Second Wife

Chapter Forty

As soon as she woke up, Cong Wei Yang threw a tantrum. There was no winding up period, no warning signs. She suddenly started throwing furniture around, smashing vases and glasses worth their weight in gold to the ground. Yu Yan, her maid, stood still on one side, looking at the smashed glass on the floor and sighing in her heart.

"Divorce. Divorce me, he says."

When she didn't have anything left to smash, she sat on the floor, looking dazed, tears streaming from her eyes.

Cong Wei Yang had wanted Feng Huang the moment she saw him; though he wasn't a vice minister at the time, she still wanted him. She had silently given her heart away to Feng Huang when she'd seen him for the first time. Cong Wei Yang had rejoiced when she was engaged to him.

Feng Huang was neither hot nor cold to her when they were married, but she thought that Feng Huang would come to eventually love her the more he got to know her and spend time with her. Cong Wei Yang thought Feng Huang would be devoted to her.

Yu Yan began cleaning the thrashed room, avoiding Cong Wei Yang in fear of meeting her wrath. She feared that Cong Wei Yang would make her the next target to take out her frustrations on.

The Old Madam entered Cong Wei Yang's room and clicked her tongue at the state of the room. She saw the equally frustrated and derange Cong Wei Yang, and her heart slightly softened for her. To the Old Madam, Cong Wei Yang was just a young woman battling for the shared affection of her husband.

"Wei Yang?" she called.

Cong Wei Yang looked furtively at the Old Madam. The Old Madam had never seen a sight so terrible. Cong Wei Yang's make up had begun to run and had formed black tear streaks on her face. With a face like that, Cong Wei Yang could scare a child to sleep.

Cong Wei Yang threw herself at the Old Madam, hugging her legs and crying.

"You have to help me. Tell the Second Madam to share husband. Tell her to tell him to love me. I want him to love me. I don't want a divorce. Tell husband not to divorce me."

The Old Madam couldn't stand the crying and tried to shake Cong Wei Yang off her legs.

"Get her off!" The Old Madam pleaded to Yu Yan.

"Tell him to love me. I saw him first. Tell Second Madam to give me my husband. Promise me that you'll do it."

Much like soothing a child, the Old Madam promised her. "I'll talk to the Second Madam. Now hush, child."

The Old Madam ran her hand over Cong Wei Yang's hair and only when she was sure that she was calm and asleep did she ease herself out of Cong Wei Yang's embrace.

"Let the First Madam rest. Have the doctor prescribe sedatives to keep her calm."

The Old Madam rushed out of the room after speaking to Yu Yan. The Old Madam missed the expression on the First Madam, who was supposedly sleeping.

Cong Wei Yang's look was truly that of a malicious woman. So twisted, so dark that no one would have thought that such an expression could appear on a noblewoman.

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Da Fan threw aside another invitation to a tea party. Ever since Feng Huang's appointment, invitations like these were coming in by the dozens. From minor officials to high officials, the way they addressed the invitation made it seem as if she should be grateful to them.

Da Fan sat in front of the mirror, taking pins and various assortments from her hair. After she woke up this morning, she'd been busy with the tea shop and getting information.

When the last pin was out of her hair, Meirin walked in with a smug look on her face. She took her place behind Da Fan to help her with her hair. Da Fan glanced at Meirin in the mirror.

"You look like a cat that ate the canary. What happened?"

Meirin smiled slightly, meeting Da Fan's gaze in the mirror. "I heard that there was a beautiful play yesterday."

"A play?"

"Yesterday, before Master left, he and the Old Madam caught the First Madam in the act of nearly beating a servant to death. Master threatened to divorce her until the Old Madam convinced him not to."

"The Old Madam did?"

"Yes," Meirin answered. "I don't know why she did that, after all, the First Madam is not a stellar example of a novel wife."

"The Old Madam was right to stop him."

"Mistress!"

"It's not the right time to get rid of Cong Wei Yang. What happened to her?"

"I heard she fainted and had to be carried to her room. The Old Madam had her confined to her quarters.

Da Fan laughed lightly. "It is indeed a beautiful play."

Da Fan didn't believe the Old Madam would truly confine Cong Wei Yang to her courtyard. The Old Madam had the mentality that the First Wife was always right, should always be considered and allowed to get her way.

"Madam, do you truly believe she will stay in her courtyard?" Meirin then spoke as if she was reading her mind. "Not if the Old Madam has something to say."

Da Fan pursed her lips into a smile. She was truly looking forward to the oncoming days. Soon after, a servant came to inform her that the Old Madam wished to speak to her. After the servant left, Meirin frowned in thought.

"What would the Old Madam want from Mistress?"

"We'll see." Da Fan got up to receive the Old Madam, and Meirin followed after her.

Da Fan sat and paid her respects to the Old Madam. The Old Madam kept her in suspense and motioned for her servant to pour a cup of tea. The Old Madm moistened her throat with the tea as if she was parched before she spoke.

"Da Fan, as the Second Wife to come into the family, you should know and encourage Huang-er to divide his attention between his wives. Keeping your husband to yourself will only cause contention."