Princess Xiangyu only took advantage of Mrs. Du in the matter of courtesy, but it was a rule that those of lower rank should pay respect to those of higher rank. Even though Princess Xiangyu was not as senior as Mrs. Du, her rank was there, so there was nothing she could do. Although everyone knew that Princess Xiangyu was taking the opportunity to take revenge, she had the upper hand in terms of rules and etiquette.
But a moment later, Yang Haiyan helped Mrs. Du up in front of everyone, which was a disgrace to Lady Xiangyu. Originally, there were three people in the group, and only Yang Haiyan did not bow. Lady Xiangyu was naturally surprised, but she didn't care, because Yang Haiyan did not bow, but Mrs. Du and Mrs. Qu bowed. In Lady Xiangyu's eyes, it was a matter of giving face to Mrs. Du. But she didn't know that Yang Haiyan actually helped Mrs. Du up. To give face to Mrs. Du was to not give face to her.
Xiangyu County Chief Yang Haiyan looked her up and down. It was Zhang Sheng's face. She was beautiful, but there were many beautiful women in the capital, but fair skin was rare. Her face was as smooth as if it was smeared with gloss. She was wearing a milky green skirt and a milky white top. Although the style of the clothes was simple, the color matching was extremely gentle. Unlike other women who came to attend the birthday party, they dressed themselves up with jewels and gems, and were rich and gorgeous. Her dress was also simple, with pearls from hairpins, earrings to necklaces. Except for a crystal clear jade bracelet on her wrist.
But in the eyes of Lady Xiangyu, her attire was indeed shabby.
As for the strange woman, Lady Xiangyu thought that this poor woman from the Xu family came from nowhere and was trying to curry favor with the Du family.
Xiangyu County Lady snorted coldly: "Where did you come from, this unpresentable woman who doesn't know any etiquette? She doesn't even show respect when she sees me, the county lady?"
There is never a shortage of noisy people in the world, just like the people in the lobby. Even though they dare not laugh at Mrs. Du or add insult to injury, they do not rule out the possibility of making trouble.
Yang Haiyan ignored the gazes of the people around her and turned to Xiangyu County Lady. With a slight smile, she learned that Xiangyu County Lady did not recognize her. So: "Bingyun has just arrived in the capital, and does not know the ladies, nor does she know the ranks of the ladies. If I am rude, please forgive me." She first said to the people in the hall, and then turned to Xiangyu County Lady, "I just heard the old lady and godmother call you the county lady. May I ask if the county lady is of the first rank?"
Xiangyu County Lady's face darkened. She felt that the woman looked down on her: "No, so what? What do you mean by that? Explain it to me clearly."
Yang Haiyan smiled and asked again: "That is... the first-rank county lady."
Xiangyu County Lady's face darkened. The second rank was the limit for a county lady, how could she be a first rank? The person was just mocking her. "No, what do you mean? Don't pretend."
Yang Haiyan showed a surprised expression, as if she was innocent: "Please forgive me, County Lord. I have just arrived in the capital, so I want to ask you something. County Lord, you are neither a first-rank official nor just a first-rank official. Could it be that you are a super-rank official? Otherwise, why would you let my second-rank official wife pay her respects to you?"
Princess Xiangyu was slightly stunned, a little surprised, because the woman was only about 20 years old, and was neither a royal relative, nor a princess or a princess of a certain family, or a prince's wife, and she knew almost all of those people. So, she naturally thought that the woman was of low rank.
But what about being a second-rank official? A second-rank official of that age must have relied on a man, since he was not one of those with a background. If his wife was a second-rank official, then her husband must also be a second-rank official. All the second-rank officials in the capital were old men. Therefore, Lady Xiangyu mocked, "I thought who had the guts to not pay respect to me. It turns out that you are the second wife of a second-rank official. I don't know which second-rank official in the capital has such a good fortune to marry a young wife as beautiful as a flower like you."
Before Yang Haiyan could speak, the old lady of Cheng'en Marquis Mansion hurriedly said, "County Lady, this is Madam Bingyun, the second-rank lady personally conferred by the emperor. The title Bingyun is not a second-rank imperial decree from any family. It is the Madam Bingyun from Yunxiang County, the one who proposed the military camp fields, saltpeter to make ice, and made potato rice and sweet potato flour." The old lady thought that the words of County Lady Xiangyu were getting more and more out of line, so she hurriedly reminded her. She got the title by her own ability, not by relying on a man.
Xiangyu County Lady's face was a little embarrassed. She knew the lady, after all, she was talked about, but she had never met her, and she didn't know that she had moved to the capital, so she didn't know her. But now the face has been lost, the words have been said, and it is impossible to ask her to apologize. Besides, she knows that the husband of the lady Bingyun is a student of Du Ke, so those who are good to the Du family have a grudge against her. "Who was it I thought, it turned out to be the lady Bingyun who is better seen than heard." She thought about it, and the corners of her mouth raised a calculating smile, "It is said that the lady Bingyun is as capable as a man. I think such a powerful lady Bingyun must have a unique gift for the old lady. Why don't we take a look?" As for the fact that the other party was the second wife of a second-rank official, she would never mention it and just let it go.
The old lady of the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion said, "Gifts are not important. I'll be happy as long as you come. When people get older, they just like this kind of lively atmosphere." She didn't want Princess Xiangyu and Madam Bingyun to cause trouble on her birthday. They represented the Tian family and the Du family, and she didn't want to offend either side.
Lady Xiangyu said, "Madam, I'm just curious. I think everyone is curious too, right?" As she spoke, she glanced at the other people in the hall.
"I am indeed curious." A lady said. Those who were curious were either those who wanted to get close to the Tian family or those who were at odds with the Du family.
Some ladies just smiled but didn't laugh.
The old lady of Cheng'en Marquis Mansion said: "County Lady, today..."
"Old lady." Lady Xiangyu interrupted the old lady, "Are you saying that you won't even give me any face? I'm just curious. By the way, this is my gift. Congratulations on your birthday." After saying that, she took out her gift and opened it.
Her gift was a rectangular box. Although not big, it was not small either. It was about fifty centimeters high.
Everyone was curious about what the gift was and why the box was so big.
Princess Xiangyu opened the box and saw a blood coral inside, blood red and dazzling. Blood coral is also called red jade, which is very valuable, but young people generally don't like it, because it is only used for appreciation. People with a personality like Princess Xiangyu naturally like to carry it with them so that people can see it.
The Marquis of Jinqian's mansion was rich, so they had a lot of valuable things. Lady Xiangyu just took something out of the mansion at random. However, the red blood coral was also very precious, especially suitable for giving as a gift. On a day like the old lady's birthday, it was even more appropriate to take it out as a gift.
“What a beautiful blood coral.”
"Such a large blood coral must be very expensive, right?"
"County Lady Xiangyu is really generous."
"Isn't it? The Marquis of Jinqian Mansion is undoubtedly the richest mansion in Qi Country."
"What do you think Madam Bingyun will give?"
"How can Madam Bingyun be compared with Lady Xiangyu? Madam Bingyun's husband's family is from a poor family. Even if they have some money, it's just rotten silver. What treasures do they have?"
Mrs. Du's expression was normal. She was used to this kind of competitive banquet. She patted Yang Haiyan's shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it."
Yang Haiyan smiled and said, "Godmother, I'm fine." Yang Haiyan turned around and asked Aunt Lian to bring the gift up. She then said to the old lady, "Bingyun's gift is naturally not as good as the county lady's. I'm afraid the county lady will laugh at her." As she said that, she took out the gift, which was also in a wooden box. In response to everyone's curiosity, she opened the wooden box and said, "Bingyun heard that the old lady was not feeling well, so she happened to have collected a few ginsengs and sent them to the old lady to replenish her body."
The old lady gave Yang Haiyan a piece of ginseng. She was traumatized by her daughter's death and had been in poor health for many years, so she had to take medicine. After taking so many medicines, she knew a little about some medicines. In particular, she also knew a little about ginseng. "Is it a thirty-year-old wild ginseng? It looks really good. I heard that there are five types of ginseng, and this ginseng has all five types, and the shape is good. This gift is too precious."
Perhaps, its price is not as expensive as blood coral, but this kind of ginseng with all five shapes and good shape is hard to come by, and you may not be able to buy it in the market even if you have money.
Mrs. Du didn't know much about ginseng, and was shocked when she heard what the old lady said. How expensive is a ginseng of this shape? Bingyun also gave the Du family a plant. But the Du family didn't know the price of ginseng, and it was given by someone else, so they couldn't go to the pharmacy to estimate the price. After hearing what the old lady said, she also knew it.
"It should be fifty-year-old wild ginseng." Suddenly, another voice sounded.
Everyone went over and saw a kind-hearted woman. The woman was the wife of the director of the Imperial Hospital, and she was also a female doctor. The director's wife walked up to everyone and said, "Old lady, do you mind if I give you a ginseng?"
The old lady said, "Please."
The wife of the director picked up the ginseng and said, "This is indeed a fifty-year-old wild ginseng. Fifty-year-old wild ginseng is rare nowadays. Wild ginseng is not easy to grow because of its poor growth environment. In other words, it cannot grow up without more than thirty years. Therefore, many wild ginsengs are gone before they grow up. They are either dug up, eaten by animals, or trampled. Therefore, wild ginseng over thirty years old is particularly valuable, not to mention wild ginseng over fifty years old, which is even more precious.
Based on the fifty years of experience, we can judge based on the five shapes of ginseng, which are whisker, stem, skin, grain and body. If a ginseng has these five shapes and is in good shape, it is indeed worth collecting.”
Yang Haiyan spent 200,000 trading coins to buy a piece of wild ginseng on the trading platform. She didn't know what to give to the old lady of Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion, so she thought it would be more appropriate to give ginseng. After all, it was a gift that would definitely not cause any problems. Of course, before giving the ginseng, she asked Doctor Li to check the ginseng and knew its value. She thought it was very suitable.
After hearing what the wife of the director said, many people stared at the wild ginseng and Yang Haiyan. If they didn't know who Yang Haiyan was before, they knew who Yang Haiyan was after the old lady explained. After all, Madam Bingyun and General Qin were both famous. With their reputations, everyone also knew the family background of the Qin family and knew that they were from a poor family.
But they never thought that the Qin family, who came from a poor family, could come up with such a precious gift. A fifty-year-old wild ginseng would be given as a gift, which showed that the Qin family still had some. If there was only one, it was something that could be used to save lives, so Madam Bingyun would definitely not give it away.
Yes, some people are tempted. Some families have people with poor health, and it is difficult to find medicine. I don’t know…
When Yang Haiyan brought out the gift, Xiangyu County Lady was upset. She glared at Yang Haiyan fiercely and stopped quarreling with her at this critical moment. She went to talk to the ladies she knew. However, the wife of the courtyard manager, when she was talking about the wild ginseng, she chatted with Yang Haiyan and Mrs. Du.
After that, more and more guests came, including Sister Du, as well as other princesses, consorts, and princesses. These people were of high status, so they naturally came later. Since they didn't know about the affairs of Xiangyu County Lady, Mrs. Du, and Yang Haiyan, they didn't pay much attention to Yang Haiyan. However, when they greeted Mrs. Du, they also nodded politely when Mrs. Du introduced Madam Bingyun.
The princesses, consorts, and princesses who are still alive and well, either their natal families or their husbands' families remain independent in the fight for the throne. Then, in the fight for the throne, their natal families or their husbands' families stand on the emperor's side. So these people are smart and will not think about the old lady's birthday. After all, there are only a few who are as arrogant as Xiangyu County Princess.
Everyone gathered in the hall for a while, and then they started to have lunch. All the ladies of status in the capital were there, and the lunch was very quiet. In ancient times, people might chat about family matters when they were at home, but they were very particular about etiquette when they were outside. The rules for eating were: do not talk while eating and do not talk while sleeping.
So eating at night was particularly boring for Yang Haiyan.
After dinner, some wives left, while others stayed in the mansion to watch the show. Yang Haiyan missed her son and did not plan to stay to watch the show. Mrs. Du was not interested in staying because of what happened to Xiangyu County Lady today, so she took Yang Haiyan, Qu and Sister Du to say hello to the host family and left.
After leaving the Marquis' Mansion, the four of them boarded the Du Mansion's carriage. The Du Mansion and the Qin Mansion were in the same area, so they could go to the Du Mansion first and then return to the Qin Mansion, so they could keep each other company for a while.
In the carriage, Mrs. Du said, "Bingyun, what you did today has offended the Xiangyu County Lady. She is a willful person. Be careful that she will do something to harm you."
Yang Haiyan said, "Don't worry, godmother, I'm not afraid of her." The original plot also mentioned Xiangyu County Lady. Although no women from the Tian family entered the emperor's harem, after the second prince was named the crown prince, Xiangyu County Lady wanted her daughter to be engaged to the second prince, so she knew about the Xiangyu County Lady. The county lady was fearless because she had no brains.
Mrs. Du added, "But you don't have to worry. If she really does something, your father will definitely seek justice for you." The reason why her master didn't do anything was that it was not easy for a man to argue with a woman, and Princess Xiangyu only did the formalities to save her face, and didn't dare to do anything else.
Yang Haiyan held Mrs. Du's hand and said, "I know that you love me, godmother. Don't worry, godmother. I have a title and a good reputation. If she shamelessly plots against me and damages her own reputation, it's not my fault."
While chatting, the carriage arrived at the gate of the Du family. Everyone got off the carriage. Mrs. Du invited Yang Haiyan to come in and sit for a while, but Yang Haiyan declined as she wanted to go home.
Yang Haiyan got on her own carriage, and Mrs. Du and others also entered the Du Mansion.
Mrs. Du: "Second brother, you and eldest sister should be more careful about the outside world, especially the Xiangyu County Lady. Bingyun just came to the capital, don't let anyone bully her."
Qu: "Don't worry, mother. I know what I am doing."
Sister Du: "Mom, what's going on?" She hadn't arrived at that time, and it was not convenient to ask since she was in Cheng'en Marquis' Mansion, but she was really curious now.
Yes, Qu told the whole story, naturally including the matter of the fifty years old wild ginseng.
Upon hearing this, Sister Du said angrily: "The Xiangyu County Lady is really shameless. Does she have to marry a man she has fallen in love with?"
Mrs. Du said, "Back then, your father stood on the side of the current emperor, but your grandfather was a royalist on the surface. In addition to the fact that we privately did not agree to your marriage, the Tian family had asked the late emperor for an arranged marriage, but the late emperor also did not agree. First, your grandfather was a royalist, and the late emperor did not want to force our Du family. Second, if Princess Xiangyu married your eldest brother, then the Du family would be pushed to the side of the Tian family, that is, the side of the current emperor. This is not only what the late emperor did not want, but also what the other princes did not want.
So, after our Du family rejected the Tian family's marriage proposal, rumors spread in the capital, saying that the Tian family wanted to threaten the Du family's Dalang to marry Xiangyu County Lady. The rumors were spread by other princes in order to prevent the Du family and the Tian family from marrying. Things are very complicated, just keep it in mind. Your father said that the Du family will only remain independent in the next generation. Now that the emperor is in his prime, your husband's family and your wife's family should not do anything small. "Naturally, he was talking about Sister Du's husband's family and Qu's wife's family.
Sister Du and Mrs. Qu: “Yes.”
Sister Du: "But mother, Sister Bingyun is also very capable. She is not afraid of facing the Xiangyu County Lady."
Mrs. Du smiled and said, "He is a man of character and smart."
Sister Du said: "She is smart, but isn't mother too good to Sister Bingyun?" She said this not out of jealousy, but out of curiosity.
Mrs. Du: "If she wasn't smart, how could she become the wife of a second-rank official? If your mother didn't rely on your father, she would never have become the wife of a second-rank official in her lifetime."
These words made Sister Du and Mrs. Qu smile.
Qin Mansion
Qin Linyang hadn't seen his mother for a day and missed her very much. He pestered the brothers to play with him for a while and then ran to find his father.
Qin Linyang's small park had not yet been built, and Qin Fang was in the construction team. Seeing his son coming again, he had a headache: "Why don't you take a nap?"
Qin Linyang pouted and said, "Dad, where's Mom?"
Qin Fang: "Didn't I tell you that your mother is out, and she will be back when you wake up."
Qin Linyang: "Why didn't mother take me out?"
Qin Fang: "Because those with your mother are all women, you are a man, you cannot go with them."
Qin Linyang didn't understand this explanation. He thought to himself, "Then can I be a woman? I don't want to be a man anymore."
Qin Fang felt helpless after hearing his son's question: "Go wait at the gate. You will definitely see your mother first when she comes back. Go ahead." Just don't bother him.
Qin Linyang thought about it and ran to the gate. The mother-in-law, Qin Yi and Qin Ao followed him. The mansion had invited ten people including Qin Yi, but only eight people attended the class in the morning. The other two accompanied Qin Linyang, taking turns every day. In the afternoon, there were also eight people learning kung fu from the martial arts master, and two of them accompanied Qin Linyang, taking turns every day.
Today, Qin Yi and Qin Ao were accompanying Qin Linyang, so when he ran to the gate of the mansion, they followed him. When they ran, the young master ran too fast and fell down. He was a little nervous, so Qin Ao thought of a way: "Young master, why don't Qin Yi and I act as human mounts and take you there?"
Qin Linyang asked curiously: "What is a human mount?"
Qin Yi and Qin Ao exchanged a glance, then crossed their arms and Qin Ao said, "Young Master, sit on it, with one foot in Qin Yi's arms and the other in mine."
Qin Linyang had never played like this before, so he was curious and sat on it. His little butt sat on the two of them, and it was quite stable.
Qin Ao said: "Young Master, let's set off."
Qin Linyang pulled their clothes and found it very interesting: "Okay, hurry up."
Qin Yi and Qin Ao started to jog, but they didn't dare to run too fast, as the young master's safety was the most important. The old woman followed behind and breathed a sigh of relief, as she was the one who was most afraid of seeing the young master running, and she was really worried that the child would fall.
When they arrived at the gate, Qin Yi and Qin Ao put Qin Linyang down. Qin Linyang asked the guard at the gate: "Uncle, is my mother back?"
The guard hurriedly said, "No, no, my lady hasn't come back yet."
Qin Linyang sat on the steps at the door, then waited with his chin lowered. Not long after, he saw a carriage coming. Even if he didn't recognize his own carriage, he knew the coachman. Qin Linyang ran, calling out, "Mother... Mother..."
Yang Haiyan heard her son's voice in the carriage, and she opened the curtain and saw her son running towards her. Although he was small, he ran very fast. She immediately asked the coachman to stop, and got off the carriage with Nanny Lian. After getting off the carriage, she stood still and just opened her eyes to her son.
"Mom..." Qin Linyang ran into his mother's arms, "Mom, where have you been?"
Yang Haiyan could hear her son's grievance: "Mom is going to see an old lady, and your dad is at home with you, isn't that good?"
Qin Lin said angrily, "Dad asked me to wait for you at the door."
Yang Haiyan led his hand and walked towards the mansion: "Have you eaten?"
When talking about eating, the child said enthusiastically, "I ate egg custard, lion's head, and cabbage." He also raised his belly to his mother and said, "Yeah, I'm full."
Not only full, but bulging. Yang Haiyan touched her stomach and found it was a little hard, obviously because she ate too much. Sure enough, it is not reliable to let a man take care of a child.