The Queen Mother sighed and said, "There's nothing we can do about it! As the saying goes, when a tree grows big, it branches out; when people grow up, they separate into families. The children are grown up now and have their own thoughts. Can we still pull them along?" Her tone was quite sympathetic.
Mrs. Guo's eyes suddenly turned red, and she said, "That's exactly the truth. So I'll bear the bad reputation, and I'll avoid those censors talking behind my back."
The Queen frowned when she heard this.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but think, and heard Madam Pengcheng yelling, "That's right! Those censors have nothing to do after dinner, and they just stare at other people's backyards all day long. This spring, the Yellow River burst its banks, and in summer, Jiaxing suffered a severe drought. Instead of trying to help the emperor, they criticize this and that all day long. How shameless!"
Qiu hurriedly pushed the snack box in front of Madam Pengcheng and said, "Grandmother, didn't you always say that the rose cakes in the palace are delicious? Have a piece of rose cake."
Lady Pengcheng said "Oh", pinched a piece of rose cake with her hands, but looked at the Queen with a timid expression.
The Queen sighed again and said, "What can I say to you? Fortunately, there are no outsiders here, and Ah Shen is a tight-lipped person. If these words get out, I'm afraid it will cause trouble for the Pengcheng Marquis's Mansion. Look at Ah Shen, no matter his sons, grandsons or daughters-in-law, none of them are not virtuous. Can't you learn from Ah Shen!"
Mrs. Pengchang said nothing.
Madam Guo said hurriedly, "The deeper the love, the more severe the criticism. Your Majesty, don't take these things too seriously. Those censors all want to use the emperor's reputation to achieve their own fame. They are eyeing the Pengcheng Marquis's Mansion because it is so prestigious. Your Majesty should be happy about it."
The Queen laughed and said, "You don't have to comfort me. I have no choice." Then she changed the subject without saying more: "Are you used to moving to the capital? I heard that your second son is still in the Hanlin Academy? Do you want to move to another place? The Hanlin Academy is fine, but it's too noble. Do you want to be sent out for a year or two, to be a salt transport envoy or something like that..."
Isn't this obviously a way for the Cheng family to make some money
Is this the Queen
Zhou Shaojin felt hot and sweaty.
Madam Guo was not surprised at all. She bowed quickly to thank the Empress and said, "You know me well. I was born and raised in Jinling, but after I married into the Cheng family, I have been in the capital most of the time. If you let me choose, I would still like to come to the capital. I have your protection, and I can visit Madam Pengcheng and chat about family matters. It's more comfortable than in Jinling. Although the second son's family is noble, it suits his personality. Let him stay in the Hanlin Academy for a few years now. When he is more stable, it will not be too late for me to ask the Empress to grant him a favor." She politely rejected the Empress's proposal.
The Empress was not angry either. She smiled and said, "When the Empress Fengsheng was here, she said that you were a good planner. Since you have this intention, it must be right. You should come to the palace more often to see me in the future. You should also visit Madam Pengcheng more often - she is a person with a good heart and easily offends people. With you watching over her, I don't have to worry about her all day long."
Madam Pengcheng and Qiu blushed at these words, and Madam Guo even said "I dare not" and said, "Madam Pengcheng is protected by you, so she doesn't take these interpersonal relationships to heart. Now that she has a granddaughter-in-law like Qiu who is so good at dealing with people, she doesn't have to worry about it. Don't worry, with Qiu serving her, nothing will happen to her."
The Queen Mother's gaze fell weakly on Qiu and she smiled, "This child is also a good one!" Then she grabbed a handful of peanuts and gave them to Qiu, saying, "I'm going to talk to your grandmother and Old Madam Guo, you and Zhou can go out and play!" Then she grabbed a handful of melon seeds and gave them to Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin and Qiu immediately stood up, knelt down to salute the Queen and others, left the side hall, and rested in the tea room next to the side hall.
Qiu gave half of the peanuts to Zhou Shaojin and said, "These are probably peanuts from Shandong. They have red skins and three or four peanuts inside each one. Although the kernels are a little small, they are delicious. Try them!"
Zhou Shaojin was not stingy and gave her half of the melon seeds.
The two of them just sat in the tea room, eating snacks and drinking tea, chatting about insignificant things, and no one mentioned Madam Guo's intentions or the current danger in the palace.
After drinking about two or three cups of tea, a palace maid walked in quietly and whispered, "The wife of the Marquis of Cheng'en, the madam, and the wife of the prince are all here."
Qiu looked at Zhou Shaojin and saw that he looked like a fish in the water, so she smiled and asked the palace maid directly: "Where did they come from?"
Seeing that she did not avoid Zhou Shaojin, the palace maid said bluntly: "Come from the East Palace."
Qiu smiled and said "I understand", and the palace maid quietly retreated.
"What does the Fourth Madam usually do at home?" Qiu continued to chat with Zhou Shaojin. "My daughter's birthday is in a few days. If the Fourth Madam is free, please come over to our house and have a chat!"
Zhou Shaojin agreed with a smile, but he was thinking about the affairs of the Earl of Pengcheng and the Cheng'en Marquis' Mansion.
In the previous life, the Lin family was just a hereditary fourth-rank military officer. However, because they had a grandmother who became a concubine and had a say in front of the empress dowager, and Lin Shisheng was also a successful person, the Lin family was ahead of others. But the Lin family could not compare with those descendants of the founding families, and she had never heard of any conflicts between the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion and the Pengcheng Earl's Mansion... Now Cheng Chi wants to investigate the tragedy of the Cheng family's extermination. I wonder if this matter will be useful to him
No wonder Old Madam Guo scolded Yuan for being unreasonable. She followed Old Madam Guo into the second palace and discovered that there were problems between the Mansion of the Earl of Pengcheng and the Mansion of the Marquis of Cheng'en. If she got together with those ladies more often, she would probably know more.
It's just that she is too introverted, unlike Cheng Zheng who can enter and leave the palace... Thinking of this, she felt something in her heart.
If we can get Cheng Zheng involved in this matter, won’t it be more efficient
Zhou Shaojin was chatting with Qiu with a smile until a palace maid came in and asked them to go to the side hall, saying that someone from Marquis Cheng'en's family was coming and asked them to go and say hello. Then the two of them went to the side hall shoulder to shoulder.
The family background of Marquis Cheng'en's family was not high either. Before Empress Xu was conferred the title, their family was just craftsmen with masonry skills. Afterwards, the wives they married were either the daughters of powerful officials or the daughters of newly promoted officials. Their behavior was not as good as that of the Marquis Pengcheng's family - at least the Marquis Pengcheng's family knew to marry a girl from a family of scholars and farmers, but the Marquis Cheng'en's family valued their daughter-in-law's dowry more.
Zhou Shaojin looked at the women in the room wearing gold and silver and didn't want to talk at all.
However, Mrs. Cheng Enbo's eyes lit up when she looked at her, and she asked Mrs. Guo: "Is this your daughter-in-law? The second daughter of the Zhou family?"
Mrs. Guo smiled and nodded, but had no intention of talking to them.
The wife of the Earl of Cheng'en looked at Zhou Shaojin carelessly and asked Mrs. Guo: "Does your daughter-in-law have any sisters of the right age? My nephew from my mother's family is not married yet. He doesn't ask for anything except that the girl is beautiful. Your daughter-in-law is really beautiful!"
Madam Guo smiled and said, "They are three sisters. The eldest sister is already married, and the younger sister is only three years old this year. None of them are suitable!"
Mrs. Cheng Enbo said with a sigh, "What a pity! What a pity!"
Not to mention Madam Guo, even the Queen looked unhappy after hearing this.
Mrs. Guo took the opportunity to leave.
Mrs. Pengcheng also stood up.
The Queen Mother glanced at Madam Pengcheng and said, "Tomorrow is the Crown Prince's birthday. Come with me to wish him a happy birthday!"
Lady Pengcheng agreed respectfully.
The Queen Mother ordered Aunt Song to escort Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo out of the palace.
Zhou Shaojin followed behind Mrs. Guo and saw her quietly stuffing a purse into the hands of Aunt Song who was standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
Aunt Song didn't say anything polite. She smiled and talked to Mrs. Guo while sending them to Xizhimen Gate.
Zhou Shaojin helped Mrs. Guo into the carriage, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
Mrs. Guo smiled and said, "You must be very tired!"
Zhou Shaojin nodded and said with a smile: "But I have gained a lot! Grandma Qiu's daughter is having her birthday in a few days and invited me to have a drink."
"Then go!" Mrs. Guo said with a smile, "After all, our family is a scholar family. It's not good to be too close to them, but it's not good to have no contact with them either. It's not a bad thing if you young people can get together."
Zhou Shaojin nodded. If she didn't want to find out about the Cheng family in her previous life, she probably wouldn't want to go out for a day.
After returning to the house, she immediately wrote a letter to Cheng Chi.
By the time Cheng Chi's reply was received, Chaoyang Gate had already been swept, talismans had been posted, and the Kitchen God had been worshipped in preparation for the New Year.
In the letter, Cheng Chi told her that he would come back on the 26th or 27th of the twelfth lunar month to spend the New Year with her. If there was anything, they could talk about it when they met.
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed. He held the letter against his chest for a long time before locking it in the rosewood box. He happily instructed the maids and servants to fumigate the quilts and change the furnishings.
Old Madam Guo had just returned from the home of Madam Fengsheng's sister, Mr. Peng, a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue. Upon hearing this, she was surprised, "Didn't we just sweep the house a few days ago? Why do we have to clean the house again?"
Biyu smiled and said, "I heard that the fourth master will come back to celebrate the New Year!"
Mrs. Guo was surprised and delighted, then she laughed and told Biyu, "Go and help the fourth wife, don't let her get tired alone."
Biyu smiled and replied "yes". Someone from Xinglin Hutong came over and said that they were going to pick up Old Madam Guo to celebrate the New Year there tomorrow.
Madam Guo smiled and said, "Go tell Madam that the Fourth Master will be back in a few days. I will wait for him to come back before going over."
The person who came to invite Mrs. Guo responded respectfully and retreated.
The Cheng family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was held at Chaoyangmen.
On the 26th, Zhou Shaojin got up early in the morning and waited anxiously for Cheng Chi at home.
But until light came on, the city gates were locked, and the steward who went to wait outside Chaoyang Gate did not see any sign of Cheng Chi.
Zhou Shaojin was extremely disappointed.
She tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Just like the night Cheng Chi left, the bed suddenly seemed large and empty, making her feel a little cold.
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Regarding Lady Pengcheng's seniority, it was not that they were of different generations. Rather, Lady Pengcheng felt that she and Lady Guo were best friends and had been together since they were young. In order to show affection, she called Lady Guo "A Shen".
There were many typos in yesterday's chapter, which have been corrected. You can refresh the page and read it again.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)