An Yizi's family were all in his hometown in Zhejiang. Only his wife and a few servants went to take up the post with him. He and his wife were in love and harmony, and he never took concubines. Therefore, his family was very simple. The emperor gave him a large house, most of the rooms were empty.
When the Shangshu's wife heard that her savior had arrived, she immediately sent her personal maid to the front to greet him, and asked the maid to take a message to Chang Fu, saying that she should have met him in person, but she was not feeling well and had the children to take care of, so she could only invite her savior to the backyard to talk, and hoped that Chang Daguan would forgive her.
Chang Fulian said he didn't dare, and after giving Xie Nanjia some careful instructions, he let her go to the backyard with the maid.
An Youju accompanied Chang Fu to drink tea in the front yard.
Xie Nanjia followed the maid through the hanging flower gate, walked along the corridor into the backyard, and met the young Shangshu's wife Lin Huixian in the main hall.
Just like her name, the first impression she gives people is that of a beautiful, intelligent, quiet and elegant woman.
"Your servant Xiu'er greets Madam..." Xie Nanjia leaned over to greet her, but she stepped forward and held her hand.
"My benefactor, please don't do this. I should bow to you." Lin was about to kneel down. "You saved my life, mother and me. This is a great favor. Please accept my bow."
"Madam, no, I just did a little favor. I don't deserve your great gift." Xie Nanjia naturally couldn't accept her kneeling and helped her sit back on the chair.
However, Lin insisted on expressing her gratitude, so she asked the maid to hold her little daughter and kowtow to Xie Nanjia, as if it were they, the mother and daughter, who were kowtowed.
Xie Nanjia couldn't refuse, so she had to accept the gift. Then she took the child from the maid, held him in her arms and praised him.
Mothers all like to hear people praise their children, and Lin is no exception. Seeing that Xie Nanjia was very skilled in holding the child, she asked her if she often held the child.
Xie Nanjia said that she loved children very much and often held the little boy in her arms at home. Unfortunately, the little boy had a miserable life and lost his mother when he was born.
Lin recalled the dangerous childbirth she had gone through, and she sighed. She was even more grateful to Xie Nanjia for her kindness: "If it weren't for you that night, I might not be alive. I should have given you a big gift, but due to the inconveniences at the time, I could only hastily give you a hairpin. Please don't mind."
"You are too polite, Madam." Xie Nanjia said, "Although the hairpin is small, the sentiment behind it is worth a thousand gold. Xiu'er cherishes it very much, but what Xiu'er cherishes is the wonderful fate between Madam and Miss. I would never dare to regard myself as a lifesaver. Madam, please don't worry about this matter anymore."
Lin took her hand and looked at her carefully: "You are such a good girl. You are really a maid in the Marquis's mansion, otherwise I would definitely take you to the mansion to keep me company."
Xie Nanjia smiled and hesitated to speak.
Lin said, "Just say whatever you want to say. It's okay."
Xie Nanjia blinked her eyes and said innocently, "To be honest, I was originally the daughter of a tenant farmer on the farm. I was used to being wild at home. Since I entered the Marquis's Mansion, I have lost my freedom. If you don't find me annoying, can you send someone to the Marquis' Mansion to summon me to talk to you from time to time? This way, I can have a legitimate excuse to be lazy and go out for a walk, so as not to get bored in the mansion."
Lin chuckled, "You are a good girl. I am willing to help you, but I am afraid that the rules of the Marquis' Mansion are strict. Your wife will not allow it and then blame me for breaking the rules of your mansion. That will not be good."
"No, madam." Xie Nanjia said, "My madam is very generous and has admired you for a long time. I came here this time because of the madam and the marquis' special instructions."
Speaking of the Marquis, Lin said, "My master admires the Marquis very much. He has mentioned it to me many times, saying that the Marquis is extraordinary and powerful. Although he was granted the title of Marquis, he did not take credit for himself and still worked diligently for the country. He deserves to be the first Marquis of our Great Zhou Dynasty."
If such a high evaluation came from someone else, Xie Nanjia would think it was just a polite compliment, but An Yizi had no need to compliment the Marquis, so he must have been sincere.
Xie Nanjia reported his evaluation back home to Marquis Dingyuan, who was also greatly surprised and smiled like a student being praised by his teacher.
"This An Yizhi, if he admires me so much, why does he always look so cold and distant every time we meet in the court?"
"It's probably because of his position!" Xie Nanjia said, "As the Minister of Personnel, he is in charge of the appointment and dismissal of officials across the country. It's not good for him to get too close to the officials, lest people accuse him of forming a clique."
Dingyuan Hou thought it made sense, and smiled and entrusted Xie Nanjia: "Since he is so cautious, I won't force him. The Shangshu's wife likes you, so you should visit her often in the future. Maintaining the relationship between the two governments depends on you."
When he said this, Xie Nanfeng had already finished lunch and returned to the general's mansion, and the fourth young lady also returned to her own courtyard. Qin wanted to know what happened, so she called Xie Nanjia to her courtyard to ask, and Marquis Dingyuan also went over to listen.
Qin was very unhappy that Marquis Dingyuan entrusted the important task of making friends with the Shangshu Mansion to a little girl. Was she, the marquis' wife, just a decoration
Xie Nanjia saw Qin's dissatisfaction and said with a smile: "Madam Shangshu said that she has admired you for a long time, and asked you to visit her when you are free. Her little daughter is very well-behaved and cute, two months younger than our little son. I think..."
She didn't say anything else, but Qin understood what she meant instantly.
If the grandson really gets engaged to the Shangshu's daughter, then there will be no need to worry about the good relationship between the two families. By then, Ping'er and the Shangshu will become relatives. No matter how upright the Shangshu is, he will at least find a good official position for his daughter's future father-in-law for the sake of their relationship, right
Not only that, with the support of the Minister of Personnel as their relative, it would be icing on the cake for Yaer and Shuer's marriage. Wouldn't they be able to choose from any good family in the capital
Qin couldn't wait even a moment for such good news. She wished she could go to the Shangshu Mansion right away to prevent this good marriage from being snatched away by other families.
She saw the benefit, and she didn't hate Xie Nanjia so much anymore. She rewarded her with a silver ingot and said to her in a friendly manner, "You've worked hard today. Go back and have a good rest. After some time, you can accompany me to visit the Shangshu's wife."
Xie Nanjia accepted the reward, expressed his gratitude, and returned to Yilan Courtyard.
The fourth young lady was taking a nap because the banquet would not end until very late in the evening and she needed to rest up in advance.
At 4 p.m. that evening, a full moon rose from the eastern hills, illuminating every household with its bright and clear light. The masters from the three mansions gathered at Luogui Garden, the best place in the mansions to enjoy the moon. Led by the old lady, the female members performed a grand moon-worshiping ceremony. Accompanied by the breeze and the fragrance of osmanthus, the night banquet officially began.
As the youngest master in the family, the little boy was carried over by Hualou and showed his face, but he soon started yawning and fell asleep, and was then carried back by Hualou.
Xie Nanjia stood behind the fourth young lady and scanned the room. As expected, Zhao Jingyu was not there again.
As the Crown Prince's wife, she spent two Mid-Autumn Festivals in the Marquis's Mansion and never saw Zhao Jingyu once.
Not only the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also New Year's Eve and Lantern Festival are all missing. He never attends any family reunion day.
Xie Nanjia couldn't help but wonder where he would be at this moment. Other families were celebrating reunions, so who would go out to spend time with him? Would he be alone in the west wing missing his deceased mother
Zhao Lanzhi told her that every time she had a reunion like this, she would think of her mother. The more she saw other sisters laughing and talking with their mothers, the more lonely she felt. However, she did not have the capital to act recklessly like her second brother, so no matter how uncomfortable she felt, she had to force herself to smile and sit with her mother until the end.
The other people in the mansion had long been accustomed to Zhao Jingyu's absence, and no one mentioned him. The men talked and chatted, while the women talked about clothes, jewelry, and the latest popular makeup. They joked openly and compared themselves secretly, creating a festive and harmonious atmosphere.
Zhao Lanzhi was the shabbyest of all the sisters. Today, she unexpectedly wore new clothes and looked very bright and charming, which made her cousins who usually didn't pay any attention to her look bright.
Men are probably visual animals. Even if they are their own sisters, they will pay special attention to the pretty ones and automatically ignore the ordinary ones. So they all came to talk to Zhao Lanzhi and toast her.
This made the other sisters very unhappy, and they all glared at her.
Zhao Lanzhi almost couldn't sit still several times, but fortunately she remembered Xie Nanjia's instructions, and no matter how uneasy she felt, she sat upright, smiled gracefully, and behaved elegantly and calmly.
Xie Nanjia said that tonight might be a good opportunity for her to turn things around.
Although she couldn't see where the opportunity was, she was willing to believe Xie Nanjia.
Later, when Zhao Lanshu lost her patience and attacked her, she knew that her chance had come.
Zhao Lanshu is worthy of being Qin's biological daughter. Her competitive and jealous character is exactly the same as Qin's. Logically speaking, the fourth lady is a concubine's daughter. Even if she is popular among her cousins, it will not hinder her in the slightest. She can neither take away her favor nor stop her from marrying up. But she just can't stand it and has to step on her a few times to vent her anger.
"Fourth sister is really dressed up beautifully today." She said sarcastically, "They say clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. This is really true. With good clothes, even an ugly girl can become a fairy."
Several sisters covered their mouths and laughed.
Zhao Lanzhi was not annoyed. She nodded slightly at her and said softly, "Thank you for the compliment, Second Sister. Second Sister is also very beautiful today."
The calmer she was, the more anxious Zhao Lanshu became. She said with a fake smile, "I am usually like this. I have never dressed up carefully. I am just having a meal with my family. Who would I dress up for? Fourth sister lives a frugal life. She always wears the same old clothes. Could it be that she pawned something to buy this outfit today?"
She was so busy mocking Zhao Lanzhi that she didn't realize she had said something wrong. The Second and Third Ladies smiled meaningfully when they heard her, and the old lady's face darkened.
Zhao Lanzhi replied indifferently, "Second sister, please stop saying that. If this gets out, people will think that mother is being harsh on me!"
There was silence at the table, and everyone looked at Qin unconsciously.
Before Qin could say anything, Zhao Lanshu shouted at Zhao Lanzhi: "Little hoof, you have grown up and dared to deliberately instigate the relationship between me and my mother. When did I say that my mother treated you harshly? You, an outsider..."
Just as she was about to bring up the excuse of having a concubine again, the old lady slammed the table, interrupting her next words.
Qin really had no way to deal with her daughter. No matter how many times she taught her, she could not change her hot temper and would explode at the slightest spark.
It was a big festival, and the old lady didn't want to say much in front of everyone. She pointed to a plate of mooncakes on the table with a sullen face and ordered the maid behind her: "Go, bring this plate of mooncakes to the second young lady. Don't talk until you finish eating."
Zhao Lanshu looked at the large plate of mooncakes and felt so aggrieved that tears came to her eyes.
Xie Nanjia curled the corners of her lips slightly in the shadows. She spent an entire afternoon dressing up the Fourth Young Miss, and it was not in vain. The Second Young Miss never disappointed those who wanted to take advantage of her.
The old lady started to complain without mentioning any names, "We are not a poor family that has to worry about food. We don't need to skimp on our children. The old man died early, and I raised three sons and four daughters by myself, and none of them starved. If any of you can't raise your children, just send them to me and I'll raise them for you, okay?"
The son and daughter-in-law all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe.
The old lady then turned to teach her grandchildren: "Each of you, don't think too highly of yourselves. You look down on others all day long. Being born of a legitimate family or a concubine's family is just a status. You have to lead your own life after you get married. It's uncertain who will be begging for food in the future. So leave a way out for yourself."
All the grandchildren left their seats and knelt down to ask their grandmother to calm down. They all blamed Zhao Lanshu in their hearts for ruining such a nice banquet.
Zhao Lanzhi knelt down in front of the old lady and apologized, taking all the responsibility on herself: "Grandma, please calm down. What happened tonight is all my fault. Second sister is right. We should eat like usual. It's my fault that I was ignorant and dressed too fancy. I will correct it next time."
"What are you trying to correct? They all dress more colorfully than you do," the old lady said. "Your whole outfit is not worth as much as a pair of shoes. They are just jealous of your good looks and have no one to rely on, so they are just looking for an excuse to frame you."
Zhao Lanshu was furious. Wasn't the old lady's words clearly saying that she was not as pretty as Zhao Lanzhi? She made a mistake and could be scolded and punished, or even kneel in the ancestral hall. But using her appearance to humiliate her was intolerable.
"Grandmother is really different!" She simply stopped kneeling and stood up and said, "In other families, the eldest son is respected, but Grandmother always supports the concubines. Could it be that you are counting on the concubines' sons and daughters to bring honor to the family?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's face changed drastically, and Marquis Dingyuan was so angry that his hands were shaking. It seemed that this second girl had knelt in the ancestral hall for three days in vain, and she hadn't learned her lesson at all.
"Someone, send the second young lady to the ancestral hall and make her kneel for a month!" he ordered sternly.
"My Lord!" Qin hurried forward to plead for her daughter, "Shu'er is still young, please forgive her this time, she knows she is wrong."
"I don't know!" Zhao Lanshu cried, "I don't know what I did wrong. I'm just a concubine's daughter. My father protects her, my grandmother protects her, and my brothers also surround her. We usually get punished for making small mistakes, but she openly sits at the same table with a man from outside the family, and my father pretends not to see it. How can this be justified?"
"Well, you are making up stories about me being wrong." Marquis Dingyuan said angrily, "Nanfeng is your sister-in-law's biological brother, how can he be considered an outsider? Your sister didn't sit alone with him, and I was also present. How can you use this to complain? I think you deserve a beating!"
"Yes, I deserve a beating. My father can't stand me, so he might as well ask people to beat me to death with sticks, so that I won't have to suffer the humiliation of being a concubine's daughter in this family!" Zhao Lanshu shouted regardless.
"Okay, you want to die, I'll grant your wish!" Dingyuan Hou raised his hand, "Come here, drag the second young lady out and beat her with a stick until she dies!"
"No, father, don't!" Zhao Lanzhi rushed forward to protect the second young lady, "Father, tonight's fault is all yours. If you want to hit my second sister, kill me first!"
Zhao Lanshu couldn't bear to see her crying wolf, so she reached out and grabbed her hair and slapped her hard, "Get lost, you little bitch, I don't need your hypocrisy!"
After this slap, there was chaos at the scene.
The second young lady's boldness opened the eyes of her uncles, aunts, cousins and brothers.
Marquis Dingyuan was so embarrassed that he shouted for someone to beat Zhao Lanshu to death.
Qin didn't care about anything else. She rushed over and hugged her daughter in her arms, wanting to die with her.
In the end, no one died, and the farce ended with the old lady suffering from heart pectoris.
Her children and grandchildren were terrified and rushed her back to Ci'an Ju. They called a doctor to treat her. After half an hour of treatment, the pain was finally relieved. A large group of people waited inside and outside the room until her condition stabilized. Then they dispersed.
A wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival banquet ended in such a miserable way.
Marquis Dingyuan wanted to stay and take care of the patient, but the old lady refused, saying that he had to attend court the next day and his rest must not be disturbed.
Zhao Lanzhi took the opportunity to say that everything that happened tonight was her responsibility, and she was willing to take care of her father by his bedside and tend to her grandmother.
In order to ease Marquis Dingyuan's heart, the old lady agreed to let her stay.
Marquis Dingyuan praised her as a good child and told her to take good care of her grandmother before leaving.
He did not return to the front yard immediately, but turned to Qin's yard, and the couple had another quarrel.
Xie Nanjia went back to get the fourth young lady's spare clothes. When she passed by the west wall of the third aunt's yard, she heard the third aunt and the third young lady Zhao Lanyun talking in the yard.
The Third Aunt said, "Yun'er, look at your Fourth Sister. You usually say she is stupid, dumb and timid, but she managed to trick your Second Sister into doing this with just a few words. Not only was she not implicated at all, but she was also able to stay by Grandmother's side to take care of her. Would you be able to do this if it were you?"
Zhao Lanyun said in a slightly shrill voice: "Aunt, Fourth Sister used to be really timid. What happened tonight was someone's teaching her behind the scenes."
"Who?" asked the third aunt.
"Xiu'er." Zhao Lanyun said.
Xie Nanjia's heart skipped a beat, and he stopped and leaned against the wall to listen carefully.
The Third Aunt seemed to be stunned for a moment and asked Zhao Lanyun: "How did you know?"
Zhao Lanyun said, "I can see that. When Su He followed the fourth sister, the fourth sister was most afraid of getting into trouble. She didn't even dare to carry her head when walking. When bullied by other sisters, she always swallowed her anger and never dared to resist. Since Xiu'er followed her, she seemed to have changed. She walked with a straight back, spoke louder, and didn't dodge when she saw people. If anyone provoked her, she would fight back bravely."
"Why, she dares to fight with others?" asked the third aunt.
"No, she doesn't use force, she uses wits, just like tonight," said Zhao Lanyun.
Xie Nanjia stood outside the wall, thinking to herself, the Third Miss usually keeps a low profile, but I didn't expect her to be so meticulous. She saw things that others didn't notice without making a sound.
Then the Third Aunt said, "So it seems that Xiu'er was behind all this. No wonder Madam gnashed her teeth in hatred whenever she mentioned her. I must tell Madam about this tomorrow."
"Auntie." Zhao Lanyun seemed to disagree with her decision and advised softly, "Auntie, if you report Xiu'er, it won't do us any good."
"What benefit do you want?" asked the third aunt.
Zhao Lanyun said, "Xiu'er is extremely intelligent and clever, and she is also loved by my grandmother and father. Whoever follows a girl like her will be blessed. Instead of groveling and trying to please the lady all day long, mother should find a way to bring Xiu'er to our courtyard."
"Why?" Third Aunt asked, "She is just a maid no matter what. How can she be compared with Madam?"
"I think so." Zhao Lanyun said, "Aunt, think about it, when she didn't follow Fourth Aunt, Fourth Aunt was so humble in front of Madam. After she came, Fourth Aunt won every time she fought with Madam, and Madam never got the upper hand again. Later, Fourth Aunt chased her to the kitchen, and soon she was trampled to death by Madam. In the end, it was Xiu'er who secretly helped her and turned the situation around. Do you think Xiu'er is a miracle?"
The Third Aunt was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Don't tell me, it's really like this. If we can get Xiu'er here, at least she can help me see the Marquis more often. The Marquis hasn't come to our place for three months."
Xie Nanjia didn't listen any further and left with a silent smile. These two women were really interesting. Did they think she would be willing to serve anyone
Of course not. She has her own reasons for choosing people. If it's not the right person, she wouldn't go even if they invited her in a sedan chair carried by eight people.
She hurried back to Yilan Courtyard, asked Suhe to help pack the fourth young lady's clothes and daily necessities, and then delivered them to the fourth young lady personally.
Su He said, "You have been busy until now and haven't eaten yet, why don't I go and take it away, you can eat something first."
Xie Nanjia still had something to tell the Fourth Miss, so she asked Su He to heat up the food for her and wait for her to come back before eating.
When they returned to Ci'an Residence, the old lady had already taken the medicine and fell asleep. Zhao Lanzhi stood by her bed, fanning her gently with a fan.
Xie Nanjia went in, put the clothes on the temporary bed prepared by the maid for the fourth young lady, and asked her if she needed help with washing.
Zhao Lanzhi said, "No need, my grandmother's maid has gone to fetch water for me. You are also tired after a day's work, go back and rest!"
It had been a long day and Xie Nanjia was indeed tired, so she didn't refuse. She just gave her a few instructions on things she needed to pay attention to and left.
Zhao Lanzhi sent her to the door and whispered, "Xiu'er, thank you."
Xie Nanjia understood what she meant, smiled, said nothing, and left.
When I came out of the old lady's courtyard, the moon was already at its zenith. The banquet in the mansion had ended, but the celebrations at other families were still going on. The faint sound of a flute flowed in the night, gentle and melodious, like weeping and complaining.
Xie Nanjia leaned against the osmanthus tree and looked at the moon for a while. Suddenly, she inexplicably thought of Zhao Jingyu, so she picked a branch of osmanthus and took it to the west wing.
She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she just wanted to see him.
Perhaps because he was so pitiful, she went to see this person who was forgotten outside the reunion out of kindness.
(End of this chapter)