The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 14: A Mother’s Tender Heart

　　In a small side room, the maid who had just helped Madam Jiang with her hair closed the door behind her. Frowning, she turned to look at the girl who had been crying nonstop ever since they returned.

　　Her tone carried clear disapproval as she said, “Qiuju, honestly, what am I supposed to say about you? And stop crying already. It’s annoying. All you know how to do is cry. What good does crying do?”

　　Qiuju sobbed, “Wuwuwu……”

　　“Look at what you’ve done. Of all people, who did you have to offend? You actually dared to make Madam angry! We maids who serve in the inner courtyard are either born servants or bound by lifetime contracts. Whether we live or die depends entirely on a single word from our masters. What kind of nerve did you grow to dare seduce the Master? And you even did it right in front of Madam. You really are unbearably stupid!”

　　“I’ve never seen you wear clothes that show off your figure like this before. You made them yourself, didn’t you? And you even put on lip rouge. You dressed up on purpose today. If you’d chosen a different time, maybe the Master really would have taken pity on you and let you have your way. But Qiuju, do you really think seducing the Master is a good thing? Have you ever seen those concubines of his around the Manor?”

　　Qiuju shook her head, her eyes red. “I haven’t.”

　　“They’re all suppressed by Madam and locked in their own small courtyards, not allowed to come out. Whether they can read or not, they’re all made to personally copy Buddhist scriptures. At the end of every month, Nanny Zheng goes to inspect them. If anyone slacks off or cheats, Madam punishes them by making them kneel facing the ancestral hall, kneeling on cold bluestone slabs. After a few days of that, their knees are basically ruined.”

　　“Ah?” Qiuju grew scared.

　　“Madam won’t punish me like that too, right?”

　　“……” The maid sighed. Qiuju had a pretty face, but she truly had no brains. Then again, if she had any sense, she would not have tried to seduce the Master tonight.

　　“Concubines may have low status, but at least they’re nominally the Master’s women. And you’re just a maid. Do you understand?” When Madam Jiang dealt with concubines, she did it openly. Making them copy Buddhist scriptures was framed as praying for the Master’s blessings. But what was Qiuju? She did not even qualify to copy scriptures.

　　Qiuju said stubbornly, “So what if I’m a maid? If I can gain the Master’s favor, a maid can become a concubine too. Concubine Zhou started out as a maid.”

　　“......”

　　She was a lost cause.

　　The maid no longer felt like saying anything to Qiuju and said, “I’ll go boil some ginger soup.”

　　After a while, she returned with two bowls of ginger soup and handed them to Qiuju. “Here. Drink them.”

　　Qiuju pouted. “I don’t want to. I didn’t catch a cold.”

　　The maid shot her a glance and said slowly, word by word, “This is Madam’s order. Madam told me to watch you drink several bowls of ginger soup.” She deliberately stressed the words “several bowls.”

　　Hearing that it was Madam Jiang’s instruction, Qiuju had no choice but to take the bowls. With a miserable expression, she finished both bowls. “Not a single drop left. Satisfied now? I’m tired. I’m going to rest.”

　　“……” Why was she taking her temper out on her? She was just following Madam’s orders.

　　Bang. The door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

　　Nanny Zheng’s sharp eyes swept across the room before settling on Qiuju. “Qiuju, come with me. I’ll take you to enjoy a good life.”

　　Qiuju lit up with joy. “Did the Master send you to fetch me?”

　　Nanny Zheng sneered. “Just follow me and you’ll find out.”

　　Qiuju nodded eagerly. The maid standing to the side felt something was wrong the moment she saw Nanny Zheng, because she was Madam Jiang’s dowry nanny. She parted her lips, wanting to warn Qiuju. They shared the same room, and Qiuju always saved her a portion whenever there was good food. She did not want to just watch Qiuju be led away in a daze.

　　Her mouth had just opened.

　　Nanny Zheng’s cold gaze pinned her in place like a needle. Her face went pale as she shut her mouth tightly, thinking, Qiuju, this is fate. Hopefully, you’ll still be alive after being taken away.

　　Qiuju had assumed Nanny Zheng was taking her to see Shen Kangzheng, but the route grew more and more secluded. She stopped, hesitating as she asked, “Nanny, this isn’t the way to the front courtyard. Where are you taking me?”

　　Nanny Zheng ignored her. She merely lifted her chin, and two strong maids stepped forward and shoved Qiuju along.

　　In the end, Nanny Zheng stopped in front of the stables. A rough looking man bent his back and asked, “Nanny, what brings you here at this hour?”

　　Nanny Zheng pointed at Qiuju. “You’re a lucky one, kid. Madam says you’re good at tending horses and you’re an honest man. It’s just that all these years spent in the manor raising horses delayed you from finding a wife. Madam is kindhearted, so she’s granting you a wife. Take her with you.”

　　Qiuju cried out, “No! I don’t want this, I…”

　　Nanny Zheng’s expression darkened. “Gag her mouth. What kind of behavior is all this noisy nonsense?” She then looked at the man. “This maid is yours now.”

　　“Yes, yes, yes.”

　　Nanny Zheng added coldly to Qiuju, “Don’t think about dying. If you die, your parents and the rest of your family will go with you.”

　　Qiuju was handed over to the stableman in utter despair. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She should never have harbored foolish thoughts about seducing Shen Kangzheng, and she should never have been stupid enough to believe the private talk among the maids about Madam Jiang being kind and virtuous. She regretted it now.

　　……

　　The next day.

　　Shen Xi went to the main courtyard to pay her respects to Madam Jiang. As she passed beneath the hanging flower gate, she noticed an old looking nanny whose appearance seemed to have aged overnight, sorrow clearly written across her face. Shen Xi narrowed her eyes. If she remembered correctly, this nanny was usually very fond of smiling, with a face as cheerful and welcoming as a laughing Buddha.

　　“What happened to her?”

　　The maid beside her replied, “She was sent down to the estate. Her whole family has to leave the Manor with her.”

　　Shen Xi asked, “What did she do wrong?” She assumed the nanny had caused trouble in the main courtyard this morning, so she wanted to clarify things first. That way, when she met Madam Jiang later, she would know how to respond appropriately.

　　Shen Xi absentmindedly tugged at her handkerchief. In the past, she would never have done something like this. She was not Madam Jiang’s biological daughter after all. Even though Madam Jiang valued her more than Shen Ling, Shen Xi’s attitude toward her had still changed. She began deliberately putting in more effort to please Madam Jiang, trying to deepen the bond between them.    

　　The maid said, “This servant heard it was because her daughter, Qiuju, caused trouble. The nanny was dragged down with her. Qiuju was being improper around the Master last night and Madam saw it. Madam is kindhearted and did not make Qiuju kneel as punishment. She only had Nanny Zheng take her away to marry one of the manor’s stablemen.”

　　Shen Xi gave a small “oh,” her face betraying nothing. “Let’s go.”

　　A deeper look flickered through her eyes. There were still many things she needed to learn from Madam Jiang. This was what it truly meant to kill without bloodshed. Each move was sharp and precise, far crueler than any simple kneeling punishment. For a maid like Qiuju, death might honestly have been the kinder ending.

　　After all, a maid serving in the main courtyard could have married one of the manor stewards and it would not have been unreasonable. Yet she ended up being married off to a stableman. How much suffering would she have to endure for the rest of her life?

　　When Shen Xi saw Madam Jiang dressed in her titled lady attire, she froze for a moment. “Mother, you’re…”

　　Madam Jiang smiled. “Xi’er is here.”

　　“I’m going to the Palace. Your father instructed me to bring some silver for that lady in the Palace. He’s worried she might not have enough money to use inside.”

　　Shen Xi pressed her lips together. That lady in the Palace…

　　She truly could not understand what kind of luck Shen Ling had to become a Bao Fei.

　　Shen Xi had originally thought that becoming a Guiren would already be the most glorious moment of Shen Ling’s life. Yet Shen Ling was actually promoted by His Majesty to Bao Fei. Hah, what incredible luck. As if taking the identity of the Shen family’s legitimate daughter was not enough, now Shen Ling even wanted her to kneel before her.

　　Shen Xi suppressed the cold sneer in her heart and put on a confused expression instead. “How could Older Sister be short of silver? She’s a young lady of the Minister’s Manor. Mother, if outsiders found out, they might even think you mistreated her. I feel wronged on Mother’s behalf. You clearly dote on her so much.”

　　Madam Jiang’s expression darkened slightly. She had always been careful to maintain her virtuous image in public and cared deeply about her reputation. When Shen Ling was brought back to the Shen Manor, it had already caused her to lose face once among the ladies of the Capital, becoming fodder for their idle gossip. Now, could Shen Ling be planning to make her lose face yet again?

　　But the silver was something Shen Kangzheng had personally ordered her to bring into the Palace. Madam Jiang had no choice but to comply.

　　Shen Xi leaned obediently against Madam Jiang’s shoulder and said softly, “You actually don’t need to worry that much. If people really do find out and want to say unpleasant things about you, just say I was having a tantrum with her and intercepted the silver you and Father wanted to send. That way, everyone’s attention will land on me instead.”

　　Madam Jiang lifted a hand and gently patted Shen Xi’s head, her expression full of affection. “You, always taking everything onto yourself. Such a silly child.”

　　Shen Xi smiled sweetly. “I’m only silly in front of you, Mother.”

　　Madam Jiang thought for a moment. “Xi’er, there’s no need for you to shield me in this matter. All the ladies in the Palace receive silver sent in by their families. If someone really says that me bringing silver into the Palace means I’ve mistreated her, that person wouldn’t just be offending me, they’d also be offending the families of all those palace ladies. So it’s not as bad as you think. Relax a little. Besides, your marriage hasn’t even been discussed yet. You’re my daughter, how could I ever let your reputation be damaged? Your father wants me to send silver to Shen Ling, and that’s good for him, but it’s also very good for you. After all, she’s already Bao Fei now. You’re her younger sister. Even if it’s a Prince or a Marquis, we could still marry you in as their proper wife.”

　　At first, when Shen Xi heard Madam Jiang say that her marriage would rely on Shen Ling, she felt a bit unhappy. But as she listened to the rest, her eyes blinked slightly. Proper wife. That’s right, she could be the main wife, while Shen Ling, even as a Bao Fei, was still just a concubine.

　　Shen Xi’s smile turned gentle and soft.

　　Madam Jiang left the Shen Manor, took a carriage to the Palace gates, and was then led inside by palace attendants.

　　This was Madam Jiang’s first time entering the Palace. The grand and imposing scale of the imperial grounds was something the Shen Manor could never compare to. As a titled lady, she technically had the qualifications to enter the Palace during major festivals to attend banquets hosted by the Empress. But the Empress had long since been killed by His Majesty Xie Yuanxun, so Madam Jiang never had the chance to come.

　　Along the way, the eunuch leading her was extremely polite. Madam Jiang was the mother of Bao Fei, after all. Guiding someone like her was a good assignment, and he had spent quite some effort fighting for this job.

　　The eunuch said, “Her Grace has a gentle temperament and is deeply favored by His Majesty. She lives in Chang Le Palace, the closest palace to His Majesty’s sleeping quarters. Madam doesn’t need to worry. Her Grace is living very well in the Palace.”

　　Madam Jiang, “……”

　　She wasn’t worried.

　　Madam Jiang smiled. No matter what she was thinking inside, what showed on her face was the loving concern of a devoted mother toward Shen Ling.    

    

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Glossary:

Matron vs. Nanny

🎗️Matron

Role: Oversees household rules, etiquette, and the training of servants.

Personality: Authoritative, experienced, respected, sometimes strict.

Function in story: Gives instructions, enforces rules, teaches proper behavior, keeps order in the household.

Example usage:

“Didn’t the Matron teach me the rules about wearing proper attire?”

“The Matron said you should finish your chores before leaving the inner quarters.”

🎗️Nanny

Role: Personal caretaker for a child or young lady; attends to daily needs.

Personality: Affectionate, protective, closer to the child, sometimes playful or indulgent.

Function in story: Helps dress, feed, supervise, comfort, and give advice in daily life.

Example usage:

“Nanny Zheng helped me tie my hair before breakfast.”

“I heard Nanny told you to be careful in the garden.”

 

    

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