Chang Lian had been listening with his ears perked up, thinking to himself, "Second brother, who is plotting against you?"
Chang Yi shook his head, "I don't know either. Someone was robbing a woman on the road. I am a cautious person by nature, and I was even more suspicious when I was being plotted against. So I turned around and ignored it. I didn't expect it to be a trap."
Chang Lian knew that this was all his second brother knew, and frowned, "The Zhou family has been very high-profile since entering Beijing, and Rongchuan's background has attracted even more attention. It is inevitable that people will envy and scheme against them, but I don't know who is plotting against them, so we have to be more careful in the future."
Zhulan had her suspicions. She thought it might be one of the princes or the Yaohou Mansion, but she didn't know who it was. He was abducting a woman and trying to send a spy into the Zhou family.
Zhulan looked at the maids at the door and then at Mrs. Song. Why did she feel that sending a spy into the Zhou Mansion would be like sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth
After breakfast, Chang Yi watched Chang Lian leave the house, and then stayed in the main courtyard, saying with some emotion: "Mother, my third brother looks so smart in his official uniform."
Zhulan asked: "Envy?"
Chang Yi smiled and said, "I would be lying if I didn't envy him, but my son knows his own worth."
He also wanted to study and tried secretly, but unfortunately he had no talent. He was okay at rote memorization but not at understanding, so he gave up.
Zhulan was concerned about the Yang family and asked, "Is everything okay at your uncle's and second uncle's homes?"
"My eldest uncle and second uncle's families are doing well and they are living a decent life. My eldest uncle misses you very much. I invited my eldest uncle to come to the capital, but he said he has no plans for this year. If there is a chance next year, he will bring my aunt to see you."
Zhulan was delighted and said, "I need to send more letters to remind you."
Chang Yi added, "My son bought a lot of things in Lizhou, and I can choose some for my sister's dowry. Mother, although my sister's marriage will not change, when will Ningguo Mansion come to discuss the wedding date?"
When he was taking a bath yesterday, his wife told him that he had just realized so many things had happened in the family, especially his sister, the future lady of the Marquis's Mansion. The Zhou family was really going to be rich.
Zhulan thought about Rongchuan's attitude when he left, and said with a smile: "It should be soon."
Zhulan chatted with her second son for a while, and then the owner of the fabric shop came to deliver the fabrics. These fabrics were ordered by Zhulan some days ago.
After seeing the shopkeeper off, Chang Yi asked, "Mom, why did you order so much fabric?"
Zhulan fiddled with the fabric and said, "I've received a lot of requests recently, so I plan to make more clothes."
Chang Yi saw that his mother was busy, "Mom, I'll go back and rest first."
"good."
Time passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye it was time for the birthday party of the Third Prince's wife. Zhang Jingshi from the Third Prince's Mansion had a good job, and the Qi family was also a big family, so the birthday party of the Third Prince's wife was very lively.
Outside the Third Prince's Mansion, carriages were carrying people one after another. Zhulan arrived neither too early nor too late, and she calculated the time very well.
Arriving too early would attract attention, and arriving too late would attract even more attention. It would be better for the banquet in the prince’s mansion to be low-key.
Zhulan didn't bring Xuehan with her. These princes hoped that the Zhou and Ning families would not get married. She would not take the risk of bringing her daughter along, and she didn't even bring her granddaughter with her.
Zhulan was alone and had the time to look around the Third Prince's Mansion. The mansions of the several princes were all very large, and it took a while to reach the garden where the banquet was held.
Zhulan saw Gao at a glance. Gao was popular and there were many people around him. Zhulan paused. There would be a lot of gossip where there were many people. She found an inconspicuous place to sit down.
It is said that the officialdom is full of various aspects, and the women in the backyard are no different. They stand together in groups of three or four, and by looking at the distance between them, you can tell their relationship with each other.
Zhulan looked at the Third Prince's Consort Zhang, and thought of the Emperor's actions back then, which not only annoyed several princes, but also several princes' consorts.
The two people standing next to the Third Prince's wife should be the Second Prince's wife and the Fourth Prince's wife.
People arrived one after another. The Crown Princess was the last to appear. Zhulan met Miss Ran San, and the Crown Princess actually brought her concubine with her.
No one from the Ning Mansion came. Considering the Ning Mansion's behavior, they probably seldom attended such banquets, especially those related to the other princes.
Miss Ran San should be living a good life. She is pregnant, the child is being raised by the Queen, and the Crown Princess also gives her some respect.
Zhu Lan saw Miss Ran San coming over after socializing and said with a smile, "Meet the concubine."
Miss Ran San sat aside, "I have heard a lot of news from my mother, but I have not been able to leave the house. Congratulations here."
Zhu Lan said: "It is only because of the emperor's grace that the Zhou family can enter the capital."
Ran Yan curled her lips and lowered her voice, "I also came here with a mission. The Crown Princess knew that our two families have a good relationship, so she brought me here."
Zhu Lan understood. She was still wondering why Ran Yan, a concubine, was not with the Crown Princess but came to her instead. "How about the concubine coming together?"
Ran Yan's eyebrows were bright. The prince didn't have much affection for her, but he would visit her from time to time to show her respect. The princess was not someone who made things difficult for others and treated her well. "Very well, why didn't I see Sister Xuehan today?"
Zhulan said meaningfully, "I'm worried."
Ran Yan married into the Prince's Mansion. When the Prince was defeated, she could not escape. She soon realized that too many people did not want the Zhou Mansion and the Ning Mansion to marry. "It seems that I can only wait for an opportunity to meet Sister Xue Han in the future."
Zhulan thought, you will have many opportunities to meet in the future. Just as she was about to reply, she saw the Third Prince's wife looking at her and swallowed the words back.
The Third Prince's Consort Zhang smiled with a fake smile, "The Crown Prince's Mansion is really attentive to the Zhou Mansion. I have to trouble the Crown Prince's Concubine to entertain me at my birthday party."
The Crown Princess looked around and said, "My sister-in-law's birthday party is more lively than my birthday party. There are too many people coming today, and I am afraid that my sister-in-law can't take care of them."
The Crown Princess looked at today's officials' wives with a half-smile, there were quite a few fence-sitters among them.
The Third Prince's Consort said, "There are indeed quite a few people here today. It's because my husband is valued by our father. By the way, my sister-in-law's birthday is next month. I wonder what it will be like."
The Crown Princess rolled her eyes in her heart, thinking that the villain had succeeded. "How about it, you want to help me? I won't be polite. My requirements are not high. Just make the food and drink better than you. After all, I am the Crown Princess!"
The Third Prince's wife felt a burning pain in her heart. The Crown Prince and the Prince were of similar age, so they were chosen together. As a result, she married the Third Prince, and Wen became the Crown Princess. She had been oppressing her for so many years, and she even wanted her to help plan the birthday banquet. She gritted her teeth and said, "Sister-in-law, you put on too much makeup today."
Zhulan listened with her ears pricked up. This was an insult to the Crown Princess for being thick-skinned!
The Crown Princess looked at Zhang with a complicated expression, "This eye disease is a serious illness, my sister-in-law must pay attention to it."
Zhulan held back her laughter. This Crown Princess was really amazing. She remembered that Zhou Shuren said that the Crown Prince also liked to tease the princes. This couple were both masters at teasing people.