind was always preoccupied with food.
Thus, Xu Yuxuan had been circling the half-finished swing, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and delight at the new contraption.
After a while, he toddled over to Wen Ye, pointed at the swing, then at himself, and asked with an upturned face, "Mother? Me?"
Wen Ye chuckled and shook her head, saying heartlessly, "This swing is for me to play with. It has nothing to do with you."
Xu Yuxuan panicked at this and immediately clung to Wen Ye's leg, pleading in a soft voice, "Mother~"
Wen Ye snorted, "That won't work on me."
If it were Madam Lu, she would have already fallen into Xu Yuxuan's "auntie" trap.
Xu Yuxuan was dumbfounded. This was the only trick he knew.
Unable to think of any other way, he continued to cling tightly to Wen Ye's leg, calling out repeatedly, "Mother~ Mother~ Mother..."
Even Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi felt sorry for the little boy, but Wen Ye remained unmoved. Once the swing was finished, she had someone carry Xu Yuxuan away and took her seat on the swing, gently swaying back and forth.
Despite Xu Yuxuan's repeated cries of "Mother," not a shred of maternal affection was stirred in Wen Ye.
The winter air was chilly, but come spring or early summer, she imagined setting up a small table nearby with some snacks and tea, swaying on the swing while reading a novel, with a gentle breeze blowing by.
The thought alone filled her with contentment.
Wen Ye was lost in her daydream, while Xu Yuxuan, who had been denied the swing, had tears welling up in his eyes. His lips quivered, but he stubbornly refused to cry out loud.
Nanny Ji stood nearby, her heart in her throat, unable to comprehend why the second madam couldn't just let the young master have the swing. It was just a swing, after all.
And the western courtyard was spacious enough; they could easily make a second one.
Wen Ye leisurely enjoyed the swing to her heart's content before finally stepping off and calling out to the teary-eyed child, "Come here."
Nanny Ji, who had been silently sympathizing with Xu Yuxuan, was surprised when the young master, after being so upset, immediately perked up at Wen Ye's simple command.
Xu Yuxuan's lips stopped quivering, and his expression softened. He toddled over to Wen Ye as if nothing had happened, still sweetly calling her, "Mother~"
Nanny Ji was left speechless, completely baffled.
Wen Ye sat on the swing and gently pinched Xu Yuxuan's chubby cheek, asking, "Do you want to sit on it?"
Xu Yuxuan's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, "Xuan'er wants to sit!"
Wen Ye sighed dramatically, "But this swing was made with my effort and money. I want to keep sitting on it. Why should I let you have it?"
Xu Yuxuan tilted his head, thinking for a moment before replying, "Because you're my mother?"
Wen Ye retorted matter-of-factly, "And you're my son. Why don't you let me have it?"
Xu Yuxuan's mouth fell open, unsure how to respond.
Wen Ye continued, "But if you really want to sit, it's not impossible."
Xu Yuxuan immediately leaned closer, his expression eager, as if to say, "Tell me, I'm listening."
Wen Ye bent down slightly to meet his gaze and said, "This swing cost me money to make. You can't just expect to sit on it without giving something in return."
"Money?"
Xu Yuxuan didn't fully understand the concept of money, but he knew it was something valuable.
Suddenly, he turned and ran to Nanny Ji, tugging at her and urging her to take him away, shouting, "Go! Go!"
Nanny Ji, confused by the sudden turn of events, glanced at Wen Ye, who gave no indication of stopping them, so she curtsied and carried Xu Yuxuan back to the main courtyard.
The New Year was approaching, and with it came a flurry of pre-holiday tasks. Madam Lu was often away from the residence, visiting the estates in the outskirts of the capital to review the accounts. It was an annual task, but given the size of the Duke's household, it would take at least seven or eight days to complete.
Xu Yuxuan lived in the left wing of the main courtyard. By the time Nanny Ji brought him back, Madam Lu had already been gone for over an hour, taking with her Nanny Xian and her maids, Qingmei and Baimei.
Even if Nanny Ji wanted to report the incident, there was no one to report to.
Once back in his room, Xu Yuxuan insisted on being put down and immediately ran to his bed.
He kicked off his little boots and climbed onto the bed, rummaging around until he pulled out a small brocade box.
When Nanny Ji saw it, she couldn't help but exclaim, "When did the young master hide this box in the bed?"
She had no idea it was there.
The box contained the New Year's money and occasional allowances that Madam Lu and Duke Xu had given Xu Yuxuan over the years.
Although Xu Yuxuan had no use for money at his age, Madam Lu insisted on giving it to him, feeling that it was somehow necessary.
Nanny Ji had once shared this sentiment, but now she had a sinking feeling...
Perhaps it was Nanny Ji's reaction that gave Xu Yuxuan a sense of secret triumph, as he now looked quite pleased with himself.
Holding the brocade box, he waited for Nanny Ji to put his shoes back on before declaring, "Let's go find Mother!"
Nanny Ji's expression grew complicated, but she said nothing and simply followed Xu Yuxuan's instructions, carrying him back to the western courtyard.
Back in the western courtyard, after Nanny Ji and Xu Yuxuan had left, Tao Zhi couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Madam, are you trying to trick the young master out of his money?"
Wen Ye glanced at her and replied, "What do you mean, 'trick'? A son willingly offering money to his mother can't be called a trick."
Tao Zhi: "...Madam, I can't argue with you."
Wen Ye picked up a piece of pastry, nibbled on it, and sighed, "Being so powerful that you have no rivals is a lonely existence."
Tao Zhi stared at her in shock.
Yun Zhi, standing quietly nearby, said nothing, but inwardly she thought, "Tao Zhi, why did you have to provoke Madam?"
Wen Ye finished a small plate of pastries and finally saw Nanny Ji returning with Xu Yuxuan.
Xu Yuxuan, seeing Wen Ye still sitting on the swing, immediately brightened. Clutching his brocade box, he toddled straight toward her, not even waiting for Nanny Ji to help him.
Fortunately, the ground had been cleared and was smooth and dry, otherwise, she might have stumbled a couple of times.
"Mother, here!" Xu Yuxuan walked up to Wen Ye and presented a small brocade box with both hands, saying, "Money!"
Wen Ye took the box but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she said, "So there really is something inside."
She glanced at Nanny Ji, who had approached.
Nanny Ji understood her meaning and quickly explained, "This was something the young master hid under his bed. I had no idea it was there."
Wen Ye was somewhat surprised. She then tapped Xu Yuxuan's little head and said, "I didn't expect you to already know how to stash away money at such a young age. Quite impressive, young man."
Wen Ye suddenly recalled the gold and silver leaves Xu Yuejia had previously sent to the west courtyard and finally understood.
It must be inherited from his father.
Xu Yuxuan didn't fully grasp what Wen Ye meant, but he vaguely sensed it was a compliment. He flashed a big smile. Wen Ye said, "Well, I'll open it now."
Xu Yuxuan nodded vigorously, his face showing no hint of reluctance.
Tao Zhi, standing nearby, couldn't help but feel that her mistress's tone just now resembled the wolf grandmother from the story of Little Red Riding Hood that she used to tell her and Yun Zhi.
The small brocade box wasn't locked, only secured with a hidden clasp, so it opened easily.
"So much," Wen Ye murmured as she looked at the little golden pig inside the box, along with the silver coins tucked into the gaps. The golden pig was likely a gift Madam Lu had specially made for Xu Yuxuan, given as a New Year or birthday red envelope.
To be honest, the little golden pig bore a striking resemblance to Xu Yuxuan.
Wen Ye secretly compared the two in her mind.
"Mother, do you like it?" Xu Yuxuan leaned in, tilting his head up to ask.
Although Wen Ye no longer clung to wealth as she had in her past life, a box of golden pigs right in front of her was hard to resist. She wasn't a saint devoid of desires, after all.
So she nodded and admitted, "Mother likes it, but these belong to you, Yuxuan."
Xu Yuxuan thought Wen Ye might refuse, which would mean he couldn't sit on the swing. Panicking, he insisted, "Give it to Mother! Mother must take it!"
Then, he added, "Yuxuan doesn't want it!"
Wen Ye had originally intended to tease—well, trick—Xu Yuxuan out of a few silver coins for fun. Life needed a bit of amusement to stay interesting.
But she hadn't expected Xu Yuxuan to offer her a whole box of golden pigs. This made her feel a little guilty.
When he grew up and recalled this moment, he'd probably regret it deeply.
Feeling remorseful, Wen Ye immediately closed the box and handed it to Yun Zhi, instructing her seriously, "Put this with the others and keep it safe."
Yun Zhi held the box, looking utterly bewildered.
Was her mistress really swindling money from the young master?
Seeing that Wen Ye had accepted the box, Xu Yuxuan eagerly turned his gaze to the swing she was sitting on, his eyes filled with longing. Wen Ye promptly said generously, "Come sit on Mother's lap. I'll take you for a ride!"
Xu Yuxuan was still too young to sit on the swing alone, so Wen Ye held him on her lap as she rocked it gently.
With one arm wrapped around him and the other holding the swing rope, she didn't need a maid to push. A few kicks with her feet, and the child in her arms burst into laughter.
Wen Ye was delighted too—after all, it was a box of golden pigs.
She was overjoyed.
Xu Yuxuan didn't feel much about losing the box of golden pigs.
But he felt the warmth and affection from his mother.
And he loved it.