It would come as a surprise to many commoners but being a Count in a capital full of nobles meant very little. This was a reality Count Zhong Bai Zhang Wei understood well. Whether in terms of power or wealth, there was always a family above the Bai.
Many families, actually.
The Bai family had been in decline for three generations already. Oh, it wasn't a big decline, but Bai Zhang Wei still felt it deep in his heart and bones when he met with other heads of noble families. The Count title sounded nice but truly, most of the power he currently had, came from the Dowager Empress and Emperor's favors.
In fact, the Bai family was known for its loyalty to the throne. The throne, and only the throne. This label was both a strength and a weakness. A strength because Bai Zhang Wei enjoyed a close relationship with the Emperor and sometimes acted as his counselor. He also had the right to attend the morning court. A weakness because this relationship stopped him from choosing a side in the fight for the throne. The Emperor he served had long established a Crown Prince and that was all Count Zhong needed to know. If the Bai family was as strong as years ago, it wouldn't be a problem. However, now that it was in decline, it would be easy for the next Emperor to discard it and favor the people who helped him sit on the throne instead.
Yet, Count Zhong couldn't do a thing to prevent this from happening. At least, in public.
Because the truth was, Bai Zhang Wei knew the decline of his family would become serious if nothing was done. In fact, there might not even be a Count title in the Bai family in three generations. By then, his family would probably only be a little better than peasants.
To avoid such a fate, he couldn't help but tread through muddy waters. Even if those waters cost him his daughters' happiness.
Although it was cruel, daughters were meant to be married off. Only the sons would stay to take care of their parents in old age. Daughters, once married, couldn't even worship their paternal family's ancestors.
When Bai Zhang Wei came back to his manor after a long and exhausting evening spent in the company of the Emperor, the first thing he encountered was the flustered maid of Concubine Xi. He instantly felt a pounding headache.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"My Lord, something terrible happened!" The maid kneeled down and sobbed, her small hands grabbing his shoes. "Madam punished Concubine Xi and fourth young miss. Concubine Xi... she..."
A frown appeared on Bai Zhang Wei's face. His wife wasn't stupid and had never openly punished his concubines.
"Speak clearly!" he ordered, pushing the girl away with his foot.
"My Lord, Concubine Xi is dying! Please save my lady!"
His frown deepened and a layer of ice covered his eyes. It was true that he never punished Concubine Xi before. His wife didn't like his second son Bai Chen. If something happened to his son's birth mother, it would be hard for Bai Chen to live in the compound. Although Concubine Xi was constantly scheming, all she did was for the sake of her son.
However, it didn't mean she could cross the line. And for his wife to punish her harshly, she must have indeed crossed the line and endanger the Bai family's reputation.
His steps lengthened and he strode inside his wife's courtyard. In the main hall, Madam Fu was looking down at the kneeling Bai Chen from her seat, looking high and mighty.
Bai Zhang Wei's anger didn't lessen. Women were truly bothersome. His son was already an official yet he was forced to kneel at the feet of a mere woman?!
"Stand up" he told Bai Chen in a stern voice when he walked to him, his eyes on his wife. He took off his coat. "You may leave. Give my coat to Concubine Xi. I will talk to your mother."
Madam Fu stood up as well and bowed to her husband, her voice gentle when she greeted him.
Bai Chen excused himself and took his leave, his posture both submissive and respectful. It was just that his eyes were void of any feelings. Clearly, he had just been begging for his concubine mother's sake yet no trace of anxiety could be seen.
He walked out and closed the door behind him, his lips slowly curling in a faint, mirthless smile.
His manservant had been waiting for him outside. Seeing his master, he quickly approached and covered him with a thick coat.
"Young master, should we bring the Lord's coat to Concubine Xi?"
"No need, just let someone else do it. Concubine mother wouldn't want me to walk outside when it is already this late and cold."
They walked out of the courtyard slowly, Bai Chen humming.
"You seem happy," the servant noted once they were far enough.
"Happy? Not really." Bai Chen's gaze fell on a spot a few steps ahead. "Just a bit regretful. It seems like we missed a good show this morning."
The manservant served Bai Chen since the latter was young. His master's temperament, he knew it too well. These kinds of remarks didn't surprise him.
"Perhaps there will be another one tomorrow, young master."
"Hmmm... I guess you are right." He paused then added, "Have the kitchen prepare a bowl of snow fungus soup for fourth sister tomorrow. It is good for her health. Oh, and bring it to her yourself."
The servant: Young master, even if you want to show your sincerity as her big brother, can't you ask someone else to do so? You know the fourth young miss hates fungus soup the most!
...
In Madam Fu's courtyard, she and Bai Zhang Wei were staring at each other silently. After a long while, Bai Zhang Wei walked to a chair and sat down. Madam Fu sat across from him and poured two cups of tea, her elegant movements a proof that she had done this a thousand times already.
"You must be here for Concubine Xi, my Lord."
"What has she done?"
Madam Fu pursed her lips, remembering the pale face of her daughter and the raised hand of Bai Hua. What had Concubine Xi done, indeed?
Aside from existing.
"She breathed too loudly," she replied before bringing her cup to her mouth.
Bai Zhang Wei snorted. "And Hua'er? She also breathed too loudly? My wife, I know you. You wouldn't punish Concubine Xi unless she did something wrong."
Madam Fu wanted to tell her husband that he truly thought too highly of her.
She put down her cup. A light, sharp sound rang out when the porcelain hit the wooden table. In the room illuminated only by candlelight, the sound tingled Bai Zhang Wei's heart.
Madam Fu's every gesture was smooth and flawless. In his eyes, his wife was elegance and propriety personified. It was just a pity that her aged appearance wasn't attractive anymore.
"Concubine Xi is punished because she taught her daughter poorly," Madam Fu explained eventually. "Soon, no one will dare to marry the girls of our family."
Bai Zhang Wei froze. His face was soon clouded with anger and concern.
"Explain yourself."
"My Lord, it is like this. My sister-in-law came with Fu Huang Yuan this morning with the intention of marrying Yue'er to him."
"She told you that?"
"No, but she didn't need to. I know her too well. Anyway, it appears that fourth young miss also likes my nephew. She dressed to seduce him."
"Nonsense!" Bai Zhang Wei thundered, getting up. "The Bai family doesn't have such a lascivious daughter! Why didn't the servants stop her from entering your courtyard?!"
Madam Fu smiled. "My Lord, please, let me finish. Fourth miss never reached my courtyard. Instead, she insulted and slapped Yue'er who had just come outside. Her screams were so loud that my sister-in-law, being who she is, couldn't help but want to investigate the sounds. As the mistress of this manor, I naturally had to accompany her outside. Fu Huang Yuan then followed us in order to not stay inside with my Lord's concubines."
Bai Zhang Wei paled once he finally understood the situation. Hua'er dressing up for her cousin inside the Bai manor and being seen was already bad enough. But Madam Qin had actually seen Yue'er?
With the temperament of his wife's sister-in-law, it wouldn't be strange if everyone outside knew that the Bai family couldn't teach its daughters well starting tomorrow. One was lustful and the other was mad.
He fell down on his seat, his hands gripping the handles tightly.
"They saw Yue'er?" he asked, his throat tight. He truly hoped for his wife to refute his words.
"Yes," she instead confirmed gravely, her own voice trembling. "I sent people to my brother's place and asked him to keep his wife under surveillance today but you know how she is. Eventually, I am afraid that words will still leak out. The Emperor..."
Bai Zhang Wei didn't immediately respond. For a long while, he stared at the floor in front of him and Madam Fu didn't dare to make a sound.
"The Emperor told me the Dowager Empress wants to meet Yue'er. We should expect an invitation soon."
The Dowager Empress was old but as the birth mother of the Emperor, she enjoyed quite a lot of power inside the Imperial harem. It wasn't rare for the Emperor and her to work with each other in order to contend against the Empress and other concubines with sons.
When the Emperor first told Bai Zhang Wei of his desire to use Bai Yue to reduce the Empress' power in his harem, Bai Zhang Wei didn't take long before agreeing. Yue'er serving the Emperor would provide the Bai family with many opportunities.
In the original plan, Bai Yue should have married into the Imperial palace once she reached seventeen.
However, no one expected Bai Yue to fall ill. Bai Zhang Wei and Madam Fu concealed the truth, desperately hoping for their daughter to get better as soon as possible. But now...
Madam Fu wriggled her hands.
"My Lord, what should we do? Yue'er cannot meet Her Majesty."
If she did, then the Emperor would know they lied about Yue'er. Lying to the Emperor always led to death.
"Yesterday, I thought we still had more time." Bai Zhang Wei rubbed his face, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. "Yue'er is getting better. She only screamed at night now. If only the Dowager Empress didn't want to meet her now."
"Can't we delay the meeting?"
He heaved a sigh. "How could we? We aren't in a position where we can refuse an invitation from Her Majesty."
He also wished the meeting could be delayed. If Bai Yue could marry the Emperor and Bai Hua, the Crown Prince, the Bai family's future would be bright. Bai Chen could easily become a minister then. And Bai Rui, a high ranking officer in the army. Then, even if the Crown Prince didn't succeed to the throne, the new Emperor wouldn't touch his sons.
"Then... is there nothing we can do? What about..."
Madam Fu's voice trailed off and she bit her lips nervously. Madam Fu loved her daughter but she was also selfish and just loved her son more. For Bai Rui, she didn't mind sacrificing her daughter.
"... Finding someone to pose as Yue'er? We could send Yue'er to a monastery afterward," she suggested.
Bai Zhang Wei felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest when he heard his wife's word.
"Do you understand what you are saying? The Emperor isn't someone we can fool. If we really do this, Yue'er has to lose her identity. She will never be a member of the Bai family again, even after her death."
Sacrificing his daughter's happiness was one thing but she was still a daughter of the Bai family. His blood flowed in her veins!
"Your brother has a daughter. Perhaps we can exchange their identities?"
"And let his son be the next Count Zhong? Or do you think his daughter would be so grateful that she would favor us once she gets the Emperor's favor?"
"Then..."
"Perhaps Hua'er and Yue'er can swap their identities with each other." If so, he could still offer Yue'er to the Crown Prince once she was healed and she would still be considered as his daughter.
"My Lord, you know of Bai Hua's temperament. Could she even get the Emperor's favors and suppress the Empress? The Emperor needs a useful chess piece, not a mindless seductress."
The words were harsh and uncomfortable to hear. Nevertheless, they were also true. Bai Hua was indeed not suited for the current Emperor's harem. This was why he had planned to give her to the Crown Prince whose harem was currently empty. She would have more time to build up her power there.
"I guess my brother's daughter is truly the only suitable option we have. Send quickly a servant to your brother and have them explain that Yue'er has been promised to someone we cannot afford to offend. If rumors spread, the Fu family won't be spared. I'll send a letter to my brother right now."
Yue'er... don't hate us for doing this. Hate yourself for being sick.